68th-Specific Mechanics

[aya]

Are you afraid of the dark?


The 68th Hunger Games arena is unlike any that have been seen — or unseen — before. With the twisting tunnels and obvious lack of natural lighting, there are some distinct differences and special mechanics to differentiate between this Games and those that have preceded it.


Movement
It is impossible to navigate the labyrinth of tunnels with any sense of actual direction. Rather than picking which area they will head off to for the next day, tributes can only make one of two choices: stay where they are or move locations. Tributes who move will have their locations randomized. Alliances may still move as a group.


Fighting
Fighting will proceed as normal — provided that at least one tribute in the fight has a lit light source. If two (or more) parties come upon each other in the dark, all attacks will have a random target. Due to echoing, it is not possible to locate anything specific using sound.


Seeing
Like all gifts from the Gamemakers, expect your light source to fail you when you need it most. At the beginning of each day, a die will be rolled to determine whose flashlights have run out of batteries, whose lanterns have exhausted their oil supply, and whose candles have burned down to stumps.


Torches
There is one light source that, theoretically, could last through the end of the Games: Torches. A torch is a blunt weapon that comes pre-loaded with three 'uses' of tar. A tribute's torch can only be considered lit if they are using it as their weapon; that is to say, tributes cannot hold a lit torch and fight with something else. If the tribute's torch is extinguished during battle, they must wait until the conflict is resolved before they re-light the torch. When the torch is out of tar, it is no longer a viable light source.


One other thing -

Whips
Tributes fighting with a whip will now enjoy three potential instant kill attacks:
6003 - Garrote
6091 - Garrote
6192 - Garrote

[aya]

Hunting
Due to the nature of the arena, all tributes must remain in the tunnels in the vicinity of the Cornucopia on Day 1 — in the area "Cornucopia." As a reminder, all tributes must post outside the bloodbath on Day 1. This must be done in the Cornucopia area. You may not post in other areas until Day 2.

[Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]]

Hey so I'm not actually in these Games but you know, so excited about new mechanics! And was wondering: is it possible to use the torch WITHOUT rolling for fire? So that it neither deals damage nor extinguishes? Or must you roll for fire if you attack with the torch?

Also if someone were to sponsor a tribute a jar of tar, is the torch re-lightable after the initial 3 uses?

Lastly, if one person in an alliance has a torch and it is extinguished during combat, do attacks have to be randomized thereafter? What if the other alliance still has a lit torch? What if they have flashlights?

[aya]

It is possible to use the torch without rolling for fire, but if your torch was previously lit then this counts as extinguishing it. If you are attacking with a lit torch, yes, you must roll for fire (unless you want it extinguished.)

If a tribute is sponsored for a jar of tar, the torch is re-lightable, but it will automatically extinguish at the end of every battle like a standard tar weapon.

If a torch is the only lightsource in a battle and it is extinguished, yes, the attacks are randomized from there on out.

[aya]

Clarification - Torches and Randomizing
If a tribute is listed as having a torch on the anthem and there is no other available light source for that fight, it is acceptable to assume that their torch is lit/active until they post otherwise. If it gets to the point where there are no remaining light sources in a fight, stop and wait for either myself or Lulu to post dice tables in the thread. (Feel free to shoot us both a PM to get this done asap.)

Clarification - Extinguished Torches and Switching Weapons
If your torch goes out mid-fight, you are free to use another weapon at that time, i.e., you are not locked-in to using the torch for the entire battle.