Although it is theoretically possible to run a combat with dozens or even hundreds of active participants, such battles last interminably and quickly stop being fun. As a result, Exalted uses the following rules to abstract mass combat into the existing system by making battle a clash of units rather than individual characters. Units do not fight in the standard one‐tick increments of individual battle. Instead, they track time with long ticks that last approximately one minute each. Storytellers should keep in mind that these rules aren’t appropriate to every engagement, particularly if the clash of armies only serves as a dramatic backdrop to smaller‐scale personal combat. Once protagonists become involved in the direction of mass combat or the Storyteller wishes to leave a battle’s outcome to dice rolls and strategy rather than a plot device, use these rules. Moreover, mass combat in Exalted assumes that unit Commanders fight at the vanguard, leading from the front rather than the safety of the rear. Those who wish to direct a battle from the rear are not unit Commanders. Instead, they take the role of generals, using relays and standard bearers to communicate orders to the unit Commanders under their command. Therefore, a distant general can direct an entire force but cannot personally rally troops to victory through her own prowess.
- Mass Combat in Exalted is more thematically similar to Sango Fighters, Dynasty Warriors, Illiad than actual battles
"You wear them"
The metaphor of the rules that the military apparatus of mass combat is merely an enhancement to the commander. Troops comprise a bonus for their Commander, adding to his traits. In addition, troops marching in formation possess the ability to force their context on individual they engage. Characters who come into contact with aggressive units of troops will be forced to fight them as solo stacks in mass combat, not as heroes facing a large number of individuals in normal combat. This is a part of the nature of Creation, and Storytellers shouldn’t let characters fight individual members of units once the unit is gathered together in the field.
It’s worth noting that units in mass combat are rarely destroyed through sheer damage unless they are set upon by a truly ferocious supernatural power. More often, units are rendered ineffective by exhaustion and gradual loss of Magnitude by failed morale checks, until their commanders stand alone and unaccompanied on the battlefield.
Units
Each unit on a battlefield falls into one of two broad categories. First, there are solo units, who are individual characters that are not part of any group. However, most units are complementary units, made up of a commander and all those who directly follow her orders. Statistically, a complementary unit is its commander, with trait bonuses awarded according to the numbers, equipment and training of her troops. These special traits of complementary units include:
- Magnitude: The size of a unit
- Drill: The trained discipline of a unit
- Endurance: The physical reserves of a unit’s member. Solo units also have this trait
- Might: The overall mystical power of a unit, factoring in magical equipment
- Close Combat/Ranged Attack Rating: The skill of unit members at attacking.
- Close Combat/Ranged Attack Damage: The lethality of unit members when attacking.
- Armor: The average protection provided by unit members’ armor
- Morale: The overall bravery of a unit.
- Special Characters: A non‐numerical listing of important characters within a unit’s ranks.
- Formation: A non‐numerical trait that describes a unit’s current tactical arrangement.
Magnitude
See pg. 159 of Core Rule Book
When a unit attacks another, the larger unit applies the difference in magnitude as bonus successes to its attacks or subtracts the difference from the successes of attacks by the smaller unit. This bonus/external penalty cannot exceed +/‐3.
My Modification: Keep track two Magnitude values. “Actual”: Calculated based on raw number of troops in the unit. This will be used for maneuvers and rally rolls. This eliminates the penalty for a 100 Solar Exalted army being as clumsy and hard to manage as 700 men army. “Effective”: This is the actual value used for attacks and such. So a 100 Solar Exalted fight just as well as a 700 men army.
Might
Pg. 161 of Core Rule Book
This value is added as number of successes to the Commander’s attack. It is also added to the Commander’s Essence value to determine resistance and qualification against charms and spells.
My Modification: Mass Combat: The Issue of “Might”
As it stands right now Might’s only function is to add number of success to the attacker’s roll.
It less effective than a higher Combat Rating, which adds half its value to DV.
Yet it is all encompassing of all the Charms and Supernatural Powers of the complementary troops, including such things as Soak charms, Perfect Defenses, and does not in any way modify defense.
So I am going to change Might to a more useful trait.
It still retains its normal bonus
- add as number of successes to the Commander’s attack
- added to the Commander’s Essence value to determine resistance and qualification against charms and spells
It will now add to other traits as well
- It will add to DV on a 1 to 1 basis. So a Might rating of 3 will add +3 to the DV. Since right now an army of gods with charms (and might rating) has the same inherent DV bonus as an army of mortals.
- It will add to Soak on a 1 to 1 basis. So an army of mortals wearing super-heavy plate, will have less final soak than an army of essence 10 war gods wearing super-heavy plate. Since right now Soak is only determined by armor and the leader’s stamina.
- It adds number of dice equal to rating to the Unit’s Valor/Hesitation checks. So a mortal army with nothing but steel backing them up is more likely to hesitate and route than an army armed with good luck charms, walk-away, warding, and other thaumaturgy enough to grant them a might rating of 1.
- To reflect the more useful nature of Might, it’s rating will be strictly enforced. The official books seems to exaggerate the Might Ratings of most units. Such as the Lookshy Gunshoa Armor having rating of 4 when it suppose to be max 3 by Core Book Rules. It will be fixed as these things come up.
- Astartes is now Might 2, not 4. In time as they actually learn some Spirit Charms they will become Might 3
Close Combat/Ranged Combat Attack Rating
See pg. 160-161 of Core Rule Book
Every complementary unit has a Close Combat and Ranged Attack Rating, representing the overall skill of its members. To derive the values, take the total (appropriate attack dice pool) for all unit members, average it (divide by the total number of troops), then halve this number. The result is rounded down.
- This value is added as successes to the Commander’s attack
- As long as the Commander didn't fail his attack roll (e.g. rolled 0 successes before EV modifiers)
- This value is capped by Commander’s War Rating
- This is before being doubled by Close Formation, so a War 3 commander leading an CC attack rating of 8, will only add 3 successes, or 6 if the unit is in Close Formation.
- This value is doubled for Close Formation
- Half this Value is added to the Commander’s Parry DV
- Rounded Appropriately as per the Commander (Enlightned round up, Mortal round down)
- This is after formation modifiers. So in the above Example, it will add 2 to his parry DV in other formations, and 3 to his parry DV in close formation
Close Combat/Ranged Combat Damage Rating
See pg. 161 of Core Rule Book
This is added to the Raw damage of the Unit’s Commander. It is calculated by dividing the average damage pool of the soldiers by 3, rounded up. Do not factor in the effects of any Charms or non-constant bonuses/supernatural effects.
- Added as dice to the Raw damage dice pool, not as automatic successes
My Modification: Unit does not use the weapon damage of the Commander. Instead it only use the Skill of the Commander and Stats. It is assumed the commander is “wielding” the Unit’s Abstracted Weapon. So if everyone in the Unit is using a Reaver Daiklave, it is assume the commander is using the same. If everyone gets the material bonus, it is assumed the commander does so as well.
- This also means the commander cannot use a different ability to attack than the soldiers - since he is using an abstracted weapon. So in the above example, he will be using melee no matter what actual weapon he is carrying.
Armor
See pg. 161 of Core Rule Book
This value is added to the Commander’s natural soak to determine the Unit Soak. Divide the full lethal soak of the troops by 3, rounded up.
The mobility penalty for a unit equals the average mobility penalty of its members, rather than that of its commander.
Hardness ratings for a unit equal the average Hardness and require that all members have at least that rating or better as a result of innate powers, magic or equipment.
- The Soak Bonus is considered natural soak and thus aggravated damage is especially deadly in Mass Combat
Morale
See pg. 161 of Core Rule Book
Use the lower of the “average valor of the unit,” the “Commander’s” or the “average valor of any steeds.”
- Units with Perfect Moral maintain Perfect Morale even if their commander has lower Valor
Special Characters
See pg. 161-162 of Core Rule Book
- Maximum special characters in any unit is Magnitude x 2
- Units with Magnitude of 3+ must have at least one relay for every dot of magnitude, or suffer communication failure.
- My Modification: Clarification: Charms in Mass Combat
General
- Exalted can use personal charms that only affect themselves as normal
- Reflexive and Supplemental Charms can be extended to the whole mass combat unit
- In this case the Stunting generates no other benefits than allowing the Charm to apply to the whole unit. E.g. no willpower, essence, etc.
- Charms with the War Keyword are designed for mass combat and thus can be used without retrictions
- Excellencies can be used for War
- They are considered to have the "War" Keyword
- For all Charms remember to use the War capped final Ability value for Dice Pool as opposed to the natural value
- War Excellencies can be used to increase this limit
- But unless the War Excellency is in an Combo (or have (War) Essence Flow) it is rather moot
- Only the commander have full range of options of Charm use. The special characters have very limited areas in which they can use their charms
Sorcerer
- Can use charms to enhance the range attack of the Unit
- Can use charms to enhance the defense of the unit against Range Attacks
Hero
- Can use charms to enhance the close combat attack of the Unit
- Can use charms to enhance the defense of the unit against an unit the Hero has attacked (or the Unit has engaged in melee with)
Relay
- Can use charms to enhance the Unit against mental attacks
- These are effects such as Fear, Route, etc.
- Can use skill or anti-surprise Charm to negate Ambush against the mass combat unit
Scroll of Kings, pg 120
Stunting also offers a way to extend the benefits of a personal Charm to a complementary unit under the character’s command. As described on page 162 of Exalted, a commander can extend the effects of reflexive or supplemental Charms to a unit under her command, if the player can think of a way that the Exalt’s use of the Charm could inspire her troops to greater effort or that repeated use of the Charm could translate into a net benefit for the combat unit as a whole. Such extraordinary actions fall outside the normal rules that govern Charms or combat, but such actions do constitute a cool and dramatically appropriate use of the character’s powers and surroundings—the very definition of a stunt.
In this case, however, the character gains no Essence or Willpower from the stunt: these benefits are all plowed back into the Charm use. To use the example provided, of a Lawgiver using Adamant Skin Technique to protect his troops by jumping in front of attacks and rallying their will to fight through this display of invulnerability, the character would actually have to use the Charm dozens of times in the minutes that make up a single mass combat attack. Even Solars don’t have that much Essence to throw around! Instead, the player and Storyteller can presume that within the span of time and combat represented by the single mass combat attack, the character performs many individual acts of spectacular combat and defense, recovering Essence from these mini-stunts and from the reverent enthusiasm of his troops at being led and defended by an invincible living god.
Just as for any stunt, however, Storytellers should not offer this benefit casually. Excellencies are so basic a use of Essence that the Exalted can routinely extend the effects of Excellencies to their soldiers. Extending other Charms in this manner renders them vastly more powerful, and vitiates the importance of Charms that are specifically designated as benefiting groups. Insist that the player describe how the character uses the Charm to assist the combat unit, to keep this a special event in mass combat that establishes the character as a superhuman hero.
Hero
These characters are sub‐officers who are capable of assuming command if their unit commander dies. Furthermore, heroes may attack other units in close combat as if they were solo units, effectively giving their unit additional (but weaker) attacks. Finally heroes can break away entirely and take part of a unit with them, transforming the breakaway group into a new unit under their own command.
- A hero can lead her Close Combat Rating to her unit, using her trait rather than the unit Commander’s but the trait is limited as normal by the commander’s War. E.g. use their stats for the attack roll instead of the commander's
- My Modification: A hero that attacked or plans to attack independently cannot lend their combat traits to the unit
- This allows a weak non-combat commander still be an effective attacking force if he has an combat oriented "hero" attached to his unit
Sorcerer
These characters might be actual sorcerers, skilled archers or neutral observers embedded deeply in the ranks for their own protection, but First Age tactical manuals such as “The Thousand Correct Actions of the Upright Soldier” use the designation “sorcerer” for all such individuals. Sorcerers can lead the unit in missile fire, lending their rating in the place of the unit’s. This is limited by the commander’s War rating, as normal. In addition, sorcerers have the capability to make ranged attacks independently of their unit, but they cannot assume command or lead troops to break away into new units as heroes can.
- A sorcerer can lead her Range Combat Rating to her unit, using her trait rather than the unit Commander’s but the trait is limited as normal by the commander’s War. E.g. use their stats for the attack roll instead of the commander's
- My Modification: A sorcerer that attacked or plans to attack independently cannot lend their combat traits to the unit
- This allows units lead by non-range oriented commander still be an effective attacking force if he has an range combat specialist attached to his unit. E.g. a Dynastic Dragon-Blooded with an Firewand specialist henchment
Relay
Possibly the most important special characters to organize military units, relay are the assorted drummers, buglers, standard bearers and signalmen who carry the commander’s orders through the ranks. Units with Magnitude of 3+ must have at least one relay for every dot of magnitude, or else, they suffer communication failure. This means the unit can only assume the unordered information and it suffers a penalty of ‐2 to its effective Drill. Besides passively maintaining order and communication, relays can stand in for the commander when the unit hesitates and tests for rout, and in other situations when commands are vital.
- Can replace the commander's trait in situations when commands are vital, such as hesitation tests, formation changes, possibly even rally
Thus competent officers (special characters) can make up for most lacking of specialization of a commander. A bookworm who are intelligent and with command of strategy is still a deadly force on the battle field if he has companions who are combat and/or charisma oriented.
Formations
- Unordered: Undisciplined Mob, add 2 to the difficult of hesitation rolls.
- Skirmish: 2x shield/cover bonus against all attacks, additional +3 DV against ranged attacks. Enemy units attacking with close combat attacks 2x their Magnitude for purpose of calculating attack bonuses. If the attacker is in Close Formation, then 3x attacker Magnitude. Unit in skirmish formation add 2 to the difficulty of hesitation rolls.
- Relaxed: Standard formation, no advantage of disadvantages. Double shield and cover bonuses against ranged attacks.
- Close: vulnerable to AOEs. 2x unit’s Close Combat Rating, 2x their DV bonuses from shields/cover against Close Combat Attacks. Enemies attacking with ranged attack bonuses 2x their magnitude. Subtract 2 difficulty from all hesitation rolls.
Combat Summary
Attack
- In mass combat, use the lower of the relevant combat ability or the commander’s War ability.
- When on horse, use the lower of the relevant capped combat ability or the rider’s Ride ability.
- The commander adds her unit’s Close Combat Rating and her Unit’s Range Combat Rating as bonus successes to their respective attacks
- If a Hero in the unit don't do independent attack, his close combat traits can be used instead of the commanders. Capped at the Commander's War
- If a Sorceress in the unit don't do independent attack, his range combat traits can be used instead of the commanders.
- The Bonus successes added from combat ratings cannot exceed the commander’s War Rating, before applying modifications from formation.
- So if the commander is War 3 +2 Speciality in Phalanx, leading an troop with Close Combat Rating of 7, he will cap the bonus at 5 in Close Combat Formation, or 3 in other formations. This capped value is then doubled for Close formation.
- Then add an additional number of successes equal to the unit’s Might value.
- So a crack unit of young Dragon‐Blooded archers with Range Combat 5 and Might 2 commanded by a character with War 4 would add (5 Attack Rating capped at 4) + (2 from Might) = 6 automatic successes to range attack rolls.
- The unit with the higher Magnitude can apply the magnitude difference as successes that is distributed to either as penalty to the attacker or as bonus to their own attack. This modifiers are in effect till the unit's next action where the pool resets each action. The maximum difference is capped at 3
- So an magnitude 7 army fights an magnitude 2 army. The magnitude difference is 5, but it capps at 3. For the initial engagement the commander decides to adopt a full defense plan - placing all 3 successes as penalty to the enemy's attack rolls. On his next action he decides to test the waters and applies 1 success to all his attacks, and 2 as penalty to all the enemy's.
- My Modification: A Unit’s range and its range increment are based on the range of the Unit’s weapon, not the Commanders.
- My Modification: Commander receives no accuracy or defense bonus from his own weapons. He also does not receive any from the "abstracted unit weapon" since that is already factored into the corresponding attack ratings
Defense
- Might also adds to the commander’s Essence Rating to determine if particular effects can target the unit and/or to help him defend against the effects of hostile Charms.
- My Modification: add Might Rating to the commander's parry
- One half a unit’s Finaly Close Combat Rating (as capped by War, and modified by formation) adds to the Commander’s Parry DV.
Damage
- Damage is rolled as the damage rating of the "abstracted" weapon of the Unit, not as the weapon damage of the commander.
- My Modification: add Might Rating to the commander's soak as charm soak
- A Unit’s Armor adds to its Commander’s natural bashing, lethal and aggravated soak.
- A Unit’s Minimum damage is not equal to the commander’s Essence or the Minimum damge of the weapon. It is equal to the Magnitude of the Unit, including Formation Modifiers.
- A Unit’s Close Combat/Range Combat Damage adds to the raw damage of the commander with his weapon, respectively.
- A Unit does not suffer wound penalties.
- Reversal of Previous House Rule: A Unit’s number of health level is equal to the Commander’s full health levels.
- Considering how much damage is floating around in mass combat, I do not wish to double jepordy the Extra Armies. The health level of the unit is now based on the commander's full health level. So we now have the issue of Leviathan using his giant war form charm and become an magnitude 7 unit. With each magnitude having 28+ Health Levels and suffering no wound penalties till he is reduced to Solo Unit (at which point the charm ends)
Death Check
If a character belongs to a unit that lost any dots of Magnitude, roll (her Wits + Willpower) against a diffi culty of the largest number of Magnitude points the unit lost from any one attack. If the roll fails, the character died during the battle. On a botch, she lives, but she must live out the remainder of her nasty, brutish existence with the agony of the gruesome maiming she suffered. All survivors must then repeat this roll with a diffi culty of the total number of Magnitude dots lost in the battle. If this rolls fails, roll one die. The result is the number of unsoakable lethal health levels of damage the character suffered, which could still be suffi cient to kill her. Following this, mortal survivors should check normally for infection (see p. 151).
As noted previously, unit commanders and special characters are protected from random death as casualties, at least until they are the only characters remaining. If a character does not wish to take part in hostilities and accept the risks of warfare, she had best desert at the soonest opportunity and keep running, for most armies take great pains to make examples of cowards and traitors.
Hesitation Checks
Whenever a unit experiences a rout condition (see table on Pg. 162), roll the unit’s Morale at standard difficulty. Apply a dice penalty/bonus equal to the unit’s (Magnitude – Drill), and adjust the difficulty according to the condition that triggered the rout check, as well as the unit’s current formation (see p. 162)
Exhaustion
Every time a unit attacks or suffers an attack, that unit risks losing an Endurance point once the attack is resolved. Players of commanders or their best relays can avert this loss with a reflexive (Charisma + War) roll at a difficulty of the Fatigue value of the troops’ armor. (See Chart on Pg. 169 of Core Rule Book for Modifiers)
If the roll fails, the unit loses 1 dot of magnitude for each success missed, since this is a magnitude loss it resets the health track (health level is now that of the new magnitude). It also cannot move till next action.
Healing and Recruitment
While solo units recover from wounds like the characters they are, complementary units cannot miraculously regenerate reinforcements. Instead, a unit must spend a period of well supplied rest recruiting or integrating reinforcements sent by superiors. Healing a single dot takes a number of days equal to (the current Magnitude of the unit + 1), repeating the cycle as many times as necessary to recover full strength. Once the unit regains its first point of Magnitude in this fashion, it also regains full health. During an actual battle, limited healing is possible through rallying (see p. 165), but this is simply a reallocation and regrouping of forces.