Battlefield Combat

[Ranger REG]

While it is not WOTC/D&D,...

It's not.

Besides, I prefer Field of Blood: The Book of War as an alternative to D&D Miniatures Handbook (the only known WotC's mass combat rules).

But this is about wartime adventures, not mass combat.

 

[rathalos]

Hey Ranger REG

what do you think of the Fields of Blood? I have wondered about that system and dont know if i want to get it. I have perused a copy of the Cry Havoc mass combat system and kinda like it, but am still not sure if i will use it in my campaign.

 

[Ranger REG]

Hey Ranger REG

what do you think of the Fields of Blood? I have wondered about that system and dont know if i want to get it. I have perused a copy of the Cry Havoc mass combat system and kinda like it, but am still not sure if i will use it in my campaign.

It's pretty decent. But what sold it for me is their realm management system, which is as easy and reminds me of the rules mechanics found in Birthright.

 

[irdeggman]

It's pretty decent. But what sold it for me is their realm management system, which is as easy and reminds me of the rules mechanics found in Birthright.

Same opinion here.

Fields of Blood is designed for larger scale units than is Cry Havoc.

Cry Havoc deals more with a platoon (or around 20+) size group while Fields of Blood deals with more around the 100 member unit size. Cry Havoc also is more "detail oriented" than Fields of Blood or the BRCS.

Follow my link to the BRCS (Birthright Campaign Setting, the 3.0/3.5 update at the official fans site for the setting). It is "free" and has a domain and mass combat system. Units there are around the 200 member size. The sugestion for handling PCs is as a Hero unit that aids a regular unit and/or to have zoom ins where the PCs are in combat with smaller groupings of foes.

 

[Angerland]

I remember for 3.0 AEG put out a book, Mercenaries, that had some mass combat rules. I don't remeber how well they worked though.

Complete Warrior has Some few tips for running big combats in it I think. I remember something about formations of archers all firing into the same general area creating an area effect with their arrows using only the unit leaders roll to hit.

 

[CCH_LLC]

Also keep in mind that in many cases battles last more then a few hours even in the modern era. Way back when battles often lasted for days or weeks, so you could have a combat phase wherein during the day you are attempting to make a push, and a night phase where you might rest up/and/or try and sneak into the enemy camp and slay a particular target or steal some plans. You might also have days where there is no heavy action and its just the occasional bowman taking pot shots, you might again try to sneak past enemy lines and try to break their supply lines so that they run out of food and their army starts counting as fatigued. From a setting perspective a battlefield offers you a lot of different sort of objectives.

 

[mvincent]

Wait a minute. RHOD is the first adventure module to use material from Heroes of Battle? Are there more adventures using HoB?

One part of the Savage Tide campaign path (from Dungeon magazine) uses the HoB method (victory points and such) to determine the results of a large battle (similar to RHoD).

 

[mvincent]

is there a mechanic that allows the PCs to stand shoulder to shoulder with NPCs on the field without having to roll a ton if initiatives and track the activities of each NPC?

The simplest way is to treat them mostly as terrain (i.e. as part of the backdrop), even if the PC's are right next to them. No rolling needed, just occasionally move (or remove) pieces from either side to as desired (i.e 'adjusting the terrain'). I believe HoB recommends this.

 

[BASHMAN]

Once the enemy starts firing on the PCs in units and they need 20's to hit ithe PC, 1 hit for each 20 shots. with every 20th hit being a confirmed crit.

Not how it works. Grouped fire is an Area of Effect attack like a fireball, with reflex saves for half damage. Thus, a group of 1st level warriors can do significant damage to a party of high level PCs, from very far away [firing bows at max range]. No roll to hit is necessary. Unfortunatley, evasion makes this useless on some PCs.

Also, in answer to the question, I would advise the GM who asked to utilize the DMG II's writeup on using swarm rules to represent a mob of peasants. Suddenly, what would have been a cakewalk for PCs becomes a real deadly ordeal-- as it should be. A mob of peasants WOULD be able to take out a powerful knight, no matter how cool he was-- afterall, he'se just one guy against a dozen.

Now, take this idea, and have the mob armed with swords, and dressed in armor, and it becomes much more deadly. A platoon of 20 soldiers if treated by swarm rules instead of as individual speedbumps would be a VERY dangerous encounter for a group of 4 level 6 PCs.