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I've been invited to a tabletop wargame using the D&D Battle System (from the 80s I think) this weekend. I'm familiar with it in broad strokes from descriptions from the guy who's GMing and skimming through the rulebook a cojuple times, but does anyone have any experience with it 1st hand? If so, is it a good system?

I've got no experience with it, but it is kind of a touchstone for some gamers of a certain age. Be sure to let us know how it goes and your impressions of the game.

I've got the 2nd edition book for this somewhere. Read it, never played it. I feel it might feel 'antiquated' compared to most current games, but I don't know how old it will feel.I don't remember any standout rules or mechanics, and the book was pretty aggressively setting-neutral.

(They later did publish battle system-compatible stats for a few of their settings. I remember rules for Dark Sun stuff, including war machines made from reanimated beetle carcasses.)

I played this this weekend on Saturday. We played through "Basic Scenario 1" of the book. Each army had some Cavalry, Archers, soldier-types, and peasant-types.

My 1st impression is...very similar to LOTR, except models are grouped into movement trays, movement ranges are about double (12" for standard infantry), and shooting is done differently (maybe its very similar to WHFB, but I have never played that system).

The movement mechanics took a little gtting used to. You have movement points, and everything you do costs a specified # of inches (things like pivoting, changing your facing, about facing, moving through difficult terrain, etc...all these cost various movement points, and more if you're unit is in "irregular formation" i.e. the peasants).

The modifiers to hits seemed like they could be over-the-top. For example, I had archers on a hill, and because they were above their target, they got 2 extra "Attack Dice" to throw for each model...they wiped out an entire unit of opposing archers in 1 turn. I believe we'll have to nerf these modifiers to make it a usable system.

The type of Attack Die each units' models threw were similar to D&D values...D6 for short swords, D6 for longbows, D8 for longswords, etc. Wounds were decided based on a static scale...4-5 = 1 wound, 6-8 = 2 wounds, etc.

In combat, models were removed for unsaved wounds, but taken off the board from the rear of combat (simulating pile ins). I liked this alot as it was very simple to allocate wounds.

I can see how this game would open you up for playing with heros, monsters and the like easily (seems like you could even play 40k with this system if you were willing to convert the statlines and special rules). My friend's plan is to run a basic D&D campaign where the characters gain followrs and fiefdoms and such, and to use this system to have battles between the characters' forces after they've been built up.

Thanks for that update.
Movement points and lots of modifiers are what I would have expected for a game with roots in old school games. Do you know which edition/year you played. I think Battlesystem has seen a couple versions.

I'm curious though…
Did you like it and would you recommend it?

I have the 2nd Edition book around here, as well as the "Skirmishes" rules set. I played a bit back when I was young, and it does have a lot more of the old school historicals flavor, which is to say movement and positioning are super important.

Over all it is a pretty decent system, though I wouldn't mind giving it a new spin these days to see how it has held up.

 Eilif wrote:
Thanks for that update.
Movement points and lots of modifiers are what I would have expected for a game with roots in old school games. Do you know which edition/year you played. I think Battlesystem has seen a couple versions.

I'm curious though…
Did you like it and would you recommend it?

It's too early for me to tell yet if I'd recommend it for my part. I'd like to see how the game plays out with units with lower armor saves, and to see how magic plays into the game. The first run we had was no magic, and Armor Saves were 5, 8, 8, 9, 9 (on a 10 die scale). I get the feeling the game would be altogether different with Armor Saves like 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 or something on the board.

We are playing 2nd Edition, Copyright 1989.

 jasper76 wrote:

We are playing 2nd Edition, Copyright 1989.

Blue cover, and I think it has a painting guide inside? Glossy paper? I believe the font and layout is surprisingly clean and modern as compared to the 22nd edition D&D books of the time. It really doesn't look like the era's D&D books, if I remember correctly.

Yea, with a toothy cleric choke slamming some guy at the head of a big army.

Yup, that's the one.

Thanks by the way: I have dug out my copy and started relearning the rules and plan to force/trick/drug Jin into getting a game in with me. Actually, I am rather looking forward to it. I don't know about the army creation process, but many of the rules look like a better version of WHFB.*


* Better assuming you like more detailed, fiddly rules.