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Either in realistic settings, or fantastic ones like Middle Earth or Star Wars, there is nothing quite as visually awesome as an epic battle between grand armies, as these are often the main events within stories which can include a cast of hundreds or even thousands. Soldiers will cross swords, exchange gunfire, or dog fight in space fighters in a spectacularly cinematic fashion as the fate of the universe or world hangs in the balance. So, it makes perfect sense that you would want to bring this to your tabletop RPG, but this can be easier said than done.
Regardless of the system you have been running your players through, there are plenty of rules you can find to handle a mass combat scenario.
However, this style of event is significantly different from what your group is used to and, likewise, may not be something which you want to attempt a cold open for in a pivotal moment of your game. This is why we have drawn up a list of different ways this can be approached so that, when the Gates of Mordor need to be stormed, you will use the way which works best for both you and your players.
Feel free to check out our original episode of “When DMs Go To War” to see how some of our ideas have changed and evolved.
Method 1: Baking the Mechanics Into the Game
If you have had a chance to play Shadow of the Dragon Queen, the new 5e adventure set in the world of Dragonlance, then you may be aware of the supplemental Warriors of Krynn board game, which provides a unique framework which allows you to run key battles throughout the campaign.
During the scenarios laid out in Warriors of Krynn, your plans for victory can either be achieved or crumble to dust as the tides of war constantly shift around you. So, if our DM is indeed planning for one massive battle near the end of the game then all of his players will already know the assignment.
One aspect that this game does well is establish that you and your buddies aren’t to take down an opposing army like a squad of Stallone and Schwarzenegger clones. Your team will have a specific objective which will not include entirely dismantling the enemy army. To emerge victorious, the party will all have to repeatedly pivot from working together to separately as the clock ticks, and time is definitely not on your side.
The downside to this is that while the board game has a D&D flavor, your character elements may feel a bit generic. For example, all of my Paladin’s powers and abilities don’t carry over when playing Warriors of Krynn. Although he has new paladin-like abilities which fit the ruleset, he won’t be throwing an Oath of Vengeance on anyone anytime soon. Additionally, the mechanics are somewhat involved. Even though we have played the game several times, because the games are infrequent, it can take a bit for everyone to get it in gear.
Method 2: A Path Well Traveled
If you are not interested in introducing new mechanics late into the campaign, or ever for that matter, then consider making the mass battle into a complex sequence of skill challenges. This will divide up the battle into stages where everyone will be given a choice of skills you have determined to be most representative of the encounter.
For example, “as the party advances on the battlefield they are met with a massive volley of arrows.” Then you can give the players the option of trying to succeed on 4 out of 7 ability checks on Acrobatics, Athletics, Arcana, Insight or Perception.
Passed the Acrobatics or Athletics checks? “Ducking, rolling, dodging, you manage to avoid the hail of arrows as they strike all about you.” Arcana success? “You are able to use your magic to shield your friends from the incoming attacks.” Insight or Perception successes? “You find cover just in time as the rain of arrows flood the battlefield.” Then you can move on to the next stage of the battle.
In the case of failure, you then apply a level-appropriate amount of damage to threaten the character but not zero them outright and move onto the next stage of the battle.
No battle map is required for this method but I recommend preparing a traditional battle when the party reaches the final encounter.
Method 3: I Came for War!
There are plenty of rules that can be introduced to provide the feel of a massive battle. One good choice is the ruleset created by DM Thorin which went live without a playtest session but did not disappoint in our Woodstock Wanderers campaign. In traditional tabletop wargaming fashion, this allows the players to take on the role of generals and command battalions of troops against incoming legions of opponents.
The mechanics are pretty straightforward; every character is linked to a unit representing a type of troops, such as archers, pikemen, or knights. The unit could move and then dish out their attacks, then the character takes their action which ends the round.
When damage is dealt to an opposing unit of 20% or more of the unit’s original maximum hit points, then one of its columns collapses. This forces the damaged battalion to make a morale check, which becomes increasingly more difficult the more damage they sustain. If the morale check is failed then the troops flee the battlefield, and if the unit had a commander then they can choose to also flee or stand and fight.
While this system may lack the tactical elegance of games like Warhammer, most people will enjoy its easy learning curve that doesn’t require a thirty minute presentation before the battle starts.
Below is the full set of the rules in question. As an added bonus, our OG tabletop wargaming expert, the Wizard Washburn, gave his seal of approval, as it reflected the basics of tabletop wargaming. The only downside to this was that it was played on Roll20… but this type of mass battle is perfect for ALL your minis and models to get some spotlight time!
Method 4: Seal Team Six
This method is a classic, where the players operate as a strike team while navigating towards an objective on the battle map. It’s designed as a sequence of battle related stages where the party’s goal isn’t to obliterate the opposing army but rather, like Warriors of Krynn, to accomplish a specific objective. These objectives could be anything from taking down an opposing commander to getting a message across enemy lines. But unlike Warriors of Krynn, you would be playing your actual characters and using the same system as the campaign.
To spice things up from running encounters which are just themed to the opposing army, consider adding additional aspects of tension to the battle. For example, set a timer for the encounters and, if time tuns out, allow the opposition to call for some reinforcements.
You can trigger events such as a volley of arrows, or give the party the option to assist a smaller ally unit on the field. Perhaps if they succeed then they can, in turn, assist the party by drawing some of the enemy forces away from them.
There is a fine line between providing a challenging encounter, or series of them, without simply pushing near endless waves of opponents at your party. Allow the battle to flow and give the party agency providing them with adequate challenges between stages of the battle. Then, if there is an enemy commander for the party to square off against, they would definitely have support and have the ability to summon additional assistance. Making the goal to take out the force leader before the party is overwhelmed by the might of the surrounding army.
Final Thoughts
The question you should ask yourself is twofold. First, what method will give justice to your vision of what this mass battle should look and feel like? And secondly, which method would my players most likely enjoy? Not everyone is into tabletop miniatures wargaming and, conversely, some players will feel cheated if the mass battle isn’t appropriately MASSIVE. Maybe you could even take a piece of advice from Matt Colville, and “pitch” several ideas you would like to run and see which the party is most in favor of.
Just remember to not make the scenario or rules too complex while still being both challenging and entertaining. You don’t want to have your campaign end in a TPK of the party and the entire kingdom on a brief mini-game that you decided to play with for a session. Because as DM Dave said, “if Han Solo and his team failed to bring down the shield generator in Return of the Jedi, and all the rebels were annihilated it would have made for a horrible story.”
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