8.0. The Military:

For most of the gentlemen of London, the military will be the only way to go. A military career is very distinguished and can be lucrative. For the brave and the bold it can be a way of earning a title, earning a fortune, or of earning rank and social status. Anyone may join the military, but there are restrictions which regard regiment you can enter based on your Social Standing.

8.1. Regiments: The military is broken up into regiments. Each regiment has a command structure identical to the other regiment. However, the regiments each have a different status associated with them as part of their prestige. The higher the prestige of that regiment, the higher the status required for membership in the regiment.

It is possible for a Provincial Governor to raise a Provincial Army. Sometimes this is required. However, the supplies for each regiment of the army will cost 25 Crowns per month which must come out of additional taxes for the province or out of the pocket of the PG (i.e. either he pays the 25 Cr or taxes the populace for the 25 Cr). Armies that go unpaid are likely to desert and potentially become rebels or rioters. Each region can field one provincial brigade.

8.1.A. Joining: Attempting to join a regiment is a pre-monthly (i.e. week 0) action and any number of regiments can be applied for as long as they are in descending social order. If rejected, a character may reapply the following month. If the Colonel (or acting commander) of a regiment is a player-character then the decision over who to admit rests with them, but prospective candidates must still meet the minimum requirements for that regiment. There is a -1 modifier for every 2 rejections in the month. If there is no PC commander, then the application goes to an NPC Commander.

All PC privates and subalterns are considered to be in the 1st Battalion/Squadron with the exception of subalterns who have acting command due to vacancies in the structure above them. Privates may never hold an acting command. A and B companies comprise the first battalion, C and D the second, and the third battalion consists of E and F companies. Subalterns and privates must do 1 or 2 weeks of regimental duties per month, respectively, unless excused by their Btn/Sqn Commander (NPC will excuse character for one week only on 6+ on one die, if requested, and can be influenced). The only weekly activity which can be combined with regt duties is practice with the regt weapon, though this must be ordered. Practicing with a regimental weapon outside of a fencing school cannot bring Expertise over a Skill Level of 14.

The highest rank that can be purchased on entry to a regiment is Captain (although only if there is a vacancy). Only one rank may be purchased at a time (except when initially joining a regt) and ranks may not be skipped. If more than one character attempts to purchase a vacant rank, it goes to the most senior applicant; in the case of subalterns with no acting command status (and therefore no seniority) it goes by greasy pole order. If horses are required for the new rank and cannot be afforded then the rank cannot be bought.

Members of cavalry regts and captains of any regt must buy a horse and equipment (100 Cr). Majors and above of any regt must buy 3 horses. There is a fixed number of officers that can hold each rank in a regiment. There is no limit on the number of subalterns in a regt. If a rank is purchased which requires horses the animals are purchased at the same time. If the horses cannot be purchased, then neither can the rank. If a promotion is received and horses cannot be afforded, then the rank is granted at brevet level instead of at full rank. Once the mounts are purchased, then the full rank is given.

8.1.B. Seniority: Seniority within a given rank is in top to bottom order for command positions. For example, if a Major's slot becomes vacant and is not filled, then the Captain of A Company / Troop becomes the acting 3rd Battalion/Squadron commander. Similarly, officers take acting command of units above them in the table if the position is held by someone who is serving outside of the regt (e.g. a Brigade Major, or an aide to an officer also on campaign).

PCs take priority over NPCs when determining who gets promoted into a vacant slot, but still dependent on their promotion roll. If two PCs both make their promotion roll for a single position, then the one who made it by the highest margin receives the promotion. If however, they made it by the same margin, it falls to seniority and then Greasy Pole order if necessary. A candidate who would only take a brevet rank comes after other officers of the same rank regardless of seniority. The essential points here are that command of only one unit can be held at any one time, and seniority within the regt is in a strict top to bottom order. The following example should make things clear:

Above is shown a regimental listing before(left) and after(right) a spell at the front to illustrate several points. Note that N5 and N3 died and all 4 PCs in the regt were awarded a promotion. The NPC Colonel was promoted to BBG so still occupies his slot. N4, the surviving Major was not promoted so the Lt Col slot is vacant. Both PC Captains take priority over NPCs for determining who gets the vacant Major's slot, and as AdT is senior to FGH in the regt he gets it (note that he is now the junior Major to N4). So FGH gets no promotion and simply moves up one step in seniority but still below N2. Similarly RR and TdB were promoted Captain, and RR took the most senior available slot as he was previously senior to TdB (E coy compared to F coy). Note: if the Subalterns not been in acting command positions, there final position in the rgmt table would be reversed as TdB rolled a higher promotion roll than RR.

Everyone takes acting command of the Battalions and Companies from top to bottom order, with F Coy being led by a NPC Subaltern. Note: if the BBG takes a Brigade Command, he will still occupy the Colonel's slot until confirmed in his new rank. Everyone in the regt will move up one step as far command is concerned (an officer is not allowed to command more than one unit at any one time). Obviously, if he failed to get his promotion within the year and reverted to Colonel then everyone would move down one step in the command responsibilities.

8.1.C. Changing Regiments: A character may change regiments only once during his career, as this practice is felt to undermine regimental loyalty. The attempted change must be to a regiment of higher social rank (i.e. further up in the Regiment Application Table), and to a regiment of the same type (cavalry or infantry). Under no circumstances may a character attempt to join his enemy regiment. There is no need to resign the current position before applying, but if successful, the character will have to pay the normal purchase price for any rank he buys, and is limited to buying a rank no higher than Captain initially.

Note that the number of regiments are limited here and there is also a limit to the number of Provincial Armies since the number of Provinces is set at ten. This will increase competition and provide more regimental enemy conflicts. Another result of this is that a greater proportion of the regular army go on Summer Campaign. Be sure to verify the friends and enemies for each regiment.

8.2. Brevet Rank and the Field Marshal:

Promotion is to brevet rather than full rank for promotions beyond the rank of Colonel and when the candidate does not meet the minimum SL required for promotions below the rank of Colonel. SL requirements for members of the General Staff must be met.

An officer who is promoted but cannot afford the horses required for his new rank is instead promoted to brevet rank, horses being borrowed from the regimental stables. If he has the money, horses will automatically be purchased when required. He is confirmed in his new rank as soon as he buys the required number of horses. Note that this is different from buying ranks.

If the holder of a brevet rank subsequently reaches the minimum required SL, he may be confirmed in that rank. Another promotion also confirms the rank. Brevet rank last for a maximum of 12 months at which time the rank is lost.

A Brevet Brigadier General (BBG) still occupies the Colonel's slot in his regiment. Brig Generals (full) and above have no regimental associations. In order to be promoted to the general staff brevet rank, an officer must hold the appropriate command for that rank. For example, a Brevet Brig. General must hold a Brigadier's command to be promoted. When promoted in this way, the officer assumes the permanent rank and must obtain another promotion to reach the next brevet rank. For example, if the BBG in the above case were to receive 2 promotions on campaign, he would become a Brevet Lt General.

The position of Field Marshal is taken by the full General in the Summer Campaign that makes the highest promotion roll. If nobody qualifies in this manner, then the current Field Marshal has the option of remaining in the post for another year or retiring. If the Field Marshal retires, he returns to his full General rank and effectively retires from the military on full pay, and is unable to take up any military appointment in the future except Colonel-General of the Infantry (CGI). If the position of Field Marshal is left vacant then the Minister of War makes those decisions and appointments which would have fallen to the former.

The CGI position is a Court Appointed by the Queen and may be replaced with the next retiring Field Marshal at the Queen's pleasure. Only retiring Field Marshalls may be appointed to be CGI. Field Marshalls that did not receive the appointment when they retired will not receive it later. The Queen will appoint a new CGI on a 4+ (d6), +1 if the Summer campaign was successful, -1 if the Summer Campaign was not successful. Replacing the CGI is the Queen's decision and it may be influenced. Only the retiring FM can be considered for the CGI appointment. If the Queen does not appoint the retiring FM to this position, then the standing CGI may retain the post another year. Once the position of Field Marshall or Colonel-General of the Infantry is relinquished, it cannot be re-attained. Retired Field Marshals do not require an aide.

The Field Marshal does not go on campaign although his aide accompanies his regt if it is going.

8.3. Volunteers: No unit may volunteer or be volunteered during the regular Summer campaign season, although the Field Marshal may be petitioned to substitute one regiment for another of the same type (infantry or cavalry). An NPC FM will make a substitution on a 7+ (2d6), and will choose the petition rolling highest if there is more than one, and by status order for tied rolls. Once a substitution has been made it may not be changed or reversed until the following year. The minimum period that a unit can spend at the front is 2 months. Therefore units cannot volunteer or be volunteered in the last month of any season, although an individual could join a Frontier regt at this time to serve one month only.

The largest unit that can volunteer is a Brigade, the smallest is a Battalion. Note that if the 1st battalion volunteers, then all PC subalterns and privates in that regt must go with it (except for subalterns with an acting command due to vacancies above them). An NPC will volunteer his command, if requested, on a 8 for a Brigadier, a 7 for a Regimental Commander, or a 6 for a Battalion commander. If the position of Brigadier is vacant for a particular brigade, then that unit cannot be volunteered. A Brigadier may volunteer his entire brigade (includes himself and his aide), or one or more regiments from the brigade (in which case they operate independently with no brigade command personnel). A Regt Commander may volunteer his entire regt or one or more of his battalions.

The number of volunteer units at the frontier in a given season may not exceed a combination of one whole bde, or 3 regts, or 9 btns. If a greater number than this volunteer / are volunteered, then priority goes to those units commanded by the highest ranQueen officer, followed by status order. Units cannot be recalled before the end of a season to keep volunteers within this limit.

Intentions and requests to volunteer must be submitted as press before the announcements deadline so that other characters have a chance to influence or veto such decisions. The Minister of War may veto the volunteering of an entire Brigade, the FM may veto the volunteering of any particular regiment, and a Brevet Brigadier General may veto the volunteering of a particular Battalion or Squadron. An NPC will order such a veto on a 9+ (2d6, infl.).

A commander that volunteers a unit without announcing it beforehand, will have his orders successfully executed but will be subject to charges of a breach of military discipline.

Volunteered Bdes and Regts serve independently; individual Btns and Sqns are attached to a random Frontier Regt.

8.4. Frontier Regiments: Frontier regts are on campaign all year round. Civilians will always be accepted as privates, but ranks cannot be purchased. Members of the military who volunteer to serve with a frontier regt join initially as subalterns, if their permanent rank is that or above. Promotions are possible within a frontier regt but vacant slots are taken by NPCs. Those sent to the Frontier as a sentence take the rank of private.

The number of frontier regts changes to meet requirements. Their names indicate their distinction, (e.g. 69th Arqubusiers [Frontier], 3rd Frontier Regt). PCs may name the unit in which they are serving, subject to GM approval. All frontier regts are infantry. Volunteers serve in a random regt unless one is specified in their orders.

If a character is awarded a promotion while serving with a Frontier Regt, he is also promoted in his own permanent regiment provided there is a vacancy, he meets all the usual criteria, and his frontier rank is the same as his permanent rank. A character serving with a Frontier Regt gets paid the higher salary of his regular pay or his Frontier pay. A character who survives a tour with a Frontier Regt loses any rank he has in the Frontier Regt as soon as he returns to London.

A colonel of a frontier regt who is promoted to BBG remains in command of his regiment unless he later takes command of a brigade. A PC in this situation who accepts a Brigadier appointment leaves his permanent regt.

A member of a frontier regt (not a volunteer btn or higher level unit) who is caught poltrooning (i.e. rolls a modified 6+) is summarily executed in the field, rather than going to Court Martial.

Frontier regts do not have adjutants or chaplains.

8.5. Mercenaries:

If a character meets the required criteria he may serve with a foreign mercenary unit for a whole season, with the option to extend his contract season by season. The default order at the end of a season spent as a mercenary is to return to London. A volunteer must resign from any English regiment (losing any associated military appointment) before he can join the mercenaries. Military experience is not a requirement for mercenary service as long as the minimum criteria are met. PCs can only join a unit as a private or subaltern if they meet the minimum criteria: for a private, and END of 120 or more and EXP in any weapon of 14 or more, and additionally for a subaltern, an MA of 4 or more. There are no minimum SL requirements, no purchase price for a subalterncy, nor do newly promoted captains and majors need to purchase horses.

Mercenaries are organized into individual battalions, with the same structure as a regular army battalion. If more than one character joins in the same season they will automatically serve in different battalions, unless all individuals concerned state in their orders that they wish to serve alongside each other.

A season spent in a mercenary unit is treated like a season spent at the front (i.e. pay and allowances received and no expenses except for wives and children) regardless of whether the unit sees any action or not.

At the start of each season, one die is rolled for each mercenary battalion with one or more characters in it. The result is the Mercenary Employment for the Season. This cannot be influenced but if a PC is the CO (i.e. the Major) of the battalion then he may opt to apply a +/- 1 modifier. The default is no modifier. A result of 0 allows any PC in the unit to spend their 3 months in London as usual with full mercenary pay as well as 4 SP per month, regardless of their rank (for tough reputation and unusual uniforms).

If there is a riot or rebellion and troops are required to suppress it, any mercenary unit stationed in the London area is automatically sent to that region.

If fighting alongside English forces then the battalion obtains a battle result just as for an individual battalion in a non-campaign season. If this is the case during a regular campaign season the mercenary battalion is treated as an independent battalion within a randomly assigned division (but not within any brigade).

If fighting against 'some other nation' the battalion obtains a battle result as for an individual battalion using the 1st Brigade to determine deployment.

If fighting against English forces then the mercenary unit is considered to be up against a randomly selected regiment. Force deployment is the opposite to the English regiment concerned (i.e. D against A or S, A or S against D, and F against F). The battle result for the mercenary unit is (7 - opposing regt's BR) - no die roll for the mercenaries.

If a PC in either the English regt or the mercenary battalion is captured, then a PC in the capturing unit may arrange for his ransom to be accepted instantly or pay it himself. In such a case a PC CO may overrule such a decision. If prisoners are taken on both sides then they can be exchanged on a one-for-one basis instantly at the discretion of the lowest level unit commander that commands both the unit of those captured and the regt opposing the mercenaries. NPCs will automatically conduct such exchanges and if there is a choice of PCs to free will free those of higher SL first.

Example: The Queen's Royal Lancers are serving in the Guard Brigade in the 1st division and have a mercenary unit opposing them. A mercenary PC and 2 PCs from the Queen's Royal Lancers are captured. The Guards Brigadier in this case chooses whether to exchange the mercenary prisoner for one of the musketeer prisoners. An NPC will automatically free the musketeer highest up the greasy pole, while a PC brigadier has the choice to exchange either or none of the prisoners. If the English prisoners were taken from a regt within the 1st Div but outside the Guards Bde, then the Div Commander would be faced with these choices instead.

A mercenary who is captured by English forces and not released in the above manner has no chance to escape. He does not stand trial, but automatically serves 2 months in gaol and loses 3 SL on his release, unless the Minister of War intervenes (an NPC MoW will not). A mercenary captured by another nation is treated as in the regular capture rules.

Mercenaries use their own table for modifiers for rank and regiment In this case NPCs do get the full modifiers for their status. Mentions and title attempts are not possible while serving as a mercenary, while death and plunder rolls are made as normal (exception: mercenaries get three rolls for plunder for each full season fighting). Promotion is handled differently as each battalion is a self-administered unit. The major cannot be promoted. If the major is killed then someone must replace him. If both captains survive then the one to roll highest gets the post (note PCs do not take priority over NPCs in this case). Vacant captain's slots are similarly filled by NPC subalterns unless any PC subaltern rolls higher. A PC major may choose who gets promoted into a vacant slot but he may not leapfrog someone (for fear of mutiny). Privates roll for promotion as per normal with no modifier and take the promotion even if their MA is less than 4. If a PC is promoted in the above manner and returns to London then it has no effect at all. If, however, he opts to spend the next season in the same unit, he gets to keep his new rank, until he finally leaves for London. Finally, a PC major who is leaving for London may nominate a PC captain in the same unit as his successor if there is one.

Reckless bravery is an option as per usual but poltroonery is not possible within a mercenary unit.

8.6. Military Ability and the Academy:

A character's Military Ability (MA) is initially between 1 and 6, a higher score being better. MA may change due to good or bad battle results if in a command position, and by studying at the Military Academy. MA is rounded down when being used to calculate battle results and may never fall below 1 or rise above 10.

MA affects battle results of the unit that a character is commanding or to which he is an adjutant and may affect his own personal outcome on campaign. MA may modify the chance of getting certain military appointments. The commander of a regt or above has an effective MA one higher than normal if his adjutant (BM for a bde) has an MA 2 or more higher than his own. Effective MA for a commander of a battalion and higher is increased by 1 for each unit that has a BR of 1 or 2 above his unit in the chain of command (and decreased by 1 for each BR of 5 or 6). These changes to effective MA are cumulative and temporary and may not take effective MA below 1 or above 10.

The Military Academy exists to improve standards of strategy, tactics, and leadership. The Military Academy teaches three week courses which improve the student's MA by half a point for each 3 week course completed at a cost of 100 Crowns (payable in the first week to cover books and instructor fees). MA may not be increased beyond 3 by such means; any further increases must come through experience. The 3 weeks of a course must all take place in a single month to count, although they do not have to be consecutive.

If commanding a battalion or higher level unit, current MA and the actual battle result (BR, from 1-6, 1 being the best) determine whether MA is changed at all as follows. If (7-BR) is greater than current MA, then MA is increased by one. If MA 6 or more and BR 1 then MA is increased by one; if MA 6 or more and BR 2 then MA is increased by half a point. If commanding a regt or higher level unit, a BR of 6 leads to one point loss of MA due to a blow in confidence. There are 3 appointments (military) in connection with the Academy: the Principal and 2 instructors. The instructors must each spend one week per month instructing (during which time they can do nothing else) unless they are at the front. Instructors that fail to meet this requirement are removed from the post.

8.7. Spies:

Unscrupulous individuals may seek employment as a spy for a foreign power. Spying brings monetary reward along with significant risk and not surprisingly, a spy's identity is not known to other players unless they are caught and tried for treason. Spies receive 50 cr per month for their efforts but must spend one week per month in London engaged in spying activities. Spies cannot retire voluntarily (normally they would be silenced in an unpleasant manner). However, if they are uncovered they are dismissed (even if they are not tried).

Seeking employment as a spy is risky and time-consuming as contacts need to be made while treading carefully to avoid suspicion. Such activity requires 3 weeks of effort in one month (not necessarily consecutive weeks). 2d6 are rolled to determine the outcome of the search for a foreign power willing to fund the lathsome spy. A roll of 2 or 3 means the individual has been entrapped by government spies and will automatically be tried for treason the following month. A roll of 9+ (8+ if SL 8+, rank of Major or above, or a government minister) results in success, with the character being employed as a spy immediately. Any other roll means the attempt has been fruitless, although further attempts can be made in subsequent months.

For each month in which a spy spends a week actually spying, a roll of 2 on 2d6 means that suspicions have been aroused about his activities. His services are no longer required by the foreign power in question and there will be an automatic arrest and trial if the CPS is an NPC. If the CPS is a PC he chooses whether to make an automatic arrest (between turns) and hold a trial for treason the following month, or ignore the matter. If the spy involved happens to be the CPS then he is immune from prosecution although he still loses his position as a spy.

In May, instead of the normal week's spying, a spy may try to gain some especially useful intelligence concerning the upcoming Summer campaign. Three weeks must be spent retrieving the valuable information in order to reap the rewards of his unscrupulous behaviour. This must be explicitly ordered or just the normal activity will take place. When spying for the entire month, no expenses are paid as if at the front. This option entails additional risk, but if successful adds 1 to the BR of any army involved in the campaign to come, and earns the spy 1d x 100 cr as a reward. The chances of being caught and of gathering useful information are dependent on the rank and position of the spy.

If in London a spy may attempt to follow one other character. There is a 50% chance of all of the target's actions, including pre-monthly actions, being revealed to the spy.

Spies can bribe NPCs without fear of being reported. If the bribe would have been reported it is instead treated as money spent with no effect. This does not apply if trying to bribe the Queen or the judge of a trial in which the spy is the accused.

Spies are also adept at inciting riots and rebellion able to add up to a +2 to raise the Hostility Level of a city or region in hopes of causing problems for the Queen and England.

If a spy is captured while at the front, he is automatically released after one month's captivity. The 'official story' will be that he has escaped, to avoid revealing his spy status.

8.8. Military Tables