Strategic Mass Combat The Player’s Handbook combat rules are designed to model small fights with less than twenty combatants. These rules provide a framework to extend D&D combat to model larger-scale conflict with dozens or hundreds of soldiers on either side, while still making room for individuals to turn the tide of battle. Rolling Large These rules scale up many things in combat. Hit points represent not just an individual's mettle and health, but casualties and fatalities amongst a numerous cohort. An attack roll is not just a single swing, but a massed attack from twenty allies. Distances are abstracted even further than normal, and dozens or hundreds of creatures act at once. Scale These rules assume the use of a grid with miniatures or tokens. Each round of combat represents six seconds, as normal. Distance, however, is scaled differently: Squares. A single square measures 30 feet on each side. Diagonals. Squares that only touch at a corner (touch diagonally) are not considered adjacent; each is 1 square away from the other. Ranges. The normal rules for ranges and origins apply, simply on a coarser grid, with the exception that a range of less than 30 feet can reach into an adjacent square. The Combatants Under these rules, an army has two kinds of elements: Units , which each represent twenty creatures of the same kind, and act as a single entity.

, which each represent twenty creatures of the same kind, and act as a single entity. Commanders, which are the important individuals, such as adventurers or generals, who act alone. Units A unit consists of twenty identical creatures that move and fight as a single entity. A unit of creatures occupies the same space on a 30-foot grid as a single one of those creatures would on a 5-foot grid. Creature Size Space Medium or smaller 1 square Large 2 × 2 squares Huge 3 × 3 squares Gargantuan 4 × 4 squares Statistics A unit has identical statistics and abilities to a single one of the creatures it represents, such as Armor Class, hit points, attacks, and so on, except for the following changes: Falling to 0 Hit Points. Units don’t make death saving throws and are eliminated if they reach 0 hit points. Reach. Unit melee attacks can reach targets in adjacent squares. If a unit takes the Attack action with a melee attack that has a reach longer than the size of the individual creature, it can make another such attack as a bonus action. Speed. The speed of a unit is equal to the speed of the individual creature. Moving one square costs 30 feet of movement, with the exception that creatures with a speed above 0 and below 30 feet can use all their movement to move 1 square. Commanders A commander is a significant single creature on the battlefield, usually a player character or a powerful NPC or monster. Each side in a mass combat will nearly always start with at least one commander. A commander has the following characteristics: It occupies one square, regardless of the creature’s size.

It can move through and end its turn in allies’ space at no extra cost.

It can give orders (see orders, below). Because of the difference in number and scale, whenever a commander interacts with a unit: The commander has disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws.

Attack rolls against it have advantage.

Damage it deals is halved and damage it takes is doubled, with the exception of large area effects (see area effects, below).

It can’t apply conditions or any other non-damage effect to units, with the exception of through large area effects. Combat Procedure Mass combat is much like normal combat, except that the commanders control the flow of battle through giving orders. In a normal round, commanders act on their own initiative and give orders to their units. Units act as soon as they are ordered to, and can only receive one set of orders in a round. At the end of the round, units that haven’t received orders this round take a default action based on their situation. Initiative Each commander rolls for initiative normally. Units don’t roll for initiative; they act when their commanders order them to, or at the end of the round otherwise. Rounds Mass combat is organised into discrete rounds, from the highest initiative count to the lowest. Units that have not received orders in a given round act after the lowest initiative among combatants. Commanders and units can be surprised as normal. Surprised units don’t act in the first turn they normally would and can’t take a reaction until that turn ends.

Commander Turns Commanders take their turns as they normally would. They can attack and interact with units and other commanders. Orders Commanders have a special action they can take: the Give Orders action. They can take this action when they are adjacent to or in the same space as an allied unit. They order that unit and any number of contiguous units they choose (units adjacent to the first one, and units adjacent to those, and so on) to take a turn to do a certain set of things. Decide what actions the units will take, what their targets will be, and how they will move. Units can take any action that would be available to the individual creature they are composed of. The same action is chosen for all the units ordered, though they may have different targets and paths chosen. Units can’t break up their move, but otherwise have a normal turn, including taking a bonus action if one is available and/or interacting with an object, all of which is decided during the order. Once orders are given, the commander continues their turn as normal. Unit Turns Immediately after a commander’s turn, if that commander gave orders during their turn, the units that were given those orders take a shared turn to execute those orders. The units act simultaneously. Execute the first action or movement in the orders, then the next, and so on. Resolve each in its entirety, including any reactions taken by any combatants, before moving on to the next part of the turn. A unit that has been given orders can’t receive new orders in the same round. Invalid Orders If an action or move is invalid by the time a unit reaches it, the unit does as much as it can, but doesn’t change any targets or paths. Units ignore any part of an order that they are completely unable to execute. Reactions Units take reactions individually. The turn in which they act counts as their turn for reactions and other effects. An Example of an Order A commander orders a set of units to move and then attack, choosing paths and targets as he does so. He proceeds to use his own movement and ends his turn. During the turn for those units, they will first all move as ordered, then all attack the targets the commander chose. None of them can move after attacking, nor attack before another unit in the turn moves, nor switch the target of their attack after another unit in the turn hits or misses. All the choices are made when orders are given. Units Without Orders At the end of the round, after all other combatants have acted, units that have not received orders this round act based on their situation. Unordered units take the first course of action that applies to them out of the following: Break. If they're at 5 HP or less, they take the Dash action and move, seeking a safe path away from enemies.

If they're at 5 HP or less, they take the Dash action and move, seeking a safe path away from enemies. Skirmish. If they're adjacent to an enemy, they take the Attack or Multiattack action to make melee attacks, and don't move.

If they're adjacent to an enemy, they take the Attack or Multiattack action to make melee attacks, and don't move. Regroup. If they're not connected to an allied commander that they're aware of by contiguous allied units, they take the Dash action and move towards the nearest allied unit that is so connected.

If they're not connected to an allied commander that they're aware of by contiguous allied units, they take the Dash action and move towards the nearest allied unit that is so connected. Continue. Otherwise, they attempt to repeat their most recent orders, standing idle if their orders are explicitly completed or if they have none. Group unordered units by which of the four above courses of action they take. Starting with Break, resolve the turns of the units taking that course and any relevant reactions, before moving on to Skirmish, and so on. If more than one side in the combat has unordered units taking the same course of action, group and resolve them in order based on their dexterity modifiers, from highest to lowest, breaking ties randomly. Area Effects Spells and other abilities that affect more than one target creature act differently depending on whether their extent is less than a single square, or equal to or more than a single square. Small Areas A small area effect is one with an extent of less than one square. Cones and cubes of less than 30 feet in size, and spheres and cylinders of less than 15 feet radius are examples. This category also includes effects with a fixed number of targets from two to nineteen. Units A unit targeted by a small area effect is affected as if were the primary target, and as if it were one secondary target as well. In most cases, this will mean damage is doubled or saving throws are made twice. Commanders A commander using a small area effect on a unit or targeted by one from a unit is subject to the normal commander penalties of dealing half damage and taking double damage. A commander in a willing unit’s space can affect that unit with a small area effect as if it were a large area effect if the area is at least three times wider than the space an individual creature in that unit would occupy.

Lines Long lines narrower than 30 feet and other similar shapes may affect multiple squares, but still apply to each of them as a small area effect. Large Areas A large area effect is one with an extent equal to or greater than one square. Cones and cubes of 30 feet or more in size, and spheres and cylinders of 15 feet or more in radius are examples. Evaluate which squares are included in such an area using the normal rules for areas on a grid. This category also includes effects with twenty or more discrete targets. Units Units should almost never be able to use large area effects. When they do, treat those effects as twenty simultaneous and independent effects, targeted at the same locations or different ones. Commanders Commanders suffer no penalties when using or targeted by large area effects. Using large area effects enables commanders to have a massive impact on the battlefield, affecting one or more full units at a time. Large area effects are uncommon and very potent. Terrain Rubble, forests, and water are examples of terrain that can substantially alter the battlefield. The DM designates areas of significant terrain, which will usually have an effect on units and commanders occupying squares in those areas. Forest areas provide half cover and heavy obscurement, and are difficult terrain.

areas provide half cover and heavy obscurement, and are difficult terrain. Defensive fortifications provide half, three quarters, or full cover to their occupants, depending on their construction. Units cannot cross walls without climbing, breaking, or otherwise bypassing them.

provide half, three quarters, or full cover to their occupants, depending on their construction. Units cannot cross walls without climbing, breaking, or otherwise bypassing them. Shallow water is difficult terrain and attacks against units in shallow water have advantage.

is difficult terrain and attacks against units in shallow water have advantage. Deep water can only be occupied by units and commanders that have a swim speed.

can only be occupied by units and commanders that have a swim speed. High ground, if particularly defensible against its surroundings, grants advantage on melee weapon attacks by occupants. Appendix I: Optional Rules Solos Some large battles contain individuals that have a substantial effect on their own but aren’t an authority over any troops. For those individuals, simply use the commander rules, but remove the ability to give orders, and the DM decides whether or not they count as a commander for the purposes of unordered units. These powerful individuals, called solos, will still interact on the correct scale with the units around them, but are no longer tightly linked to their allied troops. This is appropriate for spellcasters, giant monsters, and so on. You can also use this rule for player characters if they are participating in a battle but not in a position of authority. Siege Weapons Siege weapons are treated as solos, but they don’t have a turn in the initiative order. Instead, a unit that shares a space with one or more siege weapons can use its action to operate them. When a unit takes this action, it can either: Move any siege weapons sharing a space with the unit along with the unit’s movement later this turn; or

Load, aim, and fire any number of such siege weapons as if the unit had twenty actions with which to do so. No siege engine may be loaded twice, aimed twice, or fired twice this way in a single turn. Ending the Battle The encounter continues until the fighting stops. Most commanders will not continue a lost battle to the point of total elimination, instead opting to retreat, surrender, or otherwise cease fighting. Each side entering a battle goes in with a goal in mind, whether that goal be simply killing as many of the enemy as possible, or some particular objective that the opposing force happens to be an obstacle for. If you can’t think of any, consider why that side is engaging in costly battle at all. If you need a concrete way to decide when a side gives in, use these goals and objectives to define victory conditions for the fight. Victory Conditions A victory condition is any situation that, once achieved, will cause one or more sides in a battle to no longer have a reason to keep fighting. This is usually because one or both sides can no longer make progress towards their goal, either because they have achieved it, it is impossible, or continuing would be too costly. Victory conditions can include: The destruction of an important structure such as a bridge.

A side achieving a defensible position that another cannot effectively assail.

A force successfully crossing a chokepoint.

The elimination of certain important commanders or units.

The acquisition and extraction of an object or resource, such as a siege engine. Determine which victory conditions are possible before a battle begins. When one of them is achieved, determine which sides, if any, no longer have a goal they can effectively fight for. The commanders of those sides, when they recognize the situation, will try to retreat or surrender unless both of those options are untenable. If a losing side does fight to its last member, consider stopping the encounter early and narrating the remaining combat, to reduce how much time is spent on the encounter after the outcome is aready decided. Calculating Casualties A unit being eliminated doesn’t mean its members are all dead, just that it is sufficiently disabled physically or psychologically to no longer function on the battlefield. After fighting ceases, if allies have time to safely access the battlefield, survivors can be recovered. Able Survivors. For each eliminated unit, roll a d10. The total is the number of able survivors, who can recover to fighting condition in 10 days of rest without travel if food, water, and medical help is available. Permanent Casualties. For each eliminated unit, roll another d10. The total is the number of alive but permanently disabled casualties. Half of these are physically disabled, while the other half are victims of the psychological consequences of war. Hits-to-Drop Instead of Hit Points In particularly large battles, it can get harder to manage the dice efficiently. To aid this, one can replace the Hit Points of each unit with hits-to-drop. Divide the hit points of each unit by the average damage dealt by the most common attack amongst that unit’s enemies, and round up to find that unit’s hits-to-drop. Mark this number with a die on or in place of that unit’s miniature or token. Whenever a unit takes a hit, rather than roll damage, simply reduce the hits-to-drop by one (or two for a critical hit). For unusually strong attacks, such as from a siege engine, subtract two or more points instead proportional to how much more damage those attacks deal. At 0 hits-to-drop, a unit is eliminated. Lastly, units at 1 hit-to-drop, rather than 5 hit points or less, will Break if lacking orders. Uniquely Scaled Units There’s no reason five or so powerful creatures can’t be represented by a unit. Simply divide the hit points of the creature by the appropriate factor (in this case, four), and do the same for damage. Five is about the lower limit where the advantages of being a unit are maintained; below that, use one or more commanders instead. You can also place such a unit in the initiative order like a commander. If you do, it can’t receive orders, but the DM may allow it to give orders if it is in a position of authority. Alternate Actions for Unordered Units The list of courses of action under Unordered Units (see above) applies to most intelligent units, but should be modified for units that usually act in a very different way. The simplest way to do this is to remove actions from the list. For example, independent scouts may never Regroup, instead repeating their last order even if their commander is absent. Religious zealots may never Break, even when near death. You can also replace the whole list with one or more new actions. For example, mindless undead will always walk towards and try to attack the nearest living creature they can see unless magically ordered otherwise.