(MODS: Please delete, starting new Poll) Choose the best d20 mass battle rules

[dreaded_beast]

Interesting, AEG has 3 books that seem to deal with Mass Combat:

1. Empire
2. War
3. Mercenaries

Anyone care to explain the pros and cons, differences, etc., among these?

It seems strange to me that a company would create 3 books that do basically the "same thing" (mass combat). Do all 3 use the same rules?

 

[Zuoken]

Fields of Blood have always been my favorite system for mass-combat rules.

Conicidentally, the Living Legion is also my favorite name for a prestige class.

Word.

 

[Psion]

Interesting, AEG has 3 books that seem to deal with Mass Combat:

1. Empire
2. War
3. Mercenaries

In the case of war, the operative word is SEEMS. There are some tables and stuff in there, but it doesn't all fit together.

Empire, I seem to recall, is fairly simple, though I recall not understanding why its system was done in a way that caused rounding errors that totally glossed over differences on the low end of the scale.

Mercenaries is probably the best put together of the three. It's oriented around small units, but works pretty well in that range.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I am passing fond of the Open Mass Combat System by Mongoose. The second edition of the rules can be found in Strongholds & Dynasties (best part of that book).The older version is in Quintessential Fighter, but is not miniature orientd. (and I like me mins...)

The Auld Grump

 

[Thunhus]

AEG book Empire includes updated small scale skirmisher rules, which were originally in Mercenaries. I have tested Empires barony scale mass battle system and it is quite a good. I hope to start a campaign where PCs starts as sons of baron in a single barony (population 1000). I plan to use Empire or/and Fields of blood.

Thunhus

 

[suburbaknght]

I partly agree with Grump: Mongoose Publishing's Open Mass Combat System is my personal fave. It is quick and easy and, while abstract, perfect for my games which rarely delve into mass combat. When they do I want something that's simple and similar to the basic system but capable of handling huge numbers of combatants without turning into a wargame. Miniatures stay out of the picture for the most part, but not always.

 

[diaglo]

Chainmail by Gygax & Perren

 

[dreaded_beast]

Chainmail by Gygax & Perren

Hehe, not the Chainmail minis that came out a few years ago?

 

[jasamcarl]

Fields of Blood. It hits the sweet spot between simplicity and good gameplay, the latter as much as Cry Havoc, but with much less cruft. And on the rp front, the battles really describe themselves owing to how intuitive almost all of the mechanics are. Of course, I tend to think having real tactical choice is actually more immersive than broader, more 'cinematic' systems that i've seen (just for a bit of perspective Mongoose's original OMCS was too patchy for me, though I haven't seen the revised edition).

I've actually used it in my pbp game, so if you want an example of how it could look in play (with allowences owing to differences in dm style), see 'The Greenskin Massacre' :

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=82696&page=10&pp=20

 

[Etan Moonstar]

I'll admit that I haven't looked at the system in Testament yet, but I can't easily imagine a system much better than that in Fields of Blood. And while I'd originally been waiting for FoB for the mass combat rules, I'm just as impressed by the realm management rules. Huge kudos to Eden Studios, this book was easily worth the considerable wait!