Running Mass Combat

Here are guidelines for how to run the actual mass combat encounter.

Armies and Commanders. An army is made up of units, lead by commanders. A unit is a collection of tens or hundreds of soldiers, while a commander is a single creature. Each army has a maximum unit cap equal to the total proficiency bonus of every commander plus any unit cap modifier.

Before combat begins, each commander chooses a number of units equal to their proficiency bonus which are under their control. Any leftover units are divided between the commanders as they wish.

Deployment. Place the armies on opposite sides of a battlemap, each side separated by around 600 feet. In some contexts, such as an ambush or encirclement, alter the start.

Initial advance. Before rolling initiative, let the armies approach one another. Only roll initiative when it becomes necessary: when the timing of an action becomes too important not to handle without turn-based rules. Typically, this happens when one of the sides declares they want to make an attack, such as when archers reach their missile range.

Commander initiative. In a mass combat encounter, only the commanders roll initiative. The units act on initiative count 0 (see below), and units allied with the player characters act before enemy units.

Orders. Units starting their turn within 120 ft. of a commander which it can hear can act freely as determined by the player. Units not within this range follows the last order they were given, unless they have a condition which prevents them from doing so. Orders can be simple, such as hold this position or attack that unit, or complex, such as attack any enemy advancing on this area or continuously charge then retreat. Units allied with the player characters act first, in whichever order they desire, and then enemy units act.

Some commanders have access to special orders and commands that they can issue to their troops as an action. Martial characters (fighters, barbarians, and paladins) and characters trained in warfare (such as having the warfare lore skill), can issue orders to two units with one action

Being Engaged in Combat. Once two units are within 5 ft. of one another, both units gain the Engaged condition. The Engaged condition is used in various abilities, most commonly in attacks of opportunity.

Fronts, Flanks, and Rears. Every unit has a front, where its weapons and attention is aimed. To either side of the front are the flanks, and on its opposite is the rear. Attacks against a unit's rear are critical.

Repositioning. When a unit moves or turns, this is referred to as repositioning. While moving, a unit can reposition for free as long as it is not engaged. Repositioning (moving or turning) while engaged, allows all enemy units within 5 ft. to make an attack of opportunity as a reaction. A unit can use Disengage to prevent such attacks.

Resolving attacks. When a unit attacks another unit, or forces another unit to make a saving throw, do not make an attack or a saving throw. Attacks hit automatically, and saving throws fail automatically.

For damage, use the average instead of making a damage roll. If the attack had advantage, it deals critical (double) damage. If it had disadvantage, it deals half damage.

A unit can only target a creature (such as a commander) with an attack if the creature is within the space of the unit, unless the creature is huge or larger. If a unit targets a creature that is large or smaller with a ranged attach, the damage is halved.

If a commander attacks or is attacked by a unit (or another commander), roll attacks, saves, and damage as usual. If a commander attacks a unit, damage from attack rolls is halved.

PC and Commander Spells. When a non-unit creature casts a spell with an area of affect, the number of units it can target depends on the diameter or side of the spell.

Diminished. When a unit is below half its max hit points, it is diminished. While diminished, the unit deals half damage and has disadvantage on morale tests.

Group Morale. While a unit is not diminished, it has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, stunned, restrained, and knocked prone.

Morale Tests. Certain events trigger morale tests, a wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + the number of units the army has lost or that are routing. On a failed morale test, the unit begins routing, using all its actions and movement to flee the battle.

The following events trigger morale tests:

• When a commander dies within 90 ft. of a unit

• When a unit is reduced to half its max hit points for the first time

• When the last commander dies (then the test is made with disadvantage)

When a unit is below half its max hit points, it makes morale tests with disadvantage. This does not apply to the morale test triggered by the unit being reduced to half HP.

A commander can force a routing unit to make a new morale test by using the Rally action within 30 feet of it.

Win Conditions. Battles between armies aren't typically fought until the total extermination of the other side. Typically, once all the commanders of an army have been defeated or routed, and the army is outnumbered 2-to-1, the battle is lost.

Typically, once all of the commanders of an army have been defeated, or were forced to flee the battlefield, their army is routed and the battle is lost. Here are a two other common scenarios:

• Protect/Destroy: One side must protect a certain creature or object for 10 rounds. The other must destroy it. Example targets: the gate of a castle, a mage performing a ritual, hundreds of hostages being sacrificed to an evil god.

• Escape/Chase: One side starts surrounded by the enemy on all sides. They win if their commanders escape from the battlefield.

Battle Aftermath

Unit Experience. After a battle is concluded, on the card of each unit that took part, mark that it has taken part in the battle. After a certain number of battles, the unit will increase in experience and get a new unit card.

Destroyed Units. Units brought down to 0 hit points during Warfare have a 50% chance of being completely destroyed. Roll 1d20. If they are not destroyed, its remnants flee the battlefield and regroup. For the next month, it cannot regain HP past half its max HP and is always diminished in this period.

Battlefield Duels

If two commanders, champions, or creatures are within 30 ft. of each other, one of them can choose to initiate a battlefield duel. Duels take place on a separate battlemap called a Duel Pocket, using regular D&D combat rules and scale. If they do so, it counts as taking the Dash action and they can move the remainder of their speed.

Units cannot target creatures engaged in a duel.

The Battlefield

The last part of the equation of how to make a fun mass combat encounter is to make the terrain itself interesting and have it create tactical decisions.

The battlemap uses a 30-foot per cell scale, or 5 cm = 30 ft., and should incorporate a few of the following elements:

Slopes. High ground can be used to see more of the battlefield, or to give the arrows of your archers more range.

Forests/Ruined Structures. Entire units can hide inside of thick vegetation, or behind the crumbling walls of a ruin. Creatures inside this terrain are heavily obscured to other creatures 90 or more feet away from them.

Swamps/Mud/Uneven Grounds. Armies are slowed to a crawl by the muck: it counts as difficult terrain.

Cliffs/Rivers/Ponds/Lakes. These obstacles are practically impassible by units, unless they're a unit of druids.

Caves/Tunnels. Sometimes, the battle can happen not just on the ground, but also beneath it, in three dimensions. By incorporating a network of underground tunnels into the battlemap, you give more potential vectors of attack to both armies.

Fortifications. The walls of a city or of a castle are an important defensive position during a siege. They provide siege equipment such as ballistas and cauldrons of boiling hot water, as well as crenalations to hide behind.

• Creatures on the wall have advantage on attack rolls made against creatures who are not on the wall.

• Creatures not on the wall have disadvantage on attack rolls made against creatures who are on the wall.

Fortifications can be destroyed: they might have anywhere from 100 to 500 hit points, depending on how important the fortress is.

Units

All units have a class type, an experience level, an armour level, and an ancestry. The below tables show how each element modify various attributes. When a "+" sign is shown, add together the modifier from each relevant table.

Experience, Armour, and Ancestry

Experience. All units have an experience tier, impacting how effective it is. For each experience tier it gains, all the ability scores of the unit improve, as well as its HP, AC, damage, and upkeep cost. The levels are inexperience, regular, veteran, elite, and master. As the units take part in battles, they gain experience. Most newly formed units start as inexperienced, unless they are formed from specialised populations. Below is a table of how standard units are affected by experience level.

Armour. All units have an armour level: light, medium, or heavy. A unit's armour level can be upgraded by paying the cost below. Below is a table of how standard units are affected by armour level.

Ancestry. All units have an ancestry, like Human, Elf, or Orc. All ancestries impact the units, granting abilities or modifiers.

Some common ancestries are shown below

Unit Class

Core Units

The three core unit classes make up the bulk of almost every army. Each of them has their own strengths, and weaknesses.

Infantry are good against immobilised cavalry and archers in melee, but suffer to both if outmanoeuvred. Archers pick off infantry at range but are at risk of flanking cavalry. And cavalry excel at hunting archers or charging infantry flanks, but suffer when immobilised. A skilled tactician uses all this to their advantage.

Infantry. A unit specialized in melee combat.

Archers. A unit specialized in ranged combat, especially great if they can lord over the battlefield from an elevated position.

Cavalry. Mounted combatants specialized in fast charges and manoeuvrability, to take out important targets hidden in the back of the enemy lines or to strike into flanks.

See unit traits for the abilities of the unit types.

Support and Special Units

These secondary types of battalions provide utility to the army, enabling tactics which wouldn't otherwise be possible. They are the cornerstone of an army's strategy, and must be protected at all cost.

Artillery. Mangonels and catapults are easily destroyed and must reload after each shot, but they can change the face of a battlefield by setting it on fire. Use them to target chokepoints and retreat paths, throwing a wrench in your enemy's plans.

Arcane. Wizards provide a lot of utility on the battlefield. A good tactician will find endless creative uses for their spells. Arcane units can only be light.

Divine. Clerics and paladins can bolster their allies' morale and heal the wounded. They can also perform complex rituals to have their gods turn the tide of battle, though this can make them a target. Divine units can only be light.

Druidic. With a strong bond to the natural world, this battalion can navigate even the roughest terrain, and outmaneuver armies in the wilderness. However, in urban environments, their abilities are much more limited. Druidic units can only be light or medium.

Flying Cavalry. A cavalry unit mounted on flying creatures. If enemy archers are dealt with, griffon riders or drake knights can become nearly unstoppable. Otherwise, it is best to keep them on defense.

^S Special. Rather than adding this with the modifiers of other tables, this replaces it.

Army Traits

To make armies feel more unique, each army should have one of the following additional traits. Every unit in that army gains the benefits of the chosen trait.

For story reasons, it might be possible for a single army to include units with different traits. But be careful, as too many traits can quickly become difficult to keep track of.

Aggressive. As a bonus action, the unit can move up to its speed straight toward a hostile creature that it can see.

Amphibious. The unit can breathe air and water, and gains a swimming speed equal to its walking speed.

Berserkers. Every light and medium unit can use the Charge! ability as a bonus action once per battle.

Crusaders. Each unit of this army has the Holy trait, making them unfazed by Undead and Fiends.

Demonic Horde. This unit's maximum hit points are halved, but it has the following action: Summon (1/day). Flip a coin. On heads, an identical unit is summoned within 30 feet of this unit. The summoned unit doesn't have this action.

Disciplined. Each infantry unit of this army has the Testudo trait, letting them adopt a defensive stance.

Draconic Legion. Each unit of this army has the Dragonkin trait, giving them advantage on attacks and morale tests while within 90 ft. of an allied dragon.

Elemental Army. Choose one damage type other than bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. The unit is immune to that damage type, and its attack always deal damage of that type.

Eternal Guardians. Each unit of this army has the Eternal trait, making them better at fighting undead.

Fearless Veterans. Each veteran tier or above unit of this army has the Fearless trait, making them automatically succeed on morale tests.

Giant Army. The unit's maximum hit points are increased by 50.

Guerrilla Fighters. Each light unit of this army has the Guerrilla trait, letting them leave melee without attacks of opportunity after attacking the enemy.

Incorporeal Movement. The unit can move through other objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 15 (3d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Infernal legion. Units of this army has the Infernal trait, meaning magical darkness doesn't impede the unit's vision and it is immune to fire damage.

Light Assaulters. Every light infantry unit in the army gains the Mobile trait, letting them Dash as a bonus action.

Made for War. All units of this army that are the same ancestry as their leader has the Warbred trait, giving them a chance to attack a second time after attacking.

Nimble Escaper. Every light and medium unit of this army can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.

Poison Splash. When this unit takes damage of any type but psychic or poison, each other creature within 5 feet of it takes 9 (2d8) poison damage.

Terrifying. Each veteran tier or above unit in this army has the Fearsome trait, letting them force enemy units to make morale tests.

Undead Army. Each undead unit of this army has the Undead Servitude trait, making them always succeed on morale tests while being immune to being frightened or charmed, but all these units also die if their leader dies.

Unit Traits

The following are some traits that many common units have.

Archers. The unit is equipped with bows and projectiles. For every 30 ft. above a target this unit is, the range of its ranged attack increases by 30 feet, to a maximum of 600 feet. To make an attack against a target, the unit must have line-of-sight to it. This unit always has advantage on attacks against infantry without shields.

Cavalry. This unit is mounted. The unit gains Charge! as an action. After using the Charge! ability, the cavalry unit is not engaged until the end of its next turn. Additionally, the unit always has advantage against archer and artillery units.

Infantry. This unit is on foot, armed with melee weapons. The unit always has advantage against archers.

Shields. This unit is armed with shields in one hand, preventing archers from having advantage on them when attacking their front. Archers still have advantage against teir flanks and rear. (Increases upkeep by 25)

Polearms. This unit is equipped with spears, pikes, or other polearms. This unit has advantage against cavalry units. If a cavalry unit attacks its front, this unit can immediately attack the enemy as a reaction before taking damage. (Increases upkeep by 25)

Reload. After making an attack, this unit must use its action to reload. Roll 1d6, or 1d4 if the unit is diminished. Once the total reload number reaches 10, the unit can attack again.

Special Traits

Some units have special traits granting abilities, as noted below.

Note: Each special trait a unit has increases its upkeep cost by 50, unless it is granted by the army trait

Special Actions, Bonus Actions, and Reactions

The following are certain special actions that can be taken during warfare. Any option marked with ^a can be taken by any unit, the other can only be taken by units that have access.

^a Attack of Opportunity. When a unit moves or turns while Engaged, any unit within 5 ft. of it can make one attack against it as a reaction.

Brace! If the unit's front is attacked before the start of its next turn, that attack has disadvantage.

Charge! If the unit moves 30 ft. straight at a target, it can use Charge! as a Bonus Action to gain advantage on its attack.

^a Disengage. The unit does not provoke attacks of opportunity if it moves or turns on this turn.

^b Order. Direct another unit, telling it what to do. The unit will continue to follow the order until being given another order, being destroyed, or being routed.

^b Rally! All routing units within 30 ft. may make a morale test. On a success, it stops routing.

Cure Wounds. One allied creature or unit within 30 ft. of this unit regains up to 18 (4d8) hit points. If this unit is diminished, others only regain 9 (2d8) hit points.

^a This action can be taken by any unit

^b This action can be taken by any commander and certain units.

Commander Abilities and Special Orders

As commanders gain experience, they may gain special abilities or orders based on their class features or stronghold.

Examples of Standard Units