Squads and Command
These two new rules elements are meant to work together, but
either can be added to a game without the other and without
changing any other rules.
Command is a new feat. Squads are a special way of handling groups of NPCs in combat.
Command [General]
You can lead others more effectively in combat.
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1, Cha 12.
Benefit: You have a command value equal to the sum of your base attack bonus and your Cha modifier, and a command radius equal to your command value x 10 feet.
Once per combat you can use Command for a special benefit. Choose one of the following:
Seize the advantage: Allow any one ally within your command radius to reroll any roll and keep the better of the two results.
Take initiative: Allow any one ally within your command radius to act on your initiative count for this round only instead of its own.
Inspire the troops: Reduce fear effects on all allies within your command radius by one grade (panicked to frightened, frightened to shaken, shaken to none).
In addition, if you are using the squad rules (see below), once per round you can issue an order to squads that are under your command and within your command radius.
Using Command is a standard action that requires a command value check at DC 15.
Special: A fighter may select Command as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Squads
A squad is a group of five to 15 non-player characters
trained to work together and follow orders. For game purposes
treat a squad as a single entity. It has a single block of
stats and takes a single overall action each round, acting
as a unit.
A squad’s hit points equal the sum of all its members’ hit points. Most other stats, including AC and attack bonuses, equal the average of the individual members’ stats.
A squad takes a –4 penalty to initiative rolls, since groups do not respond as quickly as individuals.
A squad takes up the same space as a creature two size categories higher than its members. For instance, a squad of humans (medium size) takes up the same space as a single huge creature: 15 feet on a size, or three squares wide, nine squares total.
However, a squad is shapeable—when it moves it can spread out into any arrangement of contiguous spaces. A squad can gain a flanking attack bonus against a target by occupying squares on either side of it.
Ordinarily a squad may perform either one move action or one standard action per round. To attempt a full action such as charging requires an order by a commander using the Command feat (see Squad Orders, below). Individuals who abandon the squad may perform full-round actions as usual.
Squad Attacks
A squad does not make a typical attack roll. Instead it rolls
damage for an automatic number of hits each round.
A more skillful or better-led squad inflicts more hits.
A normal squad inflicts two hits per round. If the squad is reduced to fewer than 10 troops, it inflicts 1 hit per round instead.
A squad has an attack value (AV) equal to its average attack bonus + 10.
For each +4 that the AV is higher than the target's AC, the squad inflicts +1 hit per round.
For each full –4 that the AV is lower than the target’s AC, the squad inflicts 1 fewer hit per round.
If a squad is reduced to zero automatic hits per round, it gets instead a single normal attack roll using its average attack bonus against the target's AC.
Roll damage for each hit based on the squad’s most common weapon and average damage bonus.
| Squad and Target Qualities | Hits per Round |
| Normal squad | 2 hits |
| Fewer than 10 members | –1 hit |
| Each +4 AV is higher than AC | +1 hit |
| Each –4 AV is lower than AC | –1 hit |
Squad Hit Points and Damage
A squad takes damage just like a normal character. However,
the more damage a squad takes, the more men it loses and the
less effectively it functions.
When a squad takes damage equal to the average hit points of one of its members, it loses a member.
A squad also loses one member (and all that member’s hp) whenever it takes a critical hit.
A squad reduced to fewer than five members ceases to be a squad. Handle the survivors' actions individually.
Squad members that fall in battle are considered unconscious and dying. Rather than tracking survival round by round, after the battle give each fallen squad member a single Fort save at DC 10 to see if he survived.
Squad Skills and Feats
A squad uses the average skills and feats of its members,
but since its members aid each other it always gains a +2
circumstance bonus to Climb, Intimidate, Listen, Search, Spot
and Swim checks. A squad suffers a penalty of –1 per
member to Move Silently and Hide checks.
Squad Orders
Orders are the key to squad performance. Issuing an order
is a standard action requiring the Command feat. A commander
can issue an order only to a squad that is under his command
and is within his command radius.
Because issuing an order is a standard action a commander can issue no more than one order per round—however, a commander can give the same order to any number of squads as part of the same action, as long as each squad is under his command and within his command radius.
A commander can have any number of squads under his command as long as all are within his command radius. All members of the squad must be within the leader's command radius—if even one member is outside the command radius, the squad it cannot be given an order.
A squad that is outside its leader's command radius is under the DM's control. Usually it attempts to carry out its most recent orders. It can attempt no full-round actions.
While a leader can command any number of squads, a squad can be under the command of only one leader. No other leader can give an order to the squad, except for the change commander order, described below.
Squad orders include:
Attack: The squad performs one attack. Attacking is a standard action.
Change commander: Place an allied squad under your command. Coming under a new leader's command is a full-round action for the squad. If the squad is already under command of another character who is unwilling to relinquish command, this action requires opposed command value checks: Each commander rolls 1d20 + his command value. The current commander gains a +4 circumstance bonus unless the one attempting to take charge is clearly his superior in the squad's military organization, such as a higher-ranking officer or a knight of a higher noble order.
Charge: The squad moves up to twice its usual speed and then attacks. It gains +2 to its AV but suffers –2 to its AC until its next turn. Charging is a full-round action.
Disengage: The squad makes a normal move action to disengage from combat, but automatically suffers one round’s attacks from each adjacent enemy squad as it withdraws.
Move: The squad moves at its usual speed as a move action. A squad can change the shape of its spacing as part of a move.
Rally: Roll 1d20 + the commander's command value against DC 15. If it succeeds, the squad reduces fear effects by one grade (frightened to shaken, shaken to none). Rallying is a move action for the squad.
Reform: Two adjacent squads join together. Reforming squads on the battlefield removes the weaker unit and adds its hit points to the stronger unit, and otherwise uses the stronger unit’s stats, but the reformed unit must make an immediate Morale check. Reforming is a full-round action.
Run: The squad moves up to four times its usual speed. Running is a full-round action.
Take action: This is a catch-all order for telling a squad to take some other action such as moving silently, hiding, searching for something, and so on. This is a full-round action for a squad.
Commanders and Other Characters
A commander acts as an individual character. If not using
the Command feat to issue orders he can take any other actions
available to a character in combat.
Squad Morale
A squad is subject to a morale check whenever it faces any
of the circumstances described on the Morale Check Situation
table.
A morale check is a special Will save against DC 10. Add the squad’s base attack bonus as a synergy bonus. Add a further +2 bonus if the majority of the squad members carry shields. If under command, add the commander's command value to the morale check.
| Morale Check Situation | DC Modifier |
| Lost 10% to 24% of hp | +0 |
| Lost 25% to 49% of hp | +3 |
| Lost 50% of hp or more | +6 |
| Infantry facing cavalry | +2 |
| Squad outside a command radius | +2 |
| Another squad within 50 ft. fails a morale check | +2 |
| Squad attacked by magic | +2 |
| One or more squad members killed by magic | +4 |
If the morale check succeeds, the squad suffers no effects. If the check fails, the squad becomes shaken. A squad that is already shaken and fails a morale check becomes frightened; a frightened squad that fails a morale check becomes panicked.
Shaken: A shaken squad suffers a –2 penalty to its morale checks, saving throws, skill checks and its attack bonus. Each individual member is shaken.
Frightened: A frightened squad suffers a –2 penalty to its morale checks, saving throws, skill checks and its attack bonus. A frightened squad cannot be ordered to attack, although it fights back if attacked. Ordering a frightened squad to move in any direction except away from the nearest enemy triggers a morale check. Each individual member is frightened. If outside a command radius, it automatically disengages (see the disengage order) and runs away from the nearest enemy.
Panicked: A panicked squad is disrupted and ceases to be a squad—its members abandon it and flee. Each individual member is panicked. Once the squad is disrupted its members cannot be given the rally order. However, their morale as individual NPCs can be improved by a commander using the inspire the troops special action.
Squad Training
The amount of training required to turn a bunch of individual
NPCs into a squad is up to the DM, based on the experience,
discipline and morale of the troops and the trainer.
As a rule of thumb, a squad can be trained in 10 days minus the squad's base attack bonus and the trainer's command value. So if the members have an average base attack bonus of +1 and the trainer has a command value of 3, it takes six days of training to turn them into a squad.
Only a character with the Command feat can train a squad. Once the squad is trained, the trainer can designate any character with the Command feat as its leader.
Individual NPCs that have already been trained as a squad can be formed as a new squad by a commander using the change commanders and reform orders, but only if none of the NPCs are shaken, frightened or panicked.
Squad Example
A 15-man squad of militiamen is led by a 4th-level
fighter with the Command feat and Cha 13. The commander's
command value is 5 (base attack bonus +4 and Cha modifier
+1), so he has a command radius of 50 feet. The average militiaman
has 4 hp, an initiative modifier of +0, an attack bonus of
+0, a Will save bonus of +0, padded armor for +1 AC and a
longspear that does 1d8 damage.
The squad has 60 hp, but every time it takes 4 hp damage (or a critical hit) it loses one member. As a squad it rolls initiative at –4. It has an attack value of +0 and inflicts two hits per round with its longspears, for 1d8 damage each. It has a +5 modifier for morale checks thanks to its leader's command value.