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A Mass Combat System I know with the release of Abyssals this probably isn’t the best time for this, but I’ve been wanting to finish this and see what some of you think. I wish I could devote more time to this. It started out simple, as I just wanted a quick way to resolve large scale conflicts. But it keeps growing. I like to think it isn’t too cumbersome yet and can still, once made familiar with it, resolve large combats relatively quickly. But know ahead of time this is a really long set of posts. This system has been game tested only once and the rules as written are not yet complete. Please keep that in mind. I intended these rules for all sorts of situations. Whether a skirmish or a tremendous battle, purely mortal or filled with supernatural beings, these rules should be applicable to all large scale combat situations. Feel free to use or ignore any or all of this. I offer it simply as an alternative to the systems I’ve seen previously posted. It should also be noted that I don’t think Exalted should be run like a straight strategy game. The purpose for these rules was to create a mechanical environment where good charms and heroics could have drastic and dramatic affects on a battle. To that end I think I’ve succeeded. In an effort to help anyone who wants to use this system I developed three sheets to serve as reminders and summaries. The two unit sheets keep most of the most important values right at your finger tips. Understand that I made these in what I hope is a good format for the Forum post. The sheets would be a little bit more useful if I had a full sheet of paper to work with. Balthazaar’s Mass Combat These rules are not intended to be a substitute for role-playing, but rather to provided a framework to give advantage and setting for many role-playing scenarios. For instance, you could set an adventure where a night caste infiltrates the enemy general’s camp and observes their entire planning session. Rather than simply kill the opposing leader the Night slips out informing the allied army of their plans, making the army and general look all the more invincible. Now there is a framework to put that information to work and, when the battle is played out, such advantages will be powerfully demonstrate. These rules try not to double bonus single affects. For instance fighting from a hill offers advantages to only one side but doesn’t actively penalize the other as the advantage to one is essentially penalty enough. Also in the spirit of defense being more powerful than offense many advantages will favor soak over attack power.
If Unit speed is reduced below 20 they may only hobble at base of 20 yards a turn. Remember that ½ the wound penalty is applied to the units Damage and Soak.
Fatigue level atk dmg rsdr soak 1 -1 +/-0 +/-0 +/-0 2 -2 -1 -1 -1 3 -3 -2 -1 -2
Formation: Movement Md dr Sk Rd rs March ⅛ run - - - - - Forced March ¼ run -1 - -1 -1 - Charge ½ run +2 -1 -3 N/A -1 Free Full run -3 N/A -4 -3 -2 Defensive ⅛ run -6 - +4 +1 +1
Base Values:: Melee Damage: Ranged Damage: Deep Rank Damage: Ranged Support Damage: Soak: Ammo: OOOOO OOOOO
Sequences Variable Modifiers: 1 2 3 4 5 Command: Orders: Total Init bonus: Moral Speech:
Combat Record Unit Name:
Sequence:____ Unit Variable Rnd 1 Rnd 2 Rnd 3 Rnd 4 Rnd 5 Initiative Valor roll Formation Movement Attack dice Damage rating Damage scored Soak Wounds taken
Unit Variable Rnd 6 Rnd 7 Rnd 8 Rnd 9 Rnd 10 Initiative Valor roll Formation Movement Attack dice Damage rating Damage scored Soak Wounds taken
Sequence:____ Unit Variable Rnd 1 Rnd 2 Rnd 3 Rnd 4 Rnd 5 Initiative Valor roll Formation Movement Attack dice Damage rating Damage scored Soak Wounds taken
Unit Variable Rnd 6 Rnd 7 Rnd 8 Rnd 9 Rnd 10 Initiative Valor roll Formation Movement Attack dice Damage rating Damage scored Soak Wounds taken
Order of Combat
Phase 0 Grand Plan Highest Intelligence + Lore of War Council members. + Astrology Bonus, Enemy Intel, Additional War Council members, Favorable odds, Favorable Terrain, Stunt Extended roll Total Net successes:
Phase 1 Moral Pre-Battle Speech successes: +1/3 to Valor rolls Moral Speech [Charisma+Performance] (typical) Difficulty modifiers: Odds, Enemy Quality, Battlefield conditions Valor Roll: Valor +1die/2 Moral speech successes Determine Moral Routed Terrified Scared Composed Confident Brave Unshakable
Phase 2 Command Highest Wits + Lore of War Council Modified by Detachment, Visibility, Chain of Command, Location, and Grand Plan Net Successes form opposed roll:
Phase 3 Orders Command path modifiers. Total Initiative Bonus/penalty:
Phase 4 Fight Initiative Valor Formation Movement Attack: Melee or Ranged Damage Repeat Phase 4 10 times total.
Phase 5 Regroup: five minutes Fatigue check Reform unit Reclaim Essence, if applicable Recast persistent charms, if necessary/applicable
Go to Phase 1
Phase 6 Medicine
0.0 The Grand Plan:
All battles are fought with strategy, sometimes it’s carefully planned and at other’s it’s seat-of-the-pants, but it almost always has some plan behind it (whether wise or ill-conceived).
The first phase of a battle occurs typically long before the battle is ever joined. This is the Grand plan. Here is where the overall strategy is laid out. The commander/general/war-chief sits down with his or her advisors, if there are any, and plots out the course of the battle. Most immediately they try to determine the best way to deploy their own troops, how to utilize any terrain or fortification advantages, orchestrate surprises (traps, hidden units, sabotage…), anticipate enemy reactions, etc.
ST’s should carefully parcel out information about the approaching enemy and then allow the players to determine how they wish to deal with the threat (provided of course they are at a level of command to be dictating how the battle will be fought). Each side should ‘secretly’ deploy their units and write down what actions those units are going to take. In the case of special intelligence, one side waits for the other to decide on deployment and then is given whatever information they were able to obtain (just numbers, number and type, deployment, or full battle plan). It is conceivable that a battle will be fought with little to no knowledge of what forces either side brings to bear. Such battles rely on the more on a commander’s wits than any other type.
0.1 The rules for the Grand Plan are as follows:
Opposed [Intelligence+Lore] roll. Attributes are chosen from the highest values of those at the planning session. The roll is modified as follows.
0.1.1 Astrology:
In such an age of magic, no general commits to a plan of attack that isn’t shown as being successful in the stars. This is not only the an attempt to see the best course of actions in the stars, but also an attempt to either interfere with or ward against the other side’s attempt to gain occult advantage.
Add a number of die to the equal to the successes from a [Intelligence+Occult] roll difficulty 3.
0.1.2 Intelligence: (i.e. information about the enemy)
Generally it is assumed that both sides know the relative size and strength of the army they will be facing. More or less information should be treated as follows.
-4 die No knowledge of enemy forces -2 die Only knowledge of enemy size +/- 0 General knowledge of size and composition +1 die Full knowledge of size and composition +2 die Partial knowledge of enemy strategy (e.g. deployment) +4 die Full knowledge of enemy battle plan (i.e. deployment, formations, surprises, etc.)
0.1.3 Council Members:
Few people try to plan such battle by themselves. The members of a war council can both aid and detract from the effort, especially if one is surrounded by political friends with little to no talent. While lacking the tactical skill of the best strategist among them these additional minds can sometimes catch simple mistakes and oversights as plans are laid out. (Hence the use of wits.)
+1/2 the wit total for all members, beyond the one or two making the base roll. +1 difficulty for each member so included. (Alternatively add ¼ of the wits and lore of those present.)
0.1.4 Numbers:
It’s easier to plan a battle when you already overwhelm your enemy. The side with the number advantage gets the following bonus. Try to hide this bonus if the players do not have information about the opposing army’s size.
+1 die +50% +2 die +100% +3 die +300% or more
0.1.5 Terrain:
Likewise it’s easier to fend off a foe from good ground and friendly fortifications than on an open field. Some battles may include multiple bonuses the affects stack.
+1 die Hill/Palisades/Village +2 die Mountain/Wall/Town +3 die Cliff/Keep/City
Remember though, walls can be destroyed, and with the proper magic even the hills can be lowered. A Warstrider can quickly render palisades utterly useless. Strategies that rely on these advantages will fall apart very quickly if such methods are used. See the next section for rules on how to deal with the plan after the battle is joined.
0.1.6 Stunts:
If the players are in the War Council cool sounding battle tactics should be rewarded with additional die on the roll.
0.2 The Roll:
The Grand Plan roll is extended, provided the army has enough time. One additional roll may be made each day at a +2 difficulty for each day after the first (First day difficulty 1, Second day 3, Third day 5, etc.) No more successes can be achieved than the [Intelligence+Lore] value of the one or two individuals making the base roll.
Note the above advantages labeled only count for the first roll of such an extended test, unless there’s some game play reason to use it later. Regardless of when they are used, each bonus can only be used once in the extended test.
After all the record keeping is done and the roll is made, the winner adds an initiative bonus, in die, to all units equal to the number of net successes. This bonus will have a significant affect during combat. This represents the surety of action and the superior planning that the unit commanders utilize in their engagement with the enemy, and their ability to keep the enemy off balance.
It should also be clear that strategies can be quickly made obsolete. Dramatic changes in battlefield intelligence, changes in the number or composition of troops, destruction of fortifications before the battle is joined, can all cause a battle plan to be scrapped. If the ST rules that a battle plan is no longer valid it must be re-rolled from scratch in the time remaining.
This action is more than just a die roll. Troop deployment is determined and the first 10 rounds of troop formations and general movements are plotted out. These actions should be held to regardless of field conditions unless the players can justify a reason for being able to alter their troop’s orders in the middle of combat (a player using General of the All-Seeing Sun is a fine justification). In addition units are typically given goals and conditions (e.g. hold the hill or charge when you see the wall fall). These units will hold to their orders for as long as they can even if they no longer are the wisest course of action. Please try not to have units act with knowledge they shouldn’t possess even if that means they don’t respond correctly to the battle.
Many powerful spells, charms, and artifacts exist within Creation but their affects on a battle tend to be direct and therefore will not gain a bonus to the planning stage unless they create or modify one of the above conditions. E.g. using the Singing Staff to create a hill for your army to stand on.
1.0 Determine Moral and Mood:
1.1 Moral Speeches:
The Moral of the troops, their cohesiveness as a unit, and their loyalty to their commander/cause all have a pronounced affect on the combat effectiveness of any military force. When a battle is coming and the battle plans have all been drawn, it’s up to the Warleader to steel the troops and make them believe in victory. Unit commanders are faced with the daunting task of maintaining moral and this belief in victory as they battle in the field.
Some time before the battle is truly engaged make a [Charisma+Performance] roll. Typically this will be a great speech by whomever is in charge of the army as a whole, but their can be exceptions (a great religious leader, or the king the general and men fight for). The number of successes on this roll work to bolster the Valor roll troops need to make to determine their Moral.
This is an excellent role-playing opportunity to show how the inspiring words a player’s exalt turned the frightened host into a victorious army. Be liberal with stunt bonuses and don’t forget how potent a display of supernatural power can be. The effectiveness of this speech is greatest if given just before the battle. However with large armies and difficult terrain this may not always be possible. For each day after the speech that passes before the battle arrives subtract one success to a minimum of 1. This represents the continuing effects of fear and discontentment being sown through the ranks eroding the men’s courage.
Unit commanders don’t have the luxury of being able to prepare speeches. Commanders mostly try to drive the fear from the hearts of their men just after they’ve been given a very real motivation to want to be anywhere other than where they are. After every 10 turns of combat (a sequence) the commander will need to make a roll to keep his men’s fighting spirit intact. For simplicity this should also be a [Charisma+Performance] roll, though you may wish to let players justify other options or additional rolls to aid them ([Perception+Presence] to notice how the troops are holding up, [Wits+Socialize] to find just the right thing to say to pinnacle unit members, [Manipulation+Presence] to guide them to the realization of just how important this all is, [Strength+Presence] to make them fear you more than the enemy).
With the large die pools and charms of the Exalted, such a General could speak to a unit in place of the unit’s commander giving it a sizeable die bonus.
1.2 Valor Roll:
Valor rolls for the unit need to be made once before the battle and just after initiative of every combat round. Modify the difficulty of the roll by:
1.2.1 The Odds:
1.5:1 +1 2:1 +2 4+:1 +3
1.2.2 Enemy quality:
Barbarians +1 Elites/ Undefeated unit +1 Wyld Barbarians/Beastmen +2 Demons/Undead/Fey +2 Anathema led +3 gods/god-bloods +1,2,3 (depending on power, reputation, and number) DB’s +1,2,3 (a few 2%, some 10%, many 30+%)
(Comparative evils: If the two armies both fit into any of the above, lessen the effect to the less fearsome unit by its rating while the higher ‘rated’ unit disregards this penalty. Equally tough opponents ignore this modifier altogether.)
1.2.3 Battle field Conditions:
Wounds +/- (taken/given since last roll) [Actual wounds, not wound penalty] Behind enemy lines +1 (OR otherwise unable to receive orders) Loss of standard +/-1 (unit’s/unit’s enemies) [Talon or larger unit only, once only] Death of unit’s Commander +/-2 (unit’s/unit’s enemies) [once only] Death of unit’s Second officer +/-1 (unit’s/unit’s enemies) [once only] Death of “General” +/-3 (Allied/Enemy) [once only] Night +1 [only if enemy has an advantage in dark] Against Fortifications +1 (Castle walls or Keep) [as long as still standing] Fresh reinforcements +/-1,2,3 (enemy/allied; 1/2 unit size, unit size, 2Xunit size or more)
(This is one of the few areas where I allow a sort of doubling bonus. While all modifiers only apply in one direction, [e.g. the underdog gets penalized but the larger army doesn’t receive a direct bonus for out numbering a foe] a good army gains advantage not only from being good but allowing this fact to strike fear in the hearts of the opposition thereby weakening them. Wars are like that, so I’m letting it stand.)
1.2.4 The roll:
Roll the units Valor against the Difficulty determined above, which can be no lower than 1. Moral speeches add 1 die/ 2 successes. The pre-Battle speech adds 1/3 successes in die. Do not count Mood modifiers for this roll. All units start at Composed. Move the moral level to one level higher (better) for every two success above the difficulty. Reduce the moral level by one level per success under the difficulty. Fear is a powerful force and it’s much easier to lose moral than gain it in combat. A routed unit breaks into the free formation and runs away from the battle until the commander has can raise the unit’s moral.
Routed Terrified Scared Composed Confident Brave Unshakable
1.3 Mood:
A unit’s Mood differs from its Moral. Mood is a representation of the troops desire to serve the general they are fighting for. Troops that believe in the cause or are willing to follow their Commander to Malfeas itself, fight with an increased intensity and battle prowess. There is no simple roll to determine the troops’ mood. Use the following to determine where troops would likely be and modify it as you see fit (be it due to plot circumstances, the players actions, or ST whim):
Impressed gutter sweepings: Unruly Forced conscripts: Poor Militia/green legionnaires: Ambivalent Veteran legionnaires: Good Elite’s (or Followers): Bonded Devoted cult fanatics: Utterly Loyal
Some troops are being asked to face the dead and others asked to serve men they’d rather see dead. Neither is good. The more seasoned the warriors the more professional they’ll be and the less likely they’ll succumb to sedition. Of course that doesn’t mean they’d hesitate to kill an offending commander while on the field, just that the unit’s more likely to ignore the combat penalties.
Good logistical skills and strong charisma go a long way to keeping mood high. See the section below for campaign considerations.
1.4 Benefits/penalties:
Mood and Moral affects a unit’s attack roll as follows:
Terrified/Unruly -2 Scared/Poor -1 Composed/Ambivalent +/-0 Confident/Good +1 Brave/Bonded +2 Unshakable/Utterly Loyal +3
Unshakable and Utterly Loyal troops are very dangerous.
This affects both Melee and ranged rolls, though ranged rolls do not receive +2 or +3 benefits because of their detraction from combat. Being scared will really throw you’re aim off, but once your confident being any more secure isn’t going to help.
The charm Heroism Encouraging Presence keeps moral at a minimum of Composed for the affected unit. It also causes any valor roll to succeed, thereby preventing a total rout from ever happening, a powerful charm.
1.5 Reforming/regrouping:
Units that have routed and have spent their combat phases running away, may still reenter combat. If they pass their Valor roll and elevate their moral level to scared or better, then they may reform and await their orders like any other unit. Such a unit will have to fight hard to gain the respect of the other companies.
2.0 Command:
In the world of Exalted an army’s highest ranking officers are one of the most vital components. There keen wits, tactical sense, and commanding presence guide and glue the military force throughout the battle. In the Command Phase this becomes evident sometimes just before the battle is joined, and after every sequence (10 turns) of combat. The War Leader must make a [Wits+Lore] roll to direct the course of the battle as it wages on. This roll uses modifiers from sections 0.1.4, 0.1.5, and 0.1.6 as applicable.
This roll includes orders to make a last minute correction, adjust to changing battlefield conditions, attempt to shore up the lines, take advantage of a weakness, initiate some new strategy, etc. Those orders get passed down during the Orders phase of combat. For small battles this is typically the leader yelling out orders to his troops but in larger conflicts riders, drums, smoke, and even sorcery are used to disseminate commands to the troops.
Unless there is significant need ignore this roll at the start of a battle. Typically the Grand Plan roll should stand unless there is a major flaw in the assumptions used in making that plan.
2.1 Battle Knowledge:
Once the battle is joined the commander needs to gain information about how the battle is progressing and then communicate his orders to his various sub-commanders. For battles with more than a single Dragon worth of troops this is no easy task. While it is overly simplistic, assume that a commander can directly observe and order a unit of Dragon size or smaller directly, by simply shouting orders. After all in a reasonably tight formation 500 men can fit in roughly a 25 yard radius circle (4 [square yards/person] *500 [men] / pi = 637 square yards; sqrt = 25.2 yards), or 36 yards for a looser formation. While it’s unlikely that such a unit would be fighting as a single tightly bound entity, it makes things easier. For such a scenario consider the General’s Battle knowledge to be perfect (no modifiers).
Apply the following modifiers to a general’s roll to direct the army, when more than one dragon is under his or her command.
2.1.1 Command detachment:
Consider a General commanding an army larger than a Dragon to be at a 5 success penalty to the [Wits+Lore] roll directing the battle. This is simply due to the fact that the officer is no longer directly in the fight as it rages on too many fronts to perceive at once.
2.1.2 Visibility:
One of the best ways to determine how a battle is progressing is to simply observe it. Make a [Perception+Awarness] roll modified by the prevailing conditions (if applicable). Certain conditions may make this roll impossible. If the commander cannot view the battle then they must rely on reports from their subordinates for information.
N/A Heavy woods/night no moon/thick smoke or fog/closed room/no line of sight -3 successes Thin smoke or fog/night with moon -2 successes Light woods/dust/poor light/in a town -1 successes On Foot +/- 0 Horseback +1 successes Raised position (~10 feet) or sensory enhancing charm (Sensory Acuity Prana) +2 successes High position (~30 feet) with looking glass or equivalent (Keen Sight Technique) +3 successes Complete visibility of battlefield (Unsurpassed Sight Discipline, The Map of Azure Victory, Feeling the Dragons Bones)
Add the successes in die to the general’s [Wits+Lore] roll.
2.1.3 Chain of command:
Ideally people know exactly who to report to and all vital information (casualties, moral, ammunition, enemy troop quality, etc.) reaches the necessary ears without human factor delay’s. This is often not the case. These modifiers represent the difficulty in getting information from unit commanders. An army made of primarily career legionnaires is considered to be the base value for efficient command. Apply the modifiers to the commanders [Wits+Lore] roll according to which type of unit makes up the bulk of the army (>50%).
-3 die Barbarians, Hungry Ghosts* -2 die Conscripts, Walking Dead* -1 die Militia, Ghosts +/- 0 Legions, War Ghosts, Fey commoners (warriors) +1 die Elite Troops, Units reporting with Wind Carried Words Technique or other special forms of communication, Well entrenched and excellent command model. +2 die Bureaucracy enhancing charms (Speed the Wheels)
(* While neither the Hungry Ghosts nor the Walking Dead actively participate in the chain of command this modifier represents the difficultly in gaining feed back as to the units status and in herding the unit to a different goal.)
[Optionally you could use the Bureaucracy rules for Long term troop readiness listed in section 7.6.2.]
2.1.4 Command Location:
The location of General also impacts the efficiency of communication. The further away from the front lines the longer it takes to get information. Apply the following modifiers according to range.
-3 die A mile away -2 die A thousand Yards -1 die 500 Yards +/-0 200 Yards +1 die 100 Yards
2.1.5 Supernatural
Certain charms, spells or artifacts can eliminate the need for feedback or any mechanism for relaying orders. A powerful Charm such as Ideal Battle Knowledge Prana gives the general an unsurpassed ability to understand the army’s condition and be able to order it effectively. If such charm is being used ignore the other modifiers for visibility and chain of command, and simply add 6 successes to the roll. Note that this charm has other strengths, as it effectively allows the commander to alter any unit’s formation and movement as desired, while keeping to his plan. Another advantage has been seen in the moral section of the rules.
2.2 Grand Plan bonus:
This is just a reminder to check that the initial strategies and assumptions of the Grand Plan are still in force. If not, remove its bonus to all units.
2.3 Command Roll:
As stated above the base roll is [Wits+Lore]. Use the applicable situational modifiers and Grand Plan bonus. This roll, like the Grand Plan, is opposed. Add the net successes of the Command roll, in die, to the winner’s unit’s initiative tests.
3.0 Orders:
The orders from the Command phase must reach the troops in a timely manner. These orders consist of all the units Formations and Movement for the next 10 turns of fighting. The faster and more specific the orders which reach a unit’s commander the better they will be utilized. Modify the unit’s initiative roll as follows.
3.1 Command Path:
Once orders are determined they need to reach the necessary units. Few armies are small enough that the commander can simply shout out to his troops as needed. Most armies use riders to disseminate commands to the various branches of an army. Apply the following modifiers to represent the disadvantages and advantages of other methods.
-2 die Smoke signals, verbal lines -1 die Horns, drums, messenger birds, runners +/- 0 Riders, “enhanced” runners (charms, Wyld mutations) +1 die Fey Army, Weak spells, charms, or artifacts (Commanding the Ideal Celestial Army, Commanding Presence of Fire, Wind Carried Words Technique, Lion Roar Method) +2 die Powerful spells, charms, or artifacts (General of the All-Seeing Sun) +2,-5 General in Combat (+2 to the unit the commander is in, -5 to all other units)
3.2 Trapped Units:
In the case in which units are trapped by the enemy, they may be in serious trouble as they can no longer receive the Grand Plan and Command bonus for their initiative rolls for as long as they are out of contact. Fortunately contact only needs to be established once every ten turns of combat at the start of the Orders Phase.
3.3 Ignored Orders:
Inventive commanders (typically heroes) may decide to ignore orders, or take their own initiative if they are cut off or otherwise out of communication. Such a unit does not receive overall plan or command bonuses but can decide its own fate with respect to movement and formation. They may also have to answer to a very upset general if they should survive.
4.0 Fighting:
4.1 Initiative:
Clear, decisive, and tactically wise orders give unit commanders and edge, but it’s up to them to make use of it. Commanders roll off a [Wits+Awareness] base modified by the Grand Plan, Command Roll and the Orders modifiers. The winner gets sizes up the situation and launches his men forward just instants before the enemy. As a result the enemy is putting more effort into protecting themselves than attacking (or in the case of undead shuffling around aimlessly as they start getting hacked apart). For the sake of simplicity give the winner +3 soak.
4.1.1 Surprise:
Commander fails a [Wits+Awareness] roll after a clever trick by an opponent. {Distracting explosions, sudden outflanking, traps, etc} Reduce soak by 2 and return attack after damage is applied.
4.2 Valor Roll:
As in section 1.2.4 units need to make a Valor roll to see if they still have the heart to fight, especially after they may have taken heavy losses. Use the Moral Speech modifier appropriate for the current sequence, the pre-Battle speech modifier, and all applicable battlefield conditions.
{Note: I initially had the Valor roll only take place once every sequence along with the Moral speech. I changed this as I felt drastic changes in the battle should have an impact on the troops, at the very least locally. Experiment as you see fit trying to balance resolution speed with appropriate dramatic feel.}
4.3 Formation:
Moving in formation is slower than running on your own this is reflected below. Also different formations have different tactical advantages, these are also indicated below.
Formation: Movement Md dr Sk Rd rs March ⅛ run - - - - - Forced March ¼ run -1 - -1 -1 - Charge ½ run +2 -1 -3 N/A -1 Free Full run -3 N/A -4 -3 -2 Defensive ⅛ run -6 - +4 +1 +1
Md=Melee Damage, Sk=Soak, Rd=Ranged Damage, dr=Deep Rank, rs=Ranged Support, N/A= indicates the attack option is not allowed for this formation. If Soak or Md is reduced to 0 or less consider it 1.
4.4 Movement:
A units movement equals 20 times (the base run distance = [12+dex] – the worst mobility penalty). Armor, Shields, and heavy weapons add to the mobility penalty. Subtract mobility penalties for armor and shields to the base value as normal. Apply an additional –1 for forces using Poleaxes, Great axes, Great swords, or Sledges.
Movement is done according to orders. It is specified in terms of engaging specific units, avoiding units, moving to a location, or holding ground. Ten rounds of movement should be allocated to each unit. It is likely that the first 10 rounds of movement will be pre-positioning as the armies try to size each other up and await word to engage.
Units cannot move through other units, even friendly. Enemy units in contact can only separate if the faster unit runs directly away from the opposition, or both units decide to disengage.
Most battles will start with the opposing forces separated by more than 1000 Yards.
Movement is also reduced by wounds and fatigue. Apply penalties to the unit’s movement as follows:
4.4.1 Wounds:
-0 Base value -1 -45 Yards/turn -2 -90 Yards/turn -4 -175 Yards/turn
4.4.2 Fatigue:
1 -20 Yards/turn 2 -60 Yards/turn 3 -90 Yards/turn
4.4.3 Unit size:
These rules contain no provision for different sizes, i.e. a fang is as fast as a legion. This is more than slightly unrealistic. Feel free to add some mobility penalties for larger unit sizes.
4.5 Attack rolls:
Attacking is very simple when groups meet they try their best to kill each other. Damage is applied simultaneously (unless surprised). Large scale combat doesn’t have the variability of one on one duels. As a result melee skill and modifiers to the attack are grouped into the damage stat (see below). The attack roll for groups is simply one die + the modifiers given below:
4.5.1 Formation: Apply modifiers for unit formation as above.
4.5.2 Rally Surge: A number of times in a battle equal to the groups Valor the warriors may summon their courage and make an aggressive push add 2 die to attack rolls, 1 to damage, and 1 to soak. This may be done only once per combat round, a maximum number of times equal to the units Valor rating.
4.5.3 Moral/Mood: +/- die accordingly
4.5.4 Wound level: See Wound section for the affects of wounds on a units attack roll.
4.5.5 Fatigue: See Fatigue section for rules.
4.5.6 Reduced attack rolls: If the units attack roll is modified to 0 or less, retain one die, but reduce the base damage -1L for each die below 1 the unit would be at.
4.6 Damage:
Weapons have a damage stat that represents the average amount of damage done by ½ of the troops. The one half comes from the number of soldiers likely to be trying harder to avoid damage on a given round than trying to inflict it. The average die pool is halved to represent that only half of the dice rolled will go into damage.
4.6.1 Damage:
A units damage equals [avg (dex + skill + specialty + weapon acc bonus) / 2 + avg (str + weapon damage)]/2
The damage the unit does is the standard weapon + successes of the attack roll soaked by the units soak values. If the damage remaining is one or higher, then simply apply that much damage as automatic health levels. If the damage is reduced below 1 then roll one damage die, unless the units soak is six or higher than the damage done. {damage – soak = 0 -> -5 one die damage, = -6-> or more no damage}
4.6.2 Deep rank bonus:
+ 50% base damage for using long reach weapons. This accounts for the deep ranks attacking the front lines. Spears and poleaxes only. Units using Poleaxes as secondary weapons subtract one from their stamina+endurance rating versus fatigue checks (Section 5.1). This bonus cannot be used if the unit is being attacked by multiple fronts, or using the Thrown weapons ranged support bonus.
4.6.3 Throw weapon ranged support bonus:
As the front lines clash, soldiers in the deeper ranks can toss javelins and hatchets into the fray to damage the enemy. Add ½ the units ranged damage to the melee damage value. As with the Deep rank bonus, this bonus cannot be obtained if the unit is being attacked on multiple fronts or is using the Deep rank bonus.
4.6.4 Aggravated Damage: Add 1 to the weapons base damage, and reduce valor rolls by one die.
4.6.5 Wound level: See Wound section for the affects of wounds on a units damage.
4.6.6 Fatigue: See Fatigue section for rules.
4.6.7 Attack die penalties: -1L for each die below 1 the attack roll is reduced by.
4.7 Range combat:
Ranged weapons in battle is a long distance game as few people are willing to trust in their bows when the enemy is about to fall upon them. Targets are groups, not individual people, and these weapons usually have a high arch to them lessening the effectiveness of shields. Though the damage they inflict to ranks are typically much less than a bow would deliver to a single person, being able to rain death on an approaching foe is of considerable strategic value.
Calculate the base damage of ranged weapons as you would any other weapon. Warriors won’t trust their bows if an enemy is closer than 30 yards. Thrown weapons have to be thrown past their own ranks and so have a minimum range of 10 yards.
Attacks are rolled just as is melee.
4.7.1 Arrow types:
Consider the broad head arrow to be the standard and add its +2 to the base damage calculation as one would expect. Target arrows have the lower base damage but reduce the soak of an enemy unit by 3. Unless specifically noted as being unarmored Frog Crotch arrows are typically useless against armies as it increases the opposing units soak by 6, often resulting in no damage being done at all. Against specifically unarmored foes, the walking dead for example, they do one point of damage more than a broad head after using the damage formula.
An army unit of 5 die warriors is using self bows with broad heads. Their dex+skill total is 5 and base damage is Str+2. With an average strength of 2 dots the unit has a base ranged damage of 3L.
4.7.2 Range modifiers: Rather than modify the accuracy of the attacks with range simply reduce their damage as follows:
Damage Penalty Weapon +/-0 -1 -2 Self Bow 30-75 76-150 151-225 Long Bow 30-100 101-200 201-300 Composite 30-125 126-250 251-375 Javelin 10-30 31-60 61-90 Hatchets NA 10-20 21-30
4.7.3 Ammunition:
Each roll determines four volleys. Standard soldier carries 60 arrows, 16 javelins, or 8 hatchets (which corresponds to 15,4,2 volleys respectively). Supply depots and logistical support can refresh a unit’s ammunition if they are in contact with such a source during the Regroup Phase.
If fighting in formation Thrown weapons can be used by unengaged units at ½ effective damage (as stated in section 4.6.3). This attack is considered half a volley for ammunition purposes. This action is not possible if the unit is engaged on multiple sides.
4.7.4 Visibility:
If there are battle field conditions that prevent a unit from being able to see the enemy then that unit cannot fire. The ST has final say, but darkness, thick fog, smoke, forest cover, sandstorms, etc. should all be considered prohibitive to ranged combat >20 yards.
4.7.5 Movement affects:
A unit in a defensive posture is slow moving giving its warriors more time to aim. Even if locked in combat the shield wall and defensive front lines keep the rest of the archers free to take more controlled shots. A unit in another formation that is stationary and not engaged may also claim the bonus to ranged damage only.
4.8 Soak:
Base soak equals armor plus a bonus for shields (+1 Buckler, +2 Target, +3 Tower). Supernatural creatures may add ½ Stamina (or full Stamina) if they can normally soak lethal damage with such.
As small scale defensive maneuvers are considered to be taking place during these combat turns improvements and penalties to dodge and parry rolls convert to soak for simplicity. Add ½ of the soldier’s effective dodge or parry whichever is higher, after standard defensive weapon modifiers, and mobility penalties. Due to the weaker nature of a parry defense subtract 2 die from its total for these purposes.
Continuing with the theory of he who strikes first gets attacked less frequently modify a units soak by the initiative total (weapon included) divided by 4. While this may allow situations where weapon bonuses modify soak from ranged attacks by units far away. It’s just easier than having multiple soak ratings.
4.8.1 Fatigue: See Fatigue section for rules.
4.8.2 Wound level: See Wound section for the affects of wounds on a units soak.
4.9 Wound levels:
Wounding warriors is only a part of what happens when a unit ‘takes damage.’ Formations can be broken, moral weakened, plans forgotten, and indecision sewn into the ranks. Thus the wound level of a group is composed of the base wounds of its soldiers, the valor of its soldiers, the charisma and presence of its leader, and the number of its reserves.
Base Wounds (Unit members’ average health levels)
Add a wound levels based on unit Valor as listed below.
Wound Valor 1 2 3 4 5 -0 - - - O OO -1 - - O O O -2 - O O O O -4 O O O O O
Add ½ Commander’s charisma + presence in -0’s and -1’s. Even distribution, remainder goes to -1’s.
Add ½ the second officer’s charisma + presence to the -1’s and -2’s. Even distribution, remainder goes to -2’s.
Add the units reserve strength.
4.9.1 Base wounds:
Groups have the same base wound levels as it constituent warriors, with Incapacitated being replaced with Dissolved. A Dissolved unit is out of action and cannot be reformed until long after the battle is over.
4.9.2 Reserve strength:
Some units will be a little larger than their base unit size. Set the reserve strength of a unit to 1 for each 10% above the base unit size it has in tag-along support troops. For example, a base unit of legionnaires, one talon, with 50 reservists. Since every 12.5 men equals 10%, this unit has an extra 4 wound levels. These wound levels get added to the -0 first and then to each subsequent wound level. If the unit has 5 bonus wound levels then the –0 gets two bonuses. A unit cannot have more than 50% in reservists.
4.9.3 Penalties:
Wound Penalties affect attack, damage, soak, and movement values.
4.9.3.1 Attack: - wound level from roll.
4.9.3.2 Damage: - ½ wound level from roll. (round down)
4.9.3.3 Soak: - ½ wound level from soak. (round down)
4.9.3.4 Movement:
-0 Base value -1 -45 Yards/turn -2 -90 Yards/turn -4 -175 Yards/turn
4.9.4 To-the-Last-Man:
In rare cases of extreme urgency sometimes people are ready to die-to-the-man to defeat or just to hinder an opposing force. Maybe it’s religious zealotry or trying to save a nation from a Fey horde, regardless it’s rare. Commiserate with this rarity is a powerful increase to the units combat effectiveness. Add the units Conviction to its Valor for all purposes. Units that are dissolved from such a state don’t get medicine rolls (see below), they are all dead. (The Walking Dead always fight to the man, consider their Valor and conviction a 5 each for this purpose. Other mindless automata may also receive this bonus.)
4.9.5 Events:
At certain wound levels a unit will take certain key losses. Further through individual heroics certain key events can be triggered.
4.9.5.1 Last -1, Loss of Commander:
A unit that loses its commander is usually in deep trouble. Most units have a competent second officer or grizzled veteran that they will respond to. Consider this officer at a three die penalty as compared to the original leader. As always role-playing can modify this very easily.
If the unit commander is killed or incapacitated through role playing, simply remove the bonus wound levels the unit was given for the commander. This isn’t damage per se, and if the unit has already suffered damage, consider damage of the appropriate wound levels to come from this total first. E.g. if the unit had already suffered 2 -1’s then likely the commanders death won’t affect the units health levels at all, unless the commander had a charisma + presence pool of 9 or more. However if the unit was undamaged then they’d lose all the -0’s and -1’s contributed by their commander.
If a player character is a unit commander this doesn’t mean that the character suddenly dies. The character should simply be cordoned off or otherwise be made unable to lead the troops. Exceptional role playing can, of course, supercede this.
4.9.5.2 Last -2, Loss of second officer:
The loss of the second officer pretty much dooms the unit. Without any figure to rally the men they will likely fail their valor roll and flee. If supernaturally steeled against fear, the lack of command still hurts the unit as there is no one to receive orders or make initiative rolls. Such a unit always losses initiative.
Treat a role playing loss of this figure as the commander above.
4.9.5.3 First -4, Loss of standard (if applicable):
Quite simply the Standard Bearer is killed and the unit suffers from lower moral as their unit’s insignia falls upon the blood soaked mud.
4.9.5.4 Last point of Damage, Dissolution:
The unit has taken its last point of damage. It is no longer an effective fighting force. Half the men are either dead or maimed. The others are hurt, exhausted, confused, and demoralized. It’s no longer a matter of valor, there’s just no fight left in them. This unit is completely out of action and all its soldiers are considered lost until the Medicine Phase.
5.0 Regroup:
Battles ebb and flow. In this phase combat has reached a lull as forces pull back a little to take stock of their own unit and the battle as a whole. Runners/riders scurry across the battlefield bringing reports to anxious generals and those generals orders to the troops. In the meantime the troops wait. In truth Phase 5 occurs simultaneously with Phases 1, 2, and 3 here though we get to focus on some of the other aspects of combat in the Age of Sorrows.
5.1 Fatigue:
Battles do more than just drain warriors of there will to fight, they leave warriors wounded and winded. After every ten minutes of combat during the Regrouping Phase roll to see if the unit has become fatigued. Use the predominate Stamina+Endurance value for the unit and modify it by:
Wound level: Subtract the appropriate modifier Armor: Subtract it’s fatigue penalty Weapons: Subtract an additional point for large weapons (two-handed swords, Great axes, Sledges, and Polearms) Environment: Subtract die according to harshness of environment (semi-tropical -1, brutal desert -2)
If the unit fails the roll add one level to their fatigue.
5.1.2 Affects:
Fatigue reduces the effectiveness of a unit in a variety of ways.
5.1.2.1 Movement:
1 -20 Yards/turn 2 -60 Yards/turn 3 -90 Yards/turn
5.1.2.2 Unit values:
Modify a unit’s ratings as follows: Attack roll (atk); Base Damage (dmg); Ranged Support or Deep Rank Damage (rsdr); Soak
Fatigue level atk dmg rsdr soak 1 -1 +/-0 +/-0 +/-0 2 -2 -1 -1 -1 3 -3 -2 -1 -2
5.1.3 Fatigue Recovery
Units at that fatigue past level 3 are unable to fight on. They must temporarily withdraw and wait until the next Regroup Phase before they can try and reenter combat.
Any unit can also be ordered to stay out of combat for until the next orders phase in an attempt to recover fatigue.
In both cases the unit must make a fatigue check, as normal, at difficulty 2. If the unit succeeds then reduce their overall fatigue level by 1. Units cannot regain fatigue if they were engaged in melee that between the Orders and Regroup Phases, but can if they only took ranged damage.
5.2 Reclaim Essence:
Exalts rely on their essence stat to give them a sizable advantage during combat. During the combat it is assumed Exalts are fighting in the will affirming style of individual combat and are thus regaining essence. During this phase roll the average Permanent Essence value of the Exalts in the unit and regain twice that many Essence Burn dots (see Charms and Sorcery for explanation). Note that the maximum number of dots that can be reclaimed is the PE minus the number of dots held in Persistent Charms before this phase. (Exalts can’t reclaim motes committed in persistent Charms through stunts.) Spirits, god-bloods, and fey may also take advantage of this phase. (Fey may use Valor instead of PE as they feed off the emotions of their enemies.)
5.3 Recast Persistent Charms:
The Dragon-Blooded in particular need this phase to recast the charms which increase the combative prowess of their unit. Use Essence Burns as needed to activate persistent charms. Solars and other Celestials will typically not be handled by unit rules, but they will nonetheless need to recast their persistent charms throughout a battle. This is as good enough a point as any.
5.4 Re-supply:
If a unit with range weapons enters the Regroup Phase at a friendly supply depot then they may rearm themselves with a new supply of ammunition.
6.0 Medicine Phase:
Rules still under development. Rule of thumb. Only -0 wounds Fully Functional -1’s ~5-10% Losses -2’s ~15-30% Losses -4’s ~30-70% Losses Dissolved ~70-100% Losses
Figure most members have a wound one dot less than the value of the units.
7.0 Special Rules:
7.1 Size mismatches and Multiple fronts:
Battles are rarely equivalent affairs where each unit has only one other unit of similar size with which to combat. Try using the following rules for the eventuality of number inequity.
The basic concept is to reduce a smaller force’s damage and soak by 2 for each multiple of its size arrayed against it (typically to a maximum of a -6 penalty). Obviously the first opposing unit, or unit size multiple, doesn’t count, but each additional unit/multiple brings this penalty. Groups smaller than a factor of ten of the base unit size, don’t contribute to this penalty unless they’re being attacked by such an overwhelming force. (Reservists, see section 4.9.2, are not considered in the calculation of unit size for these purposes).
Case 1: 1 Dragon (D1) vs 2 Dragons (Da, Db). D1 faces units Da and Db. D1 has its damage and soak reduced by 2. Units Da and Db are unaffected. Roll once for D1 and apply it’s modified damage against both Da and Db. Roll once for Da and Db applying damage to the modified soak.
Case 2: 1 Dragon (D1) vs 2 Wings (Wa, Wb). No affect, the Dragon unit is large enough to handle the two smaller units with no change in effectiveness. Roll D1’s attack once and apply the result to both Wa and Wb.
Case 3: 1 Dragon (D1) vs 1 Dragon (Da) and 1 Wing (Wa). As Case 1. With one fully engaged front the addition of Wa splits D1’s attention and reduces its capabilities. Try not to twink this rule.
Case 4: 1 Dragon (D1) vs 1 Dragon and 2 Wings. Again treat as Case 1. If you added another unit against D1, (of Dragon size or smaller) then D1 would suffer another -2 penalty, but no more units could attack D1.
Case 5: 1 Wing (W1) vs 1 Dragon (Da) and 1 Wing (Wa). W1 would suffer from a -4 penalty. Da would roll once and apply its damage twice against the modified soak. W1 would roll its attack once and apply it’s modified damage to Da and Wa. Note: as Da is twice the size of W1, it counts as two units - not only for penalties but also for the number of units that can engage W1, which can only be attacked by one more unit of Wing size or smaller.
{If anyone wants to see additional cases let me know, but I figure you can all make out the system by now. It was just harder to describe systematically than it was to give examples.}
Range fire never counts to determine if a group is being attacked on multiple fronts. A unit cannot fire at multiple units. A smaller unit firing on a larger one reduces their ranged damage by 2 for each multiple, beyond one, the larger group is. E.g. a Talon firing on a Dragon would be at a -6 to damage. Conversely a larger unit firing on a smaller unit would apply the damage a like number of times (see above). Note there is no limit to this affect for large mismatches.
7.2 Cavalry Units:
Cavalry units calculate their stats very similarly to other units. Damage and wound levels are the same as any other unit. Due to the difficulty in hitting riders add 2 to the soak of the unit. Also as the mounts are doing most of the moving subtract 2 from the fatigue penalty of armor worn. Obviously horses don’t dodge. So only parry scores factor into soak. Finally cavalry must continue moving or be at risk. Cavalry must be in a Forced March, Charge or Free formation and move no less than 2/3 their base run for that formation. If in melee in any other formation the risk to the mounts getting killed is too high.
Base run (Yards/combat round):
Light: 800 Medium: 650 Heavy: 500
Unlike regular units Cavalry can move through enemy units after a round of combat.
Cavalry units should have a ride rating in order to press into situations that mounts may not want to go into. E.g. facing a Dawn caste using his Anima power diff 2; charging into a standing fire diff 2; charging into spiked palisades diff 3; etc. A failed ride test means the unit does not engage and must spend the turn regaining control of their mounts.
Figure a militia level Cavalry equivalent will have a ride of 2, an infantry equivalent 4, elite 6.
7.3 Siege considerations:
{I haven’t given this enough thought yet. I’m thinking of just using Savage Seas’ damage values and requiring a ratio of siege equipment to unit size in order to be used while keeping their full damage rating. For Light catapults with a 10’ damage radius, I figure a 1:5 ratio is reasonable. And heavies would require even fewer ~1:10. Ballistae are harder to figure but I guess 1:2 for Lights and 1:3 for heavies. If any of you are still interested after you’ve hammered through all this let me know and I’ll put some more time into working it out.}
Ballistae: Catapults: Fire Dust Cannons: War Striders: Walls: Palisades: Spine Chains: Scaling ladders:
7.4 Special unit rules:
7.4.1 The Walking Dead:
They don’t rout, the don’t rally, they do next to nothing unless they’re in touch with a commander. Their moral and mood is always confident/good. They have a valor + conviction total of 10 and always fight-to-the-man (In this case they simply receive the bonus wound levels, twice the Valor 5 bonus). They nauseate (+1 soak in melee) and cause fear. They can easily obtain reinforcements (see Charms and Sorcery). The unit’s health levels are modified by the Charisma+Occult score of their leader. They Dissolve (unit wise not individually) when their commander dies (Last -1 health level). They are unarmed and unarmored.
7.4.2 Barbarians:
In general Barbarians won’t fight from well ordered formations. Consider them to have only Charge and Free formations. Unless an extremely persuasive leader takes control they simply can’t look past their cultural views. They do though love a good fight and rarely show fear. Reduce moral difficulty penalties by one, and treat the units as a minimum mood of Bonded, unless the group is very young or disgruntled.
7.4.3 Fey:
Mystical communication, +1 die for Command Path. Enhanced loyalty, when in the service of a Noble Overlord consider their mood Utterly Loyal. No second in command. Depending on politics, army may fragment immediately upon the death of the ‘General’.
7.4.4 Southern Firewand lines:
Minimum valor 3 to be a member of this unit. Holds line even when enemy is very close. Due to the highly disciplined nature of this unit they can deliver a devastating amount of damage that causes most other units to falter when trying to engage. When in the Defensive formation this unit does a punishing 18L. As the enemy unit that crashes against the shield wall and the first row fires and then either rotates away for the next warrior or quickly exchanges Firewands for a loaded one.
This will not work if the enemy unit Charges, as the shield wall won’t hold against such a hard press. Cavalry needs to pass a ride test of difficulty 4 or the mounts will flee (no damage to either side).
Such a unit cannot utilize this ability if engaged by a larger unit or on multiple fronts.
A unit is considered to have 30 salvos. Ammo is depleted at three times the normal rate if used in a manner as detailed above.
7.5 Long term moral and troop readiness:
Rules not yet complete!!!
Wars are rarely decided in one battle, for some campaigns ST’s may want to simulate drawn out conflicts. Maintaining moral, discipline, and combat readiness for such long campaigns should not be overlooked. Most details should be roll played but here are some points to keep in mind and suggested rules if you have other plot elements to focus on and want a quick resolution.
Supply: Armies have to eat, they need their weapons and armor in a good state of readiness, they need tents and sources of heat if the nights get too cold. Negotiations will need to be made with local settlements (at sword point if necessary) to keep an army supplied.
Food Shelter Weapons (good roll may acquire exceptional weapon or armor)
Bureaucracy: The chain of command is important soldiers should always have a clear idea of who they need to listen to and whom to approach for any situation. Commanders need to make sure that this chain of command is firmly established and well enforced.
Structure: Int+Bur Enforcement: Wits+Bur
Good rolls yield Chain of Command bonus.
Investigation: Improprieties, rule violations, and outright criminal behavior can strike at any time. How these situations are handled will certainly affect the troops. Heavy handed and unfair tactics will cause resentment and weaken the effectiveness of command and troop performance. Swift, accurate, and just discipline to offenses will likewise strengthen the sense of community and organizational effectiveness of the army.
Investigation: Per+Inv Enforcement: Wit+Soc
Money, rest, and recreation: Troops in general, and mercenaries in particular, need more than just food and bedding to keep them happy. A wise commander makes sure his troops know they’re highly valued paying them well and regularly, and giving them the opportunity to spend that wealth when such a thing is feasible.
Convey respect: Cha+Soc Supply entertainment: ??
8.0 Charm and Sorcery:
In the Age of Sorrows wars are waged with far more than just men and swords. Magic, in its many forms, pervades most encounters and victory often goes to the side with the greatest supernatural advantage.
Here are some rules and considerations for integrating magic into battles.
8.1 Essence Burn:
To activate a charm or sorcery takes requires the use of essence. For these rules each unit with magically active participants will have an Essence Burn value. The number of dots will depend on the type of being and the average Permanent Essence value.
For Spirits and god-bloods use 1 dot/PE as long as the unit is made of more than 50% of similarly supernatural beings.
Dragon-Bloods get 2 dots/PE. See the rules below for how to use typical DB charms.
Celestials get 4 dots/PE.
In general a power that costs ~5 motes uses one Essence Burn dot. Each multiple of 5 requires another dot be burned off. Powers that cost 1 or 2 essence can be used without charge.
8.2 Unit affecting powers:
Charms/Spells that affect the entire force have their normal affect. Figure the distance from ‘helmet crest to helmet crest’ is about two to three yards in a typical formation.
Apply the bonuses directly to a unit of the appropriate size.
A one mile radius of caster: two to three Legions For each 100 yard radius of caster: 2 Dragons All within 30+ yards radius of caster: a Dragon All within 20+ yards radius of caster: a Wing All within 10+ yards radius of caster: a Talon All within 5+ yards radius of caster: a Scale
While this is easier to do in the abstract for certain scenarios, it might be best to simply know the scale of the map and see which units are currently in the affected radius.
ST’s will have to do a lot of decision making to see how certain Charms and spells work. In some cases (like weather control) the effects may be hard to discern (maybe double the range of friendly bow attacks and halve the enemies). In other cases the results are very easy to determine. If a charm, spell, or artifact says it ‘increases all the combat rolls of those affected by one,’ then give them an extra: attack die, valor die, initiative die, and die to resist fatigue.
Certain performance charms have an obvious affect for those situations where the commanders/general needs to make a performance roll.
The Lunar Charm Courage Building Address is a very powerful charm as it raises a unit’s actual valor, increasing their moral and wound level while allowing them to perform more rally surges.
Many of the Solar Performance charms have already been discussed in the earlier sections.
8.3 Individual affecting magic:
In cases where some power enhances troops but to a number less than the unit size, simply reduce it’s effectiveness (typically one less +1) for each 20% below the unit size. As Dragon-Blooded Charms tend to fall far below unit sizes they will be handled separately below.
In the case where most of the unit has access to similar charms, charge the appropriate Essence Burn and improve the unit according to the charms affects. For instance, if a unit composed of spirits, elementals, and/or god-bloods that all posses Principle of Motion use an essence burn, then the unit could add three to their soak and damage for a round of combat.
8.3.1 Solar charms:
A Solar as a single entity on the battlefield shouldn’t be played by these rules. With 20 combat turns to each unit roll, it’s obvious that a lone Dawn will wreak massive havoc in any battle. However it may serve as a useful example to see how their charms can be integrated into the combat system.
FFBS add full parry pool straight to soak. Use in place of regular parry. FLB add dodge pool straight to soak. The Solar may still parry normally in addition. Persistent soak charms add normally. Hungry Tiger, adds ¼ skill to damage. Whirlwind of Searing Blows adds ½ essence to damage. Increasing Strength Exercise + ½ dots added to damage. Dawn Caste Anima +1 difficulty to enemy’s valor roll. TAoG = -1 opponents attack roll and +1 difficulty to valor roll. Ready in Eight Directions Stance, quadruples the Solar’s damage for one essence burn.
{In the one game test, a single Solar using FFBS, ISE and Solar Counterattack, was able to slay or incapacitate ~45 fey common warriors per large scale combat turn, without the use of extra rules. He also took down three of the fey unit commanders giving his side a great advantage in initiative and the number of wounds that the enemy unit could withstand. (These affects took place at the beginning of the next turn of combat.) Note also that turns will need to be expended to give orders and speeches and just to stay within range of his friendly forces.
8.4 Dragon-Blooded
The Dragon-Blooded are heroes and soldiers. While many lead, they also fight from within the ranks. If the player is a DB in a battle do not use group combat for that unit. Typically you can just keep the fight local using no more than 125 men, but if there are other players controlling the larger army you should keep track of the whole fight.
Figure out which group the PC is in and allow the PC to take 20 regular turns of combat before you resolve the main turn. The PC may take one fang to aid in combat. Consider their damage simultaneous with the main unit damage.
To calculate unit damage divide the enemy unit size by the number of health levels. Apply one health level every time that number of troops are killed, incapacitated, or sufficiently wounded that they’ll no longer fight by the PC. This is a little more severe of a requirement than is generally used to determine health levels but it still can lead to large scale heroics.
If the Battle consists of many NPC DBs then this would be a substantial waste of time. Increase the groups attack, soak, and damage potential as follows for group affect Charms. Certain charms may have specific battle affects that should not be abstracted.
8.4.1 Charm abstraction:
DB’s in the rank and file are not the titans of the earth that are at the key command positions. Typically they are Essence 3 relatively young Dynasts trying to prove their worth. As a result most of the charms they will use will only be able to affect 3 or so unit members at a time. Keeping this in mind the following effects are for units with a concentration of DB’s at a 1:4 ratio, so a talon would be made of 100 mortals and 25 Dragon-Bloods.
For two Persistent Essence Burn, increase the unit’s values by: +2 Soak, +2 Damage (Melee), +1 Initiative. This lasts until the next Regroup Phase. Only one Burn gives half that, round down.
Additionally the unit may do one of the following for an instant Essence Burn: +2 Soak (that round), 3L Damage/Essence Burn (max range 60)*, +3 soak vs ranged attacks(that round), or Double Movement.
* If enough members possess the Elemental Burst Charm this damage goes to 10L/Essence Burn. Note that the Soak and Damage charms can benefit from multiple burns in one round.
For lower ratios of DB’s to mortals reduce the values per multiple (i.e. +2 @ 1:4, +1 for 1:10 and no bonuses for 1:20). Higher values should reflect only in the increase stats of the unit. Even though low DB concentrations might not contribute to a persistent increase, the ‘Essence Burn’ affects may still apply. The 1:20 ratio would still be able to add 1 to soak for range and 1 to damage in Melee. Also DBs with a higher average permanent essence can be equally effective in lower concentrations. |
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