Warfare For Beginners
From ENWiki
| Fan Content |
|---|
| D&D 3e |
| This page is fan content for 3rd Edition D&D. |
This article needs formatting.
This supplement presents an easy-to-use mass-battle system which involves your player characters on an individual level. The key to the system is focusing on tactical and strategic missions which affect the overall outcome of a large battle.
The system assumes that the player characters are integral to the battle – in other words, without their actions, the battle will be lost. That’s why we play these fantasy role-playing games, right?
You’ll find that the system is remarkably simple to use, and allows your players to feel they truly are affecting the course of the battle in a vital way – without forcing you to adopt large-scale and clunky mass-battle rules involving army units and the like.
Contents |
The Basics
The system works on a basic Victory Points scale: successful missions performed by the PCs earn their “side” Victory Points, while the passage of time earns the enemy Victory Points. The scale runs from 0-20; if the PCs’ Victory Points total reaches 20, the battle is won; if it reaches 0, the battle is lost.
Generally speaking, you’ll start at 10 Victory Points, adding Victory Points when the PCs succeed in a mission, and deducting Victory Points as time passes. This creates a sense of urgency, because if the PCs sit around doing nothing for too long, the battle will, left to its own devices, be lost.
Optional rule: Make the PCs task easier or harder by increasing or decreasing the starting score. Apply a two-point bonus or penalty for: being greatly outnumbered; fortifications; flying troops; preparedness; seasoning. Try not to deviate from the standard 10 Victory Points by more than 6 Victory Points, or the PCs’ job may become either trivial or next to impossible.
Missions include such things as: assassinations, captures, reconnaissance, spying, sabotage and so on. A successful mission will earn 1-3 Victory Points: the more difficult the missions, the more Victory Points.
Passage of time reduces the PCs’ Victory Points tally at a rate of 3 Victory Points per Time Unit.
Scaling
It’s easy to scale these rules. The default assumption is a battle of 2-7 days, roughly, with each Time Unit representing one day. This includes short missions which can be accomplished within a day.
You may want to use these rules to handle more epic battles lasting weeks, months, or even years! All you need to do is assign the Time Unit whatever unit of time you prefer, and make the missions themselves larger in scope.
For example, you could have an engagement which you plan to take months. One Time Unit is one month. The PCs have a month to accomplish any given mission. The missions may often involve long-distance travel, or a major exploration of an expansive location. In this way you can build an entire campaign around this system. Each mission can be an entire adventure in itself.
The Missions
Each Time Unit, roll 1d20 three times and offer the players the three resultant missions. They are free to attempt any or all of the missions available. Any missions not successful or undertaken during that Time Unit may be undertaken at a later date unless failure incurs a penalty.
| d20 (Optional) | Mission | Success | Failure |
| 1 | Minor Assassination | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Major Assassination | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | Champion Duel | 2 | -2 |
| 4-5 | Minor Sabotage | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Artifact | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | Major Sabotage* | 2 | -1 |
| 8-9 | Reconnaissance | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Spying | 3 | 0 |
| 11 | Minor Abduction | 2 | 0 |
| 12 | Major Abduction | 4 | 0 |
| 13-14 | Assault | 3 | -1 |
| 15-16 | Defence | 2 | -2 |
| 17 | Bodyguard | 1 | -2 |
| 18 | Counterspy | 2 | -2 |
| 19 | Morale | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | Allies | 4 | 0 |
*Major sabotage may constitute a larger, or better defended installation than Minor sabotage, or it may comprise three acts of Minor Sabotage.
A successful mission gains the party’s side the number of Victory Points indicated in the “Success” column, above. A failed mission means that the party’s side loses the number of Victory Points in the “Fail” column, above.
If the failure penalty is 0 Victory Points, the mission can be attempted again at any point.
Important note: missions with a penalty for failure count as failed if they are not undertaken. They are time-critical; the PCs don’t get to wait until tomorrow to defend that breach in the wall.
Random Events
Each Time Unit, roll 1d12 for a Random Event. The event can apply to either side in the battle – this should also be determined randomly. The side in question loses the number of Victory Points indicated.
1-2 Weather Change: 'A change in weather favours one side or the other. (1 point)
3 Reinforcements: Reinforcements arrive for one side or the other. (3 points)
4 Illness: Plague or other widespread illness affects one side or the other. (3 points)
5-6 Spy: Secrets are leaked to the other side by a spy. (2 points)
7-8 Hero: One side is badly damaged by a successful mission by a hero of the other side. (2 points)
9 Omen: An omen reduces morale of one side. (1 point)
10 Desertion : Desertion problems weaken one side. (2 points)
11 Traitor: An important individual or unit defects to the other side. (3 points)
12 Major Death: An important individual or unit dies, either slain on the battlefield or at the hands of an assassin. (3 points)
Putting all this into practice
The preceding sections outlined the basic mechanic for outlining the course of a battle. However, this needs to be put into practice. You can’t just tell your players: “Your daily event is Illness. Missions available are Major Assassination, Minor Sabotage and Defence, plus the Reconnaissance saved from yesterday.” You need to translate these results into interesting and varied game encounters!
You should keep your players apprised of the score they have achieved, and the Victory Points available for each mission. This allows them to weigh up their strategic and tactical options – and creates tension when the score approaches one end of the scale or another.
Each available mission should be described as an encounter. For example:
“General Arvistas calls you to his tent. He informs you that three artillery pieces mounted on the hills to the east are creating havoc amongst the defences, and that it is imperative that these weapons be destroyed. As far as he knows, each is manned by three ogres.” [Major Sabotage].
“Spies have identified the tent of one of the opposing generals, Lord Borstas, and General Arvistas has decided to attempt to abduct him. A small group will need to sneak through the enemy camp at night, infiltrate his tent while he sleeps, and transport him back to the fort.” [Major Abduction].
“Morale is low, and supplies are running short. In the nearby village of Bitterne, a cellar full of beer can be found. Obtaining this beer and bringing it back for the troops will result in a great morale boost.” [Morale].''
The mission possibilities are almost endless.
Designing the Encounters
The most important piece of information you need when designing the encounters is the same piece of information needed when designing any encounter. You need to know how powerful your PC party is, and create a challenging mission.
Some missions will be easier than others. The difficulty of the mission matches the number of Victory Points gained for succeeding (i.e. 1-4). A 1-point mission should be fairly easy, while a 4-point mission should stretch the party to its limits.
In terms of Challenge Rating, a 2-point mission should have a CR equal to the average level of a four-person party. A 1-point mission should have a CR of 1 point less; a 3-point mission 1 point more; and a 4-point mission 2 Victory Points more.
For each additional party member, increase the CR by one more point.
So: a party of five 8th level characters undertaking a 2-point mission will find the CR of the encounter to be 9. If they undertake a very difficult 4-point mission, the CR will be 11.
The Mission Itself
You should divide your mission into three parts:
- The approach: do the PCs need to scale a cliff, sneak though the enemy camp, fight their way across a guarded bridge, or explore a secret tunnel or cave?
- The mission: this is the bit where the PCs actually accomplish the task they have been set.
- The escape: in most cases, the PCs will need to go back the way they came – but this doesn’t necessarily always have to be the case.
Ideas
This section of the book presents a plethora of ideas for your missions.
Assassination/Abduction
- Leaders (generals, clerics, wizards)
- Monsters (giants, dragons)
- Hero
Sabotage
- Artillery (catapults, cannons, onagers)
- Structure (bridge, viewing tower, gateway)
- Magic (portal, scrying pool, altar)
Artifact
- Obtain the McGuffin of Winning ( a lance which is quite good at killing dragons; a torch that can teleport armies)
Champion Duel
- A duel between two champions, one from each side, will drastically affect the morale of the troops. Naturally, one of the PCs will need to represent their side.
Reconnaissance
- Scout out a nearby hilltop
- Investigate a cave complex
- Search for a way across a river or gorge
Spying
- Obtain maps, plans or other documents
- Eavesdrop on a meeting or council
- Recruit an agent
Assault
- Take a bridge, hill, or other strategic location.
- Destroy a specified unit.
Defence
- Rush to a breach in a wall
- Guard a bridge or other strategic location
Counterspy
- Identify and apprehend a spy or traitor
Morale
- Organise a bardic performance
- Activate a symbol (a beacon, a flag)
- Obtain resources (ale, an entertainer, food)
Allies
- Incite an uprising of the populace
- Convince the nearby dwarves to help out
Passage of Time
As mentioned earlier, the default assumption is that, without the PCs’ help, the battle will be lost. If the battle is going to be won without them, then we don’t need these rules after all!
Every Time Unit, the opposing side automatically gains 3 Victory Points. If the PCs do nothing, eventually their Victory Points will reach zero and the bad guys will win.
Sample Battle
Castle Northam is under siege! Manned by a few regiments of green troops, it is surrounded by a massive army of veteran killers. To make matters worse, the enemy have a group of hill giants who are bombarding the fortifications with massive boulders, and are busy digging a massive tunnel under the walls. The enemy is led by an evil wizard, Count Jarvis, and his three lieutenants. It is rumoured that the enemy has a small dragon, but this has not been seen as yet.
In this scenario, the GM establishes that one Time Unit equals one day.
Starting modifiers:
Default 10 Fortifications +2 Outnumbered -2 Rookies -2 Total 8
With 8 Victory Points, the castle will fall in three days if nothing is done! Enter the Heroes of Northam!
Day 1
Daily Event
- Hero – a mighty minotaur, hero of the enemy army, slays an entire unit of soldiers singlehandedly. -2 points.
Missions
- Minor Sabotage – the enemy is using a strange mechanical digging machine to construct its tunnel. The heroes infiltrate the tunnel and destroy the machine. +1 point.
- Minor Abduction – the castle commanders have decided to abduct a staff member on the enemy side. The heroes sneak through the camp at night and attempt to abduct a cook. Unfortunately, they are spotted and barely escape with their lives. 0 points.
- Bodyguard – spies report that agents within the castle intend to make an attempt on the general’s life. The heroes mount a secretive watch, and intercept a small band of kenku as they close on the general’s private quarters. +1 points.
At the end of the first day, the heroes still have 8 Victory Points. They will need to do better than this if they are to save the castle!
Day 2
Enemy gains 3 Victory Points automatically.
Daily Event
- Desertion – reports indicate that the enemy’s hill giant unit have grown tired of the battle and left. +2 points.
Missions
- Minor Sabotage – the enemy has constructed another digging machine! It is not in the tunnel yet, and the heroes sneak behind enemy lines and manage to destroy it. +1 point.
- Major Sabotage – it seems that the enemy will be able to build further digging machines. The only long-term option is to flood the tunnel! The heroes make their way to a nearby dam and manage to blow it, causing the enemy’s tunnel to fill with water. +2 points.
- Defence – the castle has a small lookout tower one mile to the east, which has been used to spy on the enemy camp. Unfortunately, the enemy has decided to deal with this nuisance and has dispatched a unit of ogres to tear it down. The heroes mount a stalwart defence, barely scraping a victory. For now, the tower stands! +2 points.
Today was a good day for the good guys, who close the day on 12 Victory Points! The tide of battle seems to be swinging in their favour.
