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Reference

Learn the Rules

Warpath is a narrative skirmish wargame built around a themed warleader, a named warband, scenario objectives, and campaign scars. Agree on a game level with your opponent; the recommended level is 6.

Build a Squad Play Game

Building Your Squad

Your squad is made up of a warleader and a warband. When you make your squad you are given a theme for your whole squad and the player class of your warleader from a table. Decide with your opponent what Level you will be playing with. The recommended level is 6. Your warband is built to that same level as your warleader.

You build your Warleader (player character) first.

Warleader

Level X PC (Random class)

Rules

  • Required lore in all ally NPCs
  • Simplified gear load out (just permanent items, no consumables or currency)
  • Needs to be an honest attempt at fitting the squad theme
  • If you die in a combat, you roll an injury for future combats (maybe permanent maybe not)
  • Animal companions work normally
  • Rare options are allowed; the emphasis is on a compelling story and fulfillment of your theme

Tips

Skill-focused play

This game will favor skills. Making a combat-stat-maxed murder hobo will have consequences.

Cover your weaknesses

  • No magical attacks? Consider making one of your items a ghost touch rune
  • No way to deal with fliers? Consider a dex build so your ranged is strong or take a spell like earthbind
  • Does your squad theme lend itself well to lots of weak squadmates? Consider avoiding AOE that may hurt your team or find team buffs
  • etc etc

Commit to a strategy

  • Make everyone fast and ranged and plan a harassment strategy
  • Do a murder death ball and try to combat statcheck
  • Maybe the plan is that your warleader speedruns the scenario while your squad is durable chafe to screen and buy time
  • etc etc

Warband

Same level as your warleader

Your warband uses the same game level you agreed on with your opponent. A level X warleader fields a warband equivalent to a CR X severe combat encounter.

Always 120 XP

Your warband budget is always 120 XP, no matter what level you play at. The CR XP costs below auto-scale with your game level, so the budget stays the same while the units you can afford match your level.

  • Your warband is equivalent to a severe combat encounter at your game level (for example, a CR 6 severe encounter when playing at level 6)
  • Your warband budget is always 120 XP of monsters/NPCs
  • All monsters are controlled by their player tactically without regard for creature intelligence (but scenario objectives may have intelligence requirements for scoring)
  • If you die in a combat, you roll an injury for future combats (maybe permanent maybe not)
  • Monsters are named
  • To recruit a creature, your warleader must meet the skill requirement listed on that creature's statblock (see recruitment phase below)

Recruitment Phase

After the Exploration phase and before Deployment, both players recruit the units that will fight in this battle.

  • Players secretly roll to recruit new units to their warband.
  • For each unit, the warleader must succeed at a recruiting check against that creature's Recall Knowledge DC. Each creature statblock lists the required skill and the DC to hit.
  • Elite and weak variants can also be chosen; use the adjusted skill and DC on that variant's statblock.
  • Finalize your warband at 120 XP total, combining veteran units from earlier battles with newly recruited ones.

Other Rules

  • No combatants can use others as mounts
  • PC gear cannot be given to monsters (and vice versa)
  • The terrain will vary, but will lean towards more terrain features instead of completely empty spaces in general
  • Scenarios will always offer an alternative win condition in case the enemy force is unable to be killed
  • The war leaders roll initiative each round to determine which player goes first. Then players take alternating single unit activations

Order of Play

Ahead of Time

01

Choose Game Level

Agree on level with your opponent.

02

Build Warleader

  • Roll for theme and class
  • Build your character
  • Assign permanent items (no consumables)

Game Time

01

Show Your Warleader

Reveal your warleader to your opponent.

02

Exploration Phase

  • Roll for attacker/defender
  • Draw 3 scenarios to the pool
  • Take alternating Exploration phase skill actions (attacker takes the first action)
  • Defender chooses a scenario from the pool
  • Reaction phase: defender takes one more Exploration action, then attacker takes one more
03

Recruitment Phase

Secretly recruit new units with skill checks, then finalize your warband to 120 XP. See recruitment phase rules.

04

Deployment

Alternating placement of troops, beginning with the defender.

05

Begin Play

Roll for initiative (unless the scenario says otherwise).

Themes Table

Roll on the table to determine your squad theme.

Classes Table

Roll on the table to determine your warleader class.

Injury Table

When a warleader or warband member dies in combat, roll d12 for a campaign injury.

Exploration Mode Skill Actions

During the Exploration phase, players use trained skills to shape the scenario pool, deployment, traps, and other pre-battle advantages.