ideas for running Large Scale encounters
There are two ways I've seen this mass combat work well. 1 is to not play D&D the for the large combat and use some other mass battle game that everyone can take part in. 2 places the PCs in strategically important locations and you script the battle based on thier decisions and the success of those actions.
Pleaase forgive my spelling in the below it is late here and I'm too tired to re-read my post for spelling errors.
1) You can run the large scale combat with a number of Systems, including the old TSR Battle System (Which used to be available in PDF). Allow the heroes to move freely about the battlefield. As long as they don't move through enemy spaces. They may add bonuses to armies. Something like Defenders grant +1 per 5 lvls to defence, Strikers grant +1 per 5 lvls to attacks, Leaders grant more HP to a unit, and controllers impost penalties to enemy units.
Then let the players play the battle out. At some point during the battle the PCs will probably need to stop lending their aid directly to the fight. And perform one or two tactical strikes. (They kill the trained dragon the baddies have or attempt to kill the opposing general) Alternatively instead of tactical strikes you could have them perform some type of skill challenge/ritual to gain aid from other sources (distant lands, other planes, etc)
Before the PCs start the mission you should have some outcomes in mind. What happens if the PCs fail, what happens if they succeed at the least. And then filter in those results be it more armies for the Players to control boosts to their forces abilities or just no reinforcements flowing in for the enemy.
Another option is to put the PCs into strategic locations. At these locations the PCs must come up with a plan and then execute it. Each one should have at least one succcess or fail restult. Maybe more. These can be resolved either through combat, roleplaying/skill challenges or a combination.
An example of this would be: the PCs are at a keep destined to be overwhelmed. They can stay and try to stay and fight. The longer the fight goes on (or extrapolated on step farhter the more healing surges the PCs have to use after the fight) the more soldiers were lost during the battle. The PCs can run, using a number of skills to escape from the keep while loosing the fewest men possible. Perhaps as a skill challenge where each failure results in people being lost, left behind, or captured. The PCs stage a fighting retreat they stay and hold off a very difficult challenge if they survive they most likely saved the day for a large number of soldiers.
After each of these decisions narate how the battle is fairing and then drive the PCs to another fight. Let them maybe take a short rest between many of these encounters but also enforce a sense of urgency on them preventing them from taking an extended rest just because they used daily powers ina previous fight. To me the fun part about being a hero in a big battle is making tough decisions and fighting to make them the right decision.
Hope this was cogent and helpful.
There are two ways I've seen this mass combat work well. 1 is to not play D&D the for the large combat and use some other mass battle game that everyone can take part in. 2 places the PCs in strategically important locations and you script the battle based on thier decisions and the success of those actions.
Pleaase forgive my spelling in the below it is late here and I'm too tired to re-read my post for spelling errors.
1) You can run the large scale combat with a number of Systems, including the old TSR Battle System (Which used to be available in PDF). Allow the heroes to move freely about the battlefield. As long as they don't move through enemy spaces. They may add bonuses to armies. Something like Defenders grant +1 per 5 lvls to defence, Strikers grant +1 per 5 lvls to attacks, Leaders grant more HP to a unit, and controllers impost penalties to enemy units.
Then let the players play the battle out. At some point during the battle the PCs will probably need to stop lending their aid directly to the fight. And perform one or two tactical strikes. (They kill the trained dragon the baddies have or attempt to kill the opposing general) Alternatively instead of tactical strikes you could have them perform some type of skill challenge/ritual to gain aid from other sources (distant lands, other planes, etc)
Before the PCs start the mission you should have some outcomes in mind. What happens if the PCs fail, what happens if they succeed at the least. And then filter in those results be it more armies for the Players to control boosts to their forces abilities or just no reinforcements flowing in for the enemy.
Another option is to put the PCs into strategic locations. At these locations the PCs must come up with a plan and then execute it. Each one should have at least one succcess or fail restult. Maybe more. These can be resolved either through combat, roleplaying/skill challenges or a combination.
An example of this would be: the PCs are at a keep destined to be overwhelmed. They can stay and try to stay and fight. The longer the fight goes on (or extrapolated on step farhter the more healing surges the PCs have to use after the fight) the more soldiers were lost during the battle. The PCs can run, using a number of skills to escape from the keep while loosing the fewest men possible. Perhaps as a skill challenge where each failure results in people being lost, left behind, or captured. The PCs stage a fighting retreat they stay and hold off a very difficult challenge if they survive they most likely saved the day for a large number of soldiers.
After each of these decisions narate how the battle is fairing and then drive the PCs to another fight. Let them maybe take a short rest between many of these encounters but also enforce a sense of urgency on them preventing them from taking an extended rest just because they used daily powers ina previous fight. To me the fun part about being a hero in a big battle is making tough decisions and fighting to make them the right decision.
Hope this was cogent and helpful.
