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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Battlecry! / Skirmish Units

Troops in Skirmishes

Source Battlecry! pg. 160
Skirmish encounters rely heavily on the special creature type called troops. You can find troop stat blocks here. In skirmish encounters, a troop can be routed, making it flee from the battlefield. This applies to any troop in the encounter, even if it doesn’t have a leader. This section also includes rules for a troop that has a leader but loses them during the battle.

Routing Troops

Source Battlecry! pg. 160
A troop is held together by strong leadership and confidence in their battle skill. A troop must attempt a rout check each time something happens that could massively damage their morale. This happens in two situations:
  • The troop is reduced from one HP threshold to another.
  • The troop has a leader, and that leader is knocked unconscious.
If both happen at the same time, the troop rolls only one rout check. To attempt its rout check, the troop rolls a Will save against the standard DC for the level of the enemy that damaged it. This is an emotion, fear, and mental effect.
Critical Success The troop is unaffected.
Success The troop is frightened 1.
Failure The troop is frightened 2.
Critical Failure The members of the troop break formation and run away, removing the troop from the battle.

The result of a rout check applies only to the troop, not its leader. If the troop is led by a PC or NPC, the degree of success increases by one step, as noted in Boosted Morale.

Unroutable Troops

Because of the traits on a rout check, some troops are entirely immune to them, in particular mindless hordes like zombies or clockwork constructs. NPCs often use these kinds of troops due to this advantage, but PCs might also be able to raise skeleton infantry or build a similar fearless army.

Loosing a Troop

Source Battlecry! pg. 161
When a leader’s troop is defeated, the leader remains on the battlefield and can place themself anywhere within the space their troop occupied. If the troop is forced to retreat in some way, such as after gaining the fleeing condition, the leader can usually choose to stay behind, abandoning their troop. If they exercise this option, they can’t become the leader of that troop again in the same encounter.

Losing a Leader

Source Battlecry! pg. 161
All the benefits a troop gets from having a leader are lost if the leader is knocked out, leaves the battlefield, can’t act, or is otherwise unable to command the troop. Their troop can still act, but not as effectively.

A troop in a skirmish that has lost its leader regains 2 actions and 1 reaction each round, taking its turn at the same point in initiative as its former leader. If the troop had a skirmish bond, it loses those benefits since they’re closely tied to the leader. Also, remember that without a leader, the troop is also subject to the full effects of rout checks! If the leader was a PC who’s been knocked out, the GM can usually have that PC run and roleplay the troop while their character is unconscious. In other situations, the GM should run the troop.

Back-Up Plans

Source Battlecry! pg. 161
A leader can usually preemptively issue an order their troop will attempt to follow if the leader is knocked out or otherwise removed from the battle. This could include taking the leader to safety, assisting another troop, or simply retreating. If a troop is under such an order, the GM should determine what happens when the leader is lost. Typically, the troop will try to follow the back-up plan, but circumstances might render that difficult or even impossible.

Establishing a New Command

Source Battlecry! pg. 161
When a troop loses its leader, one of its allies (another PC or allied NPC, typically) can attempt to become its new leader—even during an active battle. This isn’t easy to do! The potential leader must use the following activity to do so.

Take the Lead [two-actions] (auditory, concentrate, linguistic) Requirements You aren’t leading a troop, and you’re adjacent to an allied troop that had a leader at the start of the encounter but has since lost its leader; Effect You try to become the leader of the troop. Attempt a Diplomacy check against the easy DC for the troop’s level.
Success You become the leader of the troop until the end of this combat and immediately Step into its space. The troop doesn’t gain any special skirmish actions or bonds, even if it had one with its former leader or if you had one for a troop you’ve since lost.
Failure You fail to lead the troop.
Critical Failure You fail to lead the troop, and the troop must immediately attempt a rout check.

Return of the Leader

Source Battlecry! pg. 161
If a leader is knocked out and then revived, they regain leadership of their troop. This includes all benefits they set up when they took leadership of the troop. If someone else has established command in the time between the leader being knocked out and coming back, they can voluntarily cede leadership to the original leader. If the original leader is revived but no longer within the troop’s space, they must enter the troop’s space before regaining leadership. If the original leader doesn’t wish to regain leadership of the troop when they’re revived despite being revived within the troop’s space, they’re moved to a space of their choosing adjacent to the troop.