My changes to Sharp Practice

Here are my rule changes, based on Silver Whistle's changes with added goodies, both my own and from Jim's Dux Britanniarum mods. I might make them into a PDF if i find out how to do it.

Movement

As Silver Whistle, with archers and other missile troops adding a pip to every die and men at arms removing one. I might remove the latter, not sure yet (fully armoured men could walk at the same speed as most men, i've seen a video ;-D )

Firing

Nothing new for ranges.

0-12 4+ to hit, 13-24 5+ to hit, 25-36 6 to hit.

This is the same for longbows and crossbows.

Handgonnes

0-8 4+ to hit, 9-16 5+ to hit, 17-25 6 to hit.

Rate of fire: Longbows don't need to reload, so can fire once on each dice (two a turn if no move or spotting). Crossbows and handguns need 2 dice to reload.

Effect: As rules, with an armour save. This is the same as SW:

Light, 6

Heavy, 5+

Plate, 4+

Milanese plate (commanders), 3+
Crossbows and handguns lower armour saves by 1, so light armour provides no protection against these weapons. This is to balance out the fact that longbows fire three times as fast!

I treat light as helmets, jacks and maybe some mail/brigandines, usually archers or lightly armoured bill men (militia come to mind). Heavy is jacks, helmets, brigandines and mail and some plate, mainly billmen and the like. Most 'average' melee soldiers. Plate is plate, either full gothic harnesses, 3/4 or just fully armoured men (such as mail and brigandine with plate on the arms). Reserved for the men-at-arms, the elites.

When a groups is hit by archery, they can roll to save any Shock or Kills. A save will seen Shock ignored and a Kill reduced to a point of Shock.

Melee

As rulebook, with an armour save for any possible Kills. In melee, there are no saves for Shock, but a saved Kill will result in a point of Shock instead.

Bonus Cards

Like SW, i use a Draw Bonus Card in the turn deck, as i never remember to check for random events. So i have included some of the events in the Bonus deck and added some new ones...

Out of ammo*: A missile armed group runs out of arrows, quarrels or bullets. X2

Ammunition: A missile unit that has ran out of ammo can fire again. X1

At the double: +1 die to move. X2

Stand fast: -d6 Shock. X2

Stuck in the mud*: -1 pip to next move. X2

Church blessing*: No move for one turn. X1

Looting*: Two men loot nearest building, stopping if contacted by a Big Man. X1

Fear*: Big Man and group must retire for one turn. X1

Drunkard*: One man passes out. X1

Hello ladies*: d6-2 men go to nearest house until contacted by Big Man. X1

Damnation!*: Loose all Bonus Cards in your hand. X1

Broken string*: An archer breaks his string. Replace on a 5 or 6 (one roll a turn). X1

I fathom not your intent: An activated Big Man may not move. He may remove Shock, shoot and spot as normal. X1

Well i thought that went well: Loss margin in fisticuffs is lowered by 2, as the men think they did better then they really did. X1

Look out milord!: Cancels one hit of a Big Man. X1

I have a cunning plan: Either Stakes or Pits. Each take 2 activation dice to place. Stakes count as a defended square against cavalry, pits as an obstacle (needs testing). X2

Treachery!: -33% dice in fisticuffs (1 group) as some idiot shouts this in the rear rank. X1

Bonus Cards effect the last Big Man to activate. Some of the cards will be played straight away (such as out of ammo, if a missile group fired last turn then they are effected) but if the card cannot be played right away (last group activated was a melee group for example) then the card may be kept and played at on a latter turn.
The cards with * are the ones i use straight away, just to give you an idea.

So there we are. Any ideas will be welcome, and check out Silver Whistle's blog for the original draft.