(“Discplomacy”)
by Jake N Aard and Gary Duke
0. NOTE:
This variant is currently under development, and is currently being playtested. No guarantees can be made concerning the accuracy of these rules, nor the playability of the variant.
There are currently two maps bearing the version v0.06, these are v0.06 and v0.06(Ogg). V0.06(Ogg) is corrected so that Ogg controls Lancre, a long neglected omission.
1. COPYRIGHT
Octarine is a Diplomacy variant – Diplomacy is a registered trademark of the Avalon Hill Game Company. It is set on the Discworld – Discworld is a registered trademark belonging to Terry and Lyn Pratchett. These rules may be freely reprinted provided all the above credits remain intact and unaltered. Note that this variant is Public Domain and no attempt may be made to use it for profit. These rules were compiled by Gary Duke, 1997, 1998.
2. DIPLOMACY
All standard Diplomacy rules apply except where modified below.
3. SCENARIO
Octarine, while set on the Discworld, does not attempt to reproduce any particular period. Cases could be put forward for various theories as to how Disc-wide warfare might break out in the period covered by the Discworld books (this definitely does not include the Mage Wars, which would obviously require a lot of magic rules) – such as Lord Hong being victorious in Interesting Times – but there is no ‘official’ storyline. The first turn is simply Spring, Fruitbat ’01, after which is Autumn (or Fall for Merkins), Fruitbat ’01, then Spring, Fruitbat ’02, etc. Retreats and adjustments are carried out as in normal Diplomacy.
4. POWERS
There are (8) starting powers, with units as follows:(A) Agatean Empire F(Bes), F(Hng), F(SDi tc)
(C) Circle Cities A(Eph), A(Omn), F(Ank)
(G) Genua A(Gen), F(Bla), F(Kyt)
(H) Hubland Barbarians A(Hub), A(Vor), F(Ing)
(K) Klatch A(How), A(ReD), F(Kha)
(M) Muntab A(Gha), A(Mun), F(Bri), F(Reh rc)
(O) Oggland F(Chi), A(Lla), A(Lan)
(X) XXXX F(Ter), F(HNL), F(Pur)
5. COASTS
For the edification of non-Discworld fans (hiss!), the coasts of bi-coastal provinces are labelled by the following:hc = Hubwards coast
rc = Rimwards coast
tc = Turnwise coast
wc = Widdershins coast
(noting that the Disc rotates clockwise, as seen from above).
6. CELESTIAL STRAITS
The Celestial Straits between Agatea and the main continent are frozen in Winter. Therefore, fleets may only pass through in Spring, whilst armies may cross in Autumn. Specifically: In Spring, PEL and WWO are adjacent, LIG and Ctk are not. In Autumn, LIG and Ctk are adjacent, PEL and WWO are not. No coastal designations are required for fleets in LIG or Ctk – it is assumed that a fleet in these provinces can keep a channel open through Winter if necessary, but that there is not time for a fleet to open a channel directly from PEL to WWO and move through it in one turn.
7. DJELIBEYBI
Due to the edicts carved in the ancient stone of Djelibeybi, no foreign military units are allowed to occupy or traverse Djelibeybi or its coastal waters. There is therefore no direct movement whatsoever between Ephebe and Tsort.
7a. ISLANDS
The provinces of beTrobi Islands, Brown Islands, Land of Fog, and Purdeighsland, are normal coastal provinces – they may be occupied by an army (convoyed there) or a fleet. A fleet in any of them may not take part in a convoy.
9. KU
Ku is a special sea supply centre. Ku may only be occupied by a fleet, and a fleet there may be involved in a convoy.
10. PURDEIGHSLAND/TERROR INCOGNITA
The provinces of Purdeighsland and Terror Incognita are treated as Sweden and Denmark are in standard Diplomacy. Armies and fleets may move freely between them. Also, the coast of Terror Incognita from Hubwards New Llamedos past The Big Bight, Purdeighsland, and the Rimwards Widdershins Ocean to the edge of the map is a single coast – the Hubwards coast.
Fleets may not pass from Hubwards New Llamedos/The Big Bight to/from Rimwards Widdershins Ocean without first passing through Purdeighsland or Terror Incognita (or Hubwards Widdershins Ocean).
11. VICTORY
The winning condition is control of over half the supply centres on the board (22+). Once any power attains this condition in an Adjustment phase, that power is declared the Winner. Alternatively, the players may agree to end the game at any time by unanimous consent, with whatever result they wish, and as allowed for by the House Rules in operation.
Octarine Abbreviations
| Province | Abbreviation | Starting unit | Starting Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Khali | Kha | Fleet | Klatch |
| Ankh-Morpork | Ank | Fleet | Circle |
| Apinkieyabarmpot | Api | ||
| Bay of Mantle | BOM | ||
| Bes Pelargic | Bes | Fleet | Agatea |
| BeTrobi Islands | BtI | neutral | |
| Betrek | Btk | ||
| BhangBhangSoup | BHA | ||
| Blade Mountains | Bla | Fleet | Genua |
| Borogravia | Bor | neutral | |
| Brindisi | Bri | Fleet | Muntab |
| Brown Islands | Bro | neutral | |
| Cape Terror | CAP | ||
| Chimera | Chi | Army | Ogg |
| Circle Sea | CRC | ||
| Circumfence Sea | CFS | ||
| Cutangelsk | Ctk | ||
| Cutshade | Csh | ||
| Ecalpon | Eca | neutral | |
| Ephebe | Eph | Army | Circle |
| Farferee | Far | ||
| Genua | Gen | Army | Genua |
| Ghat | Gha | Army | Muntab |
| Gonim | Gon | ||
| Gorunna Trench | GOR | ||
| Gulf of Brindisi | GOB | ||
| Gulf of Tezuma | GOT | ||
| Hersheba | Her | neutral | |
| Hong Mountains | Hon | ||
| Howondaland | How | Army | Klatch |
| Hubland Steppes | Hub | Army | Hubland |
| Hubwards New Llamedos | HNL | Fleet | XXXX |
| Hubwards Turnwise Ocean | HTO | ||
| Hubwards Widdershins Ocean | HWO | ||
| Hung Hung | Hng | Fleet | Agatea |
| Ingenting | Ing | Fleet | Hubland |
| Istanzia | Ist | ||
| Klatch | Klt | neutral | |
| Klatchistan | Ksn | ||
| Koom Valley | Koo | ||
| Krull | Kru | neutral | |
| Ku | KU | neutral | |
| Kythia | Kyt | Fleet | Genua |
| Lancre | Lan | neutral | |
| Land of Fog | LoF | neutral | |
| Land of Invisible Ghosts | LIG | ||
| Laotan | Lao | ||
| Llamedos | Lla | Army | Ogg |
| McSweeney Sea | MCS | ||
| Momerathia | Mom | neutral | |
| Muntab | Mun | Army | Muntab |
| Nafooi | Naf | neutral | |
| No Thingfjord | NoT | neutral | |
| Octarine Grass Country | Oct | ||
| Omnia | Omn | Army | Circle |
| Oolskunrahod | Ool | ||
| Orohai Peninsula | Oro | ||
| Pelargic Sea | PEL | ||
| Pseudopolitan Sea | PSE | ||
| Purdeighsland | Pur | Fleet | XXXX |
| Rammerock Mountains | Rrk | ||
| Ramtop Mountains | Rmt | ||
| Rehigreed Province | Reh | Fleet (rc) | Muntab |
| Rim Ocean | ROC | ||
| Rimwards Turnwise Ocean | RTO | ||
| Rimwards Widdershins Ocean | RWO | ||
| Rimwards XXXX | RXX | ||
| S’Belinde | SBe | ||
| Sea of Storms | SOS | ||
| Slakki Sea | SLA | ||
| Sto Plains | Sto | ||
| Sum Dim | SDi | Fleet (tc) | Agatea |
| Sumtri Sea | SUS | ||
| Swamp Sea | SWA | ||
| Terror Incognita | Ter | Army | XXXX |
| Tezuma | Tez | neutral | |
| The Big Bight | TBB | ||
| The Great Nef | Nef | ||
| Tito Desert | Tit | ||
| Trollbone Mountains | Tro | ||
| Tsort | Tso | Army | neutral |
| Uberwald | Ube | neutral | |
| Urabewe | Ura | Fleet | neutral |
| Ushistan | Ush | neutral | |
| Vanglemesh | Van | ||
| Vieux Plains | Vie | ||
| Vortex Plains | Vor | Army | Hubland |
| W’ung District | Wun | ||
| Widdershins Widdershins Ocean | WWO | ||
| Wyrmberg | Wyr | Fleet | Ogg |
| Yaphinga-yaphoul | Yap | ||
| Ymitury | Ymi |