Nobody likes Scatter Dice

They're rarely used for anything unimportant and are impossible to interpret in a way that makes both players happy. They were invented to scatter a given position (blast origin etc.) within a circle of a certain radius. Take a moment to think of all the times you've looked at the arrow on a scatter dice, then at the line of a tape measure your opponent is holding out, wondered how they couldn't be more different, and then heard your fellow gamer say something like, "Just about there I think, right?"

You nod, because of all the times you've tried to argue it and spent the next twenty minutes struggling to get above a 6'x4' board for an aerial view, which is the only way to make scatter dice work.

Before starting a game we discuss the terrain with our friends. We do this because differences of opinion during a game can slow things down and sour the mood. It's not that your friend is trying to fleece you, it's simply not possible to hold that tape measure along the line of a tiny dice's printed arrow with enough accuracy to look right from wherever you stand, and whichever side you happen to be commanding!

We want to scatter things, but we want to avoid any opportunities for bad feeling. Here are two alternatives to think about.

'Friendly Scatter'

Our goal is to take a chosen position on the table and scatter it within a circle of a given radius.

• Looking at the origin of the scatter from your own table edge, roll a D2 to determine if it goes left or right (e.g. odds on a D6 go left and evens go right).
• Place the destination marker left or right of the scatter's origin, parallel to the table edges, by as many inches as a dice roll up to and including what the the game rules say the position should scatter (e.g. if you are scattering 4", roll a d4, if you're scattering 5", roll a D6 and ignore 6s, it's easy).
• Roll a D2 for 'away' or 'nearer', make another dice roll, and move parallel to the board sides this time.
• The result is where the scatter lands. No arrow dice.

You still use a tape measure to move the scatter horizontally, and veritcally, but movement is always made parallel to board edges. Modular boards are more common these days, so you often have a line to follow within 12" of where you are scattering. If it comes to it, you can lay the tape measure out long and check both ends are the same distance from the board edge you're moving parallel to. If they are, it's straight, otherwise it's not. There is no such easy option when trying to align to a printed arrow on a dice laying behind some woods on the other side of the table.

The position scatters to any point on an inch-grid within a square of the distance chosen. This area is slightly larger than that of a circle of the same radius, making the scatter slightly wider in terms of board space, and for example, blast weapons very slightly less effective. I prefer this to bad feeling between players.

'Fast Blast'

For scattering blast templates quickly and easily, choose another valid target within 'D6+firer's BS' inches of the scatter origin. Hit that target instead. If there is no valid target within range, the blast has no effect. Higher BS shots do not 'scatter further', rather you have more choice and opportunity to hit something because your circle of choice is slightly larger (a BS of 4 outweighs the average D6 roll of 3).

Whatever you hit, it's second choice to what you were firing at so technically you've still 'missed', but again, no arrow dice, no arguments, the game keeps moving, and this time the shot scattered in a circle. This makes blast weapons very slightly more effective, which again, I prefer to bad feeling between players.

-Scott