The basic idea is that each player will get a platoon they can customize. The players can fight in normal D&D fashion and / or fight in a large battle using there platoons. For example maybe the party is fighting inside a castle, trying to fight there way to the dark lord, while there troops are fighting a army outside the castle to keep the dark lords armies from getting to the castle. I think it could be a cool idea. Here is my basic idea for how the rules would work.
Rule Set
Command Points
Command points represent the supplies, and equipment necessary to equip and support one person in a combat unit. Command points are used to buy totems that determine how many and how powerful spells you can cast. It is also used to represent the extra expense to upgrade a person with armor to increase there defense or mounts to increase there mobility.
Unit Composition
You can spend 30 command points to determine the statistics of the unit. Infantry increases the Might of your unit which is added to melee attacks. Archers increase the Force of your unit which is added to ranged attacks. Shaman's increase your Power which is added to your spell check to determine if a shaman spell activates or not. Cleric's increase the Faith of your unit which is added to your spell check to determine if a shaman spell activates or not. Your defense modifier is determined by the amount of Command Points you put into armor and is added to defensive rolls. Maneuverability adds 1 hex of movement per command point used. Your default movement is 3 hex's.
Spell casting units also need Mana in order to cast there spells. The more command points you put into Mana the greater number and level of spell can be cast.
Morale
Morale is how long a unit can take damage in a fight. All units start with 40 morale. A units loose moral by a enemy that uses the attack action. If a units moral hits 0 the unit can take no actions and make death saves on it's turn. If the unit gets three failures before it gets three successes then the unit is dead. If a unit gets a natural 20 it is back in action at 1 morale.
Initiative
Initiative works just like D&D. At the start of combat all players roll a D20 and then that roll to determine there turn order.
Weapons
Your unit can chose three different ranged and or melee weapons. If you have both archers and Infantry you have two weapons. Otherwise you can only have one.
Melee Weapons
Name
Description
Spears
Nullifies your defense modifier if the target a Might more than 1.
Axes
Advantage if the target has a Might more than 5
Swords
Advantage if the target has a Might of 0.
Ranged Weapons
Name
Description
Cross Bow
Nullifies your defense modifier if the target a Might more than 1.
Long Bow
Advantage if the target has a Might more than 5
Short Bow
Advantage if the target has a Might is 0.
Actions
Every unit can make one movement and one action on it's turn. If the unit is in the attack range of a enemy then the enemy gets an attack of opportunity unless that unit used there action to disengage.
Spell Casting
To cast a spell you roll a d20 to meet a DC that is five plus twice the level of spell you want to cast. A level 1 spell can be cast at a range of 1 hex and can effect 1 hex. As the spell is cast at higher levels it can be cast at a higher range and / or have a larger effected area. A third level spell can have a range or 1 and a area of effect of 3 or a range of 3 and a area of effect of 1.
Shaman Spells
Name
Description
Teleport
Allows a area of hex's to instantly move a number of hex's with the area and range based on the spell level.
Fog Cloud
Obscures an area from ranged attacks
Lightning strike
Does damage to an area based on the amount rolled over the DC of the spell.
Cleric Spells
Name
Description
Heal
Add the modified amount rolled over the DC to the Morale of a unit.
Bless
Adds +2 per spell level to your next roll.
Curse
Removes the modifier from a enemies next roll.
Combat
Every unit gets a action, and a movement on there turn. There are two types of basic actions, ranged and melee attacks. Melee combat must be in a adjoining hex, ranged combat can attack from 2 hex's to up to 4 hex's away. A d20 is rolled by both the attacker and the defender. The attacker adds the Might modifier if it is a melee attack or the Force modifier if it's a ranged attack. The defender uses there Defense modifier. If the attacker rolls higher then the difference between the attackers and the defenders modified values are subtracted from the defenders Morale. If the attacker gets a natural 20 and the defender does not then the amount of damage is doubled. If both the defender and the attacker get a natural 20 then the damage, if there is any, is not doubled.
Abilities
When your unit levels up you can pick a training that the unit receives. Training give your unit the ability to pay a cost to get a beneficial effect. There are two types of actions. Training is a permanent change to a unit. Equipment are changes that can get lost based on your roll.
Training
Name
Effect
Cost
Charge
Gives the unit another action
Movement
Faint
Nullifies a enemies modifier for there next defensive roll.
Movement
Withdraw
leave a opponents attack range without incurring a opportunity attack. The unit can only move 1 hex.
Movement
Brace
Advantage on all defensive rolls till it's next turn.
Action
Double Time
The unit gets a second movement
Action
Demonstrate
Nullify a enemies advantage on there next action.
Action
Reckless Charge
The unit gets another action
All attacks against the unit have advantage for the next turn.
Rash Maneuver
The unit gets a second movement
All attacks against the unit have advantage for the next turn.
Berserker Fury
Perform an attack with advantage
All attacks against the unit have advantage for the next turn.
Equipment
Name
Description
Throwing Axes
Perform a ranged attack roll
Pilum
Perform a attack roll and on success invalidates the targets defense modifier for the rest of the turn.
Smoke Bomb
Creates a smoke radius passed on it's modifier 1 hex around the unit making ranged attacks impossible.
Thorn Bomb
Render a hex unable to be moved through all units in the hex receive damage equal to it's modifier at the start at each turn and must use there movement to make a DC 12 dexterity check to move out 1 hex out of it.
Equipment rarity
Equipment has a modifier (what is added to a d20 roll) it's rarity. The higher the rarity the higher the modifier. As the modifier goes up the DC you need to beat to use the item goes up. The more powerful the item the harder it is to use it.
Name
Modifier
DC
Common
2
8
Uncommon
4
10
Rare
6
12
Legendary
8
14
Equipment Quality
Equipment has a Quality for poor to fine. Each quality decrees the DC that if you roll below destroys the item.
I think this goes against the spirit of D&D which is to play a single character.
I think I would keep the platoon customisation, and say that the PC is the platoon commander, but not give them extra control or possibility to play with the platoon while their character is somewhere else.
When the PC is with their platoon, they should be able to push them further, with a charisma or intelligence check though, to represent their leadership, and either the boost in morale of their tactical acumen. Probably as a move action, so they can still cast their own spells and be awesome.
The basic idea is that each player will get a platoon they can customize. The players can fight in normal D&D fashion and / or fight in a large battle using there platoons. For example maybe the party is fighting inside a castle, trying to fight there way to the dark lord, while there troops are fighting a army outside the castle to keep the dark lords armies from getting to the castle. I think it could be a cool idea. Here is my basic idea for how the rules would work.
Rule Set
Command Points
Command points represent the supplies, and equipment necessary to equip and support one person in a combat unit. Command points are used to buy totems that determine how many and how powerful spells you can cast. It is also used to represent the extra expense to upgrade a person with armor to increase there defense or mounts to increase there mobility.
Unit Composition
You can spend 30 command points to determine the statistics of the unit. Infantry increases the Might of your unit which is added to melee attacks. Archers increase the Force of your unit which is added to ranged attacks. Shaman's increase your Power which is added to your spell check to determine if a shaman spell activates or not. Cleric's increase the Faith of your unit which is added to your spell check to determine if a shaman spell activates or not. Your defense modifier is determined by the amount of Command Points you put into armor and is added to defensive rolls. Maneuverability adds 1 hex of movement per command point used. Your default movement is 3 hex's.
Spell casting units also need Mana in order to cast there spells. The more command points you put into Mana the greater number and level of spell can be cast.
Morale
Morale is how long a unit can take damage in a fight. All units start with 40 morale. A units loose moral by a enemy that uses the attack action. If a units moral hits 0 the unit can take no actions and make death saves on it's turn. If the unit gets three failures before it gets three successes then the unit is dead. If a unit gets a natural 20 it is back in action at 1 morale.
Initiative
Initiative works just like D&D. At the start of combat all players roll a D20 and then that roll to determine there turn order.
Weapons
Your unit can chose three different ranged and or melee weapons. If you have both archers and Infantry you have two weapons. Otherwise you can only have one.
Melee Weapons
Name
Description
Spears
Nullifies your defense modifier if the target a Might more than 1.
Axes
Advantage if the target has a Might more than 5
Swords
Advantage if the target has a Might of 0.
Ranged Weapons
Name
Description
Cross Bow
Nullifies your defense modifier if the target a Might more than 1.
Long Bow
Advantage if the target has a Might more than 5
Short Bow
Advantage if the target has a Might is 0.
Actions
Every unit can make one movement and one action on it's turn. If the unit is in the attack range of a enemy then the enemy gets an attack of opportunity unless that unit used there action to disengage.
Spell Casting
To cast a spell you roll a d20 to meet a DC that is five plus twice the level of spell you want to cast. A level 1 spell can be cast at a range of 1 hex and can effect 1 hex. As the spell is cast at higher levels it can be cast at a higher range and / or have a larger effected area. A third level spell can have a range or 1 and a area of effect of 3 or a range of 3 and a area of effect of 1.
Shaman Spells
Name
Description
Teleport
Allows a area of hex's to instantly move a number of hex's with the area and range based on the spell level.
Fog Cloud
Obscures an area from ranged attacks
Lightning strike
Does damage to an area based on the amount rolled over the DC of the spell.
Cleric Spells
Name
Description
Heal
Add the modified amount rolled over the DC to the Morale of a unit.
Bless
Adds +2 per spell level to your next roll.
Curse
Removes the modifier from a enemies next roll.
Combat
Every unit gets a action, and a movement on there turn. There are two types of basic actions, ranged and melee attacks. Melee combat must be in a adjoining hex, ranged combat can attack from 2 hex's to up to 4 hex's away. A d20 is rolled by both the attacker and the defender. The attacker adds the Might modifier if it is a melee attack or the Force modifier if it's a ranged attack. The defender uses there Defense modifier. If the attacker rolls higher then the difference between the attackers and the defenders modified values are subtracted from the defenders Morale. If the attacker gets a natural 20 and the defender does not then the amount of damage is doubled. If both the defender and the attacker get a natural 20 then the damage, if there is any, is not doubled.
Abilities
When your unit levels up you can pick a training that the unit receives. Training give your unit the ability to pay a cost to get a beneficial effect. There are two types of actions. Training is a permanent change to a unit. Equipment are changes that can get lost based on your roll.
Training
Name
Effect
Cost
Charge
Gives the unit another action
Movement
Faint
Nullifies a enemies modifier for there next defensive roll.
Movement
Withdraw
leave a opponents attack range without incurring a opportunity attack. The unit can only move 1 hex.
Movement
Brace
Advantage on all defensive rolls till it's next turn.
Action
Double Time
The unit gets a second movement
Action
Demonstrate
Nullify a enemies advantage on there next action.
Action
Reckless Charge
The unit gets another action
All attacks against the unit have advantage for the next turn.
Rash Maneuver
The unit gets a second movement
All attacks against the unit have advantage for the next turn.
Berserker Fury
Perform an attack with advantage
All attacks against the unit have advantage for the next turn.
Equipment
Name
Description
Throwing Axes
Perform a ranged attack roll
Pilum
Perform a attack roll and on success invalidates the targets defense modifier for the rest of the turn.
Smoke Bomb
Creates a smoke radius passed on it's modifier 1 hex around the unit making ranged attacks impossible.
Thorn Bomb
Render a hex unable to be moved through all units in the hex receive damage equal to it's modifier at the start at each turn and must use there movement to make a DC 12 dexterity check to move out 1 hex out of it.
Equipment rarity
Equipment has a modifier (what is added to a d20 roll) it's rarity. The higher the rarity the higher the modifier. As the modifier goes up the DC you need to beat to use the item goes up. The more powerful the item the harder it is to use it.
Name
Modifier
DC
Common
2
8
Uncommon
4
10
Rare
6
12
Legendary
8
14
Equipment Quality
Equipment has a Quality for poor to fine. Each quality decrees the DC that if you roll below destroys the item.
Quality
Name
DC you must roll above
Poor
7
Medium
5
Withdraw
3
Fine
1
Here's how the see the unit sheet looking like
I think this goes against the spirit of D&D which is to play a single character.
I think I would keep the platoon customisation, and say that the PC is the platoon commander, but not give them extra control or possibility to play with the platoon while their character is somewhere else.
When the PC is with their platoon, they should be able to push them further, with a charisma or intelligence check though, to represent their leadership, and either the boost in morale of their tactical acumen. Probably as a move action, so they can still cast their own spells and be awesome.
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