dimanche 14 octobre 2012

Career paths - routiers and militia


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.

English career path:
Indentured
captain
Reside in your castle and dominate the immediate area
-

You may retain up to 2 elite Groups
-

You must pay your men with a share of the plunder or they will abandon you
A beggar’s bowl

If you reward you men and bribe the local political leaders you will be seen as the real power in the area
A knight’s purse
Knight
Reside in your castle, you now have some support. You must still pay your men
A beggar’s bowl

You may retain up to 2 elite Groups
-

You may conquer land from the French, taking their rents and paying you men with them.
-

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
A squire’s tribute
Lord
Reside in your castle, you are now the lord of the surrounding area
-

You may retain up to 3 elite Groups
-

A priest will join you if you give a donation to his church
A beggar’s bowl

A herald will join you, giving you +1 to any speech
A beggar’s bowl

You may increase farm production at you castle and towns
A knight’s purse each

You may send a messenger with suitable gifts to your patron, who will reward you with promotion
A duke’s purse
Earl
Reside in your castle, you are now the lord of the surrounding estates
-

You may retain up to 3 elite Groups
-

You may strength you castle walls
An earl’s riches

You may strength the walls of 1 town in each estate
A squire’s tribute each

You may build fortified manors in each estate
A squire’s tribute each

You may establish a spy in the enemy camp
An earl’s riches


French career path:
Militia officer
Reside in your house, you are an officer in the local militia
-

You may retain up to 1 elite Group
-

A priest may join you if you provide him assistance
-

You may gain promotion if you donate money to your lord
A squire’s tribute
Militia captain
You are the local militia leader with some local power
-

You may retain up to 1 elite Group
-

You must build outposts on the borders of your lord’s estates
A beggar’s bowl each

You may gain promotion with a donation to you lord
A squire’s tribute
Local political leader
You are the captain of the militia and have some power in the estates
-

You may retain up to 2 elite Groups
-

A herald will join you, giving you +1 to any speech
A beggar’s bowl

You may increase food production at the castle and the towns
A knight’s purse each

You may build one fortified manor for you forces
A squire’s tribute

You may be promoted to you Lord’s Commander if you show you support
A prince’s chest

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
An earl’s riches
Lord
Reside in your castle, you are the lord of the area
-

You may retain up to 3 elite Groups
-

You may build an abbey, and a bishop/monk will join you in 12 months
An earl’s riches

You may strengthen you castle walls
An earl’s riches

You may strength the walls of 1 town in each province
A squire’s tribute each

You may build fortified manors in each estate
A squire’s tribute each

You may call upon local lord’s to launch an offensive against the English
A knight’s purse

You may establish a spy in the enemy camp
An earl’s riches
Commander
Reside in your castle, you are the lord of the area
-

You may retain up to 4 elite Groups
-

You may strengthen you castle walls
An earl’s riches

You may strength the walls of 1 town in each province
A squire’s tribute each

You may build fortified manors in each estate
A squire’s tribute each

You may call upon local lord’s to launch an offensive against the English
A duke’s purse

You may establish a spy in the enemy camp
An earl’s riches

You may acquire you lord’s support to replace him should he die naturally.
A squire’s tribute


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.

3 commentaires:

  1. 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.

    This 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!

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    1. 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.
      Maybe 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.

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  2. 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.

    French 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.

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