The General’s Squad

Starting Statistics

Speed: 30 ft, Ability Scores: Strength 15, Dexterity 13, Constitution 14, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 12, Charisma 8

Squad Skills: A squad has d8 HD. The squad has proficiency in 2 of the skills the General has proficiency in.

Class Level: This is the character’s general level.

HD: This is the total number of eight sided (d8) Hit Dice the squad possesses, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal.

Armor Bonus: The squad has an armor bonus to AC equal to the number in this column.

Str/Con Bonus: Add this modifier to the squad’s Strength and Constitution scores.

Squares: This is the maximum number of squares the squad can occupy.

Soldiers: This is the usual range of number of soldiers in the squad for the given level.

Ability Score Increases: A squad adds +1 to one of its ability scores at 1st level and every 4 levels thereafter.

Chaos of Combat: Starting at 1st level, spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the reach of a squad or within its reach requires a concentration check (DC 8 + proficiency bonus).

Table 8-3: General’s Squad Base Statistics

Class Level	HD	Proficiency Bonus	Armor Bonus	Str/Con Bonus	Squares	Soldiers
1st	1	+2	+2	+1	3	6–9
2nd	2	+2	+2	+1	3	6–9
3rd	3	+2	+3	+1	3	6–9
4th	4	+2	+3	+1	3	6–9
5th	5	+3	+3	+2	4	8–12
6th	6	+3	+4	+2	4	8–12
7th	7	+3	+4	+2	4	8–12
8th	8	+3	+4	+2	4	8–12
9th	9	+4	+5	+3	4	8–12
10th	10	+4	+5	+3	5	10–15
11th	11	+4	+5	+3	5	10–15
12th	12	+4	+6	+3	5	10–15
13th	13	+5	+6	+4	5	10–15
14th	14	+5	+6	+4	5	10–15
15th	15	+5	+7	+4	6	12–18
16th	16	+5	+7	+4	6	12–18
17th	17	+6	+7	+5	6	12–18
18th	18	+6	+8	+5	6	12–18
19th	19	+6	+8	+5	6	12–18
20th	20	+6	+8	+5	6	12–18

See the section Troops in a Campaign for additional rules and suggestions on how to incorporate the general and squad into campaigns.

Squad Tactics

The general can choose from the following extraordinary tactics for his squad.

• Advancing tactics: The squad learns how to advance towards their foes more efficiently and at less risk to themselves. The squad’s base speed increases by 5 feet per round.
• Aiding tactics: The aiding tactic teaches the squad how to best aid their compatriots in battle, giving them the edge they need to succeed. If the squad takes the Help action, they may also take the Help action that turn as a bonus action.
• Area denial tactics: The area denial tactic equips the squads with a number of light thrown projectiles that can impede movement. The squad can spend a full-round action to pelt a 5-foot radius area, within 60 feet and within line of effect, with stones or other projectiles for 1 round. During that time, the area counts as difficult terrain, and creatures in the area gain disadvantage on concentration checks and skill checks as the constant rain of light projectiles impedes their abilities. A creature can choose to ignore these penalties but must succeed at a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + the squad’s proficiency bonus + the squad’s Dexterity modifier) or take 1d8 + Strength modifier damage from the rocks.
• Brawling tactics: The brawling tactic allows the squad to better fight in unconventional ways. The squad gains a martial maneuver and a martial die to use it with, as the Fighter archetype.
• Chaos tactics: The chaos tactic makes it even more difficult to concentrate in and around the squad. The DC of any concentration check caused by Chaos of Combat is increased by 1.
• Crossbow tactics: The squad learns how to use, and gains, crossbows. In addition to a one-handed weapon with a shield or a two-handed weapon, the squad can use crossbows. When using crossbows as their squad attack, the squad attack acts as if the squad were using a light crossbow, with all the rules using a ranged weapon entails.
• Crossbow volley tactics: Building upon prior lessons, the general trains her squad in the use of crossbows for volley fire. As an action when their squad attack is the crossbow, the squad can make a volley fire attack. The squad targets a single square within 80 feet of itself, and all creatures and objects within a 5-foot radius of that square are peppered with arrows. Each such target must succeed at a Dexterity save (DC 10 + proficiency bonus + Dex) or suffer 1d8 points of piercing damage.
• Defilading tactics: The defilading tactic gives the squad the skills and knowledge necessary to fight closer together. As a bonus action, the squad can enter a reduced state, reducing the number of squares it takes by up to 2, to a minimum of 3 squares. It can return to its normal size as a bonus action. If a squad also has the enfilading tactic, it must return to its normal size before entering an expanded state.
• Dirty fighting tactics: The dirty fighting tactic teaches the squad how to create openings in their foes for their allies to take advantage of. The squad gains Sneak Attack (1d6) as a rogue. The squad’s weapons count as finesse weapons.
• Elemental Mitigation tactics: The general chooses either air, earth, fire, or water when selecting this extraordinary tactic: As an action, the squad can gain resistance against the chosen element.
• Enfilading tactics: The enfilading tactic helps the squad best use its constituent members, stretching them thin at no reduction in capabilities. As a bonus action, the squad can enter an expanded state, increasing the number of squares it takes up by 1 square. It can return to its normal size again as a bonus action.
• Fluid tactics: The fluid tactic allows the squad to adapt to new challenges as they arrive. The squad can change what type of weapon their squad attack is (one-handed with shield, two-handed, or with crossbows or long spears if the general selected the relevant tactics) as a bonus action. In addition, if an extraordinary tactic requires a bonus action to activate, the squad can choose to use the ability as a move instead.
• Hard hitting tactics: The general instructs her squad on to how best wield their multitude of weapons so they strike true. The squad can spend a bonus action to utilize these lessons, causing all of the squad’s attacks to gain a +2 bonus on damage rolls until the beginning of the squad’s next turn.
• Hunter tactics: The hunter tactic outfits the squad with the knowledge and tools necessary to more efficiently hunt and gather from beasts. The squad gains a +2 bonus on damage rolls against animals and vermin. In addition, the hunter tactic grants the squad advantage on any Wisdom (Survival) checks to track and to survive in the wilderness.
• Light-foot tactics: The light-foot tactic assists the squad’s movement through natural undergrowth and difficult terrain. The squad ignores the first square of difficult terrain it traverses each turn.
• Long spear tactics: The squad is trained in the use of coordinated long spears and other long weapons. When selecting the squad attack weapon type, they can choose to use a two-handed weapon with the reach property.
• Mitigation tactics: The mitigation tactic teaches the squad how to react to blows they cannot avoid, mitigating their effects. As a bonus action, the squad can prepare to mitigate damage, reducing the amount of damage that either the squad (or the general if she is adjacent to the squad) takes from one hit in the following round by 1d6.
• Resolve tactics: This tactic bolsters the resolve of the squads, allowing them to fearless face foes and shrug off minor blows. The squad gains advantage on saving throws against fear and emotion effects.
• Sapper tactics: The general teaches her squad knowledge of makeshift fortifications and the use of shovels to create or destroy these efficiently. This allows the squad to take a number of actions to be able to raise or lower an earthen square the squad is in by 5 feet. This takes 1 minute of effort from the squad and displaces dirt and soil as normal. Raising the earth creates difficult terrain in the adjacent squares.
• Siege tactics: With the siege tactic, the squad gains an understanding of siege engines and engineering, allowing the squad to man a siege engine as if they were a number of Medium creatures equal to the total size of the squad. They may also add their proficiency bonus to any roll to construct, repair, or demolish siege weapons.
• Skilled tactics: The squad has spent time learning the ins-and-outs of a skill. The squad gains any one skill proficiency.
• Shield breaker tactics: The squad receives training on how to better use pilums and other weapons whose purpose is shield breaking. Once per round, when the squad uses a melee weapon to deal damage to a shieldbearing enemy, the opponent loses the AC bonus from that shield until he takes an action to pry the remnants of the pilum from the shield.
• Supply tactics: The supply tactic helps the squad with the upkeep and supply of their weapons. When the general teaches this extraordinary tactic, their weapons are treated as silver and adamantine for purposes of overcoming resistance.
• Squad’s strike: This extraordinary tactic enhances the attacks of the squad. As a bonus action, the squad can treat their squad attack as a magic weapon for one round.