Hi Koewn, Regarding the UHD > HP scale: Here is a brief outline of the assumptions of the math.
- A unit of 20 men facing another unit of 20 men is resolved as one attack.
X X X X X X X X X X
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
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Assume the 20 men on Team X all hit and do 4.5 point of damage. This is 1 uhp (4.5 x 20 = 90). Assume the 20 men on Team Y each have 4.5 hp. This is 1 uhp. (4.5 x 10 = 90).
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Now, make the formation of Y deeper - 6 men deep.
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
There are now six lines of men. Since it took 1 uhp to destroy the first line, it will take (6 x 1) 6 uhp to destroy the second line.
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From this we can conclude that the uhp of a unit is calculated with the following formula:
(HD x Actual Frontage x Actual Depth x 4.5) / (Standard Frontage x 4.5)
For a 120-man unit, this can be restated as
(HD x Number of Creatures) / (20) -
However, in the actual D@W system, a 1 HD unit has 8 uhp, not 6 uhp; this is because the actual formula we use is (HD x Number of Creatures / 15). Why?
Let’s first assume that troops will typically be drawn from the healthier specimens of their kind. That is, they fall at the lower portion of the bell curve of 1 HD creatures. They will have 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 hp each.
Second, let’s note that while an average attack with a 1d8 weapon will deal 4.5 points of damage, there’s no such thing as an “average” attack. In fact, some will deal 1, 2, or 3 points, and be not enough to kill. To take that variability into account, we want to increase the number of uhp. This leads to the formula*:
(HD x Number of Creatures ) / (15)
And that, in turn means, that 1 uhp doesn’t equal 90 hit points, it equals 68 hp. This is why 1 uhp of damage delivered to a hero equals 2d6x10 hp (~ 70hp).
- At platoon-scale, the units are 1/4th the size, but have the same number of uhp. Therefore 1 uhp at platoon scale equals (70/4) 17.5 uhp. 5d6 yields an average result of 17.5.
*While the need for the 1/15th divisor was suggested by the underlying mathematical assumptions, the choice of the final divisor was determined by play balance. Using the 1/5th divisor results in 1-1HD units having 6 uhp. 6 uhp is the ideal amount from a gameplay perspective. Most units have two attacks, they can deal at most 2 uhp of damage, or 3 on a charge. Most units check for shock at 1/2 hp. Therefore, having 6 uhp means that a unit that is charged by a two-attack foe can be shocked if both attacks hit; that a unit which is charged by heavy cavalry can, in theory, be wiped out in one combat round (2 attacks + 1 charge bonus + 3 bonus hoof attacks); and that a unit which is attacked outside of a charge will have at least one, and probably two or three, rounds of fighting before shock is imposed.