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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6064079" data-attributes="member: 6696971">So I was working on a Skill Challenge for a Mass Combat  that is going to bridge the end of Paragon tier to Epic tier play when I  decided to go ahead and attempt to develop a mass combat system after being  inspired by a one-off experience with one of WotC board games.  My design premise is for the rules to be fun,  highly functional with minimal overhead, and abstract enough to work well with a  zoom-in/zoom-out philosophy.  I want it to be fast, engaging, easy,  coherent and fun.  I'm planning on using the below codification/resolution tools:   1 - Simplified Action economy of 1 action with 2 At-Will choices per unit resulting in limited tactical complexity.2 - Terrain Type for each Zoomed Out Zone which results in a simple aura buff for specific Unit Roles for minor strategy complexity.3 -  Fortunes;  (i) d20 Attack roll, (ii) d20 Saving Throw for limited  condition recovery (probaby just 2), (iii) Encounter cards at the end of each  turn, (iv) Natural 20 equals Utility Power Card gain.5 - Zoomed in and Zoomed out versions of all combat units.  6 - Standard 4e combat rules for integrated Zoomed In Zones.I am going to work up all the moving parts (Units/creatures and their Utility Power Cards, Terrain Auras, Encounter Cards) and then playtest it multiple times solely Zoomed Out (Mass Combat Wargame only) to get it right and then perform playtests integrating the Zoomed In and Zoomed Out combat mechanics to confirm that they're simple, coherent and effective.  Here is the general rules framework thus far (this would probably make more sense for those who have played any of those board games).  Any commentary (this sucks, this is too fiddly, please clarify this, this would be better this way, why don't you try this, etc) would be welcome).  Here we go:ZOOMED OUT MASS COMBAT ZONESZones for Mass Combat  between units where PCs are not present.  This will likely be a roughly  abstracted 30 square (150 ft) * 30 square (150 ft) area for about 4.5  square miles.  This is sufficiently zoomed out with enough room for a  few squads/units to engage and small enough that mobility and artillery  between zones is feasible on a zoomed in scale.  4 things;  Zoomed out  unit stats, action economy, fortune (encounter cards), and a passive  terrain aura (minor buff to specific unit role types) will dictate  outcomes here.  ZOOMED IN MASS COMBAT ZONES30 * 30 areas where  the PCs are engaged with one or more Enemy Units and possibly assisted  by Allied Units.  This combat will take place under the auspices of  standard 4e combat.  Units will be statted as swarms for zoomed in  combat.  They will degrade in size based on HP threshold; eg 75 %, 50 %  will each move one step down in size finally turning into stray minions  (and possibly a leader given the unit type) when the swarm/unit hits 25  %.ZOOMED OUT MASS COMBAT UNITSMass Combat Units will  have a Defense, HPs, 1 Healing Surge, Initiative, and 2 At-Will  Attacks.  Their Action Economy consists of 1 action;  At-Will Attack  (damage + rider), Spend Healing Surge, Move: Zone Boundary;Adjacent Zone (Cavalry will have Move: 1 Zone and Scouts will have Move to Zone Edge/Switch Zone as a rider to one of their At-Wills).  There are 5 locations within a zone that a unit can occupy: the middle, any of the 4 boundaries.  Unit Attacks will have a range of melee (their current position in the zone) unless otherwise noted in their At-Will Attacks (* Special).  Units will have  Keyword driven roles that dictate their stats: Artillery, Cavalry,  Horde, Infantry, Scouts, Siege Team.  Sample Enemy Unit:Orc Berserkers (Horde)Def: 12 HP: 16 HS: 8  Init:  12 Move: Zone Boundary;Adjacent ZoneReckless Abandon - At Will:  Attack:  + 5Hit:  3 damage and the Orc Berserkers unit takes 1 damage.Furious Assault - At Will:Attack:  + 5Hit:  1 damage and the Orc Berserkers unit slides the enemy unit to the zone boundary (or adjacent zone if already on the zone boundary) and can then move to any zone boundary (or adjacent zone if already on the zone boundary).** If a player rolls a  natural 20 on an attack roll or a saving throw they gain an Encounter  Utility Power Card for the respective allied unit to play at their  discretion.ZOOMED OUT MASS COMBAT TURN RESOLUTIONEach Unit acts on  their initiative.  The GM will perform enemy actions.  The players will  perform an action for each of the allied units (and play an Encounter  or Utility card if they have one to play).  At the end of the round, the  players will draw an Encounter Card, the results of which will happen  immediately (unless the card is one for the player to keep and play at  their discretion).TERRAIN This is a Role  specific aura effect that provides a bonus to a Mass Combat Unit while  it is in the corresponding zone.  Terrain and corresponding role (s) are  (auras pending):- Shallow River Ford - Cavalry, Horde- Bridge - Infantry, Siege Team- Narrow Pass/Valley - Infantry- Bog - Cavalry, Horde, Scouts- Sweeping Plain - Artillery, Cavalry, Horde, Siege Team- Alpine Forest - Artillery, Scouts- Rocky - Infantry, Scouts- Fortified - Artillery, Siege TeamENCOUNTER CARDSAt the end of each round, the players will draw an  Encounter Card, the results of which will happen immediately (unless the  card is one for the player to keep and play at their discretion).   Examples of possible encounter cards (effects pending) are:- Bottleneck!- The World Hates Me! (Falling Rocks/Trees, Ground Gives Way, Rainstorm, etc)- Piles of Bodies!- Take the High Ground!- Reincforcements! - Man Down! (Officer/Leader)- Unguarded Flank!- Rally!- Momentary Reprieve!- Opening!ZOOMED IN COMBAT ZONE TURN RESOLUTIONAny zone where the PCs  are located will be zoomed in (standard 4e combat) to a 30 * 30 area  with terrain that represents the zone.  Each Mass Combat Unit will have a  standardized 4e Swarm, Standard, and Minion analog.  The rules for  Zoomed In combat encounters PCs entering a Zoomed In combat Zones are as  follows: PCs entering a Mass Combat Zone  - Mass Combat Units between 76 - 100 % HPs will be represented by 4 Gargantuan sized swarms equaling an XP budget of L + 2.  - Mass Combat Units between 51 - 75 % HPs will be represented by 2 Gargantuan sized swarms equaling an XP budget of L + 1.- Mass Combat Units between 26 - 50 % HPs will be represented by a predetermined (based on unit Role) number of Standard creatures and minion creatures equaling an XP budget of L.  - Mass Combat Units at 25 % or less will be represented by a predetermined number of Minion creatures equaling an XP budget of L - 1. PCs starting in a Mass Combat Zone- Mass Combat Units will be represented by 4 Gargantuan sized swarms equaling an XP budget of L + 3. - When each swarm takes enough damage to become Bloodied (50 %  HPs), it will be broken out into a predetermined number (based on unit Role) of bloodied Standard  creatures and Minion creatures equaling an XP budget of L + 3.**  If the PCs leave a Zoomed In Combat Zone with an ally and/or enemy,  that ally and/or enemy reverts to a Mass Combat Unit with HPs relative  to its current percentage (eg for a 16 HP Unit, they would revert to 16,  12 , 8, or 4).  See Zoomed Out Mass Combat.</blockquote>

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