XerExaltedLite/SmallUnits

Small Units and Cooperation

• XerExaltedLite/BruteSquads
• XerExaltedLite/LargeUnits - Taking this a step Further
• XerExaltedLite/War - Back toXerExaltedLite/War

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These rules build on the Brute Squad ones, except they aren't for extras. They represent small teams of two to seven individuals cooperating towards a common goal.

They can represent packs of First Circle Demons, Raksha swarms, elite mortal squadrons, packs of non-extra, battle-worthy animals XerExaltedLite/BruteSquads are fine for common wolf packs) or other such creatures. They can also have a strong commander leading them.

• Dragon-Blooded teams (one of each Aspect) can form a special Squad. See Dragon-Blooded Squads
• These can also represent small acting troupes, bands and the like.

Ultimately, these rules allow for at best a dozen or so meaningful Squads on the battlefield. When more than several dozen combatants get involved, it's time to break outXerExaltedLite/LargeUnits rules.

Basic Rules

• All squads must have a Commander, even if the only difference is that she posesses Command or War.
• All underlings must be exactly identicle in every respect.
• The Commander of the squad must posess a dot of the War Ability or Command skill for every member of the Squad in addition to her.
  • If this is a non-combat project of some sort, the Lore Ability is used in place of War.
• The Commander's Traits must all equal or exceed those of her underlings.
• The Commander's Equipment must be of equal or better quality than that of her underlings.
• The Commander must posess every Charm and other mystical ability that her underlings do.
  • She may have extra - but she cannot be in any way inferior to her underlings.
  • Skills and specialties that will not by used in the project do not count. Nor do they count if the Commander's Ability overshadows them anyway.
• Squads must remain in a local area, otherwise they lose cohesiveness. This is typically the Commander's Command, Lore or War times 10 yards.

• For simplicity of rules, a Commander with Ability dots must lead Underlings with Abilities, and not skills.

Non-Combat Cooperation

Typically, squad underlings grant their commander an extra pool of dice to roll, equal to one-fifth of their combined pools. The successes from these dice can only be applied to Scope or Speed, never Quality.

• Squads in non-combat applications typically assist with Construction and Perfomance tasks, and little else. Research, design and composing rolls may benefit from this only at Storyteller's discretion.
• Persuasion type rolls may benefit from this as well, but again the circumstances are up to the Storyteller. In this case, be sure to allow the target to form a similar team if she has people on her side (and lets them help her).

Combat

Combat for small units is not so simple, especially when Charms come into play. Regardless, like Brute Squads, Small Units are treated as single individuals. First, however, the Squad must be built.

• Initiative is the Commander's.
• All Underlings add their total relavent Dodge, Parry, Attack and Valor die pools, dividing the result by five.
  • Specialties only add if they are garaunteed to apply - with a specific weapon, 'defending home' and so on.
  • Other die pools may also need to be derived, depending on the combat situation.
• Add the derived Underling die pools to their Commander's.
• Add up the Underlings' combined health levels. Divide the result by two. Add these to the Commander's health levels.
• The soak of the Squad is the same as the Underlings'.
• Shields and similar effects only apply once. If the Underlings benefit from shields but the Commander doesn't, the Commander must be superior enough to benefit from Still Standing, below.
• The Squad moves at the Underlings' rate.
• Mounted Squads are certainly allowed, however only the Commander's mount is considered.
• The damage value is the Commander's.

Charms and Talents of the Underlings and Leaders need to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Unless one Charm can affect the entire Squad somehow, every member of the Squad must activate that Charm. In that case, it works as if one of the Underlings was using it.
  • For Example, for a pack of demons with Valor 4 to use Principle of Motion, they must all spend the 5 motes and 1 Willpower. Even if their Commander has Valor 5, the resulting Squad only gains 4 actions with it.
• Charms that would only affect the Leader or one member may not be used, unless there is time to activate it on every member.

The resulting Squad acts as a single Character in all respects. If the Squad loses all its health levels, it is defeated. Some Squad Commanders may, however, benefit from Still Standing.

• Checks for infection occur after Combat, and are done individually if necessary.
• Valor checks are made at the increased pool - members of the Squad support eachother.

Still Standing

• If the Squad commander significantly outshines her Underlings (Storyteller discretion again, but if she would be their match or better if they formed their own Squad, it's a safe bet)
• And the number of Underling health levels make up for half (round down) or more of the total
• Then she gains the Still Standing effect.

Basically, once the Squad is defeated, the Commander remains, unwounded. Any channelled Virtues, Willpower, or spent Essence remains that way, but she suffers no wound penalties.

Fast Squads

At some point, some Exalted and other particularly powerful beings become lawnmowers and much of their opposition can best be described as grass. Therefore, Storytellers may begin applying theXerExaltedLite/FastExtras rules to units of identicle troops.

• Such Squads go on their initiative value (half of their initiative dice)
• Such Squads do not dodge or parry, but have a defense value equal to half their pool, -1 if they do not use a shield.
• Fast Squads do do Essence Ping.
• Attack Dice are the only dice Fast Squads should be rolling outside of special circumstances.

Otherwise, they function as normal Squads.