New RolePlayingMaster features ("revolutionary" new version available)

[Luke]

"Revolutionary" new version

The RPM update is available, with special considerations.

This is a huge overhaul of the previous version, with a completely new database driving RPM underneath.

This database manager looks rock solid, but I need to test it under all the different versions of Windows, with all the different possible machine configurations (amount of RAM available etc). Hopefully I'll be getting great feedback which will mean this becomes the official version very shortly.

One thing I've learnt is that people can be surprizingly quiet when they have issues, so for all I know, the new version could be a very welcome thing for an awful lot of people.

Big improvements in speed, stability and functionality. Details are available at:
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/hosted/rpm

Regards,

 

[Luke]

Re: "Revolutionary" new version

The beta test is going very well, and I hope to make the release formal in a few days.

Last chance for any additional testers to check it out before then.

Thanks,

 

[Hollywood]

Re: "Revolutionary" new version

This is a huge overhaul of the previous version, with a completely new database driving RPM underneath.

What database is that?

 

[Cergorach]

Ok, one of the players in my group has a really big mouth and is confident that his character (half-orc barbarian/fighter/tribalprotector 18-19th) can handle 10,000 orcs, no problem... *grins evily*

Well, in a couple of gaming sessions it's my turn again to be the Evil DM and want to make sure someone is going to eat his words (or i mine). I'm going to pit them against a horde of 10,000 orcs and see how long they can stand before they all flee...

What i want to know, can i make a standard script that goes through the motion of a couple of orcs that all make attack rolls and (possibly damage) every turn? I don't really need a two way combat, because if the half-orc hits, it does enough damage to kill them (not to difficult with 4hps)...

 

[Luke]

Ok, one of the players in my group has a really big mouth and is confident that his character (half-orc barbarian/fighter/tribalprotector 18-19th) can handle 10,000 orcs, no problem... *grins evily*

Well, in a couple of gaming sessions it's my turn again to be the Evil DM and want to make sure someone is going to eat his words (or i mine). I'm going to pit them against a horde of 10,000 orcs and see how long they can stand before they all flee...

What i want to know, can i make a standard script that goes through the motion of a couple of orcs that all make attack rolls and (possibly damage) every turn? I don't really need a two way combat, because if the half-orc hits, it does enough damage to kill them (not to difficult with 4hps)...

Continuing the Evil DM theme...

It seems that your half-orc barbarian/fighter/tribalprotector is making some really dangerous assumptions about 10,000 orcs.
In 2nd Edition those orcs would all have had 1 hit dice, but this is 3rd edition, and there's a lot more to the story.

Orcs:
Advancement: By character class. Yes, orcs now get to possibly have lots of class levels. Don't quickly dismiss that kobald wearing a simple robe and an evil grin. By preference they are actually Sorcerors llikely to have a few spells that cause some damage without saving throws. A high level kobald monk with a "brilliant energy" shortsword could easily be mistaken for Yoda in full flight on a bad day

Organization: Gang (2-4), squad (11-20 plus 2 3rd-level _sergeants and 1 leader of 3rd-6th level), or band (30-100 plus 150% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 10 adults, _5 5th-level lieutenants, and 3 7th-level captains).You should definitely feel free to scale appropriately up to 10000.

Assuming that the "tourney rules" specify 10000 orcs with 1 racial HD...

Orcs standing in line waiting for their chance to have a swing is a bad tactic that they should soon wake up to.
Consider mass grappling, bull rushes, disarm attempts, range weapons like crossbows, flaming oil.

I wouldn't even call that being an Evil DM. Its what the rules themselves encourage you to do. Of course, an Evil DM would say that.

All of this ignores the possibilities for high-level magic being employed by high level creatures. Not knowing whats available to the PC makes it difficult, and its quite possible to set up "impenetrable defenses" to non-magical low-level hordes.
Your post seemed to definitely be about pure combat, though.

Regards

 

[Cergorach]

Organization was the first thing i looked at, i thought up th following structure:

1 Sergeant (3rd) commands 10 Regular Orcs
1 Lieutenant (5th) commands 2 Sergeants (20+2)
1 Captain (7th) commands 3 Lieutenants (60+9)
1 Colonel (9th) commands 3 Captains (180+28)
1 General (11th) commands 3 Colonels (540+85)
This is an army
1 Field Marshel (13th) commands 2 Generals (1080+171)
1 Marshel (15th) commands 2 Field Marshels (2160+343)
This is a Division
1 Commander (17th) commands 2 Field Marshels (4320+687)
1 Supreme Commander (19th) commands 2 Commanders (8640+1375)
add to this the assortment of shamans, witch doctors and assassins and you have an excellent army ;-)

I was pretty impressed by the scenes from LotR and think that pike equiped Orcs are a big thread to people who depend on Reach and Greater Cleave. (insert evil DM smile(tm)) I think that everything that involves the term MASS is fair game ;-)

The Party consists of 18-19th level characters, the above mentioned Half-Orc, a Half-Celestial Paladin/Purple Dragon Knigth of Torm, a Halfling Cleric/Contemplative of Oghma, and an Elven Thief/Herald. There's also the absent Human Wizard/Thief/Arcane Trickster (that would be me ;-) These guys are no pushovers, the Halfling knows his craft and stacks spells on everyone like crazy, the Elf is an expert at long range and can fire a hail of missiles, the Half Celestial smacks evil thingies around, the Half-Orc just smacks everything! Favorite tactic is turning the Half-Orc into a Firbolg and fly him into the thick of things... (i could go on and on about their capabilities, but they are damned good)

The point is, even if only one in 20 orcs hit and did only 1 point of damage each, then we still have done more than 500pts of damage...

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Only slightly OT

Hmmm, I sometimes use Roman organization for my orcs, Legionaire, Decurion(10 men), Centurian (100 men), etc. with a legion totaling 1000 men at full. The math works out a whole lot more easily, plus I get to use the old Ral Partha orcs in Roman armor. (Well, the officers and elites wear armor, the light auxilliaries dangle free in the breeze...) But then I use Lawful Evil for the orcs in one of my worlds, the idea of Chaotics with pikes makes my head hurt.

The Auld Grump, the Romans loved the number M....