Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Mass Combat

http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/2017_UAMassCombat_MCUA_v1.pdf

I wasn't expecting an article today...looks like a rehash of the old Mass Combat rules.

I was really hoping for the Mystic....
Pretty radically different from the previous attempt, much more abstract and fast paced; which is good, because it has been gestating for two years!
[MENTION=697]mearls[/MENTION] has been talking up various DM options in the works; looks like those will get the exposure for a little bit, now.

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Pretty radically different from the previous attempt, much more abstract and fast paced; which is good, because it has been gestating for two years!
[MENTION=697]mearls[/MENTION] has been talking up various DM options in the works; looks like those will get the exposure for a little bit, now.

Sent from my BLU LIFE XL using EN World mobile app

I'm not sure I like the opposed rolls for determining combat; seems a bit swingy to me and adds too many die rolls. I'm sure there's probably a way to simplify it.

I do like the concepts they are laying out, though.
 


Parmandur

Book-Friend
I'm not sure I like the opposed rolls for determining combat; seems a bit swingy to me and adds too many die rolls. I'm sure there's probably a way to simplify it.

I do like the concepts they are laying out, though.
Think they are going for quick and swingy; also gives more opportunity for a PC cutscene to decide the battle, ala Conan in the Black Colossus...

Their previous attempt was called Battlesystem, and seemed like the AD&D mass combat; this seems to step away from that...

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http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/2017_UAMassCombat_MCUA_v1.pdf

I wasn't expecting an article today...looks like a rehash of the old Mass Combat rules.

I was really hoping for the Mystic....

I've only skimmed the document, but I like the direction they're going on with the higher level of abstraction and the morale checks. The only purpose of a specialized mass combat system is to resolve things more simply than the regular combat system is when you scale it up to thousands of units; when it comes to a huge battle, a DM will always have the choice between resolving it realistically in painstaking detail ("these dragons beat these slaads, and I think these orcs would run away instead of engaging the dragons, and these mind flayers would ambush the dragon as it's going through this narrow defile, and...") or making a few rolls, ideally rolls which can be influenced by players in ways that are meaningful to them ("we just beat those mind flayers, in a very public way, so all our guys get +5 to morale!").

So I like the direction. There's a part of me that thinks one-minue rounds are too short for this, and that ten-minute rounds would be better, but it depends a lot on the scale of the combat. I'll read it more thoroughly later, but I like the direction. Unlike the last Mass Combat rules, these rules actually have a reason for existing, and I could imagine using them in some scenarios where I don't care much about detail.
 

I've only skimmed the document, but I like the direction they're going on with the higher level of abstraction and the morale checks. The only purpose of a specialized mass combat system is to resolve things more simply than the regular combat system is when you scale it up to thousands of units; when it comes to a huge battle, a DM will always have the choice between resolving it realistically in painstaking detail ("these dragons beat these slaads, and I think these orcs would run away instead of engaging the dragons, and these mind flayers would ambush the dragon as it's going through this narrow defile, and...") or making a few rolls, ideally rolls which can be influenced by players in ways that are meaningful to them ("we just beat those mind flayers, in a very public way, so all our guys get +5 to morale!").

So I like the direction. There's a part of me that thinks one-minue rounds are too short for this, and that ten-minute rounds would be better, but it depends a lot on the scale of the combat. I'll read it more thoroughly later, but I like the direction. Unlike the last Mass Combat rules, these rules actually have a reason for existing, and I could imagine using them in some scenarios where I don't care much about detail.

I was thinking the exact same thing regarding the one-minute rounds. Mass combat moves on a MUCH slower scale; one minute really isn't a lot of time.
 

Hathorym

Explorer
I'm planning on having a massive Neogi force attack the city in a few weeks... this should make everything a lot easier.
 

At least this one acknowledges that there can be cavalry in units, and it scales much better than the previous version which was more for just skirmishes.

It's better that it's more abstracted.

It might fall apart in dealing with situations like units vs 1 large powerful creature like a dragon.
 

lkj

Hero
At least this one acknowledges that there can be cavalry in units, and it scales much better than the previous version which was more for just skirmishes.

It's better that it's more abstracted.

It might fall apart in dealing with situations like units vs 1 large powerful creature like a dragon.

In the case of a dragon, I think you'd treat it like they treat PC's (as suggested in the last sidebar). In other words, you'd use standard combat rules: dragon versus mob (using mob rules from DMG).

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