Geekdaddyprime
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Mass Combat

Mon 12 Apr 2021, 20:22

I'm planning 2 mass combat encounters for my long running campaign but im not sure how to handle the mechanics of it.

The first will be USCM vs UPP and the second will be USCM vs Aliens (ala starship troopers).

Any thoughts on what mechanics to use? I'm vering towards no mechanics just narrating outcomes based on the party's succces but Im open to alternative ways.
 
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ExileInParadise
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Re: Mass Combat

Mon 12 Apr 2021, 20:33

From the Design Analysis Archives at John Kim's site:
https://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/sys ... cellaneous

Mass Combat:

a few systems include a mass combat system for quickly resolving large numbers of enemies e.g. Basic D&D’s War Machine rules, or the system in “Under the Moons of Zoon”.

If abstract such games may give an army damage based off its size (# troops) and perhaps a random variable with a leader strategy modifier and resolve over a number of rounds, or a really abstract method might just be a few random rolls on tables to determine victory/defeat (e.g. in the Central Casting character background generator books).

At the very detailed level, figures may represent “squads” and be played out with something like 3.0 D&D’s Complete Miniatures’ Handbook rules, or the wargame of your choice.

People have also suggested using the Swarm rules for things like e.g. Orcs in 3.x/4E D&D.

Savage Worlds again is designed for handling large numbers of creatures as part of its regular combat system (monsters are “up, down [shaken], or off the table”), and multiple checks for large numbers of NPCs can be rolled easily e.g. 10 guys shooting arrows might have Shooting d6 each, and so 10d6 can be rolled to find hits – handy for something like pirate ship battles).

Tunnels and Trolls or (I believe) “Forward – to Adventure!” use side-by-side battle systems and so also can resolve large combats fairly quickly.

Using the normal combat procedures for some games, multiple rolls of e.g. d20 can theoretically be streamlined using tables: Dragon Magazine #113 includes a fast-rolling table for D&D hit rolls/saves, where a single d100 roll generates the equivalent number of hits/misses as rolling 20d20 at a given target number.

However, this can’t easily determine # of crits/fumbles, only hits/misses.
We live, as we dream -- alone. ~ Joseph Conrad
 
Geekdaddyprime
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Re: Mass Combat

Mon 12 Apr 2021, 23:28

Thanks very much the savage worlds one looks like something I can definitely use for both human and alien battles with a bit of tweaking.
 
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Pangea
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Re: Mass Combat

Tue 13 Apr 2021, 07:46

An indirect way of doing this is having your group of PCs be able to perform certain actions, and, if successful, influencing the outcome of the battle.
You narrate the big battle, the mass combat, but play out some events on a very smaller scale (squad level, PC group level).
Some examples: can the PCs destroy a UPP comm' relay ; do they spot a UPP commando group coming in to sabotage something important ; can they spot a specific place, and then platn explosives there that will have a rocky cliffside come crashing down on a large group of incoming xenomorphs...
Either decide what can be done, or have them invent actions.
Then, according to how many are successfully done in a given time, this changes the outcome.
You can have it decide who wins, or you already knew who won but this decides what the losses are (low or high), if certain NPCs survive etc..
Just an idea of another possible way of handling mass combat (focusing on specific individual deeds).
Of course you can also do this, plus have the players influence the general outcome too.
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