This is a draft!
There are numerous battle systems for Pendragon. Version 5.2 of the standard rules includes a battle system, as well as book of battles. I find the standard rules in 5.2 unsatisfying:
- they are rather complex, and despite that
- it does not feel that they are reasonably good att deciding the outcome of the battle (number of soldiers, types of soldiers, level of training and such fundamental things have vague implications)
- the Army/Battallion/Unit/Personal/Special-event layers are simply too many layers of rules and events, with too little connection between them
- the Personal mode is still not “in character roleplaying” but some rather abstract melee resolution
I consider Pendragon a roleplaying game. I don’t want it to be a tactical Battle-game (so the Book of Battles is out). What I am looking for in a Battle game is:
- Plausible, simple, battle resolution – in case winner and loser need to be determined and something is at stake for the players
- An personal battle experience for the player characters
When I write plausible, I mean that Gamemaster and Players should be able to envision the battle in a theater of mind, and what happens should not be unreasonable or ridiculous. We can ask ourselves questions like:
- would 10 peasants be able to through a knight off his horse and beat him to death?
- can you charge through a little river, and with what disadvantage?
- are a bunch of well equiped peasants going to have any chance against poor knights?
My idea is that the answers to such questions should be decided in a whay that both Gamemaster and players think it is reasonable.
Fundamentals
For most not too large battles, both sides just make up one Battalion each (this is not the way Battalion is used in the rules, and it is probably not historically correct either).
For very large battles, it is fine to let both sides consist of several battalions. The battalions will resolve their battle like separate battles. It is possible in the middle of the battles to evaluate the situation, reorganize (perhaps merge remaining forces) and start over.
Such a battle between two battalions is not divided any further. It is a battle. However, there is a Personal level for the player characters.
The battle is divided in Battle Turns (typically 30 minutes) and between each Battle Turn there is a Personal Turn for resolving what player characters experience. The Player Turn is typically divided into normal combat rounds when needed. If the player characters are in the front line, charging, start the battle with a Personal Turn.
Battle Level
Both battalions are assigned a Battle Value (typically 10). The battle is then resolved as turns of opposed checks against the Battle Values. Each turn will result in losses, and eventually one battalion will be more or less defeated.
Units and Damage
In order to keep track of losses, it is decided how many Units each battalion consists of (can lose). Starting with the smaller force, assume it consists of 5 units, and decide how many participants are in each unit. Then do the math and figure out how many units the larger force consists of if the units are roughly equally big. For a shorter battle, start with 3 or 4 instead.
Each unit can be lost two times
- The unit is withdrawing, has suffered some losses, and can not participate in offensive fighting
- The unit is fleeing, has suffered significant losses, and can not participate in any fight
What this means is that a Battalion of 4 units can take at most 3 points of damage, and still keep attacking. At 4 to 7 damage, the Battalion can defend itself if the enemy keeps attacking. At 8 damage there is no organised battalion left, the battle rules are not used any more, and if the attacker wants to chase imprison or kill everyone that is a different business.
This means that a battle can often end in an inconclusive result (as in the standard rules), when no side is defeated and no side is capable of attacking.
Resolving the opposed check of Battle Values
The opposed check of Battle Values for the turn (typically rolled by the Battalion commanders) is resolved like this:
| Success Tie | 0 damage on both sides |
| Success vs Partial | Winner decides if there will be 2-1 damage, or 1-0 damage |
| Success vs Failure | 2 damage to loser |
| Failure Tie | 1 damage to both sides |
| Critical | As success, and Battle Value +1 (to maximum 18, otherwise one extra damage) |
| Fumble | As failure, and Battle Value -1 (to minimum of 3, otherwise one extra damage) |
Deciding Battle Values
Battle Value and Unit Count are essentially what decides the odds of the battle. Both Battalions have a Battle Value of 10, plus or minus the sum of their advantages and disadvantages decided below.
A smaller advantage gives the Battalion with the upper hand +1 Battle Value.
A major advantage gives the Battalions +1 and -1 Battle Value respectively.
No significant advantage gives no modifications.
A major advantage (+1/-1) generally requires that all the troops on one side has the advantage over all the troops on the other side.
Standard possible advantages are:
- Better trained troops
- Better weapons
- Better armors
- More horses (double effect first round)
- Ranged weapons (only effective first round)
- More rested
- Better organization, discipline, motivation, and leadership (not the battalion leader leader)
- Terrain advantage
- Ambush
- Defensive measurements
Both battalion leaders also roll a Battle check where Critical: +2, Success +1, Failure -1, Fumble -2. This modification should be given some in-game explanation, and may be removed/rerolled later in the battle if conditions have changed.
If any side gets more than 18 Battle Value, set it to 18 and compensate with not counting the first hit.
If any side has a very diverse army (like 50 knights and 1000 unequiped peasants), use the guidelines above and make sure everyone kind of agrees on the Battle Value. An alternative is of course to divide the army and make more than one battle. The important thing is that the story makes sense, and that the rules dont create implausable odds and outcomes.
Personal Level
For the player characters, the battle is roleplayed. It is not an abstract melee as in the standard rules, but the normal combat rules that are used. First a reflection: A battle may last for 1-2h or longer. If both sides are roughly the same size, and some participants die, some are wounded and some are quite fine after the battle, it means that most participants do not kill a single opponent in hours of battle. Otherwise the battle would be over in a few minutes. Roleplaying 2h of in-game-battle, stardard combat round for round, would take days and nobody would survive. So I think we need to agree that most of the time, player characters involved in a battle are:
- Looking for their friends, unit or horse
- Taking care of someone elses wounds
- Helping someone else off the battlefield
- Guarding an ally who is wounded and perhaps attended
- Taking a breath
- Considering where are we going to run/charge next
- Discussing tactics or passing on information
- Enemies evaluating each other without engaging
- Move to different part of battlefield
I would assume that things going well, you and your unit are able to pick and engage enemies that you can defeat. Things not going so well, enemies are probably assaulting you in large numbers possibly from behind.
For the personal level, normally assume that all the player characters are included in a unit (as in the standard rules) with a unit leader. This is not one of the Hit Point-units. Keep some kind of normal roleplaying record of who is in the unit, how many they are, and what has happened. The participants of the unit are expected to follow their leader and to care for each other.
Each Personal Turn calculate a Tactical Value. It is based on two things:
- The opposed Battle Value roll above
- The current unit leader (may be a player character) making a Battle skill opposed roll against a Battle skill of an enemy leader (if the enemy is disorganised, use 5, if in doubt use 15)
Interpret those two opposed rolls using the next table, and add the results (to a value 0 to 10).
| Fumble | 0 |
| Fail | 1 |
| Partial Fail | 2 |
| Partial Success | 3 |
| Success / Tie | 4 |
| Critical | 5 |
In the below table, see what the unit can be doing. If there are multiple options the Unit leader chooses. It is possible to choose from a worse (lower) result if it makes sense.
| 0 | Surrounded and engaged by twice as many foes as unit size, no chance of escape Surrender/Taken as prisoner (if enemy takes prisoners) |
| 1 | Engaged by stronger enemies |
| 2 | Engaged by equal enemies |
| 3 | Can just lay low (no glory for this turn) |
| 4 | Can withdraw |
| 5 | Can get into combat with enemy unit of equal strength |
| 6 | Can do first aid or watch over someone |
| 7 | Can engage an enemy unit, having the upper hand Can attempt to find a horse |
| 8 | Can take a prisoner Can engage enemy unit leader with bodyguards Rescue attempt of allied prisoner |
| 9 | Good assault or assasination opportunity on enemy unit or unit leader Can engage enemy high commander with bodyguards |
| 10 | Good assault or assasination opportunity on enemy high commander |
Options are to be interpreted by the Gamemaster and other opportunities or threats may be possible.
Gamemaser can decide that the Player events may result in a -1 or +1 modification to the Battle Value, for one or more Turn. Killing or taking as prisoner a high commander may have even bigger effect.
Charge
If the players are in the front line, the first Turn is resolved as a charge. Roll an opposed Unit Battle check as above. What typically happens is:
| First (if enemy ranged weapons) | Second (lance charge) | Third (melee) | |
| Fumble | 1d6 arrows | Lost opportunity | Engaged by strong enemies |
| Fail | 1d3 arrows | Strong enemies | String enemies |
| Partial F | 1d2 arrows | Equal enemies | Equal enemies |
| Partial S | 1 arrow | Weaker enemies | Weaker enemies |
| Success | Choose enemy type | Choose enemy type | |
| Critical | Choose enemy type, +5 first round | Choose enemy type, +5 first round |
Glory
Glory is decided as in the standard rules, for each turn of the battle, at GMs discretion.
Passion
The players can get Passion during the Player Turn as during normal. The Passion may last for more than one turn, if there is a continuity of action. A turn without combat typically cancels the Passion.
Simulation
What good is a battle system if it fails to produce likely outcomes? I programmed a simulator (link) to verify the likelyhood of outcomes. Everything about this battle system is quite subjective. It is meant to produce plausible outcomes with plausible probabilities so the result of the battle can be accepted in the story.