[OOC] When Armies Clash: Mass Combat in Fifth Edition

[jkat718]

May we please welcome to the table....

*drum roll*

Quin Mossgrow (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=188591), Human Fighter

Foodle (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?92035-Foodle), speaking in Teal

Darnell Scaeduganga (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html?_=1429653493#id=190622), Human Rogue

Thrasymedes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?83848-Thrasymedes), speaking in Red

Xarran A'dargorn (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=191493), Drow Sorcerer

Geodude6 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?106862-Geodude6), speaking in Plum

Music (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=186179), Tiefling Lore Bard

Scarlet Dragon (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?68034-Scarlet-Dragon), speaking in Dark Purple

Valis (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=199804), Human Druid

Entelechy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?48405-Entelechy), speaking in Dark Green

*applause*

Now let the Hunger Games of color-reserving begin!

Silliness aside, I would like to thank you all very greatly for joining me in this mass combat test! Please feel free to question me about everything and everything, but remember that (at least for the next month or so) I am still in school, so I will be signing in a) around the clock and b) in either short bursts or for long, long periods of time (when I should probably be studying, but that's beside the point). If you have any questions about the setting, ask me or refer to the wiki (stormfast.obsidianportal.com) (I know the wiki is very sparse, I will be doing major additions over the coming weekends as well as organising all of my notes so I can spend the summer going into the ridiculous minutae we DMs love). I will try to allow as much RP as is possible to have over the course of this rather erratic campaign, so bear with me. For the time jumps, I will ask that you make copies of your character sheets, rather than overwrite them, in case we end up wanting to test something at a lower level again. If there's anything I've missed, please let me know. Let's do this thing! First IC post will be going up shortly. You begin in the human settlement of River Rock, which is the blue tower in the middle of the map. Here are some hooks for each of you:

Quin, you are probably a soldier in the town guard. You were assigned here, along with the rest of your unit, to supplement the initial force that was sent to break ground and construct preliminary defence. After a few attacks from various Goblinoid tribes, coming from the nearby forest, the construction party called in reinforcements, and the orders came to you. Your men are ready and eager to fight the "gobs."

Darnell, you are probably either a refugee-turned-colonist, or possibly looking to start a thieves' guild here. Alternatively, you could be on your way to Plainsfort to practice archery with the legendary Elvish mounted archers (think Huns). While River Rock is relatively small, the law here is more Old West, frontier justice, so a posse shouldn't be too hard to set up (if you want to go that route).

Xarran, I don't have a backstory for you, so I don't really know how to help you. Drow are a definite minority here, but are not as oppressed as they are in typical settings. While many common folk have never seen a Drow, and they do have an instinctual aversion to your unsettling appearance, you are still legal citizens of the Empire and may do as you please. Whether others will get in your way, however, is a different story.

As for Music, on the other hand, Tieflings are very, very rare, but are typically more accepted into society by the people. They do have some restrictions by law, but more in regards to marriage and procreation (so as to keep the "Iron Blood" pure) than for everyday life. In case you're interested, the tower on the map represents the imposing keep which sits on the stony outcrop overlooking the river that gave River Rock its name. Perhaps you're here to try and infiltrate it? Xarran, you might be interested in this one. The mayor could be a good target for you.

Valis, you might also be on your way to Plainsfort, or maybe you've come to investigate the strange rumors surrounding the woods that lie to the south. Some people speak of fleeting glimpses of an otherwordly creature, while tales of disappearances and midnight rituals under the full moon are told over ale on the more eerie frontier nights. What beast resides in Thanderyn Forest? No one knows, but you're here to find out...

Don't feel as if you're married to these plot hooks, and feel free to make up your own instead. The first battle will be an attack on the town by the Goblinoids, in which the townspeople must mount a defensive. Good luck!

[Geodude6]

Xarran will be speaking in pale purple.

[Entelechy]

I did actually write a couple quick paragraphs of background (whatever I could get done before midnight, which I thought was the deadline. Its on my character sheet under "Description." Which, in the light of day, may not have been the best place to put it.

I'll speak in Dark Green.

[jkat718]

@Ent: Ah, I see it now, thanks. You could be one of the original group of soldiers that was sent to help the settlers break ground. Now, after holding this plot of getting for so long for so little reward, you're fed up and want out of the service. How does that sound?

[Thrasymedes]

Darnell will be speaking in ?????

I think the best plot hook I can come up with is that he is trying to get away from the major cities for a while until he can get some support/the ruckus dies down. Due to this, he came out to this town and decided he wanted to try and practice being respectable for a bit.

While he plans to try and enter the keep at some point, at the moment he is going to see if he can work with the local town guard in tracking down any criminals that might be in town and try for the position of sheriff as soon as the town is big enough to justify it. After all, what better way to learn how not to get caught and it should be a great cover when he reenters the cities. He has heard rumors of the mounted archers but at the moment he is focusing on social rather than outdoors improvement.

The color is red by the way. Also, I like the way things look so far.

[Foodle]

Ah! I missed the links in the recruitment thread.

Quin will talk in this colour (Teal)

How do you plan on running the combats? I assume a battle grid/map would be almost mandatory for this type of strategic combat system. Or are we going to give theatre of the mind a go?

[jkat718]

*plot hook*
Sounds good! The town's law enforcement is currently handled by the Imperial Army, but control will be transferred to the township once everything gets settled.


Also, I like the way things look so far.[/COLOR]
Thanks!


How do you plan on running the combats? I assume a battle grid/map would be almost mandatory for this type of strategic combat system. Or are we going to give theatre of the mind a go?
I've found a few online battlemapping programs, but I still haven't decided which one I'll be using.

[Scarlet Dragon]

I didn't see the edit for the OOC till now. Music shall speak in Dark Purple

I really like the idea that she has been hired to infiltrate River Rock and assassinate or discredit the mayor, possibly by a rival who wishes to fill the vacancy left. On the other hand I as a player am not sure killing the mayor when there is a goblin invasion about to happen is the best idea but it does offer more people to blame for the crime. Although... if either my employer or the target died during the invasion her job becomes much easier. On the one hand Music would no longer be obligated to fulfill her contract and on the other her target would be taken care of for her.

[jkat718]

Well, that's the gang all here! I don't have the time right now to put up a decent-sized first post, so (rather than half-assing it) I'll put it up tonight. I'll have to eat somewhere in there, so let's say 3.5/4 hours? I'll see you all then! I'm excited! :smallbiggrin:

EDIT: I forgot to mention this before I got on the subway, but I'll be calculating difficulty and XP using the method described here:
twitter.com/mikemearls/status/573234175278358528

[jkat718]

Wow, that took longer than expected. Sorry, not the best start for our campaign, that's on me. Sorry, everyone.

Here's your battlemap, for when you'll need it:
pyromancers - Scene Viewer (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=120349)

IC post going up now.

EDIT: WOW, perfect timing with the forum closure. ACTUALLY putting up IC post now...

[Entelechy]

That map isn't working for me.

[jkat718]

That map isn't working for me.

Oops, I was using the page link instead of the direct link. Try it now.

[Foodle]

With Pyromancers, when you change things on the map (move a token, throw in a background or an AoE) etc. You need to hit the Pass Turn button down the bottom to save your changes and generate a new link.

In the case that the map isn't meant to be blank at the moment, then hopefully you still have the tab open or your history lets you reopen it with all the stuff still there

[Entelechy]

Still not working for me. Tried in a different browser, and it still didn't work.

[jkat718]

Let's see if I can fix that. In the meantime, the IC post is finally done!

LINK (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?414639#post19236812)

I'd prefer if you found some way to start roleplaying with each other, just to get everyone involved, but I understand that it might not make sense for your characters to interact. I'll keep this bit brief, so we can really jump into the mass combat sooner.

EDIT: Does this link (pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=120372) work? If I can't get this program to work, I might have another one that I can try. That, or I'll just use Grid Cartographer's "export to image" option and the GIMP. :smallannoyed:

[Scarlet Dragon]

I take it that the five listed people are notable NPCs of River Rock.

Edit: Also I can open the link but there doesn't appear to be an image in the middle. It says something like "the image you are requesting does not exist or is no longer available". If there isn't supposed to be an image yet then great the link works for me.

[jkat718]

I think the issue not with pyromancers, but with the fact that I hadn't "published" the file on imgur, only uploaded it. That's why I could see it (I'm signed into imgur still), but you couldn't. Try this link: LINK (http://pyromancers.com/media/view/main.swf?round_id=120396)

EDIT: I've uploaded my notes on how the Imperial Army is organized to Obsidian Portal. The exact numbers aren't final, but the names and ranks are. That should give your characters the rank-recognition that soldiers would have, so assume that any character with military training knows this by rote, and those who are only tangentially connected to the military have a general idea of this (ie. they know that a Captain outranks a Lieutenant, and that a Commander-in-Chief is the highest rank, but they're probably not certain of the differences between Major, General, and Major General). I'll be uploading some other notes shortly, but here's this (stormfast.obsidianportal.com/wikis/military-structure) for right now.

EDIT 2: Political (https://stormfast.obsidianportal.com/wikis/political-structure) and Religious (https://stormfast.obsidianportal.com/wikis/religious-structure) Structures are up!

[Entelechy]

So what you call a unit, the game calls a Stand, and what you call a platoon, the game calls a unit, right?

EDIT: And yes, that last link works, thanks.

[jkat718]

So what you call a unit, the game calls a Stand, and what you call a platoon, the game calls a unit, right?

EDIT: And yes, that last link works, thanks.

Yes and no. A "Party/Unit" (my term) is equivalent to a Stand (game term), but a Unit (game term) can be made up of any number of Stands, so anything from a "Task Force/Platoon" (my term), all the way up to a "Military" (my term) could, theoretically, be a single Unit. Confusing, I know. I'll make every effort to only use game terms OOC and my terms IC, so as to differentiate between the two.

And good, thanks for letting me know about the link. Lesson learned. Maybe Google Docs would be a better image host... :smallannoyed:

[jkat718]

Oh, and Foodle: Quin would probably be either a Sergeant or possibly a Lieutenant. Captains tend to be landowners (either Baronet(esse)s, which is more of a socioeconomic rank, or a Knight/Dame, which is more of a military title), although you could be a Captain if you were training for peership. If you weren't sent with the original delegation, this might make less sense, but it could still work. Actually, now that I think about it, it might be nice if you were to be a Squire, because that would give us a reason to be defending a keep or castle later one...hm. It's up to you, you can be a Yeoman (Sergeant) or a Squire (Sergeant or Lieutenant). Theoretically, you could also be a Peasant (Sergeant), but probably not.

TL;DR: Are you a...
...Lieutenant (Squire)
...Sergeant (either Squire or Yeoman) [most likely]
...Sergeant (Peasant) [least likely]

[Foodle]

Sergeant Mossgrow sounds good. Who would i be squired to?

[jkat718]

@Foodle: You could be Major Fredricsson's squire. However, if you weren't a member of the original party of settlers, then that wouldn't make sense (unless, maybe, your previous master died somehow?). If you want to be a later arrival (or just because you want to), you can make up an NPC. Otherwise, Major Fredricsson would work.

@All: Once everyone's made at least one post in the IC thread, I'll introduce the first combat. So get RPing! :smallsmile:

[Foodle]

Major Fredricsson sounds good. He seems like an sadistic *******, so it'll be interesting serving him because "That's just how you work your way up" grin and bear it, all the while wishing he would slip on the stairs one night and catch a case of broken neck.

Edit: Oh i'll come with the original settlers. Seems ideal to have someone that's an actual local in the group.

[Entelechy]

@Ent: Ah, I see it now, thanks. You could be one of the original group of soldiers that was sent to help the settlers break ground. Now, after holding this plot of getting for so long for so little reward, you're fed up and want out of the service. How does that sound?

Sorry, I missed this post. I also think there might be a typeo? "after holding this plot of getting for so long for so little reward"

I actually was thinking of my character being much more a closest anarchist, and chaffing under the discipline of the service more than being displeased with their personal rewards.


Also, I am curious about how AoE duration spells are going to work. Like, spells that deal x damage in a 10ft radius every round for a minute. As far as I can tell, that's not covered in the rules.

[jkat718]

@Foodle: Sounds good. And yeah, having a local would be nice.


Sorry, I missed this post. I also think there might be a typeo? "after holding this plot of getting for so long for so little reward"
Yep, typo. It should be "after holding this plot for so long and getting so little reward." My phone keyboard has been randomly moving around his if what I type, and not deleting things, and I have no idea why.


I actually was thinking of my character being much more a closest anarchist, and chaffing under the discipline of the service more than being displeased with their personal rewards.
Huh, okay… Sure, that works. Would you also be a local?


Also, I am curious about how AoE duration spells are going to work. Like, spells that deal x damage in a 10ft radius every round for a minute. As far as I can tell, that's not covered in the rules.

If the range of a spell extends at least 10 feet into a square, the attack affects that square in its entirety. Similarly, even if a spell's range is less than 20 feet, the spell can still target a stand or solo in an adjacent square.
So something like Destructive Wave (30 foot radius, centered on caster) could target a stand 2 spaces away, because it extends 20 feet (first square) plus 10 feet (enough to target the next stand).

[Scarlet Dragon]

@Foodle:
So something like Destructive Wave (30 foot radius, centered on caster) could target a stand 2 spaces away, because it extends 20 feet (first square) plus 10 feet (enough to target the next stand).

He actually meant something like Cloudkill which has a longer duration than instantaneous. Since each round is one minute does the entire stand suffer 1 minutes worth of Cloudkill (10 times) or only once.

Edit: I realize Cloudkill moves so it isn't the best example but I chose it because it moving is a matter to deal with as well. It states that it moves every round on your turn but in this abstraction 1 round is one minute.

Edit 2
Also for spells that have only one minute of duration do they only work for one round? Like for example Phantasmal Killer, does it only last one round?

Edit 3
The simplest solution to these question would be to apply the abstraction to all spells with a duration. For example Phantasmal Killer lasts 10 minutes instead of 1, Cloudkill only moves once a minute and likewise only affects a given stand or solo once every minute, Cloudkill would also last a significantly longer time (600 minutes instead of 60).

[jkat718]

@Scarlet Dragon: Oh, I see. Yeah, I suppose you'd just extend the durations. That is a little weird, though. :smallconfused:

EDIT: New IC post is up! Sorry for the delay, I wanted to give everyone a chance to respond. I've started to introduce the first battle, if only a little bit.

[Entelechy]

Sorry, I project snuck up on me and its biting me in the butt. I will be able to return focus to the game after midnight tomorrow.

[Entelechy]

He actually meant something like Cloudkill which has a longer duration than instantaneous. Since each round is one minute does the entire stand suffer 1 minutes worth of Cloudkill (10 times) or only once.

Edit: I realize Cloudkill moves so it isn't the best example but I chose it because it moving is a matter to deal with as well. It states that it moves every round on your turn but in this abstraction 1 round is one minute.

Edit 2
Also for spells that have only one minute of duration do they only work for one round? Like for example Phantasmal Killer, does it only last one round?

Edit 3
The simplest solution to these question would be to apply the abstraction to all spells with a duration. For example Phantasmal Killer lasts 10 minutes instead of 1, Cloudkill only moves once a minute and likewise only affects a given stand or solo once every minute, Cloudkill would also last a significantly longer time (600 minutes instead of 60).

Yes, this is what I was asking about. How AoE damage spells with duration work. The Edit 3 proposal makes sense to me if its a stand of casters casting the spell (they could cast it in serial), but not so much for a solo caster. But for a solo caster, it seems rather OP to have damage proc ten times if the engaged unit can't move clear. That's like 20d10 damage from a second level spell.




Huh, okay… Sure, that works. Would you also be a local?


I don't think so. The whole motivation I gave my character was that they were part of a woodsmen/hunter/commando lineage of the colonizing colony, and they had signed on to get to a new land, with more real wildness.

[jkat718]

@Ent: Sorry, that's what I meant by local (as opposed to a traveler, who's just passing through).

[Entelechy]

Okay. Sorry for the confusing. I am having trouble figuring out how to insert myself IC, but I will try to get it done tonight.

[Foodle]

A game i'm in has an opening (or three) as half the people playing have stopped logging into the site. If anyone is interested some info and links are in the spoiler below.

We've just started basically.
Current Level: 3
DM: Wafflelord

Story so far...
We were hired separately to guard a trade caravan along it's route. As we came close to one of our stops we encountered a horde of villages fleeing the other way, speaking or a curse and blaming the elves and shooting angry looks at the elves in our convoy. Somewhat curious now and wary we continue on until a group of six men that had passed us before come riding back from the fleeing mob and start demand answers from our elves and wanting them to lift the curse. The elven druid tried to send them on a wild goose chase far away, having taken offense to the looks and curses flung his way, but is undermined by some of the more lawful of the group. A small scuffle happens and we knock out their leader and question his lackeys.

A scholar had come to town and hired a group of people to head to some old ruins and start excavating. None of the workers were allowed to say a thing of what they were doing, but one day one of them wandered back into town refusing to come close and looking sickly. He claimed the rest of the expedition was doomed and talked about a shade that had cursed them all. Our employer decides that the his profits aren't worth his life and turns the caravan around, leaving us to walk the rest of the way with one of the men that had thought to attack us having a change of heart and coming with us.

We arrive in time to see the remainder of the town assembled around a stage where the scholar is getting a very one-sided "trial". The druid disguised as a dog catches a whiff of naphtha and drags one of the others to help him investigate. Meanwhile the rest of the party jumps on stage with the man we'd brought back, who turned out to be someone important. They try stop the impending murder, promising to take the scholar back and sort this problem out. The other two find the source of the smell, a group of half-orcs with a sack of alchemist's fire. They don't seem to like the way the trial is going and the leader prepares to throw the sack on stage.

Chloe tackles him, sending the sack flying into a nearby building and the druid reverts back to elven form, and wanting to keep his elvish features hidden from the villages, then quickly calls up a fog cloud.

***

So we're currently in combat. Still remaining is a Druid, a Sorc and a Barb/Rogue.


If any, or all, of our brave survivors know someone who would like to join a game like this, please feel free to invite them. Perhaps someone ran into the same exodus you experienced and is just as curious. Perhaps one of them is standing in the crowd right now, itching for action. Perhaps they heard about Crommard's expedition and wanted to join. Perhaps one of Hartok's thugs has had a change of heart or thinks to spy upon you. Perhaps one of the half-orcs seeks to end the curse himself.

Now would be a great time to join.

IC: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?403920-IC-Everything-Old-is-New-Again-%285E%29
OOC: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?403921-OOC-Everything-Old-is-New-Again-(5E)&p=19283656#post19283656

[Entelechy]

Hey folks. I think I am going to bail on this game. I can't get my head into my character, tbh, and the setting isn't really working for me either (I don't like colonial setting at all). I would rather put the time towards something I can get more invested in.

Sorry :(

(Also, the more I look at the mass combat rules, the less I am a fan of them...)

[jkat718]

Hey folks. I think I am going to bail on this game. I can't get my head into my character, tbh, and the setting isn't really working for me either (I don't like colonial setting at all). I would rather put the time towards something I can get more invested in.

Sorry :(

(Also, the more I look at the mass combat rules, the less I am a fan of them...)

I'm sorry to hear that, Ent. :smallfrown: Luckily, I think the party will be able to make do without their Druid, but it's sad to see you go, nonetheless.

[jkat718]

@Thrasymedes: Count Farimol himself would most likely be in the keep, but enlisting at the barracks would probably work, too.

This roleplaying segment is going on a bit longer than I was expecting. If the majority of you would like to skip ahead, feel free to ask.

[Thrasymedes]

In that case, Darnell is going to head to the Barracks since apparently, he failed to pique any pickpockets interest. Go ahead and skip us ahead if you want. Since it seems to be moving slowly, let's try out the rules.

[Foodle]

Yep i'm fine with skipping. I'm keen to see how the rules fare in actual play.

[Scarlet Dragon]

Yeah I'm fine with skipping the Rp section as well

[jkat718]

Well, the three of us make a majority of the group, so that's fine with me. I'll be done with my finals later today, so I'll have the first post of actual combat up by the end of the weekend.

[jkat718]

Foodle has contacted me, saying that he's taking a break from GitP. Do other people want to continue without him, or just let the campaign go inactive?