Class based Chainmail Combat for D&D
Sept 12, 2019 18:05:21 GMT -6
Finarvyn, Zenopus, and 1 more like this
Post by derv on Sept 12, 2019 18:05:21 GMT -6
This is part of my ongoing experimentation with Chainmail with D&D. So, I thought I would revive this old thread and share some of my changes.
There is this idea of normal figures in both Chainmail and D&D. Essentially these are figures that can only sustain one hit. What becomes problematic when trying to incorporate Chainmail’s Combat System with D&D is that all normal figures aren’t really created equal. Their is a stepped power structure in the mass combat table. This is intended to reflect not only weapons and armor of different historical armies but, perhaps more importantly, training and martial experience.
There are three steps that occur on the table: light foot, heavy foot, and armored foot. Conveniently D&D originally includes three classes with increasingly implied martial talent: magic user, cleric, and fighter. I have now taken to applying these classifications for each of the classes with no regard to weapon choice, since there are already weapon restrictions in D&D, or Chainmail classification within the Fantasy Supplement. Likewise, there are already armor restrictions within D&D that make this system work effectively in a coherent and simple manner.
So, all Magic-users will be considered LF, all Clerics will be considered HF, and all Fighters will be considered AF. They will attack and defend as these types with the following exceptions and additions.
1. Fighters will degrade their Defense Value one step (HF) when only wearing leather armor. They suffer no penalty for wearing chain instead of platemail.
Clerics will degrade their Defense Value one step (LF) when wearing leather instead of chainmail.
2. Shields are not considered when determining Defense Value. Instead, a shield will afford a character a save for half damage on a successful hit (9+ on 2d6 28%).
3. All figures Fighting Ability will be rated according to their HD value. So, a Hero would be considered 4 AF, a Vicor would be 4 HF, and a Conjurer would be 2 LF. Any pluses to HD are ignored for Fighting Ability, but are still applied to hit points.
4. The use of a mount will raise both offense and defense value by the appropriate type: LF>>LH, HF>>MH, AF>>HH (a mounted Cleric in leather armor will attack as MH and defend as LH).
5. Magic weapon pluses are added to attack die roll. A Hero (4 AF) with a sword +1 attacking Light foot will get 4 dice, 3-6 kills instead of 4-6 kills.
Magic armor will reduce an opponents attack die by one for each plus. So, an attacker who should have 2 die against an opponent with +1 armor will only receive one die. Figures will always receive one die regardless of this rule.
Magic shields will increase the likelihood of a save by one point for each plus. A magic shield +1 would save on 8+ 41%.
6. All figures will always receive a minimum of 1d6, 6 kills, regardless of strength or penalties. The exception to this would be monsters that require magic or silver to damage.
Ultimately the goal is to be able to run table top battles where your characters can be part of the action. If all figures represented are at 1:1 scale use the rules as stated above. A normal figure will only be able to sustain one hit (ignore hit points for hired men-at-arms). Player characters and powerful NPC’s will suffer d6 points of damage on a successful hit, as they normally would using the Alternative Combat System.
On the other hand, if you would like to mix 1:1 PC’s with 1:20 men-at-arms, we will try to utilize Gygax’s suggestion from U&WA p25.
“Battles involving large numbers of figures can be fought at a 20:1 ratio, with single fantastic types fighting separately at 1:1 or otherwise against but a single 20:1 figure.”
For purposes of combat between fantastic figures and normal 1:20 troops, each 1:20 figure will be considered to be worth 20 men by type and will be able to sustain 20 hits before being eliminated. This will also apply for 2 HD monsters like Gnolls & Ghouls, except a figure will be considered 1:10 (attack as 20 men and sustain 20 hits). Most 1 to 2 HD humanoid monsters will be considered HF. Monsters of <1 HD are LF. Humanoid monsters of 3 or > HD are AF. All monsters that could be considered a mount will be either MH (centaurs, unicorns, rocs) or HH (dragons, wyverns, purple worms).
Morale for excess casualties should be checked at 25% losses for LF (5 hits), 33% losses for HF and AF (7 hits), and 50% losses for elite types (10 hits). Keep track of hits with a d20 next to the figure. A 1:20 figures fighting capabilities should degrade with losses.
In addition, all 1:20 figures will be considered to surround a single 1:1 figure in combat. Thus, they will attack at the next highest type on the combat table unless in melee with 2 or more 1:1 figures at the same time. 1:1 figures will not be able to flank 1:20 figures unless a 5+HD figure has their front anchored in melee. Then another 1:1 figure could attack it’s flank at the next higher class or a +1 to die rolls.
Generally, each hit a 1:1 figure makes against a 1:20 figure equals 1 kill. If you prefer to incorporate the idea of cleaving damage a 1:1 figure could roll a d6 for each successful hit where 1 point of damage would equal a kill. For example, a Hero (4 AF) engaged in melee with a 1:20 figure of LF archers would get 4 dice, 4-6 kills. If he rolls a 3, 2, 4, and 6, this would be 2 hits. Normally the 1:20 figure would be reduced to 18 men (they will now get 9 dice as HF, 6 kills). If you roll for cleaving damage you will then roll 2d6. If he rolls a 2 and 5, 7 men will be killed reducing the figure to 13 men (they will now get 6 dice as HF, 6 kills) and the LF will roll morale for excess casualties since they sustained 25% casualties. You will be exchanging perceived realism for survivability when using cleaving damage with 1:20 figures. Your choice.
Otherwise, damage will be rolled for all successful hits on a fantastic figure who has multiple hit points. This will extend a characters chance of survival. The other more deadly option is to count each hit against a characters HD instead of using hit points. In this case a Hero would be dead after 4 hits.
edit: fixed link
There is this idea of normal figures in both Chainmail and D&D. Essentially these are figures that can only sustain one hit. What becomes problematic when trying to incorporate Chainmail’s Combat System with D&D is that all normal figures aren’t really created equal. Their is a stepped power structure in the mass combat table. This is intended to reflect not only weapons and armor of different historical armies but, perhaps more importantly, training and martial experience.
There are three steps that occur on the table: light foot, heavy foot, and armored foot. Conveniently D&D originally includes three classes with increasingly implied martial talent: magic user, cleric, and fighter. I have now taken to applying these classifications for each of the classes with no regard to weapon choice, since there are already weapon restrictions in D&D, or Chainmail classification within the Fantasy Supplement. Likewise, there are already armor restrictions within D&D that make this system work effectively in a coherent and simple manner.
So, all Magic-users will be considered LF, all Clerics will be considered HF, and all Fighters will be considered AF. They will attack and defend as these types with the following exceptions and additions.
1. Fighters will degrade their Defense Value one step (HF) when only wearing leather armor. They suffer no penalty for wearing chain instead of platemail.
Clerics will degrade their Defense Value one step (LF) when wearing leather instead of chainmail.
2. Shields are not considered when determining Defense Value. Instead, a shield will afford a character a save for half damage on a successful hit (9+ on 2d6 28%).
3. All figures Fighting Ability will be rated according to their HD value. So, a Hero would be considered 4 AF, a Vicor would be 4 HF, and a Conjurer would be 2 LF. Any pluses to HD are ignored for Fighting Ability, but are still applied to hit points.
4. The use of a mount will raise both offense and defense value by the appropriate type: LF>>LH, HF>>MH, AF>>HH (a mounted Cleric in leather armor will attack as MH and defend as LH).
5. Magic weapon pluses are added to attack die roll. A Hero (4 AF) with a sword +1 attacking Light foot will get 4 dice, 3-6 kills instead of 4-6 kills.
Magic armor will reduce an opponents attack die by one for each plus. So, an attacker who should have 2 die against an opponent with +1 armor will only receive one die. Figures will always receive one die regardless of this rule.
Magic shields will increase the likelihood of a save by one point for each plus. A magic shield +1 would save on 8+ 41%.
6. All figures will always receive a minimum of 1d6, 6 kills, regardless of strength or penalties. The exception to this would be monsters that require magic or silver to damage.
Ultimately the goal is to be able to run table top battles where your characters can be part of the action. If all figures represented are at 1:1 scale use the rules as stated above. A normal figure will only be able to sustain one hit (ignore hit points for hired men-at-arms). Player characters and powerful NPC’s will suffer d6 points of damage on a successful hit, as they normally would using the Alternative Combat System.
On the other hand, if you would like to mix 1:1 PC’s with 1:20 men-at-arms, we will try to utilize Gygax’s suggestion from U&WA p25.
“Battles involving large numbers of figures can be fought at a 20:1 ratio, with single fantastic types fighting separately at 1:1 or otherwise against but a single 20:1 figure.”
For purposes of combat between fantastic figures and normal 1:20 troops, each 1:20 figure will be considered to be worth 20 men by type and will be able to sustain 20 hits before being eliminated. This will also apply for 2 HD monsters like Gnolls & Ghouls, except a figure will be considered 1:10 (attack as 20 men and sustain 20 hits). Most 1 to 2 HD humanoid monsters will be considered HF. Monsters of <1 HD are LF. Humanoid monsters of 3 or > HD are AF. All monsters that could be considered a mount will be either MH (centaurs, unicorns, rocs) or HH (dragons, wyverns, purple worms).
Morale for excess casualties should be checked at 25% losses for LF (5 hits), 33% losses for HF and AF (7 hits), and 50% losses for elite types (10 hits). Keep track of hits with a d20 next to the figure. A 1:20 figures fighting capabilities should degrade with losses.
In addition, all 1:20 figures will be considered to surround a single 1:1 figure in combat. Thus, they will attack at the next highest type on the combat table unless in melee with 2 or more 1:1 figures at the same time. 1:1 figures will not be able to flank 1:20 figures unless a 5+HD figure has their front anchored in melee. Then another 1:1 figure could attack it’s flank at the next higher class or a +1 to die rolls.
Generally, each hit a 1:1 figure makes against a 1:20 figure equals 1 kill. If you prefer to incorporate the idea of cleaving damage a 1:1 figure could roll a d6 for each successful hit where 1 point of damage would equal a kill. For example, a Hero (4 AF) engaged in melee with a 1:20 figure of LF archers would get 4 dice, 4-6 kills. If he rolls a 3, 2, 4, and 6, this would be 2 hits. Normally the 1:20 figure would be reduced to 18 men (they will now get 9 dice as HF, 6 kills). If you roll for cleaving damage you will then roll 2d6. If he rolls a 2 and 5, 7 men will be killed reducing the figure to 13 men (they will now get 6 dice as HF, 6 kills) and the LF will roll morale for excess casualties since they sustained 25% casualties. You will be exchanging perceived realism for survivability when using cleaving damage with 1:20 figures. Your choice.
Otherwise, damage will be rolled for all successful hits on a fantastic figure who has multiple hit points. This will extend a characters chance of survival. The other more deadly option is to count each hit against a characters HD instead of using hit points. In this case a Hero would be dead after 4 hits.
edit: fixed link
