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Just wanted to add my little bit:

Although I would have to agree that the warcard system is simplistic and =
perhaps could have been done better, I have found that a realistic mass =
combat system can only be achieved with a fairly complex set of rules =
(even the Battlesystem rules from old D&D where fairly involved), which =
for me (I repeat, for me:)) takes away from the grand adventuring =
opportunities offered by the BR world. I don't want my player's to be =
bogged down in the endless running of domains or commanding of armies. I =
have found that all these things work wonderfully as background elements =
to the campaign and, for that reason, I want simplicity in the rules. If =
for example, there was a major war in the offing (like the 200 vs 100 =
units battle someone else mentioned), rather than try to deal with 50 =
units of archers that, admittedly, are identical, and so on, I would =
have the battle running in the background, while for example, the PCs =
try to do "heroic" things personally, like kill or capture enemy =
commanders, attack strongholds, steal funds, etc. Every so often, I =
would probably have the PCs command a smaller skirmish (half a dozen =
units on each side for example) so that they can experience the joys of =
commanding an army. However, I think it would a mistake to try to use =
the BR battle rules to run a multi-hundred unit battle - they just =
aren't designed for that sort of scale, and would become very boring =
very quickly.

I think that for battles involving no more than two dozen units total, =
the BR rules work well (yes they are basic, but they are fast and =
effective for the task at hand) in that they provide a great backdrop =
for the PCs to be heroes. I have even run battles where the PCs are =
actually involved in the fighting personally and I haven't even bothered =
to use the battle rules. I just kept throwing opponents at the PCs as =
they battled their way towards the enemy commander where they promptly =
dismembered him. Essentially, the outcome of the battle depended on the =
success of the PCs - which is not realistic, I realise, but it made the =
battle alot more tense for the PCs and gave them a great deal of =
satisfaction when they won. They knew that their characters had carried =
the day. To me, that is a great deal more fun than trying to direct a =
massive battle with rules that simply aren't suited for it.

In my opinion, the BR battle rules are useful as a tool to get the PCs =
off their thrones and into the thick of the action, not as a way to =
decide the fate of nations - it's alot easier to manage and it's alot of =
fun:).

Peter "Dragon" Hodge
- --
e-mail: dragon@uq.net.au
Website: Dragon's Lair (http://www.uq.net.au/~zzphodge)
ICQ: 2863795

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