Freakintly Asked Queschuns
Last Updated: January 17, 2001
The Hills Rise Wild! Freakintly Asked Queschuns
Version 1.02
Written and maintained by Chris Floyd (chrisf@vr1.com)
Started On 12/5/2000
Last Modified On 3/14/2001
If you have questions about The Hills Rise Wild!, you have a few avenues of inquiry. First, you can email me (Chris Floyd, keeper of this FAQ) at chrisf@vr1.com. You can also email John Tynes (one of the game's designers) directly at rev@tccorp.com -- that's probably what I would do with the question anyway. Finally, your best option is probably to post your question to the official public forum on the Gaming Outpost (see section 6.1 for the link). John and Jesper haunt that forum often, so you'll get a quick response, and other players can benefit from your insightful question.
LEGALESE
The Hills Rise Wild! is Trademarked and ©2000 by Jesper Myrfors and John Tynes. This FAQ is ©2000-2001 Chris Floyd, under license from Jesper Myrfors and John Tynes. This FAQ may be freely distributed as long as it is not changed or sold for money. For the latest version of this document, visit the official home of the FAQ at:
http://www.tccorp.com/pagan/thehillsrisewild/faq.html
RECENT CHANGES
3/14/01 -- Renamed section 3.0: "Variants and Optional Rules"
The following sections were added:
2.3.3 Can special abilities be used when a character is unconscious?
2.3.4 Can special abilities be used as counterattacks to a fumbled melee attack?
3.3 With the Sentry Rules, do I really get to attack both on my turn AND on my opponent's turn?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
1.1 What is THRW!?
1.1.1 Can you be more specific? What does the game play like?
1.2 Who is H.P. Lovecraft?
1.2.1 Which stories is THRW! based on?
1.3 Who designed and published THRW!?
1.3.1 Do they have a website?
1.4 Where can I purchase THRW!?
2.0 Rules Clarifications
2.1 The Components
2.1.1 Where can I get new Faction Sheets?
2.1.2 Can I get replacement cardstock figures or Game Tiles?
2.1.3 What other products are compatible with THRW!?
2.2 Game Setup
2.3 General Gameplay
2.3.1 What do you do when there's only one faction left?
2.3.1.1 What if the last character can't carry or use items?
2.3.2 What does "Explored Location" mean?
2.3.3 Can special abilities be used when a character is unconscious?
2.3.4 Can special abilities be used as counterattacks to a fumbled melee attack?
2.4 Movement
2.4.1 When I break from melee, can I ignore my opponent as an obstacle?
2.4.2 Does changing a character's facing count as movement for purposes of breaking melee?
2.4.3 Some tiles don't quite give me room to move through a space. Is that intentional?
2.4.4 Can I willingly let my opponent break melee with no penalty if neither of us still wants to fight?
2.5 Combat
2.5.1 Does the Damage Modifier add to rolls on the Damage Table AND the Brutal Damage Table?
2.5.2 Can any abilities keep a natural roll of "1" from being a Fumble?
2.5.3 If a weapon or ability "ignores line of sight," what does that mean?
2.5.4 I Fumbled an attack on an Unconscious character! Does s/he get an automatic counterattack?
2.5.5 After my opponent Fumbled an attack or failed to break from melee, I took my automatic attack and got a Stunned, Slammed, or UNKed result. Whose hat do I put on him?
2.6 Characters and Factions
2.6.1 I rolled a 20 when attacking with Lavinia/Sargasso's Ability! What do I do?
2.6.2 I just killed Brother Jube with the "I'm Gonna Dumb You Down!" Brutal Damage result. Do I suffer his Psychic Fury?
2.6.3 Can Angel DeGhoule eat corpses even when she has all her Life Points?
2.7 Mystery Cards
2.7.1 Can I still use my character's normal abilities and attacks when I'm a Fleshy-Headed Mutant ("Thuh Colour Outta Space" Card)?
2.7.2 The rules for the "Tee Enn Tee" caused me some confusion when playing. How does it work exactly?
2.7.3 Can you spend more than 1 Life Point per turn in "Fred's Ammo Shack" and get more Ammo?
3.0 Variants and Optional Rules
3.1 Where can I find variants for THRW!? What about Planned Board Layouts?
3.2 Can I submit rules variants or Planned Board Layouts?
3.3 With the Sentry Rules, do I really get to attack both on my turn AND on my opponent's turn?
4.0 The Expansions
4.1 What expansions have been released and what are they like?
4.2 What expansions are planned?
5.0 Last Stand Games
5.1 Are there any other Last Stand Games?
6.0 The Community
6.1 Is there an internet forum for THRW!?
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 What is The Hills Rise Wild! ?The Hills Rise Wild! is a humorous, fast-paced miniatures game of monstrous hillbilly carnage! Let's take that one piece at a time...
* Miniatures Game -- Each player controls a faction of six (or more) characters, which are represented on the board by cardboard stand-up figures with the characters' pictures on them. Each piece is a little more than an inch tall (they conform to the gaming standard 25mm scale). The board shows the landscape on which the fight occurs, including obstacles (trees, fences, etc.) and buildings -- all to scale with the figures.
* Fast-Paced -- Many miniatures games are known for their deep tactics, preponderance of rules, and slow and methodical gameplay. Not THRW! The rules are streamlined, quick, and easy to remember, relative to the rest of the genre. Not to say there aren't tactics, of course, but luck is at least as much of a factor.
* Carnage -- THRW! is not only fast, it's bloody. By which we mean characters are relatively easy to hurt and kill. A lot of this is thanks to the fabulous "Brutal Damage Table," a particularly deadly chunk of rules which come into play when you make a really good hit to your opponent (or yourself)!
* Monstrous Hillbillies -- The subject matter of the game is derived primarily from the works of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft (see section 1.2), who wrote a surprising number of stories about evil inbred rural folk. THRW! extrapolates a fictional scenario in which the aforementioned folk are trying to kill each other in an all-out, no-holds-barred melee!
* Humorous -- If the above information doesn't sound funny to you... well, it should. The tone of the game is thoroughly wacky, the pace is hectic, and the results are hilarious!
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS1.1.1 Can you be more specific? What does the game play like?
You asked for it. Here's how I described it on the Gaming Outpost Forum (see section 6.1):
"The board is made up of illustrated cardboard tiles that have obstacles and buildings painted on them -- trees, fences, and the shacks that hold "Mystery Cards," which might be items or events which affect the character that enters that shack.
"There are four factions, each one with six unique characters. These characters are all different -- no generic infantry or anything like that. Characters have different movement scores, attack values (which take into account what kinds of weapons they have), Life Points, and abilities. Every character also has one Special Ability which s/he can use once per game. These usually break a fundamental rule of the game, like giving the character the ability to pass through walls or ignore damage from an attack.
"There are no spaces on the board, so movement works by distance (in inches) in any direction. (There's a tape measure in the box, so you can measure easily!). You can turn and swerve, etc. as you move. Some obstacles (walls, trees) keep you from moving through an area entirely; "partial obstacles" (fences, etc) slow you down.
"Combat uses a d20 with defense and offense modifiers being added because of character stats or other penalties (like range for firearms) or bonuses (like shooting someone in the back). If you hit with an attack, you roll on a damage table (you might have bonuses depending on the weapon). Characters can be stunned or knocked unconscious, besides just hurt. If you roll really well on the damage table, you might get to roll on the Brutal Damage (tm) Table. This is a big part of the fun of the game. Roll really well on this table and you might just kill your opponent with one shot! It's a bloody game and luck is a big factor!
"There are both ranged and melee weapons. If you come too close to an opponent, you are forced into melee combat. Your opponent can get a free attack against you when you attempt to break from melee combat. As for ranged weapons, most have a limited amount of ammo.
"The basic goal of your standard game is to find the Whateley Seal in one of the shacks, open the Whateley Mansion with the Seal -- the mansion takes up one whole square on the board and has its own unique contents of Mystery Cards -- find the Necronomicon in the mansion, and get it back to your Faction's base where you can attempt to summon your evil god. Summoning doesn't always work... and can conceivably kill you!"
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is considered one of the seminal authors of horror fiction. His most famous works were short stories and novellas which focused on ordinary and scholarly people coming face-to-face with cosmic terrors. He invented what is now called the "Cthulhu Mythos," a set of god-like beings from "beyond time and space" whose insane human worshippers attempt to open mystical doorways to allow their malevolent masters into our world. Many of these evil cultists were rural folk, degenerate and inbred -- an aspect of Lovecraft's work which is particularly relevant to The Hills Rise Wild! Lovecraft's other famous invention (also relevant to the game) is the mystical tome called the Necronomicon, which, according to the stories, included some of the incantations necessary to summon Mythos beings. Lovecraft was well regarded as a writer by many during his lifetime, but not particularly successful. Since his death, however, his work has become recognized as some of the most important American horror literature ever written. For more information, you might check out http://www.hplovecraft.com/.
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS1.2.1 Which stories is THRW! based on?
The primary source is probably "The Dunwich Horror" which tells the story of Wilbur Whateley, the degenerate offspring of a human (his mother, Lavinia) and the god Yog-Sothoth. Wilbur lives with his mother and grandfather, Old Man Whateley, in the rural community of Dunwich, Massachusetts, where The Hills Rise Wild! takes place.
The other clans have their own sources and inspirations. The Marsh Clan comes primarily from "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," which details a different set of inbred mutant folk in the seaside town of Innsmouth (also in Massachusetts) -- these being half-fish people known as "Deep Ones." Ghouls are a common presence in Lovecraft's stories, which inspired the DeGhoule Clan. The primary ghoul-related works are "Pickman's Model" and "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath."
The Cult of Ezekiel is less directly derived from Lovecraft's work, being more a general depiction of the sort of questionably human evil-worshippers he liked to write about.
1.3 Who designed and published THRW!?
The Hills Rise Wild! was designed by Jesper Myrfors and John Tynes, and published by Pagan Publishing, John's publishing house for books and games.
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS1.3.1 Do they have a website?
Doesn't everyone? Pagan's "parent company," the Tynes Cowan Corporation is on the web at http://www.tccorp.com. Pagan specifically is located at http://www.tccorp.com/pagan/ and The Hills Rise Wild!'s official site is at http://www.tccorp.com/pagan/thehillsrisewild/.
1.4 Where can I purchase THRW!?
The first place to look is your local game shop. Anyplace that carries role-playing or miniatures games SHOULD carry THRW!. If they don't, tell them about it and see if they can order it for you. This helps encourage a retail presence of THRW!, which in turn gets the word out about the game to more folks. Always a good thing!
If you absolutely can't find any inbred redneck carnage in your town, you can order THRW! online from "The Outsider," yet another branch of Tynes Cowan Corp.: http://www.tccorp.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv.
While there's no good reason The Outsider wouldn't have THRW! available, if you're looking for another online provider, check out The Wizard's Attic at http://www.wizards-attic.com/.
2.0 RULES CLARIFICATIONS
[Note: All official rules clarifications come from either John Tynes or Jesper Myrfors, the two designers of THRW! As often as possible, I will note who gave the clarification, and in what form (discussion forum, personal email, etc.). Still, be prepared for some vagueness. These guys seem to think that you're welcome to play the game however you like, as long as all the players agree to the terms beforehand. Crazy game designers...] 2.1 The Components
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS2.1.1 Where can I get new Faction Sheets?
Faction Sheets can be downloaded from Pagan Publishing via FTP at ftp://ftp.tccorp.com/pub/factions_v1_0.pdf. The .pdf format is compatible with Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.
You are welcome to print out or photocopy as many copies as you like for your own personal use. See? The guys at Pagan DO love you!
2.1.2 Can I get replacement cardstock figures or Game Tiles?
If your copy of the game is missing a component or one of your components becomes damaged (or stolen by dreadful creatures from beyond space and time), you can contact John directly for a replacement. Just email him at rev@tccorp.com. There is no way currently, however, for you to purchase extra components for your game.
2.1.3 What other products are compatible with THRW!?
THRW! uses the common standard scale of 25mm figures. This means that a ton of fantasy miniatures would fit -- spacially, although perhaps not thematically -- in the game. For cheap components, you might check out Cardboard Heroes from Steve Jackson Games (http://www.warehouse23.com/item.cgi?SJG2100), Cardstock Cowboys from Pinnacle Entertainment Group (http://secure.bnt.com/pegshop/menu/dlaccessories.htm?xa9icBWsh7j), or any number of Cardstock Creations from Microtactix (http://www.microtactix.com/cbmain.htm).
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS2.3.1 What do you do when there's only one faction left?
There are two possibilities, and your group might prefer one over the other.
The simplest answer is that once there's only one faction left standing, that faction wins. Ta-da!
But isn't that boring? I mean, the presumption is that with all its opponents out of the way, the remaining faction can complete the real goal of the game: using the Necronomicon to summon the dark god of choice. As we all know -- redneck enemies aside -- that can still be a dangerous proposition, especially if you haven't opened the Mansion yet. Jesper gave the following rules on the Gaming Outpost forum:
"The way we do this is that we ignore movement rules. Figures can move as far as they want and set themselves up however they like. But they must follow the rules for getting the Necronomicon.
1: They must open the house with the seal. If the seal hasn't been found yet then they must search the shacks and deal with the shack cards. (This could kill a few off)
2: They must search the mansion and deal with the mansion cards.
3: They must make the summoning rolls and actually summon their dark god to win."Jesper adds:
"We find this adds a little tension at the end of the game and actually could lead to a game where everyone loses. I know some people don't like their games to end that way, but it's very in keeping with Lovecraft's stories. And it can be pretty funny."
2.3.1.1 What if the last character can't carry or use items?
John says, "We've had games where the Hound is the last one left, and he just wanders around the board howling... Count it as a pyrrhic victory--you win, but only barely."
2.3.2 What does "Explored Location" mean?
"Explored Location" means any space where a Mystery Card was placed at the start of the game, and whose Mystery Card has been revealed to all players.
2.3.3 Can special abilities be used when a character is unconscious?
Any ability which specifically states it can be used "at any time" or "at all times" can be used when a character is unconscious. Abilities which explicitly must be used during the Movement or Combat Phase -- or some part of one of those phases -- cannot be used while unconscious, since unconscious characters do not ever get to act in those phases.
2.3.4 Can special abilities be used as counterattacks to a fumbled melee attack?
According to John: "Sure, no problem."
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS2.4.1 When I break from melee, can I ignore my opponent as an obstacle?
No. You cannot move through your opponent's character when you break from melee, as if s/he weren't there. You can move through what would normally be their melee range radius (the inch around them) without having to stop again.
The exception to this is if the character is dead or unconscious. Then, they can be moved through with no penalty.
If the character is conscious and surrounded by total obstacles, however... well, as Jesper says:
"If someone is blocking a doorway the only way through is the messy way."
2.4.2 Does changing a character's facing count as movement for purposes of breaking melee?
No. Jesper says, "Turning to face an attacker, while done during movement, is not considered moving as it doesn't expend any movement inches."
2.4.3 Some tiles don't quite give me room to move through a space. Is that intentional?
This is a tricky question. The official rule is that if the piece can't fit through a space, it isn't a valid move. There is an official exception, however; the rulebook is quite clear about the spaces around the edges of tiles: "As long as there is some ground showing at the edge of the board, characters can move along that edge," (pg. 8). Besides this exception, the designers encourage some reasonable fudging. If it's really close, there's no good reason to invalidate someone's desired movement. The best way to handle this is probably to sort out all the possible conflicts after the board is set up, and to make sure that everyone agrees on what is passable and what isn't.
2.4.4 Can I willingly let my opponent break melee with no penalty if neither of us still wants to fight?
Quoth John: "If both players agree to this, I see no problem with it."
2.5.1 Does the Damage Modifier add to rolls on the Damage Table AND the Brutal Damage Table?RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTSYes, indeedy.
2.5.2 Can any abilities keep a natural roll of "1" from being a Fumble?
Another tricky one. "Natural 1" usually means a roll of 1 before any modifiers are added. However, the official ruling (via Jesper on the GO forum), is that Grave's ability to add or subtract from a die roll changes the "natural" roll of that die. Which means that he can add 1 to a roll of 1 and, barring any other negative modifiers, it is no longer a fumble.
2.5.3 If a weapon or ability "ignores line of sight," what does that mean?
This means you can trace a curved line of sight to your target. You must still recognize all obstacles (i.e., you must go around Total Obstacles and must apply a -3 modifier for going through a Partial Obstacle).
2.5.4 I Fumbled an attack on an Unconscious character! Does s/he get an automatic counterattack?
No. Remember: Slammed and UNKed characters can take "no combat actions." This attack may not have been initiated directly by the UNKed character, but it's still a combat action.
2.5.5 After my opponent Fumbled an attack or failed to break from melee, I took my automatic attack and got a Stunned, Slammed, or UNKed result. Whose hat do I put on him?
Put your own hat on him. Yes, this means that the hat doesn't stay on him for an entire round, but rather, is removed at the end of your next turn.
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS2.6.1 I rolled a 20 when attacking with Lavinia/Sargasso's Ability! What do I do?
Normally, rolling a 20 on an attack means you roll on the Brutal Damage Table instead of the standard damage table. According to John, this does not apply to Lavinia or Sargasso's abilities, since they do not normally use the standard damage table in the first place. If you roll a 20 on an attack with Lavinia's Wasting Spell or Sargasso's Seaweed attack, the effect takes place as normal, with no additional damage or effect.
2.6.2 I just killed Brother Jube with the "I'm Gonna Dumb You Down!" Brutal Damage result. Do I suffer his Psychic Fury?
No. You're safe. The full effect of the Brutal Damage result is applied to Brother Jube, simultaneously killing him and taking his Special Ability. Thus, when it comes time to enact that ability because of his death, he doesn't have it anymore. "Shoot for that bulge in his forehead, Cletus!"
2.6.3 Can Angel DeGhoule eat corpses even when she has all her Life Points?
John tackles this wacky question with a wacky answer: "If she's at full health, no, she can't eat corpses. But it would be acceptable for her to make a melee attack against herself, inflicting some damage and then eating corpses to heal up again. Of course, you could hypothetically kill yourself this way if you got a high Brutal."
2.7.1 Can I still use my character's normal abilities and attacks when I'm a Fleshy-Headed Mutant ("Thuh Colour Outta Space" Card)?
Absolutely, yes.
2.7.2 The rules for the "Tee Enn Tee" caused me some confusion when playing. How does it work exactly?
The card text for TNT is entirely accurate, but with all the other factors involved in making an attack, it can be pretty confusing. A few notes about how it works, paraphrased from an email by John:
Throwing of TNT ignores obstacles. That includes trees, fences, even buildings. Pretend like they're not there when you're choosing the blast point of the TNT, except that the TNT can't end up directly ON an obstacle. Other than that, obstacles do not block the throw.
While obstacles don't restrict the throw, your facing does. The character MUST be facing the blasting area in order to throw the TNT there.
Regarding blast radius, John says:
"The key is that, per the card, you draw line-of-sight in a 4" radius. If you can get a LOS on a target within 4" of the TNT blast point, he's affected; if something blocks that LOS, he's not. In other words, if you could shoot the guy from the TNT blast point, the TNT can affect him. And as per the card, 'obstacles affect LOS and attack rolls as normal,' so you'd take a -3 on TNT rolls vs. a target with a partial obstacle in the LOS."A final point: the "Firearm Modifier" does not apply to TNT (it's not a firearm, really). So, characters further than 2" from the blast point do not have a penalty to be hit by the TNT.
2.7.3 Can you spend more than 1 Life Point per turn in "Fred's Ammo Shack" and get more Ammo?
No. The card states that you may elect to spend 1 Life Point for 3 Ammo. You may not spend 2 Life for 6 Ammo, 3 Life for 9 Ammo, etc. One Life per Hillbilly, please. Void where prohibited in your backwoods county.
3.0 VARIANTS AND OPTIONAL RULES
3.1 Where can I find variants for THRW!? What about Planned Board Layouts?Variant rules can be found at the ever-expanding Official Hills Rise Wild! website: http://www.tccorp.com/pagan/thehillsrisewild/variants.html.
Planned Board Layouts (PBLs) are just a click away at: http://www.tccorp.com/pagan/thehillsrisewild/pbls.html 3.2 Can I submit rules variants or Planned Board Layouts?
John and Jesper aren't possessive of their celebrity game designer status. Pagan Publishing has set up an official Submission Page at http://www.tccorp.com/pagan/thehillsrisewild/submission.html.
3.3 With the Sentry Rules, do I really get to attack both on my turn AND on my opponent's turn?
No. Although it does not say so in the rulebook, the intention of the rule is that a player sacrifices both 2" of movement AND any attacks on his turn to be able to attack on his opponent's turn.
4.0 THE EXPANSIONS
4.1 What expansions have been released and what are they like?No expansions have been released for The Hills Rise Wild!
4.2 What expansions are planned?
The only announced expansion is called "The Reanimated!" It is inspired by Lovecraft's "Herbert West, Reanimator" and features Herbert and a potentially endless horde of zombies. It will also include 9 new Game Tiles and 20 new Mystery Cards.
Pagan Publishing is currently planning on releasing many more expansions, most containing 2 new factions, several new Game Tiles, and a stack of new Mystery Cards.
5.0 LAST STAND GAMES
5.1 Are there any other Last Stand Games?No other stand-alone games using the "Last Stand" rules have been released or announced.
6.0 THE COMMUNITY
6.1 Is there an internet forum for THRW!?
Heck, yes! Besides the Tynes Cowan Corp. website, The Gaming Outpost hosts the official public discussion forum for The Hills Rise Wild!. Most of the rules clarifications in this FAQ come from Jesper and John's postings on that forum. If you have questions of your own, you probably want to post there. It's also a good place to get the early scoop on upcoming expansions, by the way! The URL for the forum is http://www.gamingoutpost.com/forums/index.cfm?Action=ShowForum&ccurrentforum=98&site=GO.