BAILOUT!!

[Charlie3]

Although I am primarily a WoW player, I have been working on some ideas for DoW. Give these House Rules a try and please post your reviews, corrections, and ideas here.

I am not aware of any rules for pilots or crews bailing out of severely damaged aircraft to survive a sortie, and possibly make it back home to fly again. To that end I have devised the following rules for both combats that take place over water, as well as land.

Bailout Rules

1. A pilot/crew has the option of Bailing Out of a aircraft before it reaches zero(0) damage and they are at an altitude of more than 2. The pilot/crew may then parachute to the ground in relative safety.

2. When a pilot/crew is going to Bail Out, the intent to do so must be announced at the beginning of a game turn, BEFORE any movement is done.

3. Place a Parachute Card next to the aircraft card/stand for each pilot/crew bailing out, and move the aircraft using the last selected maneuver card, at the speed of the maneuver previous to the Bail Out.

4. If the abandoned aircraft draws an Explosion in the during the damage phase of this last maneuver, it is possible that the pilot/crew is killed from an explosion. Measure from the red dot/peg, to the Parachute cards. If they are ½ a range stick or less away from the aircraft, they do not survive their attempt to Bail Out. Otherwise remove the aircraft from play.

5. Pilots/Crew that survive a Bail Out attempt will move once per game turn after they Bailed Out for a number of game turns equal to the altitude levels they were at when they Bailed Out.

6. Shuffle the maneuver cards for the aircraft they bailed out of. On each turn following the Bail Out, draw one (1) random maneuver card from the shuffled deck. Look at the direction arrow for the card drawn. (Straight, Right, Left, or Steep) The Parachute card(s) will move one (1) card length forward (Parachute end of the card) if a Straight maneuver card is drawn, one (1) card width Right or Left as indicated by the direction of the maneuver card drawn, or not move at all is a Steep maneuver card is drawn.

7. When the Pilot/Crew reaches the ground, flip the Parachute card over to reveal the Grounded Pilot/Crew member. Leave the card in this location until the game is over.

8. When the Pilot/Crew reaches the water replace the Parachute card with a Downed Pilot/Crew card showing them floating in a rubber raft. Leave the card in this location until the game is over.

9. Pilot/Crew parachuting down may NOT be targeted by aircraft.

[Charlie3]

Look for these cards in the Files section of this website. The Parachute Chute is intended to have the picture of the pilot pulling in his chute on the ground on the back.

The Downed Pilot/Crew cards with people in rubber rafts are intended to have water on the back.

[Cianopanza]

Bailout Rules


Beyond the simulation, I think this rules could be cool if become important keep alive your pilot. If he has a roster, skills or experience useful in the next play.

[Charlie3]

Beyond the simulation, I think this rules could be cool if become important keep alive your pilot. If he has a roster, skills or experience useful in the next play.Thankyou! That is the reason for my idea. My WoW (WW I game) League does not use any kind of campaign system. Instead we use a set of House Rules that tells us weather a pilot/crew survive a crash and get back home so we can keep track of individual pilots, and give them experiance allowing them to improve their skills. Since the parachute was in wide in use WWII, I thought it would be nice to have the option of bailing out instead of going down with the plane.

[aikavaras]

I think the possibility to bail out of a damaged plane is an integral part of WWII air combat. I've used these simple rules in my games:

-A pilot/crewman can bail out of his machine any time if altitude is at least 1.
-A piot/crewman can't shoot on the same turn they bail out.
-You can bail out when you are damaged, just before drawing the damage counters.


Last game my pilot bailed out because I had got a kill for him. My Me-109 had something like 4 hitpoints left and a Seafire Mk.Vb attacked it with its awesome CCB firepower. I bailed out and my machine took only something like 2 points of damage and kept on flying beautifully... not for long without a pilot of course. So I could have flown home from that incident but better safe than sorry. :D

[aikavaras]

Oh, and by the way, I like your rules from simulationist point of view but for me they are a little too complicated. The cards look cool. We haven't used any cards. We just asume that the boor pilot lands somwhere safe and somehow manages to find a way back home.

[Charlie3]

I think the possibility to bail out of a damaged plane is an integral part of WWII air combat. I've used these simple rules in my games:

-A pilot/crewman can bail out of his machine any time if altitude is at least 1.
-A piot/crewman can't shoot on the same turn they bail out.
-You can bail out when you are damaged, just before drawing the damage counters.


Last game my pilot bailed out because I had got a kill for him. My Me-109 had something like 4 hitpoints left and a Seafire Mk.Vb attacked it with its awesome CCB firepower. I bailed out and my machine took only something like 2 points of damage and kept on flying beautifully... not for long without a pilot of course. So I could have flown home from that incident but better safe than sorry. :DI like your rules, they would work well. I can sympathize with you for deciding to bail out of a plane that continues to fly well! I have made the decision to land with only a few points left in WoW to find out that many of the damage cards I would have drawn would have been zeros. I think your problem happened fairly often during the war so you have simulated a common occurence:) I can't imagine trying to make a decision about staying in a plane that may be falling apart around you, or jumping!

[Mac]

Bailing out is such a personnel thing! Some pilots rode them to the ground, or rather into the ground! Ego or whatever, maybe even fear of the parachute not working kept them in the cockpit. Robert Johnson found himself trapped in a burning P47 so his choices were very limited. . .
Me being a former Parachute Rigger, I'd take the "silk" every time.

[CappyTom]

O.K. call me slow. I can't find the file. Any more clues?:o


Look for these cards in the Files section of this website. The Parachute Chute is intended to have the picture of the pilot pulling in his chute on the ground on the back.

The Downed Pilot/Crew cards with people in rubber rafts are intended to have water on the back.

[Charlie3]

O.K. call me slow. I can't find the file. Any more clues?:oI don't think the Col. has approved them for the file section yet. He's been wrapped up with the site issues. I posted them at the same time I started this thread, and I am sure he will add them soon.;)

[Doug]

Interesting idea, certainly would be useful in campagins.

[Charlie3]

For those of you that thought these rules were too complicated or in depth, simply place the parachute card on the table when the bail out occures, the card will lose 1 alt. per game turn (I know...this is more like a free fall but it is a simple game mechanic) and place the downed pilot/crew card when they reach the ground.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I think that they could be used for extra points in a WW1. Balloon mission. If the observer/s reach the ground, mission points are saved by the defending side.Or is this encouraging straffing runs on the hapless observers as they dangle on the parachutes? :D:D:D
Rob.

[Charlie3]

I think that they could be used for extra points in a WW1. Balloon mission. If the observer/s reach the ground, mission points are saved by the defending side.Or is this encouraging straffing runs on the hapless observers as they dangle on the parachutes? :D:D:D
Rob.I'm glad you reminded me, I forgot a rule from my notes when transcribing them...see rule number 9 above. It is realy just a gamey rule for those sensitve people out there, and it was commonly thought to be bad form anyway.

[Mac]

What about Wind? Direction and velocity?
What about towns folk?
What about that idiot rigger that was hung over and didn't pack the parachute right?
The possibilities are endless! Sharpen the pencils!

Excuse me while I remove my tongue from my cheek. . . .

[Charlie3]

What about Wind? Direction and velocity?
What about towns folk?
What about that idiot rigger that was hung over and didn't pack the parachute right?
The possibilities are endless! Sharpen the pencils!

Excuse me while I remove my tongue from my cheek. . . .You forgot the Bugs Bunny trick of giving them a camping back pack instead of a 'chute:rolleyes:

[KiltedWolf]

I like keeping the game mechanics simple -- just call me simple minded!

Bravo for coming up with this simple mechanic. It makes good sense, and as our squadron is playing campaigns, we want to keep our pilots alive. I am thinking of adding it to WoW as perhaps an Ace skill -- what does everyone think of that as an idea to bring it to WW1?

Cheers!

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I like keeping the game mechanics simple -- just call me simple minded!

Bravo for coming up with this simple mechanic. It makes good sense, and as our squadron is playing campaigns, we want to keep our pilots alive. I am thinking of adding it to WoW as perhaps an Ace skill -- what does everyone think of that as an idea to bring it to WW1?

Cheers!
Would that apply to German aces only, as in general we did not have parachutes?
In spite of the bad form rule some dastardly pilots did shoot at parachutists,
Rob.

[Doug]

My family and other have added one more simple rule to what Charlie 3 has stated. A pilot (and other crew) can bail out at any time before they reach their total number of damage points. Role a D6 and anything but a 1 and the pilot/crew gat down safely (the pilot is alway the last one out) at the rate Charlie 3 described, If you draw an explosion card all crew are automatically killed!

[KiltedWolf]

That's a simple method Alastair, and i like it -- but DICE!!!!!???:eek: Ye Gods man, the fabric of reality is fragile enough!

You bring up an interesting point Rob. I would extend the bailout/parachute rule to all pilots in my games/campaigns just to be "fair." It might not be historical, but I am sure it would keep people happy, and the game "simple." I suppose you could also make the option only available later in the war years of a campaign.

As for shooting at parachutes (and I do realize it was done) -- not in my games; I prefer to maintain the air of chivalry, as it could'a, should'a, might have been.

Cheers!

[Mac]

But then we will never know. . .Lufberry just wanted to kill Germans.
Would he have taken to shooting them in parachutes had he lived to see a pilot take to the silk?

[Flying Officer Kyte]

As for shooting at parachutes (and I do realize it was done) -- not in my games; I prefer to maintain the air of chivalry, as it could'a, should'a, might have been.
Cheers!
On the premise that we should keep the game simple, and after taking onboard the discussion here, I am going with only Observation balloonists will have a chance to bail in my WW1 games.
Rob.

[Charlie3]

... at the rate Charlie 3 described, If you draw an explosion card all crew are automatically killed!Only if they are within half a range stick of the plane on the maneuver following the bailout when the explosion is drawn. I'm not COMPLEATLY heartless:rolleyes:

[Charlie3]

...You bring up an interesting point Rob. I would extend the bailout/parachute rule to all pilots in my games/campaigns just to be "fair." It might not be historical, but I am sure it would keep people happy, and the game "simple." I suppose you could also make the option only available later in the war years of a campaign... These rules WERE intended for the WWII game, but I see no reason why you can't use them if you want for WWI.

Our group just gives a pilot/crew member a 50% chance( use your own method of deturmination;)) of surviving a crash "landing" resulting from depleation of all damage points. The Explosion card used to simply remove the pilot/crew from play, but we added a house rule card deck that tells you what happens when you draw the dreaded card of destruction, and there is now I think a 20% chance of surviving this also...Just our way of spicing things up.:)

[Doug]

Useing the contributions from Esa, Charlie3, James and myself I think I have come up with a simple set of Bail out rules for WW2:
1/ The minimum bail out hight is level 1
2/ Bail out is conducted at the very start of the turn
3/ A pilot/crewman may bail out before the aircraft reaches its maximum damage points.
4/ Role a D6 and on anything but a 1 the Individual has manged to get out.
5/ On multi crewed aicraft the pilot is the last one out.
6/ If an explosion card is drawn all crew are killed.
7/ Place a parachute card on the table for each crewman pilot who successfuly bailed out.
8/ The parachutist decends at 1 level per turn.
9/ Place a marker on the table once they reach the ground.
10/ Machineguning of parachutist in the air or on the ground/sea is not allowed.
What do you blokes think?

[Flying Officer Kyte]

On the premise that we should keep the game simple, and after taking onboard the discussion here, I am going with only Observation balloonists will have a chance to bail in my WW1 games.
Rob.
Then you got me thinking at a tangent. Not shooting up grounded pilots. We never take into account a downed plane that the pilot manages to land. Should he be able to set it on fire to prevent it falling into enemy hands, and the corollary to this. Are we allowed to attack the pilot on the ground to prevent his setting fire to the machine? I did say "keep it simple".Didn't I.:eek:
Rob.

[Charlie3]

Then you got me thinking at a tangent. Not shooting up grounded pilots. We never take into account a downed plane that the pilot manages to land. Should he be able to set it on fire to prevent it falling into enemy hands, and the corollary to this. Are we allowed to attack the pilot on the ground to prevent his setting fire to the machine? I did say "keep it simple".Didn't I.:eek:
Rob.Add what ever situational rules you want, these type of rules are simply for story anyway..."What ever happened to Lt. Kent?" Our group here just assumes that a plane that crashes due to having zero damage points left, is a total loss anyway. Planes that land before getting to zero, are considered set afire before the pilot runs away. I think...Did I burn my plane before I headed into the woods last night??:confused:

[Charlie3]

Useing the contributions from Esa, Charlie3, James and myself I think I have come up with a simple set of Bail out rules for WW2:
1/ The minimum bail out hight is level 1
2/ Bail out is conducted at the very start of the turn
3/ Apilot/crewman may bail out before the aircraft reaches its maximum damage points.
4/ Role a D6 and on anything but a 1 the Individual has manged to get out.
5/ On multi crewed aicraft the pilot is the last one out.
6/ If an explosion card is drawn all crew are killed.
7/ Place a parachute card on the table for each crewman pilot who successfuly bailed out.
8/ The parachutist decends at 1 level per turn.
9/ Place a marker on the table once they reach the ground.
10/ Machineguning of parachutist in the air or on the ground/seais not allowed.
What do you blokes think?Sounds ok to me...as to your rule number 7 I did intend for each crew member to have their own card on the table, not one card for the whole crew...It was compleatly clear in MY mind;) I wish people could read what I ment and not what I type:D

[Flying Officer Kyte]

[QUOTE=Charlie3;32606]Add what ever situational rules you want, /QUOTE]
I do Charlie,believe me I do. It is nice though to get more of the newer members thinking about these things though isn't it. Devil's advocate or what? :)
Rob.

[Charlie3]

[QUOTE=Charlie3;32606]Add what ever situational rules you want, /QUOTE]
I do Charlie,believe me I do. It is nice though to get more of the newer members thinking about these things though isn't it. Devil's advocate or what? :)
Rob.Advocate!..He's my favorite brother inlaw!
P.S. The cards are now in the file section.

[Doug]

Charlie3 my appologies Ref rule 7 it is mean to read one parachute card for each crewmember and pilot. That's the problem you get with dysleix people like me!

[Flying Officer Kyte]

[QUOTE=Flying Officer Kyte;32615]Advocate!..He's my favorite brother inlaw!
P.S. The cards are now in the file section.
Thanks for that Charlie.
Now the next idea was that if we printed hundreds of the cards we could have a drop of paratroops and .........................:cool::eek: No, maybe not.
Rob.:)

[Charlie3]

[QUOTE=Charlie3;32713]
Thanks for that Charlie.
Now the next idea was that if we printed hundreds of the cards we could have a drop of paratroops and .........................:cool::eek: No, maybe not.
Rob.:)Already have one...waiting for some help on the transports thread for movement and damage amounts:( Works almost like a bomb card:)