Editing FANGS: Mass Combat (section)

==Just Another Grunt System==

In this situation, the PCs are just soldiers in the battle. They might be highly regarded soldiers, but they have no command responsibility. 

This is simple to run, because the GM only has to run a simple combat, pitting the PCs against opponents roughly their equivalent. Depending on the size of the opposing armies and relative expertise of the troops, the opponents might be better trained (have higher skill with weapons) or more numerous. They can even be less numerous and less trained. 

However the individual battle between the PCs and the opponents goes, so goes the big battle. 

Example: 

The PCs are a party of five high-powered PCs who have thrown in with the Baron of High Crags. The Baron is being invaded by an army of nomadic barbarians. The Baron's family has been fighting off the barbarians for centuries. His military is highly skilled, but way outnumbered. 

Becaue the PCs are even more skilled than the Baron's troops, the GM puts them in the van of his defending army in a good defensive position. He then describes the onrushing barbarian horde charging down on the defenders. 

First there is an exchange of missile fire. The GM has created 15 barbarian NPCs who are about half as good as the PCs. They shoot at the PCs and the PCs shoot (and/or throw spells) back. Then the remaining barbarians close. The GM runs that fight alone, keeping track of how well the PCs do and occasionally throwing in comments about the rest of the battle, based on how the PCs are doing. 

When the last NPC of the 15 is down or fled, or the last PC goes down, the GM can describe how the whole battle went. 

If the PCs are killed or captured, their army is slaughtered or captured. 

If the PCs flee the battle, so does the army. 

If the PCs send their opposite numbers packing, the enemy army flees. 

If the PCs slaughter their foes, their army celebrates a decisive victory, with enemy leaders captured and their ability to field another army notably reduced.