D&D Mass Combat rules question...

[IcyCool]

What about WotC's "Heroes of Battle"?

No good. Heroes of Battle certainly has information about using the battlefield as a dungeon, but there are no Mass Combat rules in it. According to it, resolution of battle between armies should be determined by the GM. In other words, you just decide who's going to win. It also claims that mass combat rules are for wargaming and have no place in a "roleplaying game", and in nearly the same breath it dictates how you should generally railroad your players into a particular course of action.

So take it with a grain of salt.

 

[jasamcarl]

Though it doesn't 'simulate' core combat results as well as Cry Havoc, Fields of Blood is the system I'd go with if you want your mass combat to look broadly similar to a fluff description of core combat but still want a functional mini-game.

 

[GlassJaw]

Another vote for the Grim Tales mass combat system.

 

[Nightfall]

Pint,

I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Old One]

Yet another vote for Grim Tales. The BCCS system isn't too bad either, but it is really designed specifically for that campaign.

~ OO

 

[Nightfall]

So I should just break down and order a print copy then?

 

[Old One]

Nightfall,

The nice thing is that GT through RPGNow comes with a nifty Excel BR (Battle Rating) calculator that does 75% of the work for you.

~ OO

 

[Nightfall]

I'll keep that in mind but as I said earlier, couldn't quite get RPGnow towork.

 

[WaterRabbit]

Heroes of Battle is not designed to be a mass combat system. It has rules and guidelines to make the battlefield into a 'dungeon-like' environment. The amount of railroading is entirely up to the DM.

I have read both good and bad reviews of Cry Havoc and the other systems mentioned.

I would like to know if any of these products take into account the ecomonics of running a warfare campaign. Do they just include rules to purchase forces for a single battle? Or do they include concepts to run a whole warfare campaign -- purchasing of troops, equipment, supplies, and production?

 

[Silveras]

Heroes of Battle is not designed to be a mass combat system. It has rules and guidelines to make the battlefield into a 'dungeon-like' environment. The amount of railroading is entirely up to the DM.

I have read both good and bad reviews of Cry Havoc and the other systems mentioned.

I would like to know if any of these products take into account the ecomonics of running a warfare campaign. Do they just include rules to purchase forces for a single battle? Or do they include concepts to run a whole warfare campaign -- purchasing of troops, equipment, supplies, and production?

Empire and Fields of Blood offer complete Domain Management systems, where the costs of mustering and maintaining military forces are factored in.

For a more complete discussion of the various Domain Management aspects, you may find this thread helpful: Empire - Magical Medieval Society - Fields of Blood - Strongholds & Dynasties - Birthright - and more - comparison thread

And you may want to examine the Birthright.net conversion of Birthright to 3E, or my attempt to do a different version, less tied to Cerilia (the Birthright setting), in this thread: Birthright Setting-Neutral Conversion