War of the Fallen Stars (beating Book 5 with mass combat)

[GM Clockwork]

As I come to the end of the IG campaign I've run, I decided to share the tweaks that I made, in hopes that the information proves useful to anyone else. As all PCs had a vested interest in the future of Numeria, Part 1 of Book 5 was not really going to work out very well as a stealth/intrigue mission.

Back when my players were coming to the end of 'Lords of Rust' I predicted my Iron Gods campaign was going to work quite a bit differently, specifically around book 5. We had a player who was going to be missing a few sessions over the summer, and we decided we would proceed and I would catch the player up with a solo session before moving them back to the main party. My PCs are as follows:

Meera Gra-vol: Kellid (human) Barbarian/Inquisitor of Gorum (Black Horse, hopeful to unseat the Black Soverign and destroy the Technic League)
Tor Firebrand: Kellid (human) Barbarian (young Gorumite who lost his love and seeks a foe strong enough to kill him)
Traveler: Android wizard (traveled most of Avistan, returned to Numeria to study technology)
Terrahk: Ratfolk alchemist from Chitterhome (saved Khonnir, now along for the ride)

While the bulk of the party handled things in Iandaveigh, Meera discovered her father (a well-known Black Horse) had been killed by the League.
Meera's player and I played around with the mechanics of mass combat, and I included a number of social encounters to have her 'unite the tribes' as Kevoth-Kul had done years before. With a wide supporting cast, she rejoined the party to complete 'The Choking Tower' and 'Valley of the Brain Collectors' pretty much as written. As 'Palace of the Fallen Stars' opened, things start to get crazy.

My prior experience with Mass Combat as a PC taught me a couple things, and we learned more along the way. I found 2 things personally distasteful: low levels meant battles were short, and one bad roll was disastrous; few units meant that one player was controlling the action while the others simply watched (or more likely, played around on their phones)

But this was book 5, and my PCs were not nameless rat-catchers. Every player had an army or two, and they were well equipped for battle. With their troops, the PCs returned to Scrapwall to save it from the White Scars before taking Chesed and starving the capital out. When they marched on Starfall, they destroyed the forces loyal to Kevoth-Kul, and marched straight to the throne room.

With the new Sovereign in place, the PCs easily laid waste to the League, and move on to tackle 'The Divinity Drive' as written (more or less). Since I'd like the work on this to be available for folks to use, I will be replying to this post with unit descriptions for my PCs, as well as the ones for the Technic League/Kevoth-Kul.

[GM Clockwork]

Meera's Forces: Her parents fought for Kevoth-Kul before he betrayed his people to the Technic League. Meera seeks to unite the tribes against the old Sovereign, and fulfill the promises he could not keep.

Black Horse Berserkers:

CN Medium army of human (barbarian 5)
Commander: Meera Gra-Vol
Morale: +4 (+4)
HP: 30/30
ACR: 4
DV: 20
OM: +8
Tactics: dirty fighters, false retreat, relentless brutality
Special: rage, mounts, siege engines, ranged, improved armor
Speed: 2
Consumption: 7

Black Horse Defectors:

CN Large army of human (warrior 4)
Commander: Garren Gra-Vol (Meera's brother)
Morale: +2
HP: 16/25
ACR: 5
DV: 17
OM: +7
Tactics: Dirty Fighters
Special: mounts
Speed: 1
Consumption: 2

Zentragt:

N Huge army of zentragt (outsiders 6)
Commander: none (started as small army, came from Elysium just to fight)
Morale: +4
HP: 45/45
ACR: 10
DV: 21
OM: +10
Special: aura of courage, improved armor, darkvision, rend, spell resistance
Speed: 1
Consumption: 6

Torch First Battalion:

N Medium army of humans (warrior 5)
Commander: Kevin Kuldar
Morale: +2
HP: 30/30
ACR: 4
DV: 19
OM: +7, ranged
Tactics: seigebreaker
Resources: mounts, improved armor, improved weapons, ranged weapons
Speed: 1
Consumption: 5

Firebrands:

N Large army of humans (fighter 6)
Commander: Sigurd Kevold
Morale: +4
HP: 48/48
ACR: 8
DV: 23
OM: +12
Tactics: false retreat, relentless brutality, cavalry experts
Special: bravery +1, siege engines, mounts, ranged, improved armor
Speed: 1
Consumption: 8

Ghost Wolves:

N Huge army of humans (barbarian 4)
Commander: Xol-Nomag
Morale: +3
HP: 49/49
ACR: 7
DV: 21
OM: +9
Tactics: relentless brutality, expert flankers
Special: rage, mounts, ranged
Speed: 2
Consumption: 5

Ghost Wolf Commandos:

N Small army of humans (barbarian 7)
Commander: Freja
Morale: +3
HP: 29
ACR: 4
DV: 18
OM: +10
Resources: skymetals
Tactics: false retreat, dirty fighters
Special: rage, mounts, ranged, siege engines, improved armor, improved weapons
Speed: 2
Consumption: 7

Former Foes turned Allies

Deep Cutters:

N Medium army of orcs (fighters 4)
Commander: Uaro Green-skin (defenders of a bridge across the First Blade’s Path)
Morale: +0 (+2)
HP: 18
ACR: 3
DV: 16
OM: +3
Tactics: full defense
Special: bravery +1, darkvision, improved armor
Speed: 1
Consumption: 1

Vexgit Gremlins:

CN Medium army of advanced vexgit (fey, gremlin)
Commander: Juniper Bluepetal (from Numeria: Land of Fallen Stars)
Morale: +0
HP: 7
ACR: 2
DV: 12
OM: +2
Special: darkvision, siege destruction (double OM vs units with siege engines), unruly (d%: 1-79 act normal, 80-100 do nothing)
Speed: 1
Consumption: 1

[GM Clockwork]

Tor’s Forces: An orphan raised in Dravod Knock by the local blacksmith, Tor set out to find a foe strong enough to kill him. He has yet to be killed.

Firebrand Trainees:

N Huge army of humans (fighter 2)
Commander: Tor Firebrand
Morale: +2
HP: 27
ACR: 5
DV: 18 (15 + 1 armor + 2 mounts)
OM: +9 (5, +2 Magic, +2 Mounts)
Tactics: Relentless Brutality, defensive wall
Special: bravery +1, ranged, mounts, improved armor
Speed: 1
Consumption: 4

Southern Mercenaries:

N Large army of humans (fighter 2)
HP: 16
ACR: 3
DV: 13
OM: +3
Special: bravery +1
Speed: 1
Consumption: 1

[GM Clockwork]

Traveler’s Forces: Manufactured in Torch for a single purpose, destroy the Technic League and allow Traveler to discover the secrets in the Silver Mount.

General Electric’s Forces:

N Medium army of phalanx robots (fighter 4, CR 7)
Morale: +0
HP: 38
ACR: 7
DV: 22 (17 + 2 def, +2 prof:soldier, +1 armor plating)
OM: +13 (7 + 2 prof:soldier, +2 magic weapons, +2 siege engine)
Tactics: Full Defense, Defense Wall, Sniper Support
Special: construct, armor plating (+1 DV, +0 consumption)
Speed: 1
Consumption: 1

[GM Clockwork]

Terrahk’s Forces: A young ratfolk from Chitterhome sent to Torch to learn from Khonnir Baine, Terrahk has learned the ways of Our Lord in Iron to better bomb his foes into oblivion.

Chitterhome Volunteers:

N Medium army of ratfolk (rogue 5)
HP: 33
ACR: 7
DV: 23 (19, +2 Magic Armor, +2 mounts)
OM:+13 (9, +2 Magic Army, +2 mounts)
[b]Tactics: Hit and Run, Sniper Support
Special: bleed, sneak attack, disease, ranged
Speed: 1
Consumption: 4

Annihilator robot:

Re-salvaged from the Scar of the Spider, stats courtesy of Wayfinder #16
N Fine army of one annihilator robot
HP: 44
ACR: 8
DV: 18
OM: +8, ranged
Special: construct, darkvision, force field, flight, fast healing 8, low light vision, immunity (cold), significant defense (force field), tremorsense, vulnerability (electricity)
Speed: 2
Consumption: 4

[GM Clockwork]

After cutting Starfall off from the Sellen for a month, the party was ready to conquer the capital and wrest the title of Black Sovereign from Kevoth-Kul

Sovereign’s Main Force:

CN Colossal army of human (barbarian 5)
Commander: Tek Makul
Morale: +2
HP: 84
ACR: 12
DV: 23
OM: +7, ranged
Resources: skymetal, improved armor, mounts, ranged
Special: rage
Speed: 2
Consumption: 4

More Barbarians:

Kellid Horde (2 of these bad boys)
N Huge army of humans (barbarian 2)
HP: 32
ACR: 5
DV: 15
OM: +5
Special: rage
Speed: 2
Consumption: 4

Zentragt:

N Huge army of zentragt (outsiders 6)
Commander: none (joined both sides of the fight. Praise Gorum!)
Morale: +4
HP: 45/45
ACR: 10
DV: 21
OM: +10
Special: aura of courage, improved armor, darkvision, rend, spell resistance
Speed: 1
Consumption: 6

Annihilator robot:

Two of these for the Technic League, stats courtesy of Wayfinder #16
N Fine army of one annihilator robot
HP: 44
ACR: 8
DV: 18
OM: +8, ranged
Special: construct, darkvision, force field, flight, fast healing 8, low light vision, immunity (cold), significant defense (force field), tremorsense, vulnerability (electricity)
Speed: 2
Consumption: 4

Robot Army:

Gearsmen (more TL forces)
Large army of gearsman robots
HP: 28
ACR: 6
DV: 16
OM: +6, ranged
Special: construct, darkvision, low light vision, nanite surge, vulnerability (electricity)
Speed: 1
Consumption: 2

Wrap the whole thing up with a field battle against a Spine Dragon, and they’re ready to face off against the Kevoth-kul.

[GM Clockwork]

As the War is underway, Meera’s forces march north to take Chesed, plunder its wealth, and control the Sellen River.

The West Bank

White Scar Forces:

Dar Whitesign
Boons: Merciless
CHA Mod: -1
Leadership Score: 14
Profession Soldier Ranks: 10

Commander: Dar Whitesign
Morale Bonus: +2
HP: (0) 35
ACR: 5
DV: 16
OM: +10, ranged
Resources: skymetal, improved armor

[spoiler=Chesed Militia 1]
N Gargantuan army of humans (fighter 2)
HP: 38
ACR: 7
DV: 17
OM: +7
Special: bravery +1
Speed: 1
Consumption: 3

East Bank

Chesed Militia 2:

N Gargantuan army of humans (fighter 2)
HP: 38
ACR: 7
DV: 17
OM: +7
Special: bravery +1
Speed: 1
Consumption: 3

To engage the actual PCs, I wrapped up this encounter by having the characters infiltrate Chesed through the sewers to open the gate for their armies. They ran afoul of some unfriendly denizens.
Sacristan Kytons (3)
Surgical Robots (2)

[Spike Murphy]

Thank you for posting!
My IG campaign has gone a similar route, and I am currently prepping for the siege of Starfall. Due to some personal plot points for the players though, things have gone much bigger than I expected.

In my campaign, the Technic League wiped out the Ghost Wolf tribe as retaliation against the group and Kellid Android Warpriest of Gorum. The Technic League set a trap for the group at the Ghost Wolve's remains, surrounding the group and a number of Kellid chieftains with 3000 troops. The warpriest of Gorum called on him to lend her the power of her people . . . and he responded. The warpriest became the avatar of rage, and the party wiped out all 3000 troops. Then word began to spread, because omens of Gorum occurred all over Golarion.

Now, the group is marshalling an army made up of Kellid's from across the north, as well as some orc tribes. The Technic League has responded by cutting deals with the Witches of Gyronna in the River Kingdoms (trying to sway the Tiger Lord tribe to their side in the process), the demons of the Worldwound, and now is even Dominion of the Black technology to infect the common folk of Starfall and turn them all in war abominations. All told, the Technic League is going to have an army of more than 100,000 with many being robots, demons and abominations, while the party and the Kellids are going to top 200,000 if not more easily. At that scale I'm struggling with whether it's even worth it to stat out the forces, or if a better move would be to design certain key encounters or decisions that tip the flow of the battle one way or another.