I remarked yesterday that, after talking a lot about campaign ideas, i haven't really done that much. So, using the 'Bernard Cornwell routiers' inspired game, i wrote 2 draft ideas for an English commander that sets up in France and plans to take over the area for England. The French have the job of throwing him out.
You might remark that the paths are rather similar to the ones in the Dux book, and some period flavours are needed.
On yesterday's post, Jim kindly reminded me Calais was surrounded by Burgundian territory, so that idea's kaput, and i've decided to give up trying to find a campaign idea for the wars of the roses and concentrate on the 100 years war. Quite helpfully, i bought a book on the subject yesterday.
On the below careers; the English are the ones raiding, while the French defend. I assume that the Englsih have managed to take a lightly defended castle and hold it in enemy territory. In this campaign, castles replace cities as we are in rural Normandy/Val de Garonne so the biggest places are the towns (i could play one around Marmande, the town near me). It might seem weird that a militia can become lord, but we can always assume he is the lord's second son or a ward. Anyway, it's for fun and not strictly historically correct.
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Indentured
captain
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Reside in your castle and dominate the immediate area
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-
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You may retain up to 2 elite Groups
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-
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You must pay your men with a share of the plunder or they will
abandon you
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A beggar’s bowl
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If you reward you men and bribe the local political leaders you will
be seen as the real power in the area
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A knight’s purse
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Knight
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Reside in your castle, you now have some support. You must still pay
your men
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A beggar’s bowl
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You may retain up to 2 elite Groups
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-
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You may conquer land from the French, taking their rents and paying
you men with them.
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-
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You may persuade the locals to name you their Lord (marrying a local
lady, offering them safety…). You may only do so after victory in a Battle
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A squire’s tribute
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Lord
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Reside in your castle, you are now the lord of the surrounding area
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-
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You may retain up to 3 elite Groups
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-
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A priest will join you if you give a donation to his church
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A beggar’s bowl
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A herald will join you, giving you +1 to any speech
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A beggar’s bowl
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You may increase farm production at you castle and towns
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A knight’s purse each
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You may send a messenger with suitable gifts to your patron, who will
reward you with promotion
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A duke’s purse
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Earl
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Reside in your castle, you are now the lord of the surrounding
estates
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-
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You may retain up to 3 elite Groups
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-
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You may strength you castle walls
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An earl’s riches
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You may strength the walls of 1 town in each estate
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A squire’s tribute each
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You may build fortified manors in each estate
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A squire’s tribute each
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You may establish a spy in the enemy camp
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An earl’s riches
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French career path:
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Militia officer
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Reside in your house, you are an officer in the local militia
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-
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You may retain up to 1 elite Group
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A priest may join you if you provide him assistance
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You may gain promotion if you donate money to your lord
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A squire’s tribute
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Militia captain
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You are the local militia leader with some local power
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-
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You may retain up to 1 elite Group
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-
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You must build outposts on the borders of your lord’s estates
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A beggar’s bowl each
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You may gain promotion with a donation to you lord
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A squire’s tribute
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Local political leader
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You are the captain of the militia and have some power in the estates
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-
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You may retain up to 2 elite Groups
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-
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A herald will join you, giving you +1 to any speech
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A beggar’s bowl
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You may increase food production at the castle and the towns
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A knight’s purse each
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You may build one fortified manor for you forces
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A squire’s tribute
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You may be promoted to you Lord’s Commander if you show you support
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A prince’s chest
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You may buy the support of the middle classes to claim you lord’s
position should he suffer an accident. If you win your next battle, you lord
dies and you become lord, rolling for regicide. If you lose, you lose support
and nothing happens
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An earl’s riches
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Lord
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Reside in your castle, you are the lord of the area
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-
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You may retain up to 3 elite Groups
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You may build an abbey, and a bishop/monk will join you in 12 months
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An earl’s riches
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You may strengthen you castle walls
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An earl’s riches
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You may strength the walls of 1 town in each province
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A squire’s tribute each
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You may build fortified manors in each estate
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A squire’s tribute each
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You may call upon local lord’s to launch an offensive against the
English
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A knight’s purse
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You may establish a spy in the enemy camp
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An earl’s riches
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Commander
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Reside in your castle, you are the lord of the area
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-
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You may retain up to 4 elite Groups
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-
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You may strengthen you castle walls
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An earl’s riches
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You may strength the walls of 1 town in each province
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A squire’s tribute each
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You may build fortified manors in each estate
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A squire’s tribute each
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You may call upon local lord’s to launch an offensive against the
English
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A duke’s purse
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You may establish a spy in the enemy camp
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An earl’s riches
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You may acquire you lord’s support to replace him should he die naturally.
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A squire’s tribute
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Quick note on backgrounds:
Wrote this up quick to determine you noble's background. I assume most Lord's would be son's of the upper classes, but some mercenary captains could roll below, as they come from all over.
- 2: Son of a peasant/soldier. You know how to fight but you have little influence. -2 wealth
- 3,4: Exile: You left you home land for several reasons. -1 wealth
- 5,6: French/English/opposite faction. Born into the enemy's ranks, you left the side of you parents to join your true cause. -2 wealth, +1 loyalty
- 7,8: Merchant's son. Son of a middle class father, landed gentleman or even an esquire. +1 wealth
- 9,10: Son of a knight. You are the son of a knight bachelor, possibly trained in war since a young age. +1 loyalty.
- 11,12: Distant relative. You are loosely related to a duke or earl (possibly a bastard?). +2 wealth, -1 loyalty.
Next time i shall post my way of creating estates for you campaigns.
The thing to me about converting a set of rules, is that you change it while still keeping the 'spirit of the game'... so it will be very similar to Dux Brit, or should be.
RépondreSupprimerThis looks fine to me... maybe 'soldiers wage' instead of 'begging bowl' *shrug*.
You've got the right end of the stick in regard to career paths imo. Many of the movers and shakers of the age were 2nd or lower sons of nobles, who were unlikely to inherit anything, unless they were handed a 'spare title' that the family had knocking about (Lord Egremont et al).
Perhaps the equivalent of Dux Brit's 'King' would be 'Baron' (i.e. Lord of a named place/area = a hereditary knight banneret), it's the ultimate level that any commoner could aspire to without noble blood, although more achievable to those of 'gentle birth'.
Both England and France had a layer of society best covered by the term 'gentry', where 'country squires' (or ecuyer in French) originated. Not to be confused with a knight's squire (although many might have served in this capacity)... they were the top of the 'commoners' or 'Free men'.
Be wary of using 'peasant' as it refers to the 'unfree', who were not routinely armed, except as a last resort (in France , England or anywhere). A Yeoman (free man) may have been living in the gutter, or living in a decent house as a merchant... but it was these who formed the common soldiers across Europe.
Both the English and French were big on delegation. Our leader will have been indentured by the crown, or another noble, to hold a fixed area; a castle or other stronghold, or the baille of a town etc.
What he did then was pretty much up to him. Even during 'peace' these guys raided each other, or even took places. The only restriction was that a % went up the line and they didn't lose their original holding.
So there's scope there for 'little empires' to be won or lost, pretty much along the lines of the intent of DB, except it could be done by either side.
Good stuff, keep it up!
That's cleared things up a bit, wasn't too sure about names and title before as the French ranks show. So, replace peasant with yeoman and lord with baron.
SupprimerMaybe if the French player is succesful, he will become a commander for the king in against Burgundy... ;)
Maybe both sides could be French too, or Italian.
I don't know what the French term was for free-man, but where we would say 'Lord of', they said 'Sieur de', Baron might be a bit outdated for then, but it's how we see and understand them best. Ranks of chivalry are confusing, especially as we see them as far more structured than they were... Mr Average of the time would call anyone who was socially above him 'Lord', and this comes across in their writings.
RépondreSupprimerFrench career paths weren't so much different to the English ones, nor were their recruiting methods and methods of operation, check out the Wikipedia entries for 'La Hire' , Jean Poton de Xaintrailles and even Jacques D'Arc, three different commanders, three different backgrounds.