Quick and Dirty Warfare (Ripping off ACKs) + Combat Log
It’s war again, Creatures
(If you want to skip the talking and get to the rules, they’re here.)
In my never ending quest to finish Sunless Realms RPG (working title) (which is now on google drive because my adobe subscription ran out) I’ve been looking into war again. Also because battles are starting to happen a bit in my Sunday D&D game and I had a conversation with a player about army movement rates. This led to me looking through other RPGs (first Crown my beloved, but it didn’t have an answer) and then Adventurer, Conqueror, King (ACKs) supplement Domains at War (OK the free version, im cheap)
This supplement is interesting because, for all of ACKs’s’s talking about domains and war and leadership and all sorts of old style D&D stuff it has a much more zoomed out medieval combat system. I suppose Chainmail already has rules for that. ACKs has rules for movement rates of armies (6 mile hex per day / 24 mile hex per week (3 days of rest per week)) and some rules on how armies can engage one another. But as for battling itself, it’s essentially
- Total battle rating
- Roll some dice
- Remove some units
- Go again until one side flees or dies
Very simple, with just enough crunch that a whole battle isn’t one or two moves, but quick. Good god is it quick. I did a test battle and wrote this gloopy in the time it’s taken me to run battles with other rules. I think this is the one creatures.
Hands off rules that focus on army movement with simple and quick battles is, in hindsight, exactly what I’m after. The game is about stacking paper not moving troops + half of my players despise warfare. This is something you could do in a downtime turn. 20 minutes max. 10 if you knew what you were doing. The strategy takes place around the battle, not inside it.
Another important thing these rules unlocked was simple adjutication for sieges (something even Chainmail admits is a huge pain). It’s not the most interesting but it’s enough.
So I stole simplified the ACKs rules and did some testing. You can find the rules here.
I need to do more testing, principally, since most of the strategy comes in hiding your forces, recon and moving troops, I need to test a longer form campaign. That’s tomorrows job I think. It’s 4am right now.
Combat Log
What follows is a short log of a fight I played out. Army values are based on demographics and point values from a whole other thing I did that I don’t remember. All I know is both forces are somewhat balanced.
The beastmen of Taun Zokar have come to Fort Duvno, home of the great general Edward-Hydel-Amecouth.
Duvnovian Soldiers: 7 LF, 2 LM, 2 HM, 2 LH = 7 + 7 + 3 + 2 + 5 + 2 + 4 + 2 = BR 32; Morale at 16 (italics indicates stronghold bonus)
Beastmen: 3 LF, 2 LR, 4 HH, 1 EM (giants) = 3 + 3 + 12 + 5 = BR 23; Morale at 11
All units may fight since the giants broke the wall, but the Duvnovians get +1 BR for each unit since they are defending.
Turn One
(Duvnovians) Hits: 2; Casualties: 2 LM, 2 LF; (Beastmen) Hits: 5; Casualties: 2 LF;
No retreats
Turn Two
(Duvnovians) 32 - 5 - 4 = BR 20; Hits: 3; Casualties: 2 LF, 1 LH (Beastmen) 23 - 2 = BR 21; Hits: 4; Casualties: 1 HH
No retreats
Turn Three
(Duvnovians) 20 - 4 - 3 = 13! -> Morale is 10, stand ground; Hits: 3; Casualties: 2 HM, 1 LF (Beastmen) 21 - 3 = 18; Hits: 6; Casualties: 1 HH
Turn Four
(Duvnovians) 13 - 6 - 3 = 2; Hits: 1; Casualties: 1 LH, 1 LF -> Completely Wiped Out! (Beastmen) 18 - 3 = 15; Hits: 5; Casualties: 1 LF
Battle Aftermath
Victors: Beastmen
Wounded Duvnovians: 2 LF, 1 LM, 1 HM, 1 LH Dead Duvnovians: 2 LF Prisoner (eaten) Duvnovians: 3 LF, 1 LM, 1 HM, 1 LH
Wounded Beastmen: 2 LF, 1 HH Dead Beastmen: 1 LF, 1 HH
All in all a terrible defeat for the Duvnovians. I suppose this is what would have happened if the players hadn’t shown up and killed that giant..