Nerd Pride Radio

Hey folks! I've been crazy busy lately, so I haven't had time to do much work on Godball. (That said, if y'all want to go have your own playtest on Roll20, I don't think you actually need me there )

I've been thinking about Barriers today. I'm wondering if they are obsolete because we got rid of GP? I suppose not, because they are ways of making a hex even more difficult to traverse, where as there can only be one terrain on a hex. In the proof of concept games, they were meant to be a cheap way to put obstacles on things, where as terrain tokens were more valuable because they didn't effect everybody.

Anyway, I'm wondering what we can do to bump them up a little bit, so that the God Powers associated with them feel useful enough to use.

Here's a thought. A boost (antibarrier) where sprint costs is decreased, but everyone gets to use it if passing thru the hex.

Not quite obsolete, but much rarer.

What if: A) they usually come in groups (3-6), B) they cost 2HP to move through, and C) they only last one turn?

On your turn, you play the card and you get to lay out your minefield or your wall or whatever. All your barriers have your symbols on them. They stymie your opponents. Then on your next turn, you remove all of your barriers from the table (unless you have a card that says otherwise).

I like the idea that all barriers are impediments, but most of them have some sort of boon associated with them as well.

I think the most important part of the barriers is that they should be transient. It will get to the point where it would be impossible to go anywhere or make any kind of play when the board becomes clogged.

One Flame and I thought if today.

The Oracle of Delphi (Barrier 1): If you start your turn in a hex with the Oracle of Delphi, you may look at and rearrange the top 3 cards of your God Power deck.

Spring (Barrier 1): If you stand still or take a rest action in a hex with the Spring, each regains 1 additional HP.

Flame (Barrier 2): each turn a Flame token is on a hex with other barriers, remove one. If, at the start of your turn, the flame is the only barrier token in a hex. Remove it.

River: (Barrier 1, Special) Can be placed on mountain terrain, also counts as a water terrain token.

Labyrinth of Minos (Barrier 1): Costs 2 HP to leave a hex containing the Labyrinth.

Now that I'm having some of these ideas, this is where a lot of the flavor of the game can come from. And different pantheons can inject flavor from their own mythos in the expansions.

I think, and now feel strongly, that yes, these things should have a movement cost associated with entering that hex, but that they provide some effect makes them much more meaningful.

But then we run into the tracking issue again.

Yep. Have to keep it simple. Think it as a curse/boon for hexes.

Btw, 7 smaller hexes goes into a hex. Just saying.

One of things discussed on the side. Barriers should be renamed to something else. Legends? Mythics?

Both of you... stay out of my head! That's uncanny.

Possible "barriers"--built on other people's stuff and new inspiration:

Bridge to Olympus--May teleport from the Bridge directly to Olympus as a single hex move action (either as standard move or as part of a sprint), paying movement costs as usual.

Cerberus--Blocks three contiguous hexes--extra cost of 1HP to enter AND to leave a hex blocked by Cerberus.

Golden Throne--Typically placed on a hero. Costs 3HP to leave the Golden Throne.

Labyrinth--Costs 2HP to leave a Labyrinth hex

Rainbow Portal--Place the two rainbow portals anywhere on the board, no more than five hexes apart (that is, it would requiring moving five total hexes at most to get from one to the other). Movement from one rainbow portal to the other is considered 1 hex of movement.

River--Add to a mountain or forest terrain, and that hex now ALSO counts as a water hex.

Scylla and Charybdis--Placed no more than 3 hexes apart, passing between (or through) Scylla and Charybdis requires the hero to defend against X maneuvers

Sirens--May only be placed on a water hex. Any hero within 2 hexes of the Sirens must pay an additional 1HP when moving in any direction other than directly towards the Sirens.

The Lotus Trees--No idea what the effect is, but the Lotus Trees make you forget your home and your purpose.

The River Styx--Again, No idea on this one yet.

Yeah! Like that!