Elan En Garde! Game
A.
Gentlemen will find that a career in the military offers the best
opportunity for social advancement. Regiment table A lists the
names of the regiments and the minimum die roll needed to be accepted
into that regiment per social level. This die roll may be modified
by influence. Note, however, that if the regiment is commanded
by a player character, no roll is required: the commander decides
who is accepted. The candidate must still meet all minimum criteria
for acceptance into the regiment.
A player who unsuccessfully attempts to join a regiment may apply to other regiments in the same week, but may only apply to regiments of lower social standing than the one to which he was denied admission. The social standing of the regiments is the order in which they are listed on Regiment table A, the Royal Foot Guards being the highest and the frontier regiments the lowest. For every two rejections he receives, the character must subtract 1 from his die roll on subsequent regimental applications. These penalties remain in place until the character successfully joins a regiment.
Ranks up to and including that of major may be bought immediately upon entry into the regiment, providing that the character meets all other requirements and a vacancy in the regiment exists. Regiment table B lists the minimum SL, status points received monthly, monthly pay, and price required to purchase each rank. The price to purchase is the amount of money it takes to receive that rank from the rank immediately below it. In order to initially buy a majority, for instance, a character would have to pay the costs of the rank of captain and subaltern in addition to the cost of the majority. For the ranks of lieutenant colonel and above, commissions may not be bought initially.
Privates are enlisted soldiers, not officers; their commissions are free (though SL requirements must still be met).
Members of cavalry regiments and captains of any regiment must buy one horse and its equipment. Majors and above in any regiment must buy three horses and equipment. Anyone who buys a horse must also hire a groom and pay support on a monthly basis. A horse costs 100 CRs and requires 3 CRs/month in upkeep. A groom must be paid 2 CRs/month, but only one is required for each character regardless of the number of horses he owns. Grooms may not be shared by characters.
Characters with the rank of private must spend two weeks of each month on duty with their regiment -- mucking out stables, mounting guard, polishing equipment, and so on. While on duty they may undertake no other actions. Subalterns must spend one week of every month on duty supervising the privates. Officers above the rank of subaltern need not spend any time on duty at all. Privates and subalterns may be excused from duty by the permission of their regimental commanders. An NPC regimental commander will excuse a player from one week of duty on a roll of 5 or greater on 1d6. This may be modified by influence and the following considerations:
Condition Modification --------- ------------ Marriage +2 Birth of a child +1 Father has just died* +1 For each exemption taken in the last 3 months -1 Character joined the regiment less than 3 months ago -1 * A random occurrence; you will be notified if it happens.
Money from the purchase of commissions is divided between the colonel (25%) and the regimental coffers (75%). Characters do not have access to the regimental coffers, as this is assumed to be spent on equipment, maintenance, administrative expenses and farewell parties (or promotion parties). Characters receive no recompense for resigning a commission.
B.
Each regiment is a component of a specific brigade. Brigades and
their component regiments are listed on Regiment table C. Brigades
are important in determining which regiments go on campaign.
All regiments are organized identically. Each infantry regiment has three battalions, numbered 1 through 3. Each battalion has two companies, for a total of six per regiment. Companies are lettered A through F. Cavalry regiments are organized the same way except that the battalions are termed squadrons and the companies are called troops.
There are ten officers above the rank of subaltern in each regiment; there are an unlimited number of subalterns and privates for the purposes of the game. A chart will be published with each month's results showing who holds the ten higher ranks for each regiment. Officers of the same rank in a regiment are arranged on the basis of seniority, determined by the date of entrance into the rank. Promotion is only possible if there is an unfilled position.
Each character and NPC of the rank of captain and above will have a command, unless he is on a detached assignment. For captains this command is normally a company or troop, but it could be a battalion/squadron if one of the majorities of the regiment is vacant or a major is performing a military appointment (see part IV, Appointments). Normally majors command the second and third battalions/squadrons, the lieutenant colonel commands the first battalion/squadron, and the colonel commands the regiment. Each character may have only one command. Vacancies (whether actual or from detached duty) may result in lower-ranking characters (both player and NPC) commanding higher elements than would be normal. Subalterns in command of companies must still perform their regular week of duty (they are still subalterns). Subalterns will assume command of companies in order of seniority. Seniority is determined by the date of the rank.
Characters on a military appointment still hold a position within their regiment. However, they do not have a command. A list of the military appointments can be found on the Military Appointments table (part IV).
B1.
Regiments are normally commanded by a Colonel. They may be commanded
by a character with a rank greater than Colonel (if the Colonel
receives a merit promotion to brevet Brigadier General), or by
a lower ranked officer (if the Colonelcy is vacant). Regardless
of rank, it is the regimental commander's decision whom to allow
to enter a regiment and whom to bar. He may throw anyone out of
the regiment for any reason he sees fit. (Note however that a
regimental commander also likely needs friends, so chucking characters
out of his regiment is best not be done capriciously.) He may
also bar officers in his regiment from specific purchases of rank,
though this must be stated before the officer in question attempts
to purchase the rank.
If the regimental commander holds the rank of Colonel or higher, he may appoint any captain within the regiment to the position of Regimental Adjutant (RA). Unlike all other military appointments, the RA appointment may be made at a time other than the beginning of a season. Regardless of when the RA appointment is made however, the Captain holds the RA appointment through the end of the next August turn, or such time as he no longer meets the requirements for the position of RA (ie no longer holds the rank of Captain, and/or is no longer in the regiment). The commander of a regiment may remove an appointed Captain from the position of RA only by throwing him out of the regiment.
If a Colonel accepts a rank above brevet Brigadier General, he will cease being a Colonel and no longer have regimental enemies.
C.
One of the (fortunate or unfortunate) aspects of joining the military
is that it is sometimes necessary to go on campaign. There are
four campaign seasons a year, each lasting three months. The summer
season begins in June, the fall in September, the winter in December,
and the spring in March. The only season in which the regular
army (all regiments except the frontier regiments and the Royal
North Highland Regiment) campaigns is the summer season. The frontier
regiments and RNHR are the only ones which regularly campaign
during the other seasons; they are on campaign year-round.
While on campaign, characters continue to receive pay and allowances but do not have to pay out any money, except for mistress or wife support and lodging rental, and they do not keep track of status points. Characters may arrange for servants/agents to perform some functions while they are at the front. These functions include repaying debts, applying for appointments, and using influence. Characters may also purchase additional horses from the army stores. Characters who require horses (replacements or additional mounts due to promotion or loss of a horse) but lack funds will be lent funds from the regimental stores. Characters who return to Paris unable to repay regimental loans will be dismissed from the regiment in disgrace. Their option is to remain at the front until able to pay their debts.
D.
Military ability (MA) is the numerical quantification of a character's
ability to lead men in battle. NPCs have MA as well. The MA of
the commander is a major factor in determining the outcome of
actions at the front. A character's MA can be increased if his
success in battle (based on the Battle Resolution scores) exceeds
that of his commander. You will be notified if this occurs.
MILITARY ACADEMY
His Majesty has ordered the formation of a Military Academy for the improvement of the officers of his regiments. The courses and fees are as follows:
Each week at the military academy will cost 50 crowns.
To go from MA 1 to MA 2 will take two weeks.
2 to 3 will take three weeks
3 to 4 will take four weeks
4 to 5 will take five weeks
5 to 6 will take six weeks
The weeks do not need to be consecutive, but they do need to take place within the same season per level. No more than one level of increase per season.
E.
Each summer the regular army will send some units on campaign.
The Minister of State determines the number of brigades that will
be sent on campaign. The Minister of War then decides which specific
brigades will serve on the campaign. Luck determines the type
of campaign action (i.e. siege, assault, field operations) and
the front at which the forces will campaign. Once these factors
are established, the Minister of War decides on the organization
of the campaigning force. The GM will announce the force structure
and organization with the results of the May turn.
F.
Characters may also go on campaign by volunteering. During the
fall, winter, and spring campaign seasons, characters who command
a squadron/battalion or larger unit may volunteer their unit to
go along with them. (Companies/troops are NOT considered commands
for the purposes of volunteering.) They do not have to do so,
however. And they may NOT volunteer their command during the summer
campaign.
In the non-summer seasons characters who command regiments may volunteer their entire regiment or any squadron/battalion thereof. Characters who command brigades may volunteer their entire brigade or any one regiment thereof. Characters who volunteer only a portion of their commands need not accompany it on campaign. The chance for a player character to convince his NPC commander to volunteer the regiment is 6 on 1d6 and may be modified by influence. A division or army commander may only volunteer his unit for service with the approval of the Minister of State. This can be influenced.
Characters who do not hold commands or who wish to volunteer during the summer campaign may take a temporary leave of absence (and, some would say, of their senses), volunteer for duty with a frontier regiment, and thus go on campaign. The character maintains the same rank on the frontier that he had with his own regiment, or the rank of private if he does not belong to a regiment when he volunteers for frontier service. A character who volunteers for service with a frontier regiment retains his position in his own regiment, if any, and returns to it at the end of the campaign season. A character may receive promotion while serving with a frontier regiment.
All volunteers, both units and individuals, must be on campaign at least one month, and may not return from campaign until the end of a campaign season, regardless of time served. In other words, a character could volunteer for service in the spring campaign no later than the first week of May. Transport to the front is, in game terms, instantaneous, as well as free of charge.
On the other hand, a character wishing to remain in Paris when his commander volunteers the regiment for service at the front may do so only with his commander's permission. If the commander is an NPC, he can be persuaded to excuse his subordinate from duty on a 6 on 1d6, subject to influence. Note that once any character actually travels to the front though, he must remain on campaign for the duration of that campaign season. His Colonel does not have the authority to authorize any early returns to Paris, though weekend leave is permissible (up to two times per month). The only exception to this is if the Field Marshall sends a regiment back to Paris.
G.
The RNHR is a unique unit -- an elite frontier regiment. Characters
who go to the frontier to campaign may wish to join the RNHR rather
than an ordinary frontier regiment. To be accepted into the RNHR
characters must have an End of 100+ and an Exp (any weapon) of
9+. Officers may campaign with the RNHR only if they meet these
requirements, and have received one merit promotion (non-purchased)
or have been mentioned in dispatches (see below). Officers with
an MA of 1 are not accepted in the RNHR.
Since the RNHR is constantly in the field, there are always openings for qualified officers and men. Officers of the rank of major and above (even colonels and general officers) may command battalions.
H.
If an NPC is the field marshal for a campaign, a character may
petition to have a regiment that is not going on campaign during
the regular campaign season substitute for one that is. A substitute
regiment serves in the brigade of the regiment it has replaced,
and thus must be of the same type (i.e., infantry or cavalry)
as the unit it is substituted for. For example, if the Second
Brigade of Foot is to go on campaign, but the Guards Brigade is
not, a character may petition to have the Cardinal's Guard replace
the 69th Arquebusiers. The field marshal will grant a player's
petition on a roll of 7 on 1d6. This roll may be altered by influence.If
a character is the field marshal, he may substitute one regiment
as he sees fit.
I.
The GM will resolve the outcome of the campaign each month and
provide a narrative description of the action, as well as a summary
matrix of the changes to characters.
J.
When the senior officers of the army send their dispatches back
to Paris, they sometimes mention by name gentlemen they noticed
on the field -- perhaps for their exemplary deeds; perhaps merely
because they were recognizable; maybe by mistake.
Whatever the reason, when a character is mentioned in dispatches (MiD), he becomes a public hero and his status is raised temporarily. Each time a character is mentioned in dispatches a roll is made on 1d6. The result is the number of status points per month he receives for three months. After the three months have passed, he receives 1 point per month for as long as he lives. The awards of status points from multiple MiDs are cumulative. Please note that the full SP benefits start the month of the character's return from the front and run for the next three consecutive months. If the character returns to the front during that time, his benefits will be wasted, as status points are not tallied when characters are on campaign. Fame is fleeting.
K.
Upon joining a regiment a character may purchase a rank as high
as major. A rank that is already held by another character or
NPC cannot be purchased. Thus, if a regiment has two majors, no
character can purchase the rank of major in that regiment.
After joining a regiment, a character may be promoted only if there is an opening of the next rank in the regiment. If an opening appears in a regiment, a character may purchase that 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 two qualified characters of equal rank simultaneously wish to purchase the next higher rank, the more senior of the two is the one who will be permitted to purchase it.
Promotions may also occur on the battlefield. These are free and instantaneous.
If a character holds a rank, but his SL drops below the minimum necessary to hold that rank, he has three game months to raise his SL 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.
L.
Each month I determine the battle outcome for those characters
on campaign. This outcome is a function of the performance of
the officers in charge, the type of operation (siege, assault,
field operations, or defense) and luck. The results are calculated
for each command; thus if many regiments are on campaign, the
results for different commands may vary widely.
These results, plus values reflecting each character's rank and regiment, are then combined to determine the character's death number, his mentions number, his promotions number, and his crowns number. For each of these categories 2d6 is rolled; if the result equals or exceeds the predetermined number, then the player has received serious injury or death in the case of the death roll, an MiD in the case of the mentions roll, etc. The death roll is made first, and if the character survives, then the other rolls are made. The higher the death number, the less dangerous the campaign is. In general, the risk of death is lower and the rewards greater with higher rank and higher-ranked regiments. There are exceptions, though, and the results can reward the lowest private of a frontier regiment or kill a commanding general.
Characters may adjust their death number (see sections M and N below). Reckless bravery, which adds to the death roll, increases the chances of getting killed. But the same addition is also made to the other rolls, increasing the chance of receiving a reward of some sort. Poltroonery subtracts from the rolls, and thus increases the chances of survival, but decreases the chances of obtaining MiDs, etc.
In their orders players may submit modifications (bravery and/or
poltroonery) in two ways.
EXAMPLE:
Rene LaPorte submits orders stipulating "bravery to 9, poltroonery
to 7." If his death number for the campaign works out to
10, which is 1 above his selected bravery level, then I add +1
to all his rolls (death number of 10 minus the stated bravery
level of 9 = 1) -- in this case, Rene has decided the battle's
going well enough to take some risks, so he has a better than
usual chance for rewards this month if he survives. If the death
number works out to 9, 8, or 7, no modifications are made; Rene
is just following orders and doing his job. If the death roll
works out to less than the poltroonery level -- say, 5 -- then
I add the poltroonery modifier of -2 (death roll of 5 - poltroonery
level of 7 = -2) to all his rolls; in this case, the battle looks
tough, and the possibility exists that Rene will choose to bolt,
though it means risking his chances for wealth and renown this
month.
M.
Characters at the front may find themselves in a tight spot and,
not wishing to die, may choose the better part of valor and run
away. Your orders, when you are at the front, will have to indicate
what modifier, if any, that you wish to take for the results roll.
Naturally, poltroonery has serious repercussions. A die roll is made, and the poltroonery modifier is added. If the result is 1-2, the act of cowardice has not been seen (fog of war and all that), and the character still has a chance of promotion and MiD (more fog and confusion), but not plunder (he has run away, after all). On a 3-5 the character has been seen. He loses twice as many status points as the modifier he took, per month and every month thereafter, until he has redeemed himself by being MiD. On a 6+, his cowardice has been particularly blatant, and he is disgraced. He is immediately dismissed from his regiment; he may not apply to another regiment until he has redeemed himself by being MiD while serving with a frontier regiment. Under no circumstances will his original regiment have him back.
Notice too that under certain circumstances even poltroonery will not save you. War is, after all, dangerous.
N.
Conversely, a player set on glory (or destruction) may choose
to be heroic. In the orders a player may request a positive modifier
of any size (best keep it low if you want to live) to the results
rolls. Using reckless bravery gives you a much better chance of
being promoted and MiD and a greater share of what plunder there
may be.
O.
Under certain circumstances a character's promotion will be to
a brevet or temporary rank. These circumstances are:
No character 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 character will ever act as field marshal for more than one year at a time.
Several observations are necessary with regard to brevet ranks. In terms of ranks within a regiment, characters with brevet ranks occupy both slots. That is, a brevet major occupies both a captain's slot and a major's slot. A colonel breveted to brigadier general still holds the colonel's position within his regiment. After promotion to the permanent rank of brigadier general, a character may resign the colonecy of his regiment, though he is not required to do so.
Characters holding brevet rank receive all pay, status, and privileges associated with the brevet rank only.
A character who holds brevet rank due to insufficient SL may not be breveted to the next higher rank with a minimum SL higher than his. Should such a character 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 SL to hold that rank normally.
P.
Characters may become titled after performing a valuable service
to the state. These services are:
The king confers titles upon characters who meet any one of the above requirements on a roll of 6 on 1d6. This roll may be modified by influence (of course, if you can influence the king, you're probably already titled). Characters without titles, if selected to receive a title, become chevaliers. Thereafter, the award of a title promotes a character to the next higher title. Recipients of a title receive a one-time status point bonus in the present month (or in the first month after the end of the campaign, if the character is titled while on campaign). They also receive a pension every month as long as they live.
On the Titles table below, New SL indicates the SL to which the recipient of a title is immediately promoted, if his SL is lower. The Minimum SL, of course, shows the SL that a character must possess in order to be eligible to receive each title. Characters with a SL of less than 6 receive a warm handshake instead of a title. Warm handshakes have no effect upon the game.
| Title | Minimum SL | New SL | Status Point Bonus |
Pension CRs/Mo. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevalier | 6 | 10 | 10 | --- |
| Baron | 7 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| Vicomte | 8 | 12 | 15 | 15 |
| Comte | 9 | 13 | 15 | 25 |
| Marquis | 10 | 14 | 20 | 100 |
| Duc | 11 | 15 | 20 | 100 |
The king bestows titles at his four seasonal balls. No characters are initially titled except orphans of noble parentage.
Q.
When a character distinguishes himself in battle there is a chance
he will be awarded a medal to go with any mentions in dispatches.
In order to have a chance at earning a medal, a character must
have received an MiD using reckless bravery. Getting a medal is
not certain, however. Merely using reckless bravery and receiving
an MiD will not guarantee a medal. Medals awarded will be given
to the character by the King at the next seasonal ball (the same
time titles are awarded). All medal recipients will receive some
status points monthly, and some medals also provide a small pension,
per the table below:
| Medal | Monthly SPs | Monthly Pension |
|---|---|---|
| Legion d'Honneur | 4 | 50 |
| l'Etoile de France | 3 | 30 |
| Medaille Militaire | 2 | 20 |
| Croix de Guerre | 2 | 10 |
| Croix du Roi | 1 | -- |
| Croix de la Cite | 1 | -- |
Should a character be fortunate enough to receive more than one medal of a particular type he will gain 1 SP for each additional medal of that type. He will not receive additional pensions.
Q1. CAPTURE
Capture by the enemy leads to several possibilities. Captives
will be held prisoner for a maximum of 3 months after which they
are killed or released (50% chance). Prisoners may not communicate
with other characters though they can with other captives.
Options affecting the possibility of release are ransom, escape, and rescue.
Ransom:
Friends may offer a ransom based on the captive's SL, but only
once for each prisoner.
100cr x SL will be accepted with a 50% chance (die roll).
200cr x SL, will be accepted with a 75% chance (die roll).
Ransom can be offered only once (not allowed to offer 100xSL and
then raise to 200xSL if refused).
An escape attempt takes a month. People held captive together may choose to make a group escape attempt, though they must all order this for it to happen. Characters with a STR of 15+ will have an advantage. Higher ranks will have more difficulty as they are guarded more closely.
A rescue attempt may be mounted by one or more PCs acting as a group. If PC rescuers over the rank of captain leave their duties at the front, it will adversely affect the battle outcome with possible consequences. Such an attempt takes a whole month (no costs or status as if at the front). A group gains an advantage if they number 3 or more; anyone having an MA of 6+ in the group, and STR and rank mods apply as for escapes. There is an additional -1 mod if the prisoners had planned their own escape that month. Rescuers can be captured, and if so are kept together with any prisoners that didn't escape. If the mission is a success all rescuers get an automatic MID.
Rescued parties and rescuers will return to the front or Paris the following month, depending on whether or not their regiment is serving at the front at that time.
R.
There are several ways for a character to become disgraced: if
he is convicted of a crime, is unable to pay his debts when they
are due, or committed blatant poltroonery on the field; if he
fights a duel with a member of the same regiment or abandons his
pregnant mistress. Other activities may get characters disgraced.
Illegal activities generally entail this risk. You'll know when
it happens.
The ramifications of disgrace are primarily social. In seventeenth-century Paris, that's bad enough. Characters in disgrace will not be accepted as members of Hunter's or Bothwell's. Shylocks won't lend money to a disgraced character. Depending on what he did to blacken his name, a disgraced character might be expelled from his regiment, dumped by his mistress, thrown out of parties, and/or generally shunned by self-respecting citizens of Paris.
In order to remove this stain on his honor, a character who becomes disgraced must join a frontier regiment until (1) he is able to pay his debts (if unable to do so earlier), (2) one full year passes from the time of the duel, or (3) he becomes a hero (MiD), which will absolve most other forms of disgrace. If your case is special, I will advise you regarding egress.
S.
Characters may invest money in various ventures in order to gain
more money. The return on investments is determined by the campaigns.
Arms investors gain money when more troops are sent on campaign.
Finance investors, placing great stock in stable currency, lose
money when large numbers of troops are sent. Commerce investors
profit from stability and national security and thus gain more
when the armies are successful. Investments must be made in blocks
of 1000 CRs. All investments are initially solvent, but may become
insolvent.
Investment in arms or finance may be made only between September and March, dividends being distributed in September. Returns are calculated over the entire summer season rather than each month. The latest anyone may invest in arms or finance is March, as the summer campaign organization is published in April.
Commerce investment may be made at any time, the return calculated for the following whole season.
| No. of Brigades |
Arms Investments |
Finance Investments |
Avg. Outcome of Army Cmdrs |
Commerce Investments |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | - 50% | + 40% | 1 | + 10% | |
| 4 | - 20% | + 20% | 2 | + 5% | |
| 5 | + 30% | + 10% | 3 | + 2.5% | |
| 6 | + 50% | - 60% | 4 | break even | |
| 7 | + 80% | - 60% | 5 | - 2.5% | |
| 8* | +100% | - 60% | 6 | - 5% |
When a + result appears, that is the amount that the investor receives as percentage of his capital investment as a dividend. This will be added to his accounts in Septembre, or at the end of the campaign season for Commerce investments). When a - result appears, that is the amount that the investor must pay within the next month to make his investment solvent. If it is not paid in time, the investment is completely lost. If it is paid, the investment is solvent at its original level. In other words, the additional payment does not increase the investment capital. Solvent investments may be liquidated at any time for the capital in them minus a 10% liquidation fee.
The Quartermaster General of an army may make purchases for that army. In so doing he designates one investor in arms as arms supplier for that army, and that investor receives a return on his investment as if one more brigade had been sent on campaign than were actually sent. If the Quartermaster General of an army is an arms investor, he may designate himself as the arms supplier for that army and reap the benefits. Rank has its privileges.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer may manipulate state funds to benefit a certain financier. This has the same effect as do the actions of a quartermaster general except that it has the effect of causing the designated investor to receive a return on his investment as if two fewer brigades had been sent on campaign.
NPCs in these positions will manipulate funds/supplies on a 7 on 1d6. Naturally, these rolls may be influenced.
An NPC Minister of State may be influenced in his decision as to how many brigades will be sent on campaign. He will add or subtract one brigade from the designated campaign force on a die roll of 7. He will add or subtract two brigades on a roll of 9. The level of force commitment will not be modified to less than three or more than eight brigades.
| Brigadier | 6 | Min. SL |
| 30 | Monthly pay | |
| 8 | Monthly status | |
| Lt. General | 8 | Min. SL |
| 35 | Monthly pay | |
| 9 | Monthly status | |
| General | 10 | Min. SL |
| 40 | Monthly pay | |
| 10 | Monthly status | |
| Field Marshal | 12 | Min. SL |
| 45 | Monthly pay | |
| 20 | Monthly status |