Cleaving Through Hordes

# Cleaving Through Hordes

##### Build Horde Encounters for 5th Edition

</div>

\pagebreak

## Professor Dice's: Cleaving Through Hordes 
Herein is my personal improvement upon the *Mob Handling* and *Cleaving Through Creatures* mechanics found in the **DMG** (Chapter 8: "Running The Game" pg. 250, and Chapter 9: "Dungeon Master's Workshop" pg. 272 respectively). **Cleaving Through Hordes** is meant to act as tool for the Dungeon Master to deploy encounters at larger cinematic scales, while still maintaining a comfortable pace in a combat round. Your heroes can now live out the fantasy of cutting down dozens, maybe even hundreds of foes in these fast paced, epic encounters.

### Building a Horde
Typically, a horde works best when using lower CR monsters such as goblinoids, kobolds, twig blights, or zombies. Consider the role of a solo monster for larger or higher CR monsters. Hordes usually consist of only one variety of creature type, but it is possible to merge multiple creature types into one horde (see 'Merging Hordes').

**Number** It is important to know how many creatures are in each horde. The horde's numbers will determine how many of their attacks will succeed in a turn, and the hordes maximum hit points. The number will be adjusted when the hoard receives damage.

**Hit Points.** To determine the maximum hit points of a horde multiply the average hit points provided by their monster stat block by their number.

**Condition Immunities.** The horde gains immunity to the following conditions: blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, grappled, incapacitated, paralyzed, poisoned, petrified, prone, restrained, and unconscious. Unless any of these effects could effect a number of creatures equal to the hordes number simultaneously.

**Saving Throws.** If the horde must make a saving throw, it makes a single saving throw.

**Spell Casters** Hordes are not intended for spell casting monsters. Consider spell casters for the role of solo monsters.

If a horde is made up of spell casting creatures consider applying some or all of the following limitations.
- All the creatures share the same spell slots. 
- Only one creature in a horde can cast a spell above level 0 per turn. 
- Creatures in a horde can't concentrate on spells.

**Everything Else.** The horde retains all other statistics as per their monster stat block.

\columnbreak

**Solo Monsters.** These are creatures that are included in a horde encounter but act independently of the horde as normal. Such as trolls, a hobgoblin captain, or spell casters. Multiple solos can make horde encounters very dynamic, but also quite difficult, especially for lower level adventurers.

### Running a Horde

**Targeting a Horde.** The horde acts as one creature and as a single target for most effects that harm it, such as weapon attacks and spells that deal damage. Magical effects that do apply an effect not covered under the horde's condition immunities, is Dungeon Master's discretion.

**Attacking as a Horde.** Instead of rolling an attack roll, determine the minimum d20 roll a creature needs in order to hit a target by subtracting its attack bonus from the target’s AC. You’ll need to refer to the result throughout the battle, so it’s best to write it down.

Look up the minimum d20 roll needed on the Horde Attack table. The table shows you how many creatures that need that die roll or higher must attack a target in order for one of them to hit. If that many creatures attack the target, their combined efforts result in one of them hitting the target.

In other words, dividing the number of creatures in the group by the number of attackers required determines how many of those creatures actually hit. </div>

For example, eight hobgoblins surround a fighter. The hobgoblins attack bonus is +3, and the fighter’s AC is 17. The hobgoblins need a 14 or higher to hit the fighter. According to the table, for every three hobgoblins that attack the fighter, one of them hits. There are enough hobgoblins for two groups of three. The remaining two hobgoblins fail to hit the fighter.

**Extra Attacks.** If the creature that hits has multiple attacks with the same attack bonus, assume that it hits once with each of those attacks. If a creature’s attacks have different attack bonuses, resolve each attack separately. </div>

**Regrouping.** If a horde lacks the required number of attackers to hit with a weapon attack, they may count creatures from adjacent hordes that use the same ability for an attack. Each creature can only contribute to attacks once until the start of their next turn, except when making attacks of opportunity.

As an example, the hobgoblins in the example above can borrow one goblin from an adjacent goblin horde to make a third group of three to hit a third time.

##### Horde Attack
| **Minimum Roll**  | **Attackers Needed** |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|  **1-5**  | **1** |
|  **6-12**  | **2**|
|  **13-14**  | **3** |
|  **15-16**  | **4** |
|  **17-18**  | **5** |
|  **19**  | **10** |
|  **20**  | **20** |

</div>

\pagebreakNum

**Horde Advantage.** A horde does not gain advantage for flanking. If a horde gains advantage by another means, such as *Pack Tactics* or their target being incapacitated. When appropriate, refer to the advantage table instead.

##### Horde Attack (advantage)
| Minimum Roll  | Attackers Needed |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|  1-10  | 1 |
|  11-16  | 2|
|  17  | 3 |
|  18 | 4 |
|  19 | 5 | 
|  20  | 10 |

**Horde Disadvantage.** A horde will only gain disadvantage when two-thirds or more of it's total number of creatures would also have disadvantage. When appropriate, refer to the disadvantage table instead.

##### Horde Attack (disadvantage)
| Minimum Roll  | Attackers Needed |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|  1-3  | 1 |
|  4-8  | 2|
|  9-10  | 3 |
|  11-12 | 4 |
|  13-14 | 5 | 
|  15-16  | 10 |
|  17-20 | 20 |

**Receiving Damage.** When a horde's total hit points are reduced by an amount that would reduce one or more of the creatures to 0. Then the horde's number is reduced by the number of creatures that would be felled by that much damage. Additionally, whenever a creature in a horde dies, the hordes maximum hit points are also reduced by that creature's total contributed hit points. If the damage would be normally be inflicted to multiple creatures at once, then that damage is multiplied by the number of creatures damaged (see "Adjucating Areas of Effect").

**Area  Damage.** When applying damage from an area of effect, multiply the damage the horde receives by an amount equal to the number of creatures affected. However, you may want to set a limit to the amount of damage the horde will receive, especially if the damage is only applied to specified number of targets. This limit is equal to the number of creatures affected, multiplied by that creature's average hit points. This is so that the damage will not kill extra creatures outside the spells range.

Another method is estimating a number in secret, apply damage, then determine the number of creatures actually killed in the effect. This is especially effective for spells like fireball or lightning bolt, which is obviously highly destructive when unleashed on a horde.

**Moving through the Horde.** The horde can occupy another creature's space and vice versa. Enemy creatures occupying the same space as the horde consider that space rough terrain. Attacks of opportunity only occur when a creature moves out of reach of the horde.

**Merging Hordes.** When two hordes merge, you combine the remaining hit point totals. Then the horde rolls a new initiative, but can not act again this round. When merging hordes it is possible to combine multiple types of creatures, but each variety should have its hit points tracked separately. Additionally, the hordes movement becomes the slowest speed among creature types. When attacking a horde with multiple creature types, the attacker chooses which group to attack, and each group makes their own saving throws.

**Breaking Hordes.** As a horde is reduced to fewer creatures, consider switching back to individual die rolls to avoid situations where one side can't possibly hit the other. When you do so, evenly divide the remaining hit points among the remaining creatures (rounded up). Spell casters each maintain the same number of spell slots as when they were a horde.

**Horde Size.** When preparing an encounter with a horde, you should be prepared to favor theater of mind and use rough estimates when measuring the space the horde occupies, as well as exact positions. You can always assume the horde is either huge or gargantuan in size. If you need more precise measurement, than multiply a the hordes creature size by the number of creatures of that size in the horde. If your horde has multiple creature types, then repeat this process for each size category.

| Creature Size | Space in feet |
|:---:|:-----------:|
|  Tiny  | 2.5 by 2.5 |
|  Small  | 5 by 5 |
|  Medium  | 5 by 5 |
| Large | 10 by 10 |
| Huge | 15 by 15 |
| Gargantuan | 20 by 20 or larger |

### Dungeon Master Tools
Here are additional tools and resources that can aid you when running horde encounters.

**Adjucating Areas of Effect.**  Many spells and other game features create areas of effect, such as the cone and the sphere. If you’re not using miniatures or another visual aid, it can sometimes be difficult to determine who’s in an area of effect and who isn’t. The easiest way to address such uncertainty is to go with your gut and make a call.

If you would like more guidance, consider using the Targets in Areas of Effect table. To use the table, imagine which combatants are near one another, and let the table guide you in determining the number of those combatants that are caught in an area of effect. Add or subtract targets based on how bunched up the potential targets are. Consider rolling 1d3 to determine the amount to add or subtract. </div>

\pagebreakNum

<br>
 
**Tracking the Hordes.**
Try creating a simple table like the one in the example below . Write it on a note card with pencil, or on white board with dry erase marker, you will want to be able to update the table through out the combat. Simply refer to the monster's original stat block for all other information.

When tracking a horde, remember to reduce the number of combatants in a group whenever that group sustains enough damage for one or more creatures to be slain. A quick way to determine how many creatures remain in a group is to divide the remaining hit points by their average, then round up; the result is your new number.

##### Example: Goblinoid Hordes
| Creature Group  | Numbers | Average HP | Total HP| Armor Class | Attack Bonus |
|:---:|:-----------:|:-------:|:----------:|:----------------:|:--------------:|
|  Goblin | 12 | 7 | 84 | 15 | +4 |
|  Hobgoblin  | 4 | 11 | 44 | 18 | + 3 |

**Tips on Narration.** When narrating combat in which a horde plays a role, emphasize on each player's heroic prowess and awesome power. After all, individually the foes before them stand no chance, only as a horde do they pose any real danger. Even then, our heroes cut them down in huge swaths.

#### Narration Examples
<div class='descriptive'>
 
 ##### Horde Battle Narrations
 - A fighter deals 23 damage to the horde with his *Maul*: "As you swing your hammer through the crowd, bones crack as goblins are hurdled left and right, then you turn around and smash one to the floor." 
- The fighter hits the hobgoblins with it's second attack dealing 19 damage. "You break through their defensive stance with a heavy swing, striking two foes. Slaying one and leaving the other severely hurt"
- A wizard deals 14 damage to the goblins with *Ray of Frost*: "The icy blue beam shoots from your hands and streaks across the torso of two goblins. They near instantly stiffen and freeze in their place, then they are shattered by the rushing crowd."
 
 </div>

**Using a Map.**
Whenever using grid and miniatures for visual aid, infer that miniatures represent entire groups of creatures, and that one inch is 10 feet or greater. Placement of miniatures at this scale will represent approximate distances, and as Dungeon Master, you adjudicate the exact distances and areas as needed.

**Simulating War.** Though these mechanics are meant to aid in bigger battles, it is not intended to be used for massive scale warfare where multiple hordes battle one another. As it is untested, these mechanics may shake apart during this type of use. Instead, focus only on running encounters around the party and there strategic objectives in the war, whilst the battles beyond act as their backdrop. The tide of the war being based on the party's ability to complete their missions. Such as capturing and holding certain locations, objects, information, or individuals. As an example, a mission could be infiltrating or assaulting a castle, where the party plays the part in dropping the drawbridge and raising the portcullis. In any stratagem our heroes play key roles, separated from the fodder thats lacks their extraordinary skills.

**Battle Field Narration.** If your heroes find themselves amidst a skirmish you can simulate this by building a horde encounter, but the hordes will not represent the entire battle, only the part in which the heroes played. You can narrate the company of their allied forces as frequently or infrequently as you like, but they should have almost no effect on the hordes that face the party beyond flavorful descriptions. Of course, it may sometimes be necessary, or cool to include firebrands from ally trebuchet to weaken the horde that harrows the heroes.

### Credits
Homebrew materials by u/ProfessorRollinDice (Mikhael Scott).

## Sources
- Some of this content is directly quoted from the Dungeon Master's Guide (highlighted in red).
- Some math and tables used here were found in a post by u/Asisreo1
- **Art:** 'Hagi Mob' by Steve Prescott, 'Entreat the Dead' by Deruchenko Alexander, 'Swarming Goblins' by Andrew Mar.

</div>