D&D 3E/3.5 3e: Which book contains the mob rules?


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Cityscape has stat blocks for mobs, and for children mobs (rather scary, that...). That said, there's no real rules for mobs in that book, such as Oslecamo's template or similar. The stat blocks did inpsire me to try my own hand at a template to represent "units", large groups of individually weak soldiers. I used this for my adaptation of the Red Hand of Doom campaign, to the bewilderment of my players. I'll copy-paste it in here for your enjoyment:




Units
The Unit template is an acquired template that can be added to any small, medium-sized, or large Humanoid, Monstrous Humanoid, Undead, or Giant with an Intelligence score of 4 or more and non-chaotic alignment (called the base creature).
Units consist of many creatures of the same type, class, level, general equipment, spells memorized etc. Individual creatures with a different class, level or equipment within a unit don’t change its stats. If there are several such creatures present, it is better to model them as individuals, or as a separate unit.
Units function like Swarms in many ways: they’re made up of several individual creatures, but act as if they were only one creature in combat, they’re shapeable, and have some immunities and vulnerabilities based on their nature. Unlike Swarms, Units can be modeled as a template.

Units must be made up of at least 10 constituent creatures. They receive one-half the constituent creatures’ HD combined (round down). For every level of Strengthening (doubling of the number of constituent creatures: 20, 40, 80, etc.), the Unit receives this number of HD again.

Size and Type: Size is based on the number of constituent creatures: small and medium-sized creatures make up large Units at the minimum (at 10 members), while large creatures make up at least huge Units. For each level of Strengthening, the Unit’s size increases by one further step, up to colossal. So a unit of 10 Humans or Goblins is large, 20 are huge, 40 are gargantuan, and 80 are colossal. A unit of Ogres cannot be bigger than 40 individuals. Larger numbers of combatants must be modeled as several Units. Units can share their space with other creatures, and the area they take up is shapeable. The Type remains that of the base creature, and the Unit gains the (Unit) Subtype.
Speed: Unchanged. A Unit cannot run, although it can charge.
Armor Class: A Unit retains the base creatures’ AC, modified by size. It receives a +2 NA bonus, plus a further +2 NA bonus per level of Strenghtening.
Attack/Full Attack: A Unit loses the base creatures’ attacks and has a Unit attack instead. The Unit attack deals automatic damage to every creature that shares the Unit’s space, and to all creatures within the Unit’s threatened area. If the Unit is armed with ranged weapons, it can deploy its Unit attack at range to affect a (shapeable) area half as big as the Unit itself. In this case, it does not threaten an area (not even the area it takes up itself) for the round. All creatures in the targeted area take Unit damage, but may attempt a Reflex save (DC 10+1/2 Unit’s HD+Unit’s Dex mod) for half damage. A Unit armed with melee weapons and another armed with ranged weapons can work together and intermingle, however.
A Unit’s base attack bonus is that of a single base creature. Its grapple modifier is modified by size, and it receives a special +4 modifier to grapple checks.
Damage: The Unit attack does the same damage as a single base creature’s attack does, but the damage dice rolled are modified by size. For example, a Unit of 40 Goblins armed with Shortbows (1d4 base damage) does 3d6 damage with its Unit attack, while a Unit of 20 strong Humans armed with magical Greatswords (2d6+5 base damage) does 4d6+5 damage with its Unit attack.
Special Attacks: If the base creatures have a special attack, this can be used as an immediate action 1/round, plus another 1/round for every level of Strengthening. It can also be used twice this number of times as a standard action. Keep track of the total number of times special attacks limited in use have been employed.


Special Qualities: The Unit retains the base creatures’ special qualities and gains several of its own:
Immunities: Units are immune to the following conditions: Ability Damage & Drain, Dazzled, Entangled, Sickened, and Slowed. Bull Rush, Disarm, Grapple (although the Unit itself can grapple other creatures, it is not considered grappled itself), Sunder, and Trip cannot be used against Units. Units are immune to critical hits and precision damage. Units can be surprised, but don’t take penalties while flat-footed.
Safety in Numbers: Units do not take damage from effects that target single creatures. Effects that would slay a single base creature outright instead inflict a negative level on the Unit. Some non-damaging effects that work in an area affect the Unit only if they cover at least half the Unit’s space. These effects simply inflict a negative level instead of their normal effects for their duration, namely, effects that blind, charm, daze, dominate, fascinate, immobilize, nauseate, paralyze, or stun. Units take half damage from piercing attacks.
Vulnerabilities: Units are vulnerable to fear effects and take a -4 saving throw penalty against them. They also take +50% damage from AoE attacks that deal damage. Units are only affected by AoE effects they would profit from (Bardic Music, Marshal Auras etc.) if these cover at least half their space.
Combat Edge: Any effects that increase an individual’s chance to hit in combat increase a Unit’s damage instead, by a like amount. For example, if the whole unit uses masterwork quality weapons, it deals an additional point of damage. If the unit is under the effect of a 1st level Bard’s Inspire Courage ability, it receives +2 to damage.
Discipline: Some, but not all Units have this ability. It negates the save penalty against fear effects and makes the unit immune to the Shaken condition. Furthermore, it allows the Unit to roll another saving throw vs. mind-affecting effects a round after the effect happens, at the same DC. Against effects that don’t allow a save, this ability allows the Unit to roll one save at a DC of (10 + one-half the level or caster level of the effect’s source + most likely ability modifier of the effect’s source, if applicable).
Teamwork: Some, but not all Units have this ability. Units can choose not to threaten an area or make ranged Unit attacks to accomplish great feats of Teamwork in all Strength and Dexterity checks, as well as skill checks based on these abilities. If the Unit refrains from taking any actions other than the ones required by the activity to benefit from Teamwork, the unit gains a bonus to this activity equal to +1 per 2 HD. Any such activity can only gain this bonus once and takes twice as long as normal.
Saves: Calculate as normal for the base creature’s type and abilities, but use the Unit’s HD.
Abilities: Units use a single base creature’s ability scores.
Skills: Units only have a single base creature’s skills. However, they receive a +1 bonus per 2 HD to Listen, Spot, and Search checks. They also receive a similar penalty on Move Silently checks, and must apply a size-based penalty to Hide checks.
Challenge Rating: Use twice the base creature’s challenge rating +3 for a minimum size Unit (in the case of base creatures with fractional CR, use a value of 3). Increase CR by +2 for every level of Strengthening.
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[/FONT] Sample Units:

Squad of Hobgoblin Warriors, Large Humanoid (Goblinoid, Unit)
HD: 5d8 + 10 (33 HP)
Init: +1
Speed: 30’, 6 squares
Armor Class: 16 (+1 Dex, +3 Studded Leather, +1 Light Shield, -1 Size, +2 Natural)
touch 10, flat-footed 16
Base Attack / Grapple: +1 / +10
Attack: Unit (Longsword) melee (automatic 2d6+1) or Unit (Longbow) ranged (automatic 2d6, Ref DC 13 half)
Space / Reach: 4 squares (shapeable) / 5’
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’, Unit Vulnerabilities, Traits and Immunities, Safety in Numbers, Teamwork
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +2, Wil +0
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8
Skills: Hide -1, Listen +4, Move Silently +1, Spot +4
Feats: Alertness
CR: 3


Squad of Red Hand Schrat Warriors, Large Humanoid (Goblinoid, Unit)
HD: 10d8 + 20 (65 HP)
Init: +1
Speed: 20’, 4 squares
Armor Class: 19 (+1 Dex, +5 Chainmail, +2 Heavy Shield, -1 Size, +2 Natural)
touch 10, flat-footed 19
Base Attack / Grapple: +2 / +11
Attack: Unit (Longsword) melee (automatic 2d6+2) or Unit (Composite Longbow) ranged (automatic 2d6+2, Ref DC 16 half)
Space / Reach: 4 squares (shapeable) / 5’
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’, Unit Vulnerabilities, Traits and Immunities, Safety in Numbers, Combat Edge, Discipline, Teamwork
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +4, Wil +2
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +0, Listen +7, Move Silently +2, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness
CR: 4
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[/FONT] Company of Hobgoblin Warriors, Colossal Humanoid (Goblinoid, Unit)
HD: 20d8 + 40 (130 HP)
Init: +1
Speed: 30’, 6 squares
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +3 Studded Leather, +1 Light Shield, -8 Size, +8 Natural)
touch 3, flat-footed 15
Base Attack / Grapple: +1 / +22
Attack: Unit (Longsword) melee (automatic 6d6+1) or Unit (Longbow) ranged (automatic 6d6, Ref DC 21 half)
Space / Reach: 36 squares (shapeable) / 5’
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’, Unit Vulnerabilities, Traits and Immunities, Safety in Numbers, Teamwork
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +8, Wil +5
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8
Skills: Hide -13, Listen +12, Move Silently -7, Spot +12
Feats: Alertness
CR: 9



Company of Red Hand Schrat Warriors, Colossal Humanoid (Goblinoid, Unit)
HD: 40d8 + 80 (260 HP)
Init: +1
Speed: 20’, 4 squares
Armor Class: 18 (+1 Dex, +5 Chainmail, +2 Heavy Shield, -8 Size, +8 Natural)
touch 3, flat-footed 18
Base Attack / Grapple: +2 / +23
Attack: Unit (Longsword) melee (automatic 6d6+2) or Unit (Composite Longbow) ranged (automatic 6d6+2, Ref DC 21 half)
Space / Reach: 36 squares (shapeable) / 5’
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’, Unit Vulnerabilities, Traits and Immunities, Safety in Numbers, Combat Edge, Discipline, Teamwork
Saves: Fort +24, Ref +14, Wil +12
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8
Skills: Hide -12, Listen +12, Move Silently -6, Spot +12
Feats: Alertness
CR: 11
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[/FONT] Squad of Red Hand Veterans, Large Humanoid (Goblinoid, Unit)
HD: 20d8 + 60 (150 HP)
Init: +2
Speed: 20’, 4 squares
Armor Class: 20 (+1 Dex, +6 Banded Mail, +2 Heavy Shield, -1 Size, +2 Natural)
touch 10, flat-footed 20
Base Attack / Grapple: +4 / +14
Attack: Unit (Longsword) melee (automatic 2d6+4) or Unit (Composite Longbow) ranged (automatic 2d6+3, Ref DC 21 half)
Space / Reach: 4 squares (shapeable) / 5’
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’, Unit Vulnerabilities, Traits and Immunities, Safety in Numbers, Combat Edge, Discipline, Teamwork
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +8, Wil +5
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +2, Listen +7, Move Silently +4, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Focus (Longsword)
CR: 9
 


[MENTION=78958]Empirate[/MENTION]: I like your approach. I've been looking for something to use in large combat situation for some time now, and found most systems either too complex or too simple. Yours seems just about right.

I do have a question though: Why does the Unit have a Base attack Bonus when it's damage is automatic? Is this only to base the Grapple check on?
 

@Empirate : I like your approach. I've been looking for something to use in large combat situation for some time now, and found most systems either too complex or too simple. Yours seems just about right.

I do have a question though: Why does the Unit have a Base attack Bonus when it's damage is automatic? Is this only to base the Grapple check on?

Yep, mostly for grapple checks, and to make sure there's a BAB included, to calculate stuff I maybe hadn't thought of.
 

Ok, that clears that up. Noticed something else though:

If a unit has a 'ranged' attack, what do you use for max range at which it can be applied, and do you do something with range increments? (maybe a -2 penalty on dmg at each range increment, just as you apply damage bonusses instead of attack bonusses for masterwork weapons etc.?)
 

Hadn't thought about that, but decreasing damage to reflect less accuracy would probably be the easiest and most consistent way of handling this. The hobgoblin units I used in my campaign were mostly for melee, and had a nice moment when they dismantled some hastily erected fortifications with frightening speed and efficiency, due to the Teamwork ability.
 

Question: It's fairly easy to include 10, 20 or even 40 people in an Entangle area. Why does forming into a Unit make them immune? What's the rationale?
 

Question: It's fairly easy to include 10, 20 or even 40 people in an Entangle area. Why does forming into a Unit make them immune? What's the rationale?
Because the mob template and derivatives intentionally NERF the abilities high level characters have earned to fight lesser foes.

Treating negates cleave, greatcleave and whirlwind. Area attacks that should obliterate those grouping of creatures now do only semi noticeable damage against buckets of HD worth of hit points. It is like the angry mob became an angry blob.

If you saw the episode of Drawn Together where the sweat shop workers fuse together into a giant monster, you’ve got an idea how DMG2 mobs work.
Unless you're Jet LI, and flying on wires, you're not going to beat a whole mob by yourself.
That’s exactly who D&D characters are supposed to be like. Feats like Great cleave and Whirlwind attack are specifically for defeating hordes of lesser foes.
If You're a buffed-up melee combatant, and way overclassing the creatures in the mob, I still don't see how they could bring you down. Is this reflected in the Mob template? I haven't seen it lately.
The Mob Template makes the group a 30 HD, gargantuan, trampling, engulfing blob. It takes 50% more damage from area effects, but that’s no consolation to the fighter who has had his armor, shield, Cleave, Great cleave and Whirlwind attack negated since it is now counted as one creature that deals auto-damage.
roguerouge said:
One thing I don't understand is how the fighter is going to survive round one in combat with an ordinary human mob. The mob has a grapple check of +32.

Round one: grapple. Win. Move into space.
Round two: win opposed grapple to damage opponent. Do 5d6 damage.

Is there any way for a spell-less melee combatant to counter this?
Running away.
 
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