Mass Battle Rules

Mass Battle Rules
Battles are played out in a series of events with various modifiers altering the difficulty.

Territorial Advantage
Determined before battle by each army's commander/lieutanant.

Deployment Total = Intelligence + Area Lore + Magical Aid +Stress Die

Territorial Advantage = Deployment total - Enemy Deployment Total

Magical Aid = Magnitude of highest spell deployed to affect the terrain/deployment of troops

Weight of Numbers
Size of an army is measured in groups of 5. Having superior numbers gives a bonus in combat events.
 * 1:1 No bonus
 * 3:2 +1 Bonus
 * 2:1 +2 Bonus
 * 3:1 +3 Bonus
 * 4:1 +4 Bonus

Battlefield Events
GM designs battle events to center on part of the battlefield or a particular target. The GM creates the scenario, the troupe creates the event. Troupe picks a focal player character for each stage of the battle, upon who the event centers. The character creates an event by mixing manuever, enemy, & size factors. The event total should be equal or greater than the battle ease factor. The character then has to play through and succeed in the event.

Typical Battle Ease factors: Event Total = Stamina + Leadership + Territorial Advantage + Weight of Numbers Bonus + Event Bonus
 * Engaged 9
 * Advantage/Setback 12
 * Imminent Victory/Defeat 15

Event Bonus = Maneuver + Enemy + Size

Surrendering the initiative can grant +1 to Event total

Maneuver

 * Defense +0: Defend a place, item, person.
 * Attack +1: Attack an enemy line or location
 * Run the Gauntlet +2: Misc activities other than direct combat
 * Take +3: Attack then defend
 * Heroic Gesture +4: Insanely brave gesture. Character may die in the process but still win the event.

Enemy

 * Inexpensive +0: Levies
 * Standard +1: Infantry/Archers
 * Expensive +2: Knights/Sarjeants
 * Special +3: Leading enemy characters, supernatural troops, dangerous phenomenon, etc,
 * Baggage +4: Gives bad reputation if you do this!

Size
Standard Combat Group = 5 troops + Weight in Numbers modifier Example Event:
 * Lesser +0: Facing number of enemies half your size or less
 * Even +1: Facing a single combat group
 * Outnumbered +2: Facing two combat groups
 * Overwhelmed +3: Facing three combat groups
 * I Stand Alone +4: A single character faces overwhelming odds

Feint- Run the Gauntlet (+2), Overwhelmed (+3), Expensive (+2) = +7

Take a small force, engage a superior number of enemies, then attempt to disengage. If the lead character successfully disengages and survives for 5 rounds, the flank is opened up and the event succeeds. If the character dies or or fails to disengage, the event is lost.

Wounds & Attrition
After each battle, defeated side loses combat groups

Loser's Wounded: Event Size x Weight in Numbers bonus (if positive)

Loser's commander must make a morale roll against ease factor 6. If it fails, commander can try to rally troops at the beginning of next event. A group without morale becomes Disordered or Routed.

The victor's characters get 1 confidence point, even if they did not fight in the event. The victorious army's leader gets 1 xp in a Reputation.

Magic on the Battlefield
A magi in the midst of battle needs a concentration roll of +12 to cast spells.

A magi off to the sides or not yet engaged needs a concentration roll of +9.

The Hermetic Group target may target 10 people, but a standard group spell cannot target members of a larger group (such as an army) until you have split them off first. Group spells with extra size modifiers may be able to hit a whole army.

The Hermetic Boundary target must target a well-defined, marked out area. It is rarely applicable to a battlefield.

Fortifications
At the beginning of a battle, each army allocates its force to miners, artillery, or soldiers. A castle is assumed to have four walls regardless of shape. Assign troops to each wall as desired.

Defense Quality of a castle: Damage Modifier of a castle:
 * Shoddy / Makeshift defenses: +1 Defense Bonus
 * Standard / Free Choices: Manor House, Ringwork, Small tower- +2 Defense Bonus
 * Superior / Minor Castles: Shell Keep, Tower Keep- +3 Defense Bonus
 * Excellent / Great Castles: Curtain Walls & Mural Towers- +4 Defense Bonus
 * House, watch tower, barbican, shell keep = Size +5 to +8 = Damage Modifier of 3
 * Fortified Castle, town, or City = Size +9 or more = Damage Modifier of 4

Number of Wall Damage Levels = Defense Bonus x Damage Level Modifier

Kerguntuil (Tower Keep) would be Defense bonus of 3 x3 = 9 Damage Levels per side

Mont-Mercure (Ringwork & Small Tower) would be Defense Bonus of +2 x 3 = 6 Damage Levels per side

Eustace's Monastary (Manor House) would be Defense Bonus of +2 x 3 = 6 Damage Levels per side

Artillery
Artillery Attack = Int + Siege Weapon Ability + Engine Attack Bonus + Stress Die

Artillery Defense = Int + Prof: Siege Engineer + Defense Bonus + Stress Die

A successful artillery attack incurs a number of damage levels equal to the number of attacking siege weapons.

When the wall has been reduced to zero damage levels, the castle no longer benefits from its Defense Bonus at that wall.

Ballista: Init +5, Attk +5, Damage +15, range 50m, requires crew of 3

Mangonel: Init -3, Attk +3, Damage +20, range 150m, requires crew of 5

Trebuchet: Init -4, Attk +1, Damage +25, range 200m, requires crew of 5

Mining
Mine Attack Total = Int + Prof: Sapper + Stress Die

Mine Defense Total = Int + Prof: Sapper + Castle Defense Bonus + Stress Die

Moat adds +1 to Defense quality (ie Standard -> Superior)

Successful mine attack reduces Defense Quality one step

Escalade
Attackers try to scale the walls using ladders or towers. Defenders on the wall get to use the Castle Defense bonus as Territorial Bonus & garrison characteristic as a Weight in Numbers bonus. Each succesful attack reduces the defending garrison's quality by one step. Attacks target the garrison troops nominated to defend that particular wall. A successful attack against a shoddy wall breaches the castle and regular combat follows.

Garrison strength:
 * <=10 : +1 Weight in Numbers Bonus
 * 11 - 20: +2 Weight in Numbers Bonus
 * 21 - 40: +3 Weight in Numbers Bonus
 * 41+ +4 Weight in Numbers Bonus

Stockade
An army can attempt to surround and wait out the defenders. Attacker has to cover at least 3 walls to do this. All characters spending at least a season under siege get -2 to Living Conditions that year. At the end of each check period, make a supplies roll.

Supplies Roll: Siege Condition Modifier + Stress Die vs. 3+ Garrison Weight in Numbers Modifier + Number of Years Under Siege

Botch die = 1 + years under siege. Botched roll means disease breaks out.

Supply quality:
 * Shoddy (Easily Surrounded): Week Check Duration, +1 Siege conditions Modifier
 * Standard (Large reserves): Month Check Duration, +2 Siege conditions Modifier
 * Superior (River): Seasonal Check Duration, +3 Siege conditions Modifier
 * Excellent (Sea Access): Year Check Duration, +4 Siege Conditions Modifier