4e:Warfare

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These are optional rules for conducting large-scale warfare between large armies in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, without the hassle of reducing it down to thousands upon thousands of initiative rolls.

Conducting Warfare

Warfare is conducted much like regular combat, just on different scale. Individual creatures are replaced by companies - large groups of soldiers working as a single unit. These companies may have different abilities based on their component soldiers.

During warfare, each company rolls their initiative - like in combat - and proceeds to attack, defend, use special powers, and move just like in regular combat. When a company is reduced to 0 hit points, it has been wiped out, with the men either dead or taken prisoner.

Player characters can command companies, gaining special powers based on their role and power source that they can use to make their company a more effective fighting force.

Actions in Warfare

Companies have a more limited number of actions compared to small-scale combat. In addition to any powers it might have, each company can make the following actions in warfare:

Standard

• Charge: Pick a target. The company moves up to its speed toward the target and makes a basic attack against it with a +1 bonus to the attack roll. The company can't take any further actions during this turn, except free actions.
• Escalade: A company can attempt to escalade any enemy fortification that it is adjacent to. The company attempts to enter by force by making a basic attack against it. On a hit, the fortification is considered to be besieged. While a fortification is besieged, the companies within grant combat advantage and take ongoing 5 damage. If the besieging company is no longer adjacent, due to forced movement or death, the fortification is no longer besieged.

Minor

• Fortify: The company enters a fortified area or transport.

Move

• Double-Time: The company moves up to its speed + 2. The company grants combat advantage to all enemies until the start of its next turn. If it leaves a square adjacent to an enemy, that enemy can make an opportunity attack against the company.
• March: The company moves up to its speed. If it leaves a square adjacent to an enemy, that enemy can make an opportunity attack against the company.
• Shift: The company moves 1 square. Its movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

Free

• Disembark: The company leaves a fortified area or transport.

Commanding

Characters can choose two at-will and one encounter powers with the "warfare" keyword, so long as those powers match either the role or the power source of their characters.

Armies

Unit Types

Companies

A company is a group of soldiers who operate as a single unit. They all wield similar weaponry and wear similar armor. Many companies are either infantry or cavalry, but there can be stranger types out there - depending on setting. A company can be led by a player character directly, granting them benefits. If they are not being commanded directly, they can still be directed by any member of the party.

Catapults, cannon and the like have special rules (see Siege Equipment, below)

Mercenaries

Mercenaries are additions to standard companies with their own cost. They can add attack powers and traits to the company they are a part of. Out of warfare, mercenaries can be swapped between companies, but not during warfare.

Siege Equipment

Siege equipment is a special kind of warfare unit. Their attacks can not only target enemy companies, but also enemy fortifications. Siege equipment is most often used in taking enemy strongholds.

Siege equipment can be captured. If a unit of siege equipment is reduced to 0 hit points, an adjacent company can take control. That company is removed from play and the siege equipment returns to play at full hit points, now allied with unit that took control.

Creating Units

Companies are built much like standard creatures, but with reduced speed to signify marching pace: 2-3 for infantry or other sorts of troops on foot, 5-6 for cavalry or other sorts of troops with transportation.

	AC	Def	Hit	Avg Dmg
Level 0 company	14	12	+5	8
Per level	+1	+1	+1	+1

The following are recommendations for hit points based on company role.

	HP	Speed	AC	Damage
Light Infantry	24+8/lev	2
Heavy Infantry	24+8/lev	2	+2
Light Cavalry	24+8/lev	6	+2
Heavy Cavalry	26+10/lev	5	-2	+25%
Light Artillery	21+6/lev	3
Heavy Artillery	24+8/lev	2
Siege	26+10/lev	1		+50%

Each company costs the same amount as a magic item of equal level. However, when a company is killed in combat, it is lost, so they are investments to use wisely. Even if you have a lot of gold to spend, there may not always be more companies to hire on, especially if they keep dying under your command.

Mercenaries are small additions to companies that comprise of extra attacks/traits, such as bonuses to initiative or extra damage. Each mercenary increases the cost of a unit by a fifth of its original cost, but can often turn a company into an elite fighting unit.