Fort defenders + rearward

[Ostlaberfriese]

Hi

I have a question about the rearward stance.
Company cant choose rearward when the enemy has twice the numbers.

But most of the time, fort defenders like defending the hornburg in LotR TT are heavily outnumbered.

So no archers to defend?

Sounds not right.

Pls help me with the ringfort battle in leaves and stewed hobbit.
Enemy is outnumbering the company 6:1

[zedturtle]

Welcome Ostlaberfriese!

The rules you're looking for are:

A particular situation, like fighting on a narrow ledge, a mountain path or another condition enabling fighters to make ranged attacks at greater ease might lead the Loremaster to allow more characters to assume a Rearward position.

For makeshift fortifications like the ringfort, I'd probably allow a 1:1 ratio, and forgo the not-outnumbered requirement. In other words, at least half of the heroes have to choose a close combat stance and then the others can choose Rearward.

For well-made fortifications like Helm's Deep I'd ignore the requirement entirely (actually I'd probably use James R. Brown's mythic battles or Falenthal's simpler system).

[Falenthal]

For JamesRBrown system, you can find it here:
http://advancementpoints.blogspot.com.e ... -ring.html

In fact, I just discovered that he already has a simplified system, the so called "Mass Combat Rules". I'm going to read it tonight.

For my simplified rules (that may be very similar to the Mass Combat Rules, we'll see...), you can get them here:
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=3519

[Majestic]

Yes, welcome, Ostlaberfriese!

I agree with zedturtle. There are times (like the Hornburg and the scenario at the Ringfort) where those ordinary rules don't apply, and you have the flexibility as LM to decide when those happen. Like anything else, if you're consistent in applying things your players will understand.

And one minor quibble. You said "Company cant choose rearward when the enemy has twice the numbers", but technically the enemy has to have one more adversary to reach that point (they have to be more than double). Last night when I ran, there were six companions against six Orcs and six Wargs. They were exactly double, so up to two PCs had the option of choosing Rearward.

[Morgoth]

You could also just give the defenders a large number of opening volleys as the attacks run towards then scale the walls. Also the defenders could have a -2 or -4 for the TNs of their opening volleys (since they have high ground) and the attackers could have +2 or +4 to their TNs (since the defenders have walls).

[Glorelendil]

I would note that the rule about "more than twice as many adversaries as heroes" means that at exactly 2x, there are 3 adversaries engaged with each hero in close combat. Presumably, the reason nobody can remain in Rearward is because 3 is the most that can engage a single target; if there were one more adversary he would not be able to engage a hero, or vice versa...which is why he goes after the guy in Rearward.

I don't believe this is mentioned in the rules, but the implication is that against larger adversaries the ratio would be different. Only two large creatures can engage a single hero (page 174, bottom of left column) so it would seem that if 3 heroes were fighting 5 trolls nobody would be able to go rearward. (Although that's probably not their biggest problem if they are fighting 5 trolls.)

[eshall]

Here's step 1, the map background itself without any political/manmade markers on it at all...

[Hermes Serpent]

Spam? Or a misplaced post.

[DavetheLost]

In a mass battle like the defence of the Hornburg I think there is a distinction to be made between those shooting arrows from a distance and those engaing in close quarters work. I would treat those at a distance as simply shooting volleys. For those of the Company who chose to join the close quarters fight I would follow normal combat rules, but allow the Company to chose to defend a narrow place, or fight against opponents scaling siege ladders or the like, thus allowing more to take Rearward stance.

Defending a fortification with a large number of other combatants being a different situation entirely to the Company fighting on their own in the relative open.