TEXT: Mass Combat
  1
  Mass Combat
  About His Iron-Clad Feet Grew 
  A Ring of Mangled Corpses
  Units
  A unit is a group of individuals banded together to a common 
  purpose on the battlefi eld.  For the purposes of this system, every 
  person within the unit has the same function, the same weapons 
  and the same abilities.  Units can be disciplined and orderly, 
  with a history of their own, such as the Poitainian Knights, or 
  they can be thrown together on the morning of the battle, as 
  with the Mob Of Angry Fishermen Fresh From The Burning 
  Yuetshi Village.
  A unit consists of one or more counters.  Each counter represents 
  a certain number of individuals, with the minimum being 10.  
  (For any less than ten per counter, it is not really worth using the 
  mass combat system.)  Most units will contain between 5 and 
  20 counters.
  Units are the ‘characters’ of the mass combat system.  They 
  receive orders, move, fi ght and react as if they were individuals.  
  They may assume different formations, in which the counters of 
  which the unit is composed are rearranged in a specifi c way.
  The Unit Roster
  Unit rosters are used to record the details and abilities of every 
  fi ghting unit within an army.  These rosters allow players and 
  Games Masters alike to judge the effectiveness of any unit at a 
  glance, and greatly aids combat resolution during mass combat.
  The Unit Roster is used as a matter of convenience throughout 
  these rules, from launching a devastating charge at an enemy to 
  recording casualties when being pounded by catapults.  There 
  are many circumstances in a game where the Games Master 
  will prefer to use standard rules from the Combat chapter of 
  the main rulebook to resolve combat and skill checks – the Unit 
  Roster is used when large numbers of unit members need to 
  perform one task at the same time.
  A typical Unit Roster Sheet, detailing a newly recruited regiment 
  of pikemen from Gunderland, is shown below:
  Race:  Gundermen 
  Class:  Soldier 
  Level:  1 
  Unit Size:  8
  Creatures Per Counter: 10
  Unit Type:  Infantry
  Counter Hit Points:  18 
  Initiative:  +4 (+4 Improved Initiative)
  Attacks:  Pike +3
  Damage:  Pike 1d8+1
  DV (Parry vs. melee):  13 (+1 Str, +2 large shield)
  DV (Dodge vs. melee):  2 (-10 Close formation, +2 large 
  shield)
  DV (Dodge vs. ranged):  13 (+1 Close formation, +2 large 
  shield)
  Ability Scores:  Str 13, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 11, 
  Cha 8
  Saves:  Fort: +3; Ref: +0; Will: +0
  Feats:  Improved Initiative, Gunderland Pike-
  and-Shield Fighting, Weapon Focus (pike)
  The battlefield stretched 
  silent, crimson pools among the 
  still sprawling figures seeming 
  to reflect the lurid red-streamered 
  sunset sky.  Furtive figures slunk 
  from the tall grass; birds of prey dropped 
  down on mangled heaps with a rustle of 
  dusky wings.  Like harbingers of Fate a 
  wavering line of herons flapped slowly 
  away toward the reed-grown banks of 
  the river.  No rumble of chariot wheel 
  or peal of trumpet disturbed the unseeing 
  stillness.  The silence of death followed 
  the thundering of battle.  
  Rounding
  Unlike the usual practice in d20 games, fractional numbers 
  in the mass combat system are rounded to the nearest whole 
  number, rather than always rounded down.  Thus if you 
  divide 29 by 10 to get 2.9, you will round this up to 3 rather 
  than down to 2.  Any fraction of half or above gets rounded 
  up, any fraction below half gets rounded down.  
  
  2
  Mass Combat
  As can be readily seen, the Unit Roster has much in common 
  with the monster entries in the bestiary of the main Conan 
  rulebook as do the unit combat rules detailed below.
  Race, Class & Level
  Unit race and class are determined by simple majority – if a 
  unit has 3 Cimmerian barbarians and 27 Nemedian soldiers, 
  then the unit will be noted as being Nemedian soldiers.  The 
  level of any unit is considered to be formed by the average of 
  every member of that unit, rounded down.
  Unit Size
  This records the number of counters that go to make up the 
  unit.  A single unit may not contain more than 30 counters, 
  though an army may contain as many units as you wish.
  Counter Hit Points
  Counter Hit Points are used to measure the damage a unit may 
  sustain in combat before being defeated or even wiped out.  
  Whenever a unit receives damage in excess of its counter hit 
  points, one or more counters are removed and the overall size 
  of the unit drops accordingly.  Excess damage is recorded on 
  the unit roster.  For example, if a unit with 8 counters and 10 
  counter hit points received 20 points of damage, it would lose 
  two counters; if it received 14 points of damage, it would lose 
  only one counter but the 4 surplus points would be recorded 
  on the unit roster, so it would only need to sustain 6 points of 
  damage on the next round to lose a further counter.
  Counter hit points are determined simply by working out the 
  average Hit Dice of every unit member and multiplying this by 
  the number of creatures per counter, modified as follows;
  Majority of unit has Constitution modifier 
  +/-10% per  
   
   
   
   
   
  Con modifier
  Majority of unit has 3 hp or less 
   
  -25%
  Add the Damage Reduction for the armour worn by members 
  of the unit, and for any other means of acquiring DR (in a 
  unit with mixed armour, determine the average DR of each 
  member).
  For example, the Gundermen in the above unit have 1 HD 
  each, giving a base counter hit points of 1 x 10 = 10.  They all 
  have +1 Con bonuses, so this is increased by 10%, to 11.  Add 
  7 for the armour for at total counter hit points of 18.
  Unit Type
  This is a reflection of how a unit operates upon the 
  battlefield and what its especial competencies are.  Four 
  different unit types are used in the mass combat 
  system to reflect differing capabilities and 
  special combat skills.  The proper use 
  of such units can ensure victory for 
  a general, even in the face of 
  overwhelming opposition.
  Types of unit are as follows:
  Infantry:  Infantry units form the core of most forces and 
  comprise of any unit that does not meet the requirements of 
  archers, cavalry or skirmishers.  Such units receive no special 
  bonuses or penalties within the mass combat system.
  Archers:  Any unit armed with a ranged weapon with a range 
  increment of at least 60 ft. and not wearing heavy armour is 
  designated as an archer unit.  Archer units are able to keep their 
  distance from the main line of battle and rain missile weapons 
  down upon their enemies from a distance.
  Cavalry:  Any unit riding any kind of mount or chariot into 
  battle is designated as cavalry.  In Aquilonia and the other 
  Hyborian kingdoms, cavalry are widely regarded as the only 
  true soldiers – infantry of any kind are simply there to clear the 
  way for the cavalry charge.  Cavalry units are fast moving forces 
  in the battlefield, able to attack enemy units almost at will.  To 
  calculate the counter hit points of cavalry units, compare the 
  hit points of the mount and the rider and add half of the lower 
  amount to the higher.  
  For example, a counter of ten 2nd level soldiers wearing mail shirts 
  and mounted on Kushite warhorses would add half of a soldier’s hit 
  points to those of a horse, as the horse has 3 HD.  The counter hit 
  points would therefore be a base of 3 for the horse’s hit points plus 
  40% for its Constitution modifier (i.e. +1.2), plus half of 2 = 1 
  point for the soldier’s hit dice.  So, 3+1.2+1 = 5.2, add +3 for the 
  mail shirts (half the creatures in the counter, that is, all the soldiers 
  but none of the horses, have DR 6) gives 8.2. This is multiplied by 
  10 for the number of soldiers per counter = 82 points. 
  Skirmishers:  Any unit wearing no or light armour may be 
  designated as a skirmish unit, taking to the field in a small 
  dispersed formation that allows them to operate with great 
  flexibility.  Skirmish units must remain in skirmish formation 
  at all times.  A skirmisher unit gains a +2 competence bonus 
  on all Initiative checks.  However, no skirmisher unit may have 
  more than 4 counters at any one time.  Cavalry units with light 
  horses or warhorses wearing no barding may also be designated 
  as skirmisher units and gain these bonuses and penalties.  Such 
  units are known as skirmishing cavalry.
  Initiative
  This is the Initiative modifier (calculated in the normal Conan 
  the Roleplaying Game method) of the majority of the unit.
  Attacks & Damage
  These are determined by simple majority – the weapons the 
  majority of the unit are armed with are assumed to be carried 
  by all for the purposes of the Unit Roster and unit combat.  
  The majority of the unit are also used to determine base attack 
  bonus and any modifiers for Strength for attack and damage.
  
  Mass Combat
  3
  Feats
  Any unit that has a majority of members with one or more 
  identical feats will have such feats listed on their Unit Roster.  
  However, the following feats have no effect upon mass 
  combat and so are never listed, no matter how many unit 
  members possess them.  However, they may still use such feats 
  individually when not using the mass combat system rules.
  Cleave,  Combat Reflexes, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, 
  Improved Disarm, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder,  
  Improved Trip, Whirlwind Attack
  Finesse
  Finesse combat is never used during the Mass Combat System, 
  as the chaos of war rarely allows for anything fancier than a 
  hack at the nearest enemy.
  Ability Scores & 
  Saves
  Once again, the ability scores and saves of the majority of the 
  unit are noted down on the Unit Roster.
  Formations
  The formation of a unit is the pattern made by the counters, 
  viewed from the top down.  Formation is important on the 
  battlefield because it affects how vulnerable your units are and 
  how many of them may attack a given target.  A unit may 
  change formation as a move-equivalent action.
  Units in open or close formation have one or more ‘faces’.  The 
  face of a unit is one of its edges on which the combatants are 
  braced for battle.  The front of a unit, the direction in which it 
  moves, is always a face.  The sides and the rear of the unit are 
  not faces.  
  Creating A Face
  A face is defined as any edge of a unit where the soldiers are 
  turned outwards and on guard.  A unit may take a move-
  equivalent action to turn one or more of its edges into a face.  
  For example, soldiers at the rear of a unit turn around and ready 
  their weapons to meet oncoming opponents.   A unit that has 
  established more faces than just the front may not move again 
  without taking a move-equivalent action to abolish all the faces 
  but one, which is now the unit’s new front face.
  The importance of faces is their reduction of the unit’s 
  vulnerability.  Attacking a face is much harder than attacking 
  the sides or rear of a unit.  Any unit may freely surge into 
  another unit’s space (see the surge attack below) if there is no 
  face established.
  Skirmish
  Skirmish formation is open and loose.  Counters must be 
  at least ten feet away from each other but there is no other 
  restriction upon their movement.  This formation is used by 
  scouts, snipers and other free-roaming units.  It offers good 
  defence against missile fire, allowing for dodges without 
  penalty, but is very bad for attacking or defending in melee 
  combat, as it is very easy for enemy units in closer formation to 
  outnumber you.  Units in skirmish formation suffer only half 
  damage from ranged attacks.
  Open
  Open formation is orderly, with room to manoeuvre.  Units 
  must be arranged in a linear or rectangular formation.  There 
  is room enough to swing any size of weapon but open ranks 
  prevent the battle line from being easily defensible.  While you 
  are in open formation, you may arrange the counters in a unit 
  as you wish, so long as no unit is more than five feet away from 
  any other unit and the whole arrangement is a simple block or 
  line with no angles or bends in it.  You may therefore create 
  lines, columns or squares as you see fit.  Changing from one 
  such arrangement to another uses up a number of feet of the 
  unit’s Move allowance equal to the furthest distance moved by 
  any one counter.
  Close
  Close formation is tightly packed.  As with open formation, 
  units must be arranged in a linear or rectangular pattern.  
  While in this formation, units may not fight with two-handed 
  weapons except for melee piercing weapons; there simply is not 
  room to swing a greatsword or shoot a bow without hurting an 
  ally.  They may however use reach weapons.  
  Units in close formation who have large shields may take a 
  move-equivalent action to form a shield wall on their front 
  face, which increases the shield bonus to the unit’s Defence 
  Value by  +2.  If the unit is stationary and has established other 
  faces, they may form shield walls on the other faces but may 
  not move without abolishing the faces and disrupting the wall; 
  see the section on faces above.
  Units in close formation have a -10 penalty to DV when 
  dodging melee weapons, as the units are packed together too 
  densely for dodging to be a feasible option.  However, if the 
  group has shields there is no penalty to DV when dodging 
  missile weapons, but instead a +1 bonus to DV due to the 
  overlapping shields of the unit’s members – in this instance, 
  a ‘dodge’ represents a duck behind the shield.  All Reflex 
  saving throws are made at a -2 circumstance penalty. 
  Close formation is usually employed by heavily 
  armoured units with shields.
  Units in close formation may be rearranged, 
  as with units in open formation, but 
  every counter must be adjacent to 
  at least one other counter.  Units 
  
  4
  Mass Combat
  in close formation may not run nor charge, though they may 
  ‘quick march’ to take a double move.  Cavalry units may not 
  enter close formation. 
  Merged
  This is the formation taken by two or more units who are merged 
  on the field.  It is not a formation that is taken voluntarily but 
  is the result of one unit moving into another’s space, usually by 
  means of a surge attack.  The combat between units in a merged 
  formation is referred to as a ‘fray’.  It is a frantic free-for-all in 
  which targets are hacked at whenever a chance presents itself.
  All participants in a merged formation suffer a -2 circumstance 
  penalty to Defence Value, because the chaos and confusion 
  makes it much easier for the various combatants to take attacks 
  of opportunity, strike at opponents’ backs, flank enemies and 
  otherwise take advantage of the general melee.  However, they 
  may either dodge or parry as they choose, with no further 
  penalties.
  Ranged weapons may not be used by units in merged formation; 
  if a unit of archers is ever surged into, they will resort to back-
  up weapons.  Any weapon with reach, such as a pike or war 
  spear, cannot be used in merged formation, as these weapons are 
  intended to be used at a distance, not in a close-up fracas.  Other 
  weapons may be used as normal.
  When two or more units are fighting in merged formation, all 
  damage received is applied to the whole unit, with counters 
  being removed accordingly.  There are no counters that are out 
  of harm’s way, as there are in regular combat.
  Movement
  Units in skirmish formation may move in any direction up to 
  their normal movement rate, so long as they remain within the 
  minimum distance of each other.  
  Units on the field in open or close formation move at their 
  normal movement rate, so long as they are progressing in a dead 
  straight line.  They may move backwards in a straight line at half 
  their movement rate.
  If a unit has to turn or ‘wheel’ around, the furthest distance 
  crossed by any one counter in the unit counts as used-up 
  movement for the round.  For example, a line of 10 counters 
  with a move of 40 ft. that remained fixed at one end and moved 
  the other end through 40 feet, thus rotating the line about a 
  point, would count as having used up its movement.  
  A unit that comes up against another unit must stop.  A 
  unit may not continue moving into another unit’s space 
  without making a surge attack (see below).  Most 
  combat on the field is between lines of opponents 
  facing one another and trading blows over 
  their shields, until a surge occurs and 
  breaks the battle lines.
  Units in merged formation do not generally move at all, as to 
  do so is to provoke a mass attack of opportunity, one of the 
  only instances in which this can happen in the mass combat 
  system.  They are more likely to stand their ground and fight.  
  They may not change formation while they are merged and the 
  only movement they may take without provoking an attack of 
  opportunity is a five-foot step.  (Any individual counter may 
  take such as step; the unit does not have to move as one.)  They 
  may move in any direction at their full movement rate in an 
  attempt to escape the fracas, though doing so provokes an attack 
  of opportunity.  Units emerging from merged formation are 
  always in skirmish formation by default.
  Special Attack: 
  Surge
  In a mass battle, a surge is the moment when one unit presses 
  forwards with a roar, attempting to break the other unit’s battle 
  line.  Surges can be attempted and repulsed several times before 
  one line finally gives way and an attacking unit spills into the 
  defenders’ space, the attackers laying about them with wild 
  abandon while the defenders struggle to regain their footing.
  Surges place units into merged formation.  While units are 
  merged, every counter in the unit contributes to the damage 
  done with a successful hit and every enemy counter is liable 
  to take damage.  Large forces are therefore keen to surge into 
  smaller forces, as the ensuing mayhem enables the larger force 
  to slaughter the smaller one more quickly.  A well entrenched 
  defensive force can, if it is skilled and fortunate, repel multiple 
  surge attempts and in doing so whittle down the attackers’ 
  numbers.
  A surge may only be attempted when one unit’s face is in contact 
  (or brought into contact) with another unit.  This will usually 
  mean being in contact with the second unit’s face, though not 
  always.  This may be in the course of movement or from a 
  standing start.  A surge may be combined with a charge attack 
  and in practice often is.
  The attackers must have enough remaining movement in the 
  round to move at least 10 feet into the mass of the defenders.  
  An opposed Strength check is then made between the average 
  Strength ability score of the attackers and that of the defenders.  
  The following modifiers apply:
  † 
  If either side is mounted, the Strength ability score of 
  the mount is used instead of that of the rider.  
  † 
  Units armed with reach weapons may not attempt to 
  surge.
  † 
  If the defenders have readied suitable weapons 
  against a charge, they may use them against a surge.  
  In this case, the defenders are allowed an attack of 
  opportunity against the surging attackers.  If the attack 
  of opportunity removes more than half the counters 
  from the attacking face, the surge automatically fails.
  † 
  If the defenders are in close formation, they receive a +2 
  circumstance bonus to their Strength check.
  
  Mass Combat
  5
  † 
  If the defenders have a shield wall in place, they receive 
  a +2 circumstance bonus to their Strength check.
  † 
  If the attacking side’s face extends further in width than 
  the defender’s, the attacker receives a +1 circumstance 
  bonus to its Strength check.   Two such bonuses may 
  be earned if the attacker’s face exceeds the defender’s on 
  each side.   
  † 
  If one side’s members are of larger size than the other 
  (such as a unit of ogres attempting to defend against 
  a surging unit of humans) a +1 circumstance bonus 
  is applied to that side’s Strength check for every size 
  category that the one side is larger than the other.
  † 
  If one unit is wearing heavy armour and the opposing 
  side is wearing medium, light or no armour (such as a 
  unit of knights in plate armour facing a unit of archers 
  in mail shirts) a +2 circumstance bonus is applied to 
  heavily armour side’s Strength check.
  † 
  If it is able to move into the other unit’s space without 
  encountering a face, such as by attacking suddenly 
  from the flank or the rear, the attacking unit may surge 
  into the defending unit’s space without needing to 
  make an opposed Strength check.
  † 
  It is much easier to let gravity help you when you are 
  attempting a surge, so running downhill into a mass of 
  enemies is the best way to do it; conversely, those who 
  hold the high ground are in the best defensive position.  
  A unit making a surge attack downhill receives a +2 
  circumstance bonus to its Strength check, while a unit 
  attempting to surge uphill receives a –2 circumstance 
  penalty to the same check.
  † 
  If either side is in open or close formation, every rank of 
  counters behind the front line adds a +1 circumstance 
  bonus to the Strength check of that side, to a maximum 
  bonus of +4.  So, a unit three deep has a much better 
  chance to resist an oncoming surge than a single line of 
  defenders.
  If the surge attack fails, the attackers stop at the defending unit’s 
  face without advancing any further, where they may make an 
  ordinary attack with a -2 circumstance penalty on their chance 
  to hit.  If the defenders were using reach weapons, the attackers 
  stop at the limit of the weapons’ reach.
  If the attack succeeds, the attacking unit moves forward into 
  the defending unit’s space and the two units are now considered 
  merged.  They remain so until one side is slain or withdraws.
  The attacking unit may now make an immediate melee attack 
  against the defenders, who suffer a -1 circumstance penalty 
  to Defence Value on account of the disarray that follows the 
  smashing of their battle line.  These penalties only apply for 
  the duration of the single attack that immediately follows a 
  successful surge.  Remember that all attacks made by units in 
  a merged formation are already made with a -2 circumstance 
  penalty to the defender’s DV.
  If the attacking unit was charging as well as surging, it receives 
  the appropriate bonuses and penalties on its first attack.  The 
  charge bonuses and penalties apply even if the surge is resisted.
  Breaking Up A Face 
  Before A Surge
  If a face has been broken up by having counters removed and the 
  defender does not have enough counters (or the opportunity) to 
  reform the face, then it no longer counts as a face and attackers 
  may surge freely into the defenders.
  Multiple Merged 
  Units
  A unit may voluntarily merge with two or more units who are 
  already merged simply by moving into their space, so long as 
  the total number of counters in the fray does not exceed 60 
  following the merging.  In this instance, when it is your turn 
  to attack you must allocate at least one of your counters to fight 
  each enemy counter and allocate the remainder how you will if 
  there are any left over.  Separate attack and damage rolls must be 
  made for each combat in the fray.  
  Bear in mind that in referring to the outmatching table, the total 
  number of counters fighting on each side is what counts, rather 
  than the size of the individual units involved.
  For example:  Amalric’s Free Company have surged into the ranks 
  of the Gunderland pikemen, merging the two units on the field.  
  Amalric has 30 counters and after the first round of combat, 
  the Gunderland pikemen have 8 – a dismal situation for the 
  Gundermen. The mercenaries outnumber them by more than 
  three to one and will probably chop them to mincemeat on the next 
  round. 
  Just as all seems lost, a unit of dismounted Poitainian knights arrive 
  over the prow of a nearby hill, hurling themselves into the fray.  The 
  Poitainians have added 20 more counters to the merged units.  This 
  levels the field somewhat; the mercenaries will no longer gain any 
  outmatching benefits.
  Amalric must now allocate 8 of his counters to fight the Gundermen 
  and 20 to the Poitainians, with 2 counters left over.  He assigns these 
  to fight the Gundermen, hoping to whittle them down quickly.
  Resolving Unit 
  Combat
  The mass combat system follows many of the rules creatures do 
  when they fight using the core game system.  Unless otherwise 
  stated below, all combat rules detailed in Conan The RPG apply 
  equally to units, the Unit Roster making this transition 
  relatively easy.  Unit combat occurs whenever two units 
  meet in battle and engage in combat.  A full summary 
  of unit combat, together with the changes made to the 
  rules in Conan The RPG is presented here.
  
  6
  Mass Combat
  Rounds
  Unit combat is broken up into 6 second rounds as usual.
  Initiative
  Before the first round of unit combat begins, each unit involved 
  makes an Initiative check.  An Initiative check is a Dexterity 
  check (1d20 + unit’s Dexterity modifier).  If the unit’s leader 
  has the Leadership feat, a +2 competence bonus is applied to 
  their Initiative check.  Furthermore, the unit leader’s Base Attack 
  Bonus is also applied to the unit’s Initiative check.
  Attacks
  Units may make a melee attack on every round in which one 
  of their faces is in contact with the enemy, or in which they are 
  merged with an enemy unit.  If the unit is using a weapon that 
  allows it a long reach, then ‘in contact’ means within weapon 
  range.  They may make a ranged attack on any round in which 
  an enemy of which the unit is aware is within range of their 
  weapons.
  If a unit is in any formation other than merged, only those 
  counters who are in contact with enemy counters are included 
  in the attack.  If the unit is merged with another unit following 
  a surge, then all the counters in the merged units are considered 
  to be in contact with one another.
  Ranged Attacks
  Most ranged weapons are propelled upwards in a diagonal 45 
  arc when used in mass combat.  This allows for maximum range, 
  as well as ensuring that all the archers or javelin-throwers in a 
  unit can shoot at the same time.  Thus, for most ranged attacks 
  every counter can shoot at once, so long as at least one counter 
  has direct line of sight to the enemy.  Any reduction in accuracy 
  caused by this indirect attack is more than compensated for 
  by sheer volume of fire, and even heavy armour is not always 
  sufficient defence against it since at least some of the arrows will 
  find their way into chinks, eyeslits or weak spots of the armour.  
  Crossbows, however, have a far flatter trajectory.  When 
  resolving crossbow attacks, only those counters who have direct 
  line of sight to the enemy may attack.  If crossbowmen are in 
  ranks, only those units on an established face may fire, as the 
  bodies of the soldiers in front make missile fire from counters 
  behind them impossible.  
  Attack Roll
  To score a hit that deals damage, a unit must roll the target’s 
  Armour Class or better.
  Melee Attack Roll:  1d20 + base attack bonus + 
  Strength modifier + size modifier
  Ranged Attack Roll:  1d20 + base 
  attack bonus + Dexterity modifier 
  + size modifier
  Note that size modifiers refer to creature size as normal, not to 
  the overall Unit Size.  Range penalties are never used in the mass 
  combat system, due to the ease of hitting large units of fighting 
  men at any range.
  Flank And Rear 
  Attacks
  If part or all of a unit’s face is attacking the side of a unit, it 
  receives a +1 circumstance bonus to its attack roll.  If part or 
  all of a unit’s face is attacking the rear of a unit, it receives a +2 
  circumstance bonus. These bonuses apply to melee or ranged 
  combat equally. 
  In addition, when a unit is attacked in the rear, the defenders 
  lose any parry bonuses to Defence Value.
  Damage
  The majority of attacks in Conan The RPG deal damage in hit 
  points.  However, units receive damage in terms of Counter Hit 
  Points, which are effectively the number of Hit Dice of each 
  entire counter in the unit.
  To calculate damage, roll the unit’s base damage a number of 
  times equal to the number of counters that were involved in the 
  attack and apply it across the defending counters.  For example, 
  if there were 8 counters attacking at a base damage of 1d6+1, 
  you would roll 8d6+8 to find the damage.  It will be immediately 
  apparent that a large force attacking a small one from all sides 
  will quickly cut the smaller force to ribbons.
  Defence Value
  A unit’s Defence Value is the result needed for an enemy unit to 
  successfully make an attack roll.
  DV:  10 + parry bonus + Strength modifier + size modifier
  Counter Hit Points
  Counter Hit Points represent how much damage the counters in 
  a unit can take before they are considered to be wiped out.
  Attack Options
  When attacking, a unit has four basic options;
  Charge:  A unit not currently engaged in melee combat may 
  charge any enemy with this option.
  Surge:  A unit whose face is currently in contact with an enemy 
  unit may attempt to surge into that unit’s space.  Units may also 
  move until they are in contact with an enemy unit and then 
  surge, so long as they have at least 10 feet of movement left after 
  the move.  A charge may be combined with a surge.
  Attack:  A unit may make either melee or ranged attacks.  Units 
  that can strike more than once each round may do so with this 
  attack option.
  Withdraw:  If involved in melee combat, a unit may attempt to 
  withdraw.
  
  Mass Combat
  7
  Individual Unit 
  Members
  Any unit member not actively engaged in unit combat may 
  act as normal, following all the combat rules in Conan The 
  Roleplaying Game.  This includes making attacks of their own, 
  casting spells or any other action permissible.
  Attacks of 
  Opportunity
  Attacks of opportunity are only used in unit combat when one 
  unit attempts to withdraw from melee combat with another 
  or when an attacker is charging a defender who has readied 
  weapons against the charge.  The act of withdrawing from 
  combat generates an attack of opportunity.  Units that are 
  merged with other units may attempt to withdraw.
  Taking Damage
  The Counter Hit Points are a representation of how much 
  damage a unit can take before they are completely slaughtered or 
  routed.  A counter reduced to 0 Counter Hit Points is considered 
  vanquished, though not all of its members are necessarily slain; a 
  unit reduced to zero counters is similarly vanquished.  
  Following an attack in which counters are lost, the attacker 
  decides which of the defender’s counters to remove.  He may 
  only remove those counters that were in range of the attack.  If 
  more damage has been inflicted than there were counters in 
  range to receive it, the additional damage is wasted.  On the 
  defender’s turn, counters may be moved into position to reform 
  the face of the unit.  
  Counters that are removed are placed into the dead pile, or if 
  you are not using physical counters or miniatures, kept tally of 
  in the dead column.  There is more than one kind of pile, as 
  there are various different ways of becoming hors de combat.  The 
  number of counters in each pile will affect your ability to recover 
  units after the battle is over.
  The Three Counter 
  Conditions
  These are the three possible conditions in which any lost 
  counter may end up.  Effects other than simple death are 
  usually produced by spells or special abilities.
  Dead:  The creatures are mostly slaughtered.  This is the pile into 
  which counters are placed if they fall in melee or ranged combat, 
  if they are struck by magic that causes damage or if death magic 
  is used against them.
  Crippled:  The creatures are not necessarily dead but are useless 
  for combat.  They may or may not recover.  They are removed 
  from the battle.
  Incapacitated:  The creatures are useless for a portion of the 
  battle, but may well recover and will probably survive to fight 
  again another day.  Incapacitated counters may not be given 
  orders.  The Games Master decides what they are most likely to 
  do, given their condition.
  Other 
  Considerations
  If the majority of the unit have a special ability (the Barbarian 
  Rage, for example), then this too applies to unit combat.  
  Bonuses to attack, damage and related rolls are easy to apply to 
  the unit combat system portrayed here.  
  The rules for flat-footed combatants are not used in unit 
  combat.
  In addition, the following rules are never used in unit combat;
  Magic Actions, Miscellaneous Actions, Injury and Death, 
  Flanking, Aid Another, Bull Rush, Disarm, Grapple, Mounted 
  Combat, Overrun, Trip
  Unit Charge 
  Option
  Any unit not currently engaged in melee combat may charge an 
  enemy unit.  In doing so, the unit gains the normal +2 charge 
  bonus to its attack roll.  However, the unit will also suffer a –2 
  penalty to its Defence Value for one round.  The charge option 
  or an attempt to surge are the only ways in which a unit may 
  initiate melee combat with another.
  If the opponent is armed with weapons that have reach, the 
  charge must be combined with a surge attack in order to have 
  any effect; the only hope in such a situation is to break through 
  the opponent’s lines all at once.  If the surge is unsuccessful, the 
  attacking force remains at a 10-foot distance from the defenders 
  (20-foot if the reach weapons are pikes) and may not close 
  without making a second surge attempt.
  Unit Attack 
  Option
  Unit combat is treated in the same way as combats 
  between creatures in that Initiative checks are made, 
  followed by attack and damage rolls.  There are, 
  however, some important differences to be 
  aware of.
  
  8
  Mass Combat
  Freshness
  Armies often keep their best units in reserve, not just to reduce 
  casualties so those troops are at full strength later in the battle, 
  but to keep them fresh for a sudden push.  
  When two units are in melee combat with each other, if one of 
  the units has not fought before during that battle and the other 
  has (whether or not they sustained any damage), the fresh unit 
  gains a +2 morale bonus on all attack and damage rolls during 
  the fi rst round of combat.  
  Outmatching
  When one unit heavily outmatches another, either in terms 
  of number or ability, they will soon fi nd they are able to cause 
  an incredible amount of damage upon their enemies whilst 
  suffering very little in return.  The table below is used to grant 
  attack and morale modifi ers to units who heavily outmatch their 
  enemies, or are outmatched in return.
  To calculate the outmatching modifi er for a given combat, look 
  at how many counters from each side are within melee combat 
  range of the other side.  Assume that any counter that can 
  attack does attack.  Next, compare the number of attackers to 
  the number of defenders and adjust the attack rolls accordingly.  
  For example, if ten attackers are facing ten defenders, there will 
  be no modifi er, but if one side has surged over another so that 
  there are three times as many attackers able to reach the enemy 
  as there are enemy units, apply the appropriate modifi ers.  
  Group or Army Size is:
  Attack Roll 
  Modifi er
  Morale 
  Modifi er
  Ten times or more 
  enemy’s
  +5
  +5
  Five times enemy’s
  +3
  +3
  Three times enemy’s
  +2
  +2
  Twice enemy’s
  +1
  +1
  50% of enemy’s
  -1
  -1
  33% of enemy’s
  -2
  -2
  20% of enemy’s
  -3
  -3
  10% or less of enemy’s
  -5
  -5
  Outmatching does not take into account counters in the unit 
  who are not able to reach the fray.  This is why surging is so often 
  the attack that signals the start of the real chaos, as merged units 
  fi ght as if all counters in the unit were in contact.
  Formation also makes a considerable difference, as a unit in 
  close formation attacking a unit in open formation can easily 
  have their attacking counters outnumber the defending 
  counters.
  The morale modifi er is handled differently.  To 
  calculate morale, compare the sizes of each army 
  involved in the battle, i.e. the size of every 
  single unit on the fi eld.
  Recording Damage
  If a hit is scored, a damage roll is made for normally, with the 
  result being deducted from the target’s Counter Hit Points.  If 
  suffi cient damage is caused to remove a counter from the unit, 
  the attacker chooses which counters to remove.  
  A minimum of 1 point of damage will always be caused, even if 
  the dice roll is modifi ed to 0 or less.
  Units with less than 10 creatures in them do not use this 
  system – use the normal combat rules described in Conan The 
  Roleplaying Game instead.
  Rounding Down
  In any situation when a fraction of counter’s hit points would be 
  affected, round the damage down as usual.
  Saving Throws 
  You may need to use saving throws in the mass combat system 
  for various different purposes, most commonly the avoidance 
  of sorcerous effects.  Saving throws work as follows: subtract 
  the appropriate saving throw bonus from the DC of the saving 
  throw, subtract one from the result, and multiply the total by 
  fi ve.  The result is the percentage of the counters in the area of 
  effect failed their saving throws.  At least 5% will always fail, and 
  at most 95%.  
  Example: A unit of 40 counters is affected by a black plague spell.  
  The sorcerer rolls a total magic attack roll of 22, giving the DC of 
  the saving throws.  The unit’s Fortitude save bonus is +4.  22, -4, 
  -1 = 17.  17 x5 = 85% , so 34 of the 40 counters fail their saves 
  and die horribly.  
  Note that this is the average number of individual troops who would 
  die if you rolled separate saving throw for each, too: with a DC 
  of 22 and a +4 saving throw, the troops need an 18, 19 or 20 to 
  succeed, giving them a 15% chance of success – or an 85% chance 
  of failure.
  Magical Attacks
  Hugely damaging spells such as black plague can have a 
  devastating effect on the tightly packed mass of a unit.  Magic is 
  a powerful force on the battlefi eld and sorcerers are much sought 
  after by generals and kings alike – often, in fact, they become 
  leaders themselves, such is their dominance.
  Sorcerers on the fi eld are always treated as individuals, never as 
  units.
  
  Mass Combat
  9
  Spell Range
  Spells listed as having a range of touch, evil eye, or close may 
  only be used against an enemy unit with whom the spellcaster 
  is currently engaged in melee combat.  Otherwise, the ranges of 
  spells are measured out in feet as usual.
  Spells or Alchemical 
  Items Targeting 
  Single Creatures
  Resolve the use of spells that target single creatures as if the 
  spellcaster was fighting one member of the unit; see the section 
  on Player Characters below.  A roll to hit must be made as 
  normal if the spell requires a ranged touch attack to succeed.  If 
  the single creature is killed or incapacitated, deduct (creature’s 
  hp/10) from the total counter hit points.  If it is reduced to half 
  its hit points, deduct (creature’s hp/20) from the total counter 
  hit points.  Otherwise, ignore the result.
  For example, Ankh-af-na-khonsu hurls a globe of Acheronian 
  Demon-Fire at an enemy knight, hoping to incapacitate him and 
  break the morale of the remaining soldiers.  He rolls to hit with a 
  ranged touch attack and succeeds; the globe of fierce-burning hell’s 
  fire splashes over the noble, dealing 4 points of fire damage and 
  more importantly incapacitating him for the next two hours.  The 
  noble’s total hit points were 32, so (32/10 = 3) 3 unit hit points are 
  deducted from the unit for his incapacitation.  
  Area Effect Spells 
  and Alchemical Items
  When calculating the effect of a damage-inflicting area spell 
  or effect, such as Kothic Demon-Fire, upon a unit, map the 
  spell’s area of effect on to the units concerned to find out which 
  counters are affected.  Next, consult the saving throw section 
  below to find out how many counters are discounted.  
  For a damage-inflicting spell or effect, the amount of hit points 
  of damage dealt by the spell multiplied by the number of 
  counters affected is the amount of counter hit points that are 
  lost from the counters in this area.  Otherwise, the spell effect is 
  applied to all those counters that did not save.
  For example, Ankh-af-na-khonsu throws a second Acheronian 
  Demon-Fire at four of the third level soldiers making up a different 
  enemy unit’s front and second lines, intending to create a break in 
  the line and allow his side to surge forwards.  The Reflex saving 
  throw required of the four soldiers is 20.  The soldiers have a Reflex 
  saving throw of +1; subtracting this from the saving throw DC, 
  subtracting another 1, and multiplying by 5 gives the result that 
  90% of the warriors fail their saving throws.  The full damage of the 
  demon-fire is therefore applied to all four of the counters (90% of 4 
  is 3.6, rounded up to 4), as is the 1d4 rounds stunning effect.  Each 
  has only taken 1 point of damage, but for the next 
  Attacks Of 
  Opportunity Against 
  Spellcasters
  Assume that any spellcaster who begins to cast when in the 
  threatened area of any counter in an enemy unit suffers an attack 
  of opportunity from 1d4-1 members of the unit.  Resolve this as 
  per the normal combat rules from Conan The Roleplaying Game.  
  Casting in the middle of a fray (two or more units in merged 
  formation) is a more vulnerable situation and attracts attacks of 
  opportunity from 1d4 creatures.
   
  The Games Master is the final arbitrator as to the ultimate 
  effectiveness of any spell, though the rules provided here will 
  allow him to handle the vast majority of spells available quickly 
  and easily.  
  Other Magicks in the 
  Mass Combat System
  Spells that cause affects other than damage will only provide 
  their bonus or penalty to a unit if the majority of its members 
  can be affected.  If only a minority are affected by the spell, it 
  provides no benefit or penalty in unit combat.  
  Spells that produce effects other than damage can place a single 
  unit member or a group of counters in the unit into a given 
  condition.  The following is how these conditions are applied 
  on the battlefield.
  Any spell or effect that causes mass death, such as black plague or 
  agonising doom, sends affected creatures to the dead pile.
  Any spell or effect that renders the victims unable to defend 
  themselves, such as Acheronian Demon-Fire against a single 
  target, places the affected counters into the Crippled pile.  (The 
  exception is if they are so affected in the middle of a fray, in 
  which case they count as dead.)  They are likely to have suffered 
  fatalities, but most of them remain alive; in the carnage of the 
  battlefield, they are more likely to be left that way, as they do 
  not represent an immediate threat.  At the Games Master’s 
  discretion, for added realism crippled counters may be left on 
  the battlefield, but turned upside down or otherwise marked; 
  a unit may take a standard action to perform a coup de grace 
  on any incapacitated counters within reach, adding them to the 
  dead pile.
  Any spell that interferes with the victims’ ability to fight but 
  does not leave them defenceless, such as Acheronian Demon-
  Fire against an area containing several targets, causes the 
  affected counters to become incapacitated for the duration 
  of the spell.  The Games Master should adjudicate these 
  effects but a circumstance bonus of +2 to any attacks 
  made against the incapacitated counters is a 
  good rule of thumb.  Incapacitated counters 
  are not able to resist a surge attack.
  
  10
  Mass Combat
  Terror effects, as well as causing the affected counters 
  to fl ee, prompt an immediate morale check from any 
  members of the same unit.
  Unit Withdraw 
  Option
  A unit may choose to withdraw if the fi ght runs against 
  them, either to regroup before launching another attack 
  or to attempt to break off from combat altogether.
  A unit attempting to withdraw instead of attacking in 
  a round immediately provokes an attack of opportunity 
  from any enemy in melee combat with them.
  Morale
  There are very few units who will truly fi ght to the death. 
  As the enemy swarms over barricades and defences, long-
  time comrades start to fall beneath their weapons, and 
  swarms of arrows rain down, many warriors may choose 
  to throw down their weapons rather than risk a cruel 
  death.
  Morale checks are made in unit combat whenever the 
  circumstances listed on the table below are met.  The DC 
  required to be rolled for each circumstance is also given.
  If a Morale check is failed, the unit automatically makes 
  a withdraw option in its next round and will continue 
  to leave the battlefi eld at the fastest possible speed.  A 
  unit must pass a Morale check at DC 20 in order to rally 
  and make another attack option in the following round. 
  Player characters are under no obligation to fl ee but from 
  this point, they will be fi ghting on their own!  There is 
  also, however, no guarantee that an enemy will necessarily allow 
  an enemy to escape and will mercilessly charge them again and 
  again, causing great carnage and destruction.
  Recovering 
  Casualties
  The loss of counters does not track actual deaths amongst a unit, 
  though there are certainly likely to be plenty of those.  Instead 
  it demonstrates a unit’s ability to continue fi ghting through 
  individual death, injury and surrender as the number of men 
  left standing is whittled down.
  At the end of every battle, whether involving ranged or 
  melee attacks, a percentage of the counters lost by each 
  unit may be automatically recovered as those injured 
  are helped, those who ran come out of hiding 
  and the death toll is fi nally totalled.
  Ranged Combat:  At the end of any combat involving purely 
  ranged weapons, 50% rounding down, of lost counters may be 
  recovered from the dead pile.
  Winning Melee Combat:  At the end of any melee, the victor of 
  the combat may recover 50% rounding down, of lost counters 
  from the dead pile, 75% from the crippled pile and 75% from 
  the incapacitated pile.
  Losing Melee Combat:  At the end of any melee, the defeated 
  side may recover 25% rounding down, of lost counters from 
  the dead pile, 50% from the crippled pile and 75% from the 
  incapacitated pile.
  These percentages are further modifi ed as follows:
  Morale Circumstance
  DC
  Enemy surge successful against unit
  15
  Unit Size reduced to half of original score
  15
  Unit Size reduced to one quarter of original score
  20
  Unit Size reduced to one third of current score in 
  a single round
  10
  Unit suffers more damage in a round than enemy 
  in melee combat
  15
  Unit is hit by enemy of three times or greater Unit 
  Size
  15
  The following modifi ers apply to Morale checks:
  Morale 
  Modifi er
  Unit Leader
  + Leader’s Charisma modifi er
  Morale modifi er* 
  +/- Morale modifi er
  Unit Leader with Leadership feat
  + Leader’s Character Level
  Player Character actions
  Variable
  Mercenary unit
  -1
  Enslaved unit +
  -4
  * Morale modifi ers may come from any source, not just those listed 
  on the outmatching table above.  For example, the noble’s Rally class 
  feature gives a +2 morale bonus to his followers’ attack rolls – however, 
  in unit combat, it will also grant a bonus to Morale checks.
  + Includes any unit whose members have been forced into combat 
  against their will and without any form of pay or reward.
  Golden Wine of Xuthal or 
  similar magical healing available
  +1% per object or 
  potion (max. +10%)
  Character with at least rank 4 in 
  Craft (herbalism) present
  +1% per character 
  (max. +10%)
  Character with at least rank 4 in 
  Heal present
  +1% per character 
  (max. +10%)
  Unit withdrew in melee
  -20%
  
  Mass Combat
  11
  War Machines
  Upon the battlefield, a general may find himself facing an enemy 
  force comprising of far more than mere infantry, cavalry and 
  archers.  Arrayed against his own units may be dreaded ballistae, 
  catapults and awesome mobile fortresses.  These are the war 
  machines, giant constructions that can dominate any battlefield 
  with their firepower and sheer strength.
  War machines are treated as if each were a unit in its own right 
  within the mass combat system.  However, to reflect their 
  increased capabilities, war machines have a slightly different 
  profile to regular units as well as some special rules which give 
  them the capability to crush hordes of enemy warriors with their 
  great weaponry.
  The War 
  Machine Roster
  The War Machine Roster is used to record the details and 
  abilities of every war machine within an army.  This roster allows 
  players and Games Masters alike to judge the effectiveness of 
  any war machine at a glance, and greatly aids combat resolution 
  within the mass combat system.
  A typical War Machine Roster Sheet, detailing a medium-sized 
  catapult, is shown below:
  Medium Catapult
  Structure Dice:  1d10 (5 sp)
  Hardness:  5
  Size:  Large
  DV:  5 (-1 large, -4 stationary)
  Attacks:  1 Catapult shot
  Damage:  Catapult shot 4d6/2d6
  Rate of Fire:  6
  Crew:  3
  Special Qualities:  None
  Cost:  675 sp
  As can be readily seen, the War Machine Roster has much in 
  common with the monster entries of the main rulebook, as do 
  the unit combat rules detailed below.
  Structure Dice
  The majority of attacks in Conan The Roleplaying Game deal 
  damage in hit points, whilst units in the mass combat system 
  deal damage in Counter Hit Points.  However, war machines 
  receive damage in terms of structure points.  
  An attack by a single character or creature must cause ten full hit 
  points worth of damage to deal one structure point of damage to 
  a war machine.  Any lesser amount is ignored and disregarded, 
  the attack simply bouncing off the side of the war machine.
  Some war machine weapons are listed as causing structural 
  damage.  These weapons deal damage directly to the structure 
  points of another building or war machine.  Hardness is never 
  applied to structural damage, except in the case of a threatened 
  breach (see below) as such attacks are simply too powerful.  
  Attacks by units in the mass combat system automatically cause 
  structural damage to war machines, due to the large numbers of 
  fighting men attacking together.
  Hardness
  War machines only use their hardness score when attacked by 
  single characters, never when attacked by units.
  Size
  This lists how large the war machine is in relation to creatures.
  DV
  This is the Defence Value of the war machine, used to defend 
  itself against all attacks it may face.
  Attacks
  War machines have devastating weapons, enabling them to 
  slaughter huge numbers of warriors with each attack. Detailed 
  here is each attack a war machine possesses.
  Damage
  Many war machines are capable of causing structural damage to 
  other war machines and structures.  If a war machine is listed 
  as having two types of damage for a single weapon, the latter 
  will reflect structural damage, the former the damage caused to 
  single characters and units alike.
  Range Increment
  This is the figure used to calculate the range penalty to any attack 
  by a war machine.  Ballistae and similar weapons that work by 
  bow-like action can fire up to ten increments.  Catapults and 
  similar weapons that work by throwing action can fire up to five 
  increments.  Range increments for war machines work exactly as 
  for normal ranged combat, with a –2 range penalty to the attack 
  roll for each range increment over the first one.  
  Rate of Fire
  Despite having a many crewmen, most war machines are 
  incredibly slow to reload, aim and fire.  Listed here is how many 
  full-round actions the crew must expend to fire and reload the 
  war machine’s weapons.
  Crew
  This is simply the number of crew required to maintain 
  the war machine at peak efficiency in battle. Each 
  weapon may lose up to a quarter of its crew, rounding 
  down, before its rate of fire is affected.  Each 
  crewman lost after this point will cause the 
  rate of fire to be doubled.  The crew on 
  a war machine must all have Profession 
  
  12
  Mass Combat
  (siege engineer) skill.  For every 3 ranks (rounded down) they 
  have in this skill, a +1 competence bonus is added to the war 
  machine’s attack roll.  (If there is variation in skill ranks among 
  the crew, apply the rank held by the majority.)  If for any reason 
  a war machine is operated by a crew lacking in this skill, apply 
  the –4 penalty for attacking with a weapon in which one is not 
  proficient to the war machine’s attack roll.
  Cost
  Simply a guide as to how much a general must pay to own this 
  war machine and have it within his army.
  War Machines in 
  Battle
  In most respects, war machines are handled within the mass 
  combat system and, indeed, the normal Conan combat system 
  in the same way as any other creature or object, taking into 
  account new rules such as structural damage.  However, there 
  are some exceptions within the mass combat system that reflect 
  ponderous nature of war machines upon the battlefield.
  † 
  All war machines suffer a -4 circumstance penalty to their 
  Initiative checks.
  † 
  Ballistae within the mass combat system attack all units as if 
  they had a Defence Value of 10, and any resulting damage 
  is deducted straight from the Unit’s Hit Points as the power 
  of the huge bolts used allow a single one to skewer many 
  fighting men.  However, other war machines are attacked as 
  if the ballista were a single character – the ballista will need 
  to deal 10 points of damage after it has overcome the target’s 
  hardness in order to deal 1 point of structural damage.
  † 
  Catapults and trebuchets within the mass combat system hit 
  all targets, both war machines and units, as if they had an 
  Defence Value of 10.  The amount of damage they cause is 
  deducted from the Unit’s Hit Points as they are fully capable 
  smashing several warriors to a pulp with each shot.  Against 
  war machines or structures, they cause structural damage, as 
  detailed in their descriptions below.
  † 
  Catapults and trebuchets within the mass combat system 
  cannot attack a target within one hundred feet unless it is 
  over fifteen feet tall.
  † 
  No war machine can ever make an attack of opportunity.
  There are many different types of war machine that may be taken 
  to the battlefield, from small ballistae to huge trebuchets and 
  mobile fortresses.  Players and Games Masters are encouraged 
  to create their own, using the examples below as a guideline to 
  cost and effectiveness.
  Ballista
  Structure Dice:  1d6 (3 sp)
  Hardness:  5
  Size:  Large
  DV:  5 (-1 large, -4 stationary)
  Attacks:  1 Bolt
  Damage:  Bolt 3d6/-
  Range Increment: 120 ft.
  Rate of Fire:  3
  Crew:  1
  Special Qualities:  None
  Cost:  500 sp
  Light Catapult
  Structure Dice:  1d6 (3 sp)
  Hardness:  5
  Size:  Large
  DV:  5 (-1 large, -4 stationary)
  Attacks:  1 Catapult shot
  Damage:  Catapult shot 3d6/1d6
  Range Increment: 150 ft. 
  Breach Range:  19-20
  Rate of Fire:  5
  Crew:  2
  Special Qualities:  None
  Cost:  550 sp
  Medium Catapult
  Structure Dice:  2d6 (7 sp)
  Hardness:  5
  Size:  Large
  DV:  5 (-1 large, -4 stationary)
  Attacks:  1 Catapult shot
  Damage:  Catapult shot 4d6/2d6
  Range Increment: 150 ft.
  Breach Range:  18-20
  Rate of Fire:  6
  Crew:  3
  Special Qualities:  None
  Cost:  675 sp
  Heavy Catapult
  Structure Dice:  3d6 (10 sp)
  Hardness:  5
  Size:  Huge
  DV:  4 (-2 huge, -4 stationary)
  Attacks:  1 Catapult shot
  Damage:  Catapult shot 5d6/3d6
  Range Increment: 200 ft.
  Breach Range: 18-20
  Rate of Fire:  8
  Crew:  5
  Special Qualities:  None
  Cost:  800 sp
  
  Mass Combat
  13
  Trebuchet
  Structure Dice:  4d6 (14 sp)
  Hardness:  5
  Size:  Huge
  AC:  14 (-2 huge, +6 natural)
  Attacks:  1 Trebuchet shot
  Damage:  Trebuchet shot 6d6/4d6
  Range Increment:  250 ft.
  Breach Range: 18-20
  Rate of Fire:  10
  Crew:  6
  Special Qualities:  None
  Cost:  1,400 gp
  Player 
  Characters
  In the centre of the action of any role-playing scenario are the 
  player characters and in the mass combat system, they truly have 
  the opportunity to act as heroes.  As their unit crashes into the 
  enemy, the soldiers and nobles lead their men forward, seeking 
  to engage the opposing unit leaders as their unit fight a desperate 
  combat against their own counterparts.  Barbarians nimbly 
  dodge poorly aimed sword swings as sorcerers cast awesome 
  magicks, pummelling the enemy into submission.
  The rules presented in this chapter are designed to allow the easy 
  integration of player characters into the mass combat system, 
  with as little work as possible required on the part of either 
  Games Masters or players.  The length of a combat round, be it 
  featuring the actions of characters or an entire unit, is always six 
  seconds.  Thus, whatever a character could normally attempt in 
  a normal combat round will apply equally in the mass combat 
  system.
  Attacking and 
  Damaging War 
  Machines
  When attempting to hit a war machine with a ranged attack, 
  the normal Conan rules are used.  War machines, however, tend 
  to be very large and so can be very difficult for a character to 
  actually miss!  The equivalent creature size of each war machine 
  is listed in their entries.  When a character attempts to hit a war 
  machine with a close combat weapon, assume the war machine 
  has an Defence Value of 0 – even a cross-eyed fighter will have 
  a great deal of difficulty in missing a such a large object whilst 
  standing next to it. . .
  Situations may arise whereby a player wishes to attack a war 
  machine in a direct and specific manner – firing a flaming arrow 
  into an arrow slit, for instance, or hacking apart a wooden wheel 
  to stop it moving.  In such circumstances, the Games Mater 
  should determine the outcome of such actions using the rules 
  given in the main rulebook, using the war machine’s hardness 
  score as a base line with which to work out damage.
  Unit Combats
  Player characters are never counted as part of the unit when 
  calculating the Unit Roster – they always act independently, even 
  if they are mere foot soldiers, thus allowing them to do all sorts 
  of heroic (or cowardly) things.  Under normal circumstances, 
  combat for player characters in melee combat is handled in 
  exactly the same way as presented in the main rulebook.  They 
  are, however, permitted to attack enemy units.
  If two units are in combat with one another, player characters 
  may choose to aid one side.  To do so, they engage in combat 
  with one or more members of the enemy unit, using the 
  normal combat rules presented in Conan The Roleplaying Game.  
  Everyone involved in the combat acts in Initiative order, so the 
  player characters may have the chance to act before anyone else.  
  However, if they manage to slay or subdue any of their enemies, 
  then the 1/10 the hit points of the creatures they overcome 
  are immediately deducted from the Unit Hit Point score.  For 
  example:
  Whilst leading his stalwart Bossonian skirmisher unit to attack a 
  unit of Nemedian Adventurers in a desperate charge, Balthus the 
  forester, rolling the highest initiative of the combat, attacks a big 
  Nemedian captain as the rest of his men engage the rest of the 
  enemy.  The Unit Hit Points of the Nemedians is 30.  Balthus 
  dispatches the captain in one round of combat.  The captain had 
  22 hit points, and thus the mercenaries lose 2 Unit Hit Points 
  immediately, bringing them down to a total of 28.  The units 
  now fight, in remaining initiative order.
  It should be noted that some spells may be particularly 
  destructive in such engagements when fighting men are crowded 
  together in a unit.  In such cases, the spell is handled as detailed 
  in Chapter 6: Sorcery, and the Games Master should use his own 
  judgement as to the ultimate effectiveness of it, based upon its 
  listed area of effect
  Unit Morale
  Player characters are immune to the effects of unit morale, 
  though units are likely to take a dim view of players who 
  continue to fight as they try to surrender.  However, many of a 
  player character’s actions in combat may have a direct influence 
  on how their unit fights.  The table below lists some of the more 
  common actions a player character may attempt to boost the 
  morale of his unit, though the Games Master is welcome to 
  add others as the need arises – basically, a player should 
  always be awarded for bravery and will certainly earn the 
  respect of the unit.  The morale bonus earned applies to 
  the unit’s attack and damage rolls for the rest of the 
  combat, as well as to morale rolls made on the 
  table on pg 10.
  
  14
  Mass Combat
  Player Characters as 
  Leaders
  The leader of a unit, or of the entire army, can have a signifi cant 
  effect on the battle.  A player character who is the leader of a unit 
  will enhance its morale by his very presence, and further by his 
  actions, as detailed above and elsewhere in this chapter.
  A player character who is the general of the entire army will have 
  the chance to command all the units on his side, passing on 
  orders to the individual unit leaders.  These signals are usually 
  given with trumpets by the armies of the Hyborian kingdoms, 
  though southern forces sometimes use golden or ivory oliphants 
  instead.  A good general is capable not only of expert strategy, 
  that is, deciding which units to use and which enemies to have 
  them attack, which is the realm of the player; but also expert 
  tactics, that is, deciding precisely how to employ each unit to its 
  best advantage at the moment it engages the enemy, which is the 
  realm of the character.
  During every round of combat when a player character is 
  general, the player should make a Tactics check opposed to that 
  of the non-player character general of the opposing army.  
  Tactics Check
  1d20 + base attack bonus + Intelligence bonus
  All the units commanded by the winner of the opposed Tactics 
  check gain a +1 competence bonus to all their attacks during 
  that round.  If one general beat the other by 20 or more, this 
  bonus is increased to +2.  
  Unit Experience
  In our playtesting, we tended to fi nd the actions of player 
  characters pretty much guaranteed a high turnover of men in a 
  unit, due to casualties, so that soldiers were never likely to be in 
  the position to gain experience themselves.  However, if players 
  are taking a great amount of care over the risks they put their 
  units through, Games Masters may discover that the majority 
  do, in fact, survive encounters.
  There are no hard and fast rules for units to gain experience 
  themselves, but the Games Master is welcome to periodically 
  raise the quality of a unit, perhaps every six months during a 
  military campaign, so long as the majority survive each battle.  
  In this way, slave and militia units may become solid soldiers and 
  veterans may actually start to rise in character level. 
  Non-Player 
  Characters
  It is strongly recommended that these rules for player characters 
  also be adopted for important non-player characters, be they 
  allies to the party or enemies.  In this way, even a small Himelian 
  tribe should not have its warlord subsumed into the Unit Roster 
  – he will act as an independent character, encouraging his unit 
  and attacking the player characters at their weakest points.  He 
  can also earn the morale bonuses presented above.
  Player Character Action
  Morale 
  Bonus to 
  Unit
  Slaying enemy unit leader
  +2
  Slaying enemy offi cer/sergeant
  +1
  Destroying enemy war machine
  +1
  Fleeing battle
  -4
  Slaying 10% or more of enemy 
  unit in one attack
  +1
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Conan RPGs/Conan (d20)/3rd Party/Conan Mass Combat.pdf