One-Roll Mass Combat
his one-roll mass combat system for Old-
T
School Essentials is suitable for groups
that want to engage in domain-level
conflicts, including battles with hundreds
or thousands of combatants, but who want
to resolve such battles quickly without
playing out the conflict as a wargame.
Army Strength
Calculate the Army Strength of each army by adding up
the Troop Strength of each combatant in the army. A
combatant’s Troop Strength is normally equal to its Hit
Dice. Increase Troop Strength by 50% for each of the
following characteristics the creature possesses.
Troop Strength Modifiers
Armour Class of 4[15] or better.
Armour Class of -1[20] or better.
The combatant has an attack that deals 1d12 or more damage
each round.
The combatant can make multiple attacks per round. +50% for
each attack the combatant can make beyond its highest-
damage attack. Only count attacks that deal at least 1d6
damage (group together attacks that deal <1d6).
The combatant has a powerful special ability that is effective in
a pitched battle. Most abilities (such as access to spellcasting)
should be counted only once. Very powerful or useful abilities
(like a dragon’s breath, or another ability that affects a large
number of combatants) may count once per daily use.
The referee should use common sense in setting the
Troop Strength for any given monster, but Troop
Strength should only reflect that monster’s inherent
capabilities as given in its stat block; situational tactical
advantages are accounted for in modifiers to the Battle
Roll, discussed below.
 
Player characters as combatants
Player characters who fight in the thick of the battle
have a unique Troop Strength. The player wagers a
certain number of Hit Dice, up to a maximum of the
character’s total HD. Each HD wagered contributes a
certain amount of Troop Strength, according to the
table below. Higher-level characters contribute more
per HD wagered, as having such a renowned hero
taking risks on the battlefield is a boost to morale.
After the battle, the player rolls the number of Hit
Dice wagered to determine how much damage the PC
suffered. These dice explode: if a die rolls its maximum
value, roll it again and add to the original result. Repeat
if you roll the maximum value again, and continue
repeating until you roll something other than the die’s
maximum value.
If the PC’s hit points are reduced to 0, he or she must
save. vs. death. Failure means death. Success means
the PC is reduced to 1 hp and captured by the enemy.
Troop Strength Per HD Wagered  
Default 3
PC is level 4-8 +1
PC is level 9+ (name level) +2
PC is a Fighter +1
PC is a Cleric facing a largely undead enemy force +1
Spellcasting on the battlefield is difficult, and
interruptions are common. Player characters who fight
are assumed to use up all their spells (and any other
abilities that can be recovered daily) during the course
of the battle.
 
 The Battle Roll  
Each side rolls 1d20. The higher roll wins. Consult the
table on the next page to determine each side’s
casualties. A single Battle Roll covers one day of
fighting, unless the referee decides that a different
timescale makes more sense (for example, one week for
a grinding siege).
Modifiers to the Battle Rolls
Each side adds +1 to +4 for each major tactical
advantage it possesses, such as:
Category           Examples
Terrain cover, high ground, special terrain that one
army is better at navigating
Special Abilities air superiority, magical supremacy, damage
immunities
Troop Quality veterancy, better officers, better discipline
Disposition troop freshness, morale
Plan orders, tactics, ambushes and traps

Do not add a bonus based on relative Army Strength;

relative Army Strength is accounted for in applying the
battle results table.
Fortifications
 Bonus  Example
+1 a wooden palisade and ditch
+2 a castle in poor repair or a standalone stone keep
+3 a standard castle in good repair with a 20’x10’ outer
wall with towers, a moat with a barbican, and an inner
keep
+4 an exceptional, state-of-the-art castle

These values assume that the attackers have

adequate siege equipment. If the attackers have poor
siege equipment, the values above should be doubled. If
what they have is totally inadequate, the referee may
declare that the castle cannot be taken at all.
Troop Type
Armies with a better mix of more advanced troops
should receive a bonus. This applies if one side has
substantially more archers than the other, if one side
has heavy horse and the other does not, etc.
Likewise, exotic forces (such as demihumans and
monsters) might intimidate or confound the opposing
side and thus merit a +1 or +2 bonus to the Battle Roll.
Player characters as officers
Player characters who spend the whole day serving as
officers or commanders, shoring up morale, etc. do not
contribute to their side’s Army Strength, but may
instead add a bonus to the Battle Roll based on their
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score.
Ability Score Bonus
9-15 +1
16-18 +2

2
 Casualties  
Casualties are not all deaths. Half the number of
casualties indicated by the Battle Roll are deaths. The
remaining casualties are split evenly among the three
categories below. The commander of each army gets to
decide how these categories apply to his or her
casualties, subject to referee approval.
Wounded     Unable to fight for a month. Still must be paid.
Scattered Will return to the army in 1d6 days.
Captured In most cases, will be used or sold as slaves if not
ransomed.

Named NPCs who fought in the battle

Result of the Battle Roll If the referee wishes to determine the fate of an NPC
Each side’s casualties are a percentage of the Army who fought in the battle, the table below may be used.
Strength of the opposing side. For example, if the Battle Roll d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, or even d20, depending on
Roll result indicates that your army suffers “50%” how tough the battle was and how many casualties the
casualties, and the opposing army has an Army NPC’s army suffered.
Strength of 1000, then your side loses 500 Troop Roll Result
Strength worth of troops. The commander of each army 1-3 NPC is unharmed and with the army
gets to decide how casualties are distributed among his 4-5 NPC is wounded
or her troops, subject to referee approval. 6-7 NPC is missing in action
8-9 NPC is captured by the enemy
Victory Margin Loser Casualties Winner Casualties
10+ NPC is dead
0-1
2-3
40%
50%
40%
40%
 
4-5 50% 30%
6-7 60% 30%
8-10 60% 20%
11-13 70% 20%
14-16 70% 10%
17-19 80% 10%
20-22 80% 5%
23-25 90% 5%
26-29 90% 0%
30+ 100% 0%

Pressing
Immediately before rolling the Battle Roll, each side
may choose whether to Press, i.e. fight very
aggressively. For each side that Presses, the losing
side’s casualty percentage increases by 20 and the
winning side’s increases by 10. In a tie, both sides go up
by 10.
The winner’s casualties can at most be doubled by
Pressing. For example, if the winning side’s casualty
percentage would normally be 5%, it cannot increase
beyond 10%.
Giving Ground
The losing side gives ground (losing any fortifications) if
it suffers more than half of its Army Strength in
casualties, unless the referee rules otherwisee.

3
 Recruitment Calling up the Levy  
In order to fight a battle the players will need soldiers, The player characters can call up the levy by
which are referred to as mercenaries. There are several conscripting settlers who live in the territory they rule.
possible sources. Such troops will have poor morale, and most will be
Retinue Mercenaries peasants armed with farming implements unless the
PCs pay to arm them.
Mercenaries already in the players’ employ (for
example, guarding the players’ stronghold) can be Type of Levy Troops (by Default) Amount
deployed to battle. They will have to be paid double for Peasants 75%
as long as wartime lasts, but otherwise these will likely Footmen, light 10%
form the loyal backbone of the army. Footmen, heavy 5%
Remember that you need armourers to maintain your Archers 5%
troops. See the table below. Horsemen, light 5%

Human Mercenaries Levy troops are not paid directly, but the PCs can
expect to collect less than the standard 10gp/year in
Wage/Month Wage/Month Troop taxes from each conscripted settler. The tax is reduced
 Type                     (Normal) (Wartime) Strength by 5gp for each month the settler is kept away from his
Peasant 1gp 2gp ½ crops and fields (minimum one month). If a settler is
Footman, light 2gp 4gp 1 kept on campaign for more than 2 months in a year, the
Footman, heavy 3gp 6gp 1½ PCs will have to start paying restitution or expect
Crossbowman
Archer
4gp
5gp
8gp
10gp
1½
2
serious unrest and the threat of revolt at home.
Longbowman 10gp 20gp 4 Petitioning Allies
Archer, mounted 15gp 30gp 6
The players might petition nearby allies for aid, such as
Horseman, light 10gp 20gp 4
their liege lord, a nearby friendly baron, the elves who
Horseman, medium 15gp 30gp 6
rule the local forest, etc. Any such military aid rendered
Horseman, heavy 20gp 40gp 8
will come with some large strings attached: at
Armourers minimum, the expectation that the party will reciprocate
the favor if the ally’s homelands are ever attacked. In
Troops
addition, the ally might demand favorable trade terms or
Specialists Wage/Month Supported
ongoing tribute. They may even request that the PCs
Armourer 100gp 50
clear a troublesome dungeon or investigate a mystery
Armourer + 2 Assistants + 1
Blacksmith
155gp 100
for them.
Armourer + 4 Assistants + 2
Blacksmiths
210gp 200
Upkeep and Movement
The supply of recruitable mercenaries on the frontier Upkeep
is not unlimited, so the players will have to build up Upkeep is abstracted. The wartime wages listed to the
their retinue mercenaries over time if they wish to field left include sufficient supplies and rations for
a large standing army. mercenaries while on campaign. The referee may
Freelance Mercenaries impose further costs or prep time if the army is traveling
far from friendly supply lines, in unrelentingly hostile
Freelance mercenary companies may be available for territory, or in barren or inhospitable lands where no
hire during wartime. They will have to be paid at least foraging is possible. The additional cost is typically 1-3
standard wartime wages for a minimum of one month, gp/month/head (including mounts).
and they may demand further concessions or bonuses,
especially if the need is urgent. They are unlikely to be Movement
as reliable or loyal as in-house soldiers. For army movement, see Overland Travel and Resting
under Wilderness Adventuring in Old-School
Essentials. The army travels at the pace of the slowest
type of troops. An army that fights after a forced march
without resting suffers a -2 penalty to the Battle Roll. An
army that fails to rest for one day per six days of travel
suffers a -1 penalty.
 

4
Special Missions
Rather than fight on the front line or direct the battle
from afar, the players might want to undertake some
kind of special mission (or series of missions) that could
have a major effect on the battle, such as assassinating
a key enemy, sabotaging fortifications, subverting a part
of the enemy’s forces, etc. Such a mission should be
played out like a normal adventure. If the mission is
successful, the referee should apply an appropriate
bonus to the Battle Roll.
Normally the players must plan and propose their
own special missions if they desire. However, 40 special
mission seeds are provided in an appendix below for
referees who wish to develop a scenario or invite their
players to take a spotlight role in the battle.
Travel During Special Missions
In order to carry out a special mission, the PCs will
likely have to journey across the battlefield, avoiding the
thick of the melee. The battlefield is a chaotic and
dangerous place that functions in some ways like a
wilderness area, in others like a dungeon.
Movement and Random Encounters
PCs can move their base movement rate in yards each
turn as they carefully pick their way across the field of
battle. The chance of a random encounter is 2-in-6
every other turn. If applicable, there is a 4-in-6 chance
that the troops encountered are enemy troops. Reaction
rolls vs. enemy troops suffer a -4 penalty.
Evasion
Evasion is possible due to the chaos of battle. If one side
is surprised, the surprising side may evade
automatically, while the surprised side may not evade.
Evasion Chance
1-2 characters fleeing 40%
3-5 characters fleeing 30%
6-9 characters fleeing 20%
10+ characters fleeing 10%
Fleeing side is faster +10%
Fleeing side is twice as fast +25%
Pursuing side is faster -10%
Pursuing side is twice as fast -25%
Minimum chance of escape 5%
Pursuit
If evasion fails, a pursuit occurs. Pursuit works as it
does in the dungeon, except that all movement is in
yards rather than feet.
 d30  Example Encounter  
1 1d20 light footmen or equivalent, fresh
2 2d6 footsoldiers, possibly drunk, parading around with
battle trophies (enemy standard, severed heads, etc.)
3 1d6 soldiers, grievously wounded, trying to retreat
4 2d6 frazzled deserters sneaking away from the battle
5 A tight formation of 3d4 grim shock troopers led by a
wild-eyed lieutenant
6 2d4 teenage conscripts, trying to be brave
7 1d8 fanatics with blood running down their faces
8 1d4 jittery outriders on horseback, on the lookout for
enemy scouts to pick off or report on
9 3d12 tired and grumbling footmen, halfheartedly looking
for more enemies to engage
10 2d8 whistling mercenaries picking over corpses, happy to
be working for the highest bidder
11 2d4 heavily armored knights or loyalists, true believers
12 1d4 medics trying to pull the wounded from the
battlefield, escorted by 1d6 paranoid soldiers
13 3d4 soldiers whose lieutenant was just decapitated. Now
two sergeants bicker over who is in charge.
14 Animals frenzied by the chaos. Roll d10: 1. 1d4 owl bears
2.1d4 crab spiders 3. 1d10 striges 4. 1d4 black bears 5. 1
grizzly bear 6. 1d6 boars 7. 3d6 giant rats 8. 2d6 wolves 9.
1d6 spitting cobras 10. 1d8 pit vipers
15 2d8 monstrous troops (if there are any on the battlefield),
romping and cackling
16 A cell of hard fighting in which 3d10 enemy soliders are
pushing back 2d10 friendly ones
17 2d6 support staff or reserve forces, lost and unprepared
18 2d8 soldiers, the last of their unit, bitter and enraged
19 2d6 fresh troops just called up from the reserves, nervous
but eager and hopeful
20 Undead have arisen from the bloodshed! Roll d4: 1. 3d4
skeletons 2. 2d4 zombies 3. 1d6 ghouls 4. 1d6 wights
21 1d20 soldiers in their second battle ever, overconfident
22 3d6 soldiers who have captured and tied up 3d6
opposing soldiers.
23 2d10 archers or other support troops, out of position
24 Strange creatures hunting for warm flesh or desperate
souls. Roll d10: 1. 1 djinni 2. 1d10 giant vampire bats 3. 1
insect swarm 4. 1d8 shadows 5. 1d6 tiger beetles, 6. 1d3
carcass crawlers, 7. 1d6 thouls 8. 1d6 doppelgängers 9.
1d6 werewolves 10. 1d4 rust monsters
25 A melee of 4d12 combatants so confused you cannot tell
friend from foe.
26 1d4 spies for a third party, observing the battle
27 An NPC known to the PCs, perhaps caught in the battle
unexpectedly
28 A high-ranking officer and 1d4 bodyguards, busy
dispatching orders
29 A high-level cleric or high-level magic-user and party: see
Adventuring Parties under NPC Encounters in Old-School
Essentials.
30 The enemy’s most powerful combatant spies the PCs.
5
 Extended Example
After a splendid career adventuring, Fafhrd the fighter,
Cecil the cleric, Moira the magic-user, Theissen the
thief, and Elvira the elf received a deed from the Duke of
Longfeld and built a splendid stronghold on the wild
moors south of the duke’s holdings.
But sooner than they hoped, trouble has come
knocking! The party secured the services of Svedka the
spy to keep an eye on the nearby baronies and tribes (at
a hefty price of 500gp/month!), and lucky they did,
because Svedka now reports that the reviled Baron
Kyburn de Malreed is none too happy with the duke’s
new upstarts, and has secretly raised an army of at least
a thousand swords to drive them from “his” lands. The
baron is rumored to consort with orcs and lizard men
and even less savory powers.
The party springs into action, deploying most of the
forces on their payroll to the campaign. They also
decide to conscript 1,000 settlers, roughly half the able-
bodied men among the farmers who have moved to
their fledgling domain. Finally, they quickly cut a deal
with the Golden Horn mercenary company, offering
triple standard wages (rather than just double) so they
will hurry south in time to intercept the baron’s army.
They settle on a preferred battlefield: a rocky region in
the borderlands that will give them the high ground.
They manage to reach the planned area in time with all
troops accounted for.
The players size up their forces: 750 peasants (TS ½),
400 light footmen (TS 1), 250 heavy footmen (TS 1½),
400 archers (TS 2), 100 light horsemen (TS 4), and a
few powerful named NPCs (total TS of 50). Army
Strength: 2400. The players feel pretty good about their
chances.
The baron, for his part, has 500 conscripts (TS ½),
500 light footmen (TS 1), 200 heavy footmen (TS 1½),
100 archers (TS 2), and 100 light horsemen (TS4).
More to the point, he has a force of 200 orcs (TS 1), a
force of 100 lizard men (TS 2), and a small force of elite
orc berserkers led by a shaman (total TS 100). Army
Strength: 2150.
The players each decide how to participate in the
battle. Fafhrd the fighter wants to kill as many of the
baron’s men as possible and decides to fight on the
front line. He is level 9, and he decides to wager 7 HD,
so he increases his side’s Army Strength by 42, for a
total of 2442. Moira the magic-user has an Intelligence
of 17, so she decides to spend the battle directing
troops, adding +2 to the Battle Roll.
Cecil, Theissen, and Elvira have something special in
mind. They talk to Svedka the spy and discover that one
of Baron Kyburn’s most trusted advisors, Saoirse the
sage, is none too happy with the Baron’s reckless
behavior. They carefully make their way to the enemy
camp, managing to avoid or survive any encounters
along the way, and kidnap Saoirse. They bribe her with
the promise of gold, a magical artifact that interests her,
6
and a pardon from the duke. She agrees to defect, and  
gives counterproductive and dangerous orders to some
of the baron’s troops before making her way back
across the battlefield with the PCs. At this point, the
PCs are too beat up to attempt another special mission.
The referee decides this was a good plan well-executed,
and awards the party a +6 bonus to the Battle Roll.
It’s time for the Battle Roll. The players’ army has +1
for the high ground, +2 for Moira’s leadership, +6 for
the special mission, and +1 because they have so many
more archers (courtesy of the Golden Horn mercenary
company). Total bonus: +10. The referee gives the
baron +1 for his intimidating monstrous troops, +1
because his troops are fresher and better prepared
while the players had to scramble, and +1 because the
baron’s forces are rough-and-tumble borderlands
veterans while the players’ are relatively green. Total
bonus: +3.
The players roll and get… a natural 2. The referee
rolls for the baron and gets a 17. Final results: 12 for
the players, 20 for the baron, a margin of 8. Ouch!
Battles are chaotic, and even when you do everything
right, sometimes they just don’t go your way.
The players’ army suffers 60% of 2150, or 1290
Troop Strength in casualties: 645 in deaths, 215
wounded and unable to fight for a month, 215 scattered
who will return to the army in 1d6 days, and 215
captured by the baron. The players must decide how to
allocate these casualties among their troops.
They ask the referee if they can allocate most of the
casualties to the Golden Horn mercenary company, and
the referee decides no: at least a proportionate number
must come from their own troops.
The baron’s army suffers just 20% of 2442, or 488
Troop Strength of casualties, half of which are deaths.
Fafhrd the fighter, who fought on the front line, must
roll to determine how much damage he took. He
wagered 7 HD, so he rolls 7d8, getting these results: 4,
8, 3, 1, 8, 7, 8. These dice explode, so he must reroll the
three 8’s and add the new results to the original result.
He rolls 3d8 and gets 7, 5, 6. A total of 57 damage!
That’s more than his maximum HP! Now Fafhrd must
make a death save. Thankfully he rolls an 11, so he is
not killed, but rather captured by the baron.
The players retreat to their stronghold, with the
baron’s army in pursuit. They now face grim odds
against a superior force, and one of their number is in
the enemy’s clutches. Can they hold out? Who can they
turn to for help? Will they draft more soldiers from
among the local settlers, jeopardizing the harvest and
detering future settlement? Will they beg the duke for
help? Will they turn to more dangerous potential allies?
Is there a source of power that could gift them more
soldiers, or a magical artifact they could retrieve with
the power to turn the tide, perhaps at a terrible cost?
Who can say…
 
Appendix: Special Mission Seeds
(Referee Only)
A Red Spy Is in the Base : There is an enemy spy
among the allied army’s officer corp. The PCs must
interview suspects and ferret him out. Roll d4: The
spy is 1. constantly sneaking off to report intel 2.
giving bad advice to an allied officer, Grima
Wormtongue-style 3. misdirecting troops and sowing
confusion 4. assassinating people
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 for the job.
Artifact of Power: The enemy is using a powerful
magic item to change the course of the battle. The
PCs must steal it. Roll d4: 1. The Standard of Godfrey
the Black: +2 morale to all allies within 120 yards, but
5% of those affected become foolhardy and charge off
screaming to certain death 2. The Carrion Keg: all
who drink of its beer rise as zombies and continue
attacking for one hour after death 3. The Horn of
Madness: everyone within 60 ft. (including the guy
blowing the Horn) must save vs. spell or go berserk
for one minute, attacking friends if there are no foes
nearby. 4. Foucoult’s Firebox: box of fireworks, all
who see the explosion must save vs. wands or be
disoriented (-4 to attacks and saves) for one minute;
20% chance any given firework explodes on the
ground instead of launching properly, which deals
2d6 damage to the one who lit the firework.
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.
Betrayed: Someone in the allied army who doesn’t like
the PCs has framed them for a crime or otherwise
convinced the army’s general (or a group of officers,
important NPCs, allies, etc.) that they cannot be
trusted. The PCs must investigate, persuade, and
clear their name.
Bothersome Beasties: The battle has stirred up some
kind of exotic local wildlife. The PCs must destroy the
troublesome creatures, or better yet, find a way to sic
them on the enemy. Roll d12: 1. 2d4 owl bears 2. 1d6
basilisks 3. 1d3 caecilia 4. 1d3 carcass crawlers 5.
1d4 grizzly bears 6. 1d2 chimeras 7. 1d4 cockatrices
8. 1d2 gorgons 9. 1 hydra 10. 1d2 manticores 11. 1
ochre jelly 12. 1d2 purple worms
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 they will have trouble fulfilling after
the battle.
 
 Twists  
 dX   Twist
1 Time Crunch: The problem is especially dire and the PCs
must act immediately and race to the objective or risk
losing it all. There is no time for planning, and the PCs
may have to make difficult choices or give up on
secondary objectives to achieve the primary goal.
2 Role Reversal: The enemy is trying to do what’s in the
special mission description. The PCs must interfere, stop
them, exacerbate the problem, distract them from fixing
the problem, etc.
3 Bad Intel: The situation is not as described when the PCs
get there. The enemies turn out to be allies, the allies turn
out to be enemies, the people involved are uncooperative
or have ulterior motives, the PCs were sent to the wrong
location, etc.
Special Missions 4 Not What It Seems: Roll twice for special missions. The
d4 d10 Special Mission first roll is what the situation seems to be at first; the
1 1 A Red Spy Is in the Base second is what’s really going on.
1 2 Arson 5 Two Choices: The PCs have two (or more!) options for
1 3 Artifact of Power special missions. Roll two or more times on the Special
1 4 Bad Weather Missions table.
1 5 Betrayed 6 Right Choice, Wrong Choice: The PCs have two options for
1 6 Bothersome Beasties special missions, but one of them is a tactical blunder.
1 7 Change of Heart Roll twice on the Special Missions table. Increase the
1 8 Civilian Shields reward for the “right” choice; decrease the reward for the
1 9 Command Conflict “wrong” choice.
1 10 Confused Leadership 7+ No twist.
2 1 Control Points  
2 2 Counter-Scouting
2 3 Cruel Commander
2 4 Deserters
2 5 Disrupt the Supply
2 6 Elite Enemies
2 7 Escort Mission
2 8 Espionage
2 9 Ghosts of Warfare Past
2 10 Go for the Head
3 1 Heart of Darkness
3 2 Heartbreaker
3 3 Home Alone
3 4 Looters
3 5 Lost Legion
3 6 Mislead, Misinform, Misdirect
3 7 Morale Weakness
3 8 Nasty Opportunists
3 9 Parley
3 10 Send in the Reserves
4 1 Sudden Betrayal
4 2 Supply Problems
4 3 Surprise Attack
4 4 Surprise Defense
4 5 Surrounded
4 6 Third Party
4 7 Treacherous Terrain
4 8 Valuable Resource
4 9 Vital Extraction
4 10 We Must Hold Here

8

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.
Command Conflict: There is a conflict among various
officers concerning what strategy to pursue. It is
getting heated and may soon come to blows. The PCs
must intervene and try to resolve the debate without
insulting or alienating anyone important. the PCs may
have to relay the new plan to the troops on the
battlefield, deciding in the process how to present or
“tweak” the orders.
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, and sort out the situation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 players are
willing to slaughter luggage boys and field medics,
potentially offending allies and third parties who
disapprove of such dishonorable tactics.
 
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 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.
Escort Mission: The PCs must escort someone
through the battlefield. This could be a captain
traveling to take command of some troops, 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.
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.
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. Roll d8: 1. 3d10 skeletons 2. 4d6 zombies
3. 2d8 ghouls 4. 2d8 wights 5. 2d6 wraiths 6. 2d6
mummies 7. 2d4 spectres 8. 2d4 vampires
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
general, contend with his elite bodyguards, and get
out alive.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
Mislead, Misinform, Misdirect: The PCs must feed
false intel to an enemy officer. This may involve
sneaking across the battlefield and making contact
with the enemy command staff, use of forgeries and
disguises, or even illusions and enchantments.
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. Roll d6: the
defectors are motivated by 1. fear 2. greed 3. Chaos 4.
old grudges 5. wounded pride 6. sincere moral
convictions
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.
Parley : The enemy has offered a cease-fire. The PCs  
are sent to negotiate. 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? Will the enemy
emissaries simply try to kill them?
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.
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. Roll d6: the defectors are motivated
by 1. fear 2. greed 3. Chaos 4. old grudges 5. wounded
pride 6. sincere moral convictions
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. Roll d6: the central
problem is 1. forays by enemy forces 2. a bunch of
stuff got lost 3. troublemakers among the support
staff 4. vermin rotting the food/rusting the metal/etc.
5. all the luggage boys deserted 6. camp followers and
hangers-ons causing chaos
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 Surprise Attack : The PCs must lead a surprise attack  
against a weak point in the enemy army.
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.
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.
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.
Treacherous Terrain: The army is dealing with some
nasty natural terrain on a section of the battlefield.
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. Roll d8: 1.
quicksand 2. superheated geysers/lava vents 3. fields
of razor-sharp/thorny (sentient?) plants 4. trenches
full of sharp rocks 5. deceptively deep, hidden pools of
water 6. dense vegatation 7. deadly gas vents 8. steep,
trecherous wadis
Valuable Resource: A valuable resource has been
Credits and Legal
discovered on the battlefield: a cache of weapons and Requires Old-School Essentials. Old-School Essentials is a
armor, a valuable natural mineral, a ruin containing trademark of Necrotic Gnome. The trademark and Old-
treasure, etc. The PCs must get there, take control of School Essentials logo are used with permission 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.
Vital Extraction: The PCs must rescue someone: an
Necrotic Gnome, under license.
Thanks to Kevin Crawford’s Starvation Cheap, which
inspired many of the special missions
Cavalry charge artwork on page 7 by Miguel Santos
Archer artwork on page 8 by Luigi Castellani
Swordswoman artwork on page 11 by Joyce Maureira

important (perhaps wounded) officer or spellcaster, a  

Created with The Homebrewery

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.
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.

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