Aerial Combat
A character with a natural flight speed is assumed to have proficiency in flying. Riding proficiency is required to use brooms, and Piloting is required to use Rugs. Spells can enable flight, but do not grant proficiency in it.
Flying Base DC
The Base DC for Aerial combat is 10 for proficient, 13 for those lacking proficiency. This is the handling for flight.
Actions
Combat of this sort applies a penalty of Disadvantage if the attacker is not proficient in this form of movement. It is otherwise the same as regular combat, with the following additional actions.
Evade
This is a movement to disengage in the air.
Grapple
This is a standard Grapple. You can lift a being if you are one size larger and succeed on a strength check against a DC 15.
Maneuver
A Maneuver is a Move action and requires a roll using the flying proficiency. The DC is 10 plus the modifier of the maneuver being done. If the PC lacks proficiency, they use Dexterity with a DC of 13 plus the modifier for the maneuver.
Some maneuvers apply penalties to other types of actions being taken; some provide additional types of actions.
Maneuver Mods
Each kind of Maneuver has a modifier, as shown below.
|
Maneuver |
Base DC |
Maneuver |
Base DC |
|
Veer (23°) |
+1 |
Climb |
+1 |
|
Arc (45°) |
+1 |
Dive |
+1 |
|
Turn (67°) |
+2 |
Strafe |
+2 |
|
Hard Turn (90°) |
+3 |
Collide |
+3 |
|
Spin (180°) |
+1 |
Hover |
+0 |
Speed Mods
Speed impacts flight DC as well. The following table lists the Base DC modifier for speeds equal to or between the lower number.
|
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
|
10 |
-1 |
60 |
+1 |
110 |
+2 |
160 |
+4 |
210 |
+6 |
260 |
+7 |
|
20 |
-1 |
70 |
+1 |
120 |
+3 |
170 |
+4 |
220 |
+6 |
270 |
+8 |
|
30 |
+0 |
80 |
+1 |
130 |
+3 |
180 |
+5 |
230 |
+6 |
280 |
+8 |
|
40 |
+0 |
90 |
+2 |
140 |
+3 |
190 |
+5 |
240 |
+7 |
290 |
+8 |
|
50 |
+0 |
100 |
+2 |
150 |
+4 |
200 |
+5 |
250 |
+7 |
300 |
+9 |
Speeds over 125 miles an hour for people unused to traveling faster than 60 miles a day are unlikely to happen, but you can adapt from here.
|
Speed Equivalents | |||||||||||||
|
Mph |
.1 |
.25 |
.5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
Speed |
.88 |
2.2 |
4.4 |
8.8 |
17.6 |
26.4 |
35.2 |
44 |
52.8 |
61.6 |
70.4 |
79.2 |
88 |
|
Mph |
15 |
20 |
25 |
30 |
40 |
50 |
60 |
70 |
75 |
80 |
90 |
100 |
110 |
|
Speed |
132 |
176 |
220 |
264 |
352 |
440 |
528 |
616 |
660 |
704 |
792 |
880 |
968 |
Climb
This is moving up in the sky.
Dive
This is moving towards the ground.
Spin
This is turning in place.
Strafe
This is a diving attack. To use it, you must ready your attack and set the condition as within reach of the target. On your turn, you begin your movement as a Strafe. When you come within striking distance, you can attempt to hit the target with a melee or ranged attack.
Turn
This is a turn.
Underwater Combat
When adventurers pursue Merow back to their undersea homes, fight off sharks in an ancient shipwreck, or find themselves in a flooded dungeon room, they must fight in a challenging environment. Underwater the following rules apply.
When making a melee weapon attack, a creature that doesn’t have a swimming speed (either natural or granted by magic) has Disadvantage on the attack roll unless the weapon is a dagger, javelin, shortsword, spear, or trident.
A ranged weapon attack automatically misses a target beyond the weapon’s normal range. Even against a target within normal range, the attack roll has Disadvantage unless the weapon is a crossbow, a net, or a weapon that is thrown like a javelin (including a spear, trident, or dart).
Creatures and objects that are fully immersed in water have resistance to fire damage. Breathing can be a bit of a challenge, but there are charms for that.
Burrowing: Burrowing uses the underwater combat option with one specific change: you cannot use any ranged attacks.
Swimming Base DC
The Base DC for underwater combat is 13 for proficient, 16 for those lacking proficiency. This is the handling for flight.
Actions
Combat of this sort applies a penalty of Disadvantage if the attacker is not proficient in this form of movement. It is otherwise the same as regular combat, with the following additional Actions.
Evade
This is a disengage underwater.
Grapple
This is a standard grapple attack.
Maneuver
A Maneuver is a Move action and requires a roll using the Swimming proficiency. The DC is 13 plus the modifier of the maneuver being done. If the PC lacks proficiency in swimming, they use Dexterity with a DC of 16 plus the modifier for the maneuver.
Some maneuvers apply penalties to other types of actions being taken; some provide additional types of actions.
Maneuver Mods
Each kind of Maneuver has a modifier, as shown below.
|
Maneuver |
Base DC |
Maneuver |
Base DC |
|
Veer (23°) |
+1 |
Surface |
+1 |
|
Arc (45°) |
+1 |
Dive |
+1 |
|
Turn (67°) |
+2 |
Close |
+2 |
|
Hard Turn (90°) |
+3 |
Collide |
+3 |
|
Spin (180°) |
+2 |
Ram |
+3 |
Speed Mods
Speed impacts Base DC of a vehicle as well. The following table lists the Base DC modifier for speeds equal to or between the lower number.
|
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
|
10 |
-2 |
60 |
+1 |
110 |
+6 |
160 |
+11 |
210 |
+16 |
260 |
+21 |
|
20 |
-1 |
70 |
+2 |
120 |
+7 |
170 |
+12 |
220 |
+17 |
270 |
+22 |
|
30 |
+0 |
80 |
+3 |
130 |
+8 |
180 |
+13 |
230 |
+18 |
280 |
+23 |
|
40 |
+0 |
90 |
+4 |
140 |
+9 |
190 |
+14 |
240 |
+19 |
290 |
+24 |
|
50 |
+0 |
100 |
+5 |
150 |
+10 |
200 |
+15 |
250 |
+20 |
300 |
+25 |
Speeds over 125 miles an hour for people unused to traveling faster than 60 miles a day are unlikely to happen, but you can adapt from here.
|
Speed Equivalents | |||||||||||||
|
Mph |
.1 |
.25 |
.5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
Speed |
.88 |
2.2 |
4.4 |
8.8 |
17.6 |
26.4 |
35.2 |
44 |
52.8 |
61.6 |
70.4 |
79.2 |
88 |
|
Mph |
15 |
20 |
25 |
30 |
40 |
50 |
60 |
70 |
75 |
80 |
90 |
100 |
110 |
|
Speed |
132 |
176 |
220 |
264 |
352 |
440 |
528 |
616 |
660 |
704 |
792 |
880 |
968 |
Dive
This is moving down in the water, towards the bottom.
Spin
This is spinning about.
Surface
This is moving up in the water, towards the surface.
Swoop
This is a curving dive, similar to a jump in the water.
Swim
This is moving forward in a straight line.
Turn
This is a turn. A roll is made using proficiency or ability against the DC of the turn. There are five turns: Veer, Arc, Turn, Hard Turn, and Spin.
Mounted Combat
A Mount is anything that can be ridden by a PC. An Imperial can be a mount for a Faery, for example. However, in this case, we are talking about beastly mounts, from the common (Horses, Hyborian WarLynx) to the uncommon (Aztani Giant Cassowary, Bears), these are animals trained to be ridden and to respond to direction.
Wild animals must be trained to be ridden, a process taking six weeks. A beast is eligible to be a mount provided:
It can be domesticated.
It is capable of learning.
It is at least one size larger than the being who will be riding it.
When you are mounted, you can choose to have the beast act Independently or Directed.
If Independent, the beast will do what it would do in a given situation, determined by your DM. They will have their own initiative roll and order.
If Directed, they will respond to your commands, use your initiative order, and your saving throws.
Mounting and Dismounting
Once during your move, you can mount or dismount a creature that is within 5 feet of you. Doing so without proficiency in Riding costs an amount of movement equal to half your speed. For example, if your speed is 30 feet, you must spend 15 feet of movement to mount a horse. Therefore, you can’t mount it if you don’t have 15 feet of movement left or if your speed is 0.
A directed mount can move and act even on the turn that you mount it.
If an effect moves your mount against its will while you’re on it, you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall off the mount, landing prone in a space within 5 feet of it. If you’re knocked prone while mounted, you must make the same saving throw.
If your mount is knocked prone, you can use your reaction to dismount it as it falls and land on your feet. Otherwise, you are dismounted and fall prone in a space within 5 feet of it. If your saving throw is a Fumble, you are pinned under the mount.
Action Types
Attacking is the most common form of Action when in combat, but there are many other kinds of actions on can take, and they do not need to only be taken during combat.
Combat of this sort applies a penalty of Disadvantage if the attacker is not proficient in this form of movement. It is otherwise the same as regular combat, with the following additional actions.
Riders can make melee, ranged, and spell attacks from mounts, and a Mount can make an additional attack on that same turn.
In either case, if the mount provokes an opportunity attack while you’re on it, the attacker can target you or the mount.
Close Attack
This is an attack that happen after closing with another being.
Lance
This is a Lance attack.
Ranged
This is making a Ranged Attack. Ranged attacks while mounted are at disadvantage.
Maneuver
A Maneuver is a Move action and requires a roll using the Riding proficiency. The DC is 10 plus the modifier of the maneuver being done. If the PC lacks proficiency in riding, they use Dexterity with a DC of 15 plus the modifier for the maneuver.
When Maneuvering, a Rider can choose to switch their Open Action and choose to take a second Maneuver in the same turn – they are focusing on the task of piloting.
Some maneuvers apply penalties to other types of actions being taken; some provide additional types of actions.
Maneuver Mods
Each kind of Maneuver has a modifier, as shown below.
|
Maneuver |
DC |
Maneuver |
DC |
Maneuver |
DC |
|
Veer (23°) |
+2 |
Shift |
+1 |
Close |
+3 |
|
Arc (45°) |
+3 |
Trot |
+1 |
Collide |
+3 |
|
Turn (67°) |
+4 |
Canter |
+2 |
Trample |
+4 |
|
Hard Turn (90°) |
+5 |
Gallop |
+3 |
Crush |
+4 |
|
Spin (180°) |
+2 |
Jump |
+2 |
Down |
+1 |
Speed Mods
Speed impacts handling of a mount as well. The following table lists the handling modifier for speeds equal to or between the lower number.
|
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
Speed |
Base DC |
|
10 |
-1 |
60 |
+1 |
110 |
+4 |
160 |
+6 |
210 |
+9 |
260 |
+11 |
|
20 |
-1 |
70 |
+2 |
120 |
+4 |
170 |
+7 |
220 |
+9 |
270 |
+12 |
|
30 |
+0 |
80 |
+2 |
130 |
+5 |
180 |
+7 |
230 |
+10 |
280 |
+12 |
|
40 |
+0 |
90 |
+3 |
140 |
+5 |
190 |
+8 |
240 |
+10 |
290 |
+13 |
|
50 |
+1 |
100 |
+3 |
150 |
+6 |
200 |
+8 |
250 |
+11 |
300 |
+13 |
Speeds over 125 miles an hour for people unused to traveling faster than 60 miles a day are unlikely to happen, but you can adapt from here.
|
Speed Equivalents | |||||||||||||
|
Mph |
.1 |
.25 |
.5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
Speed |
.88 |
2.2 |
4.4 |
8.8 |
17.6 |
26.4 |
35.2 |
44 |
52.8 |
61.6 |
70.4 |
79.2 |
88 |
|
Mph |
15 |
20 |
25 |
30 |
40 |
50 |
60 |
70 |
75 |
80 |
90 |
100 |
110 |
|
Speed |
132 |
176 |
220 |
264 |
352 |
440 |
528 |
616 |
660 |
704 |
792 |
880 |
968 |
Back
This moves the mount backwards if it is a land mount. Back can only be moved at one quarter Speed.
Canter
This is full speed. Mounts which engage in combat at a Canter begin to suffer 1 point of Fatigue after 10 rounds, and then 1 point of fatigue for every 10 rounds after that, unless they are rested.
Close
This is getting close enough for a melee attack.
Collide
This is colliding with an object or creature. This causes the speed of the mount at that turn to be applied as crushing damage to the target on a successful maneuver roll. Failure means the target sustains no damage. Success means that both creatures take damage, with the mount taking half.
Down
This is directing the mount to lie down.
Gallop
This is double full speed, a Dash or Sprint. Galloping applies a fatigue point every five rounds.
Jump
This is jumping an obstacle.
Shift
This is change from one speed to another, in either direction.
Spin
This is spinning the mount around.
Stop
This is stopping the mount. Mounts require at least five feet to stop within.
Trot
This is one half of full speed.
Turn
This is a turn
Trample:
Some creatures have Trampling attacks that target creatures in their path when moving. Riders should make an attack roll for the trampling attack.
Walk
This is the walk speed, one quarter of full speed.
Unit Combat
Unit Combat is not a normative feature of D&D 5e, despite the development of it from war gaming roots, and the goal here is not to introduce war gaming back into the game. This section is intended primarily for circumstances such as the PCs joining the Crusades or other large scale battle efforts.
The key to this is the segmenting of participants into Units. A unit is a set number of beings or creatures organized in a hierarchy that has a chain of command, with someone being at the highest point. On Wyrlde, the most likely circumstance for this is the Crusades, and the two forces involved here are the Forces of Sibola and Lemuria. The Unit sizes for each of these sides is as follows:
|
Sibolan Empire & Allies |
Lemurian Empire & Allies | |||||
|
Leader |
Unit |
Size |
Leader |
Unit |
Size | |
|
Soldier |
Soldier |
1 |
Soldier |
Soldier |
1 | |
|
Corporal |
Squad |
5 |
Corporal |
Squad |
6 | |
|
Sergeant |
Platoon |
25 |
Sergeant |
Group |
36 | |
|
Captain |
Company |
125 |
Hoblord |
Corps |
216 | |
|
Commander |
Cohort |
625 |
Captain |
Regiment |
1,296 | |
|
Major |
Brigade |
3,125 |
Major |
Battalion |
7,776 | |
|
Coronel |
Legion |
15,625 |
Lord |
Division |
46,656 | |
|
General |
Army |
78,125 |
General |
Army |
279,936 | |
Lemurian Units
For the Crusades, the unit notes are of particular interest for Lemurian units. Any given Group of Lemurian soldiers has a 3 in 6 chance of including an Orc as a unit mascot, and one squad in each Corps will be composed of Redcaps. Lemurian commanders of Hoblord or greater are always Mages and focus primarily on area of effect spells. Lemurians do not travel with food. They will eat their dead and the dead of the Sibolan army, and prefer Sibolan, so they will also steal corpses.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere of the crusades is extremely martial, and akin to every pumped-up combat scene you can think of in the morning, although by the end of the day the overall morale of the troops will be very low and fatigue will line everyone’s faces.
This sort of war is a grind, and it does not let up. It is an unremittingly horrible experience. Drive this home to players. There is no honor, no glory, no hope, no noble striving here. Really beef up the carnage aspect: the smell of blood and stench of loosened bowels, the sight of crushed bodies and severed limbs, the open vacant eyes.
Battlefields
Battles are fought on Difficult Terrain that becomes Unstable Terrain by about mid-day, and the battles typically last around six hours along well marked lines, with two hours for each side to police their wounded.
Both sides will use magic, arrows, spears, and other missiles from behind the furthest ranks, and will attempt to use cavalry whenever possible. The goal is always to cause the maximum possible death and damage to the opposing force, while still accomplishing the general objective.
Facing does apply in a battle, and the PC tokens will represent an entire unit.
Should PC’s decide to join in, they will be assigned a unit, given orders and an objective, and then be expected to accomplish it.
Adventurers are seen by Lemurian Commanders as imminent threats, and unpredictable problems, and so will focus a force on them. Sibolan Commanders will place their troops behind Adventurers. Lemurians will seek to take out Mages – either through a flanking effort with archers and their own mages, or through direct assaults.
A Battlefield will have the following elements:
The Line. This is the leading edge of the battle, the location where the fighting happens.
The Objective. This is the goal of that particular battlefield. There are three basic objectives:
Take a Keep.
Defend a Keep.
Open Battle.
The Rear. This is the area behind the Line, where commanders and medical are set up.
A Keep is usually a small stone fortress on higher ground, with a single gate and thick walls around a Complex that includes a Barracks, Stable, Kitchen, Officer’s Quarters, and assorted essential facilities, such as a Wellhouse. The battles outside and around Keeps are generally held within 1000 feet of the walls.
Units
PCs will command a Squad if 4th level or lower, a Platoon if 8th level or lower, or a Company if 12th level or lower. Units above those require assignation by a Noble and make excellent plot hooks and story leads.
Make note of the size of the Unit, and the position of the unit within the overall battlefield. The party will face a like unit from the opposing side, led by a leader of an equal CR to the average Party level.
Combat
Combat is done on an individual basis. Facing rules apply. The Lemurians will keep sending units until they have lost a full company, at which point they will retreat.
Conduct combat as normal, using the full range of effects and capabilities, on a one-on-one basis for each PC facing 3 to 5 opponents each round, until they have slain a Group’s worth of people (36). Opponents will not be able to approach from the rear, but may get in on the sides, as the PC is supported by the rest of their unit.
For every 10 rounds of combat, PC’s will experience 1 point of fatigue. At 3 points of Fatigue, they will be pulled from the Line to the Rear for two hours, then sent back.
As an option, you can run each round of combat as one-half hour of time.
Combat continues until the day ends (usually midafternoon), one side is overrun, one side surrenders, one side flees, or the objective is attained. Once Players are in the war, they cannot disengage except at the end of a day or the start of a day.
If they do leave after being involved, the objective will fail and the unit they were with will be slaughtered as a result of failure of morale – unless they take the time to heal all the wounds and injuries of the unit and provide something to keep morale high.
Outcomes
There are several things that happen during combat to the broader battle based on the actions and success or failures of the PCs. These are simplified into 3 Outcomes: Line Surges, Line Wavers, and Battle Tallies.
A Battle ends when one side retreats or the day ends (with the battle to resume the next day).
Line Surges
The actions of the PCs, if they are heroic (they cleave through three foes, they leap over the heads of the enemy to take down the squad leader, they hurl a mighty fireball that takes a chunk out of the oncoming line), and each time they score a Critical Hit, will spur morale of the troops around them. The entire line of the Sibolan side will move forward six feet.
Line Wavers
Each time they take significant damage (more than 10% of their total hit points in a single attack) or have a Fumble, the entire Sibolan line will move back six feet.
Battle Tally
At the end of each round, roll a 3d20 for the Lemurians and 1d20 for the Sibolans. That is the number of losses that round for each side, in addition to any the PC’s kill or suffer.
Retreat
If the Lemurians lose more than 20% of their troops, they will retreat one mile.
If the Sibolans lose more than 10% of their troops, they will retreat one mile.
