tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post678968891713579158..comments2023-10-14T03:58:59.333-06:00Comments on The Tao of D&D: Squeeze That Unit In A BoxAlexis Smolenskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-17584523046304251842011-01-28T09:26:42.587-07:002011-01-28T09:26:42.587-07:00Thank you Zzarchov, I find that very helpful. I wa...Thank you Zzarchov, I find that very helpful. I was struggling with a idea for something like that. There's an old mechanic for a game called System 7 (Napoleanic Wars) for troop morale that I'd like to incorporate. Beyond that, there would have to be matters of time and formation that would have to be incorporated ... but you've given me a boost in the right direction.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-29508752893705956782011-01-27T23:58:45.209-07:002011-01-27T23:58:45.209-07:00@adam
Kinda, but with unit-by-unit rolls rather t...@adam<br /><br />Kinda, but with unit-by-unit rolls rather than one roll for the whole battle(so tactics matter) and with bonuses for each member in a unit.<br /><br />Plus partial damage, so while the PCs are doing their thing, the units are each in stages of the battle.Zak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-64479803969637158842011-01-27T18:07:07.322-07:002011-01-27T18:07:07.322-07:00Zak's idea is similiar to the abstract one-rol...Zak's idea is similiar to the abstract one-roll Mass combat resolver in the Heroes rpg I play:<br /><br />Work out the army sizes as a ratio, roll d100 on a table with roll results on one axis, ratios on the other (roll is modified by such things as general's INT), giving an outcome of the battle for the army and the character (wounds,spoils looted).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-22639797184414501802011-01-27T16:57:27.816-07:002011-01-27T16:57:27.816-07:00Zak: you mean like JOESKY did back in December? O...Zak: you mean like JOESKY did back in December? Only more detailed and correctly spelled?<br /><br />http://joeskythedungeonbrawler.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/massive-combat-sytem/<br /><br />It's actually--as with many things JOESKY--not bad.Adam Thorntonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06368676086759298705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-64119043930656075192011-01-27T15:33:29.434-07:002011-01-27T15:33:29.434-07:00I have a 3rd edition book that actually provides a...I have a 3rd edition book that actually provides a nice system for accomplishing this. Each unit has a set of aggregate stats based on all the warriors / creatures it comprises, and the effectiveness of the unit is easily scaled based on its size (so people dying equals fewer attacks, lower defenses, etc.)<br /><br />However, it does require the use of averages for some thing, which you seem to frown upon. I honestly don't think that a single +1 to attacks for one warrior in a much larger group would matter in the grand scheme of things, but I can see your reasoning in wanting to make the simulation as accurate as possible.SupernalClarityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04924073308865685382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-77229608831592250252011-01-27T13:00:14.009-07:002011-01-27T13:00:14.009-07:00Just made this up, might be a useful starting plac...Just made this up, might be a useful starting place, might not:<br /><br />Basically it's an opposed d100 roll, high roll wins.<br /><br />Decide generically before the game how much different kinds of advantages are worth: 2-to-1 advantage is worth such and such bonus, a certain amount of bonus is given for each point of AC superiority per unit, plus some percent for each magic weapon bonus, etc.<br /><br />Focus only on differences between the units meeting, not a total value for each unit.<br /><br />When units meet, count up total bonuses for each side, both sides roll d100 and add bonuses.<br /><br />Hopefully, this won't take that long because the advantages force A has over force B have been very present in both the DM and players' minds since they both found out there'd be a fight. Oh, their shields are broad-- (+5%), and they never flee (+3%). Hmmm...<br /><br />High roll wins and (optionally) the difference between the two rolls represents:<br /><br />-How much of the losing unit is left<br />-How much of the losing unit is left and they're fleeing<br />-Percentage of HP the losing unit members each have...<br />-How long it takes in seconds for the winning unit to wipe out the losing unit<br /><br />...or something like that.Zak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-84210878756421074622011-01-27T12:56:03.241-07:002011-01-27T12:56:03.241-07:00I solved this years ago.
Any size battle, any nu...I solved this years ago.<br /><br />Any size battle, any number of special modifiers, any number of unique cases (provided you are willing to seperate them out). The only limit for larger battles is where logistics become involved and supplies, messangers, food and intelligence become more important than combat.<br /><br />How does it work?<br /><br />Short notes, it works by averages. How many hits will be scored, how many injuries and how many killed.<br /><br />However, for each "Group" their number of hits is modified by a d20x5%. This adds the chance aspect, maybe they roll a 20 and get double the normal hits, maybe they roll a 1 and get % their usual effectiveness. You can swap out d20 for 3d6 should you wish to smooth out the mass combat into a bellcurve. <br /><br />All of the bonuses of +1 or a marginally different weapon still enter the mix. As individuals die (or are injured) their numbers thin out, they inflict less hits and damage in a gradual spiral, not an all of nothing. The one simplifcation is that 2 injuries equal a downed individual.<br /><br />More information:<br />http://zzarchov.blogspot.com/2009/11/large-skirmish-level-battles-simple-but.htmlZzarchovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07714805545939725730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-45531972587569758572011-01-27T12:39:24.214-07:002011-01-27T12:39:24.214-07:00Chgowiz is (or was) working on this problem. I...Chgowiz is (or was) working on this problem. I've given up on it. I don't think it is possible or necessarily desirable to have a mass battle play out just like a skirmish between PCs and monsters. <br /><br />If the number of combatants gets to a size that I'm tempted to not to play it out in regular D&D combat (according to my house rules), I'll just use a wargame, probably a more abstract one like HOTT; maybe Chainmail if I were playing OD&D without a lot of house-ruling. Making a battle palatable to people who are not interested in wargames seems like a waste of effort. If a big battle is imminent and my players say they don't want to play a miniatures battle, I'd just let them play out a scaled-down version of the battle as it involves their PCs and resolve the main battle "off screen".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-46673624868735160432011-01-27T12:31:31.642-07:002011-01-27T12:31:31.642-07:00Question for design purposes... how much front en...Question for design purposes... how much front end to the system is desired?<br /><br />If combat is to be set up in a fashion that reduces attack and defense down to a single roll per formation... how much detail can go into the units that comprise the composition?<br /><br />Can the details of the unit change from one 'round' to the next?<br /><br />How detailed a 'unit card' is desired?<br /><br />Just wondering these questions to be able to start assembling a solution. Forgive me for asking if it is wrong to ask. <br /><br />The only problem I can see of trying to create a single roll mass combat system is that there might be a huge amount of needed rules on unit types and compositions to facilitate the ease once the units hit the field.<br /><br />But it is an interesting question.Blaine H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02634178976628664808noreply@blogger.com