Unit Roster top

The unit roster keeps the vital information of each unit in the army. A sample roster is shown below:

Race: Dwarven
Class/Level: Warrior 1
Unit Size: 80
Unit Type: Infantry
Unit Hit Points: 88 (+10%: Con Bonus +1)
Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative)
Movement: 20'
Attacks: Hand Axe +3 (+1 Strength, +1 BAB, +1 Weapon Focus)
Damage: Hand Axe 1d6+1 (+1 Strength)
AC: 13 (Leather armour + Shield)
Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 8.
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0.
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus: Hand Axe.
Skills: Profession(sailor) +1.

Notes on the Unit Roster format:

Race, Class, Level: Self explanatory

Unit Size: The number of figures in the unit.

Unit Type: Archers, Cavalry, Crew, Infantry or Skirmishers.

Unit Hit Points: Total hit dice of all members of the unit (i.e. unit size * hit dice/level). Modifiers apply for having constitution bonuses, for cavalry (each man+horse is treated as a single figure), and so on.

Initiative, Movement, Attacks, Damage, AC, Ability Scores, Saves: Self explanatory, based on averages for the unit.

Feats, Skills: Only some skills, feats and special abilities apply to mass combat. These will be noted where appropriate.

Combat top

Melee

Combat works very much like standard D&D3E combat, except that the map is on a larger scale and the men are more tightly packed that the usual "one man per 5' square" rule (due to the confusion and close quarters of combat). All movement rules, such as running, charging, double moves etc apply to each unit. To enter combat with another unit on land, a unit must charge however, they cannot simply walk up to another unit and start fighting (the charge grants the usual +2 to attack and -2 to AC for one round and allows only as single attack). To enter combat with another unit in ship-to-ship combat, the attacking ship must make a boarding action against the target vessel before combat can be engaged. Once engaged, the only options are to Attack (Allows as many attacks per round as the unit is entitled to), or to attempt to Withdraw. Defenders in a boarding action in Ship-to-Ship combat may not Withdraw, as there is no place to retreat. If a unit Withdraws, the opposing unit gets a single free attack on them. This is the only time attacks of opportunity are used in unit combat.

Units attack as a single entity, making a single attack roll against the opposing unit's AC. If the hit is successful, standard damage is rolled, and applied directly to the opposing units Unit Hit Points. This simulates many men striking and possibly killing many men at once. A unit reduced to 0 unit hit points is considered beaten, either killed off or forced to scatter and flee, either way it's out of the combat, but not necessarily slaughtered to a man, see the rules for determining surviving numbers.

When a unit outmatches another, either in terms of number or ability, they find they are able to inflict severe damage on their opponents while receiving little in return. The table below grants attack, damage and morale modifiers to units who heavily outmatch or are outmatched by their opponents:

These bonuses may need to be adjusted during the combat as a unit loses unit hit points - the new level of unit hit points should allow you to determine the new (even if approximate) unit size.

Ranged

Unit Ranged attacks are made as per the standard rules, including the range modifier to the attack roll. If a hit is scored, damage is rolled as normal and applied directly to the opposing unit hit points score. However, the damage is modified for particularly large unit sizes of archers, as shown below:

The following rules are not used in Open Mass Combat between units (they still apply in individual combat against a backdrop of Open Mass Combat): Flat-footed Opponents, Magic Actions, Miscellaneous Actions, Injury and Death, Flanking, Aid Another, Bull Rush, Disarm, Grapple, Mounted Combat, Overrun, Trip.

Magic

Magical attacks can be devastating on the battlefield, particularly area effect spells, which deal hideous amounts of damage on tightly packed men. Any offensive spell that targets one subject will cause damage to a unit's hit points equal to one quarter the damage inflicted by the spell, rounded down. Any offensive spell that targets more than one subject will cause damage to a unit's hit points equal to the damage of the spell, due to the close density of fighting men. Spells that have effects other than damage (such as Bless or Bane) only provide their bonus or penalty if a majority of the members of the unit can be affected. Other aspects of spellcasting in Open Mass Combat will be adjudicated on a case-by-case basis.

Turning Undead

Clerics may attempt to turn or rebuke undead, despite the far greater numbers than might normally be faced. The rules for turning are used to determine how many hit dice of undead are affected as normal, and as long as the undead in question are able to be affected by the clerics turning attempt, this is deducted directly from the Units Hit Points.

Morale

Morale checks must be made for units in combat when various circumstances come about. A morale check is a Will save.

The following modifiers apply to morale checks:

* Morale modifiers can come from any source. For example, the Bless spell grants a +1 morale attack bonus, but in this case would also give +1 to morale checks.

** Includes any unit whose members have been forced into combat against their will and/or without pay or rewards. For ship-to-ship combat, this includes pressganged crew or crew that have force rowed in the last 24 hours.

If a morale check is failed, a unit will automatically attempt to Withdraw during its next action, and then will continue and leave the battlefield as soon as possible (double movement each round). Note that, in Ship-to-Ship combat, the defenders of a boarding action can't withdraw, because they have nowhere else to go. In these cases, the unit will surrender (though there is no gaurantee the attackers won't continue to attack the surrendered unit.) A unit can rally by making a Morale check against a DC of 20, which is rolled at the start of each of its turns. PC's do not have to flee with units they are attached to. It is quite possible to charge an already fleeing unit again (and again and again and...). Attacking routed units in this manner gives a +2 circumstance bonus to the attack roll and of course they will not retaliate unless they rally.

Recovering Casualties

Unit Hit Points do not track actual deaths in a unit. They are more a measure of its ability to keep fighting through individual death, injury and surrender. At the end of each combat, a percentage of the lost hit points may be automatically recovered as those injured are helped, those who ran come out of hiding and the death toll is finally tallied.

Ranged Combat: At the end of any combat involving only ranged weapons, 50% (rounded down) of lost Unit Hit Points can be recovered.

Winning Melee Combat: At the end of any melee, the victor may recover 50% (rounded down) of lost Unit Hit Points.

Losing Melee Combat: At the end of any melee, the defeated side may recover 25% (rounded down) of lost Unit Hit Points.

These percentages are modified as follows:

Cleric with healing spells present: +2% per level per cleric (max +10%)

Character with Heal skill rank 4 or greater present: +1% per character (max +10%)

Unit withdrew from combat: -20%

Unit Types top

Archers: Any unit armed with a missile weapon with a range increment of at least 50' is an archery unit.

Cavalry: Any unit riding any kind of mount into battle is a cavalry unit. Any ride checks are made by the unit as a whole.

Crew: Standard shipboard crew. Any unit onboard a vessel is a crew unit.

Infantry: Standard foot soldiers. Any unit that is not an archer, cavalry or skirmisher unit is an infantry unit.

Skirmishers: Any unit wearing light or no armour may be designated skirmishers. Skirmishers are more spread out than other units, and as such only receive normal damage from ranged attacks, regardless of the size of the attacking unit. Skirmishers also gain a +2 competance bonus to initiative checks. Skirmisher units may never number more than 20 members however. Cavalry units with light horses or war horses with no barding may be designated skirmishers and gain these bonuses and penalties.

War Machines top

War Machines are treated as if each were a unit in its own right in the OMCS. They have their own profile, eg:

Medium Catapult
Structure Dice: 1d10 (5sp)
Hardness: 5
Size: Large
AC: 12 (-1 size, +3 natural)
Attacks: 1 catapult shot
Damage: Catapult shot 4d6/2d6
Rate of Fire: 6
Crew: 3
Special Qualities: none

Notes on the War Machine Profile:

Structure Dice: War machines use SP (Structure Points) instead of Hit Points. An attack by a single character or creature must do 10 full hit points of damage to do one structure point of damage to a war machine. Some war machines do actual structure damage, and this damage is therefore applied directly to another war machines structure points. Hardness never applies in this case. Attacks by units in the OMCS automatically cause structural damage to war machines because of the large numbers of men fighting together.

Hardness: Only applies when attacked by single characters, not when attacked by units or other war machines.

Size, AC: Self explanatory.

Damage: Some war machines can cause structural damage to other war machines (or to walls etc). If a war machine has two damages separated by a slash, the first damage rating is versus units and single characters, while the second is for structural damage to other war machines or strongholds.

Rate of Fire: How many full round actions the crew must spend to reload and fire the machine.

Crew: The number needed for peak efficiency. A war machine crew can lose 25% of its number without any loss of rate of fire. After this, the ROF is doubled for each additional crewman lost.

Special Qualities: Self explanatory.

Notes

• All war machines have an initiative of -4 (minimum 1)
• War machines are usually assumed to be ready to fire at the start of combat, unless there has not been time to prepare (e.g. in the case of a surprise attack).
• Ballistae attack all units as if they had an AC of 10, and damage is deducted directly from the Unit Hit Points, however, other war machines are attacked by a Ballistae as if it were a single character, needing to do 10 full points of damage to do one Structure Point, unless, of course, the war machine lists structural damage under the Damage entry of its profile.
• Catapults and Trebuchets hit all targets as if they had an AC of 10.
• War machines do not make attacks of opportunity.

Ships top

Ships are treated as their own units in the OMCS. They have described by their own Ship Profile, eg:

Orca Trading Ship
Medium Merchantman (Sailed)
Structure Dice: 4d8 (18sp)
Hardness: 5
Manueverability: -2 (-2 Merchantman)
Speed: 20 ft/48 miles
Turn Rate: 80 ft
AC: 8 (-2 Merchantman)
Weapons Fore: None
Weapons Aft: None
Weapons Broadside: None
Damage: None
Special Qualities: None

Crew: 30
Passengers: 10
Cargo: 150 tonnes
Building Time: 4 months
Cost: 16,000 gp

Notes on the Ship Profile:

Ship Name: Name of the vessel, either the actual name or the class of vessel.

Size: Self-explanatory. Ship sizes correspond to creatures size categories three levels larger. Thus, a Medium ship is the same size as a Gargantuan creature.

Ship Type: Defines the ship's function in the game, which further defines its relative durability, seaworthiness and agility in the water.

• Auxillary: Catch-all term covering many smaller vessels found in rivers, in harbours, or on board larger vessels as lifeboats, etc. Structure Dice: d4, AC -2.
• Coastal: Vessels designed only for shallow waters near the coastline. Structure Dice: d6, Manueverability -1, AC -1.
• Merchantman: Vessels designed to ply the High Seas conducting trade. Structure Dice: d8, Manueverability -2, AC -2.
• Warship: Vessels designed to conduct war on the High Seas. Structure Dice: d10.

Ship Subtype: Further defines the ship's function in the game.

• Cumbersome: These vessels aren't designed for fast and agile movement at sea, such as a barge or raft. Manueverability -2.
• Light: Vessels intentionally built without many of the structural reinforcements, in order to create a faster, more agile ship. Structure Points: -1 per SD, Manueverability +1.
• Oared: Vessels that use oars to provide motion, thus not being reliant on the wind for propulsion.
• Sailed: Vessels that use sails to provide motion, thus not reliant on manpower for propulsion.
• Submersible: Very rare vessels that can travel underwater through magical or mechanical means.

Structure Dice: Ships use SP (Structure Points) instead of Hit Points. An attack by a single character or creature must do 10 full hit points of damage to do one structure point of damage to a ship. Some ships have weapons that do actual structure damage, and this damage is applied directly to another ship's structure points. Hardness never applies in this case. Attacks by units in the OMCS automatically cause structural damage to ships because of the large numbers of men working together.

Hardness: Only applies when attacked by single characters, not when attacked by units or other sources of structural damage.

Manueverability: Works the same way as Initiative does for creatures.

Speed: Lists the maximum speed the ship may reach under normal conditions. The first rate is the base speed per round, and the second rate is the amount of miles per day.

Turn Rate: Indicates how far a ship must travel in a straight line before it can make a single 45 degree turn. A ship voluntarily moving at less than half its speed may halve its turn rate.

AC: Self explanatory.

Weapons fore, aft and broadside: Lists all of the ship's attacks by location/firing arc. It should be noted that all ship's weapons are considered primary weapons, no matter how many are used in a round.

Damage: Lists the damage for each weapon. If a shipboard weapon has two damages separated by a slash, the first damage rating is versus units and single characters, while the second is for structural damage to other ships and strongholds.

Special Qualities: Self explanatory.

Crew: The number of crewmen required to operate the ship under optimum conditions. Any ship may set sail with a skeleton crew numbering no less than 25% of this figure (rounded up), but there are inherent dangers.

Passengers: Lists how many passengers (including troops) that a ship may carry in relative comfort in addition to its crew. For every two passenger spaces not taken up, an additional tonne of cargo may be carried.

Cargo: Lists how much cargo the vessel may normally carry. For every tonne of cargo not taken up, two additional passengers may be carried.

Building Time, Cost: Self explanatory.

Player Characters top

Characters may join units in the OMCS to provide leadership to the unit and assist it in combat. They may also range out on their own. This system is designed to allow the PC's to be heroes, and as such does not feature instant death situations that many large scale battle rules force on individual characters. That said, an individual character charged by an entire unit of men is going to have a hard time, so it should be avoided at all costs.

PC's are never considered "part of the unit" when attached to a unit. This allows them to act independently if they wish. When two units are in combat, PC's may choose to help one side or the other. To do so, they may enter in combat with one or members of the other side. Because everyone acts in initiative order, the PC may well have the chance to act before the units involved (he may need to delay his action to move with the unit, of course) and any he kills will not be involved in the combat.

e.g.: While leading his heroic unit to attack a mercenary ogre unit, Durgoran the dwarf (who has the highest initiative) attacks a big ogre as his men engage the rest of the enemies. The unit hit points of the Ogres is 87. Durgoran dispatches his foe in one round of combat - a normal ogre has 4HD and thus the mercenaries lose 4 Unit Hit Points immediately, bringing them down to 83. Now the units can fight, in remaining initiative order.

PCs may also affect unit morale through their actions, as shown on the following table:

PCs earn experience point awards in Open Mass Combat scenarios by two means: through normal combat awards for creatures that they themselves defeated in combat, and through story awards given based on character level and challenge of the scenario.

NOTE: Important NPCs, whether allies or enemies, follow the same rules as PCs. They act as individuals, not as part of a unit, and can influence the direction of open mass combat in much the same ways as PCs.