Introduction
The rumors fly like leaves on the wind... war comes! A great host descends upon the lands, a wave of darkness sweeping toward the good people. What are your heroes to do but raise their own army and stand against this evil?
The Battle System is a relatively simple set of mechanics that fits over a combat encounter of 5e D&D that turns that humble combat encounter into a skirmish at the heart of a raging battle, but also a framework that sits over the campaign for building the unique mechanics fitting for each battle. A battle is not a standalone event, but the culmination of two sides building the forces and meeting in a series of epic clashes, and that's what this system aims to represent.
Why do you need this?
Like many things I make, this arose from my own games. Over the course of a campaign the players had been hearing of a swelling force of Hobgoblins to the East. Then they heard that the legendary fortress that guards the western lands they adventure in, Ironmount, had fallen to this host. Now they hear that bands are roaming through the lands conquering and pillaging.
My players find themselves in a remote border region of farmland and adventure when the distant rumors become reality. The outriders are here. An army comes. They rally the villages to arm themselves and stand against this menace, but as the two forces set up to clash, I find myself wondering... how as a DM do I make all this epic? Does all this seem worth it?
In a first skirmish, the players confronted the leaders of the army in a duel that bought them sometime in game and me some time out of game to figure out the sudden elephant in the room... how to run a massive battle with the players at the heart of it in D&D?
This was my answer. It took a few months of a break from the game, but this is the system with which the player's battled the hobgoblin army. Their forces are represented as General Forces. Their allies are represented as Elites, and their tactical plays are represented by the Battle Cards. Their hard work manifested onto the battlefield.
Many games do not need this system. Many adventurers can go many campaigns without finding themselves in the heat of battle. But when you find yourself gearing up for war, this system is here for you to make it an epic showdown that is, most importantly, a lot of fun.
How does the Battle System Work?
The core of the Battle System is the battle takes part on two levels played simultaneously.
The Skirmish, which serves as the beating heart of the battle and focuses on the players and their individual contributions to the fight, and the contextual layer above that that tracks the overall progress of the battle including what the players in the Skirmish are contributing.
But the characters contributions in the Skirmish are not the only way the players engage with the battle. At the start of every turn, the DM and players play Battle Cards from a deck built from the Elites of each army (including the players themselves!), which can sway the battle by inflicting devastating effects on the Skirmish, and Casualties on the enemy's General Forces.
System and Story
It would not be incorrect to call the Battle System a deck building card game that plays out over a 5e encounter, though it is, on its own, a fairly simple system that makes no effort at systematic balance, as what army, elites, leaders, and scouts your players have comes out of the story of how your players have played the game.
Recruiting powerful Elites, establishing relationships and character development that unlock further powers, securing your armies, these all correlate to options you will have in combat.
Putting it Together
The next few pages will run through the mechanics, but I want to first give this overview.
- There are two armies, represented by General Forces and Elites, with Leaders.
- The clash in an epic fight, in at the heart of which is the Skirmish where the players play out 5e combat.
- The tactical layer is simulated by Battle Cards representing the actions of Elites and Leaders.
- The strength of an army is represented by Fielded Strength and it's will to fight by Morale, both of which are reduced by Casualties.
That's it. That's the system. The rest of the words will just serve to explain what the bolded words mean, provide tools to construct them in a manner that works for your campaign, and run them in an epic and memorable battle.
The Mechanics
At a high level, how the system works is simple. Your players gather an army, find powerful allies, and then clash with an enemy army. When the clash happens, the game largely plays out like a D&D battle, but with two additional phases in each round. At the top of turn order, units are added to the Skirmish - the epic clash at the heart of the Battle that centers on your characters. At this point, the Battle Cards are played, before proceeding into the normal turn order, and, lastly, at the end of round, the armies roll the Clash Dice which generates the attrition both armies suffer from the continued fight above and beyond the Battle Cards and results of the Skirmish.
The Army
The first thing you need to have a war is an army. Your army is made is made up five parts: General Forces, Elites, Scouts, Leaders, and Siege Weapons. All of these contribute to your total Fielded Strength.
Your players will generally be Elites, Scouts, or Leaders based on their selections and class.
General Forces
Will be conscripts, rank and file soldiers, hordes of skeletons, mercenaries, or other mass forces. These are not inherently nameless minions, and can include NPCs or friends of the party, but generally will represent anyone without special skills.
This will make up the bulk of your army and its Fielded Strength, but will be very vulnerable to without Elites and Leaders as they cannot play Battle Cards themselves, and contribute only passively (if very importantly) to your army.
Elites
Elites exceptional creatures that are generally higher CR or level than the general forces. What sort of creatures and CR range would qualify as an elite depends on the tier of play as well as their importance to your game and story. Generally Elites are units that could inflict devastating casualties on General Forces if unopposed by other Elites. Elites contribute to your overall Fielded Strength, but also contribute Battle Cards, as well as to the number of Battle Cards you can draw and hold in your hand (see the Battle Card section for a more indepth look into their interactions).
Battle Cards represent actions of your Elites that change the course of Battle, and an army without Elites will generally be ravaged by the enemy Battle Cards - but be warned, an army with only Elites will quickly be over run by sheer attrition! Elites alone will struggle to hold a field.
Leaders
Leaders can be Elites as well, but they can also just be capable commanders. A leader is (literally) a force multiplier that contributes greatly to your army. A leader can be a player character or NPC. Your army can have multiple leaders, but only one leader's multiplier can be used, additionally leaders still contribute their bonus to the number of Battle Cards you can play that turn, as well as their Morale bonus.
Scouts
Scouts can be either General Forces or Elites with the Scout tag, which will come with a Scouting Effectiveness value. They both inform you about the enemy army and defend an army against the enemy learning things about you. They can get their information from scouting, spying, or scrying, all are combined into their scouting effectiveness.
Siege Weapons
Siege Weapons grant additional Battle Cards, but do not directly contribute to your Fielded Strength, so cannot carry on a battle on their own.
Fielded Strength
Each creature contributes fielded strength equal to 4 x its CR. Your army has a Fielded Strength that is the sum of the creatures in your General Forces and Elites. This number is then multiplied by your designated leader's multiplier.
Morale
Your army has a morale score determined by the situation and your Leader's boost. If your Morale Score drops to zero, your army breaks and flees. Some Battle Cards (typically those contributed by Leaders) can raise morale or only be used when Morale is high enough.
Your Morale is one third of your Fielded Strength (rounded down) by default; this value is taken after the Leader's multiplier is accounted for. All the Charisma ability scores of all Leaders is then added to your army's Morale.
Casualties
Battle Dice, some Battle Cards, and some actions of PCs and Elites can deal casualties. Casualties reduce the Fielded Strength and Morale score of an army to zero. Reducing one of these to zero ends the Battle.
The Skirmish
While this system simulates a large scale battle, as this is D&D, ultimately what we care most about is the players and what they are doing. The players can generally be found in the heart of the battle called the Skirmish. The Skirmish is a ring of terrain in the heart of the Battle where the players engage enemy forces and Elites directly.
The player's actions here will have a large impact on the battle, but it is possible to lose a battle while winning in the Skirmish if your army is routed around you. Not only can you defeat enemies in the Skirmish depleting your enemy's Fielded Strength and potentially eliminating their Elites, for each casualty you deal in the Skirmish, your army's Morale is increased by an equal amount, giving you a large boost.
While an Elite is in the Skirmish (including the PCs) you cannot play Battle Cards from that Elite unless they have the Action or Gambit property. A Action card can be played while in the skirmish, but requires your action; a Gambit can be played while its Elite is in the skirmish without an action.
Starting the Skirmish
At the start of Battle, mark the Skirmish circle. The radius of the Skirmish is 15 feet for each player, to a maximum of 60 feet in radius. The terrain and obstacles of the skirmish can be set however is appropriate for the field of battle.
The players enter the Skirmish from their army's side of the field; players start deploying themselves from the furthest point, and each additional player can be up to 10 feet away from the last deployed player along the edge of the circle; your players can deploy in any order in this fashion. The DM places 1 Elite, plus a deployment from each General Force in the enemy force (typically 1 to 1d4 of that General Forces Unit).
Moving Outside the Skirmish
A player or Elite can move outside the Skirmish area, but they take 1d12 piercing damage for each 5 feet they move while outside of the Skirmish. This damage represents them getting pulled into the general chaos of the battle raging around them (as well as encouraging them to stay within the Skirmish).
If a Player ends their turn outside of the Skirmish, they are removed from it and treated as a normal Elite until the redeploy back into the Skirmish at the start of round if they choose to redeploy.
Bringing Allied Elites in the Skirmish
The players can choose to bring the allied Elites into the Skirmish, but it costs Fielded Strength equal to that Elite's Fielded Strength from your total to deploy them into the Skirmish, as they are not contributing to the greater battle while in the Skirmish, and they are limited in the Battle Cards can played (as Elites typically have limited Action and Gambit powers).
Spawning New Foes
At the start of each round, if the enemy Elite has been defeated, the DM adds another Elite into the Skirmish. The DM can add multiple Elites into the skirmish when appropriate, but doing so will quickly overrun the players and is not recommended unless the players have brought multiple Elites into the Skirmish.
In addition to the Elite they are facing off against for each player character in the skirmish, the DM spawns units from the General Forces as listed on the General Forces unit stats (typically this is either 1, 1d2, or 1d4 creatures of what makes up that General Forces unit). The maximum number of enemies that can be in the Skirmish from this spawning is three times the number of player characters (note this does not apply at the start of Skirmish, only for additional spawns). This does not count Elites (on either side) or Summons.
If more units would spawn but cannot due to the unit cap, the Skirmish is considered overwhelmed and the Player's armies take casualties equal to the value of the general forces that would have spawned but could not.
DM Discretion & Balancing
This is the part that has changed the most in my various versions of this, simply because this part is really just the heart of DMing - knowing your party and what is a good challenge for them.
You can tweak the levers here by not picking which general forces are spawned randomly simply by tweaking the numbers of spawning to be a good challenge - killing all enemies in the Skirmish should be very challenging.
Attacking the Army
Elites within the Skirmish can opt to attack the army beyond the Skirmish directly. To do so they must be in range of the edge of Skirmish to make the attack, and it expands their action, bonus action, and reaction.
Doing so deals the player's proficiency bonus in casualties to the enemy army (Elites instead use half their CR, rounded down). Alternatively, the player can expend a spell slot to deal twice the spell slot level in casualties.
Note: Intentionally inefficient
While attacking the army directly is a good option to have, it is intended to be inefficient and rarely the best option available to PCs unless they have wiped the skirmish.
Defeating Units in the Skirmish
Each time an enemy is defeated in the Skirmish, the enemy takes casualties equal to the defeated creature's fielded Strength. If an Elite is defeated, any of the Battle Cards are discarded and cannot be used. Additionally, the allied army gains Morale equal to the casualties dealt in the Skirmish.
If one side (usually the PCs) kills all enemy units in the Skirmish at the end of a turn leaving it devoid of opposition, it is called Wiping the Skirmish, the opposing army suffers a loss of morale equal to the player characters' Fielded Strength
Battle Cards
Battle Cards are contributed by your Elites (including Players). A Battle Card starts in the Deck. At the start of your turn, you draw a number of Cards equal to 1 + your number of Elites divided by two (rounded down). You can have a number of Battle Cards in your Hand equal to your Number of Elites. If you draw cards over your Hand Size you must discard cards without playing them until you reach your maximum Hand Size.
You can play a number of Cards equal to value contributed by your Leaders (generally 1 per leader). A card is either reusable or expendable. If a card is discarded (due to Hand Size limit) it goes into your Reserve pile. If a reusable card is played, roll the reuse die for that card; on a 1 or 2, that card is removed from play, otherwise, it is added to your Reserve pile. If your Deck is empty, you shuffle your Reserve pile into your Deck and start drawing again. If an expandable card is played, it is removed from play for that Battle.
A Battle Card can have various tags on it:
- Type: Standard, Action, or Gambit. A Standard card cannot be played while the unit the provided it is in the Skirmish, an Action be, but requires their action, and Gambit can be played without spending an action.
- Elite: The Elite that contributed the Battle Card. If an Elite dies in the battle, all cards of that Elite in your hand are removed from play for that Battle, and any Card that is drawn for that Elite is immediately discarded and a new card is drawn.
- Reuse: This will define if the Card is reusable (with its reuse die) or expendable.
Order of Play
Battle Cards are played head to head in order, and the DM always plays first (placing them at a considerable disadvantage, though this is mitigated by the fact they will always know the player's deck). This means that if the players want to play a card that blocks a DM's Battle Card, they must play it directly after them. You must play a card if you are able to play a card (for example, if the DM plays Battle Card that blocks a card, you must play something into it unless you cannot play additional cards).
If you run out of cards in hand or cards you can play, the other army plays any additional cards they can play uncontested (granting a large advantage to an army with more or better leaders).
You must discard cards that exceed your hand size prior to playing cards. Once all cards have been played and resolved, roll the reuse dice (if applicable) for Battle Cards and either remove them from play on place in Reserve depending on the outcome.
Attrition Dice
During the Battle, the very last step of any Battle is to resolve the outcome of the clashing forces after the flashy events of the Battle Cards and Skirmish have taken their toll. This is done via the Attrition Dice.
Each side rolls a d6 for every 100 Fielded Strength they have (minimum 1), dealing casualties equal to value rolled.
Scouting
In addition to Elites and Leaders, you can have Scouts. Scouts may overlap with Elites or Leaders, but do not always overlap. Scouting expeditions are launched prior to a battle and reveal information about an opposing army. A Scouting operation takes 1 day plus the travel time of the Scouting unit to the other armies location.
Scouts have an Effectiveness score. When you make a Scouting Expedition, roll a d20 and add their Effectiveness Score to value, then subtract the total Effectiveness score of all enemy scouts that are not currently on a Scouting Expedition divided by two from that value. For example, if you send a Scout with an Effectiveness of 4 to Scout an army with five Scouts, each with an effectiveness of 2, you add a -1 to the roll.
If you roll a result on the table that you already know all there is to know, you reroll the die. You can reroll the die a number of times equal to your Scouts effectiveness.
| d20 | Information Learned |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your scout is killed and you learn nothing. |
| 2-6 | You learn the number of General Forces the army has. |
| 7-10 | You learn the identity and Fielded Strength of one General Forces unit. |
| 11-13 | You learn the number of Elites the Army has. |
| 14-16 | You learn the Base Stats of one Elite in the army. |
| 17-18 | You reveal 1d4 Battle Cards from the enemies deck. |
| 19-20 | You learn the Leader Stats of one Leader in the army. |
Time for War
Setting up for Battle
In order to use this system, you will need to set up for a Battle. Fortunately, this is quite simple in theory, and is the sort of thing that a whole campaign can be about in practice!
- Determine your player's army General Forces. These can be recruited, hired, joined, or created (in the case of things like Skeletons and Golems!)
- Determine the Player's allied Elites. These are generally powerful allies the players have recruited. Determine the best Battle Cards for them, the players, and if any special Battle Cards have been earned through adventuring.
- Determine the leader of the Player's army.
- Determine if any Terrain factors are in play and distribute Terrain Battle Cards and Multipliers as necessary.
- Calculate the Player Army Fielded Strength and Morale.
- You're ready to go!
The DM will have to do the same steps for the enemy army. Once both armies are prepped, all that's left is the engagement.
Running the Battle
Lastly, there is the Battle itself. When two armies collide, the DM can determine if the overall tactics merits any special modifiers (for example, one army ambushing the other), or if one army is gaining a terrain benefit from the positioning. These will be expressed in terms of multipliers (found on the Terrain Benefits table).
Once battle starts, each side selects who will take place in the Skirmish. While it is generally expected that all PCs will take part in the Skirmish, they do not have to. The DM will deploy enemy Elites in general forces into the Skirmish, deducting them from the forces of that army. All forces in the skirmish will roll initiative.
The turn order:
- Step 1: Draw Battle Cards equal to 1 + your half your number of Elites (rounded down) (on subsequent turns, you may have to discard some if you exceed your Hand Size).
- Step 2: The player and DM take turns playing Battle Cards until each reaches their Battle Card limit. The DM always places cards first.
- Step 3: Resolve any Battle Card outcomes.
- Step 4: The Skirmish initiative runs in order.
- Step 5: After all creatures in the Skirmish have acted, roll Attrition Dice.
- Step 6: Calculate remaining Fielded Strength and Morale, and return to the top of the Battle if neither has been depleted to zero for either army.
Note: This System Favors Players.
It is important to note that these rules, neither the Skirmish or the Battle are entirely "fair" or intended to be. The Players have an unfair advantage, and this is intentional. In an otherwise even Battle, the players will typically emerge victorious.
Routing Your Foe
If an enemy Morale or Fielded Strength hits zero, they are routed. If their Fielded Strength has been reduced to zero, the army is broken and scattered. If their Morale is depleted to zero or they have opted to retreat, you can pursue, but doing so is dangerous and requires high leadership to prevent it from descending into chaos.
Each time an army attempts to chase a fleeing army, make a DC 5 check, rolling a d20 and adding that armies number of Leaders to the roll. If the army passes the check, that army may roll Attrition Dice against their foes an extra time uncontested. If they fail the check, both sides roll the attrition dice again. If you fail the check by 5 or more, you take additional losses equal to your own attrition roll as your disorganized forces begin to scatter and fall prey to traps and confusion. The DC of the check increases by 5 each time you make it.
Aftermath
The army loses half the total casualties inflicted on it as a permanent reduction to its Fielded Strength. It regains morale at rate of adding all of it's Leader's Morale bonuses together x 10 per day, but can instantly regain morale if receiving reinforcements, up to the added Fielded Strength (up to the maximum default morale it can have at 1/3 of Fielded Strength).
Various factors can recover a higher percentage of casualties.
Template General Forces
Tier 1-2 Templates (Levels 1-10)
Conscripted Militia
General Forces, Tier 1-2
Untrained soldiers, loosely organized in the defense of their lands, these units are armed with spears, short bows, and a loose collection of mismatched armor.
- Numbers 40
- Fielded Strength 20
- Skirmish Units: 1d4 Guards (MM pg. 347)
Hobgoblin Unit
General Forces, Tier 1-2
Highly martial, competent, and organized.
Martial Excellence: Grants a free, expendable, Hold the Line card to your hand at the start of the battle.
- Numbers 50
- Fielded Strength: 100
- Skirmish Units: 1d2 Hobgoblins (MM, p186)
Hunters
General Forces, Scout, Tier 1-2
Skilled in long bows and survival, these are useful assets to any army.
- Numbers 20
- Scouting Effectiveness: 2
- Fielded Strength: 40
- Skirmish Units: 1d2 Scouts (MM pg. 349)
Goblin Swarm
General Forces, Scout, Tier 1-2
Skilled in long bows and survival, these are useful assets to any army.
- Numbers 60
- Scouting Effectiveness: 1
- Fielded Strength: 60
- Skirmish Units: 1d4 Goblins (MM pg. 166)
Magi
General Forces, Tier 1-2
A small group of low level mages, typically those unable to cast 3rd level spells or higher; still a dangerous force to be reckoned with.
- Numbers 10
- Fielded Strength: 80
- Skirmish Units: 1 Thayan Apprentice (TftYP pg. 245)
Soldiers
General Forces, Tier 1-2
Trained in the art of war and equipped with spears, armor, and shields, these are the backbone of any army.
- Numbers 50
- Fielded Strength: 100
- Skirmish Units: 1d2 Soldiers (GGR p226.)
Skeleton Horde
General Forces, Tier 1-2
A horde of skeletons, armed with shortswords, short bows, and tattered army, they are a tireless force.
- Numbers 100
- Fielded Strength: 100
- Skirmish Units: 1d4 Skeletons (MM pg. 272)
Zombie Horde
General Forces, Tier 1-2
The shambling dead make up a unit of tireless soldiers.
- Numbers 100
- Fielded Strength: 100
- Skirmish Units: 1d4 Zombies (MM pg. 316)
Template Elites
Elite Knight
Elite, Tier 1-2
A knight in full plate, they've seen battle before against men and monsters alike.
- Fielded Strength: 36
- Skirmish Units: Champion (VGM pg. 212)
Battle Cards
- Select One from: Devastate The Field, One Man Stand (and)
- Select One from: Duel to the Death
Veteran Captain
Leader, Tier 1-2
An experienced commander that's led men to battle before.
- Fielded Strength: 2
- Leadership Multiplier: 1.1
- Morale Bonus: 16
Battle Cards
- Select Two from: Fire Volley, Stand and Fight, Reposition
War Mage
Elite, Tier 1-2
An arcane caster capable of wielding 3rd level spells or higher.
- Fielded Strength: 24
- Skirmish Units: Red Wizard (RoT pg. 76)
Battle Cards
- Select Two from: Fireball, Wall of Fire
Monstrous Brute
Elite, Tier 1-2
A powerful large creature, such as a hill giant, ogre champion, or troll berserker, difficult for general forces to handle.
- Fielded Strength: 20
- Skirmish Unit: Hill Giant (Basic Rules, pg. 140)
Battle Cards
- Smashing Advance. (Standard, Reusable d8): Deals 1d8 casualties.
- Thundering Challenge. (Standard, Reusable d4): Lets out a massive battlecry. All creatures within the skirmish must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of their next turn. The opposing armies morale is decreased by 3d4.
Ancient Red Dragon
Elite, Leader, Scout, Tier 1-4
An ancient red dragon, a terrifying foe.
- Fielded Strength: 96
- Leadership Multiplier: 1.3
- Morale Bonus: 23
- Scouting Effectiveness: 6
- Skirmish Unit: Ancient Red Dragon (MM, pg. 97)
- Collateral Damage. Each time the dragon uses it's fire breath while in the Skirmish, the opposing army takes 4d6 casualties.
Battle Cards
- Swooping Devastation. (Standard, Reusable d12): Deals 2d12 casualties.
- Ancient Terror. (Standard, Reusable d12): Blocks an enemy battle card. Deals 3d4 morale damage.
- Fire Strafing. (Standard, Reusable d6): A line of fire 20 feet passes through skirmish. Each creature in that area must make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw, taking 91 (26d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Deals 8d6 casualties. This card cannot be blocked.
Stone Golem
Elite, Tier 1-2
- Fielded Strength: 40
- Skirmish Unit: Stone Golem
Battle Cards
- Smashing Advance. (Standard, Reusable d8): Deals 1d8 casualties.
- Slow. (Standard, Reusable, d8): Reduces the attrition dice rolled by the opposing army by 2, and reduces the number of Battle Cards the enemy army can play this round by 1.
- Anti Magic Advance (Standard, Reusable, d4): Blocks a Battle Card with the Spell Effect tag, and deals 2d4 casualties.
Medusa
Elite, Tier 1-2
- Fielded Strength: 24
- Skirmish Unit: Medusa
Battle Cards
- Expert Volley. (Standard, Reusable d6) Deals 2d4 casualties and deals 1d8 piercing damage to a random hostile unit the skirmish.
- Gaze of the Medusa. (Standard, Reusable d6) Deals 3d6 casualties; on each 6 rolled, the enemy must discard one card from their hand to their reserve pile. When blocked, roll a d6, on a 1, discard the blocking card.
Vampire
Elite, Scout, Leader Tier 1-2
An intelligent undead creature that commands the forces of darkness.
- Skirmish Unit: Vampire (MM p297)
- Fielded Strength: 20
- Scouting Effectiveness: 4
Battle Cards
- Devious Tactics (Gambit, Reusable d6): Deals 1d8 casualties. Deals half casualties even when blocked.
- Bloody Feast (Standard, Reusable d20): Deals 1d12 casualties. Restores morale to the Vampire's army equal to half the casualties dealt.
- Army of Darkness (Action, Reusable d4): Spawns 1d4 swarms of bats in the skirmish. Increases allied army Fielded Strength and Morale by 2d4. Cannot be blocked.
Spymaster
Elite, Scout, Tier 1-2
A clever individual who knows how to get things done.
- Skirmish Unit: Master Thief (VGM p216)
- Fielded Strength: 20
- Scouting Effectiveness: 4
Battle Cards
- Select Two from: Devious Tactics, Exposed Plans
Cadaver Collector
Elite, Tier 1-2
A horrifying construct that plucks the corpses off the battlefield for... further processing.
- Fielded Strength: 56
- Skirmish Unit: Cadaver Collector (MTF p122)
Battle Cards
- Smashing Advance. (Standard, Reusable d6): Deals 1d8 casualties.
- Summon Specters. (Action, Expendable): Spawns 1d4 Specters in the skirmish. Increases allied army Fielded Strength and Morale by 2d6. Cannot be blocked.
Necromancer Lord
Elite, Leader, Tier 1-2
A necromancer who has a dark army at their beck and call.
- Fielded Strength: 36
- Leadership Multiplier: 1.1
- Morale Bonus: 11
- Skirmish Unit: Necromancer (VGM, pg. 217)
- Master of the Dead. If commanding an army primarily of undead units (>75% of Fielded Strength, Leadership Multiplier becomes 1.2
Battle Cards
- Cycle the Legions. (Standard, Reusable d20) Blocks enemy Battle Card. Draw a Battle Card. You can play an additional Battle Card this turn.
- Arise. (Actions, Reusable d20) One slain creature with a CR less than half the Necromancer's can return to life at full health. The allied army gains 4d4 Morale.
Template Siege Weapons
Ballista
Seige Weapon, Tier 1-3
A really really big crossbow.
Battle Cards
- Devastating Bolts (Standard, Reusable d20): Make a +8 attack attack roll against a random enemy in the Skirmish, dealing 2d12 piercing on hit. Deals 1d12 + 3 casualties.
Catapult
Seige Weapon, Tier 1-3
Big rock throwing contraption
Battle Cards
- Giant Boulders (Standard, Reusable d20): Make a +8 attack attack roll against a random enemy in the Skirmish, dealing 2d12 bludgeoning on hit. Deals 1d12 + 3casualties.
- Hail of Stones (Standard, Reusable d20): The three furthest enemy creatures in the skirmish must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d10 bludgeoning damage. Deals 2d6 casualties
Battle Card Templates
When selecting Battle Cards for Elites, for Template Elites you can select from their list of default cards or replace a card with another card of the same tier that better fits that Elite. The DM determines if any alternate or custom cards are appropriate for an Elite. When selecting Cards, the first two cards an Elite provides are Tier 1 cards, with each subsequent card they can have being one Tier higher, following the table below.
| Level/CR | Cards |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | 2x Tier 1 |
| 5-8 | 2x Tier 1 1x Tier 2 |
| 9-12 | 1x Tier 1 2x Tier 2 |
| 13-16 | 2x Tier 2 1x Tier 3 |
| 17-20 | 1x Tier 2 2x Tier 3 1x Tier 4 |
PC Class Cards
PCs each have their own battle cards that are contributed to their armies deck. Characters gain 1 default battle card for each 5 character levels, drawn from the template pool based on their class levels. Characters may have customized Battle Cards with collaboration with the DM, referring to the card creation rules; all custom cards are at the discretion of the DM. Custom cards should replace default cards, and bonus cards on top of that should be added only rarely.
The default cards a player can pick are based on their class and level below. In the case of multiclassing your number of cards is based on your character level, but the cards you can select are based on your Class level, giving you a wider selection of lower tier cards.
Once per tier, any class can opt to forgo selecting a Battle Card to select the "Leader" roll, making that character count as a Leader for their army. They gain the following benefits:
- Leadership Multiplier of 1.1 (+.1 for each time the select Leader).
- Your army can play an additional Battle Card (as per the rules of the Leader role)
- They can subsequently select Leader tagged cards, even if they do not appear on their class options, as long as they have the Leader level of that card's tier or higher.
Bards and Warlords automatically gain Leadership Tier 1 (consequently meaning if the select it again in Tier 1, they will gain Tier 2)
Class Battle Card Selection Table
| Class | 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artificer | Deploy Potion Reserves, Siege Expertise | Explosive Trap | ||
| Bard | Devious Tactic, Heroic Ballad, Inspire Forces | ??? | ??? | ??? |
| Barbarian | Hold the Line, Warcry, Incite Violence | |||
| Cleric | Faith | Conviction | ||
| Druid | Grasping Plants | Eyes in the Sky | ||
| Fighter | Hold the Line, Incite Violence | Call Reinforcements | ||
| Monk | Agile Maneuver | |||
| Occultist | Deploy Potion Reserves | As Predicted | ||
| Paladin | Hold the Line, Faith | Conviction | ||
| Psion | Fling Rocks | As Predicted, Return Trip | ||
| Ranger | Devious Tactic, Search the Field | Ambuscade, Natural Hazard | ||
| Rogue | Agile Maneuver, Devious Tactic | Exposed Plans, Explosive Trap | ??? | ??? |
| Sorcerer | Arcane Barrage | Duplicate Spell | ??? | ??? |
| Warlock | Arcane Barrage, Darkness | Play with Demons | ||
| Warlord | Reposition, Inspire Forces, Hold the Line, Incite Violence, Warcry | As Predicted, Exposed Plans | ||
| Wizard | Arcane Barrage | Counterspell |
Default Battle Cards
You can load the cards itno RPG Card Maker using this JSON file
Agile Maneuver
Cunning, Tier 1
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: d6
Nullify an enemy block. You play this card on top of a previously played card. You can play an additional Battle Card this turn.
As Predicted
Leadership, Tier 2
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: d4
Block enemy Battle Card. The enemy must reroll the reuse die on that card twice, taking the lower of the two results.
Arcane Barrage
Arcane, Tier 1
- Type: Action, Spell Effect
- Reuse: d6
Target three creatures in the skirmish dealing 2d4 force damage to each. Deals 2d4 casualties.
Conviction
Leader, Tier 2
- Type: Action
- Reuse: Expendable
Allied creatures creatures in the skirmish regain 1d8 temporary hit points and are under the effect of bless until the start of your next turn. Allied army regains 1d8 morale.
Darkness
Arcane, Tier 1
- Type: Action, Spell Effect
- Reuse: d4
(a) Casts darkness into the skirmish (this does not require concentration, but ends at the start of the next round) or (b) blocks an enemy battle card.
Deploy Potion Reserves
Cunning, Tier 1
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: Expendable
(a) Restores 2d4 + 2 morale or (b) allows you to reroll all your Attrition Dice at the end of the round (keeping the higher of the two results).
Devious Tactic
Cunning, Tier 1
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: d6
Deals 1d8 casualties. Deals half casualties even when blocked.
Devastate the Field
Martial, Tier 1
- Type: Standard
- Reuse: d8
Deals 1d12 casualties.
Duel to the Death
Martial, Tier 2
- Type: Standard
- Reuse: Expendable
Challenges an enemy Elite that is not currently in the Skirmish to a duel to the death. The challenger and the challenged roll a d20 + twice their Fielded Strength. The loser is slain (or grievously wounded, withdrawing from the battle) and their army suffers casualties equal to their Fielded Strength, and the winner's Fielded Strength is reduced by the loser's roll.
Duplicate Spell
Arcane, Tier 2
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: d4
Duplicates the last played allied Spell Effect Battle Card this round.
Counterspell
- Type: Gambit, Spell Effect
- Reuse: Expendable
Block an enemy Battle Card with the Spell Effect tag. The blocked card is then removed from play regardless of its reuse roll.
Exposed Plans
Cunning, Tier 2
- Type: Gambit, Instant
- Reuse: Expendable
The opposing player has to play the rest of their Battle Cards for the round before you play your cards. This card takes effect immediately, can be played out of playing order, and does not count against the number of cards you can play this turn.
Explosive Trap
Cunning, Tier 2
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: Expendable
At 3 points of your choice within the Skirmish, all creatures within a 10 foot radius must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 fire and 2d6 thunder damage on failure, and half as much on a success. Additionally, deals 1d8 casualties.
Faith
Divine, Tier 1
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d8
Draw two additional Battle Cards. You can reroll any Battle Card reuse dice you roll this round. All allied characters in the skirmish have advantage on saving throws until the start of the next round.
Fireball
Arcane, Tier 2
- Type: Standard, Spell Effect
- Reuse: d4
(a) Casts fireball into the skirmish or (b) deals 2d12 casualties.
Fire Volley
Leader, Tier 1
- Type: Standard
- Reuse: d8
All hostile creatures in the skirmish must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 piercing damage. Deals 1d8 casualties.
Fling Rocks
Psionic, Tier 1
- Type: Action, Spell Effect
- Reuse: d4
(a) Three creatures within the skirmish of your choice must make DC 12 Dexterity saving throws or take 1d12 bludgeoning damage or (b) deals 1d12 casualties.
Heroic Ballad
Performance, Tier 1
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d6
All allied units in the skirmish gain 2d6 temporary hit points. Allied army regains 1d6 morale
Heroic Charge
Martial, Tier 1
- Type: Standard
- Reuse: d8
Deals 1d8 casualties. Restores allied army morale equal to the casualties dealt.
Hold the Line
Leader, Tier 1
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d4
Blocks enemy Battle Card. Allied army regains 1d4 Morale.
Incite Violence
Leader, Tier 1
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d8
Roll three d12 dice. Deal the highest and lowest in casualties to the enemy army, take the middle value in casualties to your army.
Inspire Forces
Leader, Tier 1
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d6
Allied army regains 1d12 morale, and all allied units in the skirmish get one Bardic Inspiration (d6) until the end of their next turn.
One Man Stand
Martial, Tier 1
- Type: Standard
- Reuse: d4
Blocks an enemy Battle Card.
Outflank and Destroy
Cunning, Tier 1
- Type: Standard
- Reuse: d6
Deals 1d6 casualties. Destroys one enemy siege weapon if they have one.
Play with Demons
Infernal, Tier 2
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d6
Summons a Armanite into the Skirmish for 1d4 turns. It is hostile to all parties, but attacks the closest enemy. It will hit as many enemies as possible with it's Lightning Lance (while hitting the closest enemy).
Reposition
Leader, Tier 1
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d6
Blocks an enemy Battle Card. All allied units in the skirmish can move up to half their movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Return Trip
Psionic, Tier 2
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d6
If an enemy Battle Card deals casualties, block and reflect the casualties (maximum of 15, any additional casualties are taken by your army).
Surge of Faith
Divine, Tier 2
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: Expendable
Allied creatures in the skirmish gain resistance to damage and casualties from enemy battle cards are halved until the start of the next round.
Siege Expertise
Leader, Tier 1
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d4
(a) Duplicate a Battle Card that comes from a Siege Weapon that you have played this round or (b) repair a destroyed Siege Weapon.
Stand and Fight
Leader, Tier 1
- Type: Standard
- Reuse: d6
Restores 1d8 morale. Cannot be blocked.
Wall of Fire
Arcane, Tier 2
- Type: Standard, Spell Effect
- Reuse: Expendable
Blocks an enemy battle card and deals 2d6 casualties.
Warcry
Leader, Tier 1
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d4
Restores 1d8 morale to your army, and reduces enemy morale by 1d8. All hostile creatures in the Skirmish must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of their next turn.
Example Story Cards
In addition to the standard cards used by a player, you can allow them to earn special cards through the course of playing D&D. Here are some example scenarios and cards. These can either be used directly, or as inspiration for building your own cards.
Note that these cards are typically overvalued, representing strong plays, but are often Expendable, and should be considered permanently Expendable (destroyed rather than discarded). Cards that are unlocked through story and character development are usually reusable cards that are stronger than standard cards.
Scenario: Gathered Intel
If the players make a daring trip to the enemy camp, slip into the game and steal their plans or interrogate an enemy elite or commander during the course of play, you might award them an extra Exposed Plans Card.
Scenario: Terrain Trap
Sometimes players are devious, perhaps they've lured the enemy into position under a cliff and set up a tumble of rocks that will smash through the enemies ranks. You can craft a card that'll fit the scenario, like Avalanche.
Avalanche
Cunning, Tier 2
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: Expendable
Deals 3d12 + 12 casualties. Deals half as many casualties even when blocked.
Nerotic Empowerment
Arcane (Necromancer), Tier 2
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: d4
Deals 2d4 casualties to both armies, and lets you draw two additional cards.
Undead Puppet
Arcane (Necromancer), Tier 3
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: Expendable
Resurrect one slain Elite from either, adding that Elite to your army and restoring it's Fielded Strength and Morale to the your army, and recovering its removed Battle Cards directly to your hand. If it was not previously undead, it becomes undead.
Call Reinforcements
Leader (Fighter), Tier 2
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: Expendable
Calls your allies to shore up a position; you can either (a) boost allied morale be 2d6 or (b) make a general forces deployment to the Skirmish (this can be done even by the PC army).
Grasping Plants
Nature (Druid), Tier 1
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d6
The enemy army rolls one less Attrition Die at the end of the round, and the first spawn of enemy units into the Skirmish is blocked.
Eyes in the Sky
Nature (Druid), Tier 2
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: d4
You scout the enemy actions with a flock of birds who report back to you. Blocks an enemy battlecard. Additionally, it either (a) shows you opposing player's hand or (b) shows you the enemy's current Fielded Strength.
Search the Field
Scout (Ranger), Tier 1
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: d6
Search your deck, and draw any card. Shuffle your deck after drawing.
Ambuscade
Martial (Ranger), Tier 2
- Type: Action
- Reuse: d4
Shoots a high profiles target, wounding or hindering them. The opposing takes 2d4 casualties and immediately discards a card from their hand to their Reserve pile.
Natural Hazard
Scout (Ranger), Tier 2
- Type: Gambit
- Reuse: Expendable
Creates a random Tier 1 terrain advantage card in your hand.
Premade Sample Armies
Undead Horde
(Tier 2 DM Army)
General Forces
- Skeletons x 100
- Skeletons x 100
- Skeletons x 100
- Zombies x 100
- Vampire Spawn x 5
Elites
- Monstrous Brute (Frost Giant Zombie, EGW p288)
- Monstrous Brute (Tyrannosaurus Zombie, ToA p241)
- Cadaver Collector (MTF p122)
- Blackguard [Leader] (VGM p211)
- Vampire [Leader] (MM p297)
Commander
- Necromancer Lord [Leader] (VGM p217)
Undead Army
- Base Fielded Strength 628
- Effective Fielded Strength 754
- Morale 296
- Battle Card Draw/Hold/Play 4 / 6 / 3
Skirmish Spawns
1d5 Monsters 1 1d4 Skeletons 2 1d4 Skeletons 3 1d4 Skeletons 4 1d4 Zombies 5 1 Vampire Spawn
Battle Cards
Card Source Devious Tactics, Bloody Feast, Army of Darkness Vampire Smashing Advance, Thundering Challenge Frost Giant Zombie Smashing Advance, Summon Specters Cadaver Collector Smashing Advance, Disgorge Zombies Tyrannosaurus Zombie Fire Volley, Hold the Line, Conviction Blackguard Arise, Cycle the Legions Necromancer Lord
Village Defense Force
(Tier 2 Player Army)
General Forces
- Conscripted Militia x 40
- Conscripted Militia x 40
- Conscripted Militia x 40
- Soldiers x 50
- Soldiers x 50
- Magi x 10
- Hunters x 60
Elites
- Elite Knight
- War Mage
- Veteran Captain [Leader]
Siege Weapons
- Ballista
PCs
- Sorcerer (Level 6)
- Paladin [Leader] (Level 6)
- Artifcer (Level 6)
Commander
- Warlord [Leader] (level 6)
Village Defense Force
- Base Fielded Strength 538
- Effective Fielded Strength 646
- Morale 261
- Battle Card Draw/Hold/Play 4 / 7 / 3
Battle Cards
Card Source Devastate the Field, Duel to the Death Elite Knight Fireball, Wall of Fire War Mage Fire Volley, Stand and Fight Veteran Captain Arcane Barrage, Duplicate Spell Sorcerer Faith, Conviction Paladin Deploy Potion Reserves, Explosive Trap Artifcer Reposition Warlord Devastating Bolts Ballista
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