Simple Mass Combat

Mass Battles Made Fast and Easy Army Value

This mass combat system provides a simple but mechanically CR of Creature Army Point Value (APV)
rigorous way to resolve large-scale battles in 5th edition. With 0 ½
this system, there's no need to break up armies into discrete
squadrons or "units" which then make individual attack rolls ⅛ 1
against one another, thus creating a pseudo-wargame which ¼ 2
5th edition is ill-equipped to handle. ½ 3
Instead, the two armies are treated as a whole and their
clash is resolved in a few meaningful die rolls. This allows 1 5
you to keep the focus on the PCs and their actions, while still 2 10
having a sound framework that resolves battles in a logical
but semi-random fashion. 3 20
The PCs can participate in the battle as officers or 4 30
combatants, in which case the battle can be resolved quickly 5 50
and present a fun minigame for your players, or the action
can "zoom in" on the PCs as they undertake special missions 6 60
amid the chaos of war, thus turning the battle into a climactic 7 80
event. 8 100
9 120
Mass Combat Basics 10 140
Army Tokens 11 160
Before the battle begins, use the table to the right to calculate 12 200
the relative strength of the two armies' constitutive forces, as
measured by Army Point Value (APV). Each combatant in an 13 240
army is worth a certain amount of APV: a lowly CR ⅛ 14 280
conscript is worth 1 AVP, while a CR 10 champion is worth
140 APV. Write down how much total APV is in each army. 15 320
Next, assign each army a certain number of Army Tokens. 16 360
Army Tokens are an abstract representation of each army’s 17 400
strength. It is best to use some physical objects you can place
on the tabletop as Army Tokens, like poker chips. Give the 18 440
more powerful army 20 Army Tokens. Give the opposing 19 480
army a proportional (smaller) number of Army Tokens. So if
the good army is 75% the strength of the bad army, give the 20 520
bad guys 20 Army Tokens and the good guys 15. +1 +40
Finally, jot down how much APV there is in a single Army
Token. This should be exactly 1/20 the amount of APV in the
larger army. This number will come in handy later.
 The Engagement
Battles are divided up into rounds called Engagements,
normally lasting one hour. Engagements can be longer or
shorter as determined by the DM: a quick skirmish might
have Engagements of only 10 minutes, while Engagements
during a siege typically last one day. At the start of each
Engagement, the player characters discuss and outline their
battle plan.
Each army is led by a single Battle Commander, which
can be a PC or NPC. At the end of each Engagement, the
rival Battle Commanders make an opposed Intelligence
check. This check is rolled in a special way: rather than
rolling a single d20, each Battle Commander rolls 3d20 and
takes the middle result.
Battle Master Fighters, characters with the Soldier
background, characters trained in Intelligence (History), and
(at the DM’s discretion) other characters with a strong
background in military command can add half their
proficiency bonus to this check. Characters with two or more
of these features can add their whole proficiency bonus.
No other bonuses derived from the Battle Commander’s
personal abilities apply to this check, and Inspiration and
other similar abilities that grant advantage, multiple dice,
rerolls, or bonuses cannot be used with this check.
Engagement Modifiers
Modifier Circumstance
+1 to Army Bonus: The side with more Army Tokens
+19 adds +1 for each point of difference
+2 to Tactical Advantage: Add a +2 to +8 bonus for
+8 special circumstances such as air superiority,
fortifications, relative troop freshness, and other
conditions besides raw troop Challenge Rating.
+2 to Battle Plan: Add +2 to +4 if one side has a better
+4 battle plan.
Engagement Results
Check Result
Tie Draw: Both sides lose 3 Tokens.
Win by Marginal Victory: The victorious army loses 2
1 to 3 Tokens, the defeated army loses 3.
Win by Victory: The victorious army loses 2 Tokens, the
4 to 6 defeated army loses 4.
Win by Resounding Victory: The victorious army loses 1
7 to 9 Token, the defeated army loses 4.
Win by
10+
Crushing Victory: The defeated army loses 5
Tokens.
2 Engagements
Morale
After an Engagement, if an army lost 1 or more Army Tokens,
its Battle Commander must make a morale check. This can
be a Wisdom (Insight) or a Charisma (Persuasion) check.
Morale Modifiers
Modifier Circumstance
-1 to -1 for each Army Token lost in the battle so far
-19 (not including any Tokens later regained)
+1 to The side with more Army Tokens adds +1 for
+19 each point of difference
-2 to -4 The army is made up mostly of conscripts or
POWs who are none too loyal
+2 to The army is made up partly or entirely of undead
+4 or other fearless troops
+ 2 to The army is within fortifications or other
+4 prepared positions
Morale Results
Check Result
-1 or The army routs and the battle is over. Lose 5
less Tokens worth of troops immediately if the
opposing army did not also rout or retreat. If the
army cannot flee, then it loses all Tokens.
0 to 4 The army retreats and the battle is over. Lose 2
Token immediately if the opposing army did not
also rout or retreat. If the army cannot retreat, then
it fights on, but it still loses 2 Tokens.
5 to 9 The army loses 1 Token, but fights on.
10+ The army fights on.
Voluntary Disengagement
If the armies are equally mobile, then one of the armies can
voluntarily retreat after an Engagement at the cost of 1 Token
worth of troops. If one army is less mobile than the other (as
when a defending army is holed up in some fortification),
then the attacking army can retreat after an Engagement
without issue. The less mobile army can retreat at the cost of
2 Tokens worth of troops unless retreat is impossible or too
deadly to be plausible.
Casualties
When the battle ends, important NPCs who fought in the
battle must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, with a
bonus of +1 for each Army Token left in that NPC’s army. On
failure, the NPC dies. If the NPC succeeds by a margin of 4
or less, he or she is captured by the enemy. A PC in the
vicinity can prevent one NPC from being captured by the
enemy and (if the PC is proficiency in Wisdom (Medicine) or
has access to magical healing) grant advantage on that NPC’s
saving throw.
For the common troops, unless the DM decides otherwise,
half of all lost troops (lost Army Tokens) were killed, one
quarter were captured by the enemy, and one quarter were
scattered and will wander back to the army (or to safer
territory) within 1d4 days. The DM decides how this applies
to each individual kind of troops that made up the army.
Player Characters in Mass
Combat
Player characters who are not serving as the Battle
Commander of an army can fight in an Engagement or use
their skills and abilities to influence the tide of war. The
players choose the order in which they act.
Players have two basic choices for how their characters
participate in an Engagement. They can serve as cogs in the
war machine by commanding troops, spending time among
the rank-and-file shoring up morale, or fighting on the front
line. Or alternatively, they can undertake a special mission in
order to accomplish some particular strategic objective.
Commanding Troops
A player character can spend an Engagement commanding
troops as a lieutenant or advising the Battle Commander on
tactics. The character makes an Intelligence check. A result
of 5, 15, or 25 adds 1, 2, or 3 to the Battle Commander’s
Engagement roll at the end of the current Engagement.
Battle Master Fighters, characters with the Soldier
background, characters trained in Intelligence (History), and
(at the DM’s discretion) other characters with a strong
background in military command can add half their
proficiency bonus to this check. Characters with two or more
of these features can add their whole proficiency bonus.
Player characters can use other skills for this check (with
full proficiency bonus), but only if certain conditions are met:
Wisdom (Animal Handling) if the battle includes an
unusually large number of mounted combatants.
Intelligence (Arcana) if the battle includes many arcane
spellcasters or constructs.
Intelligence (Nature) if the battle includes many beasts,
elementals, fey, or plant combatants.
Intelligence (Religion) if the battle includes many divine
spellcasters, celestials, fiends, or undead.
Wisdom (Survival) if the battlefield includes an unusually
large amount of complex natural terrain.
Shoring Up Morale
A player character can spend an Engagement among the
troops shoring up morale. The player makes a Wisdom or
Charisma check. A result of 10 adds 2 to the Battle
Commander’s morale check. A result of 20 adds 4 to the
Battle Commander’s morale check. A result of 30 adds 6 to
the Battle Commander’s morale check or instantly restores 1
Army Token to the player’s side (player’s choice). Allowed
skills include:
Charisma (Deception), though this might impose a -2
penalty to a future morale check if your words are
exposed as lies during the battle.
Wisdom (Insight)
Charisma (Intimidation), though this imposes a -2
penalty on the Battle Commander’s morale roll if your
check result is 9 or less.
Wisdom (Medicine)
Charisma (Performance)
Charisma (Persuasion)
Fighting in the Engagement
A player character can fight in an Engagement. PCs who
fights in an Engagement makes a special check to determine
how many enemies they slay in the Engagement, as
measured by Army Point Value. Having any levels of
exhaustion halves the results of this check, as do other
significant negative conditions like poisoned if they last for
50% or more of the Engagement. The check is:
4d6 x Character Level x Tier
"Tier" is equal to 1 for characters of levels 1-4, 2 for levels
5-10, 3 for levels 11-16, and 4 for levels 17-20.
Compare the PC’s check result to the amount of Army
Point Value in a single Army Token:
If the PC’s check result equals at least 25% of an Army
Token, then subtract 1 from the opposing Battle
Commander’s Engagement or morale roll for this round
(player’s choice).
If the PC’s check result equals at least 50% of an Army
Token, then subtract 2 from the opposing Battle
Commander’s Engagement or morale roll for this round
(player’s choice).
If the PC’s check result equals at least 100% of an Army
Token, the opposing army immediately loses 1 Army
Token.
If the PC’s check result equals at least 200% of an Army
Token, the opposing army immediately loses 2 Army
Tokens. At 300%, it loses 3. And so forth.
Attrition from Fighting in an
Engagement
Player characters who fight in an Engagement suffer the
following effects if possible:
PCs suffer half their maximum hit points in damage. If
this reduces a PC to 0 hit points, he or she instead ends
the Engagement with 1 hit point and suffers a level of
exhaustion.
PCs expend a number of spell slot levels equal to their
effective spellcaster level, distributed as the player sees fit.
Effective spellcaster level is calculated as with multiclass
PCs, so Paladin and Ranger levels only count as half, and
Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster levels only as one
third. So for example: a level 19 Ranger would have to
expend 9 spell slot levels, and could choose to expend a
3rd level slot, two 2nd level slots, and two 1st level slots.
PC warlocks expend half their warlock level in spell slot
levels; they can count uses of Mystic Arcanum as spell
slots for this purpose.
The player chooses a significant feature or ability that
recharges on a short or long rest. The PC expends a
number of uses of that ability equal to half his or her
proficiency bonus. Do not actually apply the effects of the
ability; it is simply expended. Draw from multiple abilities
if necessary or desired to satisfy the required number of
expenditures.
Player Characters in Mass Combat 3
 Special Missions Between Engagements
If appropriate, some or all of the player characters may With Engagements that last one hour, there is generally
embark on a special mission during an Engagement, acting enough time between Engagements for the player characters
to achieve a particular goal that will have a major effect on to regroup and talk, and to cast any spells with a casting time
the battle. If the PCs take up such a mission, run it like a of 10 minutes or less. There is normally not enough time to
normal adventure or encounter. take a short rest without sitting out an Engagement.
This is often the best way to integrate PCs into a mass
battle, as it allows them to use their class abilities and pursue Credits
concrete goals. Special missions take up one full To Shane Lacy Hensley and Clint Black, whose mass
Engagement, accounting for planning, logistics, travel across battles system in the Savage Worlds roleplaying game
the battlefield, cleanup, and debriefing. forms the spine of this system.
If the PCs are successful, their success should have a To Kevin Crawford for Starvation Cheap (on which
major effect on the course of the battle. The DM determines Appendix B: Special Missions is based in part), and for
what the effect is. If the special mission is reasonable, then it releasing fantasy art into the public domain at his own
should be at least as helpful as if the PCs had simply spent expense.
the Engagement commanding troops, shoring up morale, or To S. John Ross for his Big List of RPG Plots.
fighting in the fracas individually. To Miguel Santos, for the artwork on page 6.
An appropriate effect for a typical special mission is a -2 To Joyce Maureira, for the artwork on page 8.
penalty per PC on the enemy Battle Commander’s To Luigi Castellani, for the artwork on pages 7 and 11.
Engagement roll this round. Also appropriate would be a To Albrecht Altdorfer, Simon de Vlieger, Jan Snellinck, and
permanent reduction in the opposing army’s Tactical Giorgio Vasari: for the artwork on pages 1 and 4, 2, 5, and
Advantage bonus equal to -1 per PC (or an equivalent 10, respectively.
increase in the friendly army's Tactical Advantage bonus). A Created with The Homebrewery.
particularly brilliant or impactful special mission might
completely destroy 1 opposing Army Token per PC.
Designing Special Missions
Normally special missions should flow naturally from the
story or scenario. If your players have an idea of what they
would like to accomplish on a special mission, and it seems
reasonable to you, then go with it.
Sometimes, however, you may want to allow your players
to undertake a special mission even if they have no clear idea
what to do. In that case, allow the PCs to make a DC 20
Intelligence (Investigation) check. On a success, present them
with a special mission they can undertake.
Whenever possible, integrate existing NPCs into whatever
special mission is in the offing. It will make the mission feel
more meaningful to your players if they are saving beloved
allies or fighting hated enemies rather than dealing with no-
names who exist only for the sake of this one incident.
See Appendix B for a variety of missions the PCs could
undertake and advice for running each one.
Important Enemy NPCs
Important named opposing NPCs can take a similar role in
the battle to a PC. They are not counted in the opposing
army’s value for determining Army Tokens, but instead can
command troops, shore up morale, or wade into the thick of
combat just like a PC. Such NPCs use their challenge rating
in place of character level when fighting in the Engagement.
They act before the PCs.
If the PCs would like to confront an important opposing
NPC, then this should be run as a special mission. This
prevents the enemy NPC from acting this Engagement. The
result of the special mission is typically the removal of the
NPC from the equation for the rest of the battle. If only one
special enemy NPC was taken out, then the special mission
should generally confer some other benefit as well, such as a
-1 penalty per PC on the enemy Battle Commander’s next
Engagement roll.

4 Special Missions
Appendix A: Designing
Mass Battles
Mass battles typically follow naturally from the
circumstances of the campaign. When most DMs reach for
mass battle rules, they already have some idea of how many
soldiers there are, who is leading each army, what the
battlefield looks like, and so forth.
Sometimes, however, you might want to design a balanced
mass battle that could go either way. Or you might have some
idea of how massive the battle should feel for the players, and
you want to work backwards from there to how many troops
each army should have. This section will help you to do that.
Consult the Mass Battle APV Ranges table. The first
column refers to the level of your player characters. The
numbers in the other columns represent the amount of Army
Point Value in the larger army (typically the enemy army).
Small Battles
If the larger army’s APV is in this range, then you can expect
the PCs to spend more time fighting in the Engagement than
commanding troops. They will likely fight until they cannot
afford to lose the hit points anymore. PCs have a decent
chance of killing one enemy Army Token outright, and an
excellent chance of imposing a -2 on the enemy Battle
Commander’s next Engagement roll. At this scale, PCs feel Mass Battle APV Ranges
powerful and will have a major effect on the battle. Each PC
is worth around 1.5 Army Tokens, so all other things being Party Level Small Battle Large Battle
equal, if you want a balanced mass battle, give the good guys 1 280 - 560 560 - 1120
1.5 fewer Army Tokens per PC than the bad guys. 2 560 - 1120 1120 - 2240
If the enemy army is much smaller than this range, the PCs
will be extremely powerful and dominate the battle, possibly 3 840 - 1680 1680 - 3360
outright killing multiple enemy Army Token each 4 1120 - 2240 2240 - 4480
Engagement.
5 2800 - 5600 5600 - 11200
Large Battles 6 3360 - 6720 6720 - 13440
If the larger army’s APV is in this range, then commanding 7 3920 - 7840 7840 - 15680
troops is roughly on par with fighting in the Engagement. It is
likely that characters with a decent Intelligence score or 8 4480 - 8960 8960 - 17920
training in a relevant skill will gravitate towards commanding 9 5040 - 10080 10080 - 20160
troops, while others will fight until they run out of hit points.
In battles of this scale, your players might try harder to come 10 5600 - 11200 11200 - 22400
up with special missions to go on, since those are likely more 11 9240 - 18480 18480 - 36960
efficacious than participating in the battle normally. PCs are 12 10080 - 20160 20160 - 40320
worth around 1 Army Token each, or up to 1.5 Army Tokens
each if there are special missions they can undertake. 13 10920 - 21840 21840 - 43680
If the enemy army is much larger than this range, then 14 11760 - 23520 23520 - 47040
fighting in the Engagement becomes ineffective; the battle is
simply too massive for the PCs’ direct participation to make 15 12600 - 25200 25200 - 50400
much difference. The player characters will have to spend 16 13440 - 26880 26880 - 53760
their time commanding troops or shoring up morale, unless 17 19040 - 38080 38080 - 76160
there is a special mission they can undertake that could have
a major effect on such a titanic clash. 18 20160 - 40320 40320 - 80640
19 21280 - 42560 42560 - 85120
20 22400 - 44800 44800 - 89600

Appendix A: Designing Mass Battles 5


Appendix B: Special
Missions
This appendix presents seeds for 40 special missions the
PCs might undertake, should they prove able to succeed on a
DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The DM can select
a special mission that seems appropriate, roll for one using
the table on page 7, or use this list as inspiration.
A Red Spy Is in the Base: There is an enemy spy among
the allied army's command staff. The PCs must interview
suspects and ferret him out. Suggested effect: -2 per PC to
the enemy Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Arson: The PCs must sneak in and burn down some key
enemy structures. These might be the enemy’s camp tents, or
civilian structures that the enemy has temporarily occupied.
Either way, the PCs must bring along supplies and fuel to
ensure that the fire does its job. Suggested effect: -1 per PC
to the enemy army’s Tactical Advantage bonus.
Artifact of Power: The enemy is using a powerful magic
item to change the course of the battle. Perhaps it is a
weapon that can devastate a whole battalion, perhaps it is
some kind of banner or horn that strengthens the spines and
arms of friendly creatures who see or hear it, or perhaps it is
something else. The PCs must defeat its wielder and claim it
for the allied army. Who knows? Maybe the allied Battle
Commander will give it to the PCs as a reward after the
battle. Suggested effect: -1 per PC to the enemy army’s
Tactical Advantage bonus.
Bad Weather: A terrible squall or storm has suddenly
arisen. It may be rain or snow or wind, its origin may be
natural or unnatural, but either way it is causing chaos on the
battlefield. The PCs must provide updated intel to officers
suddenly blindsided, help lead troops out of flash floods or
mudslides, break down natural dams to flood the enemy-
occupied lowlands with water, destroy the enemy’s shelter,
etc. Suggested effect: variable.
Betrayed: Someone in the allied army who doesn't like the
PCs has framed them for a crime or otherwise convinced the
Battle Commander (or the Battle Commander's bosses) that
they should be expelled from the army. The PCs must sneak
or muscle their way to the powers-that-be and convince them
that they need the PCs fighting on their side. Suggested
effect: +2 per PC to the allied Battle Commander’s
Engagement roll this round.
Bothersome Beasties: The battle has stirred up some
kind of dangerous local wildlife. This could be a swarm of
insects, some kind of dormant underground creatures or
fungus, a family of owlbears, etc. The PCs must either
destroy the troublesome creatures, or find a way to sic them
on the enemy. Suggested effect: -2 per PC to the enemy Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Change of Heart: A portion of the enemy army is offering
to defect. The PCs must make contact and facilitate the
defection, possibly making promises and concessions that
the allied army will have trouble fulfilling after the battle.
Suggested effect: The allied army instantly gains 1 Army
Token; the enemy army instantly loses 1 Army Token.
Civilian Shields: Part of the enemy army is using neutral
civilians or POWs as human shields to protect a particular
site. The civilians might just be stuck in the wrong place at
the wrong time, the enemy might be holding them as
hostages, or they might even be friends of the enemy who are
willing to risk their lives to deter attacks. The PCs must
intercede and resolve the situation, ideally saving as many
civilian lives as possible, but some innocents might have to be
lost if the overall strategic objective is to be attained…
Suggested effect: -2 per PC to the enemy Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round. Depending on the
outcome, the next morale roll of one army or the other may
be affected as well.
Special Missions Twists
d4 d10 Special Mission d12 Twist
1 1 A Red Spy Is in the Base 1-6 No twist.
2 Arson 7 Time Crunch: The problem is especially dire and the
PCs must act immediately and race to the objective
3 Artifact of Power or risk losing it all. There is no time for planning, and
4 Bad Weather the PCs may have to make difficult choices or give
up on secondary objectives to achieve the primary
5 Betrayed goal.
6 Bothersome Beasties 8 Role Reversal: The enemy is trying to do what's in the
7 Change of Heart special mission description. The PCs must interfere,
stop them, exacerbate the problem, distract them
8 Civilian Shields from fixing the problem, etc.
9 Command Conflict 9 Bad Intel: The situation is not as described when the
PCs get there. The enemies turn out to be allies, the
10 Confused Leadership allies turn out to be enemies, the people involved are
2 1 Control Points uncooperative or have ulterior motives, the PCs were
sent to the wrong location, etc.
2 Counter-Scouting
10 Not What It Seems: Roll twice for special missions.
3 Cruel Commander The first roll is what the situation seems to be at first;
the second is what's really going on.
4 Deserters
11 Two Choices: The PCs have two (or more!) options
5 Disrupt the Supply for special missions. Roll two or more times on the
6 Elite Enemies Special Missions table.
7 Escort Mission 12 Right Choice, Wrong Choice: The PCs have two
options for special missions, but one of them is a
8 Espionage tactical blunder. Roll twice on the Special Missions
9 Ghosts of Warfare Past table. Increase the reward for the "right" choice;
decrease the reward for the "wrong" choice.
10 Go for the Head
3 1 Heart of Darkness
2 Heartbreaker
3 Home Alone
4 Looters
5 Lost Legion
6 Mislead, Misinform, Misdirect
7 Morale Weakness
8 Nasty Opportunists
9 Parley
10 Send in the Reserves
4 1 Sudden Betrayal
2 Supply Problems
3 Surprise Attack
4 Surprise Defense
5 Surrounded
6 Third Party
7 Treacherous Terrain
8 Valuable Resource
9 Vital Extraction
10 We Must Hold Here

Appendix B: Special Missions 7

 Command Conflict: There is a conflict among the
command staff concerning what strategy to pursue. It is
getting heated and may soon come to blows. The PCs must
intervene and gently try to steer the conversation toward the
correct decision without insulting anyone or getting
themselves thrown out of the room. If the PCs are sent to
relay orders to the troops on the field, they must decide
whether or how to tweak the orders. Suggested effect: +2 per
PC to the allied Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this
round.
Confused Leadership: Some allied troops on the
battlefield are hopelessly confused. Their officers are acting
on badly outdated intel, and there is dissention concerning
whether to forge ahead with current orders, sit and do
nothing until more instructions arrive, or take initiative and
do something else entirely. The PCs must make contact,
provide new orders from the Battle Commander, and sort out
the situation. Suggested effect: +2 per PC to the allied Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Control Points: The PCs must take a key tactical position
in which the enemy is currently entrenched. The position may
be a choke point, a forward command base, etc. Suggested
effect: -1 per PC to the enemy army's Tactical Advantage
bonus.
Counter-Scouting: The enemy's scouts and/or outriders
are proving troublesome. The PCs must hunt down and kill
some of them, thus disrupting the enemy's reconnaissance.
Suggested effect: -2 per PC to the enemy Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
8 Appendix B: Special Missions
Cruel Commander: A certain captain in the allied army is
acting erratic and cruel with his subordinates: making
strange tactical decisions, taking seemingly unnecessary
risks, and executing soldiers for minor offenses. The PCs
must interview him and his subordinates and determine if he
is crazy and needs to be arrested, or if he is really a hard-
headed tactical genius who is just doing what is necessary to
win. If the latter, the PCs must determine if the human cost is
worth leaving him in command. Suggested effect: +2 per PC
to the allied Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Or possibly, +3 per PC to the allied Battle Commander’s
Engagement roll this round, but -1 per PC to the morale roll
this round.
Deserters: A particularly important cadre of combatants
has abandoned the battle for some reason. The PCs must
figure out why they deserted and where they have gone, track
them down, and intimidate, trick, or cajole them into
returning to the fight. Suggested effect: the allied army
immediately regains a number of Army Token equal to half
the number of PCs on the special mission, rounded up.
Disrupt the Supply: The PCs must sneak around behind
and attack the enemy's supply wagons or other logistical
infrastructure. This may involve difficult moral choices about
whether the PCs are willing to slaughter luggage boys and
field medics. Suggested effect: -2 per PC to the enemy Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round, or -3 if the PC are
willing to be especially brutal and cruel, possible provoking
future ire from enemies or even allies who disapprove of the
PCs' dishonorable tactics.
 Elite Enemies: One of the enemy's most elite squads is
causing trouble on the battlefield. The PCs must make their
way into the midst of the battle and take out a tough cadre of
foes. Suggested effect: the enemy army immediately loses a
number of Army Token equal to half the number of PCs on
the special mission, rounded up.
Escort Mission: The PCs must escort someone through
the battlefield. This could be a captain traveling to take
command of some troops across the field, a spellcaster
traveling to a crucial location to perform a ritual, or an
important neutral party who simply has to cross the
battlefield right now. The PCs must deal with threats from
the enemy, and perhaps the peevishness of the person being
escorted. Suggested effect: +2 per PC to the allied Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Espionage: The PCs must infiltrate the enemy's command
staff and spy out their plans, then report back to the allied
Battle Commander. This may involve elaborate disguises,
intimidating or flipping some enemy officers, or any number
of other ways to hobnob with the enemy and escape
undetected. Suggested effect: -2 per PC to the enemy Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Ghosts of Warfare Past: The undead spirits of those who
died on the battlefield centuries ago have arisen, attracted by
new blood spilt on the land. The PCs must confront these
new undead warriors and vanquish them so the troops can
get back to fighting the enemy. Suggested effect: +2 per PC to
the allied Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Go for the Head: A weakness has been discovered in the
enemy camp's defenses. The PCs must travel across the
battlefield, sneak in, assassinate the enemy Battle
Commander, contend with his elite bodyguards, and get out
alive. Suggested effect: The enemy Battle Commander is
replaced by a new Battle Commander whose personal bonus
to the Engagement roll is less than the old Battle
Commander's by roughly -1 per PC.
Heart of Darkness: A company in the allied army has
begun to act erratically: carrying out strange rituals, eating
the hearts of their slain enemies, etc. The PCs must venture
onto the battlefield and restore sanity, possibly confronting a
charismatic leader who has been feeding his men strange
doctrines from a cultic mystery religion or stirring them up
into an apocalyptic fervor. Suggested effect: +2 per PC to the
allied Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Heartbreaker: Morale is wavering in the enemy army, and
a sense of panic creeps through the ranks like a disease. The
PCs must go undercover among the enemy rank and file,
there to spread frightening rumors and sow seeds of
dissension. Suggested effect: -2 per PC to the enemy Battle
Commander's morale roll this round.
Home Alone: The enemy is planning a major offensive
push on a currently-unoccupied part of the battlefield, but
there is time to prepare. The PCs must set up fortifications,
lay traps, coordinate ambushes, etc. Suggested effect: -2 per
PC to the enemy Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this
round.
Looters: Some troops in the allied army have taken to
looting and hoarding before the battle is even over. The PCs
must punish them, take their stuff, decide how to quickly
reallocate any useful supplies, and deal with any problems
that have cropped up while the soldiers were neglecting their
duty. Suggested effect: +2 per PC to the allied Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Lost Legion: Communication with a part of the army on
the flank has been lost entirely. The PCs must make contact,
figure out what's wrong, and help the company either
complete its objective or return to the main body of the army.
Suggested effect: the allied army immediately regains a
number of Army Token equal to half the number of PCs on
the special mission, rounded up.
Mislead, Misinform, Misdirect: The PCs must feed false
intel to the enemy Battle Commander. This may involve
sneaking across the battlefield and making contact with the
enemy command staff, use of forgery and disguise kits, or
even illusions and enchantments. Suggested effect: -2 per PC
to the enemy Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this
round.
Morale Weakness: The PCs have heard rumors that a
particularly important faction in the allied army is thinking of
defecting to the enemy. The PCs must make contact, figure
out what is tempting them to betrayal, and convince them to
remain loyal, perhaps by removing their current leadership
and installing someone more trustworthy in its place.
Suggested effect: +1 per PC to the allied Battle Commander's
Engagement roll this round, +2 per PC to the allied Battle
Commander's morale roll this round.
Nasty Opportunists: Some unaffiliated roguish types are
skulking around the battlefield looting valuables, raiding
supply lines, and just generally being jerks. The PCs must
track them down and confront them, either defeating them or
press-ganging them into helping the good guys. Suggested
effect: +2 per PC to the allied Battle Commander’s
Engagement roll this round.
Parley: The PCs are sent to negotiate a cease-fire with the
enemy even as the battle rages. They must decide on their
approach: will they negotiate in good faith? Demand major
concessions? Plan to betray the cease-fire? Simply kill the
enemy emissaries? With the enemy emissaries simply try to
kill them? Suggested effect: Possibly the end of the battle, or
possibly -2 per PC to the enemy Battle Commander’s
Engagement roll this round.
Send in the Reserves: It has become necessary to call up
the army's reserves. The PCs must meet with the reserve
commanders, deal with any who are insubordinate or
reluctant, brace up the reserve troops with some last-minute
training/tactical planning/inspiring speeches, and then lead
them out onto the battlefield and fight alongside them in their
first bout. Suggested effect: +2 per PC to the allied Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Sudden Betrayal: A part of the allied army has just turned
traitor. The PCs must reach them, find out why they made
this heinous decision, and make an example of them.
Suggested effect*: -2 per PC to the enemy Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Supply Problems: The army's supply lines or other
logistical functions are in disarray. The PCs must quickly
take control, root out any troublemakers, and restore order
and efficiency. Suggested effect: +2 per PC to the allied Battle
Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Surprise Attack: The PCs must lead a surprise attack
against a weak point in the enemy army. Suggested effect: -2
per PC to the enemy Battle Commander’s Engagement roll
this round.
Appendix B: Special Missions 9
 Surprise Defense: Some part of the army had suffered a
sudden and vicious surprise attack. The PCs must get there
double-time, restore order, take charge of the defenses, and
lead the counter-attack. Suggested effect: -2 per PC to the
enemy Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Surrounded: A group of allies has found itself hopelessly
surrounded and in dire need of aid. The PCs cannot hope to
defeat all the enemies in the area, but they can punch a hole
in the enemy line and help their friends slip away. Suggested
effect: +2 per PC to the allied Battle Commander’s
Engagement roll this round.
Third Party: A standoffish third faction is present near the
battlefield. The PCs must make diplomatic overtures to this
third party, figure out what makes them tick, and persuade
them to join the good guys... or at least not to join the bad
guys. Suggested effect: the allied army immediately regains a
number of Army Token equal to half the number of PCs on
the special mission, rounded up.
Treacherous Terrain: The army is dealing with some nasty
natural terrain on a section of the battlefield: quicksand,
deadly gas escaping from the earth, fields of thorn plants,
deep trenches full of sharp rocks, etc. The PCs must help
guide the troops through the terrain (perhaps providing them
with local guides), fend off any attacks while they are bogged
down, and help the command staff come up with ways of
dealing with the terrain as the battle unfolds. Suggested
effect: +2 per PC to the allied Battle Commander’s
Engagement roll this round.
10 Appendix B: Special Missions
Valuable Resource: A valuable resource has been
discovered on the battlefield: a cache of weapons and armor,
a valuable natural mineral, a ruin containing treasure, etc.
The PCs must get there, take control of the location, organize
defense of the location from future attacks, and deal with any
natural guardians or third parties who also covet the newly-
discovered wealth. Suggested effect: +2 per PC to the allied
Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Vital Extraction: The PCs must rescue someone: an
important (perhaps wounded) officer or spellcaster, a
prisoner in the enemy’s clutches who might give in to
interrogation soon, etc. The PCs must get to them, fight
anyone holding them, get them out, and transport them safely
across the battlefield. Suggested effect: +2 per PC to the
allied Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
We Must Hold Here: The PCs must venture onto the
battlefield and hold a key tactical position against multiple
waves of enemy assaults. The position may be a choke point,
some kind of high ground, or even the location of some kind
of magical field or lodestone. Suggested effect: -2 per PC to
the enemy Battle Commander’s Engagement roll this round.
Have fun!