Abstracting groups

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If the PCs have a group of followers, then you'll often want to abstract their actions in combat. Resolve the group's actions with as few individual moves as possible. For example, if the Marshal's crew of six opens fire on a horde of 20 crinwin, have the Marshal make a single Let Fly roll to see how it goes.

If the group deals damage to another group, or takes damage from another group, then you can roll damage once per side and abstract the results. A group deals damage and has HP and armor as though it was one individual member of the group. For example, the marshal's crew of six would deal 1d6 damage, have 8 HP, and 1 armor from their hide armor. The horde of crinwin would deal 1d6 damage, have 3 HP, and have 1 armor from their agility and reflexes.

If one group outnumbers the other, they get a +1 bonus to damage and armor for every multiplier past 1. For example, the 20 crinwin outnumber the crew of six by about 3:1, so they'd get a +2 bonus to damage and armor.

Damage represents casualties. If one group loses half its HP, then about half that group's numbers are out the action. Adjust the bonuses to damage and armor accordingly! So if the crew of six dealt 4 damage to the crinwin when they Let Fly, that'd do 1 damage after armor and reduce the crinwin from 3 HP to 2 HP. One third of the crinwin (let's say seven of them) would be out of the action, reducing their advantage to only about 2:1. Their bonus to damage and armor is now only +1.

Shift the spotlight between the group and individual PCs. Switch the scale and "zoom" of the action accordingly.

Foes that are engaged by individual PCs aren't really part of a group. So if one PC ran in and attacked two crinwin while another PC Defended and drew the attention of another three, the Marshal's crew of six would be left contending with only eight crinwin (20 to start, less 7 dead from Letting Fly, less 5 occupied by PCs). That's basically even numbers, so the crinwin have lost their bonus to armor and damage.

A group reduced to 0 HP is routed, massacred, or otherwise defeated. The fate of individuals within each group is up to you.

Keeping fights interesting

Abstracting groups

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