Building an Army

The first step on the way to immeasurable slaughter is the construction of your own armies. This page guides you through the process.

Army Statistics

Armies have a series of statistics, listed here. See the example army sheet at the end of this page for how this is represented in Roll20. Note that the Roll20 sheet has additional statistics that are not used.

Army Name: Choose a name for your armed force.

Level: The average level of an individual in the army.

Alignment: The army's alignment. This typically matches the source colony.

Army Type: The class, level, and size of the army should be listed here, as well as the ACR (see below for details)

AC: How hard it is to deal damage to the army. Base value is equal to ACR (min 1)

Maneuver/Maneuver DC: Maneuver indicates the number of hexes the army can march in a day along a clear road, as well as the number of squares it can move per turn in battle. The Maneuver DC is equal to 10+Maneuver and affects how easy it is to avoid melee with the army.

Morale: The current morale of the army (does not include the commander's stats)

HP/Rout Threshold: The army's total and current hit points. Max HP for the army is equal to ACR times the average HD roll for an individual creature in the unit. Minimum of 1 HP. Rout threshold is equal to ACR (min 1); if the unit's HP drops below this level, they risk routing (see Flow of Combat).

Melee/Ranged/Shots: Melee and Ranged are the attack values for your army. By default, an army only has a Melee value, equal to its ACR. If it gains ranged weapons, then it gains a Ranged value (equal to Melee by default unless special modifiers apply). The Shots value is the number of shots the army may fire per mass combat.

Tactics: Enter a tactic listing your army's consumption here (see below for calculating consumption). Enter a tactic indicating the commander, and the commander's Cha mod and ranks in Profession (soldier), or a similar profession. Divide the skill ranks by 5, and add to the Cha mod; this value is added as a bonus on Morale checks. 

-Consumption: This is the amount of monthly BP the army requires for upkeep while garrisoned. So long as the army is quartered in a fort, or in a city with a barracks or garrison, this cost is paid monthly. While the army is in the field, this cost must be paid weekly, effectively quadrupling it. 

Tactical Actions: List tactical actions your army learns here. Newly raised armies do not know any tactical actions unless they are comprised of Elites (see below). An army may learn a number of tactical actions up to half its ACR.

Conditions: Check off any conditions here; Engaged, Destroyed, and Routed are generally the only ones that matter.

Gear/Healing Potions: If your army has improved armor or weapons, list them here. If they have purchased healing potions, list the number available here.

Abilities: List any special abilities and resources your army has access to.

Army Creation

To build an army, you need to follow a set of steps, as follows.

Select Class/Creature Type

Most armies will be made up of creatures from PC-playable races (or similar species, such as kobolds or lizardfolk). In general, it can be assumed that there is a mixture of various races in such an army. Such forces have no inherent special abilities beyond those granted by their class. See the Army Classes page for information on the classes and abilities they grant.

Soldiers are the most common class for an army to be made of, as they are inexpensive to train and resistant to morale loss.

Some armies can be made up of unusual creatures, such as dragons, grigs, etc. Such armies do not have a class, but gain up to 3 abilities (see Determine Special Abilities) granted by their species. Elite classed units may also gain one special ability from their class or race.

Select Training, Level, and Size

Choose first whether the army will be drafted from among the Elites or Regulars available to your colony. This will determine the maximum level and the number of troops you can include in the army. If your colony is out of troops, you cannot recruit any more unless the population increases or you issue a more militaristic recruitment edict.

Next, determine the level of your troops. The maximum is 1+1/5 the ruler's level for Regulars, and 1+1/2 the ruler's level for Elites. If your army is made up of unusual creatures, the level chosen must be equal to the creature's CR (this may mean that you are required to use Elites, or you may be unable to field them entirely).

Finally, decide on the number of individuals in the unit and reference the table below to determine the size rating.

Calculate the base ACR of your army by adding the ACR adjustment from this table to the level, and mark that down on the army sheet. Add the Consumption rating of the army's Class to half of its ACR to get the base Consumption for the army. If the army is made up of unusual creatures, then the base Consumption is equal to half the ACR plus half the army's Level.

Assign Equipment

Choose equipment for your army from the Army Gear page, adjusting stats if applicable. Purchasing gear is optional.

Determine Special Abilities

If your army is made up of unusual creatures, you may pick up to 3 special abilities for the unit. These must be abilities possessed by the creature comprising the unit.

If your army is made up of classed Elites, you may pick up to 1 special ability for the unit. This must be either a racial ability or an ability granted by their class appropriate to the unit's level.

Assign Commander

Choose a commander for your army. One character can only lead a single army. Calculate the commander's Command score; for armies of up to Small size this is equal to Cha mod+1/4th the character's ranks in Profession (soldier) or a similar skill. For armies of Medium size and above, the maximum bonus from the Cha mod is +1; within such forces, discipline and organization matter more than the commander's personal magnetism. The Command score is added to all Morale checks the army makes.

Most commanders will likely be player characters. If you find yourself with more armies than players though, you can recruit known NPC allies, who command as above. Otherwise, you may appoint a generic commander from among the soldiers of the army; this generic commander has a Command score equal to 1/5 the army's ACR.

Calculate Final Stats

Update the army's ACR and Consumption based on gear if applicable. Set the Maneuver to 4 plus any bonuses from abilities or gear, and the Morale to 0. 

Set your army's melee attack value to its ACR + any melee attack bonuses, and its AC to the ACR + 10 + any AC bonuses. If your army has a ranged attack, then set the ranged attack value to ACR + ranged attack bonuses, and the Shots based on the attack you're using.

Calculate the HP for your unit by multiplying the HP per ACR by the ACR for classed units, or for unusual creatures, multiply the average roll of the hit die for that creature by the ACR. Set the Rout Threshold to the unit's ACR (minimum 1).

Pay Levee Cost

Finally, you must outlay the cost of leveeing the army. This cost equals the army's Consumption, plus the initial cost of any purchased Gear.

Sample Sheet