Battlefield Rules/Mass Combat

Scripted vs. Story Battles

Scripted large scale battles are simply detailed by the GM and told to the players. There is no interactive participation by the players – the GM sets out the details according to their plot needs. For battles whose outcome alone is ‘scripted’, it is simply a matter of surviving the battle. The script itself will reveal the win, loss or specific outcome of the battle. Rewards, other than the experience rewards, will be set by the scrip and it is simply up to the GM to follow and fill in any details. Story battles are staged clashes at arms where the player’s characters actively participate and have a risk of death. The participation can be in one of many roles, but the emphasis is fighting. Story battles may already have their ultimate results (though maybe not the battle outcome) decided by story – for the PC’s the fate of their ‘side’ may already determined, though their individual fate is not. Many things can happen in a battle, depending on plan, order, communication and leadership it can be confusing and difficult. These battles engage the participants fully. They are swirling masses of chaos, violence and adrenaline. Within these story battles, characters can strive using their abilities as best suits them. Obviously not all characters are suited for large battles, and where appropriate, the GM may provide some unique encounters or weighted encounters to suit character skills… though entering battle will always involve combat of some kind and always entail risk. Both Story and scripted battles can have battle encounters. The outcome of multiple battle encounters can lead to nothing more than a great story, or may feed a Outcome Determination.

Options for Large Scale Combat