Taunts in Flagrant Factions

September 15, 2021

So in discussions with Sean Richer earlier, we chatted about some ideas for subsystems and things to play around with on top of the base Flagrant Factions rules. I’ll save Sean’s own ideas for him to chat more about (but I am HYPED for what he’s cooking) and instead talk a little bit about Taunts, which grew out of our chat.

As written, Flagrant Factions has groups with a profile (base numbers for movement/actions) and traits (which modify base assumptions). It also has captains (who have special traits) and it has ambitions (which are things to do in play to earn additional victory points outside of whatever the scenario says).

Taunts add another dimension to this: a group can declare a taunt to change the rules, always as some sort of tradeoff. Once a taunt is made, it can’t be taken back in that skirmish.

It might help to illustrate with a few examples!

You’ll never take me alive!–Taunting group can’t retreat (-1R if they would otherwise do so) but +1 to hit in melee

We’ll never taste your blades!–Taunting group gains +1T and +1 to hit when attacking but counts hits against them twice

Come and die!–Taunting group can’t move or retreat (-1R if they would otherwise do so) and all enemy groups are Reckless against them

So these examples are largely general, which is the first type of Taunt I think could be interesting/useful—the sort of taunt any group might make.

But there’s a second type of taunt I think is even more interesting, which is specific to a group or company.

For example, some taunts for the Necromancer’s Legion:

You will join our ranks!–Taunting group of skeletal warriors must attack whomever they’re taunting and may not stop doing so until the group is reduced to 0R or escapes off the map. If they fail to do so, gain the Reckless trait against all living groups and lose the defensive trait

I laugh at your magics!–Taunting necromancer can force one enemy group each turn to reroll a cast activation. Any activation which still succeeds is twice as effective

My bones will avenge me!–Taunting necromancer loses the ability to cast any spells. If they are reduced to 0R they’re replaced with three new groups of skeletal warriors who burst forth from the ground

Taunts can work at the general level but I think can be much more interesting at the group or company themed level, changing up how the game plays and always asking the player to make weighed decision about if and when to invoke them.

Taunts may well show up in future supplements, including the now-planned Gerblinflood!