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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Al2O3" data-source="post: 7269698" data-attributes="member: 6802284">I doubt that D&D is suitable for actual large scale combat. Some ideas for how to handle it:1. Find a different game system that would suit the story and use it when large groups of troops fight. I'm thinking along the lines of Warhammer or actually finding a copy of chainmail or similar. I can't really suggest specifics.2. Skip actual tactical combat and abstract success/failure to one roll of dice. E.g. the players send a group of soldiers on a mission. Figure out what might give modifiers, set a DC and make a roll.3. The first actual idea I had assumes that the story is partly railroad. In that case you can take a look at Mass Effect 3. There are a lot of potential allies. Some of them may be mutually exclusive. All have some things they demand or need before joining, and they may join fully or partly. The demands and needs may include NPC bonds and flaws. Each contribute a victory score, and the final battle depends on the final score.If you go with 3, make sure to explain the setup. In contrast to the computer game you also need to know the motivations of important NPCs and groups. If the players think of a way to recruit an NPC you need to know why it will or will not work or what makes the difference.If there ends up being some kind of war council I would suggest checking with the players how much they are prepared to handle internal conflicts and prepare accordingly. Maybe they can recruit someone to handle the internal politics within the council and keep them happy.Logistics is probably something you can make an asset as well, e.g. recruiting farmers and merchants to supply food and other important things to the army or a source of income for mercenaries. It could be a good reason to bring a bunch of NPC soldiers to slay an ancient dragon and use the entire hoard to get mercenaries/pay soldiers from the kingdom/get supplies.Bonus points if the soldiers are from a surface faction which has to defend itself from both dragon and drow. They are happy to send a force to get rid of the drow threat once and for all, but can't really spare them unless the PCs help with the dragon first.My last advice:-Focus on the things the PCs do. Let them choose who to recruit and how to do it (based on NPC goals and personality).-Use "Fronts" from dungeon world or similar to make sure that things happen even if the PCs do nothing or are busy elsewhere. Include opportunities for the PCs.-Make the journey the important part. Gathering the army and taking it to the city sounds like the campaign. The climatic battle may be predetermined in many parts based on who's with them already, and the PCs get to focus on the last unsure points.-Since the story requires that the PCs accept the quest to venture into the underdark with the Drow: start the campaign by telling the players the parts that you wrote here. Then ask them to make their characters and let them fill in why and how they did the things you described.Sent from my Huawei P10 plus</blockquote>

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