From: Professor WHO?
Subject: Re: Interested in TITAN variants...
Summary: Long!  Brief descriptions of two variants created at MIT.
Originator: boyiny@littlewood
Keywords: titan, variants.
Reply-To: boyiny@math.mit.edu (Dr. Weird)
Organization: Ayatollah's Correct Bidding Lessons
X-Subliminal-Message: My Cyclops is better than your Cyclops
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 20:42:08 GMT

 mikem@inmet.camb.inmet.com (Mike McGuirk) writes:
>Greetings!
>
>I've been playing TITAN for a few years but am fairly new to this newsgroup.
>If anyone has developed (or knows of any) TITAN variants that they would
>be willing to share with me, I would greatly appreciate it.

There is a widely known variant called Titan-X.  I dislike it because it
degenerates into recruit, recruit, recruit all you can.

My personal opinion is that Titan is a very well balanced game and good
variants are not easy to design.  I have personally came up with two
variants, actually, tested for 500-1000 games apiece and evolved over about
three years, but neither is completely flawless as it is.

One of them, which I call Titan-Y, involves both a set of demi-lords and
super-demilords with interesting quirks and extra recruiting of powerful
creatures.  Basically, the idea is that triples will lead to a better
up-recruit. 

###############################################
[=> is triplet up-recruit, -> is pair up-recruit.]:
Minotaurs => Dryad (5*5) 					<Hills>
Minotaurs => Roc (11~*3) => Phoenix (15~*3)-> Juggernaut (13~4), 
	Dragon => Phoenix, Roc -> Colossus			<Mountains>
	[The Phoenix and Roc are Volcano natives.]
Warbears  => Dryad 						<Woods>
Warbears  => Roc => Gog (24-2) -> Jotun (23-3)
	Giants => Gog, Roc -> Colossus				<Tundra>
Griffons  => Scorpio (12~*3) -> Phoenix				<Desert>
Wyverns   => Medusa (7~~4) -> Gog  [sic!]			<Swamp>
Behemoths => Basilisk (14~*3)					<Jungle>
###############################################

 The other features are Cross-recruiting (recruits that needs
two critters from different development lines)

###############################################
2 Rangers + Gorgon get Demon(4~*5) in Mountains.
Ranger + 2 Gorgons get Demon in Tundra.

Any two distinct critters from the set [Unicorn, Behemoth, Wyvern, Griffon,
Demon] in either of their terrains can get a Phantom Knight (7~*4).  A
Phantom Knight and any one from the above set in its terrain can also get
another PK.  A single PK itself is sterile.   

Demons and PK's are defined as native to everything that can have natives,
excluding the volcano.  Demons are also defined to have infinite range for
rangestriking purposes.
###############################################

 and bigger Angel-analogues that increase with pointage earned.

Per 300 points		Dominion (7*4)
Per 500 points		Archangel (9*4)		as usual.
Per 700 points		Virtue (7*5)
Per 1100 points		Seraph (12*4)


There are a few special rules designed to improve playability as well.  I
actually took time to make counter tops for everything in colour and am
quite proud of my own handiwork.



The other variant is a less serious thing that I nicknamed Cosmic Encounter
Titan.  The basic idea is that everyone get some kind of super power that
gives an advantage of some sort, like Talisman or Cosmic Encounter.  This
idea was given to me by someone from Carnegie-Mellon, but by this time I
expect our (MIT's) rules and CMU's rules will have diverged greatly.  As of
this time, my set includes a total of 60 powers (up from the original 20),
relatively balanced to each other (the balance sometimes changing with the
number of players).

Examples:

    81 Bramblephobe: You _HATE_ Bramble and its denizens.
[1] You start with 3 Centaurs and 3 Ogres.  You never get bramble natives.
[2] You skip all Jungles and Brushes in movement.  
[3] You may Challenge stacks skipped to Duels in order.  Challenged stacks
    may flee for _NO_ points or to defend normally.  
[4] All ATTACKs you make against bramble natives are at +1 skill. 

    64 Immobiliser: the power to hinder is your long point.
[1] If an opponent rolls just high enough for a stack to reach you, [but not
    a teleport on six], you may prevent that stack from attacking you.
[2] When fighting you, all enemies lose the ability to fly and to
    rangestrike.  All non * chars move one slower.  (Do not use with
    Paratrooper, Avian, Druid, or Archer).
[3] When your Titan is fighting a battle you may declare all combatants to
    become non-native to all hazards.

    63 Astropath: You can alter course of time.
[1] You start with 1 turn in reserve, to be taken any time. You may reserve
    a turn to take later anytime you don't have one in reserve.
[2] You may decide to rewind time after masterboard roll. All stacks except
    those in Towers (which is normal) may move to any hex from which it can
    attain its present location, disregarding obstacles but not attacking.
[3] Each 100 pts. you gain a NEGATE with which you may
    eliminate the effects of any player-turn, the turn to be skipped.

   55 Valkyrie: You derive strength from slain enemies.
[1] After each enemy is slain each your surviving char gain 1 strength for
    the duration of battle, including all additions.
[2] You may take one dead enemy as recruit after winning battle.
[3] You score 3/4 points for chars fleeing from you and chars you slay
    during battles you do not win.
[4] You may recruit from dead.

    12 Marines: You have best trained troops of the land.
[1] All your chars fights at +1 str. and nativity to all hazards (ex.volcano).
[2] Your terrain-natives has MOV+1 and may make all ranged attacks at 1
    extra range without penalty.

    02 Amoeba: You are a nearly undestructible jelly of cells.
[1] You start with 3 of each basic creature for 3 stacks of 3.
[2] Each stack marker functions as a Titan, including taking space (maximum
    stack size=6 excluding marker), except (a) death of Titan (marker)
    except the last in battle has no effect and marker will be replaced if
    you win the battle; (b) points are not given for marker if you concede
    a battle (for full points, since you cannot flee). You can gain Angels.
[3] You may recruit at turn 4 as attacker if no Angel was summoned.

    45 Siren: You have the power to Seduce and Distract.
[1] You order the enemy's attacks, and you may direct any engaged enemy to
    roll on any of your chars engaged therewith (but not MODE of attack).
[2] Enemy must declare and lose 1 skill(or 1 hit if 6 needed anyway) to spill.
[3] Non-flying enemies must stop after moving next to your char. Flying
    enemies must stop as soon as possible after flying over your char.
[4] When an enemy tries to add ANY CHAR to stack within 3 hexes away from
    your d/L, you may try to SEDUCE-- attack at +1 skill. On KILL (effects
    not cumulative) seduced char join stack of d/L, dying if no room.
Newsgroups: rec.games.board