Dunno if this is old news or not, but I thought it might be interesting to people who are looking for ways to resolve mass combat. The folks over at Cheapass Games publish a handful of free games, including a mass combat resolution system called Roll Out the Gun Barrels (ROGB). This system is really flexible, and abstract enough that it doesn't step on the tenets of the d20 system.
In my campaign, there are many warring regions at the periphery of the PCs' storyline. I use ROGB with my players to resolve conflicts in those continuous wars:
If the outcome of a particular battle will affect the PCs, I model the forces in ROGB but I -don't- tell the players what forces are represented. I let them pick a side and then we play out the battle according to the ROGB rules. Five minutes later, I've got my results and can use them in the game.
Happy Gaming,
Grmbrand
In my campaign, there are many warring regions at the periphery of the PCs' storyline. I use ROGB with my players to resolve conflicts in those continuous wars:
If the outcome of a particular battle will affect the PCs, I model the forces in ROGB but I -don't- tell the players what forces are represented. I let them pick a side and then we play out the battle according to the ROGB rules. Five minutes later, I've got my results and can use them in the game.
Happy Gaming,
Grmbrand