Example Combat :: Hero + 8 men vs 11 Lizard men

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Post by waysoftheearth » Fri Oct 04, 2013 5:40 am

Example Combat :: Hero + 8 men vs 11 Lizard men

Here's another example combat using the upcoming DD Reliquary rules.

This one involves a surprise turn as well as use of the multiple attacks rule (for both sides) in the follow up combat. Once again, remember that this is just one of many ways a referee could handle this encounter...

Enjoy :)



Elmo the 4th level fighter has 14 hit points. He wears plate armor and carries a shield as well as an enchanted sword +1 frostbrand. He is accompanied by a retinue of eight brigands who wear leather armor and carry shields, axes, and daggers.

Elmo's determined band lay in wait beneath a thicket of undergrowth just uphill of a forest trail, and at last spy their quarry approaching -- a group of lizard men returning from the hunt with captives. Lizard men occur in groups of 5-20 outside the lair, so the referee throws three six-sided dice and adds two (he could equally have thrown five four-sided dice) and scores 11. It's a dangerously large warband, but Elmo and his men are determined to rescue the captives, and so spring to the attack as the lizard men passes below them.

The ambush has been carefully arranged so the referee rules that surprise is achieved without a roll (if Elmo had placed his band upwind, the referee might have rolled for surprise instead).

-- The Surprise Turn --

Elmo and his men burst from cover to attack with surprise.
The lizard men are AC 6 and have 2+1 HD, so Elmo is entitled to four attack rolls as a 1 HD man, each requiring a roll of 14+ to hit. His retinue are 1 HD men and so also requiring rolls of 14+ to hit.

Elmo's player throws four 20-sided dice for Elmo; 15, 2, 14, 8, adjusting each roll by +2 due to surprise and a further +1 due to his sorcerous blade, resulting in two hits. He then throws eight attack rolls for Elmo's men scoring 3, 8, 12, 5, 10, 19, 7, 16 and adjusting all these by +2 due to surprise. The result in another four hits, making a total of six hits.

Each hit will cause 1-6 points of damage. Elmo's damage will not be adjusted for his strength, and nor are lizard men susceptible to the power of the frostbrand (had they been, its +3 damage would have been added once only, not once per hit). Elmo's player throws six six-sided dice and scores a total of 26 hit points.

Six monsters have been hit by surprise, so the referee checks to determine whether they will drop their weapons. Six dice are thrown and two of them are 1 or 2, indicating that two lizard men have dropped their wooden maces in the attack.

Now the referee allocates the 26 points of damage, rolling hit points for the lizard men as necessary. The first monster is found to have only 4 hit points (a hungry specimen), and is cut down, leaving 22 points to allocate. The second monsters has 9 hit points, so is slain with 13 points remaining. The third and forth monsters are found to have 8 hit points each, so the forth is slain, with the remaining 5 hit points being applied to the fifth monster which then has 3 hit points remaining.

The lizard men have been taken by surprise, so have no opportunity to fight back this turn.

The surprise turn is concluded with four lizard men slain and a fifth wounded in the onslaught. The wounded lizard man and one of its dispatched fellows have dropped their weapons.


-- 1st Turn --

Encouraged by their success, Elmo's player loudly declares his intent for the following turn: "Everybody attack!".

The lizard men have been attacked by surprise and have suffered one-third losses, so the referee makes a morale check to determine their reaction. He dices 9 indicating that the dull-witted lizards will turn about and press the attack.

The combat is already hand-to-hand, so initiative is checked. The referee throws a 4 for the lizard men while Elmo's player throws a 3.

Because he is a 4th level fighter--and therefore a heroic figure--Elmo himself will not be targeted by normal types in melee while there are other normal targets available. The six lizard men will therefore target Elmo's men and throw two attack rolls each because they are 2 HD monsters attacking normal men. The seventh lizard man instead spends the turn recovering his dropped weapon. The lizard men require scores of 13+ to hit (attacking as 1 HD monsters), and the referee throws 5 hits. Five six-sided dice are throw for damage yielding 19 points.

Hit points for Elmo's men have been previously diced. The first two men have 4 hit points each, the third has 5 hit points, and the forth has 6 hit points. These four men are beaten bloody and slain by the furious onslaught of the lizardmen.

Half of Elmo's men may have been cut down in battle, but the remaining four and Elmo himself now have an opportunity to fight back. The player throws four 20-sided dice for Elmo scoring 19, 19, 2, 13 and adjusts each roll by +1 due to his frostbrand and so scores three hits. He then throws four more attack rolls for Elmo's men scoring 16, 14, 18, 7 for another three hits. Elmo's band have rolled famously and landed six hits so six damage dice are throw yielding 27 points!

The first 3 points will put an end to the lizard wounded in the surprise turn, leaving 24 points to apply. The referee rolls hit points for more of the monsters, as necessary. The sixth monster is a huge brute with 11 points, the seventh being even bigger with 12! These two are put to the sword, and the eighth monster (barely kobold-sized) takes the final point of damage, leaving it with just 3 hit points. Three more lizard men, including two great brutes, have been slain, and another wounded.

There are just four lizard men left in the fight against Elmo and his four remaining men.

-- 2nd Turn --

The referee asks Elmo's player what he wants to do next, "Finish them!" he insists, ruing the slaughter of his men, but feeling they have the upper hand.

Meanwhile, the referee secretly makes a morale checks for the lizard men, and another for Elmo's followers. The lizard men have lost 7 of 11, certainly one-third (enough to cause a morale check) but not yet two-thirds, so the referee decides their check will go unmodified. He dices 9 again indicating that the dim-witted lizard men will continue to press for advantage.

Elmo's men have above average loyalty which adjusts their morale by +1, but and have just lost half their number warranting a morale check. They are led in battle by a fearless 4th level fighter, so their morale check is adjusted by a further +1. Alas, the referee dices 2! Even adding 2 the result is only 4 which indicates Elmo's men will flee.

The referee dices for the lizard men's initiative and throws 4. Elmo's player throws 5, so his men break off from combat without further casualties because their movement rate is 12" and the lizard men's only 6". Elmo is left facing four lizard men alone! Emlo's player throws 4 attack rolls, dicing 18, 4, 4, 16 for two hits, and a further 6 points of damage. The first 3 points will finish the wounded eighth monster with the remaining 3 points carried over to the ninth monster, leaving it with 4 hit points remaining.

With no normal types remaining in the melee, the three remaining lizard men will now surround and attack Elmo; he has 4 hit dice, so they throw one attack each as 2 HD monsters. Elmo's is AC 2 so the lizard men would need to throw 16+ for hits. However, because Elmo is surrounded one monster will attack him from behind, ignoring his shield and adjusting its throw by +2. The referee throws 3 and 16 for the monsters to his front, and 10 for the monster to his rear. That's one hit, so the referee throws one damage die, and Elmo suffers 3 hit points damage. He now has 11 hit points remaining.

-- 3rd turn--

With half of Elmo's men deserting the referee deems the lizard men to have won the previous turn. Thus no morale check is necessary, and the lizard men will continue to act according to their previous morale check. Elmo finds himself locked in deadly combat with the three angry lizard men.

Initiative is checked; Elmo throws 1 and the lizard men throw 2. The lizard men have the advantage of numbers and make their attack rolls first. The referee throws 18, 3, and 19 scoring two more hits for 8 points of damage. Elmo is down to just 3 hit points.

But he is not beaten yet, and strikes back throwing 4 attack dice which yield 15, 12, 13, 4. Adjusting each roll by +1 due to his frostbrand he scores two hits, and deals out another 7 points of damage. The ninth monster is thereby slain with 4 points, and the tenth monster sustains the remaining 3 points. The referee dices to determine it had a total of 6 hit points, so it now has 3 points remaining.

-- 4th Turn --

It's Elmo versus the last two lizard men.

The lizard men lost one of three in previous turn, so the referee dices for their morale again, and scores 8. They won't press the attack, but neither will they turn and flee. The player doesn't know it, but if Elmo were to back off now the lizard men would not press him further. Elmo is down to just 3 hit points so there is a genuine possibility he could be slain this turn. His player deliberates for a moment before deciding to risk everything and push the attack again.

Initiative is diced with Elmo scoring 3 and the lizard men 6. Elmo's player holds his breath as the referee throws attach rolls for the lizard men and scores 10 and 1; two misses. With a sigh of relief Elmo's player throws his four attack rolls yielding 1, 4, 16, 20 for two hits. He throws two six-sided dice for 10 damage (with a cheer), which is enough to enough to destroy the final two lizard men.

The battle is over, Elmo has prevailed! It is a famous victory, but at what cost?
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

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Post by merias » Fri Oct 04, 2013 11:28 am

Re: Example Combat :: Hero + 8 men vs 11 Lizard men

These are great, thank you for taking the time to work them out and post. There is one thing I have not seen before:
waysoftheearth wrote: Now the referee allocates the 26 points of damage, rolling hit points for the lizard men as necessary. The first monster is found to have only 4 hit points (a hungry specimen), and is cut down, leaving 22 points to allocate. The second monsters has 9 hit points, so is slain with 13 points remaining. The third and forth monsters are found to have 8 hit points each, so the forth is slain, with the remaining 5 hit points being applied to the fifth monster which then has 3 hit points remaining.
Is this method of distributing damage really only used when you have a group of men/monsters with identical AC being attacked? It seems far more deadly than randomly assigning each attack roll one at-a-time, yet far faster. Or does it just seem more deadly?
Aldbane the Cleric (Level 5 MV 6" AC 2/3 HD 4 HP 18) plate +1, shield+2, helm, silvered war hammer, sling, staff of healing

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Post by waysoftheearth » Fri Oct 04, 2013 1:18 pm

Re: Example Combat :: Hero + 8 men vs 11 Lizard men

merias wrote:Is this method of distributing damage really only used when you have a group of men/monsters with identical AC being attacked? It seems far more deadly than randomly assigning each attack roll one at-a-time, yet far faster. Or does it just seem more deadly?
Hi Merias, glad you enjoyed the examples :)

The above method of hit/damage distribution is a neat way to save a lot of time. It isn't stated specifically in DD (or in OD&D), but something pretty close to the above is described in Empire of the Petal Throne.

I think it probably is deadlier than keeping track of attacks and hits per individual because damage gets focused on one target at a time rather than spread out over many targets, and damage is never wasted on overkill. On the other hand, the same goes for both sides of the contest so it isn't unbalanced, it just makes for a quicker/deadlier combat resolution. In my mind it's a pretty good fit for the abstract one minute combat turns of DD, and it's certainly a lot less work for the referee to manage a large combat this way.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 2306
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:53 pm

Post by Makofan » Fri Jan 09, 2015 9:14 pm

Re: Example Combat :: Hero + 8 men vs 11 Lizard men

Nicely clear. This helped a lot

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