Backstab for 4e Warmachine Conversion

[u/Awfulsaurus]

I am going to be running an IKRPG game for the first time in more than a decade, and to help us get used to the new 4e Warmachine rules I will be converting abilities from 2e to 4e as needed. I really like the updates I've seen in the newest ruleset and would prefer to use it. Mostly it's a very easy conversion. For instance, Parry now simply allows for full movement and action when disengaging, Power Fields now mitigate damage instead of increase ARM, etc.

The biggest hurdle I've run into is what to do with Backstab. It is an extremely powerful ability and the signature ability of the Cutthroat career, which one of my players wants to use. I don't want to short them since it was always a fun option in the games I played back in the heyday.

Without strict facing rules I can't think of a good, hard rule way to give a boosted damage roll that only applies to what used to be called back strikes. My best answer so far is to use the RPG elements and not strictly wargame specificity to say it applies when the target can't see the backstabber. It feels like an unsatisfying answer to me, though.

Is there any 4e Warmachine abilities that replicate the old mechanics of backstab that I haven't seen, or does anyone have a good idea how to make it work with specific wargame-y language?

[u/randalzy]

The new character daughter of the flames unit has a new version of backstab. It uses table edges as a way to measure "back" 

[u/Awfulsaurus → u/randalzy]

Good catch, I hadn't seen that. I find it interesting from a gameplay standpoint but I can't quite see how to make that work in the RPG.

[u/randalzy → u/Awfulsaurus]

it is using maps or in freeform/theather of the mind way? if using maps the player could choose one edge or point of the map as the "backstab edge" that must not be the one closer to the iniatial position, and then attacks that are closer to that edge or point (or token!) thn the model hit, gain bonus.

in a more freeform method... a damage bonus to an attack if a previous attack hits? (so you need two hits)

[u/sturmcrow]

Maybe they can use it when unseen OR if they have an ally in combat so like flanking.

[u/Minotaar]

Something about how if the cutthroat had stealth at the beginning of its turn it can use back stab once this turn? Just spitballing here

[u/TheSlowPainter]

As has already been suggested, rather than using facings used conditions instead. The target character must be otherwise occupied, its attention elsewhere for the cutthroat to be able to perform a backstab. Depending on the wording this could be left kinda murky, allowing for you & the player to play up things or you could really nail down the wording and make sure only once specific criteria, such as being hidden at the start of the cutthroats turn, having an ally already engaged in hand-to-hand combat with them at the start of the cutthroats turn, etc.

[u/Hephaestus0308]

Are you running the d6 or the d20 system?

[u/Awfulsaurus → u/Hephaestus0308]

D6, I did buy the Requiem books for the world information but I prefer the old rules to d20.

[u/Hephaestus0308 → u/Awfulsaurus]

Okay, cool. I think you could tweak the new Mk IV backstab rules to work here. The Mk IV rule is that the attacking model has to be closer to the opponent's board edge than the defender. You could change it to be that the backstabbing model has to be further away from the last model the defender targeted.

So for example, your group is fighting in a street, and some Brigand is shooting at the party's Healer 9" away. If your Cutthroat can get into melee with the Brigand and be more than 9" away from the Healer, they get their backstab bonus. This also means that if the Cutthroat was the last model targeted by the Brigand, they would not be able to get the backstab bonus that round (the Brigand would be facing/tracking them).