Advanced Wars (3.5e Variant Rule)

Dealing with war and mass battles can be difficult, and really modern D&D does not fit well to that format. Here we cover what is in effect a new gaming system which can be overlayed on top of your current campaign when needed, when the PCs are commanders instead of soldiers on the field of war. It gives a simplified, abstract, and wide-scale version of what would otherwise be long drawn out battles against hundreds of NPC foes.

Basic Knowledge
Most actions in the game that has some change of failure will be a result of rolling a die (1d20), adding any relevent modifiers, and comparing the result to the target number. This should seem recognizable, as it is the usual D&D mechanic. In fact, many terms used will be comparable to other D&D mechanics. For example, take the most basic unit, the aptly named Unit.

Units
Units are placed on the map as if they were a creature, and indeed they have many similarities. Each round, a unit can take several actions including moving, attacking, defending, using special abilities, and likewise. A unit can be one huge monster or vehicle or composed up of several similar creatures, such as mostly foot soldiers, mostly tanks, or weapons platforms. Like creatures they have a move speed and statistics; Attack, Defense, Speed, Hit Points, Unit Feats, and Special Abilities.

Attack: This ability score defines their offensive capabilities through whatever means, be it swords, magic, claws, or siege weapons. When attacking other units, roll 1d20 + your attack score, subtract the opponents defense. If your result is above 0, the remaining amount becomes hit point damage. Weakened units cannot fight as effectively as a strong one. If you have less than half your hp, your attack score is cut in half (round down).

Defense: This ability score defines your defensive capabilities through whatever means, be it evasion, heavy armor, or clever tactics. When being attacked, your defense reduces the opponent's attack. If the attack is reduced to 0 or less, you take no damage.

Speed: Like creatures, units have a move speed measured in squares. They can choose to take a move action, a double move action, or attempt to run as they are lead in a forced march (though if you choose to run you suffer a culmilative -2 to attack and defense scores for 1 round). Like creatures, units can provoke attacks of opportunity when passing through the squares other enemy units threaten.

Hit Points: The hit points of a unit is an abstract representation of the unit as a whole, rather than the hit points of its component creatures. A unit reduced to 0 hp is disbanded, its members killed or fled. A unit needs to keep its hit points high, as if they fall to less their half their maximum hit points their attack score is halved as well. Hit points can be restored through certain special abilities, staying inside of cities and bases, and by combining wounded units. You can combine two like units into a single unit, adding their hit point totals together (though they cannot exceed the maximum hp for that type of unit).

Unit Feats: Like creatures, units can take feats representing unique training in that unit. Each unit gets one feat. Unit feats that can be selected are covered later on.

Special Abilities: The catch-all catagory, special abilities are unique attacks, defenses, or options a unit can take instead of their normal actions. For example, Infantry Units can use the Capture special ability to convert enemy cities into ally cities. Medical Units can take a standard action to heal a nearby ally unit. Other units might have defensive or support abilities, such as offering a +1 bonus to attack on any ally unit within 2 squares.

Type: Much like a creature subtype, sometimes units have a subtype. The typical subtypes are [Flying] and [Naval], denoting certain common traits among them all. Flying creatures, for example, are for the most part immune to normal groundbound attacks, unless they specifically can hit flying creatures. Meanwhile naval creatures operate on water instead of land, with properties which come with that as well.

Units are purchased through the aquisition of funds (see Funding below). We will detail the different types of units later on.

Buildings
Buildings are a sort of unit which is immobile and typically lacks an attack score altogether. They instead serve a different purpose, generating funds for use, healing units, creating units, reducing enemy effectiveness, and more. Buildings have an aura around them which they typically possess some special effect. The most simple of these auras is territory, generated by cities and bases. Battles occuring in your territory give you a home advantage, resulting in a +1 bonus on attack and defense. Buildings can be destroyed, or they can be captured. Capturing a building brings it over to your side, allowing you to reap the benefits. Out of all the buildings, one building is required; a headquarters. If your headquarters is destroyed or captured, the game is over and you lose. It is the goal of the game to cripple the enemy's forces and take over their headquarters. It is possible to obtain more than one headquarters, in which case victory is achieved only when all headquarters under enemy command are destroyed. Specific types of buildings, the extent of their auras, cost, and defenses are handled later on.

The Flow of Battle
Although it is a larger scale, ultimately combat works much like small scale combat in D&D. Combat goes in rounds, creatures can take a standard, move, swift, or immediate action, and movement and attacks function as normal. These are not 6 second rounds given the scale, but more like 24 hour rounds with a day's time passing when everyone has gone once. Likewise the 5 ft squares are more likely to represent miles of distance, making even two adjucant units not nessicarly be engaging in typical melee combat. To determine who goes first, roll opposed d20s and the higher amount goes first (reroll in case of a tie). Depending on the type of war you wish to conduct, you can start with a fixed amount of units already on the board, or attempt to make them once the battle actually begins. Typically an invading and a defending army will already have troops at ready, and it is up to the DM on your starting funding to purchase before battle.

Whoever goes first may move all their units and take actions with them in whatever order they like. When they are finished, the next player in initiative may move all their units and take whatever actions they wish. This goes on until all players have taken their turn.

Move actions are handled as normal, with a move and a double move action. You may "run", a triple move action, but doing so gives a -2 penalty on attack and defense scores for the unit from fatigue. The penalty is culmilative, if you run for multiple rounds. The penalty goes away once the unit has stopped moving for at least 1 round.

Certain special abilities may use swift or immediate actions, which are handled as normal. You can also use attacks of opportunity, and most units can only make 1 attack of opportunity a round.

You may attack as a standard action, or take a full-attack action. Rather than gaining extra attacks, you gain a +1 bonus on your attack roll when making a full-attack. Units cannot make charge attacks. When you attack a creature, they will counterattack you at the same time, making attacking a risk, as you are bound to lose a few hit points. The counterattack roll is done with a -5 penalty to the attack roll, making it less likely they will inflict the same sort of damage against you as you are inflicting upon them.

You can also defend as a standard action. You do not attack or make attacks of opportunity while defending, but you gain a +2 bonus to your defense score for 1 round, and may make counterattacks as normal.

Funding
All these units and buildings are real neato, but they don't come free. Creating new units and buildings costs money from your funds, and if you run out you cannot build. Fortunately at the end of each round you obtain new funding, which depends on how many cities you have in your control. Therefore it is in your best interest to capture as many cities as possible and thereby have a large pool of funds to generate more units, ensuring victory.

Terrain
Not all terrain is equal, the map has certain terrains some units excel on, and others flounder. Terrains may offer modifiers to attack, defense, speed, or hit points. For example, a swamp terrain would slow down heavy tanks, but can be crossed at normal speed by soldiers or by hovercraft. Meanwhile forest can provide cover against ranged attackers, or allow stealthy units to hide. A list of terrains and modifiers are available later.

Conditions
Conquered: Conquered city or base provides +1 attack/defense bonuses to party.

Defeated: 0 hp

Hidden: Invisible to all until attack.

Slowed: 1/2 Speed

Wounded: 1/2 hp or less, 1/2 attack

Types of Units

 * Name: Infantry
 * Description:
 * Attack: +1, Defense: 10, Speed: 4 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Capture- Take control of enemy cities. Requires the city to be undefended, and you deal "capture damage" to the city's hp until it runs out, then it becomes yours, Flanking- Get +2 bonus damage if flanking with ally units.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Heavy Armor
 * Description:
 * Attack: +2, Defense: 14, Speed: 2 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Defender- Extra +2 bonus if taking defense action, Bulky- Cannot fit in Transports.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Interceptor
 * Description:
 * Attack: +1, Defense: 6, Speed: 6 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Ignore Terrain- What is says
 * Cost:


 * Name: Shock Troop
 * Description:
 * Attack: +4, Defense: 6, Speed: 3 squares, Hit Points: 6
 * Special Ability: Armor Piercing- Most defense against them is 10
 * Cost:


 * Name: Geomancer
 * Description:
 * Attack: +0, Defense: 6, Speed: 4 squares, Hit Points:10
 * Special Ability: Alter Terrain- Just what it says.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Combat Mage
 * Description:
 * Attack: +0, Defense: 6, Speed: 3 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Offensive Magic- Deal damage in an area.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Medic
 * Description:
 * Attack: -2, Defense: 12, Speed: 4 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Heal- Repair a unit besides their own., Regen- Recover 1 hp a round.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Troop Transport
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 12, Speed: 6 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Transport- Can hold up to 2 units in its space. Cannot attack, Bulky- Cannot fit in Transports.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Artillery
 * Description:
 * Attack: +4, Defense: 8, Speed: 2 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Ranged- Attack between 2 and 5 squares away, Bulky- Cannot fit in Transports.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Anti-Air
 * Description:
 * Attack: +1, Defense: 8, Speed: 2 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Anti-Air- Air units have -4 defense against it, Bulky- Cannot fit in Transports.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Flying Attacker
 * Description:
 * Attack: +0, Defense: 10, Speed: 6 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Flying Type- Ignore terrain and most ground attacks, Altitude- Half damage vs ground targets, Bulky- Cannot fit in Transports.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Flying Bomber
 * Description:
 * Attack: +6, Defense: 12, Speed: 3 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Flying Type- Ignore terrain and most ground attacks, Bomber- Small area effect but high damage, cannot attack air targets, Bulky- Cannot fit in Transports.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Battleship
 * Description:
 * Attack: +4, Defense: 12, Speed: 4 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Naval- Goes in the water, Ranged- Attack, Bulky- Cannot fit in Transports.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Carrier Ship
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 14, Speed: 3 squares, Hit Points: 15
 * Special Ability: Transport- Can hold up to 4 units in its space. Cannot attack, Bulky- Cannot fit in Transports.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Submarine
 * Description:
 * Attack: +2, Defense: 10, Speed: 3 squares, Hit Points: 8
 * Special Ability: Sneak Attack- Ignores defense if enemy is unaware of it, Hide- Go invisible, Bulky- Cannot fit in Transports.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Stealth
 * Description:
 * Attack: +0, Defense: 6, Speed:6 squares, Hit Points: 8
 * Special Ability: Hide- Go invisible.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Commander
 * Description:
 * Attack: +1, Defense: 12, Speed: 5 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Support- Adjucent troops recieve +1 attack +1 defense +1 speed.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Juggernaut
 * Description:
 * Attack: +8, Defense: 18, Speed: 1 square, Hit Points: 20
 * Special Ability: Unrelenting- Does not lose attack when below half hp, Difficult Repair- Can only heal in cities, Bulky- Cannot fit in Transports.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Kamikaze
 * Description:
 * Attack: +3, Defense: 6, Speed: 5 squares, Hit Points: 8
 * Special Ability: Self-Destruct- Deal attack damage in an area on death.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Construction
 * Description:
 * Attack: -2, Defense: 10, Speed: 4 squares, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: Build- Make cities, bases, and other buildings. Capture-  Take control of enemy cities.  Requires the city to be undefended, and you deal "capture damage" to the city's hp until it runs out, then it becomes yours.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Escort
 * Description:
 * Attack: +1, Defense: 12, Speed: 5 squares, Hit Points: 15
 * Special Ability: Shield Other- Take half damage for adjucant ally.
 * Cost:

Unit Types
Bulky: Cannot fit in transports

Flying: Only ranged attacks or other flying creatures can hit it. Ignore ground terrain.

Naval: Travel in water.

Transport: Can hold creatures, generally cannot attack.

Unit Feats
Combat Expertise: Defense up attack down

Combat Reflexes: Multiple, no counterattack possible on AoO

Endurance: Do not take a penalty for running

Improved Attack: +1 attack

Improved Counter: Counterattack at -2 penalty

Improved Defense: +1 defense

Improved Health: +3 hp

Improved Speed: +1 speed

Quick Capture: +2 capture damage

Reckless Attack: Attack up defense down

Regenerator: Recover 1 hp a round

Types of Buildings

 * Name: Headquarters
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 10, Speed: -, Hit Points: 50
 * Special Ability: Create Unit- Makes a unit, Funding- Generates funds, Repair Units- Heal 1 hp to units.
 * Cost: X funds, starting one is free.


 * Name: City
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 0, Speed: -, Hit Points: 30
 * Special Ability: Funding- Generates funds, Repair Units- Heal 1 hp to units.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Base
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 10, Speed: -, Hit Points: 30
 * Special Ability: Create Unit- Makes a unit, Repair Units- Heal 1 hp to units.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Sentry Tower
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 10, Speed: -, Hit Points: 30
 * Special Ability: Gun Platform- Attack 0 to 2 squares away. Cannot AoO.  Can hit flying.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Wall
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 18, Speed: -, Hit Points: 40
 * Special Ability: Blockade- Even terrain ignoring won't bypass, but flying will.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Factory
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 8, Speed: -, Hit Points: 30
 * Special Ability: Super Repair- Heal 2 hp a round.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Gold Mine
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 0, Speed: -, Hit Points: 30
 * Special Ability: Funding- Generates funds.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Radar
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 6, Speed: -, Hit Points: 20
 * Special Ability: Radar- Reveal Hidden units in 4 squares.
 * Cost:


 * Name: Defended City
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 10, Speed: -, Hit Points: 30
 * Special Ability: Funding- Generates funds, Repair Units- Heal 1 hp to units, Urban Warfare- Counterattack when attacked at +0 (no penalty)
 * Cost:


 * Name: Road
 * Description:
 * Attack: -, Defense: 0, Speed: -, Hit Points: 10
 * Special Ability: +1 speed for units on it. Units can move on it.
 * Cost:

Types of Terrain
Aquatic: Only naval things can cross it.

Desert: Running incurs a -4 penalty instead of -2

Forest: +3 defense vs ranged, 1/2 speed

Hills: +1 defense vs non-hill or non-mountain attackers

Marsh: 1/2 speed for bulky units

Mountains: Impassable for bulky non-flying units. 1/2 speed everyone else. +2 defense vs non-mountain.

Plains: Basic terrain

River: Shallow waters can be crossed by non-bulky at 1/2 speed, impassable for bulky.

Optional Rules

 * Weather Effects
 * Commanding Officer Powers