Fields of Blood Guide/Tutorial/Stuff/Something..

[Gaiyamato]

So I ran a few large scale Fields of Blood games on here starting back in 2012/2013. Others are still using the system (with their own Homebrew etc.), but the book is frankly poorly written and edited. It is also a 3.0 book with no real updates of any sort. So as good as the rules are for a base, it can be confusing for new players. So in this thread, I am going to try and run through a few examples of setting up a Realm and designing units, maybe some other odds and ends later. I'll reserve the first few posts and the rest of the thread can be for questions and discussions etc.
If you spot any mistakes please feel free to point them out.

For those who are curious you can purchase the book from many places, here (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/691/Fields-of-Blood-The-Book-of-War) is the first that came up in google.

https://cf.geekdo-images.com/x_rDKogMOIM5jYdFc8mkHVPPyl8=/fit-in/1200x630/pic831011.jpg



Admins/Mods, if this is the wrong place, then please move this. I just slapped it here :smallsmile:

General Q&A stuff

TBA

[Gaiyamato]

Setting up a basic Realm.



The first step is deciding on a concept and base race. In this instance I am going to build a Realm with a blend of Arabic, Central Asian and Chinese themes.
We are going to be a bastion of civilizaed culture, a general good aligned theme.
My main character - who shall be the Emperor - is going to be a master of combat and leading large scale armies, so I will take levels in the Warlord Prestige class, while my base class will be the Samurai class from Oriental Adventures. I might even dip in Iaijutsu Master depending on what the DM allows.

With this basic concept outlined of a society founded on a warrior caste, but with a noble and good aligned government, building a bastion of civilization, I can develop the start of a nation.


Province TerrainPopulation Centre (S)Production (T)Total Production (=T*S*250)Upkeep
-- --------0
Race: HumanCivilization: Civilized (+25% RP) Governing Style: Noble (Various effects)
Total Production:-- RPTotal Upkeep: -- RPBanked: --


Page 13 of the book has a handy table that summarizes the different benefits of each type of society and government. It is worth reading over each different style to develop a strategy for game-play later on as well.
Next is to define our population centers and build a starting armed force to defend them. For this purpose, I will assume a very nice sum of 20,000RP.

A Thorpe costs 750RP to found.
But we want more than a Thorpe for a Capital.
Upgrading from a Thorpe to a Hamlet costs 500RP, 1000 from a Hamlet to a village. So a village all up costs 2250RP and a Hamlet costs us 1250RP.
Full costs can be found on page 40 of the rulebook.

However, one of the perks of a Noble government is 25% cheaper upgrading costs (only pay 75% of the cost), so the village costs 750+(500*0.75)+(1000*0.75) = 1875. Saving 375RP, and the Hamlet saves us 125RP for a total of 500RP less.

We will found a Village on a plains tile and a Hamlet on some nearby hills. We will also assume there is a handy plains hex between these two and build roads on all three hexes linking them. This will be (9-6)*100 RP for the plains tiles, so 300RP for each, and 500RP for the hills. For a total of 1100RP.

With 4100RP already spent, we now need to look up some buildings and units for the settlements.

First, we want to be able to train units, which means a Garrison in the Village. This costs 50% of the cost to upgrade it to the next level, which is going to be 10,000RP. A huge sum!
We have now spent 14100 of our starting 20,000RP.

Production values for settlements can be found on page 15.
Upkeep for settlements can be found on page 32.

This is how our summary now looks.


Province TerrainPopulation Centre (S)Production (T)Total Production (=T*S*250)Upkeep
Erdenechivlin (Capital) Plains (6) Village (1) 1*6= 6 6*250 = 1500 RP 225 RP
Guubayan Hills (4) Hamlet (0.5) .5 * 4 = 2 2 * 250 = 500 RP 150 RP
Race: HumanCivilization: Civilized (+25% RP) Governing Style: Noble (Various effects)
Total Production: 2500 RPTotal Upkeep: 375 RPBanked: 5900 RP




Running a turn update.

TBA

[Gaiyamato]

Designing Basic Units.


What I find useful to do is to start by working out a basic soldier profile I can just use over and over like a template.
So we are Humans, so I will use a simply level 1 Human Warrior (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/npcClasses/warrior.htm). I usually use the standard NPC array 11, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10 for their ability scores, swapping one of the 11s for a 12. It keeps them cheaper and simpler. If DMs allow you can use better stats, which will result in more expensive, but better troops.

For now though, I will go with thew following:
STR: 12
DEX: 11
CON: 11
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 10

Running through from page 49, I then work out the basic defaults.

MAB = BAB+STR bonus. Which in this case is 1+1 = 2.
RAB = BAB+DEX bonus. Which will be 1+0 = 1
Base Armour Class is Natural Armor + DEX bonus, which are both 0 in this instance, so will be 0. Armor is added later on when we train an actual unit.
Melee Power = number of hit dice, which is 1 in this instance + STR bonus. So we get 1+1 = 2 for base Melee Power. Weapons will improve this later. Natural attacks can improve this by quite a lot also.
Ranged Power is the same, swapping the STR bonus for DEX bonus. So we get 1+0 in this case. The book doesn't actually explain "Ranged attack factors" at all. So you could also argue in 3.5 that this should be STR not DEX bonus. But for simplicity and consistency I just got with DEX. lol
Toughness is 10+HD Size+CON = 10+8+0 = 18
Wounds are almost always 2. If each individual in a unit has 51 or more HP then the unit has more wounds. In this case, we nly have 1D8 HP, with an average of around 4. So we the unit only has 2 wounds.
Morale is a little unclear. It could be number of hit dice, or the size of the hit die. I usually err with the number of hit dice, and that is what the example troop designed in the book uses. It does it a little differently in other sections of the book, so it is up to the DM. In this case our base Morale is 1, if we went dice size it would be 8. 8 is very big for a base morale, so another argument just to use the number of hit dice.
Command is INT bonus and nothing else, which is +0 in this case.
Saves are done exactly as in DnD 3.5 So +2, +0, +0
Shock Factor is CR*5+ modifiers on table 4:3. Any shock factor less than 0 is 0. We are Human, so Medium size, no penalty or bonus. Humanoid -2, and Common race -2. Our CR is 1, so 5-2-2 = 1. Shock Factor become 1.
Base Move is D20 speed /5. So Humans are 30', this gives us a base move of 6.
Movement Points is Base Move * 7. So seven-sixes are 42.

Base Cost:
(Ability Score Bonuses+(Base non-fly move -6)+Natural Armor bonus+Base MAB+Base RAB+(Base Toughness-10))*10

So in this case:
(1+(0)+0+2+1+8)*10 = 120 RP

This is what the unit costs before training, subtypes, feats and equipment.

Upkeep is 25% of total cost. For our base unit templates it doesn't really matter, but I record it anyway, just in case.


Unit Name Race Training Level Subtype Feats Weapons Armor Cost Upkeep

Basic Infantry Template Human Warrior 1 -- -- -- -- Base 120 RP 30 RP

Unit Name MAB RAB AC Melee Power Ranged Power Toughness Wound Levels Morale Command Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Move MPs Shock Factor

Basic Infantry Template +2 +1 0 2 1 18 2 +1 +0 +2 +0 +0 6 42 1



As we are intending to train Martial units we can then move to the next stage and apply the Martial Templates. These will be Regular Medium Infantry, just to keep them simple and mid-line. So I will apply the Template on page 53.


Unit Name Race Training Level Subtype Feats Weapons Armor Cost Upkeep

Basic Infantry Template Human Regular Medium -- -- -- -- Base 280 RP 70 RP

Unit Name MAB RAB AC Melee Power Ranged Power Toughness Wound Levels Morale Command Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Move MPs Shock Factor

Basic Infantry Template +4 +3 0 3 2 20 2 +2 +2 +4 +2 +1 6 42 1



Next we select a subtype (optional), unit feats (optional) and equipment (optional, but made to do so). So these are *not* base costs/modifiers. It is strongly advised to start with Garrison and Scout units to form a core of defensive units when starting a game, it also dramatically reduces unit upkeep costs, allow you to field a much larger army. So I will design a Garrison unit of medium melee infantry to start with.

I will add the Garrison subtype and we will make them Brave so they don't run away in combat as easily from fear-causing monsters etc. Garrison also gives some free simple fortifications, which is useful if you cannot afford to start with walls.


Unit Name Race Training Level Subtype Feats Weapons Armor Cost Upkeep

Medium Infantry (Garrison) Human Regular Medium Garrison Brave -- -- Base 280 + Extras 220 (500 RP) 125 RP

Unit Name MAB RAB AC Melee Power Ranged Power Toughness Wound Levels Morale Command Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Move MPs Shock Factor

Medium Infantry (Garrison) +4 +3 0 3 2 20 2 +2 +2 +4 +2 +1 6 42 1



Next we will select equipment. I will give them a medium sword (longsword), shield and medium armor (chain mail or something like it).
I add the AC bonus to the AC column, subtract the 1" movement penalty from our base move, making it 5. I also add the Melee power bonus of the weapon. Update costs and upkeep.

This is now a finished unit!


Unit Name Race Training Level Subtype Feats Weapons Armor Cost Upkeep

Medium Infantry (Garrison) Human Regular Medium Garrison Brave Medium Melee Medium, Shield Base 280 + Extras 300 (580 RP) 145 RP

Unit Name MAB RAB AC Melee Power Ranged Power Toughness Wound Levels Morale Command Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Move MPs Shock Factor

Medium Infantry (Garrison) +4 +3 6 9 2 20 2 +2 +2 +4 +2 +1 5 42 1


When building armies it is highly recommended to form units into Formations. I like the Cohort formation, as it only costs 100RP to form. Formations also give a bonus as listed on page 59. However commanders secunded to a unit in the formation count as being secunded to all units in a formation. This means you can add 1 commander for every 4 units (if you only use Cohorts) and they all gain the bonus to command checks.
The result is more MAB, RAD, better morale, better command and they can make very flexible formations. L and T shapes, or a line or a box. Turning your front line into a Tetris-like structure can help to make a flexible line that can slow enemy advances.




Designing a Monster Unit.