Campaign Outcome
or, War & the Single Soldier
Officers commanding Regiments and higher units exercise a sufficient amount of initiative that their actions affect the outcome of the campaign. Therefore, the military ability of all commanding officers of units above those to which players belong should be determined. Recall the example of troops on campaign presented in the Campaign Determination rule (see page 39) and suppose that a player character is a Major in the 69th Arquebusiers. The player would have to determine the MA of his Regimental Commander (probably already determined) and that of the Commanders of the 4th Brigade of Foot, the 2nd Division and the Field Army since, according to the organisation listed for a type 53 campaign, these are his superiors.
A competent staff officer can raise a Commander's chance of success, so the next step is to determine the MAs of the Adjutants of each of these Commanders, or the Brigade Major in the case of the Brigadier. If an Adjutant's (or a Brigade Major's) Military Ability is two or more greater than that of the Commander to whom he is assigned, that Commander is treated as if his MA were one greater than it actually is.
Campaign battle results determination begins at the highest level and proceeds to the lowest. That is, first the result of the Army is determined, then the Division, if any, then the Brigade and Regiment. Battle results are determined by rolling a die and cross-indexing the result with the Commander's MA, as adjusted by any modifiers, on the Battle Results Table.
If a Commander obtains a result (not die roll) of 1 or 2, his subordinates roll as if their Military Abilities were one greater than they actually are; if a result of 5 or 6 is obtained, they roll as if their abilities were one less. A character's effective military ability may not be reduced below 1 or increased above 10. These effects are cumulative. For example, if a player commands a Brigade and both the Army and Divisional Commanders get a result of 5 or 6, the player commanding the Brigade rolls as if his Military Ability is two less than it actually is.
EXAMPLE: Type 53 Campaign Organisation
Field Army:
- 1st Division (1st & 2nd Brigades)
- 2nd Division (4th Brigade & RNHB)
- Frontier Division
- Dragoon Brigade
Battle Result Table
| MA | Die roll: |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |
2 |
6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |
3 |
6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
4 |
5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
5 |
5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
6 |
5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
7 |
4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
8 |
4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
9 |
4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
10 |
3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Interpretations
| Siege | Assault | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Success – siege works | Victorious | |
2 |
Success – storming party | Bloody victory | |
3 |
Inconclusive | Pyrrhic victory | |
4 |
Inconclusive | Inconclusive | |
5 |
Broken by sortie | Repulsed | |
6 |
Scattered by sortie | Crushed | |
| Defence | Field Operations | ||
1 |
Enemy scattered by sortie | Enemy crushed | |
2 |
Enemy broken by sortie | Enemy driven from field | |
3 |
Inconclusive | Inconclusive | |
4 |
Inconclusive | Inconclusive | |
5 |
Falls to storming party | Own driven from field | |
6 |
Falls to siege works | Own crushed |
As an example of a campaign, consider that given in the Campaign Determination rule above.
Henri, a player character, is a Major in the 69th Arquebusiers. The military abilities of all Commanders and Adjutants not previously known are rolled for now. The only relevant ones for this character are the Field Army Commander, the 2nd Division Commander, the 4th Brigade of Foot Commander, the Commander of the 69th Arquebusiers and their Adjutants.
The results are shown below.
Military Abilities
Field Army Commander 5- Adjutant 5
- Adjutant 3
- Brigade Major 1
- Adjutant 5
Note that the Division Commander has an effective military ability of 7, since the RNHB Regiment is in his Division, and that the Colonel of the 69th Arquebusiers has an effective military ability of 3 due to his superior Adjutant. Go now to the Battle Results Table. The Army Commander's MA is 5 and he receives a die roll of 5, giving a battle result of 2. The Division Commander's MA is 7, plus one for the Army Commander's result equals 8. A die roll of 4 gives a battle result of 2. The Brigade Commander's MA is 3, plus one for the Army Commander's result, plus one more for the Division Commander's result equals 5. A die roll of 1 gives a battle result of 5. The Colonel's MA is 3, plus one for the Army Commander's result, plus one for the Division Commander's result, minus one for the Brigade Commander's result equals 4.
A die roll of 4 gives a battle result of 3. Henri now rolls, since he commands a Battalion. Suppose his military ability is 4. As a Battalion Commander he has no Adjutant. His military ability is modified as above for all previous results, giving him a modified MA of 5. A die roll of 6 gives a battle result of 2.
Personal Outcome Table
Siege
| Battle Result | Death | Mention in Despatches | Promotion | Crowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
10 |
11 |
9 |
9 (3 x 100) |
2 |
8 |
9 |
7 |
8 (4 x 100) |
3 |
11 |
12 |
10 |
11 (2 x 100) |
4 |
11 |
12 |
10 |
12 (1 x 100) |
5 |
9 |
10 |
8 |
-- |
6 |
7 |
8 |
6 |
-- |
Assault
| Battle Result | Death | Mention in Despatches | Promotion | Crowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
4 (4 x 100) |
2 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
5 (6 x 100) |
3 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
6 (4 x 100) |
4 |
9 |
11 |
8 |
-- |
5 |
8 |
9 |
7 |
-- |
6 |
6 |
8 |
5 |
-- |
Defence
| Battle Result | Death | Mention in Despatches | Promotion | Crowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
7 (2 x 100) |
2 |
8 |
10 |
7 |
9 (2 x 50) |
3 |
10 |
12 |
9 |
12 (1 x 50) |
4 |
10 |
12 |
9 |
12 (1 x 50) |
5 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
-- |
6 |
7 |
11 |
6 |
-- |
Field Operations
| Battle Result | Death | Mention in Despatches | Promotion | Crowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
8 (2 x 50) |
2 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
9 (2 x 100) |
3 |
9 |
12 |
8 |
10 (2 x 50) |
4 |
8 |
12 |
7 |
11 (1 x 50) |
5 |
7 |
10 |
6 |
12 (1 x 50) |
6 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
-- |
If plunder is received, the amount is indicated in the parentheses after the die roll needed. For instance, Assault result 2 shows 6 x 100 for the amount of plunder received: roll six dice and multiply the sum by 100. This is the number of crowns worth of plunder.
Players now consult the Personal Outcome Table, finding the column corresponding to their unit's battle result. A number of modifiers to the table are listed. All players serving with their Regiment use the battle result and table modifiers of the Regiment; players serving with higher commands use the result and modifiers of that command (i.e. a Division Commander, his Aide and the Divisional Adjutant would all use the battle result of the Division and the table modifiers of a Division Commander). All players use the modifiers of their rank. Battalion/Squadron Commanders use their battle results only to modify results on the Personal Outcome Table. Players who are not Battalion/Squadron Commanders ignore that Battalion's battle result.
Personal Outcome Table Modifiers
| Death | Mention | Promotion | Crowns | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army commander | +4 |
0 |
0 |
-3 |
| Division commander | +2 |
0 |
0 |
-2 |
| Brigade commander | +1 |
0 |
0 |
-1 |
| Royal Foot Guards | +3 |
0 |
+1 |
-2 |
| Cardinal's Guard | +2 |
0 |
0 |
-1 |
| King's Musketeers | +2 |
-1 |
0 |
-1 |
| Dragoon Guards | +2 |
-1 |
0 |
-1 |
| Queen's Own Carabiniers | +2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Archduke Leo Cuirassiers | +2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Crown Prince Cuirassiers | +1 |
-1 |
-1 |
0 |
| Royal Marines | +1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Grand Duke Max's Dragoons | +1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Picardy Musketeers | 0 |
0 |
+1 |
0 |
| 13th Fusiliers | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Princess Louisa's Light Dragoons | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 53rd Fusiliers | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 27th Musketeers | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 4th Arquebusiers | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 69th Arquebusiers | -1 |
0 |
+1 |
-2 |
| The Gascon Regiment | -1 |
0 |
+1 |
-2 |
| Frontier Regiment | -1 |
0 |
+1 |
-1 |
| RNHB Regiment | -1 |
-2 |
-1 |
-2 |
| Subaltern | +1 |
0 |
0 |
-1 |
| Captain | +1 |
0 |
0 |
-1 |
| Major | +2 |
0 |
0 |
-2 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel | +2 |
0 |
0 |
-2 |
| Colonel | +2 |
0 |
0 |
-2 |
| Brigadier-General | +3 |
0 |
-1 |
-4 |
| Lieutenant-General | +4 |
0 |
0 |
-5 |
| General | +5 |
0 |
0 |
-6 |
Table Modifiers are the changes in the numbers on the Personal Outcome table. For instance, on a Siege outcome of 5, a 9 or higher must be rolled for the character to die. If he is a member of the Gascon regiment, the death modifier is -1, which means he must roll an 8 or higher to be killed.
If a Commander obtains a battle result that is better than his immediate superior's, his military ability is increased permanently by one and he receives a -1 table modification for mention in despatches and for promotion. A Battalion/Squadron Commander, in addition, receives a +1 modifier for death. If a Commander obtains a result 2 or more worse than his immediate superior, he receives a +1 modifier for mention in despatches and promotion. A Battalion/Squadron Commander additionally receives a -1 modifier for death.
Henri, the Major of the 69th Arquebusiers, would consult line 3 of the Assault section of the Personal Outcome Table, reproduced to the right (since he is serving with his Regiment and the regimental result was 3: a Pyrrhic victory). His regimental modifiers for being in the 69th are -1 for death, +1 for promotion and -2 for plunder. For being a Major he receives a +2 for death and -2 for plunder. For obtaining a battle result better than his immediate superior (the Regiment's result was 3 while his result as a Battalion Commander was 2) he receives +1 for death and a -1 for mention in despatches and promotion. The result of all these modifications is shown on the right.
Henri rolls two dice. If he rolls a 9 or higher, he dies. If he survives, he may roll for mention in despatches (5 or higher on two dice), promotion (6 or higher) and crowns in plunder (2 or higher). If he makes the necessary roll for plunder (in this case a certain result), he rolls again per the parenthetical instruction. In the example, 4 x 100 indicates four dice should be rolled and the total multiplied by 100 to find the total number of crowns worth of plunder Henri receives.
Personal Outcome Modified Outcome Death Death Mention Mention Promotion Promotion Crowns
Poltroonery
Characters finding themselves in a tight spot and not wishing to die may choose the better part of valour and run away. This choice is made after the battle result has been computed and the character has seen the number he needs to roll for death, but before the dice are actually rolled. The player choosing to take the poltroonery option may add any number he feels necessary to the die roll needed for death; he must state the modifier before he rolls.
Naturally this sort of behaviour has serious repercussions, roll one die; on a die roll of 1 or 2, the player's cowardice has not been noticed, and he may roll normally for mention in despatches and promotion, but not plunder (he is not hanging around to pick up anything). On a roll of 3 through 5, he has been seen. In this case, he loses twice as many Status Points as the modification he took on his death die roll every month thereafter until he has redeemed himself by being mentioned in despatches. On a roll of 6, his cowardice has been particularly blatant and he is immediately dismissed from the Regiment; he may not apply to another Regiment until he has redeemed himself by mention in despatches in a Frontier Regiment. Under no circumstances will his old Regiment have him back. This penalty is in addition to the above mentioned Status Point loss.
Reckless Bravery
Conversely, a player set on glory (or destruction) may choose to play hero. After the battle outcome has been computed as above (right before the death die roll) the player may choose to subtract any number he wishes from the die roll needed. If he lives, he may use the same modifier for his rolls for mention in despatches, promotion and plunder.
There will be cases where a player, due to various modifiers for rank, Regiment, post etc., will find he has to roll an impossible number to die. A player who must, for example, roll a 15 for death is permitted to choose an unfavourable modification of two, making it still impossible for him to be killed, and still reap the benefits of heroism. Such are the advantages of position.
Mention in Despatches
When a character is mentioned in despatches, he becomes a public hero, and his status is raised temporarily. Each time a character is mentioned in despatches, he rolls one die. The result is the number of Status Points per month he receives for the next three months. After the three months have passed, he receives one point per month for as long as he lives. The awards of Status Points are cumulative.
Promotion
Upon first joining a Regiment, a character may purchase a rank as high as Major. A rank cannot be bought if there are so many players with characters in the same Regiment that all positions of that rank are filled by those characters. If two players, for example, have characters with the rank of Major in the Picardy Musketeers, another character may not join the Picardy Musketeers as a Major.
After joining a Regiment, a character may be promoted only if there is an opening of the new rank in the Regiment. If a character is promoted while on campaign but there is no vacancy in the Regiment for the new rank, he is instead mentioned in despatches.
If an opening appears in a Regiment during a campaign but the character is not promoted, he may purchase the rank at any time, as long as all requirements are met and the opening is still vacant. A character cannot, under any circumstances, skip a rank.
If a player holds a rank, but his Social Level drops below the minimum necessary to hold that rank, the character has three game months to raise his Social Level to the required minimum. If he does not, he is expelled from the Regiment. He may rejoin, but does so as if he were joining for the first time.
Brevet Rank
Under certain circumstances, a player's promotion will be to brevet rank. These circumstances are:
- When a character does not have a sufficiently high Social Level to accept the rank. In this case, he accepts a brevet rank instead. For instance, a Subaltern in the Foot Guards with a Social Level of 8 is promoted. The next highest rank is Captain, but in the Foot Guards this rank requires a Social Level of 9. Consequently, our Subaltern would be promoted to brevet Captain. He then has one year from the date of his promotion to raise his Social Level to the required minimum. Immediately upon doing so, his brevet rank becomes his permanent rank. If, at the end of that year, he has not done so, he reverts to his former permanent rank of Subaltern. Seniority in the Regiment is determined by the date of permanent rank, not brevet rank.
- Upon promotion to general officer rank (Brigadier-General, Lieutenant-General, General, Field Marshal). For instance, the Colonel of a Regiment is promoted. He becomes brevet Brigadier-General, but retains the permanent rank of Colonel. Such a promotion is for a duration of one year. If, at the end of the year, the player receives an appointment that requires the rank for the next year, his brevet rank commission is extended for that additional year. So long as the player receives appointments requiring his brevet rank, he maintains that rank. If, while serving as a brevet general officer, a player receives a promotion, his brevet rank becomes his new permanent rank and he assumes the brevet rank of the next higher general officer rank.
For example, the Colonel of a Regiment is promoted to brevet Brigadier General during the summer campaign. After the campaign he applies for the post of Brigadier (Brigade Commander) but is unsuccessful. His brevet rank lasts for one year, until the end of the next summer campaign season, at which time he again applies for the post of Brigadier, this time successfully. Thus his brevet rank is extended for another year. In the next year's campaign, he receives another promotion. His permanent rank is now Brigadier General, and he assumes the brevet rank of Lieutenant General.
No player may ever attain the permanent rank of Field Marshal. Since Field Marshals do not go on campaign, there is no opportunity for promotion. Since a player cannot become a Field Marshal except by promotion, no player will ever be Field Marshal for more than one year in a row.
Several observations are necessary in conjunction with brevet ranks. In terms of openings for rank in a Regiment, players occupy both their brevet and permanent ranks. In other words, a Captain serving as brevet Major occupies both a Major's and a Captain's slot. A Colonel brevetted to Brigadier General still occupies the Colonel's slot in the Regiment and will continue to do so until his permanent rank is Brigadier General.
Players holding a brevet rank receive all pay, status and privileges associated with that rank.
A player who holds a brevet rank due to an insufficient Social Level may not be brevetted to a higher rank with a minimum Social Level higher than his.
Should such a player receive a promotion on campaign, he instead converts his present brevet rank to his permanent rank, even though he still does not have a sufficiently high Social Level to hold that rank normally.
Example: The character is a brevet Lieutenant-Colonel of the Foot Guards, with a Social Level of 10. He receives a promotion, but the minimum Social Level for the next higher rank, Colonel of the Foot Guards, is 12. The character does not meet the requirements so, instead of becoming a Colonel or brevet Colonel, he is made full Lieutenant-Colonel (no brevet rank) despite his not having the minimum Social Level normally needed for this position.
Non-Player Characters
When rolling for the death of non-player characters, do not give them the benefit of rank or Regiment. Do give them the benefit of their regimental modifiers when rolling for promotion. Player characters have precedence over equally ranked non-player characters for promotion.
In those Regiments where there is an unfavourable modification for death, give it to non-player characters.
At the end of the campaign, after rolling for the one Subaltern's promotion, all Captaincy vacancies in excess of two are considered filled by purchase (non-player Subalterns are assumed to have sufficient funds for this purpose).
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