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<blockquote data-quote="designbot" data-source="post: 7709356" data-attributes="member: 6777589"><p>It seems like there's a cleaner option that would balance itself automatically:</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Form units of however many identical creatures you want, in any formation. They occupy the normal amount of space (i.e. 5' x 5' per Medium creature), but you can abstract the units of area (i.e. up to 100 Medium creatures in each 50' square) for convenience if you like.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Calculate the total HP for each unit by multiplying the standard HP for each creature by the number of creatures.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Roll initiative for each unit. Treat PC's and major NPC's as individual units.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If you want different types of units to work together, you can combine them into a group. The group shares the intiative count of the lowest member in the group. They can move simultaneously, but each unit takes its own actions and tracks its HP separately.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">For each unit, take any actions you would usually be able to take for creatures of that type (i.e. move, attack, dash, disengage, dodge, special attacks, etc.). For each attack roll or saving throw, you roll once for the entire unit, using the stats for an individual creature.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If you're attacking vs. AC, use the individual AC for the type of creature(s) being attacked.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">On a hit, roll the damage for the attack once (or take the average) and multiply it by the number of creatures in the attacking unit. (Apply any special effects, resistances, vulnerabilities, or immunities.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Subtract the total damage from the total HP of the attacked unit. At any time, you can divide the total HP by the individual HP (rounding up) to determine how many creatures are left in the unit.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">PC's can take their regular actions, or Help a unit to give them advantage on their attack roll.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If you want to get past an enemy unit without defeating it first, use the Overrun option on pg. 272 of the DMG—make an Athletics contest using one roll for each unit, multiplied by the number of creatures. Passing through the other unit is difficult terrain, so it may take more than one turn to press through the hostile unit's space, depending on how large it is.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You can take an opportunity attack on a unit that attempts to move out of melee range without disengaging.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">By default, you can treat an entire unit as in range for melee or ranged attacks if any part of the targeted unit is in range of any part of the attacking unit. However, if it's tactically significant to determine range in more detail, or if it's dramatically appropriate, you can split or merge units during a battle at will.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">For instance, if a PC wades into a huge battle, you could temporarily split the creatures within range of the PC into one or more separate units, instead of having the entire army make one attack roll against the PC.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">As another example, if a unit failed a saving throw against a medusa's petrifying gaze, only the portion of the unit that was within 30 feet would be at risk of petrification, not the entire unit.</li> </ul></li> </ul><p></p><p><strong>Basically, use standard D&D combat rules, but consolidate the initiative, actions, movement, attack rolls, AC, and saving throws for multiple identical creatures working together. Also consolidate HP, damage, and ability checks, but multiply them by the number of creatures participating.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>I might add in some morale checks and modifiers, but it seems like this would be the most efficient way to scale up combat while maintaining bounded accuracy, keeping the unique flavor and abilities of different creatures, and zooming in on individual characters as desired.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?525972-Unearthed-Arcana-Mass-Combat&p=7033566&viewfull=1#post7033566" target="_blank">(Combat example here.)</a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="designbot, post: 7709356, member: 6777589"] It seems like there's a cleaner option that would balance itself automatically: [LIST] [*]Form units of however many identical creatures you want, in any formation. They occupy the normal amount of space (i.e. 5' x 5' per Medium creature), but you can abstract the units of area (i.e. up to 100 Medium creatures in each 50' square) for convenience if you like. [*]Calculate the total HP for each unit by multiplying the standard HP for each creature by the number of creatures. [*]Roll initiative for each unit. Treat PC's and major NPC's as individual units. [*]If you want different types of units to work together, you can combine them into a group. The group shares the intiative count of the lowest member in the group. They can move simultaneously, but each unit takes its own actions and tracks its HP separately. [*]For each unit, take any actions you would usually be able to take for creatures of that type (i.e. move, attack, dash, disengage, dodge, special attacks, etc.). For each attack roll or saving throw, you roll once for the entire unit, using the stats for an individual creature. [*]If you're attacking vs. AC, use the individual AC for the type of creature(s) being attacked. [*]On a hit, roll the damage for the attack once (or take the average) and multiply it by the number of creatures in the attacking unit. (Apply any special effects, resistances, vulnerabilities, or immunities.) [*]Subtract the total damage from the total HP of the attacked unit. At any time, you can divide the total HP by the individual HP (rounding up) to determine how many creatures are left in the unit. [*]PC's can take their regular actions, or Help a unit to give them advantage on their attack roll. [*]If you want to get past an enemy unit without defeating it first, use the Overrun option on pg. 272 of the DMG—make an Athletics contest using one roll for each unit, multiplied by the number of creatures. Passing through the other unit is difficult terrain, so it may take more than one turn to press through the hostile unit's space, depending on how large it is. [*]You can take an opportunity attack on a unit that attempts to move out of melee range without disengaging. [*]By default, you can treat an entire unit as in range for melee or ranged attacks if any part of the targeted unit is in range of any part of the attacking unit. However, if it's tactically significant to determine range in more detail, or if it's dramatically appropriate, you can split or merge units during a battle at will. [LIST] [*]For instance, if a PC wades into a huge battle, you could temporarily split the creatures within range of the PC into one or more separate units, instead of having the entire army make one attack roll against the PC. [*]As another example, if a unit failed a saving throw against a medusa's petrifying gaze, only the portion of the unit that was within 30 feet would be at risk of petrification, not the entire unit. [/LIST] [/LIST] [B]Basically, use standard D&D combat rules, but consolidate the initiative, actions, movement, attack rolls, AC, and saving throws for multiple identical creatures working together. Also consolidate HP, damage, and ability checks, but multiply them by the number of creatures participating. [/B] I might add in some morale checks and modifiers, but it seems like this would be the most efficient way to scale up combat while maintaining bounded accuracy, keeping the unique flavor and abilities of different creatures, and zooming in on individual characters as desired. [URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?525972-Unearthed-Arcana-Mass-Combat&p=7033566&viewfull=1#post7033566"](Combat example here.)[/URL] [/QUOTE]
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