Annihilation Station Game Rules

(Unless here stated differently, Old Warrior Rules will apply)

The Purpose of this Game (& any successors of the same name)

The main reason for this game is for the GM to make sure all the warriors in the game are utterly annihilated with no hope of surviving to fight another day. Besides this there are two secondary goals: 1. Test the limits of particular warrior classes; 2. See who can last the longest, surviving the greatest number of waves of monsters and the greatest depth of dungeon levels. Practically, this means the goal for the GM is to make sure the monsters get tougher and more numerous, the longer you survive.

To this end, I have created special Monster Tables to dictate what type and how many monsters will arrive in each Level, wave, and Objective Room. There is plenty of randomness in the method so that players who want to join another in this series, will not likely face the monsters in the exact same order and numbers as in a previous game.

Warning: there is no hope of coming out of this alive! Your warrior WILL DIE at some point IN THIS GAME.

Dungeon Layout

The Dungeon will follow a simple pattern of room, corridor, room, corridor ... , until the Objective Room is reached. If all of this is survived, the dungeon will proceed to the next level deeper down the caverns of corruption and with more deadly, despicable denizens to threaten the warriors' lives. Each level will follow the same pattern, only changing the size of rooms if needed to provide for the wicked horde of creatures that the GM will have the pleasure of throwing at you.

Unexpected Events/Event Phase

All Unexpected Events will be Monster Events, but normally no Unexpected Events should be needed. The nice thing is, you will never have to worry about traps, except when defined as “more monsters waiting around the next corner”. The Webquest feature, Event Phase, will only be used during a combat that is generated as an ”Unexpected Monster Event”, that the warriors have unnecessarily gotten themselves into. The next paragraph explains.

Automatically triggered “Unexpected” Monster Events: There is only one way to make Unexpected Events possible in this game. That way is to take too long to move toward and into the next room/wave of monsters. If the warriors do not immediately proceed to leave a room after a combat is over, an Unexpected Event will be automatically (GM forced) generated at the beginning of the next turn -- you will normally have two full turns to move out of a normal room (4x4), for example. Also, you will only have two full turns, to cross a corridor and mend your wounds, before you must explore (reveal) the next room. Then the party has one full turn to move into the new room/wave of monsters. If the warriors lag behind in the corridor too long, an automatic Unexpected Event will be generated.

During all Unexpected Event combat turns, the Event Phase feature will be active. If a 1 is rolled, another Unexpected Monster Event will happen. Also, all Unexpected Monster Events will include monsters of approximately the same or of greater toughness as the most recent monsters faced in the latest wave (room). Therefore, it is in each warrior's best interest not to stall for too long before moving on to the next room/wave. If any warrior, remains in the corridor, while the others enter the next room, this is a dangerous tactic, because this could end up triggering an automatic Unexpected Event, if that warrior is then unable to enter the room because of monsters blocking the way. Note: if warriors block a doorway, I will allow another warrior to pass through them only in this case, as long as there is an empty space on the other side of them.

Escape? Ha Ha Ha!

No escape will be possible by any means. Such rules, Escape Table, Spells, & Treasures that grant this possibility are suspended (not allowed at all) for this game. There is very powerful magic that prevents such escapes. Also, upon the last warrior's passage through the first doorway of each corridor a magically locked and sealed iron portcullis (represent by impassable objects) that has no key hole will immediately slam into place. You are not here to run, but to fight to the finish.

Your Fellow Warriors

No one may attack their fellow warrior (unless that is part of his rules, as in the case of the Barbarian's failed berserk attempt). You may if you want, however, be selfish with any healing and treasures. The goal is for each warrior to last as long as possible with or without help from his fellow warriors. There is no rule against working together; but, it just isn't required for this game. Whenever no monsters are on the board, I will likely activate all warriors, to move the game along more quickly.

The Measure of Success

I will allow the game to assign all warriors the gold for their kills and will assign “healing gold” (for healing others) as a measurement of their success. Consider it a method of score keeping; but, the top scoring warrior (winning warrior) is the last one standing, who will go out in a monstrous, single-handed battle against the extremely mean and nasty monsters.

Leadership & Treasures

There will only officially be a leader in the sense that he/she will get to go first each turn. Of course, if the rest of the party wants to follow the leader's advice, this will be allowed, just as the following of any other player's advice.

But, the "leader" will not decide the distribution of treasure as this could provide an unfair advantage. I will first determine who is able to use the treasure, and then choose based upon whose turn it is to receive the treasure. If there is still more than one eligible warrior, I will then roll the appropriate dice to decide the matter. This still may not be totally fair, but at least it will be decided by rules and chance rather than any one person's preference. In some rare instances I may override this rule and request the players's input. Also, players may share or trade treasure if they so desire.

That's right, you will get the usual treasures, such as they are, produced by the random treasure tables I use. These may help extend the time of your survival in this game.

Resurrection from the Dead

Even though the GM's goal is to have all the warriors killed, I will allow a Resurrection or Restore Life spell or prayer (etc.), because this game is also a test of the party's skills (including spells). A Resurrection will just prolong the inevitable, and all the usual rules will apply (i.e. loss of gold -- bye bye score -- and treasures). Don't worry, the game will NOT go on indefinitely, because the academic who can raise the dead must actually be alive himself in order to do so.

Let the Contest, uh, Game Begin!