User:Spazalicious Chaos/The Book of Frenzied Warfare (3.5e Sourcebook)/Mass Combat/Playing At War

= Playing at War =

Now that the staple of mass combat, the unit, has been described, it is time to look at how mass combat works, both on the grand and the personal scale.

Formations: Men at Arms in Arms Reach
Units represent well trained and unified forces, and thus they can arrange themselves in a variety of positions to meet most challenges. Changing formation is a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. These formations can be described in two categories: spread and tight.

Tight Formations: Together We Stand
The following formations are all based on the assumption that the unit is tightly packed and benefiting from the unit stats.
 * Standard formation represents the basic unit in a tight space for equal attack and defense. This goes by many names, including the square and the phalanx.
 * The Orb is a tightly compacted ring where defense is priority over assault. A unit in orb formation may not attack or move as an action, but may still make attacks of opportunity. While in this formation, all shield bonuses are tripled and the formation is counted as being in total defense. Other creatures may not move through the orb without succeeding on a bullrush attempt.
 * Turtle formation is designed to completely null ranged attacks in order to move safely. A unit in turtle formation cannot make attacks of any sort. While in turtle formation, the unit is considered to be fighting defensively, gains full cover and multiplies it's shield bonus by five against all attacks from above and one facing of the units choice. However, the unit loses it's shield and dexterity bonus against attacks from all other facings, making this formation a siege action by default.
 * Wide formation spread the unit out to avoid damage. The unit is counted as one size category larger, but gains the ability to make reflex saves.
 * Rank and File allows a unit to lay a deadly stream of assault. Any ranged attack the unit makes is now a full-round action. However, if the unit does make ranged attacks, the area out to two range increments with a width and hight equal to that of the unit is now an area attack that deals the units ranged attack damage unless a DC (10+the units attack bonus) is made for half damage.

Spread Formations: Divided We Strike
These formations use the monsters individual stats, all assuming that the unit has spread out and effectively disintegrated down to it's base components, the individual soldiers. The following are usable by players and other being who would otherwise be unlikely to be able to form a unit.
 * Scatter is the "every man for himself" formation. The entire unit breaks down into chaos, fighting or running as individuals.
 * The Line or the picket is the long row of men with little other than running space and an expectant commander behind them. In the line, men are not allowed to move unless they are moving in unison, explained below. While in the line, they are counted as benefiting from the aid another action for both defense and attack, but otherwise may act individually.

Command: This is Your Mess, Sergeant.
While commanding a unit, an individual has responsibilities, as detailed by the following:
 * A commander who wishes to redirect his men or give new orders must spend a move action to do so. Undirected men will act as they will in accordance to their last set of orders ad the perceived threat. For example, unless you direct your orc unit otherwise, it can be assured that once the fighting goes badly they will scatter and try to take it as individuals.
 * A unit is counted by the HD of it's individual parts, not it's morale whole, for purposes of healing, Leadership, and related concerns.

However, being a general on the field has many benefits:
 * While within a unit, a commander benefits from partial cover as well as the units shield bonus as an additional cover bonus to armor class.
 * A commander may act freely within his unit, which is treated only as light debris for purposes of movement and other actions.
 * Finally, a commander gains the benefits of aid another for both attack and defense continuously while within his unit.

Attack and Avoiding Attack: To Hell and Back, Sir
This book introduces an entire new category of action: the abort action. ''An abort action is an immediate action that still takes the time and energy of a move, standard or even a full-round action. To take an abort action, you must either A) have not acted yet in the round, B) have a left over action or done nothing on your turn, or C) be willing to cancel a premeditated readied action to the abort action. Once an abort action is taken, the action is counted against your allotment of actions. A Flat-footed creature may not take an abort action, and any abort action can be used as the kind of action it takes (move, standard, or full-round) during your turn.'' To ingrain abort actions more fully, try the following:
 * Attack of Opportunity is a standard abort action. Combat Reflexes now gives the option of making several attacks of opportunity as a full round abort action.
 * Fighting Defensively is a move abort action, Total Defense is a full round abort action.
 * Aid Another is a move abort action.
 * Many spells, especially defensive ones, can be abort actions that provoke an attack of opportunity.

When assigning what is and isn't an abort action, keep in mind that abort actions are designed to represent giving up on your plan to take advantage of an opening or to avoid a mishap. For example, you should never let drawing or grabbing an object from a backpack be an abort action, but drawing up a sheath or slinging a back pack to block an attack should be.

New Options
Moving in Unison: This move abort action allows you to move at the same time as a chosen target on the targets action. You can move up to a running pace (x2 normal speed, x1.5 with a heavy load or armor, x2.5 with the Run feat) to keep up, though if you have to move faster than your tactical speed you take a -2 to all skill and attack rolls. If you must go faster than running speed this becomes a full round abort action.

Synchronized Attack: This standard abort attack makes your attack happen at the same moment of a target you have been observing for at least 5 rounds. Thus allies are always an option for a synched attack, but enemies rarely last long enough for this option to be a viable riposte. If used as a riposte, this attack is resolved normally. If used to combine assault with an ally attacking the same target, the target may only use a shield bonus against one of the attackers. If the synched assault is used while flanking the target, the target also only gets to apply any dodge bonus to one attack, not both. For such a situation, the target still uses it's full dexterity bonus to all attacks.