Draconis Player Handout

So I've compiled a document for new players that enter the Draconis campaign. It's a sort of Setting Bible slash Player's Handout. And instead of listing dates and timelines and dreary histories, I've opted to show, not tell.

Curious yet?

Click ye here.

The (Walking) Red Dead

The Red Death originating out of Aurora quickly spread to the surrounding, prosperous cities of the south. Those infected with the plague who managed to travel from Aurora to its neighboring settlements spread the infection. In a matter of months, the southlands as well as the heartlands of the Empire of Draconis were overrun with walking dead.

When infected, a victim of the Scarlet Plague suffers from a sickening fever. Within hours, the victim dies of the infection. A victim's skin turns unnaturally red (hence the name of the disease). A short time later, which can be minutes or hours, the deceased victim reopens its eyes, now shining with a crimson light, to spread the infection further.

RED DEAD
Medium humanoid (undead), unaligned

Armor Class 8
Hit Points 9 (2d8)
Speed 20 ft.

STR     DEX     CON     INT  WIS  CHA
11 (+0) 6 (-2)    10 (+0)  7 (-2) 8 (-1) 6 (-2)

Damage Immunities necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 9
Languages understands the languages it spoke in life but can't speak
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Strength in Numbers. The Red Dead has advantage on attack rolls when adjacent to another Red Dead.

ACTIONS
Grapple. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, contested by the targets Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. Target is grappled if attack succeeds. The target can escape the grapple on its turn by succeeding another contested check.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d6) piercing damage. The target contracts the Red Death. Every hour, the target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution save or suffer one level of exhaustion. The Red Death can only be cured by magical means such as Lesser Restoration or Remove Curse. A victim dying of the Red Death rises 1d4 hours later as a Red Dead.

ENVIRONMENT
All

A Trader subclass for 5E

In the deserts of Athas, the setting of Dark Sun, great merchant houses ferry the goods needed to survive from city to city. The characters that serve a key purpose in these merchant houses are the Dune Traders. 

In the post-fall wilderness of Draconis, trading goods between communities has become essential to survival. In the Plaguelands, the powerful faction known as The Guild is only just now emerging on the forefront. With a strong presence in Trade Town, the Guild is a key organization in the supply, survival and travel needs of the communities of the Plaguelands. With dozens of thieves, assassins and vagabonds in its employ, it is also a network of less reputable individuals. None are so valued however as the Traders. 

TRADER is an archetype for the 5th Edition Rogue class. Traders are rogues that specialize in merchandise, profit, social contacts and negotiation. Without Traders, the economy of the post-apocalyptic wilderness communities would quickly collapse. They provide a strong network of tightening economic dependency between the communities. As a Trader, you quickly grow into an economic linchpin of your party.

Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in two skills or artisan's tools of the following list: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion and Calligrapher's Supplies, Cartographer's Tools or Jeweler's Tools.

Fast Talk

At 3rd level, you gain the ability as a bonus action on your turn, to make a Charisma (Persuasion) or (Deception) check, opposed by the target's Wisdom (Insight) to talk your way out of sticky situations. You can use your fast talk in bargaining situations or to gain advantage on your next attack roll.

Trade Tongue

At 9th level, you learn two additional languages. You are implied to have learned these languages in your career as a trader. They can be common as well as exotic languages.

Exceptional Contact

During your adventures, you have made contacts with various communities and organizations. At 13th level, one of these contacts - either a warlord or guild leader or community leader - develops into an exceptionally strong ally. At any time, you can invoke this ally's aid in a situation. For all intents and purposes, the ally acts as if under the influence of Charm Person. 

Leverage

At 17th level, your contacts, trading partners, personal standing and credit and personal wealth are such that you can immediately procure any service (including spellcasting services, as per the PHB's chapter on Equipment) you want. In addition, you can maintain an aristocratic lifestyle at no cost and suffer no expense for food, drink and lodging.

Plaguelands Map

The Keep sits square in the middle of the area called "The Plaguelands", a region swarming with Red Dead.

1 Hex = 6 miles

The Keep

Over the years, the survivors of the Red Death banded together into close-knit communities and even New Kingdoms rising out of the ashes of the old. The survivor-community of the Keep is led by Samira (9th level Cleric of Life), a Qahtani woman in her early fifties and original founder of the community in the wake of the Red Death. The authorities of the Keep are in fact all retired adventurers. Samira is the wisest and most charismatic of the bunch and their leader. Samira is unmarried but has in the past had romantic feelings for Roland, her second in command. She is still fit and beautiful for a woman her age. She has coffee-colored skin and mesmerizing green eyes. In conversation, she always pauses for a few seconds before speaking herself.

Roland (8th level Fighter Champion) is Samira’s primary field captain. He has salt and pepper hair and beard and an easy smile. Roland has a war story for every occasion and enjoys showing young explorers the ropes. Roland leads the wilderness patrols together with his lieutenant Tembe, a Qahtani (5th level Fighter Champion) and serjeant Amy (3rd level Ranger).

Tembe and his father were part of the second wave of survivors to enter the Keep. The elder Alqubulahni has since passed away and Tembe strives to live up to his father’s legacy. The young Alqubulahni is black-skinned and beautiful and remarkably perceptive for someone of his strength. Tembe likes to point out small details.

Amy is a woman in her early thirties with auburn hair and one hazel eye. Her left eye was stabbed out in a fight with some red ghouls and she has covered the socket with an eyepatch ever since. She always speaks in a soft, husky voice and is prone to understatements. She also gets most of her calories from alcohol and when she’s not on patrol, she is a visitor of the Saddled Dragon Inn. Amy was born in the Keep and is Rodrick’s daughter. Her mother died in childbirth and Amy practically spent her teenage years alone in the Keep or secretly sneaking outside through the Dragon Egress.

Allison (5th level Dragonblood Sorcerer) provides arcane support. Her arms, legs, shoulders and back are covered with small silver scales. Her hair is also silver and she likes to sway and twirl when idle. Allison is very energetic and interested in other persons. Allison came to the Keep only a few months ago and fell under Samira’s sway. She decided to stay and is loyal to Samira, if somewhat impulsive.

The patrol is further composed of 4 1st level Fighters (Sharon, Alex, Mark and Jessica) and 24 Town Guards. Patrols are typically armed and armored with plate mail, shield, lance, flail and longsword for all Fighters and scale mail, shield, light crossbows and a hand weapon (1d6) for town guards. Samira, Roland, Tembe, Amy and Allison all have magical and/or Bloodsteel items.

The Elven wizard Arasil (10th level) has a tower in the Keep but he is seldom present (1 in 6 chance every week), choosing instead his abode in the forest. He is reluctant in taking on apprentices but every once in a while sees the potential in someone of great intellect or charisma. Arasil’s appearance is unkempt and he dresses in dirty robes. He nevertheless has an indiscernible magnetism about him. He speaks in complex sentences and is not afraid to show his intelligence. His abode on the border of the marsh provides him with arcane power. Over the centuries, Arasil has forgotten more than most young humans have experienced.

The Keep is home to a community of about 100 survivors, half of whom can be called on to serve as Town Guards. They live in about twenty small dwellings, some in tents, within the walls of the Keep. The Keep is also a hotbed of trade and scavenging or adventuring, so no less than three inns can be found within its walls. One of its inns, The Saddled Dragon, is particularly adventurer-friendly and is source of tales and rumours.

Instead of various stores, the Keep has a trading post at its center around which essential services are provided. Being a community which relies on physical might for protection, it has a specialized armorer, Rodrick, as well as a blacksmith, Robert.

Rodrick, is an old man who in the days of the Empire was well-versed in the working of Bloodsteel. Though the Keep’s current facilities are insufficient to forge the magical metal from Bloodstone, Rodrick recognizes Bloodsteel on sight and is able to reforge items made from the stuff. He is a font of knowledge about mining, smithing, armor and metallurgy and is eager to pass on his knowledge, if only an able apprentice could be found. Rodrick is barrel-chested and muscled and despite his age still exudes strength. He is fond of bawd tales but very protective of his daughter Amy.

Robert, the blacksmith, is also broad of build. He shaves his pate but has grown a thick red beard. Robert isn’t much of a talker but he laughs (“HAR HAR!”) loudly at Rodrick’s tales. Robert was born in the Keep.

The trading post and surrounding market provide all the equipment found in the D&D Starter Set equipment list except for animals. These are so valuable that they are not for sale. Furthermore, as gold and silver were the coin of the old realm, barter is the method of purchase. Samira’s old adventuring comrade Durin (9th level Dwarven Rogue Thief) runs the trading post. As the center of trade of the Keep and its surrounding lands, Durin hears many tales and can provide adventurers with a large assortment of rumours and tips. He is still in his prime and has rough dark looks.

The Saddled Dragon Inn owes its name to its central characteristic: the saddle used by the Keep’s Dragonlord master in the days of the Empire. The huge saddle acts as the table reserved for regular patrons of the inn’s common room, as well as its proprietor Martin. The inn building itself served as the abode of the Keep’s Dragon in the old days and is very lofty and spacious with enormous double doors providing entrance.

One of Martin’s patrons, Prince Thelion of Vala, is the heir of one of the southern New Kingdoms. He has come to the Keep a few weeks ago, alone, to find resources to support and build his kingdom. He claims his party was lost in his time in the wilderness or felled by the undead.

The Keep was founded by a female Wizard Lord of Draconis utilizing a powerful spell of the tenth grade – Magical Fortress. As such, its walls, central keep and church appear as if carved from a single rock. That measure of power, however, demands an enormous amount of magic as the plains surrounding the Keep provide only the means to power spells of up to the fifth grade. That means that there is either a defunct ley line somewhere nearby, or that the Wizard Lord or her accompanying dragon utilized powerful artifacts in the Keep’s construction. The Keep has a powerful ward on it that keeps undead from entering its premises.

Finally, the Keep boasts a small Church, serviced by Samira and half a dozen acolytes. One of the PCs can be Samira’s apprentice.

The Defiance of the Dragons and the Red Death

Continuing the history of Draconis

The Empire of the Dragonlords did not last. Reigning from Dragonback out of Aurora, the realm of Draconis prospered. But with the settlement and development of the continent, the land's natural magic was diminished. In time, Aurora's lords and wizards grew entirely dependent on their Dragon allies and the mineral known as Bloodstone.

Natural Bloodstone deposits amplify the flow of magic around them but when mined, the mineral can be forged into Bloodsteel, the key material of magical armor, weapons, and wondrous items. The armies of Draconis came to depend on their Bloodsteel equipment and the mined Bloodstone was used as the foundation of magical knowledge throughout the realm.

The advance of civilization and its accompanying disruption of the natural flow of magic, as well as the ruthless mining and exploitation of Bloodstone came to anger the Dragons. A rift grew between the humans of Aurora and the Dragons, culminating in what scholars now term "The Defiance of the Dragons".

Within one week, all Dragons on Draconis left their human companions and went into hiding in places unknown. High-level magical research ground to a halt and many of the realm's more advanced spells failed. Aurora's most gifted arcane talent, a man known as Aenarys, sought a way to continue the magical advancement of the Empire and he turned his research to Bloodstone.

For years Aenarys toiled in his laboratories. Researching draconic lore and experimenting with Bloodstone. On one fateful day, however, his experiments backfired and a crimson mist rose up from his arcane spire. Within minutes, the entire holy city of Aurora was blanketed in the red haze. Victims exposed to the mist died within moments. Only those strongest of will or body were able to escape its grasp. Those that died from inhaling the crimson vapor rose again as ghouls, their skin taking on a red hue and their eyes shining with an unnatural red light.

The mist slowly dispersed throughout the realm. The malady that gripped Draconis came to be known as the Red Death as thousands died and rose again as red-eyed, red-hued ghouls. The southern cities were the first to fall. Over the course of three years, the Red Death spread across the continent. Major population centers were depopulated and evacuated. The only respite came from the Church, whose clerics and paladins were able to turn and destroy the undead. Towns and cities where the Church was strongest were able to hold out untill the plague had run its course. Population centers without powerful priests were doomed. Many people fled into the countryside and organized themselves into warbands.

A generation has passed since the Red Death. Aurora has become an abandoned husk. The Empire of Draconis has fallen. Many cities are battlefields between the undead and the living. The wilderness teems with warbands and lawless rovers. Here and there, palisaded communities of survivors led by priests or warlords eke out a living in the countryside.

Amidst all this anarchy, rumours circulate that the Dragons have returned...

Empire of the Dragonlords

From the history books of the Loremasters of Draconis:

It is no secret that the ancient tribes of Mankind learned the ways of magic from otherworldly beings. Under the guidance of the Eldar, the Men of Aurora prospered. Great towers and palaces were raised unto the skies, shaped by the magic power of the land. The Eldar were wise in the ways of magic and arcane knowledge, including the mightiest of spells, was at its height in those early days of Empire.

Men being men, however, desired ever greater power. And even the mightiest of spells, of the ninth and tenth grade, were not enough to satisfy these desires. So men sought out the original sorcerers of the Earth - the Dragons.

Over decades, the wizard-lords of the Empire fought and subjugated the mighty Dragons. Eventually, an accord was reached by the more orderly Dragons and the wizard-lords of the Realm. The Empire of Draconis entered a new phase of expansion as Man and Dragon entered into an arcane alliance.

The Eldar, seeing their strict teachings disregarded and forgotten, fought against these Dragonlords but to no avail. The power of the Eldar was broken and the Dragonlords reigned supreme. The Dragonmen, children of the Dragons, established themselves within the borders of Mankind. The Empire of Draconis expanded to encompass the entire continent. Expeditions on dragonback established footholds on the eastern continent of the Enlightened, as well as on the continent to the south, the ancestral birthplace of Mankind.

The Eldar, broken and on the run, fled into the forests and glades, the hidden and secret places of the Earth. There, those that still upheld the arcane mysteries developed as the High Elves. The Eldar that abandoned the magical ways and embraced their lives in the wilderness became Wood Elves.

The Empire of Draconis, with Aurora as its capital, grew and prospered for centuries. But without the guidance of the Elves, Man's cities choked and blocked the natural flow of magic across the land. The Men of Aurora grew dependent solely on their bond with the Dragons, their magical knowledge slowly fading. As long as that bond lasted, the Empire thrived. But that bond, as all things, came to an end - as did the Empire.

The Siege of Antissa part 3 - Opening Moves

Prince Evander, his nephew Prince Leolar and the Duchess Ylsandre have drawn up their forces outside of the City of Antissa, capital of the Alliance, demanding forceful entrance. Inside of Antissa's walls, King Kenneth has shored up his defenses. Thousands of citizen-soldiers stand ready to defend their home. At the start of the first week of the siege, each party's actions are as follows:

Antissa (BR 170)
Though Antissa is a large city, high-level wizards and sorcerers are rare. Only 1 in 128.000 attains that level and Antissa's archmage Tenser is missing. The city is therefore unable to teleport in food at the moment. The city does have access to the priests of the Celestial Mountain, five of whom are able to provide food daily to a total of 75 people. In addition, High Ecclesiarch Terenas Vayder is able to provide for 120 people each day and will pray for Divine Intervention from Bahamut. Antissa has prepared six months of food for storage (7,2 million units) and Kenneth immediately rations that to food once per 3 days for commoners. Soldiers get a full allotment each day. Water can be supplied from the springs beneath the Celestial Mountain. In total, Antissa loses 108,600 food units each week. At this rate, Kenneth can hold Antissa for 66 weeks - more than a year!

In terms of siege actions, Kenneth chooses to Harras the Elven forces.

High Elves (BR 160)
The Elves have just arrived on the field of battle, without siege engines and with only meager supplies. They currently have enough food to feed their numbers for two weeks. In their first day, the Elves scour the countryside to extend their stores for an additional week. During the rest of the week, four heavy catapults (+8 BR) are constructed.

The first week of the siege
Though Terenas prays for Divine Intervention each wake, his prayers go unanswered.
Kenneth's harrasment of Evander's forces results in the first skirmish of the siege. Kenneth rolls a 19 on a d100 for a total Battle Result of 170+19 = 189. Evander rolls a 25 for a total of 185. Kenneth has caught the Elves while they were still settling in!

But his succes is only marginal. 20 Elves are killed, another 20 wounded. 3,960 battle-ready Elves, under the command of three formidable spellcasters, still remain...

The Siege of Antissa part 2 - Defenses and Siege Engines

Basic D&D's War Machine had an addendum rules set called Siege Machine, developed specially for sieges. Using the Siege Machine rules, we will further chart the course of the Siege of Antissa.

Defenses
Antissa is an old city-state and has survived multiple extended wars, magical conflicts and even divine intervention. Its defenses are formidable and consist of the following:

- 4 cannons* +12 BR
- 3 trebuchets +12 BR
- 8 ballistas +2 BR
- in stronghold +50 BR

Each weapon has enough ammunition for a year's worth. King Kenneth is not a risk taker.

Furthermore, Antissa's army outnumbers Silvanor's army 1,5 to 1, yielding an additional +15 BR. Furthermore, Antissa is defending its own domain and receives a +10 BR for morale.

*In the original Siege Machine rules, cannons were not listed. In my campaign, cannons are very real. Comparing the 5E statistics on page 255 of the DMG yields the cannon as dealing the same amount of damage as a trbuchet. In Siege Machine, a trebuchet gives a +12 BR, therefore, the cannons give a +12 BR each.

Elven siege equipment
The High Elves of Silvanor are only fresh out of a home and have hurried to their former-ally. In their hurry, the forces of Evander have not yet been able to construct siege engines.
The Elves additionally receive a +10 bonus for their superior quality against Antissa's citizen army.


Final Notes
As Prince Evander arrives at Antissa's gates, the Battle Ratings of both forces stand as follows:

Antissa: 170
Silvanor: 160

The Siege of Antissa part 1 - Mustering the Forces

As described in my last post, I will attempt to convert Basic D&D's War Machine rules to the Sunset Realm. The capital city of Antissa is under siege by High Elven forces who are pissed at the loss of their homeland. As the PCs are currently far away, investigating a dark tower and having been warned by Antissa patrols not to come near the city, the siege is happening mostly offscreen. And though I love miniature battles, playing solitary is not one of my hobbies. Therefore I turn to War Machine to determine the fate of Antissa and the High Elves.

The strength of forces in War Machine is determined by calculating the Battle Rating (BR) of a troop. The Battle Rating is determined by a number of factors: leadership, experience, training, equipment and special circumstances.

Antissa
Antissa's army is composed of a force of trained citizens (4,500), the Red Guard (1,500) and the King's Pistoliers (100). In addition, King Kenneth commands four airships and possesses a few formidable cannons on the city walls.

Leadership: the determining factors in leadership are the commander's level and his Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma modifiers. In the case of Antissa, King Kenneth himself is a capable war leader, a 9th level Paladin. His Intelligence is 13, his Wisdom 11 and his Charisma 17. Antissa's leadership factor is 13.

Experience is factored by both the average level of the officers in the force as well as the level of the troops. Most officers (whether knights or veterans, both out of the 5E Monster Manual) still have a +2 proficiency bonus, implying that their level cannot be higher than 4. Considering Antissa's martial tradition and excellent training facilities, let's state that the average officer level is 4. Multiplying by 3 as per the War Machine rules gives us a rating of 12.
For the troops, the average level must be multiplied by 2 to calculate the rating. Antissa's army is well trained but not exceptional.  Let's set the average level at 2 to get a rating of 4.
In addition to these factors, a +1 is added for every battle won in the last 10 years and a -1 is factored in for every battle lost in that same time. In my campaign, during the War with Aurora a few years ago, Antissa's army lost the first battle but won the siege and the ensuing field battle. For these experiences, a total of +1 is added to the experience battle rating for a total of 17.

Training: for every week spent in training the last year, +1 may be added to the factor, up to a maximum of 20. Antissa's army is highly disciplined so may apply the full +20 to the battle factor. For every week that the commander trains with the army, an additional +1 may be added up to a +20. King Kenneth is a capable war leader, yet his royal duties prevent him from spending a full training regimen with his armies. He spends one week every moon with his troops, providing a +12 to the battle factor. An additional +1 may be gained for every month the troops as a whole are on duty and not in their homes or forts. As Antissa's army is a citizen army, this factor does not apply. Antissa's total training factor is 32.

Equipment: the quality of equipment determines the last major part of the battle factor. Average quality equipment provides 5, good quality 10 (double the base cost), excellent quality (triple the base cost) 15. Antissa is a rich kingdom and has a well-maintained armory, yet also suffers from the iron shortage that grips the land. As such, the equipment factor is "only" 5.

Adding all these numbers yields a Basic Force Rating of 67, which reads as "Fair" on the Troop Class Table.


The besieging High Elves
The 4,000 strong High Elven army is commanded by Prince Evander, seconded by Prince Leolar and Duchess Ylsandre (King Kenneth's grandmother). Evander is 11th level Fighter/Wizard with Int 20, Wis 11, Cha 14. Leolar is a 9th level Eldritch Knight and Ylsandre is a 9th level Wizard (Enchantress). The Elven leadership factor is 18, +4 for two level 9+ officers for a total of 22.

The High Elven forces are slightly more experienced in matters of war than their human opponents, having held the glades of Silvanor against goblins, monsters and other scum for centuries. Let's set the officers' average experience level at 6 (for 18) and the average troop level at 4 (for 8). For all their experience, the Elves haven't had to fight in a major battle for decades so they gain no additional bonus or penalty. Their experience factor is 26.

The Elves are rigorous soldiers and martial training is part of their routine. As such, both the troops and their leader Prince Evander train regularly and gain the full +40 bonus to the battle factor. They have been fighting together for a month in the field now, for a +1 bonus. The Elven training factor is 41.

Taking care of your ancestral weapons and armor is part of the High Elven martial training. As such, the Elves are in possession of "good" quality weaponry for a factor of 10.

Special: in War Machine, certain troops gain a bonus to the battle factor depending on ancestry. Dwarves and Elves receive an additional 15 points to the battle factor. Monsters with certain special abilities (such as spectres, dragons, etc) gain an additional 2 points. As an Elven army, Evander's forces gain 15 points.

Adding all these numbers yields a Basic Force Rating of 114, a quality of "Excellent" on the Troop Class Table.


Determining the final Battle Rating (BR)
War Machine further accounts for force composition by adding 1/10th of the Basic Force Rating to the Battle Rating every time one of the following statements is true. For ease of reference, I have copied the statements here to account for both Antissa's and Evander's armies.

Mounted:
a. 20% or more of the force is mounted. (Antissa Y/Elves N)
b. 40% or more of the force is mounted. (Antissa N/Elves N)
Missiles:
c. 20% or more of the force can use missile fire. (Antissa Y/Elves Y)
d. 20% or more of the force has a missile fire range of 100' or more. (Antissa Y/Elves Y)
Magical:
c. 5% or more of the force is equipped with magical abilities. (Antissa N/Elves N)
f. 20% or more of the force is equipped with magical abilities. (Antissa N/Elves N)
g. 100% of the force is equipped with magical abilities. (Antissa N/Elves N)
Spells:
h. 5% or more of the force can cast spells. (Antissa N/Elves Y)
i. 30% or more of the force can cast spells. (Antissa N/Elves N)
Flying:
j. 1% or more of the force can fly. (Antissa Y/Elves N)
k. 20% or more of the force can fly. (Antissa N/Elves N)
Speed:
l. The force has an average movement rate of 35' per round (or more). (Antissa N/Elves N)

Antissa can add 4 times its BR bonus of 7 for a total Battle Rating of 95.
The Elves can add 3 times their BR bonus of 12 for a total Battle Rating of 150.

Join me next time, as we consider Antissa's defenses and the siege engines of the High Elves.

Sunset Realm War Machines

With the siege of Antissa, it is time to turn our thoughts to that stickiest of options in D&D: mass combat.

Over the years, many systems have attempted tot encapsulate D&D mass combat. The original version of Dungeons & Dragons evolved out of Chainmail. During the AD&D-era, Battlesystem provided a system to simulate fantasy battles with either cardboard counters or miniatures. For the parallel Basic D&D-line, the system of War Machine was invented, wherein DMs could simulate strategic warfare on a large scale. For the Birthright Campaign Setting, a system using army cards was designed to quickly fight battles between competing domains. In the 2000's, a skirmish game once again under the name of Chainmail was released and that evolved into the D&D Miniatures Game. None of the systems stuck and D&D eventually remained the sole territory of small parties of adventurers fighting for high stakes. Yet the desire of many DMs remains to run large-scale, epic battles in the vein of Game of Thrones.

All these systems sought to solve the puzzle by presenting only a piece of it. Perhaps the key to running a D&D campaign involving epic battles across the entire continent is modularity. Perhaps by combining different systems, we can provide the experience we seek. When determining the results of a battle offscreen, away from the current area visited by the players, we can use War Machine. When the PCs are directing the strategy of a kingdom yet remain aloof from the battles themselves, we can use the army card system of Birthright. And when the PCs are in the thick of it, on the front lines, we can take a page from Battlesystem and duke it out, miniature army for miniature army.

As for Antissa, the PCs are currently far to the south of the city, investigating a mysterious tower. To resolve the siege (if it can be resolved at all, considering Antissa's capacity to teleport in supplies) I will defer to War Machine and attempt to adapt it to 5E.