Editing Genius The Transgression/Chapter Four:Special Rules and Systems (section)

=== Dealing with Big Groups: ===

A collaborative with large numbers of beholden and automata can quickly grow unwieldy. The Storyteller needs to balance players' (fair and understandable) desire to benefit from their Axioms and Merits with a desire to keep the story moving forward. A battle with seven geniuses is hard enough to run; one with seven geniuses, eleven beholden, and 20 killer robots is unmanageable. A Storyteller can invoke a few rules to simplify things.

Beholden do not generally go "on adventures" with geniuses. Storytellers can make case-by-case exceptions, but mostly, even combat beholden focus on guarding the lab and performing dirty work. They don't join their masters during temple lootings, murder investigations, or streets brawls against manes. However, dirty work can be conducted at any time: encourage the collaborative to, for example, have their beholden perform harrying attacks on their enemies while the geniuses themselves slip into their enemies' lab. 

While automata can travel easily with geniuses (assuming they're not conspicuous), coordinating large groups is inconvenient and difficult. As a rule of thumb, the Storyteller can assume that a number of combatcapable servants (beholden or automata) can conveniently follow the group equal to the highest Presence in the collaborative. Beyond that and logistics dictate the group should break down into smaller parties. 

Finally, there are times when all the collaborative's beholden and automata need to be put into action: a massive raid on an enemy airship, for example, doesn't just call for 2-5 robot servants backing up the mad scientists. In this case, despite the beholden and automata working closely with the geniuses, the Storyteller can use rules for massive battles

==== Massive Battles: ====

Sometimes the collaborative will want to bring their full forces to bear. They spot a 50-strong Hollow Earth Nazi patrol in the deep desert. Etherites attack their underwater fortress. It's time for an epic confrontation with their Illuminated former mentor and her spider servants. Only a massive engagement, with dozens of minions (beholden and automata), makes sense. But who wants to roll dice for whole platoons? Even dicefiend players can grow bored, and Genius: The Transgression is not a tactical war game. In that case, a system for massive battles can help move the action along.

This system is not a realistic simulation of mass combat. It is intended to provide some color and running commentary while the PCs fight that is not entirely based on Storyteller fiat. To run this sort of battle, first divide the battle into two groups: the main battle, where the PCs will fight against a powerful group worthy of their abilities (usually from half to double their own number) and a secondary battle, where the collaborative's minions duke it out against enemy minions.

Handle the main battle normally. Every turn, after everyone has acted in the main battle, roll for the results of the secondary battle.

First, figure out the total numbers on each side, as follows:

{|
|+
|'''Number of Minions'''
|'''Number Rank'''
|-
|1
|1
|-
|2 to 5
|2
|-
|6 to 11
|3
|-
|12 to 29
|4
|-
|30-49
|5
|-
|50-99
|6
|-
|100+
|7
|}

Then, note the Prowess. For beholden, Prowess is equal to the Beholden Prowess dots each group has. For combat-capable automata, Prowess is equal to rank. (The Storyteller may need to determine equivalent Prowess for non-combat-oriented automata, but this is normally an all-or-nothing thing: either an automaton can fight well and has Prowess equal to rank, or it can't, and can't contribute anything useful to the fight.)

To conduct the secondary battle, roll a competing Number + Prowess check.

''Failure (equal number of successes):'' Stalemate. Neither side gains the edge in the battle.

''Success (one side gets more successes than the other):'' The tide shifts. The victorious side pushes their enemies back, and some break through the line. A number of minions equal to the winning side's Number or the number of successes (whichever is lower) push through and join the main battle. Roll initiative normally for these minions. (If there are already minions of the same type in the main battle, the Storyteller can instead give the new minion an initiative score equal to his similar allies.) 

''Exceptional Success (one side gets five or more successes over the other):'' Breakthrough/Collapse! The winning side scatters or vanquishes their enemies, forcing a total withdrawal of the losers. The secondary battle is basically over. All of the victorious minions join their genius allies in the main battle, perhaps leading to a total rout.

==== Mixed Prowess Groups: ====

If there are two groups on the same side (for example, some two-dot beholden mixed in with some rank-4 automata), roll the dice for Number, then roll the number of dice for each Prowess rating, but only take the higher result of the second roll. For example, in a mixed group of 20 minions (Number 4), some with Prowess 1 and some with Prowess 3, first roll four dice for the Number. Note the result. Then roll one die for the Prowess 1 minion and three dice for the Prowess 3 minions. Of those two rolls, take the higher result, and add it to the number of successes rolled on the Number dice.

If the tide turns in favor of a mixed-Prowess group, randomly determine which type of minion joins the main battle. Chances for each type to join the main fight are equal.