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General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions
[OD&D] Questions on BECMI/RC mass battle rules
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<blockquote data-quote="Blacky the Blackball" data-source="post: 5989740" data-attributes="member: 6688526"><p>In case you're wondering why Dark Dungeons does things differently to the RC here...</p><p></p><p>The RC asks you to calculate a "Basic Force Rating" (BFR) for each army. This is based on the level and ability scores of the leader; the levels of each of the officers; the levels of each of the soldiers; the number of victories and routs the army has had in the past; the amount of training (in weeks!) that the army has had, and how much of that training has been with their current leader; the quality of their equipment; and whether or not they have any special abilities. That's a <em>lot</em> of information to have about an army. I can see that the player and DM might have it for an army led by a PC, but for armies led by NPCs or armies containing monsters the DM is going to have to simply make up lots of numbers.</p><p></p><p>Secondly, it asks you to convert that BFR into a Troop Class. The Troop Class is then not used again for combat (although does get used for the ability of an army to do a forced march).</p><p></p><p>Thirdly, it also asks you to convert the BFR into a "Battle Rating" (BR) by increasing it by 10% (round up) for each one of 12 statements about it (about the number of spellcasters or flyers or missile troops are in it) are true. And it is that final BR that is used (modified by tactics and circumstances) as the strength of the army in a battle.</p><p></p><p>Then it gives a second "Quick" way of calculating a BR, which is based on the hit dice and other abilities of the army - this one is clearly designed for monster armies such as orc hordes.</p><p></p><p>However, in other parts of the book - such as the chapter on dominion management - troops are simply given a Troop Class directly, rather than a BFR.</p><p></p><p>This is all way more complicated than it needs to be, so I simplified the procedure somewhat.</p><p></p><p>Firstly, I reversed the BFR-> Troop Class table, so that instead of deriving Troop Class from BFR you now derive BFR from troop class (although I call them "Base Quality" and "Troop Rating" instead). That means that the generic troops in the other parts of the book work better.</p><p></p><p>Secondly, I've combined part of the "Quick BR" method with a <em>much simplified</em> version of the RC's BFR calculation in order to derive a Troop Rating from a monster's hit dice (you don't need to take into account spcial abilities because they're taken into account by the BFR->BR calculation) or a set of human/demi-human troops' experience.</p><p></p><p>So in Dark Dungeons both human and monster troops use the same method, and it's much quicker:</p><p></p><p>Hit-Dice/Experience -> Troop Rating -> Base Quality-> Quality</p><p></p><p>And if you already know the Troop Class, you just start from there.</p><p></p><p>Obviously I prefer this simplified system to the full system (otherwise I wouldn't have used it!) and it might be an easier place to start from as it has less edition-specific stuff in it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Blacky the Blackball, post: 5989740, member: 6688526"] In case you're wondering why Dark Dungeons does things differently to the RC here... The RC asks you to calculate a "Basic Force Rating" (BFR) for each army. This is based on the level and ability scores of the leader; the levels of each of the officers; the levels of each of the soldiers; the number of victories and routs the army has had in the past; the amount of training (in weeks!) that the army has had, and how much of that training has been with their current leader; the quality of their equipment; and whether or not they have any special abilities. That's a [I]lot[/I] of information to have about an army. I can see that the player and DM might have it for an army led by a PC, but for armies led by NPCs or armies containing monsters the DM is going to have to simply make up lots of numbers. Secondly, it asks you to convert that BFR into a Troop Class. The Troop Class is then not used again for combat (although does get used for the ability of an army to do a forced march). Thirdly, it also asks you to convert the BFR into a "Battle Rating" (BR) by increasing it by 10% (round up) for each one of 12 statements about it (about the number of spellcasters or flyers or missile troops are in it) are true. And it is that final BR that is used (modified by tactics and circumstances) as the strength of the army in a battle. Then it gives a second "Quick" way of calculating a BR, which is based on the hit dice and other abilities of the army - this one is clearly designed for monster armies such as orc hordes. However, in other parts of the book - such as the chapter on dominion management - troops are simply given a Troop Class directly, rather than a BFR. This is all way more complicated than it needs to be, so I simplified the procedure somewhat. Firstly, I reversed the BFR-> Troop Class table, so that instead of deriving Troop Class from BFR you now derive BFR from troop class (although I call them "Base Quality" and "Troop Rating" instead). That means that the generic troops in the other parts of the book work better. Secondly, I've combined part of the "Quick BR" method with a [I]much simplified[/I] version of the RC's BFR calculation in order to derive a Troop Rating from a monster's hit dice (you don't need to take into account spcial abilities because they're taken into account by the BFR->BR calculation) or a set of human/demi-human troops' experience. So in Dark Dungeons both human and monster troops use the same method, and it's much quicker: Hit-Dice/Experience -> Troop Rating -> Base Quality-> Quality And if you already know the Troop Class, you just start from there. Obviously I prefer this simplified system to the full system (otherwise I wouldn't have used it!) and it might be an easier place to start from as it has less edition-specific stuff in it. [/QUOTE]
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