Looking for a good Mass Combat system

[Nerdynick]

There is no good D&D system for handling mass combat.

The most recent UA is systemically broken. Even a minor difference in two units' battle rating quickly multiplies, and the only real strategy is to group as many combatants together as possible to increase your BR. Running combat is a slog.

The first UA is a simple 1:10 "zoom" of the battlefield and doesn't do well at portraying a single creature fighting with a unit.

Neither takes into account possible fortifications or siege engines.

Is there a better resource out there that doesn't entirely depart from the D&D rule set?

[mephnick]

Is there a better resource out there that doesn't entirely depart from the D&D rule set?

Probably not. I've always wondered why they try to create "mass combat" rules when modern D&D is diametrically opposed to the idea. I guess because it's the most popular system so people want to shove everything into it. Mass combat! Ship combat! Strongholds! Crafting! Downtime! These sure are weird rules for a system whose entire mechanics revolve around exploring a site over an adventuring day, killing monsters and taking their stuff.

I guess I'm not being helpful. I guess my real answer is that you have to depart from the D&D rule set to achieve things like mass combat. Trying to intertwine it with a system not meant for it just leads to awkward brokenness. I'd suggest finding system that actually revolves around mass combat, refluffing it, and switching over when it comes up.

[Mith]

I think how I would do it is just eyeball the effects of numbers and positioning, with key events occurring that PCs can influence. So the outcome of the battle is likely to rely on the action of the party.

Good planning and positioning will allow the massed forces to hold positions, and in favourable conditions, the massed forces could succeed on their own, with the PCs ensuring that key events do not turn the tide of battle against them.

[Nerdynick]

Probably not. I've always wondered why they try to create "mass combat" rules when modern D&D is diametrically opposed to the idea. I guess because it's the most popular system so people want to shove everything into it. Mass combat! Ship combat! Strongholds! Crafting! Downtime! These sure are weird rules for a system whose entire mechanics revolve around exploring a site over an adventuring day, killing monsters and taking their stuff.

I guess I'm not being helpful. I guess my real answer is that you have to depart from the D&D rule set to achieve things like mass combat. Trying to intertwine it with a system not meant for it just leads to awkward brokenness. I'd suggest finding system that actually revolves around mass combat, refluffing it, and switching over when it comes up.

I agree the system is ill-suited. I have a handful of new players though that aren't too comfortable with the system yet, and so I don't want to introduce them to a war game on top of it, especially when mass battles are pretty rare throughout most campaigns.

[Quickblade]

Have you looked at the mass combat rules in the green Companion Set Rules from BECMI