Hokay! So...
I'm going to start a Red-Hand-Of-Doom-Style-Campaign-Thing soon and obviously there is a huge army involved (Imix's material plane army to be specific) and I need help with the biggest part-THE ARMY!
I'm having lots of trouble starting it and after I think of all the things that it involves I have lots of trouble sorting everything.
The Army itself consists of what most armies consist of (scouts, skirmishers, gurrilla fighters, assassins, clerics, commanders, high commanders, infantry etc. etc.). The army also spans several nations and is as much a political army as it is a martial army (i.e. lots of inteligince and informants everywhere).
One simple question: Where would you start building it and where to go from there?
Thanks much!
The Army itself consists of what most armies consist of (scouts, skirmishers, gurrilla fighters, assassins, clerics, commanders, high commanders, infantry etc. etc.). The army also spans several nations and is as much a political army as it is a martial army (i.e. lots of inteligince and informants everywhere).
If its anything like a medival army then don't forget the camp followers. Lots and lots of camp followers. Probably significantly more camp followers then there are actual soldiers.
I usually do this by percents. It sounds like you want a more covert army, i.e. one that is more focused on archers, hit and run tactics and spies and the like rather than one that is focussed on meatshield combat. For this I would use the following build: 15% meatshields, 25% quick cavalry (including some flying cavalry), 25% archers and crossbowmen, 5% spies, 10% scouts, 5% Arcane spellcasters (artillery), 10% Divine spellcasters (healers) and 5% mundane artillery crewers as well as 25%-75% of the main force in followers. This will give a fast army that uses more hit and run attacks, perhaps with the artillery and most of the meatshields and most of the followers a day or two behind the main force, so that they aren't too far away in case they are needed. Army building is something I spend a lot of time doing so if there is anything else that you have problems with I'd be happy to help.
If its anything like a medival army then don't forget the camp followers.
Camp followers being...clean up crew??
...as well as 25%-75% of the main force in followers. ...most of the followers a day or two behind the main force, so that they aren't too far away in case they are needed.
Define "followers" please and how would they be used??
Thanks
Followers as in people who accompany army i.e. priests, commoners who beleive in the cause and want to helo, clean up crews, construction crews, distributers of alcahol and entertainment adn such.
I usually do this by percents.
What number of people do you use in an army normally (or at least one thats going to span a few nations) and how would you organize them (use units=10 individuals, battalion=40 individuals etc.)??
It sounds like you want a more covert army.
Yes thats right, but not only that. We need some heavy fire power there...lol.
How would they compare to the numbers of the actual army??
And how wouldthe army aquire them (would they just run thru a village and convince all the people that their army is the best and that they should follow them?)
I would suggest you look at how the war campaign in Red Hand of Doom is organized, in detail, and use that as a model. You don't really need to know everything that's in the army, you just need to have a bunch of army related encounters to throw at PCs. One of Red Hand of Doom's strengths is that out of about 10 stat blocks it throws somewhere around 20 or 30 different encounter scenarios at the PCs, by varying the mix of troops involved in each encounter and the context/terrain/tactical situation. If you just have 800 orc 1st level scouts and 3000 hobgoblin warriors and 500 crossbowmen and whatever, it's boring. It's the encounter set up and how it fits into the story line that makes it fun.
If you just have 800 orc 1st level scouts and 3000 hobgoblin warriors and 500 crossbowmen and whatever, it's boring.
Well thats good that you think it would be boring, it would be to me also...
Hopefully, it won't boil down to me pitching 3 over-powered PCs against 4500 lvl 1 grunts of an army just to kill them. ;)
W00T!
Thanks everybody for your responses!
I think that they are so good that I'm going to print them off right now and start making my army...with some help from the Complete Warrior of cours. ;)
Thanks everybody! :)