Abstract Mass Combat in D&D/D20

[3catcircus]

From the GT mass combat document : "A units Battle Rating is equal to it's EL. (as determined in Grim Tales, Chapter 14) " You would think that if they were talking about the same EL that's in the DMG they would reference the DMG rather than GT.

You *do* know that the excel spreadsheet that comes with the Mass Combat pdf will calculate the BR for you, right? All you need is the CR and number of creatures. Additionally, the Grim Tales Gamemastering pdf goes into details of how to calculate EL from CR...

 

[Yair]

You *do* know that the excel spreadsheet that comes with the Mass Combat pdf will calculate the BR for you, right? All you need is the CR and number of creatures. Additionally, the Grim Tales Gamemastering pdf goes into details of how to calculate EL from CR...

Quite.
I think the system will work just fine with DMG calculated EL too, actually, but the GT method is superior.
For the record, calculating EL in GR is not that simple as it involves a calculator-requiring formula; I'd use the spreadsheet. The Gamemastering pdf explains it all rather nicely, and is a great thing onto itself.

BTW, the GTMC system is NOT in Grim Tales! It is in Slavelords of Cydonia or seperately as a pdf. (At least, that's what advertised.)

 

[S'mon]

I think that, with a bit of modification, the War Machine system itself would work fine with 3e. I wonder if anyone has tried this.

Yes, I've done it a lot. I redid the BFR/BR calculator for 3e.

 

[Gundark]

Yes, I've done it a lot. I redid the BFR/BR calculator for 3e.

what does it look like?

 

[Aluvial]

I use FoB also, and really like the system (although it tends to break down at really large kingdom development.... I think there are some fixes on the yahoo group dedicated to FoB.

Also, if you need to resolve something quicker, I use the Farland generator...

http://www.farlandcampaign.homestead.com/battle.html

This thing works pretty well and can account for a lot of variables between army units...

Aluvial

 

[S'mon]

what does it look like?

Main difference from the original is that it uses CR: + 1 CR = +15 BFR. +2 CR = x2 power = +30 BFR, +3 CR = +45 BFR, etc. I peg an average CR 1 force at BR 100.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

From the GT mass combat document : "A units Battle Rating is equal to it's EL. (as determined in Grim Tales, Chapter 14) " You would think that if they were talking about the same EL that's in the DMG they would reference the DMG rather than GT.

Doesn't really matter-- the core of the concept (doubling the number of creatures increases EL by +2) is the same in either system. As long as all the EL calculations are done in the same system, it won't change the resolution.