Chainmail with D&D - Part I : Chainmail As It Is

INTRODUCTION
Someone recently asked on Reddit about Chainmail, and how it integrates into OD&D. I offered to explain what I understand in an article. Took more time than I expected to find the time to do it, but here it is.

Consequently, it's important to understand that as much as I played wargames in my life, I never actually played a Chainmail game, let alone play it when it came out (I started D&D at AD&D 2nd). There are people out there that understands it more than I do for sure, and most importantly, that actually are playing Chainmail. Therefore, what I aim to do with this series of article (there will be three), is to show 'how' it can be understood and how it can be integrated into OD&D, or even just OSR in general.

For this, I am splitting the content in three:
1) What is Chainmail as is, and how it can be played;
2) How can you integrate it in D&D, with some simplification for ease of play; and
3) How do I personally use it.

For this, I am using multiple main sources that can be found (generally) on the internet:

• Chainmail (2nd Edition), by Gary Gygax & Jeff Perren
• Forbidden Lore, i.e. "Supplement VI" by Jason Vey
• Book of War, by Daniel R. Collins
• Using Chainmail to Resolve OD&D Combats, by Coffee, Finarvyn, Radagast the Brown, Rabbit, Stormcrow, the Grey Elf and Others as edited by Aldarron
• The Compleat Chainmail Combat System, by all of the above

If you want to play Chainmail by the book, or aren't sure if my interpretation is correct, then I suggest you read those.

PART 1: WHAT IS CHAINMAIL AS IS, AND HOW IT CAN BE PLAYED

Introduction
This part will take a look at the rules of Chainmail, and how it is played as is. We will not discuss any of the RPG aspect or OD&D aspect. Since it's a game in itself, I will not 'recopy' everything in here: the goal is to create a complement of play to the actual rules. Some people might find the original rules confusing (and maybe they will find my examinations also confusing !), so I will try to just speak a "different language", take a different approach, to make them, ideally, less opaque. Those who already understand Chainmail rules or don't care about them would do better to skip this part (unless they want to make sure I am not saying bad things!). I want to be clear again: I will not give detailed rules (such as movement value, table length, etc.), I will only explain 'how' it works and can be played.

Finally, keep in the mind the original rulebook gives examples for almost every rules. I will not do the same here since it would take too much space for nothing.

1. Wargame

Chainmail is a wargame. This means you act as a commander of many man, formations, siege piece, etc. for the sake of winning against one (or multiple) opponents doing the same. Some people use (although it's not mentionned in the original rules) a Referee to watch over the rules. The goal of the game is to recreate battles (historical or fictive) to have fun, through simulation.

But even if its a wargame, it tries to offer realistic/historical opportunities for players. You could play it for duel, skirmish, siege, tournament, etc. Note that throughout the Chainmail book, there are various additional "realistic" suggestions for rules. There is, in general, a lot of options and rules opened to players. I will not cover them all: I will only cover those that will be ported to OD&D or of interest to D&D players.

Chainmail uses mutliple matrix to determine chances of success for some action (generally fighting), d6 as any type of 'die', and other instruments to determine where units can move and so on. Regarding dice roll, when something gives a modificator (+1, -2, etc.), it's always on the highest value already registered. For example, if you roll 3d6 and have 4, 3, 1 and have a +2 bonus, you will have a final score of 6, 3, 1. In man-to-man combat, as you will see, you roll 2d6 multiple times (i.e. per "attack"). In that case, the bonus is flat or on the first (depending on the type of bonus). In the case of Fantasy combat, it's generally a flat bonus on the sum total since there is only one roll of 2d6.

2. Miniature, Figurine and Men

The game is a miniature wargame. It means each miniature represents one (or more) figurine that "appears on the field of battle" so to speak. Chainmail uses the 40mm scale or 25mm one. It uses the following rules for scale:

The ratio of figures to men assumed is 1:20, the ground scale is 1 ":10 .yards, and one turn of play is roughly equivalent to one minute of time in battle. The troop ratio will hold true for 30mm figures, but if a smaller scale is used it should be reduced to 1:10.

Throughout this article we will use the term "miniature", "figurine", and "man". A figurine can be a men and vice-versa, but they are not the same. The figurine is the physical representative of a fighting piece that the player controls. Men is a measure of worth, so to speak. One man is comparable to (roughly) one 'figthing-man', someone basically trained in warfare. Therefore, a single figurine could well represent 1/2 man, meaning two of them (roughly) equals one war-trained man. If you are not using the optional man-to-man combat, fantasy supplement, etc., one figurine will represent "numerous men". It generally is used, according to the rule book, for "small battles and castle sieges". But as we will see, it's also of use for Fantasy Supplement.

This is important to understand also how it was translated into OD&D.

There is a point-buy system for creating armies. This is most interesting for Referees in order to create dungeons and stack them.

3. Turn Sequence

Chainmail offer two turn sequences: "move/counter move system" and the "simultaneous movement system". For sake of ease, I will only use the first one and explain only this one.

THE MOVE/COUNTER MOVE SYSTEM
1. Both opponents roll a die; the side with the higher score has the choice of electing to move first (Move) or last (Counter-move).
1. The side that has first move moves its figures and makes any split-moves and missile fire, taking any pass-through fire possible at the same time.
3. The side that has last move now moves its figures and makes any split moves and missile fire, taking any pass-through fire possible at the same time.
4. Artillery fire is taken.
5. Missile fire is taken.
6. Melees are resolved.
7. Steps 1 through 6 are repeated throughout the remainder of the game.

Movement
Units have different movement rates, and types of formation also gives different number of moves that can be done.

Morale
In addition, Morale can be checked in the fire or melee portion. To be honest, the Morale rules are very complicated. I much prefer newer game morale system (such as Warhammer 40k). It still works, but it feel heavy. Basically there is three steps:
1) The side with fewer casualties determines the positive difference between their losses and those suffered by the enemy. This number is multiplied by the score of a die roll and the total noted.
2) The side with the greater number of surviving troops who were involved in the melee determines the positive difference between his survivors and enemy troops who were involved in the melee, counting by type, and multiplying each by the  "Morale Rating" factors per the unit.
3) Both sides total the scores arrived at in the above steps, and the difference (on a table of result) determine what happens: melee continue, move back, retreat, rout, surrender, etc.

There are also subrules and details regarding retreat, routing, etc. Some of them specifically target smaller battle and skirmish (generally using Man-to-Man combat):

Generally speaking, defenders in a castle need never check morale. In other cases morale is to be checked when 33 1/3% of an army has been killed. Use the standard morale tables, check by type of troop, and allow any bonuses to dice.

Terrain
Terrain have an impact on multiple factors: it can prevent charge, slow down movement, prevent formation (i.e. tight-pack formation) to keep together while advancing, prevent heavy equipment (such as siege weapons) to get in, etc. There are also considerations regarding weather.

Fatigue
Troops that move or fight constantly can become fatigued. It lowers both their defense and attack value and their morale also drops.

4. Combat

a. Melee Mass Combat, aka Troop Type System

The basic combat of the game is not named "mass combat", but that's what it refers to: units of man (with figurines representing more than one man) figthing against each other on the battlefield with quick and lethal rules to determine who kills who.

To determine how the melee is resolved, units are divided in type of "troops" and comapred against each other in a matrix (named Combat Tables) to determine the chance of success.

This is the division of troops:

• Light Foot: Missile troops, Swiss/Landsknechte*, peasants, crews
• Heavy Foot: Normans, Saxons, Turks, Vikings, Men-at-arms
• Armored Foot: Dismounted Knights, sergeants, Italian city levies and condottiere
• Light Horse: Magyars, Mongols, Saracens, Turks, Hobilars
• Medium Horse: Norman Knights, Esquires, Saracens, Turks, Turcopoles
• Heavy Horse: Knights Reiter

After both players have rolled the number of dice allotted to them for their meleeing troops by the Combat Tables, casualties are removed, and morale for both opponents is checked.

b. Man to Man, aka Duel Combat

Man to Man is when one figurine is one man. This is used for duel, small battles, fantasy combat where some of the figurine represents heroes, etc. Melee is considered only when two figurine are within 3'' of each other. Every time a figurine attack another in M-t-M combat and does not kill the opponent, the opponent has a counter-attack.

Initiative for the first turn is determined in order by:
a) The attacker, unless
b) the defender has a weapon which is two classes higher [determined by the weapon matrix], or
c) the defender is fighting from above (castle wall, rampart, etc.).

Then, for subsequent turn:
a) the side which struck first blow previously, unless
bl the opponent has a weapon which is two classes lower, or
c) the opponent is fighting from above.

Using 2d6 instead of 1d6, follow this table:

When elected to be hit, a target can (unless other subrules, such as being strucked from the back, intervene) decide to "parry":

For any weapon 2 ormore classes higher than the attacker the ability to parry does not exist. For any weapon 1 class higher to three classes lower than the attacker the defender may parry the blow by subtracting 2 from the attacker's roll, but he has no counter blow. 

For any defender whose weapon is four to seven classes lower than the attacker, the defender has the option to give the first blow OR parry the attacker's blow, by subtracting 2 from the attacker's roll. If the attacker equals the original requirement for a kill the higher weapon breaks the defender's weapon. I f the parry is successful, the defender gets one counter blow. 

For any weapon whose class is eight or more classes lower than the attacker, the defender gets the first blow and may parry the second or strike the second. He subtracts one for the parry and a roll equal to the original kill requirement breaks the weapon. Pikes, spears or lances of the attacker do get the first blow over lower class weapons if there is a charge. Here the length of the weapon prevents the defender, even with his lighter weapon, the ability to get the first blow.

c. Jousting

Jousting using its own matrix and subrules. Basically it's a matter of selecting an aiming point, rolling and hoping for the best. There is ton of details that can actually make this system fun. I'll speak about it again in the other part, but for now, mentionning it exist is enough.

d. Siege

Rules for siege warfare in the rulebook starts with: "At best, sieges are difficult to handle."

Siege rules include point cost for different building, weapon value, special rules for all types of siege engine (bombards, towers, rams, ladders, etc.) and other man-operated defenses or offenses (boiling oil, rocks, mining, breeches, etc.).

There is no "special" way of conducting siege warfare: you just integrate it within the normal rules since the turn sequence already include them.

e. Fantasy Supplement
The Fantasy Supplement is made to "allow the medieval miniatures wargamer to add a new facet to his hobby, and either refight the epic strugg les related by J. R. R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and other fantasy writers"

They use again miniature and figurine, but suggest bigger size for bigger creatures such as Balrogs, Ogres, Trolls, Giants, etc.

Although it's not used per se in the rules, there are "creature types". Each of those creature types have specific characteristics which, generally, is divided in three: special abilities, morale rating, point value.

Special abilities can be anything from hobbits throwing rocks better (two hobbits count as three on the missile fire table), elves being able to perform split-move and fire while being on foot (normally reserved for cavalry archer), heroes having bunch of unique and special abilities such as not being able to be singled out in a melee by fire missile, etc.

There is two unique and interesting feature in those rules that I will talk more in details: Wizard and magic (which will be a section of its own) and Fantasy Combat.

Fantasy combat deals with anything from the Fantasy Supplement with regards to fighting those creatures. In other words, creatures such as Dragons cannot be killed through normal means, unless stated (you could make a case for it per the rulebook). They need magical weapons or enchanted arrows to be hurt by normal man. Outside of that, only other fantasy creatures (including heroes) can kill high end monsters. There are even rules for multiclassing (multi-typing here) and fantasy siege.

The combat is very different from the two others. It includes Mass Combat, as most type of Fantasy creatures also include a troop type. But they also gain, as was said, special abilities. Human-type or humanoid type (even the bigger one such as trolls and ogres) are considered as mutliple-man. This means that they, being a single figurine representing a single being in the battle, will have the characteristics of multiple man. They will therefore attack with multiple dice and have multiple hit being being killed (i.e., precursor to hit dice).

The combat itself is very easy: if you roll 2d6 and score exactly what you need on the table, the defender fall back one move; if you score lower, nothing happens; if you score higher, the defender is killed. This means that combat is extremely lethal and can be ended pretty fast.

Fantasy supplement also have additional rules such as air movement, alignement, etc.

f. Additional Rules
There are other additional rules which I haven't spoken yet about but are found throughout the book:

• Split move/Fire
• Pass-through Fire
• Arc of Fire
• Cover
• Rate of Fire
• Charge
• Flank Attack
• Rear Attack

5. Magic & Magical Weapons

Wizards
Wizards (which includes three subtypes: sorcerers who roll at -1, warlocks at -2 and magicians at -3) can fight normally (as two armored foot/medium horses) and can handle magic weapon. What they can do special, is that they can do magic. This gives them the ability to see in the dark, become invisible until they attack, affect enemy/friendly morale and cast spells.

Spells
To cast a spell, they roll 2d6. If they get 7 or better, the spell work. If not, it doesn't. Here is the list of spells: phantasmal forces, darkness, wizard light, detection, concealment, conjuration of an elemental, moving terrain, protection from evil. Wizards can know a number of spells based on their type.

In addition to this, they can throw special missile which roughly represents a siege counterpart: lightning bolt as balista and fireball as catapult. Creatures can "save" against those spells with 2d6: heroes get 9+, super heroes get 6+, wraith 7+, etc.

Weapons
There is also magical weapons that are available and have their own point costs. Explicitly, they have various bonuses according to their nature.

For example, enchanted arrows always hit the target, or give the same attacking value as melee (2d6) against Fantasy creatures.

Magicals swords are "entities in themselves". They give an additional d6 in combat. They also give +1 to Fantasy Combat Table. Therefore they effectively make the attacker as if +1 men. They have also a morale rating.

Magical armor subtract one one attack dice on Fantasy Table and three on man-to-man attacks, which make them extremely powerful. They have also a morale rating.

Implicitly though, they have all other sorts of power, such as giving non-hero type a chance of hitting fantasy creatures.

Conclusion
What is the most important thing to remember about Chainmail for the other two installment of this three-part is this:
1) Everything is d6 based.
2) You calculate power in "men", which is equivalent to +1 dice for attack and +1 "hit", therefore combined in D&D as a hit dice.
3) There are three different types of combat for man-type: man-to-man combat, mass combat, fantasy combat.
4) Rules supports other types of combat, such as siege and jousting.

Overall it's a nice ruleset. Like I said, I never played a strict Chainmail game, but it seems nice enough to try it at some point.

In general, I hope I helped clarify some of it. If you want to play Chainmail, I'd suggest either playing straight up Chainmail, or the "Book of War" by Daniel R. Collins. This last one in particular is very well written and clear in its execution. I probably made some errors here and there, especially since all of this is "armchair" with no real experience apart from playtesting it and reading the rulebook a lot, but I hope it help people get the general gist of it and try it out for themselves.

Next part will take a look at how to integrate it into D&D.