The PC is leading a unit of friendly combatants in a skirmish or larger-scale battle where they are organized into rank and file regiments. These are class-specific feats the PCs can take to expand their powers in this scope, many of which extend to the entire unit the PC is leading.
The overarching Mass Battle ruleset is not fully defined. To use the additional rules for large battles in the DMG as a base structure. Details will need to be worked out to determine how the prescribed feats will interact with the ruleset.
This system assumes players are using a system for mass combat such as the one published by wizards here: https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/mass-combat. However the rules are flexible and should fit into most homebrew systems without much adjustment.
Members of a unit must be within 5′ of another member.
Units are formed of relatively similar folk.
Each unit can have passive and/or triggered abilities.
BARBARIAN
Any Barbarian hero can lead a unit of frenetic warriors, and even intelligent beasts at the discretion of the GM. They have the most limited options when forming a unit, but barbarian units can be completely devastating to any foe who dares to stand in their way. In a mass battle, barbarian units gain the following:
- A barbarian’s unit may use Reckless Attack if the barbarian has it (PHB p48).
Armor of Ire
Deafened by fury, a legion of pure rage at your back, you move like the wind and cut down foes like the swift scythe of The Reaper, himself.
While this unit is lead by a barbarian it may use a Bonus Action to trigger Armor of Ire. When Armor of Ire is active the unit can only be struck by critical hits. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to the barbarian leader’s level. After which enemies have advantage when making attack roles against this unit. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or a long rest.
You may lead any number of willing creatures with a total number of hit dice less than or equal to your Barbarian level x 10. All creatures in this unit must have at least 1d8 hit die or greater, e.g., 1d8, 2d8, 1d10, etc.
CLERIC
The Cleric’s core abilities scale to the battlefield when their god calls them to war. In mass battle, all clerics have the following benefits:
- Healing targets and affects entire units.
- Turn Undead targets and affects entire units.
The Invoker
“It’s by mercy alone that I cannot recount – the memories fade and I tire – a glimpse of all things vile and cruel, haunting my dreams when I doze. The memories come more and more; are they my own or the calling chaos? I will always recall the sounds of the gods as they rose. The old ones awaken again… I am the invoker.” – Seraph
Clouds swirl above as your god speaks from the heavens with a thunderous boom, calling down a torrent of wind on the mighty Cleric and his guard, as dust a debris are driven outward an enemy is compelled to face them in a duel.
You may trigger The Invoker as a action. An enemy you can see must make a will save vs. your spell save DC or be compelled to fight you (they move intelligently and attempt to reach you; Undead have disadvantage). A powerful burst of wind spreads from your unit (60′ radius; difficult terrain). Creatures of 3 Hit Dice or less may not enter this area. At the start of their turn, units within the area must make a Strength Save vs your spell save DC. Failure means they cannot move, failure by 5 or more means they are pushed outside of this area. The wind does not affect the target of this ability. Likewise our unit is not affected and may act as normal. The effect lasts as long as you are in combat with the enemy or a number or rounds equal to your level. The challenger may bring their mount or rider (or pets).
DRUID
A unit lead by a druid in mass combat has the following benefits. A druid can control the most varied group of creatures in a skirmishing formation. Animals and humans fighting side by side, quite a frightening prospect to the enemy.
Creatures in the druids formation do not need to be rank and file. Merely within 20 feet of 2 other members, if possible.
Pro-tip: if you’re leading a regiment of Brown Bears.. be sure you have good-berries at the ready… you have now idea how much these things can eat and what they will do if hungry!
Nature is Neutral
Like dust motes, small spores carried slowly in the wind around Lichen and his people. Their foes met them with a charge stopped short, and then a melancholic gaze. Trapped in memories of childhood on a warm spring day, perhaps from a past life, they felt no more compelled to attack these people than trees.
At the start of their turn the druid may create an invisible cloud of pacifying spores around a unit he leads. This cloud lasts a number of rounds equal to the druid level. The spores automatically pacify Living creatures of Hit Dice less than the Druid level, within 20 feet. Creatures see them as neutral and will not attack unless the unit threatens them directly. A druid may do this a number a times per day equal to half their druid level.
The druid may lead a varied and thematic group of creatures of Hit Dice equal to 5 x their druid level.
WARLOCK
Treacherous Trap
As an action, the warlock may cast Armor of Agaths on the unit he leads, as a ritual (taking 10 minutes) even if they do not know this spell.
A warlock may lead a unit with total hit dice of 5 x the caster warlock level or less.
Jaerun’s dark magic gives his people the ability to take back what is theirs, and make their enemies flee in pain
FIGHTER
Fighters are champions and knights, natural leaders on the battlefield. All fighter-lead units have the following benefits during mass battles:
- The fighters unit has advantage on morale checks.
- Units may test with the fighter’s morale bonus (Charisma bonus) during a morale check if the shortest path between the leader and that unit does not intersect an enemy.
Charge of the Champions
I am the hammer, you are glowing iron.
As a Fighter, when you lead a unit on a charge (moving into combat) all of the units attacks automatically hit (unless a hit would be impossible), 1/10th are critical hits. A fighter may perform this action in battle a number of times per day equal to their fighter level.
You may lead a unit of Hit Dice up to your Fighter level x 7.
These are only some of the classes, which would you like to see next? Tell me what you think and make up some of your own.
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