Professional Documents
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1
Birthright War compendium
Based on Ad&d 2.0 edition - first RELEASE
BETA Version 1.5; 23 April 2013
Rules team:
Stanios
Betos
Rock Star
Chapter developer/editors:
Stanios
Cover art /Interior art:
All interior art is copyrighted by TSR or free distributed by artists throught out the internet. Artwork is not used for
commercial purposes
Special Thanks:
Vigilant-Undercover Nazgoulis
"he
Thom
Reginald
Gary Foss
Arjan Duijs
Travis Doom
Ian Hoskins
All the people of Birthright.net
and all the lads that will tolerate all the playtesting
This copy is a free document meant for personal and private use
only. It is not for commercial sale, resale or distribution in whole or in part. Furthermore,
its contents may be quoted, duplicated, revised or become the basis of derivative works
under the understanding that such works must properly reference this text, its author, and
are themselves released free of charge and under a comparable license.
Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip
Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.
Based on and including BIRTHRIGHT material created by Rich Baker, Colin McComb, Jean Rabe, Ed
Stark, Dale Donovan, Duane Maxwell, and Carrie Bebris.
This rulebook contains copyrighted material used with permission of Wizards of the Coast. This
rulebook is not for sale or resale and no profit can be made from the use of this material.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, DUNGEON MASTER, BIRTHRIGHT, and the BIRTHRIGHT logo, and the
Wizards of the Coast logo are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The
System logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All characters,character names,
and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This
material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any product is a
work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely
coincidental.
2011 Evangelos Batalis
2
Contents
3
Prologue
Why War?
You might want to introduce a war into your campaign for any reason. War can set the tone of a campaign
world, herald large-scale changes in its political structure, or simply provide new adventuring options for
characters who have grown bored with the same old plotlines.
The sheer drama and grandeur of warfare can add sparkle to a campaignnothing quite equals the sights and
sounds of armies on the march. The measured tramp of booted feet on the road; the color and pageantry of
military standards, coats of arms, and uniformed troops; the sight of cheering commoners waving flags as
their troops pass in reviewall these elements bring with them a special sort of excitement. Eventually, this
movement of troops culminates in the flash of steel in the morning sun and the clash of arms as two armies
meet, struggling for supremacy on the battlefield. By playing up these aspects, you can use a war to bring out
the heroic nature of your world. The foregoing describes the bright side of war, but it has a grim side as well.
Troops and animals can become mired in a muddy field on a cold, rainy day, or have to flee for their lives before
invading forces, or end up starving in a ravaged countryside. Treachery and deadly ambushes can put a quick
end to even the best-laid plans.
Finally, the grim picture of carrion feeders flocking to the aftermath of a battle brings home the reality of war in
a way that nothing else can. By emphasizing these aspects, you can use war to underscore the gritty realism of
your world. War touches nearly every aspect of life in the area where conflict rages and sometimes in locales far
removed from the fighting as well. Player characters who live in a country at war may find themselves eluding
press gangs or perhaps running press gangs of their own. Some might take more active roles and serve their
country by fighting on the battlefield, commanding troops, carrying messages, or performing any of myriad other
tasks suited to their abilities.
Even when a war is far away, adventurers can still feel its effects. They may find themselves shelling out extra
gold the next time they shop for supplies, and some goods may be unavailable at any price. War also tends to
bring intrigue to distant places, as diplomats, spies, and saboteurs work to bring allies into the fray and to keep
their foes from doing the same. Any war can present new challenges to the PCs in a campaign, no matter what
their level. Epic-level characters can hardly ignore a large-scale invasionespecially if other epic-level characters
lead the invading armybut even low-level characters can find roles to fill.
War also provides an excellent opportunity to make a change in your campaign world. You can eliminate aspects
you dont like, such as troublesome non-player characters (NPCs) or even whole countries. At the same time, you
can introduce new elements, such as new allies for the PCs, new villains, or even new cultures and religions.
In short, war can take center stage in your campaign, provide a backdrop for the action, serve as a vehicle for
change, or merely provide the occasional adventure hook. Few campaign developments can prove so versatile.
Before playing
Before you start reading you have to keep in mind that what you are about to read is nothing other than work of
people found all over the internet but compiled in a way that it makes sense and adaptable to a book of rules
that can be used in our conversion system for BIRTHRIGHT. If you do heed our words and read carefully you
can find yourself caught in a midst of a battlefield or atop a rampart watching fiery rain coming down on you. Sea
spray and warm summer breeze can wind upon your hair at the helm of your Galleon and full winds blow on its
sails. This is what this book is about. We aint professionals, and surely we aint developers, what we are is
hobbyists. Our love for this game has driven us to come to these rules in order to enjoy our game.
This battle system has been designed to use the BIRTHRIGHT war cards as unit indicators, so if you have
bought the game and you have the war cards you can either use the war map the game provided or print a new
one as we have done, much larger to suit some strategic movement and give our battles some time to evolve. A
single war game can take from two to five hours depending on the number of players and units involved. If you
dont have the game war map or the cards you have to come up with something to correspond to the metric
system used here. Finally if you have any questions, remarks or even corrections to give us feel free to contact
us via our webpage or blog.
4
Chapter 1: WAR
The battle was all but won. Our enemies were huddled in a loose formation
before us. They had fallen back towards the forest, driven by our charging cavalry and the
relentless push of pikemen. Yet they did not flee or surrender. They had retreated in good order, and as many of
our dead littered the ground as theirs. Nonetheless, their position was dire, and it was only a matter of time
before their ranks broke and they would be crushed.
For the first time in hours, men began to smile as the relief of victory began to wash over them. The prince
ordered a final charge as the enemys formation began to press into the trees at their backs.
Do not let them escape! he ordered.
Show them no more mercy than they have shown our own people!
He led them himself. It was just as the first knight lowered his lance that we heard the hissing sounds and
fleshy thumps that fill the soldiers heart with dread. There were archers in the trees! The whole of our cavalry
was exposed to their fire! More arrows leapt from the right and left, and I realized that this enfilade that looked
like such a perfect place to force our enemies also gave anyone waiting for us a perfect view of our flanks. We
had been lured into a cunning trap. Many have told the tale of that brave charge, and that the prince fell
swinging his blade, surrounded by foes. I tell you truthfully, that I saw him fall in that first volley, and it was the
feathered shaft of an arrow that stuck from his gorget that silenced him. Without our leader, many found they
had little stomach for the coming slaughter. I count myself among them, and that is why I am here to tell you
the tale rather than feeding the crows upon some distant field.
THE ROLE OF COMMAND
Strategy can play a vital role in military endeavours. In this system, Strategy takes place during strategic
decisions made by characters. But more dramatically, Strategy takes place on the battlefield during the
Advantage phase of the combat round. At that time, leaders are able to get points that can be used later in the
combat round to alter the effects of the various actions. In a Birthright campaign, Strategy is the purview of the
PCs, usually in their role as regents. In a typical D&D campaign, PCs can be devastatingly powerful in combat in a
way that is difficult to portray in large scale combat. One of the conventions of this system is that the characters
who lead a military force do just that: lead. By directing combat, rather than engaging directly in it they are able
to wield forces beyond even their own powers. The coordination and teamwork involved in an organized military
unit makes that force more powerful than even high level characters, and one of the points in delving into a large
scale combat system is the assumption that even the most powerful character would not be able to confront an
organized military force in any realistic way.
Thats not to say that PCs dont influence events at the large scale combat level. Their presence can still be
vital to the outcome of a battle. However, their role is relegated to that of the commander. In this system, that
means their influence is determined early in the combat round as an abstract pool of points that is doled out by
the player as he sees fit during the remainder of the round. The strategy non-weapon has the corresponding
description about advantage points and its use.
The Battle Round
Each battle round has two main stages and lasts 10 actual rounds (10 minutes of fighting). Each combat round
is conducted in the following order: The Action Phase which is comprised from: Initiative,
Activation/Scouting/Ambush, Advantage, Stationary Range attacks, Cavalry charge, Movement/Formation and the
Battle Phase which is comprised by Magical Attacks, Combat ( Melee, Range attacks),and the Morale Phase.
5
The Battleground
The ground selected by the defender or sometimes the attacker to resolute a battle is a choice that can turn the
tides. The Battleground can be fields of plains with minor props but most of the times hills, rivers, keeps, armed
camps and several other sites can play a decisive role in a huge battle. The battle ground is going to be tiled in
rectangular hexes of 60 yards wide x 80 yards long. Since we are going to be using the battle cards from the BR
original campaign as markers for a amassment of troops we can safely assume that the unit itself take up some
space in the battlefield, hence we can use each battle card as a metric unit of its own. The best way to measure
this is to take in account the least metric unit in our system which is the slow mobility of the footmen, and that is
12yards per round. Translating that in the Battle system we can assume that a footman unit is moving 120 yards
per Battle Round. This system is going to make our lives a lot easier concerning movement, range, and special
manoeuvring during a huge scale battle. In order to be able to calculate accurately all details concerning the
battlefield all stats are going to be taken into account and a huge difference between all sorts of units will be
playing a huge part during war.
I. Initiative
Initiative is rolled at the start of each combat round. Initiative order is very important at this time. The first
initiative roll is made by the opposing Generals as dictated before battle, there are some times more than two
Generals involved in battle. A d20 is rolled with the highest result calling the order that the armies will declare
their actions. There are modifiers that can add to this result (see Strategy NWP). When Initiative order has been
declared you can proceed with the first phase of the battle.
Activation/Scouting/ambush
Activation and scouting are two very important factors for a battle resolution. At this phase the leaders of the
opposed armies can choose to activate and/or scout throughout the battlefield. All units can scout 600 yards
ahead of them the actual size, type and origin of their enemy. Scouts can scout 960 yards away thus making
them a viable unit for every army. When a unit is revealed from scouting its presence becomes common
knowledge for the leading General and all units in his army benefit from this knowledge. Ambush is performed
from units able to do so and grants a very deadly advantage during battle. Units assigned to ambush do so at the
very start of the round and can assault units within their movement reach unnoticed. Ambush halves all defense
rating of the target for that attack. Activation usually follows after scouting and it is the moment where the
general sends through his scouts his first orders for mobilization. Activation is needed to perform any kind of
action, a unit not activated cannot perform any action or be targeted by advantage points unless rules state
otherwise. The activation cost for each unit is listed in the table below.
Advantage
At the beginning of this phase the leaders are called for a Wis/Int roll, if they make the roll they are awarded 4
advantage points, if they fail the roll they are awarded 2 points. Advantage points can be spent at this phase in
order to Augment Units , Perform Special Maneuvers or even activate extra units for movement. Units called to
perform Special Maneuvers must roll a morale check with a +2 bonus before they execute it.
Table 1-1: Activation Costs
Unit Activation Cost
Scouts/Levies 0
Infrantry /Archers/Pikemen 1
Elite Infranty/Light Cavalry 3
Knights 5
Artillery 7
Table 1-2: Advantage
Action Advantage point cost
Simple attack (melee/missile) 0
Move 0
Unit Activation 1/3/5/7
Forced Move* 2
Rally 2
Assume Formation* 2
Fortify* 2
6
*Special Maneuvers
Unit activation: The commander spends advantage points at a ratio 1to1 for activation points for his troops.
Forced Move: The commander spends advantage points in order to double a units move this battle round.
Units ordered to force move twice in a row must roll a morale check.
Rally : The commander spends advantage points to Rally units in his army. By doing so the unit rolls a morale
check at the morale phase of the battle. Leaders can opt to save advantage point to rally check at the end of
battle to negate an in round morale event, this happens with -2 morale penalty. If the check fails the unit loses
one level of morale.
Assume Formation: By spending advantage points the commander can order a troop to assume strategic
formations in order to fight more efficiently. Not all troops are trained in formations. See unit descriptions.
Fortify: By spending advantage points a unit can be ordered to fortify and wait for an assault. A fortified unit in
order to move next round needs double its activation points and can only do a half move. A fortified unit receives
a +2 bonus on its AC value. All units can fortify
Targeting: Units employing long range missile weapons can use advantage points to use targeting for their
missile attack this round, Targeting can only be used by stationery missile attack. Targeting allows the missile
unit to shoot at already engaged units choosing target. Targeting Missile attack on stationary targets gets a +4
Bonus on Battle rolls.
Ambush: Only units mentioned in their description that are able to ambush can use this advantage. Ambush is a
very powerful advantage and can be performed only once from a unit that has appeared in a battle ground. Units
spoiling their cover cannot ambush any longer. Ambush units resolve attacks immediately and deal a +4 Battle
roll with a x2 damage die.
Charge: The commander orders his men on a furious assault. The unit can make a free move towards the
enemy as part of the charge. The unit rolls 2 dice of damage for damage resolution. Only units capable of
charging can use this advantage.
Fire Support: This advantage can be used by units which employ close combat and some sort of range
weapons, the moment this unit is about to engage in a melee combat round if points have been spent the unit is
entering the melee using a free attack and damage rolls using its missile rating first and then resolving the melee
action.
Hit & Run: Hit and run is a guerrilla warfare tactic used by specific type of units and its very difficult to perform.
The unit makes a move in the Movement sequence performs a missile attack depending on the weapon it uses
and then must use any remainder movement points to fall back.
Fast Attack: Fast Attack is a basic attack action executed very swiftly. All Fast Attacks are resolved prior to
other actions in the round. If both sides use Fast Attack, then first Fast Attacks are resolved in initiative order and
then other actions are resolved as normal. Fast attacking units roll first battle and damage on their opponents
and then if their opponent survives it can retaliate. All units can try to fast attack.
Tactical Withdraw: A unit can perform a tactical withdrawal during Movement Step, if the commander has the
initiative there are no further effects; the unit has simply used the benefit of initiative to break off contact and
pull back a short distance from the enemy unit. Withdraw is allows backwards. Units withdrawing are doing so
with half move.
Movement/formation
Units can been assigned to either move or change their formation if able to do so, activated units can now
perform the move that is allowed to them or if designated by advantage can assume a special formation. If a unit
has been activated and designated to change formation this will happen before the unit moves and uses half of
the units move allowance. Units in formations can take only half a move.
Action Advantage point cost
Targeting 4
Ambush* 4
Charge* 4
Fire Support 4
Hit & Run* 4
Tactical Withdraw 4
Fast Attack* 6
7
III. The Combat Phase
Stationary range attacks
All units that are capable of a range attack and not assigned perform any moves are capable of taking the missile
attacks at this phase if an enemy unit is within range. The units roll five battle rolls with the proper modifiers for
range/cover etc. This is considered one attack. Stationary missile units can perform Targeting at half the cost.
Cavalry Charge
Units who are capable of performing a charge advantage action can do so now. Charging will make the unit move
double its base move speed. The Charge deal a battle roll in damage plus two damage rolls on the defender.
Magic and magical Attacks
Spells, monster magical abilities and unusual power are resolved at this step. Wizard's are treated as individuals
and are subject to skirmish rules. Wizards cast spells in battle in the same manner they cast at other occasions.
Range, number of targets and all factors are taken into account for resolution.
Combat (Melee/Missile)
When two or more unit come in the same hex during the movement phase their movement stops
and a melee starts, the units are locked in battle and cannot escape till it has been resolved. Missile
Units that have moved at this phase and have not come into melee can perform any of its missile
attacks with a -4 penalty to its battle rolls. Shooting missile attacks in a melee causes the damage to
be distributed evenly among friend or foe. Roll five battle rolls and calculate the results, this is considered one
attack. When 2 units are engaged in battle they occupy one hex and no more units can enter that hex, what can
be done though is that friendly units can occupy the surrounding hexes in order to provide bonus to
the units Battle roll and an extra Damage roll per skirmish round. The bonus is calculated depending
the number of units supporting. (1 unit +2 to battle roll, 2 units +4 to battle rolls, 3 units +6 to battle
rolls, 4 units +8 to battle rolls) Morale modifiers for outnumber do count.
IV. The Morale Phase
After attacks are resolved, every military unit can be subject to a morale check. During the morale phase each
unit rolls 2d10 and the result must be equal to or less than the morale of the unit for it to succeed the check. A
simple failure indicates that the unit is losing one step of morale. A morale check fail that exceeds the total
morale of a unit by 9 or more means the unit has surrendered.
Morale Changing Events
These events will cause a unit to roll morale to resist losing a step of morale. One success is required to resist
such a shift, Make a morale change check at the end of every mass combat round in which such situations have
occurred.
1. The leader takes a serious injury. (-2 Morale, roll at Morale Phase)
2. The leader dies. (-4 Morale, immediate roll to avoid two steps of morale loss)
3. Unit moves more than once consecutively using a forced move action. (Roll at Morale Phase)
4. 75% of the unit has fallen. (-4 Morale, immediate roll to avoid two steps of morale loss)
5. Over 50% of the unit is fell with one attack (-4 Morale, immediate roll to avoid two steps of morale loss)
6. The unit realizes it's outnumbered by 5:1 or worse. (-4 Morale, Immediate roll to avoid two steps of
morale loss)
Morale Modifiers
1. 25% of the unit has fallen. (-1 Morale)
2. 50% of the unit has fallen. (-2 Morale, roll at morale Phase)
3. The unit realizes it's outnumbered by 2:1 or worse. (-1 Morale, roll at morale Phase)
4. The unit is within 2 spaces of another friendly unit that has lost a step of morale. (-1 Morale, roll at
morale Phase)
5. Over 25% of the unit destroyed with one attack. (-2 Morale, roll at morale Phase)
6. Received a charge from a charging unit. (-2 Morale)
Fallback: If a fallback occurs a special combat is fought at the moment the fallback takes place. All enemy units
in battle with the retreating unit are allowed to make a normal attack against the retreating unit--but the
retreating unit cannot attack. Casualties and any required morale checks are resolved for the withdrawing unit
before it can perform the withdrawal movement. If the unit routs, then it performs rout movement instead of the
withdrawal that had been planned for it. Half move is allowed to withdraw.
8
Rout: A unit that becomes routed has only one real objective: to get to a place of safety as soon as possible.
Rout movement simulates the action of a unit whose morale has been shattered, and which is running away from
the battlefield in panic. A routed unit will normally try to avoid coming into contact with other units (enemy or
friendly), but will not stray too far from the most direct path possible between its present location and the place it
wants to get to (the edge of the tabletop). A routed unit that cannot an enemy unit is considered destroyed, and
should be removed from the field and placed with the other casualties. A routed unit that cannot complete its
movement because of battlefield terrain is also considered destroyed. A routed unit performs rout movement
each turn until it rallies or it leaves the battlefield. If the unit does not rally and is not destroyed by running into
an enemy unit or impassable terrain, then it is removed from play as it leaves the field. Treat a routing unit as a
falling back unit but add a +4 on the battle roll of attacking units and double the damage rolls (x2).
Table 1-3: Steps of Morale
CAUSES
Consequences
Results of a failed
Morale Check
Bonuses/Penalties
1. A good unit that has been
targeted by a rally check and
succeed two consecutive
morale rolls.
2. A good unit that roots or
destroys at least 2 different
enemy units.
F
a
n
a
t
i
c
a
l
1. Unit cannot be used to support,
must engage an enemy at fastest
speed.
2. Unit cannot be targeted by
formations unless it passes a morale
check.
3. Unit will not fortify.
4. Unit will not hit and run.
1. The unit becomes Good and
for the next round suffers -1
on all Battle rolls.
1. +2 Total Morale.
2. +1 on Battle and Damage
rolls.
3. 1/2 Cost to perform a
Charge attack.
1. A unit always start at good
order
2. A shaken unit that makes a
successful rally check regains
good order.
G
o
o
d
1. Has no restrictions penalties; can
function with no penalties due to
morale status.
1. The unit becomes shaken
and must fallback.
N/A
1. A unit in good order that
fails a morale check.
2. A routed unit that makes a
rally check.
3. A unit that performs a
charge and fails to deal
damage is automatically
shaken.
S
h
a
k
e
n
1. Cannot perform special
manoeuvres.
2. Cannot deliberately attack an
enemy
3.If not in battle it can take a rally
check or perform movement, not
both on the same round.
1. Unit must reroll morale and
rout immediately;
2. Inside a Keep the unit
remains shaken.
1. Unit has -1 Morale, -1 on
Battle and Damage rolls.
1. A good order unit that fails
a morale check by 7 or more
becomes routed.
2. A unit that has no room to
fallback becomes routed R
o
u
t
e
d
1. A routed unit that cannot fallback
is immediately to a adjacent
unoccupied space it is disbanded
2. May affect morale of friendly units
it nears.
3. Cannot attack, will not defend.
4. Must continue with rout
movement until it leaves the
battleground or leader makes a
successful rally check
N/A
1. Unit has -2 Morale, -2 on
Battle and Damage rolls.
V. LULL
Battles are long, tactical affairs in which soldiers jockey for position and engage in a wide range of activities.
Inevitably there are breaks in the action. During these periods a commander has several options to choose from.
A commander can engage in only one of the following actions per lull.
Aid Casualties: A military unit that has lost hits can receive medical care that temporarily returns to a level of
active duty. Returning wounded soldiers to combat requires a healing group or specialists. Success means the
military unit gains a lost hits for the duration of the battle.The commander who orders to aid the casualties can
do so only in a disengaged unit, the unit forfeits its next move option and focuses only on healing the wounded.
Treat this as a 2d6 hits healed from specialized help of 1d6 from soldiers helping fallen comrades.
Retreat: A retreat is an attempt to break contact with the enemy and leave the current province. Retreat
requires that a commander disengage from a battle, which can be a very tricky proposition. A commander can
order some of his troops to stay behind and act as a rear guard, effectively sacrificing them to save the
remainder of the troops (and their leader.)
Withdraw: A withdrawal is a strategic maneuver in which the commander breaks combat with an opponent in
order to return to defensive positions, evade contact or otherwise prolong the period of conflict. Unlike a retreat,
units that withdraw remain in the province. Successfully withdrawing from combat ends the current conflict.
Hostilities are resumed in the next war move.
9
Units by cultural/race
All units must select one of the following basic unit types to represent their basic weapon and formation training:
Archer (Achr): Archers include bowmen, crossbowmen, slingers, and other units whose
principle training is in coordinated missile attack. Archer units are carefully trained to focus
their fire as directed by officers on vital points in advancing lines or to evenly distribute fire
throughout the enemy ranks. Archers are generally equipped with light armor and a simple
melee weapon in addition to their missile weapon. Archer units are most effective if they
are mobile enough to flank and evade slower, more heavily armed units.
Special : +3 for stationary targets; -3 for targets moving at a rate of up to 12; -6 for targets moving at a rate
greater than 12; +4 for the second and subsequent shots at a stationary target; +2 for targets whose largest
dimension is greater than 30';+4 for targets whose largest dimension is greater than 90';+6 for targets whose
largest dimension is greater than 270'. -2 for targets at medium range; -5 for targets at long range.
Artillerist (Art): Artillerist units consist of soldiers trained in the use of heavy missile devices and in the
construction and use of siege equipment. Artillerists are commonly armed with arbalests, ballista, light catapults,
and other slow, cumbersome, but powerful missile artillery weapons. Artillery soldiers are specialists in the use of
artillery weapons; they generally wear little armor and are relatively unskilled in hand-to-hand combat. Artillerists
are most useful when the can be protected from direct engagement with the enemy by other units, terrain, or
prepared fortifications. Artillerists carry equipment including tools, and the soldiers are trained in the
construction of heavy siege equipment, including catapults, mangonels, covered rams, scaling ladders, and siege
towers. A unit of artillerist provides significant
advantages to an army attempting to take a
fortification by siege or storm. When attacking with
their missile rating, artillerist units have increased
range and can ignore any defensive bonus their target
would normally receive from fortification or defensive
terrain.
Special : Ignore any terrain/fortifications defence
bonuses to their target. Artillerists can perform
targeting. Bombards, catapults, and trebuchets and
ballistas fire their projectiles in a high arch: thev are inaccurate and cannot really be aimed at anything; the crew
simply points the engine in the target's general direction and hopes the missile will land somewhere nearby. The
attack roll is modified as follows: +3 for stationary targets; -3 for targets moving at a rate greater or less than
12; -6 for targets moving at a rate of 12 or greaterl; +4 for the second and subsequent shots at a stationary
target; +2 for targets whose largest dimension is greater than 30';+4 for targets whose largest dimension is
greater than 90';+6 for targets whose largest dimension is greater than 270'.
War Machine Indirect Fire
Assuming the artillery unit is aiming at the yellow marked square and concerning the
skill of the main engineer coordinating the fire the rookie artillerist group while aiming
would roll 1d12 to determine the actual place the fire lands . A more coordinated
group will be lowering the chances of a miss during battle.
Artillery can shoot at an arc while aiming but that if not totally aligned with their target will
be done with a total of -2 to their battle roll. Only direct fire artillery can change facing.
Artillery units can employ several type of bombardment weapons but the type of weapon
determines and the units rate of fire and mobility.
Cavalry (Cav): Cavalry units include any unit primarily composed of swift animals and their riders. Calvary units
can charge their opponents to inflict heavy initial damage. A well-timed cavalry charge can smash almost any
defense. When charging, cavalry units receive a +2 bonus to their melee attack. Light cavalrymen wear medium
armor and generally fight with spear, crossbow or shortbow, and sword. Heavy cavalry units wear heavy armor
and generally fight with a lance or with a medium martial weapon and shield.
Special :Cavarly can perform Charge as per the advantage. Cavalry units gain a +2 attack bonus when charging.
Cavalry units can assume formations. Cavalry units can Raid.
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12
10
Infantry (Inf): Infantry units consist of well-trained, well-equipped foot soldiers. They attack in formation to
maximize their offensive potential and defensive
capability. Infantry formations are particularly
effective in hand-to-hand battle against ill-
trained troops or troops poorly equipped for
close quarters battle. Infantry units are generally
equipped with medium or heavy armor and are
armed with martial weapons.
Special : Infantry units gain a +1 melee attack
bonus against irregulars and pikes. Infrantry
units can assume formations.
Irregular (Irr): Irregulars include volunteers,
conscripts, skirmishers, barbarians, marauders,
and other soldiers that, regardless of individual
skill, lack the cohesive unit training and discipline
associated with a regular military unit.
Special : Irregular units can be
drafted/conscripted. Irregulars can perform raid,
ambush, hit and run.
Pikemen (Pike): Pikemen consist of highly trained footman who are equipped with long weapons (such as
pikes or spears) and trained to operate in dense formations. Front rank pikemen wield large martial weapons
with reach (such as long spears) and a simple weapon (often a short sword) for close range battle. Pikemen
often wear light or medium armor.
Special : Hits inflicted by Pike units do damage during the "charge" phase of tactical battle during the first round
of an engagement. This attack inflicts double damage against charging units. Pike units gain a +2 attack bonus
against mounted units. Can assume formations.
Special training
Some military units are provided with specialized or advanced training in one or more areas. Green units may not
take advanced training. Veteran units may have a single area of special training. Elite units may have two areas
of special training.
Advanced training (Melee+, Missile+, AC+, Mrl+): Units with advanced training gain a +2 bonus to melee,
missile, AC, or morale ratings due to their special training. Unit modifier: +2 to selected rating, +1 GB muster
cost.
Berserk: Berserk units fight with total abandon and disregard for themselves and others. Only Rjurik, Vos, and
goblinoid units regularly train Berserks. Unit modifier: +2 melee, +2 morale, +1 GB muster cost.
Special: +2 attack bonus to melee when charging (mounted or afoot).
Magical support: The soldiers have been trained to coordinate their activities with the aid of battle magic, and the
unit contains a battle spell wagon with necessary ritual components. This special does not include the costs of
arranging for a spell caster to man the spell wagon. Unit modifier: +1 GB muster cost.
Special: An appropriate trained spell caster can cast battle magic to support the unit .
Marine: Marine units are seasoned in ship-to-ship combat. Only, human units may take marine training. Unit
modifier: +1 GB muster cost. Special: +2 to melee and AC at sea, move freely through swamp terrain.
Scout: Units with scout training are trained in quickly traverse hostile territory and returning with military
intelligence. Scouts are well-versed in stealth and wilderness lore, thus they are often able to move rapidly, even
through difficult terrain. Scouts identify hostile units in adjacent provinces and or during Battle. Can Raid,
Ambush at no cost.
Scout units are relatively small and thus have reduced melee and hits ratings. Scout unit combat training focuses
on the use of missile weapons, stealth, and mobility. Unit modifier: -2 melee, +2 missile, -1 hit, +1 move, +1 GB
muster cost. Special: Foot units in light or no armor may move freely through any terrain.
Toughness: Members of the unit are trained rigorously to increase their endurance and morale. Unit modifier:
+1 HD, +2 morale, +1 GB muster cost.
Siegemasters: Siegemasters are trained and equipped to besiege fortifications. Siegemasters gain +2 to Battle
Attack rolls to attacks made using war machines and narrow the scatter dice to d8. Siegemasters also reduce the
time needed to destroy fortifications by 1/4.
Unit Cost: +4 GB Muster Cost
11
Archery from Horseback. Archers on horseback are very effective against foot troops without missile weapons.
(If the character on foot has a weapon to reply to the horse archer's fire, it's a different story.) Weapons suitable
for use while mounted include short bows, composite short bows, hand crossbows, light crossbows, and size S
firearms. If the archer remains still (takes a no-move action), his rate of fire and range modifiers are unaffected
by his mount. If he rides a half-move his rate of fire is reduced by one category and he suffers a -2 penalty to
his attack rolls. If his mount takes a full move, his rate of fire is reduced as above, and h suffers a -4 penalty
to his attack rolls. These penalties can be reduced by expertise in mounted archery; refer to Chapter Four for
more information. The best way to exploit the archer's mobility is to gallop in for a round of fire and tt en retreat
when the foot troops try to respond. This tac:ical system was one of the most successful ever dev sed, and for a
time rendered infantry nearly obsolete. Unit modifier: +1 GB muster cost.
Formations
Units must be specificaly trained in a formation in order to employ it.
Shield formation:Units with shield formation are trained to use overhead shield walls to blunt the impact of
offensive missile. All members of the shield wall and any allies behind it are considered to be behind 50% cover
(-4 AC bonus) versus missile fire. Shield walls block lines of fire indoors or underground. Since the members of
the wall are in close order, shield walls allow them to concentrate their fighting power. They are also good for
controling enemy movement, especially in narrow areas such as dungeon corridors. Because the shields overlap,
all members of the wall gain a -1 AC bonus vs all other forms of attack.
Creatures forming a shield wall must be of the same size or the wall wont work. A shield wall can only take
half-move without breaking apart ,.
Unit modifier: +1 GB muster cost. Foot units only. movement when shield wall is formed.
Spear Hedge Formation.Units with
Large Pikes or Spears can have Pike
Wall formation training. Large pikes
are equipped and used in a deadly
way during battle. Pike Wall formation
deals four times damage to any sort
of charging unit and deals double
damage at normal melee units during
the first round of engagement. Pike
Wall damage is resolved during the
"Charge" damage phase. Unit
modifier: +1 GB muster cost
Special: movement when Spear
Hedge is formed.
Wedge Formation.Wedge
formation can be employed by all
units trained at it. Only Cavalry units
can perform a wedge in order to
lessen the impact of the first charge and squeeze in the pike lines. Unit modifier: +1 GB muster cost
Special: Unit negates the damage bonus of pikes vs charges. Reduces by half the initial damage the unit receives.
Units assuming Wedge formation cannot change heading.
Skirmish Formation: Skirmish formation is not an actual formation but rather a state at which non regular
army or trained warriors would opt during a large scale battle. Skirmish as an option for regular troops is used in
order to avoid ranged missile attacks and gain mobility during a fight. All Irregular, Levy, Scout, Elven, Goblin,
Gnoll, Orog and Monster units are considered to be in skirmish formation at the start of any battle unless
otherwise noted.
Special: Skirmishers can move up to their move allowance more during a battle turn. Skirmish formation
grants -2 AC bonus vs all range attacks and -1 AC vs cavalry attacks. In order to assume skirmish formation
tactical units need a Morale Check.
12
Combat resolution
What happens when 20 of the King's Guard fight over 30 Brigands or Bandits? It is easy to determine what
happens for the PC but what takes place all around them? What is the fate of NPCs involved or what happens
during the short fight for the participants on both sides? Do the brigands overwhelm the guards? What are the
results of this fight? The following skirmish system is set to determine such small-scale battles or it is used when
2 units in a large scale battle are locked in melee combat. First is needed to determine the statistics of the
combatants involved. If 100 soldiers are fighting 50 goblins and 20 orogs, statistics must be generated for all the
participants.
The total number of Hit Dice for the groups is treated as their Hit Points for the skirmish. 100 soldiers of
1 HD are treated as 100 HP in total, 20 orogs of 4 HD are treated as 80 HP.
Figure the Battle Roll needed to hit the target of each group. The Soldiers having an overall of 20 Thaco
hit the AC 10 Orogs over 10, each roll over 10 on the d20 roll is treated as a hit. The 17 Thaco Orogs hit
the AC 10 Soldiers over 7, each roll on the d20 over 7 is treated as a hit.
Double the base damage if the creatures are capable of dealing more than 12.
Each combat round roll for damage on all opposed group. The winning group modifies its damage by the
difference of the die rolled. e.g The humans roll 1d8 and roll 7 and the Orogs roll 1d8 and roll 3, the damage of
the humans is modified by +4 for this combat round. There are some modifiers involved:
+1 bonus per two levels of magic used on the battle ground.
+1 bonus per major NPC or PC involved in the unit.
+2 bonus if the group surprises the opponents.
-1 penalty if the enemy has the terrain advantage
Numerical advantage (2vs1 +2 on rolls, 3vs1 +4 on rolls, 4vs1 +6 on rolls, 5+vs1 +8 on rolls.
Determine the Defense rating of each unit, Leather units are considered to have DR of 2, Mail units are
considered to have DR of 3 and Plated Units are considered to have DR of 5. When hits are determined
reduce the hits depending on the units DR. Thus if the Orogs mentioned above rolled a 7 on the d8 roll
they are dealing 5 hits on the soldiers who are padded geared to reduce this damage by 2 points dealing
5 hits of damage.
When a group loses half its starting hit dice its die value drops to 1d6 for resolution. When a group reaches one
quarter of its starting hit die it's resolution die is reduced to 1d4. Attrition will take its toll in morale sooner or
later. If an army wins too consecutive resolution rolls the army gains a momentum and the opposing forces
begin to demoralize. On the next roll the winning army gains +1 bonus, and +1 for any subsequent rounds he
retains momentum to his resolution roll .
Following are tables that randomly determine the roll of a PC or NPC in the field of a large skirmish battle.
Consult the following tables to determine the outcome and involvement of characters or role play the events
taking place during the fight.
Level of engagement modifiers
Disengaged: If you remain disengaged during a skirmish battle you can opt to avoid any Critical Random event
that you roll on table 1. Pc takes 1d3 HP and 1d6 FP per round. Leather modifies by -1 HP, Mail armour Modifies
by -3HP damage but increases by 1D fatigue loss d6d8, Plate modifies by -5HP loses but increases by 2D
fatigue loss d6d10.
Engaged: If you remain engaged during a skirmish
battle you roll normally on your Critical Event table 1.
Pc takes 1d6 HP and 1d8 FP per round. Leather
modifies by -1 HP, Mail armour Modifies by -3HP
damage but increases by 1D fatigue loss d6d8, Plate
modifies by -5HP loses but increases by 2D fatigue
loss d6d10.
Heavily Engaged: If you remain heavily engaged
during a skirmish battle when you roll for the Critical
Random Event you subtract 2 if you roll from 6-10 or
you add 2 if you roll from 11-16. Pc takes 1d8 HP and
1d10 FP per round. Leather modifies by -1 HP, Mail
armour Modifies by -3HP damage but increases by 1D
fatigue loss d6d8, Plate modifies by -5HP loses but increases by 2D fatigue loss d6d10.
13
Combat Random Events
If an NPC randomly decide his fate if a PC you must play out this dramatic situation
Table 1-4: Roll d20 to determine the results
Roll Results
1-4 Critical Event Table 1-5
5-15 No Random Events
16-19 Heroic Event Table 1-6
20 Reroll Twice*
*If you get a heroic or critical random event from the first roll you dont roll a second time.
Table 1-5: Roll d20 to determine the results
Roll Result
1-4 Knockdown-out
5-7 Battlefield event
8-10 Weapon Trouble
11-13 Close Quarters
14-16 Break the Line
17-19 Save a wounded comrade
20 Few against Many
Knockdown/Knockout
The character is struck from overrun beasts or enemy warriors. The character is struck down or out 85% chance
for down and 15% chance for out. If down the character does not contribute to the unit the next round. If the
character is struck unconscious he will stay down for 1d3 Battle Rounds. (15xp)
Battlefield event
Something in or around the battlefield gets affected by the combat fray. If the fight occurs indoors, it might be a
piece of furniture, a window, or a keg of ale. The damage on the area affects the character directly and it is up to
the DM to determine the cause. (Tree braches, artillery attacks, deadfalls, fire exposed areas etc) Roll 1d6 to
determine the effect. (15xp)
1-3: Character gets damaged from the debris taking 1d4 damage
4-5: The character takes 2d4 damage from the area affected
6: The character gets a moderate (2d4) critical hit area effect, save vs reflex to avoid, from the effect
Weapon Trouble
The combatant experiences difficulty with his weapon. Roll 1d6: (15xp)
1-3: Combatant disarmed. In the fray the character cannot retrieve his weapon.
4-5: Hard parry may break weapon. Roll a successful item saving throw vs.
crushing blow to avoid.
6 : If the character killed an opponent last round, his weapon is stuck in the
foe's body. Take a round to pull it out.
Close Quarters
Two or more enemies threaten the character and thus find themselves inside one another's reach and are
effectively locked in close combat. Roll 1d6: (35xp)
1-2: One opponent of -2 HD of the character (min 1 HD, 5 HP)
3: Two opponents of -2 HD of the character (min 1 HD, 5 HP)
4: Three opponents, two of them are -2 HD and one is at -1 HD.
5: Sergeant of the enemy troops with equal HD of the character
6: Lieutenant of the Enemy Troops, if not designated or a noted NPC he is at least +1 HD of the character.