| | My house rules | |
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Verbannon Heroic Adventurer
Posts : 162 Join date : 2014-11-25
Character sheet Name: Class: Race:
| Subject: My house rules Fri Sep 11, 2015 4:08 am | |
| Lastly I've recently been trying out the AD&D war machine method of doing mass combat. Its shockingly balanced. And I've just had to do a few tweaks. I've only had one battle with it but so far it works great. I treat it as a skill challenge for the players except their actions add BR rather than successes. - 4e war machine:
Force Template Force Description Availability Unique Level 1 Numbers Determine the Force Numbers, if unknown just make a rough estimate. Guess how populace the settlements the soldiers are being drawn from are. divide that guess by 100 to determine the size of the standing army. Then divide the population again by 10 (assuming both men and women are conscripted) to determine the size of the militia force commonly called upon. Double that number if the settlements called upon every able bodied man and woman for like an emergency. Leadership Add the leader's half level, add the sum of his mods for intelligence, charisma and wisdom, Add +1 for each of the following skills he has trained (Diplomacy, intimidate, insight, bluff,) If lacking any specific leader just grab a standard unit that makes up the force and give him a +2 bonus representing whatever made him stand out.There is a leader template in the DMG you can apply. Count that as increasing his level by 6. Level Average standard creature level*2, (4 minions count as one standard, an elite counts as a monster 6 levels higher than itself, a solo as a monster 12 levels higher than itself) Special Add a +2 bonus for every single other advantage the force possesses. For example, ifa good number of their troops are mounted, thats a +2, if flying another +2, add +2 for every role they have a bunch of (like at least 10%), add +2 for every special limited resource they have access to like healing potions and ritual support, add +2 for every siege and artillery type engine (including monsters that can serve in thoser capacities) which they have enough of to make a difference, add +2 if they have a morale bonus for some reason (As a note, short term morale is calculated seperetely, this is for the long term attitude), even add a +2 for maybe a high level solo they have that might have a greater impact than the above level calculation might suggest and add a +2 for anything else you can think of. Add a -2 for any disadvantage you can think of. BR Add together all the above to determine the BR, thats just the bonus modifier to the 1d100 rolls. Determining Combat Divide larger force by small. Apply following bonus to larger. 1.5 to 1 +2, 2 to 1 +4, 3 to 1 +6, 4 to 1 +8, 5 to 1 +10, 6 to 1 +12, 7 to 1 +14, 8 to 1 or greater +16, +2 bonus if defending their homeland, +2 bonus if they have defeated this enemy before, +2 bonus for every 5 levels below the force's average level the enemy's average level is, +6 bonus if attacking an enemy "on the march" -2 bonus if any accompanying force has routed +5 if in extremely favrable environment -5 if in extremely unfavorable environment -2 if the enemy is obscured (such as during night fighting or if a heavy fog rolls in) -5 if the enemy is heavily obscured +4 if at higher altitude than opponent +2 if fighting in a favored terrain (like dwarves fighting in mountains) -4 with mounted troops in terrain unfavorable to mounted units. -4 for force in mire (,marsh/mud)* -2 for force on shifting ground (snow/sand)* +2 if defending in place* +10 if defending a narrow place* +8 if attacker must cross deep water +4 if defending in mountains, hills, rough terrain or behind a wall +20 if force is in a stronghold* *Ignore if all attackers can ignore reasonably ignore the terrain, halve if only 10% or more can ignore the terrain. Immunities(limit 1) +15 if force is immune to enemy's attacks +5 if 5% or more of force is immune to enemy's attacks. +5 if force is resistant to enemy's attacks.** +2 if 5% or more of force is resistant to enemy's attacks.** **Includes insubstantial or regeneration. -2 if force is fatigued -6 if force is exhausted Combat Result Table roll opposing 1d100s+BRs. Then use table to determine results. left columns are winners, right losers. difference,casualties.fatigue,location 1-8 0:10 N:N F:R 9-15 0:20 N:N F:R 16-24 10:20 N:F F:R 25-30 10:30 N:F F:R+1 31-38 20:40 F:E R:R 39-50 10:30 N:E F:R+2 51-63 20:50 F:E F+1:R+3 64-80 30:60 F:E F+1:R+3 81-90 10:50 N:E F+3:R+2 91-100 10:30 N:Rout F+3:Rout 101-120 20:70 N:Rout F+3:Rout 121-150 10:40 N:Rout F+3:Rout 151+ 10:100 N:- F+5:- F in fatigue means fatigue, E means exhaausted, N means none, F in location means forward, R means retreat, +x means a certain number of squares or miles is retreated. Cities and Factions
Last edited by Verbannon on Sat Aug 05, 2017 5:47 pm; edited 3 times in total | |
| | | Verbannon Heroic Adventurer
Posts : 162 Join date : 2014-11-25
Character sheet Name: Class: Race:
| Subject: Re: My house rules Fri Sep 11, 2015 8:40 am | |
| Why do I post things at 4 am in the morning when I'm tired? This is probably filled with mistakes. | |
| | | skwyd42 Epic Adventurer
Posts : 310 Join date : 2013-09-15 Age : 54 Location : Central California.
Character sheet Name: Alain Smith IV Class: Vampire Race: Half-Elf
| Subject: Re: My house rules Fri Sep 11, 2015 12:01 pm | |
| It has been scientifically determined that 4AM is the most opportune time to post things about D&D.
I like the idea of framing mass combat in the skill challenge model. I really think that skill challenges were one of the best ideas of 4E, but they just got implemented poorly and explained even worse than that.
I should post some of my house rule ideas here. They aren't as complex as what Verbannon posted above, but they are some ideas I've used (or are planning on using) in my campaigns. | |
| | | Verbannon Heroic Adventurer
Posts : 162 Join date : 2014-11-25
Character sheet Name: Class: Race:
| Subject: Re: My house rules Fri Sep 11, 2015 3:07 pm | |
| looking forward to it. | |
| | | skwyd42 Epic Adventurer
Posts : 310 Join date : 2013-09-15 Age : 54 Location : Central California.
Character sheet Name: Alain Smith IV Class: Vampire Race: Half-Elf
| Subject: Re: My house rules Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:37 am | |
| Well, here's a house rule idea that I came up with but haven't implemented. I've talked about it a bit with my players and they don't seem too interested in it. But this is one idea I've had. I don't make house rules unless I see a problem in the implementation of the rules or a gap in the flow of the game. In this case, since 4E combat can get a bit lengthy at times, I was looking for a way to put a bit more immediate control in the players' hands on overcoming the challenge of combat. But I also feel that it has to come with a price. So the benefit is that the players can make some attacks into an assured hit. The price is that this can be used against them later in the encounter. I guessed that these would be most used to ensure that a Daily attack hits. Either that, or they would be used as a "safety net" to negate attacks against characters that had already taken a lot of damage.
Combat Tokens The idea is to make combat (possibly) more dynamic and (possibly) a little faster. It may or may not play well with other house rules so I’ll have to playtest this a bit.
What are Combat Tokens and how does one get them? They are a token that is awarded to a player on certain attack rolls. Whenever the player rolls a natural 1, natural 20, or misses every target on an attack that has multiple targets, they get a Combat Token. Each player will start combat with 1 token and tokens are reset when combat ends.
How are Combat Tokens used? Combat tokens have 2 possible uses. They can turn a hit into a miss or a miss into a hit. However, they cannot change the result when a natural 1 or natural 20 is rolled on the attack roll.
For example, when the player makes an attack roll and finds out it is a miss, a token can be turned in to make that roll a hit instead. Or, if an enemy attacks a character and hits, a token can be turned in to make it a miss.
There is a catch, however. When a player uses a token, they give it to the DM. So when an enemy’s hit is turned into a miss, the DM gets that token and can use it later in the same combat against the players. Likewise, if the DM uses a token to change a roll against a player, that player gains the token used.
There is one special rule. Players can use 4 tokens at once to turn a miss into a crit or a crit into a miss. Only players can use this, not the DM.
What Else Do I Need To Know? The DM starts with no tokens and doesn’t gain tokens for any rolls. The only way the DM gains tokens is when players use tokens to change rolls. The DM cannot use any combination of tokens to turn a miss into a crit or a crit into a miss. That is solely an ability usable by the players. | |
| | | Verbannon Heroic Adventurer
Posts : 162 Join date : 2014-11-25
Character sheet Name: Class: Race:
| Subject: Re: My house rules Fri Sep 18, 2015 3:50 pm | |
| I don't see any benefit at all to those combat tokens. For the most part, it would not effect combat in any way. The final 'turn a miss into a crit, crit into a miss' thing would certainly imbalance combat in favor of the party by a bit.
If used intelligently by the players and the monsters would still imbalance things towards the players.
I don't see it making combat more dynamic. And won't appreciably speed it up. Essentially just more record keeping with no benefit.
Thats my opinion. | |
| | | skwyd42 Epic Adventurer
Posts : 310 Join date : 2013-09-15 Age : 54 Location : Central California.
Character sheet Name: Alain Smith IV Class: Vampire Race: Half-Elf
| Subject: Re: My house rules Fri Sep 18, 2015 4:15 pm | |
| It isn't that it speeds up the flow within combat, but it has the potential to shave some of the rounds off of the end. As written, I find that some of the beefier combat encounters in 4E get to a point where the majority of the encounter and daily powers are spent and both sides are reduced to at-will powers. And usually, at this point, it is a matter of just grinding down the remaining hit points of the monsters.
The combat tokens allow a player to be assured of a hit on an attack that they consider important. It could end the combat a round or two earlier.
Of course, if they use it imprudently, then the enemy has the opportunity to turn the tides against them.
Like I said, I haven't actually implemented it yet. It was an idea that I got from an online discussion with other GMs. | |
| | | Garthanos Moderator
Posts : 1045 Join date : 2013-05-25 Location : Nebraska
Character sheet Name: Garthanos Class: Arcadian Knight Race: Auld Worlder
| Subject: Re: My house rules Fri Sep 18, 2015 7:22 pm | |
| At one point I contemplated having desperation moves which could only be pulled when you were at the end of your ropes the idea was for them to be more erratic and less predictable... The idea was to cope with this - > "And usually, at this point, it is a matter of just grinding down the remaining hit points of the monsters."
Although the flavor of desperation kind of requires that you should feel defensively depleted... hmmmm and no i never quite implemented | |
| | | skwyd42 Epic Adventurer
Posts : 310 Join date : 2013-09-15 Age : 54 Location : Central California.
Character sheet Name: Alain Smith IV Class: Vampire Race: Half-Elf
| Subject: Re: My house rules Wed Sep 23, 2015 2:04 pm | |
| - Garthanos wrote:
- At one point I contemplated having desperation moves which could only be pulled when you were at the end of your ropes the idea was for them to be more erratic and less predictable... The idea was to cope with this - > "And usually, at this point, it is a matter of just grinding down the remaining hit points of the monsters."
Although the flavor of desperation kind of requires that you should feel defensively depleted... hmmmm and no i never quite implemented I like this idea. And it might be something that I try in a future campaign. | |
| | | Verbannon Heroic Adventurer
Posts : 162 Join date : 2014-11-25
Character sheet Name: Class: Race:
| Subject: Re: My house rules Sun Sep 27, 2015 1:56 pm | |
| I normally when things get to the end, decide to have the enemies either flee in a panic or get extra ruthless attacking the lowest hp player with no thought to defense with the intention of coup de gracing if possible as a sort of "If I go down" mentality.
This seems to be enough to deal with the final rounds grind. Since the reckless way they try to get CA and only go after the weakest player means there will be enough oas on them to get them dead sooner. And the way they will coup de grace the players if they manage to succeed adds an extra layer of danger to keep it intense. | |
| | | skwyd42 Epic Adventurer
Posts : 310 Join date : 2013-09-15 Age : 54 Location : Central California.
Character sheet Name: Alain Smith IV Class: Vampire Race: Half-Elf
| Subject: Re: My house rules Tue Sep 29, 2015 10:34 am | |
| In my last campaign, I used a modified version of the Escalation Die from 13th Age. By round 4 or so, the bonus to attacks was high enough that most attacks were hitting. So combatants started dropping rather quickly at that point because attacks didn't miss very much.
On average, it trimmed 2 to 3 rounds off of combats. And with the "fighty" nature of 4E, this could be a 15 minute time savings, which is no small thing when you can only play once every 2 weeks for 4 hours a session. | |
| | | Verbannon Heroic Adventurer
Posts : 162 Join date : 2014-11-25
Character sheet Name: Class: Race:
| Subject: Re: My house rules Mon Oct 05, 2015 1:05 am | |
| My encounters rarely make it past round 3. Your encounter are long. | |
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