Note: This skill doen't handle the actual resolution of combat on a mass scale; it is merely a tool for abstract adjudication of large-scale combat. In other words, a guide to hand-waving mass combat.
Knowledge (warfare)
(Int; Trained Only)
You are educated in the military arts: leading soldiers to battle, dealing with military personnel, and the logistics of war. Warfare is the skill of commanders, generals, and kings (as opposed to Profession: soldier, which is the skill of soldiers, sergeants, and squad-leaders).
Check: Using this skill allows you to effectively conduct large-scale battles. The base DC is 10 plus any applicable modifiers, as detailed below.
Ambush: You can use Knowledge (warfare) to conduct a large-scale ambush, gaining a surprise round against your opponent(s). Conducting a large-scale ambush requires three Warfare checks: First, you must succeed a survey battlefield check prior to combat; second you must succeed an ambush check (see below), third you must succeed a deploy troops check to coordinate the trigger-point of the ambush.
The result of your ambush check (step two) is opposed by the opponent commander’s (or a scouting force’s) Perception check. If all three checks are successful, your troops gain one full round of surprise (as opposed to a normal surprise round, which is limited to a standard or move action).
Deploy Troops: During a battle you can issue commands to your troops to perform specific offensive or defensive maneuvers, guiding their actions around the battlefield. The DC to deploy troops utilizes Table: Battlefield Modifiers and Table: Deployment Modifiers.
Survey Battlefield: Prior to or at the start of a battle, you can survey the terrain on which the battle will be fought. The DC of the check is based on the projected size of the battlefield, terrain involved, and miscellaneous factors such as weather, as shown on Table: Battlefield Modifiers. Surveying a battlefield requires 1 minute. You can conduct a quickened survey as a full-round action with a +20 increase to the DC. For each minute you spend surveying beyond the first, you gain a cumulative +1 competence bonus on the survey check. A successful Craft: cartography check (DC 20, 200 gp) is sufficient to create a scale representation of the battlefield for lengthy study.
If successful, you gain a +2 competence bonus on Knowledge (warfare) checks made to deploy troops during the battle (or ambush). For every five points by which you beat the DC you gain an additional +2 bonus, to a maximum of twice your ranks in Knowledge (warfare). If the survey check fails by 5 or more, you suffer a -2 penalty to Knowledge (warfare) checks made to deploy troops during the battle.
Establish/Maintain Supply Lines: Through bartering and cartographic planning you can maintain a steady flow of supplies for your troops. The DC to establish or maintain a supply line is 10 + 2 per 20 miles of distance. To increase an established supply line by up to 20 miles requires a DC 20 Knowledge (warfare) check. You can increase an established supply line by more than 20 miles with a single check, but the DC increases by +2 for every mile beyond 20 that you attempt. You must make one check per week to maintain current supply lines.
When a supply line is broken, a successful Knowledge (warfare) check (DC 10 + 2 per 20 miles distance to break) informs you where (and possibly why) the break happened. Re-establishing supply lines is treated as forming new supply lines to a reliable supply source, though you can take 10 without extra effort in regions that previously supplied you.
Action: Surveying a battlefield is discussed above: normally minimum 1 minute. Deploying troops is a free action (or a standard action, see Table: Deployment Modifiers). Establishing a supply line requires 1 hour per 20 miles of distance the supply line must cover. Maintaining current supply lines requires 1 hour per 50 miles of supply line each week. Increasing a supply line requires 1 hour per 20 miles of new distance the supply line must cover.
Try again: No, except for Extablish/Maintain Supply Lines and Deploy Troops.
Untrained: As with all Knowlegde skills, you cannot make an untrained Knowledge (warfare) check with a DC higher than 10.
Special: A ranger may apply his favored terrain and favored enemy bonuses to Knowledge (warfare), if applicable.
| Situation | DC Modifier |
|---|---|
| Battlefield Size | +2 per 100 sq. yds.1 |
| Quicken Survey | +20 |
| Visibility | |
| clear/light clouds | +0 |
| rain, snow, dust | +2 |
| severe weather | +2 |
| Obstacles (trees, monoliths, etc.) | +2 |
| Terrain | |
| flat, open terrain | -2 |
| moderately level terrain | +0 |
| frequent hills, duels, banks, etc. | +2 |
| rough terrain | +5 |
| familiar terrain | -2 |
| alien terrain2 | +2 or more |
| fortification3 | +20 |
| 1The first 100 square yards of a battlefield does not receive this modifier. 2Alien terrain is any terrain not found on your home plane of existence, or terrain for which you are not suited to live (such as the astral plane or underwater, if you are human). 3If you are assaulting a fortification, it is unlikely you will glean any benefit from the battlefield, as fortresses are designed to withstand assault. This modifier does not apply if you are defending a fortification. | |
| Situation | DC Modifier |
|---|---|
| Opposing force outnumbers yours by: | |
| 25%-49% | +2 |
| 50%-75% | +5 |
| 75% or more | +10 |
| Inadequate means of communication1 | +5 |
| Troop Morale | |
| High | -2 |
| Low | +2 |
| 1Normally a free action, assuming you have a reliable means of communicating with your troops, whether that is through messengers, magic, or some other method. Without adequate means of communication, not only is it harder to command troops, but the time required increases to a standard action. This does not include the time required to deliver the message, which is dependent on the means of delivery. | |
Check: Using this skill allows you to effectively conduct large-scale battles. The base DC is 10 plus any applicable modifiers, as detailed below.
Ambush: You can use Knowledge (warfare) to conduct a large-scale ambush, gaining a surprise round against your opponent(s). Conducting a large-scale ambush requires three Warfare checks: First, you must succeed a survey battlefield check prior to combat; second you must succeed an ambush check (see below), third you must succeed a deploy troops check to coordinate the trigger-point of the ambush.
The result of your ambush check (step two) is opposed by the opponent commander’s (or a scouting force’s) Perception check. If all three checks are successful, your troops gain one full round of surprise (as opposed to a normal surprise round, which is limited to a standard or move action).
Deploy Troops: During a battle you can issue commands to your troops to perform specific offensive or defensive maneuvers, guiding their actions around the battlefield. The DC to deploy troops utilizes Table: Battlefield Modifiers and Table: Deployment Modifiers.
Survey Battlefield: Prior to or at the start of a battle, you can survey the terrain on which the battle will be fought. The DC of the check is based on the projected size of the battlefield, terrain involved, and miscellaneous factors such as weather, as shown on Table: Battlefield Modifiers. Surveying a battlefield requires 1 minute. You can conduct a quickened survey as a full-round action with a +20 increase to the DC. For each minute you spend surveying beyond the first, you gain a cumulative +1 competence bonus on the survey check. A successful Craft: cartography check (DC 20, 200 gp) is sufficient to create a scale representation of the battlefield for lengthy study.
If successful, you gain a +2 competence bonus on Knowledge (warfare) checks made to deploy troops during the battle (or ambush). For every five points by which you beat the DC you gain an additional +2 bonus, to a maximum of twice your ranks in Knowledge (warfare). If the survey check fails by 5 or more, you suffer a -2 penalty to Knowledge (warfare) checks made to deploy troops during the battle.
Establish/Maintain Supply Lines: Through bartering and cartographic planning you can maintain a steady flow of supplies for your troops. The DC to establish or maintain a supply line is 10 + 2 per 20 miles of distance. To increase an established supply line by up to 20 miles requires a DC 20 Knowledge (warfare) check. You can increase an established supply line by more than 20 miles with a single check, but the DC increases by +2 for every mile beyond 20 that you attempt. You must make one check per week to maintain current supply lines.
When a supply line is broken, a successful Knowledge (warfare) check (DC 10 + 2 per 20 miles distance to break) informs you where (and possibly why) the break happened. Re-establishing supply lines is treated as forming new supply lines to a reliable supply source, though you can take 10 without extra effort in regions that previously supplied you.
Action: Surveying a battlefield is discussed above: normally minimum 1 minute. Deploying troops is a free action (or a standard action, see Table: Deployment Modifiers). Establishing a supply line requires 1 hour per 20 miles of distance the supply line must cover. Maintaining current supply lines requires 1 hour per 50 miles of supply line each week. Increasing a supply line requires 1 hour per 20 miles of new distance the supply line must cover.
Try again: No, except for Extablish/Maintain Supply Lines and Deploy Troops.
Untrained: As with all Knowlegde skills, you cannot make an untrained Knowledge (warfare) check with a DC higher than 10.
Special: A ranger may apply his favored terrain and favored enemy bonuses to Knowledge (warfare), if applicable.
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