War

Overview

The generals of the Imperial Military Council oversee the military campaigns on behalf of the Empire. Working with the Civil Service they give orders to the Imperial armies for the months between events to direct the ongoing military campaigns against the enemies of the Empire.

All military campaigns take place in a territory when either one of the opposing sides attacks. The campaign inflicts casualties on both sides as the armies fight to defeat each other and claim control of one or more regions in the territory. Imperial Generals must decide which territory to move the army they are responsible to - this determines what campaign (if any) the army will participate in.

Generals issue a single set of orders to determine the strategy their army will pursue as part of the campaign they are involved with. The description of the outcome of a campaign reflects the orders provided by the generals on both sides. The orders create a narrative for the campaign; they communicate the aims of the Imperial armies and shape the results of success (or failure) at each stage of the campaign.

Philosophy

We have an extremely simple system to determine which side is winning in a campaign. This system is a crude mathematical framework - it is not intended for use by players when they are roleplaying and there is no need for most players to understand it. It's primary purpose is to give us a mechanism to calculate the scale of the victory achieved by the winning side that is simple, easy to calculate and can be consistent from campaign to campaign, year to year. We present the basics here so that those players who are interested can read them and have confidence that PD are being as fair as is possible in determining the outcomes of different campaigns.

Campaigns

If any army from two or more opposing sides in the same territory issues orders to attack, then a military campaign takes place there. A campaign is not a "battle", a campaign is a prolonged period of warfare that takes place over the whole territory in the three months between events.

The Campaign will normally incorporate every army present in a territory. Armies may be spread throughout a territory, or concentrated on defending one region, but they are all assumed to act in concert, so the total strength of all forces is compared to determine the outcome, regardless of the distribution.

Orders

Each general can issue a single set of orders for the army they control. The orders should be broad, descriptive strategic goals based on the distribution of forces in a territory, the local geography. They represent the plan of what the general would like the army to achieve over the next three months.

E.g. The Dawn general of The Hounds of Glory may issue orders for his soldiers to advance without concern for casualties with the goal of smashing through the Druj lines to join up with the Imperial forces defending the fortifications at the city of Holberg.

Orders should focus on what the general wants their army to achieve rather than how they do it. An Imperial army fights to the best of it's ability, the civil service control military logistics and supply lines and the Empire has battlefield captains and commanders who are well versed in tactics. The orders issued by the generals at the Military Council at Anvil determine the overall actions of their army in the field over the next three months; there is no option to submit specific tactics or arrangements of troops. The place for complex battlefield plans is during the events, where player characters fight barbarian enemies.

The type of orders that a general can give fall into six categories - three for attacking and three for defending, based on how aggressive or cautious the general wishes their army to be. The text for the orders is important - we use it to determine the narrative of the campaign outcome - but the mathematical results are calculated based purely on the type of order that was submitted.

There is no "move order" for an army, even if an army moves to the centre of the Empire to resupply, it is assumed that it would defend the territory it has moved to if that territory were attacked.

Attacking

All of these orders will always cause a military campaign to be initiated in the territory if there is an opposing force present.

Cautious Advance

A general may be keen to scout out a territory to identify enemy forces, or simply wish to make a probing attack to initiate a campaign. A cautious assault can also be useful to disrupt enemy supplies lines and prevent the enemy from resupplying. Cautious assaults are less effective at claiming territory - the attackers are less able to overcome the defenders and drive them back - but casualties suffered will be lower. Urizen and Freeborn armies favour this strategy as it provides the most certain ways to identify the strength of the enemy position.

Balanced Attack

This is the standard order issued by Imperial generals who wish to engage the enemy forces in a territory. A standard attack involves assaulting the enemy positions but seeks weak points in the enemy lines rather than attempting to smash through strong positions. Highguard armies favour this strategy believing that the natural efficiency best serves the manifest destiny of the Empire.

Overwhelming Assault

A general who seeks victory at any price can order an overwhelming assault. The army will spend the season seeking out the strongest enemy troops and attempting to smash through their positions. This kind of attack is dangerous - casualties will be higher than normal - but the army will gain more ground during that season. Wintermark and Dawnish armies favour this strategy as it provides many opportunities for glory and heroism.

Defending

Armies on defend are seeking to hold their position and fight off any attackers they encounter. If all armies in a territory have orders to defend the regions they control, then no campaign takes place and the side that controls the territory will be able to resupply their forces.

Defenders take less casualties than attackers, all other factors being equal, a small natural advantage that favours the defender.

Give Ground

A general that wants his army to carry out a fighting retreat can issue orders to give ground. The army will avoid major engagements, while still attempting to slow the enemy advance using ambushes and the like. An army that is giving ground is much less effective at holding the territory against an attacker, but will see their casualties reduced accordingly. Navarr and Varushkan armies are both fond of this strategy. The Navarr consider it an effective way to bleed an enemy as they advance into a trap, while in Varushka the land itself can soon become the enemy of an unwary attacker.

Solid Defence

An army that attempts the solid defence of a region will seek to make best use of the terrain to bring the enemy to battle in a way that favours the defender. Casualties suffered are less than if the army simply attacks, even though an enemy army that attacks is just as likely to be rebuffed. The League traditionally favours a solid defence believing that the fortifications at Holberg have proven the advantage of this strategy over many years.

Heroic Stand

An army that commits to a heroic stand will not initiate a military campaign - but they will make the enemy pay for every inch of ground they take. The army will take every opportunity to engage with the enemy side, they won't fight to the last man, but they will fight on even until the cause is utterly hopeless. Marcher armies favour this strategy, their natural belligerence makes them loathe to leave any battlefield while the chance of victory remains.

Outcome

The outcome of a campaign is found by comparing the total army strengths of both sides in the territory. Even though individual armies are given specific orders, the outcome of the entire campaign as a whole is determined by all the armies on both sides. The side with the higher effective army strength wins, gaining ground in the territory as a result.

The scale of the victory and the number of casualties each side suffers is determined by the opposing army strength. The nature of any victory and the allocation of casualties is based on the orders submitted by the generals on both sides.

The initial outcome is contingent on the comparison of the relative army strengths of the two sides - the greater the difference between the two army sizes, the more effective the victorious side has been. This outcome is then significantly affected by the battles and skirmishes linked to that military campaign that take place at the following event.

Victory

The total army strength of each side present in a territory is calculated and compared. The side with the largest army strength is considered to be winning and generates a number of victory points for that side. These points correspond directly to control of land in the territory - every ten victory points accrued means the victors gain control of a region. Points left over are applied to the next most appropriate region - but the only game effect is that less points are required to conquer the region next season.

E.g. The Imperial forces have three armies present, a total army strength of 10,000, while the Druj forces in the territory have a total army strength of 22,000. The Druj force is stronger - so they are winning the campaign. The margin is 12,000 - accruing 12 victory points for the Druj. These victory points are expended to gain control of a region (10 points) and make a partial capture of another region (2 points).

The fighting strength of each army is modified by the orders issued by each general.

Attacking Unopposed

Armies that attack a territory that contains no defenders are considered to be attacking unopposed. They do not take any casualties and receive a significant bonus to the attempts to conquer regions in the territory. A single fortification in a territory is sufficient to negate this advantage.

Creating a Beachhead

It is much more difficult to claim a region in a territory where your side does not already control a region. This is one of the reasons the Empire and barbarians alike take pains to conquer an entire territory rather than permit their enemies to keep control of some of the land.

Movement

Generals may issue orders to attack or defend a territory other than the one their army is in. To keep things as simple as possible, an army is assumed to move to any territory that the general issues orders to attack or defend before any fighting takes place. In effect an army can slip away at the start of a season before the campaign begins.

Most Imperial armies can move through three territories in a season (for example, an army in Bregasland may be ordered to defend Hercynia - it will pass through Kallavesa and Hahnmark before reaching Hercynia where it will join any campaign that takes place. However an army cannot pass through a territory it does not control - it will automatically stop and engage any enemy forces present if it enters a hostile territory - one that is controlled by an enemy power.

A fast army can move up to five territories each season, but must still stop when it enters a territory that is controlled by an enemy.

Note that the elite military unit resources controlled by players do not move like this. Military units can cross the entire Empire swiftly and quickly - so they can be freely assigned to an Imperial army, or sent to raid a neighbouring nation.

Timing

• At the beginning of an event the Generals are briefed on the current status of the campaigns and what will happen if things continue as they currently are. They are also presented with a number of opportunities to intervene – these are often battles or skirmishes, but sometimes more complex opportunities present themselves (for example, the civil service might have identified that collecting a hundred doses of bladeroot will give a significant edge to Impeiral troops pinned down by Druj forces).

• During the event The player characters take actions that affect the final outcomes of the current engagements. Characters might use their abilities directly (engaging in a battle or skirmish, using a ritual to curse a region or destroy a key fortification) or more indirectly (gathering information about the orc orders, delivering vital supplies to a beleaguered group of scouts).

• Toward the end of the event The generals are briefed with regard to how the actions of the player characters (especially battles and skirmishes) have changed the situation since the start of the event, if at all. The generals then give orders for their armies over the coming months.

• After the event orders are processed simultaneously. The results of those orders play out over the next few months of game time, until the start of the next event. During this period, casualties are assessed, and the results of victory and defeat are calculated.

• Just before the next event the barbarian armies (controlled by plot) are given their orders, based on the probable outcomes of the various campaigns. These orders usually will not significantly change as a result of the event - the most likely exception would be if the Imperials take an action that they know will alter the barbarian battle plan in advance. An obvious example might be the battle in the territory of Volodmartz, the successful resolution of which prevented a Thule army moving into the territory by removing the beachhead they were trying to establish. Instead, the barbarian army remained in Otkodov, unable to follow through on the orders it was given.

Battles and Skirmishes

At the Equinox and the Solstice, the opportunity exists to intervene in a military campaign and influence the outcome. The Sentinel Gate allows bands of Imperial heroes to travel instantly to key locations and turn the tide of a campaign. The civil service prepare briefings for opportunities that they judge will make a difference to the ongoing military campaigns, and present them to the military council.

Battles and skirmishes can have any number of outcomes, but a common result might be to improve the outcome of a campaign to help complete a specific campaign goal, or to achieve specific goals in that territory. For example, eliminating a specific barbarian command group might spread confusion among the enemy during the coming season increasing their casualties, or it might prevent predicted casualties to the Imperial armies engaged in that territory. Destroying a key bridge might mean that the predicted casualties to a retreating Imperial army are actually much lower, or cut off a barbarian army from reinforcements.

Even a small number of player characters might influence the outcome of a campaign during an event. A small band of scouts who penetrate a barbarian-held wood to assassinate a Druj messenger and steal the orders she carries could give a significant bonus to the campaign goal of trapping or out-manoeuvring the barbarian forces in that territory. Providing an army fighting in filthy, disease-infested marshes with valuable supplies of Imperial Roseweald might significantly reduce the casualties that army will suffer.

Further Reading

• Imperial armies
• Casualties
• Territory
• Spoils of War
• Fortifications
• Keywords
• OOC Design