Using Kingmaker's mass combat system, I want feedback on the likely result of this mass combat, between Lamashtu's mass breeding program for mutant goblins and the citizens of Sandpoint, led by the 15th level PC and her two 11th level cohorts.
Note: the strategy choice produces a straight plus to OM or DV; there's no bonus to damage.
Team Bard:
Dior Schaefer CR 7
CG Fine sized army of heroes
HP 31
Offensive Modifier: +14 (melee and ranged)
Defensive Value: 24 (28 if on fortifications)
Tactics: Taunt (Morale DC17 per round or –2 to OM and DV, 2 straight saves = immune)
Resources: Magic Weapons, Magic Armor,
Special Abilities: Spell Casting (factored in)
Special Defenses: Fortifications (+4 to DV), Healing (heal 14 HP but no attack, 2/battle).
Speed: 2 hexes (24 miles/day, 30’ move)
Morale: +5 (+0 morale +CHA of leader)
Bec Schaefer CR 3
CG Fine sized army of heroes
HP 16
Offensive Modifier: +5 (melee only)
Defensive Value: 15 (19 if on fortifications)
Tactics: Relentless Brutality (Rage: +4 Offense, -4 Defense)
Resources: Magic Weapons, Magic Armor, Healing Potions (heal 6 HP at cost of attack, 2/battle).
Special Defenses: Fortifications (+4 DV)
Speed: 2 hexes (24 miles/day, 30’ move)
Morale: +5 (+0 morale +CHA of Dior)
Leader: Dior
Anya’drea Schaefer CR 3
CG Fine sized army of heroes
HP 10
Offensive Modifier: +10 (melee and ranged)
Defensive Value: 20 (24 if inside fortifications)
Tactics: Spellbreaker (+4 DV against spell casting foes)
Resources: Magic Armor, Magic Weapon, Healing Potions (heal 6 HP at cost of attack, 2/battle).
Special Abilities: Spell casting (factored in)
Special Abilities: Can grant Mobility Advantage to Fine-sized armies (+1 DV)
Speed: 2 hexes (24 miles/day, 30’ move)
Morale: +5 (+0 morale +CHA of Dior)
Leader: Dior
Sandpoint Militia CR 1
Medium army of humans (50 third level warriors)
hp 5; DV 11 (15 if inside fortifications);
OM +1
Special: Ranged weapons
Speed 2; Morale +5
Rout conditions: If army’s HP is reduced to equal to or below 1, it flees immediately, unless commander makes DC 15 Morale check. As it flees, the enemy can make a parting attack.
Sandpoint Irregulars 1 CR 2
Large army of humans (200 first level commoners/experts)
hp 3; DV 12 (16 if inside fortifications);
OM +2
Special: Ranged weapons
Speed 2; Morale +5
Rout conditions: If army’s HP is reduced to equal to or below 1, it flees immediately, unless commander makes DC 15 Morale check. As it flees, the enemy can make a parting attack.
Sandpoint Very Irregulars 1 CR 2
Large army of humans (200 first level commoners/experts)
hp 3; DV 12 (16 if inside fortifications);
OM +2 (no ranged capacity)
Speed 2; Morale +5
Rout conditions: If army’s HP is reduced to equal to or below 1, it flees immediately, unless commander makes DC 15 Morale check. As it flees, the enemy can make a parting attack.
Sandpoint Very Irregulars 2 CR 2
Large army of humans (200 first level commoners/experts)
hp 3; DV 12 (16 if inside fortifications);
OM +2 (no ranged capacity)
Speed 2; Morale +5
Rout conditions: If army’s HP is reduced to equal to or below 1, it flees immediately, unless commander makes DC 15 Morale check. As it flees, the enemy can make a parting attack.
Team Lamashtu:
Inbred Goblin Horde
Huge army of goblins (500 barbarian 1, CR 6)
hp 39; DV 17;
OM +6 (melee only)
Special: Improved Armor
Tactics Relentless Brutality (+4 OM, -4 DV)
Speed 2; Morale +0 CHECK AT 3 HP
Birdcruncher Tribe
Large Goblin army (200 first level warriors) CR 2
hp 11; DV 12;
OM +2 (melee and ranged)
Tactics Sniper Support (+2 damage from archers held in reserve)
Speed 2; Morale 0 (Leader: Bugbear Bruthazmus) CHECK AT 2 HP
Mosswood Tribe
Large Goblin army (200 first level warriors) CR 2
hp 11; DV 12;
OM +2 (melee only)
Tactics Taunt (Morale DC12 per round or –2 to OM and DV, 2 straight saves = immune)
Speed 2; Morale -2 (Leader: Big Gugmut) CHECK AT 4 HP
Harpies
Diminutive Harpy army (10 Bard 4 Harpies) CR 1
hp 4; DV 14;
OM +2 (ranged and melee)
Special: Mobility Advantage (+1 DV), Spell casting
Tactics Captivating Song (Morale DC11 or no actions while Harpies sing; 1 try/army)
Speed 2; Morale +3 (CHECK AT 1 HP)
Advanced Sandpoint Devil’s Mate
Fine Native Outsider Army (1 Sandpoint Devil) CR 2
hp 11; DV 17/27 (+6 vs. Dior, Anya’drea due to SR);
OM +6 (ranged and melee) +1d4 damage
Special: Mobility Advantage (+1 DV), Spell casting, Spell resistance
Special Attack: Breath weapon (+1d4 damage)
Special Attack: Fear (Morale check DC 12 or unable to act next round, flees if it fails a second morale check)
Special Defense: Significant Defense (DR 5/cold iron) for +10 DV,
Speed 2; Morale +3 (CHECK AT 1 HP)
Malfeshnekor
Fine army of Greater Advanced Elite Barghest CR 1
hp 4; DV 26
OM +5 (melee and ranged)
Special: Mobility Advantage (levitate, dimension door, +1 DV), Spell casting
Special Defense: Significant Defense (DR 10/magic, blink, invisibility sphere, polymorph into goblin/wolf) +10 DV
NOTE: MALFIE'S going to be used only at the end, if he's winning, as 4 hit points means a quick death and he knows it as the leader of the Lamashtu forces.
So, no ideas on who would win this kind of battle? Has the system not been used enough for DMs to eyeball likely results, as with party vs. monsters?
Team Lamashtu need the sinspsawn reinforcements provided by Erylium/The Scribbler.
Hm. How big a CR army do you think?
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I think it should be variable depending on the previous actions, successes and failures of the PCs.
Best case scenario (for the PCs, that is), it should be a one-man-army made of the Scribbler alone - Fine sized.
Depending on the aforementioned factors, add groups of sinspawn to reach enough numbers for sizes ranging from Diminutive to Large.
From Diminutive to Small, the Sinspawn act indipendently (no specific leaders); you could however field a Small indipendent army and a Tiny army led by the Scribbler, Erylium, or even the deformed goblin champion, Koruvus.
Worst case scenario, a Large army led by Erylium, a Small Army led by Koruvus, and a Medium elite army led by the Scribbler.
what case scenario are we?
Note: This is my mid-high level mash-up of Burnt Offerings and Hook Mountain Massacre as a standalone adventure within a home brew campaign. Still, those worried about spoilers for that path should probably avoid it if they're not past Burnt Offerings yet.
Well, basically, this assault on the town is the result of the player missing an adventure hook. The last time she was here, she got lots of information about the town, background tragic info about the BBEG, several ominous apocalypse foreshadowing (like kittens born with eyes facing inwards, uptick in violence, guy with sign about end of world) and a Sandpoint Devil attacked the town. They tracked the Devil back to a cave, killed it there, then inexplicably failed to search it, thus missing the secret door to the tunnel that led to the place where sinspawn come from.
Thus, the Lamashtu cult went uninvestigated, they bred a goblin mutant army using a lust runewell with Mammy Graul, and are off to capture the wrath runewell and, in doing so, fire it up with a mass battle above it.
Koruvus, then, is a good idea as a military leader.
Won't three extra armies just unbalance the encounter?
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Given these details, I'd go with worst case scenario. Maybe just don't use the Scribbler as a single unit or a leader, depending on how you like to handle the prisoner under the catacombs of Wrath.
Regarding the extra armies causing unbalance, you can just pull off some narrative tricks: make them show up in following waves instead of a single multiple encounter, thusly giving the Sandpoint forces time to regroup and hastily make up some defence measure - depending on skill rolls, just as in the Blood for Blood encounter at Tatzlford.
Or maybe the savage sinspawn forces just don't make any difference between goblins and Sandpoint defenders, and just when the battle seems to be at a turning point, the new armies emerge from seemingly nowhere and start slaughtering anyone that falls in their path.
Or they could show up only when the death toll reaches a preset value - maybe only for Sandpoint forces, or only for goblin forces, or for both of them combined without difference. Blood for the Blood Go... ehm, Runelord!!
I think you should use them more as a narrative tool than as a real opponent - well, not only *grin*. They should function as a reminder of the PCs carelessness in their previous actions and to wrap up some loose ties left behind. And obviously to give the PCs a good scare and even a little kick in the groin, a Pavlov style lesson of sorts.
BTW, your idea of a mash up campaign sounds really good.
Hm. A chaotic third force that they can't control, unlike their breeding program. Not a bad idea at all, as it gives me a way to balance this on the fly.
BTW, your idea of a mash up campaign sounds really good.
Thanks! It's been a wild tour through a bunch of modules and homebrew stuff. It started with Legends are Made, Not Born from Goodman Games, then Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. Since then it's also included bits of the Freeport trilogy, Crown of the Kobold King, some Linnorm Kings homebrew, a bit of naval mass combat with Cheliax's tiny navy, a segment of Shackled City, Carnival of Tears, Cages of Delirium, Escape from the Forest of Lanterns and periodic references to the old Slave Lords 1e proto-path that she's decided not to fully investigate. They're the Xon-Kuthanite cult this time around.