Campaigning, Scouting, Battles, and Pillages Battles have a predominantly RP purpose as this not a strategy game, therefore in order to keep wars fluid and moving a simple battle system is in place which quickly determines the outcomes of battles providing the info required for fun RP of the battle. All battles take place in the Blood and Glory sub forum. Scouting: When scouting is requested, the mods do one D20 roll with the following possible results: 1-4/20 - Scouts captured by the enemy -The scouts are captured and may now be tortured for information. 5-10/20 - Scouts fail to return with any information 11-12/20 - Scouts return with 20% accurate range - Mods post back a wide range of possible army numbers (20% accuracy) 13-14/20 - Scouts return with 40% accurate range - Mods post back a narrower range of possible army numbers (40% accuracy) 15-16/20 - Scouts return with 60% accurate range - Mods post back a small range of possible army numbers (60% accuracy) 17-18/20 - Scouts return with 80% accurate range - Mods post back a ting range of possible army numbers (80% accuracy) 19-20/20 - Scouts return with exact enemy numbers When posting back results, mods do not post the actual roll they performed just the random range of numbers based on the accuracy of said roll outcome. When deciding the range, mods simply take the actual troop numbers x inaccuracy (opposite of accuracy) which will give them their interval, which they can apply into a range any way they like (as long as the actual army numbers fall within the range). For example: The interval of 20% accuracy on 1000 troops is worked by 1000x0.8=800, thus the range is 800 wide. Now the mod can post back any range of 800 hundred that they like as long as 1000 is within that range. For example 800-1600 range, or 950-1750 or even 1000-1800. - Setting Up A Battle Simply post a new thread in the Battlegrounds sub forum with some lead up RP as to why your armies are there and who they are fighting against. Include a count of your troop numbers and update as others if any join in on the engagement. - Moderator Assigned Battle Modifiers In certain cases the moderators may feel that a slight modification is required to the rolls in order to reflect certain battlefield situations, these can be anything but typically include factors like fortifications, surprise etc. These modifications are applied to an army roll to enhance the outcome providing a bonus for one army and a negative for the opposing side. In setting up of your battle thread you can request these types of modifications, but they are solely up to moderators discretion and should not be viewed as a given. Also, Moderators are able to give out additional bonuses based upon RP and other factors as they feel fit. - Battle Roll System A battle occurs when two opposing generals, with any other characters, choose to engage by creating a thread in the Battlegrounds sub-forum. It shall take the following steps: Battles will commence in the following way: When two armies come face to face across the field of battle, both armies will be divided into three parts, the left, center, and right. For each section of the army, generals will send in strategies of attack or defense to the battle moderator. Once all of these orders have been sent, read, and understood, moderators may form the basis for how the engagement will be carried out. Generals may be as creative as they want in their strategies, but should contain only realistic directives. In the event that an army consists of multiple commanders, the overall highest ranking magister will have the highest authority in the army, but lesser Magisters do not necessarily have to follow the orders they are given. Once orders have been given, a system of rolls will determine the overall effectiveness of each action. A D20 roll will determine effectiveness. The lower the number rolled, the less successful the action. To use a simple example, if two bodies of massed infantry simply charge into one another, and Body A rolls a 15 while Body B rolls a 5, Body A's charge is considered more devastating by a factor of 2. Casualties should be noted accordingly. However, modifiers will exist based on the traits, terrain, situations, or any extra factors moderators deem appropriate. In fact, modifiers should be added in our revised example event. Suppose Body A is composed of heavy infantry, while Body B consists of light infantry. The charge effectiveness of heavy infantry should give them a considerable advantage against light infantry. - Casualties Battles of the time almost never ended in total destruction of the losing side. Therefore we have the following system for casualties. To calculate the percentage of the winning side’s casualties we take the lowest battle score divided by the highest battle score giving the winners casualty percentage. To calculate the losers casualties percentage we do the opposite, taking the highest battle score divided by the lowest battle score. Usually a 50% max limit is placed on the casulties either side can take. However at a moderators discretion this may be removed. Sieges are a common example. Example: Continuing from the battle example above, General B won the day therefore their casualties are as follows: Left (General A's): Winner General B: (15,000/20,000)x0.5=0.375 or 37.5%. Therefore 1,000 men x 0.375=375 men were lost. Loser General A: (20,000/15,000)x0.5=0.66 or 66%. As it is higher than 50% and there are no special circumstances we simply use 50%. Therefore 1,500 men x 0.5=750 men losts. Centre: Winner General A: (6,000/32,000)x0.5=0.094 or 9.4%. Therefore 2,000 men x 0.094=188 men were losts. Loser General B: (32,000/6,000)x0.5=2.66 or 266%. As it is higher than 50% and there are no special circumstances we simply use 50%. Therefore 1,000 men x 0.5=500 men losts. Right (General A's): Winner General B: (15,000/17,000)x0.5=0.44 or 44%. Therefore 1,000 men x 0.44=440 men were losts. Loser Generak A: (17,000/15,000)x0.5=0.56 or 56%. As it is higher than 50% and there are no special circumstances we simply use 50%. Therefore 1,500 men x 0.5=750 men were lost. Overall: General B won the day by winning two sections, he lost a total of 1315 men and has 1685 remaining. General A was forced from the field by losing two sections, he lost a total of 1688 men and has 3312 remaining. Wounded:1- you always, no matter what have the men supplied by your counties (which is 50 per county you own, regardless of size. Own 6 counties, that is then 300 men) 2- after a battle, or whatever that causes your men to get hurt, a roll is done. This roll determines the rate of casualties to mortalities. They will be limited to 25% either side. (so off the final casualty result a min of 25% will be injured and live to fight another day, and a maximum of 75% can survive - thus some will always live, and always die, regardless of the roll result) A moderator will assign +5, or -5 to the roll result depending on the battle results (ie, if the enemy battle score is double yours, you death roll gets higher mortalities than would otherwise be) 3- the above point may be wavered in cases where the mods deem it suitable (ie sieges, even if some do survive, there is no way they will be able to regroup somewhere with you, they'd have all been captured by the attackers) 4- casualties are always injured for a week from the point the dice was rolled. So if the dice for that battle is rolled at 7pm on a Monday, at 7pm the week later they will be available to use again. 5- those that die, obviously have to be replaced. - Characters after Battle A character fighting on the front-line could be matched up with an enemy character, at least in the wing/center he's been assigned to. Then a duel with the usual rolls & stuff is done for them, instead of randomly delivering them their fate. A character without an engaged partner would still have his fate rolled as before. Your dueling characters' dueling/survival skills & equipment will be applied, of course. For example, say A/B/C/D are fighting E/F/G. One character to each flank & one to the center, with D also being assigned to the right flank of Army 1 with C. A would then be matched against E, B VS. F, C VS. G, and D would have his fate rolled. The aftermath of battles were a confused state, therefore your character will be given a D20 roll by a mod to determine your individual outcome. (only if a character isn't engaged in a duel) Killed In Action – 1-2/20 (if a 1 is rolled your character is killed and a 2 is mortally wounded) Wounded - 3-7/20 (there will be a further roll to see what type of wound) Captured - 8-12/20 (you are captured by the other side and must be ransomed or escape) Free - 13-20/20 (you get through the battle without being captured or wounded) - Wounded If it is rolled and you are wounded during a battle there shall be another roll under this category to see where the wound is. This roll will only give you a general area, after that it is up to you to RP it. Head wound - 1-5/20 (you have taken some sort of wound to the face or head) Arm wound - 6-10/20 (you have taken some sort of wound to the arms or hands) Leg wound - 11-15/20 (you have taken some sort of wound to the legs or feet) Torso wound - 16-20/20 (you have taken some sot of wound to the back, stomach, chest area.) In the event that the overall leader in command, or one of the section commanders is killed, a negative modifier may be added to the army/army section who losses a commander. The size of the modifier will be determined by moderator discretion. A more central, militarily accomplished character will be more of a loss and blow to morale than an incompetent commander. - Pillage and Loot One of the main motivations for a soldier participating in war - this was the grease which kept the cogs of war running. Soldiers just simply wouldn't embark on campaign unless there was a guarantee of loot and plunder, and if the Commander failed to provide such revenue it would result in him becoming incredibly unpopular indeed. In the Dominate we have a very simple method for representing the sack and pillage of foreign settlements or indeed other nobles settlements during times of warfare. Cities and Fortresses are delegated by the moderation team as one of four different types of settlement. Village: A small village or town with no walls. No Pillage. Minor settlement: A small town surrounded by a pallisade including a small garrison (usually with a maximum of 2+ fortifications). Capturing this settlement yields D20 x 1000 Solidii, to be distributed by the General or Campaign leader. Minor City: A Large town surrounded by a stone wall, keep and moat, including a large Garrsion (usually with a minimun of 4+ fortifications) Capturing this settlement yields D20 x 5000 Solidii, to be distributed by the General or Campaign leader . Capital City: A very large and extensively fortified city, with an equally large Garrison (8+ fortifications) Capturing this settlement yields D20 x 10000 Solidii, to be distributed by the general or Campaign leader. Baggage Train: All roman armies on campaign carried baggage trains. This is where the loot from the campaign is stored. When an army loses a battle whilst on campaign, a D20 is rolled on the following table; 1-2: Loot seized - The entire baggage train and all loot is captured by the enemy 3-10: Loot raided - The enemy has pilfered the loot. 50% of the loot goes to the enemy 11-20: Baggage train escaped. Thank God they didn't get our loot. *Obviously armies invading Rome will also roll for their loot and be accompanied by a baggage train. If the Romans manage to defeat a foreign invader in battle they will also get a chance to seize the loot of the campaign Ruination: A sacked fortress of city will lose all of its defensive values to represent the absolute levelling of the city. These defensive fortifications will have to be 're-constructed' at a price of half the original value of the fortifications. *Important Note: Besieged defenders of cities and castles may be subject to disease and starvation rolls. These rolls will be based on the RP situation and will attempt to reflect the situation realistically. Additionally, large armies (traditionally over 70k) and armies on ships will also trigger disease/starvation/desertion rolls.*
