How to handle a skirmish ?

[rust]

Our new campaign will include a number of guerilla war skirmishes, usu-
ally between the 6 player characters and about 15 NPCs on one side and
20 to 40 NPCs on the other side.

This seems to be a bit much to handle it with the normal combat rules,
but I also hesitate to use the more abstract battle system from Mercena-
ry, because it does not pay much attention to the actions of the player
characters.

What I am looking for is a "quick and easy" (if necessary "quick and dir-
ty") way to deal with the actions of the many NPCs while still enabling the
players to make detailed decisions for their characters, enabling them to
influence the outcome of the fight.

So, how do you handle this problem in your games ? - Thank you.

 

[dreamingbadger]

I'm assuming you don't want to use the Mercenary Rules for "large Scale Battles", but they might give you some ideas. I would say a lot depends on the structure of the larger force?

If it is "regular" military then you might arrange things by "squad":

1x Command Squad 2 x ACR, 2 x Carbine/SMG, 1 Long Distance Radio
1x Infantry Assault Squad 4x ACR
1x Infantry Recon Squad 4x Carbine/SMG
1x Support Squad 2x "Heavy" Weapons

Determine the weapons for each squad, and essentially "roll once for each squad" with a +1 for each surviving squad member (e.g. chances are someone in the squad will hit something, "Only Imperial Troops are so precise", but, chances are not every member will.

The Support Squad might have an LMG and some sort of Light Anti-Tank Weapon and a couple of guys with carbines, the guy's with Carbines will either be loading or "protecting" the heavy weapons guys. If one of the "heavy" guy's gets taken out one of the "carbine" guys will pick up the "heavy".

Essentially this means that for your 16 man section, you end up making four rolls a turn, the PC's work as normal. I'd roll one Initiative dice for the larger force providing the Command Element's CO or Senior NCO was still functional, and one per squad otherwise.

Same works for the "rebels" maybe you go, with +1 per 2 surviving members of the squad, depending on the odds/training etc...

HTH

 

[AndrewW]

How about using both? Could use the Mercenary rules for the majority of the NPC's and still detail out the characters individual actions, extrapolate from that what effect they have on the larger battle.

 

[rust]

Determine the weapons for each squad, and essentially "roll once for each squad" with a +1 for each surviving squad member ...

Thank you, I like that idea and will try it.

How about using both? Could use the Mercenary rules for the majority of the NPC's and still detail out the characters individual actions, extrapolate from that what effect they have on the larger battle.

The problem could be that the Mercenary rules only give "casualty" num-
bers, which would make it difficult to determine whether the player cha-
racters have been hit by enemy NPCs and how badly they are wounded.

 

[AndrewW]

The problem could be that the Mercenary rules only give "casualty" num-
bers, which would make it difficult to determine whether the player cha-
racters have been hit by enemy NPCs and how badly they are wounded.

Assign a percentage chance based on the number of PC's / number of NPC's.

 

[rust]

Assign a percentage chance based on the number of PC's / number of NPC's.

A bit difficult, because the Mercenary system uses only certain unit sizes
(5 / 10 / 20 / 40 / 100 ...) to base the number of casualties on.

I would need a calculator (and, with my mathematical ability, some luck)
to interpolate the number of casualties a unit of 32 soldiers inflicts on 14
guerillas, and then the chance that one of the characters is among the ca-
sualties. And afterwards I would still have to determine which one of the
characters is the victim, and how severely he has been wounded.

True, it would doubtless work, but I still hope to find some way to do it
faster and without much mathematics.

 

[lastbesthope]

Assign a percentage chance based on the number of PC's / number of NPC's.

A bit difficult, because the Mercenary system uses only certain unit sizes
(5 / 10 / 20 / 40 / 100 ...) to base the number of casualties on.

I would need a calculator (and, with my mathematical ability, some luck)
to interpolate the number of casualties a unit of 32 soldiers inflicts on 14
guerillas, and then the chance that one of the characters is among the ca-
sualties. And afterwards I would still have to determine which one of the
characters is the victim, and how severely he has been wounded.

True, it would doubtless work, but I still hope to find some way to do it
faster and without much mathematics.

My ability to do such calculations in my head got me my nickname from Matthew.

LBH
aka "Freak Boy!"