what do you want in a mass combat system?

[The Onion Knight]

What I want in a mass combat system..

In the immortal words of Henry David Thoreau:
"Simplicity...Simplicity...Simplicity"

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

(what happens when a mage casts sleep on a unit? Or some sort of charm effect? I guess you could rule that anything which effects individuals in ways which are complicated to resolve would be more or less wasted on a massed unit but this weakens non-evokers in this type of situation).

I don't know. A powerful mage (or group of lesser mages) casting mass charm/sleep/etc. could set a unit up to take a LOT of damage. Charm a bunch of riders or horses in the front rank of charging light cavalry - chaos ensues. Or maybe a unit of infantry relies upon interlocking shields to protect against archers (or pikes against cavalry). Even if a mass sleep only puts half of them out of action, a quick-thinking commander could use those seconds to decimate that unit. This, of course, leads to the question of two or more units of mages counterspelling each other. And, further, can someone like Elminster counter a mass sleep cast by a unit of low level mages acting in concert?

 

[Staffan]

Personally, I think the War Machine from the D&D Companion set (and the Rules Cyclopedia) has about the right abstraction level for D&D mass combat. In the Rules Cyclopedia, the mass combat rules take up about 10 pages, and 3 or so of those are siege rules (The Siege Machine).

 

[Ds Da Man]

Oh yeah, and rules for army groupies would be nice. Certain acts could boost morale for the troops.

 

[Creamsteak]

Want an attempt to let PCs run a war on their own...

Heh, that's what the Rokugan IR is about (plug). Of course our game isn't really focused on mass combat as much as it is on people out-scheming each other... but... (click on the logo below).

 

[jgbrowning]

Army killing characters

I'd worry about a flying, improved invisiblity wizard with a wand of fireballs.

Flys high above the army and dishes 8d6 fire damge on roughly 12,000 square feet per minute.

I know there are magical defenses for this etc.. but really, a few hit and runs will absolutely decimate a typical army. Even an army of 10,000 soldiers. It may take a few days, but it will happen. Truth be told the army's morale would hit rock bottom so fast it would disolve before it was destroyed.

remember that an army of 10,000 may move only 15-20 miles a day.

In a world where magic really worked, there wouldn't be war/melee combat that we associate with a medival society. The war we know is historical, magic would change every itty bitty bit of warfare.

So as to what im looking for in a war system based on D&D is a completly new concept of war. forget your history, it doesnt apply.

joe b.

 

[laurencio]

The old D&D War Machine does seem a good choice for mass combat. With a few changes it could probably be worked into the game.

BTW-The Dominion rules are good too. That Rules Cyclopedia is great!

 

[Meds]

Same for me: the old War Machine rules are the right level of abstraction. (Though the actual mechanics of WM are fairly heinous IMHO.)

I don't need a detailed tactical battle. WM does allow my players to fight off invading armies, or invade their neighbours on a fairly abstract level.

 

[Olive]

Re: Army killing characters

So as to what im looking for in a war system based on D&D is a completly new concept of war. forget your history, it doesnt apply.

maybe joe, but that applies to every aspect of DnD. and most of us acept the fact that it probably wouldn't be like medieval hiostory, but we want to play something based on medieval history.

so i reckon most of us will want to run set cavalry battles, and massed pikemen regardless...

 

[jgbrowning]

Re: Re: Army killing characters

maybe joe, but that applies to every aspect of DnD. and most of us acept the fact that it probably wouldn't be like medieval hiostory, but we want to play something based on medieval history.

so i reckon most of us will want to run set cavalry battles, and massed pikemen regardless...

yep, i imagine you're correct in that assumption. but i then just have to ask those people who want to do that, "Why not use any of the very very good wargaming products on the market? Why do you want a D&D wargame if you're going to ignore the magic?"

joe b.