There once was a warlock named Mez,
who wore a cape and an ornate red fez...
"D. F. F. D. D."
He chuckled with glee...
"Now THAT'S how you play Simon says!"
So i'm going to start this by saying that I really do like this game, it's 99% awesome.. I have a problem though... Para/FoD... The only defense of which comes down to a scissors/paper/rock scenario... For those not following, let me explain...
(For convenience, i'll assume they've got the para up and happening already). Ways to stop FoD (being the only aggression immune to counterspell) are pretty much: Dispel-magic, Antispell, Magic Mirror, or some kind of control (mind-spells, but potentially also invis/blindness).
Dispel-magic; even if you get a clap off to start things off on the right turn, they then target nothing with para for a turn while you do a 'D', then retarget the single hand that can do a 'P', preventing it casting successfully...
Antispell; As soon as you do an 'S', they can target the para at nothing for a turn, then retarget that hand by the time it gets to the 'F'. If the other hand tries to help out by starting an 'S' once released, it doesn't help, they can target the 'P' in that hand, thus preventing both hands from being able to antispell...
Magic mirror; Even if you manage to clap on the right turn, one hand is then paralysed, completely preventing magic mirror...
Invis/blindness etc; due to the two hand requirements at the end of these spells, they're easily stopped by para without too much effort.
...Ok, so the only defense then is some kind of mind-spell. This means a ParaFC game or you lost (Para FF making para people immune to mind spells at will). Charm person, fear, amnesia, maladroitness (and para which i'll come to...) You've got one hand, and at most 5 turns if you start reacting immediately after seeing a 'P' (as they can safely para themselves on the 2nd last turn of FOD, and a mind control on the same turn it's cast does nothing). With chaining/bluff-casting, this is enough to get maybe 3 casts that the other person has to guess correctly. If you both target the same target, spells will cancel. You need to either have them para themselves, or not para themselves on a turn when you actually target them... 3 casts (max), scissors paper rock each time, except if you misguess, they kill you, while if they misguess, chances are you disrupt their FoD only to have them start it again, still with you para locked.
This leaves the para defense. It gives you the most chances to scissors/papar/rock your way out of danger, and can turn the tables on them, making them have to guess you, but now the game has lost it's amazing variety and half the hands of the battling warlocks are constantly attempting to go 'F' every turn...
(Btw, If there's a defense i've missed here, i'd love to hear what you've got to say)
And there you go, my problem... People have suggested many variants to solve this (maybe FoD could be a swap life totals instead of an insto-kill, maybe just remove its immunity to counterspell, maybe change the way para works (as it's the real culprit here). Maybe make it unable to target nothing for a turn, or if you do target nothing and then go back still from the same 'F' chain, you go back to the same hand... I think something needs to be done at any rate...
Well, thanks for reading (and just to re-iterate, 'brilliant' game, with just one little flaw...:)
Mezbanine.
*and on a quick update, the solution that my regular group has opted for is a 'gentlemans agreement' pre-game of no para... If you plan on challenging me, let me know if this would suit you too before we begin* |
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