Subject: GURPS Miniatures Rules.1988
From: "Alex Koponen" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 16:07:11 -0900

copyright 1988 Alex Koponen
     Enclosed is a working copy (not quite finished product) of
some GURPS based miniatures battle rules.  Similar to WARHAMMER,
these rules are the culmination of almost two years of occasional
ideas, rule creation, rule changes, and playtesting.  This is the
third major version that I've come up with.  The first was too
slow, the second did not allow easy and accurate conversion to
and from GURPS basic or advanced combat on the battlefield, and
both were too complex.
     Keeping it simple, I have settled for a quick and easy
method for accurately expediting large skirmishes and small
battles while still allowing PCs full use of GURPS combat (and
other) rules in their own individual encounters.
GURPS Miniatures Rules  version 3a
                         copyright 1988
                                        N.W.Alex Koponen
                     GURPS Miniatures Rules       page 1
     These rules are for both the people who wish to expedite large
skirmishes and small battles where many NPCs are involved on both sides, and
for the enthusiast of miniatures battles.  Allowing full and fairly accurate
use of all GURPS rules and options these rules are fully compatible with
GURPS.
     The essence of the system is in it's replacement of 3D6 rolls with 1D6
rolls and an all-or-nothing damage resolution that vastly simplifies
bookkeeping.
     Being much quicker and easier due to the simplification, less die
rolling, and elimination of recording damage this allows much quicker
resolution of activity peripheral to the PCs.  At the same time attacks on
and by the PCs can be resolved using GURPS basic or advanced combat.
     Player characters still use 3D6 rolls, as do those they face in combat,
nor is the PC subject to the all-or-nothing aspect of the kill table (though
PCs may use the table vs NPCs).
     Each type of NPC should be adequately fleshed out in normal GURPS
fashion. Then the stats are converted to give the following values:
A -- Attack hit chance ranging from 1 to 6
      (extremely competent heroes may have higher values),
      the melee attack number will be first, possibly followed by a base
missile attack number in parenthesis;
K -- The average amount of damage that the weapon wielded will do. The
defender's DR is subtracted from K (the kill number) to determine the column
used on the Kill Table;
D -- Defence chance ranging from 1 to 6
      This value may have several subcatagories noted,
      the first number is vs the first frontal melee attack,
      the  parenthesized number is vs impaling missiles.
      (again, heroes may have higher values);
DR -- Damage resistance modified by high or low HT;
Morale -- The value for determining immediate obedience to orders,
steadfastness in the face of the enemy, and the NPCs decision to keep
fighting when wounded;
L -- Leadership value of the figure. Most have a default value of 1. This is
the number you need to roll equal to or less than to effectively issue an
order. Most units will have a leader with a high value who may be replaced
by a lesser leader if he falls.
Move -- Remains the same but represents inches (yards) of movement if not
using a hex map;
cpv -- Combat point value.  This is a quantification of a figure's combat
value calculated from the above stats.
     These attributes are written on a hex shaped paperboard base glued to
each miniatures base. Other values will rarely be used and can be determined
by reference to the GURPS stats originally created.
                      GURPS Miniatures Rules       page 2
     Using normal GURPS initiative and other rules NPC combatants will
resolve their attacks thusly:
     --  Roll 1D6 equal or less than their attack value A to hit.
     --  If hit, the defender must roll a 1D6 defense roll equal to or less
than their adjusted defense number D to avoid the hit.
     --  If the defense roll fails, then the attacker rolls 1D6 on the Kill
Table to determine the defenders death or survival.
     Once a NPC type of combatant is fleshed out [preferably with close
correspondence to the figure(s) used to represent it] the conversion is
quite simple.  Using the adjusted attack skills and defense numbers needed
on 3D6 for the most common attacks and defences, these are converted on the
following table to their 1D6 equivalents.
               3D6   to   1D6
               3-7           1
               8-9           2
                10            3
             11-12         4
             13-14         5
             15-18         6
             19-22         7
             23+            8
     Examples will illustrate the methods of recording these.
     K  (the Kill Number)  is determined on the table below:
                       Type of Damage
                      Crushing  Cutting  Impaling
Adjusted   1-5      0        0        1
 Weapon    1-4     0        1        2
 Damage    1-3     1        1        2
                 1-2     1        2        3
                 1-1     2        3        4
                    1      3       4         5       K is equal to the
                1+1     4        5        6       average weapon
                1+2     5        6        7       damage.
                2-1     6        6         7
                   2      7        7        8      crush -- round down
                2+1     8        8        9      cutting -- round up
                2+2     9        9      10      impaling -- as cut +1
                3-1     9       10       11
                  3     10       11       12
               3+1....11.......12.......13
               3+2    12       13       14
                4-1    13       13       14
                 .........et cetera.........
                     GURPS Miniatures Rules       page 3
     DR (damage resistance) must be adjusted for unusually high or low HT to
avoid biasing the Kill Table results.
     HT   DR             HT   DR     __   __             __   __
    7-8   -1           12-13  +1        Figures with values
    5-6   -2           14-15  +2        further from HT 10
                                        should have damage
                                        rolled against them
                                        normally and recorded.
               KILL TABLE (attacker's K - defender's DR)
Roll |  -1   0   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11+
______________________________________________________
  1  |   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   w   -   -   w   K
  2  |   -   -   -   -   -   -   w   -   w   w   K   K   K
  3  |   -   -   -   -   w   -   w   w   w   K   K   K   K
  4  |   -   -   w   -   w   w   w   K   K   K   K   K   K
  5  |   -   -   w   w   w   K   K   K   K   K   K   K   K
  6  |   -   w   w   K   K   K   K   K   K   K   K   K   K
Results:  - = No  effect.
          K = Kill (the figure is dead or unconcious).
          w = Wound check (WC).  Roll equal or less than morale.
              -- If the wound check fails then the figure is out of action
and is removed.  A 6 always fails.
              -- If the wound check succeeds the wound has no effect.
(Defender is knockbacked one hex if the wound check roll is a 1)
                             MORALE                             ______
     The better the troops, the higher the morale.  Morale reflects training
as well as enthusiasm.  A mob of civilians drafted the morning of the battle
is hardly likely to obey orders as quickly as veterans, nor are they as
likely to stay around when they are taking casualties.  Morale uses the
chart below:
          M    Morale Status
          1    untrained (recently drafted civilians)
          2    raw (militia in their 1st fight)
          3    green (regulars in their 1st fight)
          4    average (regulars after 1-3 successful fights)
          5    seasoned (years of experience and several battles)
          6    crack or elite (veterans of 9+ successful battles)
     Often the units attack value A will equal their morale.  PCs are
presumed to have an unadjustable morale of 6.  They choose what to do and
need not make morale checks.
     The major uses of morale are in three things:
1) Obedience of orders.
2) Steadfastness in the face of the enemy.
3) Individual decisions regarding the effects of wounds.
     Morale use in deciding the effects of wounds is already discussed below
the KILL TABLE.
                     GURPS Miniatures Rules
     Steadfastness is determined by a morale ckeck whenever one of the
following happenings occur:
          Adjacent friendly figure routed last turn or killed since last
turn. This adjusted morale check is made for each figure that this applies
to. If a specific figure is subject to two or more checks the extra checks
will instead each subtract one from the number to be made on the morale
check. See examples.
     Unit morale checks are made for the entire unit (which may consist of
as few as one figure, generally more).
          If an adjacent friendly unit routed last turn or has been
destroyed since then, the unit must make a morale check or reduce their
morale by 1. Any unit of morale 0 will flee.
          When the unit has lost 25% of it's force (fled or killed) the unit
must make a morale check at -1.  If this unit morale check is failed then
the unit's morale drops by 1 and each member of the unit must make a morale
check (with the new lower morale) or flee.
          When the unit has lost 50% of it's force this is repeated with the
initial morale check at -2.
          When the unit has lost 75% of it's force this is again repeated
with the initial morale check at -4.
     Morale effects obedience to orders.  Each unit is considered to be
operating under a specific order at all times.  These orders vary from such
things as: "you lot, go that-a-way"; to "Company!  Use firing sequence C
against those hobgoblins".
     To initiate an order a leader (even if only using default leadership
skill) must make a converted skill roll on 1D6 to effectively issue an order
that round.
     The unit or individual receiving the order must then make a morale
check to obey the order. If this morale check is failed then the unit (or
individual) will stand still and only attack if already in melee. No other
actions besides defense rolls will be taken. Note that other morale checks
will still have normal effects.
     Each turn, unless the order is replaced by another order, the unit will
attempt a morale check to follow the order. Upon success the unit may then
do so.
     UNITS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO MORE THAN ONE ORDER AT A TIME.
     Leaders with leadership values of 7 have a +1 to the obedience morale
on the check of the unit receiving his orders, a leadership value of 8 gives
a +2.
     If the leader is busy (fighting, aiming, etc) orders must be limited to
one word.
     Leaders may rally routed troops.  The leader cannot be otherwise
occupied, must be in direct line-of-sight, and within easy earshot. If the
leader makes his leadership roll the troops which then make morale checks
will rally and rejoin their unit.
  Any figure attempting to flee, that can't flee, will surrender.
                     GURPS Miniatures Rules
Morale check adjustments:
     Multiple adjacent friendly troops fall or flee,
          -1 for each after the first.
     outnumbered by nearby opponents (using cpv)
          -1 if more than 3 to 2
          -2 if more than 2 to 1
          -3 if more than 4 to 1
          -4 if more than 10 to 1
     Outnumber nearby opponents (using cpv)
          +'s as above
     Flanked by opponent -1
     Opponent in rear facing -2
     Surrounded by opponents gives an additional -2
     Another useful aspect of this system is providing a quick and fairly
accurate estimation of a group or units combat strength.  Not only useful
for determining morale adjustments in battles, it is helpful in determining
what and how many enemies to be encountered while role playing or choosing
sides in a miniatures battle.
     Each figure has an Estimated Effectiveness Percentage (EEP).  Though
requiring a calculator, this is a very accurate measure of the figures
value.  The combat point value (cpv) used to measure relative combat
strengths is simply the EEP x 100.
EEP = [A/6 + (A)xInc/6]  x  [(K+1)/18 + ((K)+1)/18]  x  [D/6]  x
          [(DR+1)/18]  x  [Move/6]  x  [Morale/6]
Wizards and psionics are figured using stats reflecting the full use of
their spells.  If they possess skills that allow neutralization or cooption
of one or more opponents adjust the (K) by +10 per opponent neutralized or
+20 per opponent coopted.
     Weapons that get more or less than one attack per round cause an
adjustment in the attack value A or (A).  A ST 12 axe- wielder may only
attack every other round, thus his attack value is halved and is designated
A/2.  A ST 12 Poleaxe wielder or bow user (without fastdraw) would have the
attack value divided by three and designated A/3 or (A)/3 to show that he
may only attack every third round.
     Similarly many high tech weapons allow multiple shots per turn.  These
multiply the attack value and are designated (A)*#, # being the average
number of rounds that can be fired per turn if reloading is included.
                             OPTIONS
Critical hits:  Anytime that a figure with an A of 6+ rolls a 1 to hit, the
defender doesn't get a defense roll.
Feints:  1) Abstract -- The defender must sutract 1 from their D for each
two their A is lower than the attacker's A.
             Example: The defender A=3, D=4 must roll a defense roll of 3 or
less if the attacker has a A=5 or A=6.
         2) Non-Rolled -- An attacker may feint instead of attacking, the
next turn his attack will be defended with the amount that the attacker's A
is higher than the defender's A being subtracted from the defender's D.
        3) Rolled -- As above except that to determine the amount to be
subtracted both roll vs their A.  If the attacker makes it by more than the
difference is used (subject to a maximum of how much the attacker made it
by).
I'd recommend using the first option.
Note: Against high morale troops if the column on the Kill Table is less
than 2 (against any troops if the column is less than 0) a player may prefer
to roll and record damage regularly. Doing so slows the game down.
                            EXAMPLES                            ________

     Using the battle between the Elves and Hobgoblins in Orcslayer as an
example, we have:
          5 Hobgoblins -- ST 13   DX 12   IQ 8   HT 10  wearing light
leather and possessing Toughness 2. They use light clubs as broadswords
(doing 2 dice of crushing damage) with a skill of 13. Unencumbered, their
move is 5.
Converting this, we get:
     A=5  {Due to skill-13}
     K=7  {2 dice crushing damage}
     D=1  {PD of 1 + parry of 6 only equals 7}
     DR=3  {Lt. leather + Toughness 2 = 3, no mod. for HT}
     Morale=4  {GM estimation.  I used (IQ + skill)/2 rounding up
because they outnumber their opponents.}
     L=2  {Default leadership skill}
     Move=5  {No changes here}
     cpv=15   {[5/6]*[(7+1)/12]*[1/6]*[(3+1)/12]*[(4+2)/6]*5=EEP
               EEP=0.15       0.15 x 100 = 15}
          The sixth hobgoblin is the same as the others except for wielding
a cheap broadsword (which turns out to have the same kill number) and having
a leadership skill of 13.            Thus he has L=4 and cpv=21.
          Their opponents, the elves, consist of Lyondel and three young
elves of ST 10 DX 11 IQ 10 HT 9 with, of course, Combat Reflexes. Though
they possess bows, the hobgoblins are too close for them to be used.
Therefore they rely upon shortswords which cut for 1 die of damage used at
skill-12. They wear light leather armor PD1  DR1.
Sorry, I misplaced the file that had the rest of the example.