Making a Difference: Mass Battle for small Groups
Goals and Advantage
Goals
In every battle, each army will have at least one goal for which the Player Characters' contribution will make a key difference. The army itself may have several goals which are won or lost entirely by the NPCs and which the PCs cannot change. However, the PCs themselves should be involved in advancing at least one goal for their army, and stopping at least one goal for the opposing army.
To place your PCs in the most heroic of positions, it is the accomplishment or failure of this goal that will determine the course of the entire battle.
Examples:
Keep the horde from the defenseless children
Seize this bridge to allow our troops passage to the next battle
Bring down the gates at Beiden Pass
Stop the reinforcements from reaching the keep
Note: Goals should be achievable by the PCs and give them a sense of accomplishment even if the overall battle fails due to the failure of other goals.
Example: In a Lion/Scorpion battle, the GM has determined the following goals are needed for certain victory:
For the Lion Clan: In order to hold the keep at Beiden Pass, the gates must be held, the commander of the Scorpion must be captured, and the reinforcements from the Dragon must be killed.
For the Scorpion Clan: In order to take the keep at Beiden Pass, the gates must be breached, the commander of the Lion must be killed, and the reinforcements from the Dragon must get through.
The GM has determined that the PCs are in a position where they can determine whether or not the reinforcements from the Dragon get through so that is the goal they are involved with.
Whether or not the Lion or Scorpion take the keep depends on how the GM decides to resolve the accomplishments of the NPCS in achieving the other two goals, and how important the Dragon reinforcements are to the overall success or failure of the battle. The PCs may end up the linchpin of the whole battle, or they might find themselves accomplishing their own goal while the battle has been won or lost despite them.
In 5th Edition, the Commander for an entire army selects a Strategic Objective each battle round, and the accomplishment of these Strategic Objectives may add to the army's overall Momentum Points towards a final victory. These Strategic Objectives can be used as Goals for the PC small group. If 5th Edition and Strategic Objectives are used, ignore the How to Achieve it and the Fulfilled When options for the conflict for Strategic Objectives the PCs will accomplish. Use the Upon Completion result if the PCs are successful in completing their portion of the army's goal. The GM can use the rules for Leaders fulfilling Strategic Objectives to determine non-PC-focused strategic objectives if they do not wish to use pre-prepared set pieces between NPCs to determine goal resolution. Using the 5th Edition Mass Battle rules at all, however, is not required, and the PCs do not need to be in command of any troops outside their own group in order to contribute to the outcome of the battle.
Advantage
In order to achieve the PC portion of the army’s goal, it must achieve enough Advantage to overcome the opposing force. The size of the opposing force determines the amount of Advantage the army (or part of the army associated with this goal) needs to achieve, as follows:
Goals
In every battle, each army will have at least one goal for which the Player Characters' contribution will make a key difference. The army itself may have several goals which are won or lost entirely by the NPCs and which the PCs cannot change. However, the PCs themselves should be involved in advancing at least one goal for their army, and stopping at least one goal for the opposing army.
To place your PCs in the most heroic of positions, it is the accomplishment or failure of this goal that will determine the course of the entire battle.
Examples:
Keep the horde from the defenseless children
Seize this bridge to allow our troops passage to the next battle
Bring down the gates at Beiden Pass
Stop the reinforcements from reaching the keep
Note: Goals should be achievable by the PCs and give them a sense of accomplishment even if the overall battle fails due to the failure of other goals.
Example: In a Lion/Scorpion battle, the GM has determined the following goals are needed for certain victory:
For the Lion Clan: In order to hold the keep at Beiden Pass, the gates must be held, the commander of the Scorpion must be captured, and the reinforcements from the Dragon must be killed.
For the Scorpion Clan: In order to take the keep at Beiden Pass, the gates must be breached, the commander of the Lion must be killed, and the reinforcements from the Dragon must get through.
The GM has determined that the PCs are in a position where they can determine whether or not the reinforcements from the Dragon get through so that is the goal they are involved with.
Whether or not the Lion or Scorpion take the keep depends on how the GM decides to resolve the accomplishments of the NPCS in achieving the other two goals, and how important the Dragon reinforcements are to the overall success or failure of the battle. The PCs may end up the linchpin of the whole battle, or they might find themselves accomplishing their own goal while the battle has been won or lost despite them.
In 5th Edition, the Commander for an entire army selects a Strategic Objective each battle round, and the accomplishment of these Strategic Objectives may add to the army's overall Momentum Points towards a final victory. These Strategic Objectives can be used as Goals for the PC small group. If 5th Edition and Strategic Objectives are used, ignore the How to Achieve it and the Fulfilled When options for the conflict for Strategic Objectives the PCs will accomplish. Use the Upon Completion result if the PCs are successful in completing their portion of the army's goal. The GM can use the rules for Leaders fulfilling Strategic Objectives to determine non-PC-focused strategic objectives if they do not wish to use pre-prepared set pieces between NPCs to determine goal resolution. Using the 5th Edition Mass Battle rules at all, however, is not required, and the PCs do not need to be in command of any troops outside their own group in order to contribute to the outcome of the battle.
Advantage
In order to achieve the PC portion of the army’s goal, it must achieve enough Advantage to overcome the opposing force. The size of the opposing force determines the amount of Advantage the army (or part of the army associated with this goal) needs to achieve, as follows:
Advantage Needed |
To Accomplish Goal |
4 |
To Overcome a Insignificant Force (Rank 1) |
8 |
To Overcome a Weak Force (Rank 2) |
10 |
To Overcome an Average Force (Rank 3) |
12 |
To Overcome an Strong Force (Rank 4) |
16 |
To Overcome an Overwhelming Force (Rank 5) |
20 |
To Overcome an Unbelievable Force |
Example: When the Kakita tried to hold Kyuden Kakita against the Shadowlands Horde, they were a handful of samurai (insignificant force) defending against an overwhelming force. Only the heroic spirit of the Kenshinzen allowed them to hold out as long as they did. They would have had to achieve 16 Advantage on the field, while their foes only needed 4 to win.
The first army to achieve its required Advantage wins the battle during the resolution phase of the battle turn. If neither army achieves the required Advantage then the battle ends in a stalemate and must be rejoined the next day.
The first army to achieve its required Advantage wins the battle during the resolution phase of the battle turn. If neither army achieves the required Advantage then the battle ends in a stalemate and must be rejoined the next day.
