Greppa of Tartwater
First Post
Adventurer's Logic
Beer?
Hydra.
Beer?
Hydra.
Beer?
*Think, think think*
BEER!
Go away Lochnesmonster!
Beer?
Hydra.
Beer?
Hydra.
Beer?
*Think, think think*
BEER!
Go away Lochnesmonster!
seasong's Light Against The Dark II (May 13)
- Thread starter seasong
- Start date
Hey Seasong!
Just again saying keep up the great work. I always look forward to reading your story hour.
Anyway, I've finally started my story hour. Well I've started posting the character backgrounds. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll be well on my way! Nothing major or epic, just a group that gets together to blow off some steam.
Check out my storyhour here:
Unusual Suspects
Just again saying keep up the great work. I always look forward to reading your story hour.
Anyway, I've finally started my story hour. Well I've started posting the character backgrounds. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll be well on my way! Nothing major or epic, just a group that gets together to blow off some steam.
Check out my storyhour here:
Unusual Suspects
dave_o
Explorer
Dude, this is seriously one of the best story hours I've ever seen. KUDOS EXTREME.
Of course, I've got a few questions:
1. I read a little snippet earler about you using Excel to handle huge battles, and that you largely predetermine the results. As you can see from my sig, I'm running a mercenary company based game - and, of course, there will be BIG battles. So, care to go into a little more detail about just how you go about using Excel to do that? And, what about when those crafty PCs throw a wrench into the works, making a lot of your predetermined rolls useless? (Don't be afraid to use tricky Excel stuff, I'm a veteran of it.)
2. Are the PCs worried about their Beer Plan not working for very long? Sure, the demand will be high at first, but eventually people will begin to brew their own beer and wine, respectively.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot...SUBSCRIBE!
Of course, I've got a few questions:
1. I read a little snippet earler about you using Excel to handle huge battles, and that you largely predetermine the results. As you can see from my sig, I'm running a mercenary company based game - and, of course, there will be BIG battles. So, care to go into a little more detail about just how you go about using Excel to do that? And, what about when those crafty PCs throw a wrench into the works, making a lot of your predetermined rolls useless? (Don't be afraid to use tricky Excel stuff, I'm a veteran of it.)
2. Are the PCs worried about their Beer Plan not working for very long? Sure, the demand will be high at first, but eventually people will begin to brew their own beer and wine, respectively.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot...SUBSCRIBE!
seasong
First Post
Delgar: I checked it out 
.
dave_o: Thanks!
Beer Plan first - no, they're not worried about it. A lot of wine gets traded to Aglaonis already, and they haven't started making their own. The issue is one of specialization - if Theralis makes the wine, and Aglaonis makes the bread, and they trade, it costs both of them less than for both to split their focus between bread and wine. So the wine is a little more expensive in Aglaonis... but the bread is a lot cheaper, and they save more by specializing on the bread than they lose by having to buy the wine. Same for Theralis.
Excel: The spreadsheet sensitive may wish to shield their eyes.
I usually put down a huge column of d20s first (we'll say cells A2:A2000), each with: +roundup(rand()*20,0)
I put the average attack bonus in B1. Then I decide on the typical AC of the opponent. I type that into a separate cell, we'll say C1. And I put the soldier's base weapon damage (typically 1d8) in D1, and the damage modifier (typically +3 for STR 12 and weapon specialization) in E1. The crit range goes in F1. The crit multiplier goes in G1. The opponent's average hit points goes in H1.
Then, in B2, I put this: +if(A2+$A$1>=$C$1,roundup(rand()*$D$1,0),0)
Cut and paste that all the way down to B2000.
Then, in C2, I put this: +if(A2>=20-$F$1,B2*$G$1,B2)
Cut and paste that all the way down to C2000.
If I'm throwing Theralis soldiers against orc warriors, I then subtract the orc hide armor DR and orc DR from the final damage (in cells C2:C2000). Standard campaigns that don't have DR for armor can avoid that step, and I'll assume you are avoiding it below. I reverse the process (who's the attacker and opponent) in another set of columns.
Then I put this somewhere open on the sheet:
+countif(C2:C2000,">=30")
+sumif(C2:C2000,"<30")
The "countif" statement determines how many instant kills there were. I will subtract that number from the total orc tribe at the start of the next round (I assume all kills happen simultaneously). The '30' number comes from the average hit points in many orc army - substitute your own average hit points at will.
The "sumif" statement determines how many hit points of damage were done that weren't instant kills. I generally halve that number, and then divide the total by the average hit points to find out how many people were killed.
A lot of times, I also break the battle into individual sub groupings; for example, the Keraunesti have their own column for damage they do to the enemy, as do the giants, and so if the Keraunesti attack the giants, I have a fair idea of how many people get killed.
If there's a chance someone important got killed in a fight, I usually roll a d20, and on a '1', that person got killed (I don't do this for PCs).
When the PCs enter the battle, I usually play out their immediate surroundings, and have about a hundred or so pre-rolled d20s listed on my palm pilot. When Athan died, it was because they focused on him, and he got out from behind the shields.
The Theralis strategy, generally, is: reduce casualties with shield cover, get the benefits of the high ground, use reach spears to avoid messy melee, and throw massive firepower and the Keraunesti at any sub-group that is too successful.
.dave_o: Thanks!
Beer Plan first - no, they're not worried about it. A lot of wine gets traded to Aglaonis already, and they haven't started making their own
. The issue is one of specialization - if Theralis makes the wine, and Aglaonis makes the bread, and they trade, it costs both of them less than for both to split their focus between bread and wine. So the wine is a little more expensive in Aglaonis... but the bread is a lot cheaper, and they save more by specializing on the bread than they lose by having to buy the wine. Same for Theralis.Excel: The spreadsheet sensitive may wish to shield their eyes
.I usually put down a huge column of d20s first (we'll say cells A2:A2000), each with: +roundup(rand()*20,0)
I put the average attack bonus in B1. Then I decide on the typical AC of the opponent. I type that into a separate cell, we'll say C1. And I put the soldier's base weapon damage (typically 1d8) in D1, and the damage modifier (typically +3 for STR 12 and weapon specialization) in E1. The crit range goes in F1. The crit multiplier goes in G1. The opponent's average hit points goes in H1.
Then, in B2, I put this: +if(A2+$A$1>=$C$1,roundup(rand()*$D$1,0),0)
Cut and paste that all the way down to B2000.
Then, in C2, I put this: +if(A2>=20-$F$1,B2*$G$1,B2)
Cut and paste that all the way down to C2000.
If I'm throwing Theralis soldiers against orc warriors, I then subtract the orc hide armor DR and orc DR from the final damage (in cells C2:C2000). Standard campaigns that don't have DR for armor can avoid that step, and I'll assume you are avoiding it below. I reverse the process (who's the attacker and opponent) in another set of columns.
Then I put this somewhere open on the sheet:
+countif(C2:C2000,">=30")
+sumif(C2:C2000,"<30")
The "countif" statement determines how many instant kills there were. I will subtract that number from the total orc tribe at the start of the next round (I assume all kills happen simultaneously). The '30' number comes from the average hit points in many orc army - substitute your own average hit points at will.
The "sumif" statement determines how many hit points of damage were done that weren't instant kills. I generally halve that number, and then divide the total by the average hit points to find out how many people were killed.
A lot of times, I also break the battle into individual sub groupings; for example, the Keraunesti have their own column for damage they do to the enemy, as do the giants, and so if the Keraunesti attack the giants, I have a fair idea of how many people get killed.
If there's a chance someone important got killed in a fight, I usually roll a d20, and on a '1', that person got killed (I don't do this for PCs).
When the PCs enter the battle, I usually play out their immediate surroundings, and have about a hundred or so pre-rolled d20s listed on my palm pilot. When Athan died, it was because they focused on him, and he got out from behind the shields.
The Theralis strategy, generally, is: reduce casualties with shield cover, get the benefits of the high ground, use reach spears to avoid messy melee, and throw massive firepower and the Keraunesti at any sub-group that is too successful.
seasong
First Post
Something I forgot: In real life, armies don't usually clash constantly . In fact, charging cavalry has been known to slowly, slowly halt until they are stopped dead, before even reaching pike infantry. For mass melee combat, I generally shift rounds back to 1 minute per round, and have both armies take breathers.
I also assume average rolls for the healers, which neatly removes the excess damage that failed to kill.
. In fact, charging cavalry has been known to slowly, slowly halt until they are stopped dead, before even reaching pike infantry. For mass melee combat, I generally shift rounds back to 1 minute per round, and have both armies take breathers.I also assume average rolls for the healers, which neatly removes the excess damage that failed to kill.
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