The 5e DMG has a short section on “handling mobs:” it has a chart for approximating, out of a group of attacking monsters, how many monsters hit.

It’s pretty simple: subtract attacker’s hit bonus from the target’s AC. Cross-index that number on the chart. If the number is 1-5, all the attackers hit; if it’s 6-12, 1/2 of them hit; etc., up to 1 in 20 of the attackers hitting on a 20.

I ran a big set-piece battle yesterday: 8 mid-level PCs and 10 gnomes against 20+ drow and other assorted creatures, including a drow spider chariot and a sinister angel. With a wizard and a sorcerer PC and two drow wizards, all slinging fireballs, the mob attacks weren’t much of a factor. With all those fireballs, what I COULD have used was rules for mob saving throws.

If I’d thought about it, I’d have realized that the same chart can be used for saving throws. Instead of subtracting attack bonus from AC, subtract saving throw bonus from DC, and use the chart as normal. For instance, a fireball save DC of 15, minus the drow dex save (+2) is 13, which, according to the chart, means that 1/3 of the drow succeed on their saving throw (and probably survive with 1 or 2 HP left).

In fact, this same chart can be used for ability/skill checks (how many orcs managed to climb the wall? DC minus skill bonus) or any other d20 roll.

The DMG suggests that these scales are useful in that a full page map. Browse other questions tagged dnd-5e maps or ask your own question. Does rnorm produce numbers with replacement/without replacement? Why doesn't $1 work in this small bash function? Jan 22, 2019  Want to become better at the Dungeons and Dragons 5e combat phase? Let me help you out by giving you these 12 tips that will make you win more battles. “The skeleton is vulnerable to bludgeoning damage”. The Sharpshooter feat allows you to use the long range of your weapon without getting disadvantage AND your weapon ignores half.

To me, it seems this is all you need to run fairly simple battles with dozens or hundreds of creatures per side. The amount of HP tracking is not excessive: for instance, in this unit of 50 ogres, 24 have 15 damage and the other 25 have 30 damage. (For ease of bookkeeping, assume that melee attacks always target the most-damaged creature.)

Dnd 5e Combat Tracker

You might also care about the base size of big units. I assumed that a close-packed formation of 10 Medium troops took up the size of one Large creature. I’d say that 25 troops are Huge and 50 are Gargantuan.

Map

Combat 5e Dnd

Dnd 5e dmg types

If we do any bigger-scale battles, I might find other rules that I need (after all, the Chain Mail rules are much longer than this blog post) but right now, this is looking pretty good for running big D&D skirmishes.

I'm having trouble finding a worked out example of combat for 5e, like
the great one in Moldvay or the detailed one in 13th Age. So I
decided to create one to make sure I understand how it plays out.
Please post corrections if this doesn't make sense.
4 PCs: Morgan (Human Fighter 1), Sister Rebecca (Hill Dwarf Cleric 1),
Silverleaf (High Elf Rogue 1), and Fredrik (Human Wizard 1) enter a
room through a secret door which was detected and opened by
Silverleaf. The room appears to be empty. While they are searching
it, a second secret door opens (which Silverleaf did not find) and the
first pair of 12 hobgoblins walks in.
Morgan is AC: 18 (breastplate, shield, Dex 14), hp 12 (Con 15) and
attacks with a longsword (At +5, dmg 1-8+3 slashing, Str 16).
Rebecca is AC: 18 (chain mail, shield), hp 12 (Con 16, hill dwarf) and
attacks with a warhammer (At +3, dmg 1-8+1 bludgeoning, Str 13). She
knows the cantrips (sacred flame, light, spare the dying) and the
spells bless, cure wounds, and shield of faith.
Silverleaf is AC: 16 (studded leather, Dex 16), hp 8 (Con 10), and
attacks with 2 shortswords (At +5, dmg 1-6+3/1-6, light finesse
weapon). Cantrip: ray of frost.
Fredrik is AC: 12 (Dex 15), hp 8 (Con 14), and attacks with a
quarterstaff (At +1, 1d8-1 bludgeoning) or darts (At +4, dmg 1-4+2,
piercing, finesse). He knows the cantrips (dancing lights, fire bolt,
mage hand) and 1st level spells shield, sleep.
Hobgoblins are AC 18 (chain mail and shield), Hp 11, At+3 longsword,
dmg 1d8+1 slashing, and have martial advantage of 2d6 additional
damage when they do damage and a non-incapacitated ally is next to
them.
The DM checks for surprise. The Hobgoblins have a passive Perception
of 10. However, since neither group was trying to be stealthy,
neither group was surprised.
As a high elf, Silverleaf happens to know Goblin as his extra
language, in addition to Elvish and Common. The other humans know Orc
and Giant respectively. He attempts to parley with the hobgoblins
while preparing his ray of frost cantrip. Fredrik is preparing his
sleep spell.
Silverleaf says 'Greetings, noble dwellers of deep caverns, can we
help you?' He is practiced in Deception at +3 (Cha 12). This is a
medium difficulty task, and he rolls a 7+3 =10, which is not a
success.
The hobgoblins draw their weapons, but do not attack. They do move
aside as two more hobgoblins enter the room. The largest of the
hobgoblins shouts, in his language, 'Go away! You're not allowed in
this room!'
'It's okay; Gary sent us,' Silverleaf answers.
'Huh?' the hobgoblin wittily responds.
The DM rolls for Deception again and get a 3+3=6, a clear failure.
The hobgoblins charge.
The DM rolls for Initiative. The hobgoblins roll a 7+1 = 8. Morgan
rolls a 10+2 = 12. Rebecca rolls a 9. Sivlerleaf rolls a 12+3 = 15.
Fredrik rolls a 9+2 = 11. All the members of the party will act
before the hobgoblins.
Silverleaf acts first, using his ray of frost cantrip to attack. He
has a spell attack of +5 (Int 16) and rolls a 14+5 = 19, a hit against
the AC 18 hobgoblin. It takes 5 damage, for 6 hp remaining.
Morgan has her light crossbow ready and moves to shield Fredrik, then
fires. She has a ranged attack of +4 (Dex 14) and rolls a 12+4 = 16,
a miss against AC 18.
Rebecca throws a hammer with a Melee attack of +3 (Str 13) and rolls a
16+3= 19 for a hit! She rolls 1d4+1 = 4 for damage, leaving 7
remaining on that hobgoblin.
Finally, Fredrik casts his sleep spell, centered on the doorway. He
rolls 5d8 = 30 hit points affected. There are 12 hobgoblins with hit
points of 6,7, and 10 with 11 hp. Three of the four hobgoblins in the
room fall asleep, with one remaining.
One charging hobgoblin remains, and it rushes up to Morgan and attacks
with AT+3 with a longsword. It rolls a 12+3 = 15 for miss against
Morgan's AC of 18. Two more hobgoblins enter the room.
We are now in the second round.
Silverleaf draws his short swords and attacks the hobgoblin, rolling 14+5 =
19 for his first attack and 12+5=17 for his second. He hits on the
first, doing 1d6+3 = 4 points of damage. The hobgoblin has 7 hp
remaining.
Morgan attacks as well, rolling 1d20+5 = 9, a miss.
Rebecca attacks with her warhammer, rolling 13+3 = 16, a miss.
Fredrik casts firebolt on one of the two charging hobgoblins. He
rolls 8+5= 13 for a miss.
The two other hobgoblins arrive and attack with the wounded
hobgoblin. Two attack Morgan and one attacks Silverleaf. The two
attacking Morgan roll 11+3 = 14, and 9+3 = 12 both misses, but the
third wounded one rolls 14+3 = 17 a hit against Sivlerleaf's AC 16.
He takes 10 point of damage, plus 2d6 = 8 more for martial advantage
for 18 total points of damage, which is greater than his 8 hit points,
killing him instantly. Two more hobgoblins enter the room.
We are now in the third round.
Morgan attacks Silverleaf's slayer with a 10, missing.
Rebecca attacks as well, with a 14, also a miss.
Fredrik, shielding behind them, casts firebolt again, for a roll of
12, missing.
Two of the hobgoblins attack Morgan and the the third attacks
Rebecca. Two more hobgoblins charge up and attack Rebecca. The two
hobgoblins miss Morgan with rolls of 4 and 13. The three hobgoblins
attack Rebecca with rolls of 5, 6, and 23. Rebecca takes 4 damage and
5 more from martial advantage for 9, leaving her with 3 hp remaing.
Two more hobgoblins enter the room.
We are now in the fourth round.
Morgan attacks again with an 8, a miss.
Rebecca attacks again with a 9, also a miss.
Fredrik decides on discretion, takes the disengage action, and runs
out the secret door.
The 5 hobgoblins plus two more that have charged up, attack. Four
attack Morgan and three attack Rebecca. They roll 11,5,11,and 18 for
a hit on Morgan and 6, 16, and 13 for three misses on Rebecca.
Morgan takes 7 damage from the longsword and 6 from Martial Advantage
for 13 total and slumps to the floor, incapacitated.
We are now in the fifth round.
Rebecca takes the disengage action and also slips out the secret
door. The hobgoblins don't immediately follow since they don't know
of this door's workings. They revive their sleeping fellows.
Morgan rolls a Death save to survive, getting a 16, a success!
The hobgoblins start looting the stiking elf's body (Silverleaf),
admiring the work on the short swords and puzzling over his lockpicks.
Morgan makes another series of Death saves over the next few turns as
the hobgoblins rest and bicker: 18,3,5,3 and dies on the
third failed save (under 10).
I take several things from this:
1) Surprise is much less common in 5e.
2) Monsters are tough: hobgoblins in particular are brutal with AC 18 and martial advantage.
3) Sleep isn't the tactical nuke of 1-3rd level anymore
4) Morale didn't come into it, but it appears to be a Wisdom save?