When several creatures fight together as a group (such as armies, hordes, mobs, etc.), rather than trying to treat them as individual creatures (leading to combat turns that could take several hours or more), these creatures may be combined to form a mob, a special sort of "creature" that is actually composed of individuals. This mob will have stats and skills equal to the average of the individuals within the group, using the following rules. (Note: a mob may also be referred to as a horde, herd, unit, army, etc., but all fall under the mob rules).
Size: as groups of individuals band together to form mobs, the unit is treated as a larger creature, for the purpose of damage and opposed checks. The smallest mob (known as a Little Mob, as a tiny mob is essentially one individual) is composed of four individuals, treated as a mob creature two sizes larger than the creatures themselves (i.e. a Little Mob of 4 normal-sized creatures would be considered a size Huge mob creature). Multiple mobs may be combined to form even larger mobs, at a rate of 5 mobs combining to make one at the next higher size. For example, five Large mobs can be combined to create one Huge one, while five Huge may be combined to form one Massive mob, and so forth. This means:
Little mob (4 individuals): +2 size
Small mob (20 individuals, or 5 little mobs): +3 size
Normal mob (100 individuals, or 5 small mobs): +4 size
Large mob (500 individuals, or 5 normal mobs): +5 size
Huge mob (2,500 individuals, or 5 large mobs): +6 size
Massive mob (12,500 individuals, or 5 huge mobs): +7 size
Gargantuan mob (52,500 individuals, or 5 massive mobs): +8 size
Colossal mob (312,500 individuals, or 5 gargantuan mobs): +9 size, etc.
Initiative: who goes first works differently with mobs, as damage they receive is applied at the end of the round, so there is no advantage in going in any particular order (unless the mobs are part of individual combat, where the individuals may matter, but the mob's damage would still be received at the end of the round, even if they do their damage on their initiative order).
Number of Actions: a mob can act normally as a creature its size, or for each downsizing can double its actions (such as attacks), though it cannot go smaller than individual size. So, a normal mob, which is 4 sizes larger than individual, would get 1 attack on its turn, or x2 at -1 size, x4 at -2 size, x8 at -3 size, or x16 at -4 size (down to its individual size). Treat the mob as a creature at the reduced size (if any) for the purposes of calculating the damage it does, though when the mob receives any damage, treat the mob as its full size.
Example: a normal mob of normal-sized creatures is +4 sizes, making it a Normal Mob that is size Gargantuan. If it were attacking some normal-sized characters, let's say it went for x4 attacks at -2 size, so it gets 4 attacks treating the mob as if it were Huge (so x4 damage to opponents size Normal). But if those opponents attacked in return, at the stage where damage is applied it would be 1/16th, meaning for every 16 points of damage, the mob takes 1 point of damage, as the mob is considered its full size for assessing damage.
Attack Bonuses: When calculating size modifiers for attacks, use the individual size of the mob. For every four-to-one advantage in numbers, a +1/-1 (bigger/lesser number of combatants) is applied to the attacks. If one mob is being attacked by multiple opponents, count those opponents collectively to calculate this value. If a mob is splitting its attack against separate units, split the effective number counted accordingly (i.e. a unit of 100 doing two attacks, each at separate opponents, both those targets treat the mob as if it numbered 50, since half is engaging each target). If a ranged unit engages an enemy mob, count their numbers as allies for any other ally attacking that mob.
Example: A little mob of normal sized creatures attacking one normal-sized opponent would get no modifier for size (normal vs. normal) but the mob would get +1 to hit, while the opponent would get -1. A small mob of 20 normal-sized creatures attacking a normal-sized opponent would get +5 to hit, but against two opponents would only get (20/2 = 10) a +2 to hit each of them, while both of them would get -2 to hit the mob. If the mob/opponents are different sizes, add the modifiers for size, using the individual numbers. A ranged unit does not benefit from numbers but does add their numbers to any ally attacking their target.
Sunder/Armor: When a mob takes damage from an attack, apply the armor to the base damage using individual size before applying damage multiplier for mob size. Mobs ignore sunder rules for armor/weapons against individuals (though their individual opponents must still make checks).
Bleed: Mobs suffering damage over time (DoT) such as bleeds follow the normal rules but the DoT is applied immediately when they fail their BOD Check and is only applied once, i.e. treat the DoT as bonus damage that does not persist.
Breaking mobs: wounds and stress represent casualties within the mob that are either wounded, broken, or killed. A broken individual is one that has lost the will to fight and is trying to flee. Break Checks are made at the end of the round, after damage is applied. Mobs may be forced into breaking (or voluntarily break) under the following rules:
Wounded/Stressed Mobs: if the mob is suffering CP, each round that mob has to make a NER Check (subject to CP) or be broken. If the mob is larger than its opponent(s) (such as a large mob versus a few normal-sized characters), give the NER Check +1 per size difference. This check may get Superior +1 or more if the individuals in the mob outnumbers its opponents (those who are directly engaged with that mob) and the members of the mob believe the opponent can be defeated.
Destroyed mobs - if a mob has wounds dropped to -BOD, it is utterly destroyed (with perhaps only a few individual survivors). If a mob suffers CP of -4 (either W or S dropped at or below zero would be sufficient), treat that unit as destroyed/lost if it's a little mob (4 individuals), otherwise the mob drops to one lower size category (as 4 of its 5 units has been killed/wounded/broken, so only 1 of the 5 smaller units is left).
When a mob is broken into smaller units, use its condition penalty to determine how many units (or individuals) are left:
CP: 0 is full conversion (i.e. the smallest unit breaks up into 4 individuals, larger units break up into five smaller ones).
CP: -1 means one of the individuals are lost (units break up into four smaller units).
CP: -2 means two of the individuals are lost (units break up into three smaller units).
CP: -3 means three of the individuals are lost (units break up into two smaller units).
CP: -4 means all individuals are lost (units break up into one smaller unit).
CP: -5 or less means entire unit destroyed/wounded/broken (no smaller units left, and perhaps only a few individuals survive).
An individual leading a mob becomes the commander of that mob. The mob must be able to hear/understand the commander's orders. A commander uses their actions to order and control the mob, though they can engage in combat, providing they are engaging the same target(s) as the mob. A commander may also control more than one mob, though for each multiple of the commander's tactics, apply an Inferior +1 to any actions aside from ordering the mobs.
A champion is a commander or other individual that attaches to a mob, being counted among their numbers. They can attack and engage in actions, using their individual size, but when attacked by an enemy mob, use their attached mob's size when calculating damage. If free individuals or individuals attached to an opposing mob wishes to single out champions of an enemy mob, they both fight using their respective individual sizes. If one individual attached to a unit does not wish to engage an enemy individual, they could go full defense or even retreat to the back of their mob, removing their own attacks that round, but this cowardice may impose a negative penalty to the champion's mob (and the enemy mob may be given a similar bonus).
Lead: If the champion's mob performs a maneuver, a champion may lead the mob to improve its chances of success. Have the champion make the same check the mob will make, granting the champion's mob a bonus/penalty equal to +1/-1 per Success/Failure of Two. For example, a unit engaged in a Fallback Maneuver needs a Run Check to succeed - a champion in that unit could make a Run Check, granting the champion's mob a bonus/penalty on their own Run Check to perform the maneuver.
Inspire: In addition to fighting as a part of the mob, champions may inspire and motivate the mob. For combat checks, if an individual does damage to an enemy unit, the champion's mob gains an offense bonus against that mob for the round: +1OB, +1 per 2W or 2S.
Rally: a champion can try to rally its mob if the mob becomes broken. The champion makes a Talk Check, modified by the CP of the fleeing and broken mob. if successful, they rally that mob, keeping the unit from breaking up into smaller units and preventing them from fleeing the battlefield.
The effective size of the mob may be managed if the opponents can bottleneck the frontline between opponents. For example, if a group of normal-sized characters are facing a huge horde or normal-sized opponents (+6 size difference, which would be Mythical in size) and retreat to hold a passage that is Large in size, the mob cannot choose an attack size larger than the opening (i.e. Large in this example), and this becomes their default size for the purposes of determining actions. In such an example, they could do one attack as a large creature or two attacks as a normal one. For determining damage scales when attacking a mob, the mob is still considered to be its regular size. (i.e. Mythical vs regular means 1/64th damage to the mob).
Alternatively, the GM could break the unit into smaller mobs.
When two or more mobs fight one another, such as two armies meeting on a field of battle, the timescale of a combat turn changes. GMs can use the following guidelines for determining the length of one round:
10+ Combatants: 10 minutes
100+ Combatants: 1 hour
1,000+ Combatants: 3 hours
10,000+ Combatants: 6 hours
100,000+ Combatants: 12 hours
1,000,000+ Combatants: one day or more
The basic order of operations for a combat turn:
Each combatant performs movement/positioning
Each combatant declares which units they engage
Resolve Individual Combat
Resolve Artillery Combat (Broken Checks made if applicable)
Combat Checks are made, with any tally of damage recorded but not applied
Damage applied at the end of the round
Broken checks are made
A combat turn for mobs works a bit differently that the rules for individual combat.
Terrain and structures may give one side in a battle an advantage over the other, from favorable terrain that may give +1/-1 on attacks to stout walls that may give Superior/Inferior+1 or more. Defenders may choose a terrain that gives them an edge, and with sufficient time may build/strengthen fortifications that aid in their defense. Such defenses may grant either defense or offense bonuses to the mob in control of such defenses or even both.
Though natural terrain may provide defense bonuses, a Build Check is needed for creating these conditions artificially, or to take existing terrain and increase it. Such projects may be managed by a builder acting as commander (leading the mob as they do all the manual labor). Set an extended test for the builder, possibly modifying by BOD or STR Checks for the mob, counting failures as S or even W damage to the mob (building defenses can be backbreaking/exhausting work). For either offensive or defensive structures, each tier must be finished before the next one may begin, but an emphasis may be made on either Defense or Offense. For example, say a mob was only interested in defense, they could build T0 (elevated position), then after an extended test reach T1 (low wall), and after that T2(wall). At that stage, they could switch to Offense, starting with T0 (dug in), then T1(spiked fortifications), finishing with a +3 Defb / +2 Offb defensive set of structures.
T0(+1 Defb or Offb, Base 1 hour): these are the simplest sorts of fortification, and natural, defensive terrain may have either or both Defb/Offb. For Defb, examples would include dug-in positions or other features that offer some protection to defenders or hindrances to the assaulting force. For Offb, examples would include an elevated position or other sort of terrain that favors defenders, aiding their attacks against the assaulters.
T1(+2 Defb or Offb, Base 2 hours): rarer to find natural terrain this favorable, builders can shape T0 terrain to become T1. For Defb, this could mean creating difficult terrain beyond the front of defense, such as ditches or a low wall. For Offb, this may include the addition of spikes or other hazardous features in front of the defenders.
T2(+3 Defb or Offb, Base 4 hours): rarer to find than T1 natural terrain, builders can shape T1 terrain to become T2. For Defb, the incline may be steeper, or a wall (such as chest-height) the defenders may use for protection as they attack incoming assaulters. For Offb, fortifications like battlements may expose assaulters to attacks from the defenders and/or hazardous features such as spikes/traps, are more pronounced.
T3(+4 Defb or Offb, Base 1 day): rarer to find than T2 natural terrain, builders can shape T2 terrain to become T3. For Defb, the defensive wall may be much higher than defender height, and defenders may be atop the wall or in an elevated position behind it to see and attack over the top. For Offb, battlements, moats, spikes and traps make the assaulters lives most unpleasant.
T4(Superior +1 Defense or Offense, Base 5 days): terrain this favorable is almost never found naturally. Builders can shape T3 terrain to become T4. For Defb, defenders nest within huge, fortified walls. For Offb, moats, spikes, traps, and kill boxes make life for assaulters hell.
When two armies battle for hours, units may engage or disengage using maneuvers. These are some common maneuvers and the rules and conditions for each one. Use these as a guideline for others.
Surprise Maneuvers: these are maneuvers used to start combat, or hit a mob that is not yet in combat.
Ambush: if a mob is able to engage an enemy in a surprise attack, the mob goes first and applies damage to their opponents before the opponent responds. Note that the nature of the ambush may impose additional bonuses/penalties. A successful Sneak Check is needed to perform this maneuver, otherwise the mob simply engages the enemy. This is typically done at the start of a combat encounter, for a mob joining into an existing melee, see Flank below.
Ambush (Sneak Check)
Per Success of Two: OB +1/-1 for self/enemy
Per Failure of Two: OB -1/+1 for self/enemy
Hit and Run: when hordes or armies of creatures are traveling, they may be vulnerable to a hit and run attack. This is similar to an ambush, but in this case the attacking mob launches a surprise attack on an enemy mob before fleeing the battle. If successful, they do some damage to the enemy mob and escape with little/no damage in return. Note that the attacking mob must make a Sneak Check or suffer Inferior +1 to the Hit and Run Check (which is a Run Check). All base damage is halved in a Hit and Run attack.
Hit and Run (Run Check)
Per Success of Two: OB: +1 to enemy (no enemy counterattack)
Per Failure of Two: OB: -1/+1 for self/enemy (enemy counterattack)
Engage Maneuvers: these are maneuvers as a part of attacking another unit.
Artillery: ranged mobs that stay out of melee combat can pre-engage enemy mobs within range. The damage from the artillery unit is applied to the target before melee units roll their attacks. If the target unit suffers CP from this attack, they make a break check, failing to engage other units and fleeing if they fail the check. Artillery units do not benefit from numbers bonuses, but they do apply their numbers to allies attacking that unit.
Flank: if a mob engages an enemy from the sides or rear while it is already engaged, that mob may attempt a flank maneuver. Consider a Run Check (for a mad dash) or even a Sneak Check (for a surprise maneuver).
Flank (Run or Sneak Check)
Per Success of Two: OB: +1 to enemy (no enemy counterattack)
Per Failure of Two: OB: -1/+1 for self/enemy (enemy counterattack)
Skirmish: similar to a hit and run maneuver, a skirmishing mob may push in to harry an opponent engaged with another unit, do some damage, and retreat. A Run Check is used to perform this maneuver, and is made before the enemy chooses targets. All base damage is halved in a Skirmish attack.
Skirmish Check
Per Success of Two: OB: +1 to enemy (no enemy counterattack)
Per Failure of Two: OB: -1/+1 for self/enemy (enemy counterattack)
Disengage Maneuvers: these are maneuvers for breaking away from attacking units.
Fallback: is used when a mob engaged with enemy mobs tries to move away from their opponents. This happens during the movement phase and requires a Run Check. Opponents may opt to pursue, turning that Run Check into an opposed check, but if they choose pursuit and the fallback unit succeeds, the pursuers take damage. Note that terrain or defensive features should add modifiers to these checks, and armor may protect from failures (i.e. with damage to enemy = 2W for success of four, if they had an armor value of two that would reduce to zero damage). Appy armor then multiply by size difference if applicable.
Fallback (Run Check)
Per Success of Two: +1W damage to pursuers
Per Failure of Two: +1W damage to self
Retreat: when damage is being applied from an attacking mob, a unit may opt to retreat to minimize casualties. Damage the retreating unit caused and received that round is halved, and the unit must move away from the enemy. If the enemy allows the maneuver uncontested, both sides take half damage, but if the enemy wishes to pursue, the retreating unit makes a Run Check. Generally speaking, a unit holding defensive terrain would get that terrain bonus to retreat, however if they pursue an attacking force that retreats, the attacking force would get the terrain bonus on their check - pursuing through a defensive position can be costly. For reasonable terrain, assume a target of 10, adding bonuses if the terrain favors retreat or penalties and/or higher target numbers for difficult ones (such as poor terrain, multiple units making retreat difficult, etc..). Note that when retreating, damage you take is halved, then reduced/increased according to Retreat Check, but the damage you do to the pursuing enemy is scaled by your size if the enemy is larger (i.e. each size larger enemy is x 1/2).
Retreat (Run Check)
Per Success of Two: Damage +1W/-1W for enemy/self
Per Failure of Two: Damage -1W/+1W for enemy/self