Anyone ever DMed a clash of armies? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Anyone ever DMed a clash of armies? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
DevilishRogue
11-23-03, 09:58 PM Hey there everybody. I'm currnetly DMing a monsterous campaign, and in this campaign, my pc's have efectively caused two armies to clash. I have a few ideas on how i want things to go, but my PC's are a little unorthadox, so plans are almost never followed. I'm just looking for a few tips on how to run everything. In the campaign, the party is trying to infiltrate Yenaghu's fortress(from the book of vile darkness), and they went to orcus for help, so he sent his armywith them. I think i'm gonna split it up into smaller legions and have them clash, but that would still be really hard. So if anybody has any tips por tricks to running a fight like this, help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Tsuul
11-24-03, 12:40 AM Its hard to do stuff like this. Best advice is to figure out what would happen if the players are not involved, this is the BASE scenerio. Then try try try to figure out what the players will most likely do, this is the EXPECTED scenerio. There should be a difference in the outcome between these 2 scenerios. The fun part comes when your group playes. Both these scenerios go out the window, BUT you should have a good enough grasp of what could and what might happen that changes on the fly will come more easily.
Farland
11-24-03, 06:25 AM Try the mass combat system/program in my sig. That might help you.
Will Brandiman
11-24-03, 06:36 AM Or just keep the PC's occupied with Yeenoghu and/or his elite guards and agents within his fortress and determine the outcome of the battle independently of the PC's. Perhaps you could have the outcome of the battle depend on whether or not the PC's can accomplish a particular task within the fortress. So, if the PC's succeed at their task then Orcus's army wins, if not Yeenoghu's army wins.

Of course, either way they've got a Demon Prince VERY angry with them.
Brave Sir Bevier
11-24-03, 10:53 AM Don't forget the mass combat system by Skip Williams. It's called "Cry Havoc" and I would highly recommend it. The *.pdf version is very cheap, too.
lantzer
11-24-03, 11:37 AM Easy. Decide how the battle will go. It does that. Throw in some cinematic scenes to keep PC's interest / involve PCs.

PCs powerful enough to make a difference? Then logically extrapolate
the consequences of their actions upon the scenario as a whole.

Don't bother rolling a fight between sides if both sides are NPCs.
The worst thing a DM can do is have his players sit there while he
essentially plays with himself.

As a side note, They are *infiltrating* with an army at their back?
Good luck.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DevilishRogue 11-23-03, 09:58 PM	Hey there everybody. I'm currnetly DMing a monsterous campaign, and in this campaign, my pc's have efectively caused two armies to clash. I have a few ideas on how i want things to go, but my PC's are a little unorthadox, so plans are almost never followed. I'm just looking for a few tips on how to run everything. In the campaign, the party is trying to infiltrate Yenaghu's fortress(from the book of vile darkness), and they went to orcus for help, so he sent his armywith them. I think i'm gonna split it up into smaller legions and have them clash, but that would still be really hard. So if anybody has any tips por tricks to running a fight like this, help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Tsuul 11-24-03, 12:40 AM	Its hard to do stuff like this. Best advice is to figure out what would happen if the players are not involved, this is the BASE scenerio. Then try try try to figure out what the players will most likely do, this is the EXPECTED scenerio. There should be a difference in the outcome between these 2 scenerios. The fun part comes when your group playes. Both these scenerios go out the window, BUT you should have a good enough grasp of what could and what might happen that changes on the fly will come more easily.
Farland 11-24-03, 06:25 AM	Try the mass combat system/program in my sig. That might help you.
Will Brandiman 11-24-03, 06:36 AM	Or just keep the PC's occupied with Yeenoghu and/or his elite guards and agents within his fortress and determine the outcome of the battle independently of the PC's. Perhaps you could have the outcome of the battle depend on whether or not the PC's can accomplish a particular task within the fortress. So, if the PC's succeed at their task then Orcus's army wins, if not Yeenoghu's army wins. Of course, either way they've got a Demon Prince VERY angry with them.
Brave Sir Bevier 11-24-03, 10:53 AM	Don't forget the mass combat system by Skip Williams. It's called "Cry Havoc" and I would highly recommend it. The *.pdf version is very cheap, too.
lantzer 11-24-03, 11:37 AM	Easy. Decide how the battle will go. It does that. Throw in some cinematic scenes to keep PC's interest / involve PCs. PCs powerful enough to make a difference? Then logically extrapolate the consequences of their actions upon the scenario as a whole. Don't bother rolling a fight between sides if both sides are NPCs. The worst thing a DM can do is have his players sit there while he essentially plays with himself. As a side note, They are infiltrating with an army at their back? Good luck.