The Art of War (TLG PR)

[mattcolville]

You're joking, right?

Please tell me you did not initially wrote the Field of Blood draft material with the same approach as AEG's.

You saw the winking smilie, right?

 

[Justin Bacon]

Hmm. No information on how long it takes to train an army? Nothing about recruiting, etc?

Actually, information on both recruiting and training is included.

These sections will also include some actual rules/guidelines on handling recruiting and training. The latter was a bit of a puzzler for quite some time (since D20 is not a system which lends itself to training resulting in improved abilities without commensurate XP being gained in some way), but I think we've got a solution which emphasizes the importance of having trained troops without radically revising the way XP and advancement works in D20.

This hasn't actually been playtested yet, though. If it flops in playtest it may be yanked from the book.

I'm sorry I can't seem to get the outline to work in the forums. We'll see if we can get it up somewhere else for people to take a peek at. Until then, he's a more general overview of the book's contents:

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO WAR: Includes coverage of different types of war, different types of battles, conscription, training, running an army, being a soldier, the effects and side-effects of war, strategy and tactics, and ways of handling war in an RPG campaign.

PART I -- BACKDROP BATTLES: The Backdrop Battles system lets the actions of the PCs play out across the scenary of war. The PCs may be mere grunts or mighty heroes. This system handles a battle from the perspective of the PCs: So running a battle in your campaign would be no different than running your PCs through any other type of adventure. The system breaks common battle situations down into "dramatic seeds" (such Ambush, Charge, Heroic Duel, Scouting, Under Fire, etc.). Each seed includes a set of mechanics/guidelines for handling the situation; awarding XP; etc.

PART II -- COMMANDER SYSTEM: The Commander System reduces war to its purest ideal: The mind of one general against another. Its ideal for situations where PCs find themselves leading legions. Its a skill-based, abstract system.

PART III -- SKIRMISH SYSTEM: The standard D20 combat rules are great at handling tactical scale battles. I've used them to handle combats with up to 100 participants, but that's about the range at which the system begins to break down (in the sense that managing the battlefield starts to become a tedious affair). The Skirmish System adds a few new rules and guidelines to the standard D20 combat rules, opening them up so that you can handle combats up to about 500 characters. And, actually, the main limitation becomes practical table space more than anything else.

(The Skirmish System was actually a late addition to the book. I realized I could apply some of the same structures I had put in place for the D20 Mass Combat System to the standard D20 combat system and open things up.)

PART IV -- D20 MASS COMBAT SYSTEM: This is probably the part of the book which people are most looking forward to. The system adapts the basic D20 combat rules into a true mass combat system. Using the standard rules provided here you should be able to run battles with up to 10,000 soldiers to the side fairly easily (battle on that scale would involve about 200 miniatures, counters, or whatever). Plus, guidelines will be included for adjusting the scale of the system -- theoretically giving you the tools to handle a battle of any size (assuming you're willing to accept the abstraction that goes along with that).

On top of that, the D20 Mass Combat System will also include rules for handling sieges, spellcasters, vehicle combat, sea combat, and experience awards.

PART V -- WAR MAGIC: In addition to new spells and new magic items, we'll be using the Ritual Magic system from RELICS & RITUALS to do some pretty cool things with magic in war. Those of you who have read MAR Barker's FLAMESONG will finally have a sytem capable of handling that type of spellcaster legion-vs-spellcaster legion conflict.

PART VI -- THE TECHNOLOGY OF WAR: Our equipment chapter. Siege engines, artillery, vehicles, fortifications. The whole nine yards.

PART VII -- ARMIES OF THE WORLD: Historical army lists for Egypt, Persia, Greece, Alexander the Great, Rome, the Germanic Hrodes, ancient China, ancient Japan, ninjas, Charlemagne, the Mongol Horde, the armies of Agincourt (French and English), Zulus, and Napoleon. (this list is still subject to change)

PART VIII -- ARMIES OF FANTASY: Army lists for the Goblin Horde, the Army of the Orcs, the Sylvan Legion (Elves), the Army of the Forest (treants), the Mountain Host (dwarves), the Army of the Dead, Demon Legions, Dragons, Desert Riders, and a Golem Army. (this list is still subject to change)

The Backdrop Battles system has been designed so that it can fuse seamlessly with the Commander System, Skirmish System, or D20 Mass Combat System. For example, your main focus could be on the actions of the PCs on the battlefield (using the Backdrop Battles system), but those actions could have an impact on on the course of the larger battle (which is handled through the abstract Commander System). Or your main focus could be the battle as a whole, using the D20 Mass Combat System. But you could then take the big picture events of the Mass Combat System and "zoom in" on what's going on with the PCs (again, using the Backdrop Battles system).

It should also be noted that while the main focus of the book is on supporting fantasy campaigns, I've tried to keep one eye on keeping the book as wide open as possible. The book won't easily support warfare on the scale of WWI, with a battlefield hundreds of miles long with millions of troops (although it could, if you're willing to abstract it enough). Nor will it include guidelines for things like airstrikes. But the mechanics should easily support everything up through the American Civil War, and could probably be used in modern and sci-fi campaigns in situations where you're not dealing with all-out war.

Now, let's open this up a bit: What do you want to see in a book like this that you don't see above?

Justin Bacon
triad3204@aol.com

 

[bolen]

I have been waiting for a D20 version of the old TSR battlesystem. This sounds like what this is.

It will be interesting to compare this and the mass combat system that monte cook is working on and Fields of Blood (if it ever gets out).

I'd like to see

1) a mass combat system

2) analysis of the effect of magic on battle.

it looks as if you will cover these two items. Look forward to the finished product (you will finish right)

oh will Troll Lord games be at midsouth in Memphis con this year??

 

[annadobritt]

Even if you can't work out a way for the training, I'm still going to buy the book when it's available.

 

[Troll Lord]

Releae Date

Art of War is set to hit the shelves in late June, early July. And this one is actually on time and on schedule! (what's up with that?)

Steve

 

[annadobritt]

Re: Releae Date

Art of War is set to hit the shelves in late June, early July. And this one is actually on time and on schedule! (what's up with that?)

Steve

It means the current world order is coming to an end! RPGers will be taking over leadership.

 

[Ranger REG]

Now, let's open this up a bit: What do you want to see in a book like this that you don't see above?

Is it possible to use your product in a homebrewed cinematic fantasy game that uses VP/WP health system?

 

[Ranger REG]

You saw the winking smilie, right?

Sorry, missed it. For some reasons, my eyes have been filtering smileys out?

 

[Justin Bacon]

Is it possible to use your product in a homebrewed cinematic fantasy game that uses VP/WP health system?

It shouldn't be any more difficult to adapt THE ART OF WAR to the VP/WP system than adapting D&D or D20 Modern to the VP/WP system. (And it looks like you've already done that, or something equivalent to that.)

I'd be including some optional rules for doing just that except for the fact that WotC hasn't placed the VP/WP system under the OGL.

Justin Bacon
triad3204@aol.com

 

[Troll Lord]

Product Outline

Hey all, if you hop over to our webpage (www.trolllord.com) I've loaded up an attachement for the product outline.

Thanks and have a very nice day,
Steve