If the combined endevours of sentient races in Greyhawk were to be measured the biggest one would have to be War. In this all races excel to some extent maybe due to the violent and volitle nature of the world. Althogh many rules have been written to accomodate the eventuality of war many aspects have remained over looked.
Supplies are essential to any military endevour or campaign. An amry must carry a great deal of supplies with them if they are to maintain a healthy army. These supplies include a number of heavy items such as tents , cooking pot and pans, cots ( for officers ), tarporlines, blankets, buckets and digging equipment, medical supplies and various tools. This, when it is broken down is quite alot per man and this exclude the need for food, ale and water.
Throughout history wars may not have been won due to supplies but many have been lost for lack of them. An army on the move can loot and steal food from the population in the path of their advance. But the reality is the an advancing army will meet scorched earth, the enemy will rob it of sustinance by destroying fields and life stock before the invaders may get it. So an army must supply itself. One weeks supply of food for fifty men may be carried in one wagon. So an army of 2000 individuals will have a train of 40 wagons if it wishes to have a stock of a weeks food to rely on. Think of this food as a buffer. An army of any great size must have lines of supply. The logistics of any buffer an army has must be worked out because it may become enbroiled in battle or attacked near the army. However the supply route may be worked out on a monitary basis instead. Logistically and logically it is taken for granted that the supply lines are provided by merchants who are paid for their trouble.
Each days travel ( 1 hex ) and army moves it must have an unbroken link with its supply base. So if it travells ten days into enemy territory it must have a link of ten hexs to its point of entry. Supply routes are not paid for in the armies own kingdom, only when they pass into enemy territory. They must designate a supply center on their own border ajoining the enemy territory, this must be a town or temporary fortification. The train must then be linked with the armies entry hex and the chain continues onward to connect with the army. The train may travel through any hex the army controls but the train may bot change direction immedialty. If the invaded enemy can out flank the invader they can attack and disrupt supply lines. The invading army has to rely on their carried supplies until the can mount a successful counter attack and rectify their regular supply source. If they fail the rules for starvation come into play and the army will suffer desertions and physical weakening. Destsertions will happen if the situation is desperate. A lone man or small group has a better chance of finding food if they do not have top share.
The cost of supply trains can be calculated thus:
Road Caravan Per 200 troops = 40gp per day per hex. 1 wagon w/ 2 cows in tow and 2 man.
Wilderness Caravan Per 200 Troops = 55gp per day per hex. 12 mules w/ 2 cows in tow and 4 man.
* this means our army of 2000 men will cost 400gp per day per hex they advance within the border. Wagon Caravan travel is only possible on roads. Off road wilderness camaigns are of course more expansive as mule trains require more peolpe and live stock. This brings us to another rule of warfare. A captured town, provided it is not raised can be used a rally point for collecting food and foragers. A captured town will then provide the equivalent of three free hexs caravan supply. One hex on either side of the town and the one the town is one. This rule only applies to town of 600+ population!
** War is expensive. A summery of how funds are raised is discussed in the Wolfgate Treasury.
Raising an Army is a tricky business. In GreyHawk Kingdoms have standing armies. This was not the case in historical madievil Europe until the late middle ages. A king would have a core of loyal troops and knights, and this in times of war would be augmented by the contingents sent by his lords which they maintain at their own expense. The numbers of the army would again be bolstered by the drafting of armed peasents ( or serfs ). The peasents would make up the bulk of any army and were poorly trained. In Greyhawk the lords rules should remain the same and the adding of peasents should also take place though not to such a great extent as standing armies are of sufficient size. The peasents are there not only to fight but to provide labour for repairing captured town walls, building seige engines and other tasks for which trained trrops would be wasted. They still have to be fed however.
Recruiting and training an army is a long and arduous task. The rules are clear on this and I recommend the Basic D&D expert set rules for good prices and tables. However it must be takin into account that avery soldier recruited is one less tax payer in the realm. So Kings may wish to put a cap on the sizes of lords armies and their own. The recruitment of forign troops will be unpopular with a kings subjects and will not be as loyal. It may work in the short term but it is a dangerous practice in peacetime.
Intelligence is important to any general leading an army. He must know how many troops the enemy has and where they are. For this task the theif is ideally suited in the role of skirmisher. Small groups of theif, augmented with fighters may operate as scouts for an army giving eyes to their general. Of course the enemy has scouts and skirmishers to so how do they operate. On a 24 mile = 1 hex map each group of skirmishers must role for encounters with other groups. ( n.b. rangers count as theifs in this area ). Use percentile as follows:
Each scout group has a 2% chance of finding an army in hex per 100 men in that army.
After army is detected the Scout group has a 1% chance of being detected by sentries and guards. This chance is doubled if the group comprises of mainly finghters.
Each scout group has a 15% chance of encountering an enemy scout group per hex.
When army is detected role the scouts have a 70% chance of detecting each 100 men. This fall to 50% if the army is travelling or encamped in forest.
Effective Scout groups number five members. Any lower or if the group consists of purely fighter classes then role the following encounters:
25% per hex Group meets brigands / deserters and is slain.
30% per hex they are detected by peasents etc and the enemy intercept them.
If a group is detected and chased they may get lost unless they have a ranger in the group. If the territory is off road or unfamilier then there is a 40% chance they will stray. Roll 1d6 for face of hex they end up travelling. But keep track of all groups on mao secretly from players. I have not covered airial scouting so feel free to make your own tables. The scouting phase of any campaign should take place at the beguining of each day. An army must slow its advance in order for its scouts to be effective otherwise it is marching blindly. Keep these things in mind and you will find army campaigns alot more interesting and challanging.
THE ARMOURY
This is the armoury. Links to various rooms around the castle the the PC and DM alike can find new rules about weapons of destruction!
JAYS POLE ARMS RULES Jays pole arm rules are a definative look at how to flesh out an important yet over looked weapon.
UNTO THE BREACH
War attracts Free Booters, Adventurers and Mercenaries like moth to flame. The lure may be high adventure, Booty, convictions or recognition. A PC on campaign bocomes a number when they first enlist. It may be handy to put PCs in the same unit if they all join together, however although the PCs may wish to join together they will most likley be forigners in any force they join. Forign troops in any army will usually be grouped together to use as shock troops, or balista fodder ( once more into the breach dear friends! Forigners first please!". To accomodate this some kingdoms will keeps a forign contingent in their kingdoms army, to carry out dangerous duties.
The advantage of serving in a Cannon fodder or the Shock troops unit is that they are suually the first to any booty if an attack breaks the enemy with its momentum etc,. Another advantage is that heroics at a critical time like this may bring the PC to the attantion of superiors, (promotions and medals all round). The Battle field is a choatic place. The PC as with any other soldier must follow his units standard, which will be visible above the throng of heads and weapons. In battle the standard will act as a rally point for all troops, it will face the enemy so everybody in the unit can orient themselves.
There are many different units to serve in within any army. Here are a few which may illustrate the scope for adventure on the campaign trail. Rules are included for a PCs involvement in Battlefield fighting to give a realistic feeling to the choas of battle crys,screams and carnage or the battles told of in tales.
LIGHT INFANTRY ( inc. L Archers ). The lightest equipped of any battle group. The Duties of the Light Infantry are many, Scouting ( being sent to see if an enemy is over a battle filed ridge), Defence ( the LI defend captured fortifications and illages ), Rapid reaction ( moving quickly to shore up holes in the battle line until heavy reinforcements can be drawn up ) and battle itself. When LI troops find themselfs in battle against LI the movement is loose and a charge will penetrate deeply locking the two sides in deadly close combat. PCs in this situation may opt to fight back to back. If not then when a PC is engaged in combat he/she stands to get an attack upon them from behind. Chances are per face exposed ( i.e. max 5), so roll 5 or less on a Die 20 ( 4 or less, 3 or less etc ). If of course the unit becomes out numbers 2/1 then the PC will gain automatically two foes to fight. On disadvantage of all light troops is that before thay attack a new enemy unit they must rally taking 1D4 -1 turns to do so. The commander may opt to attack without rallying but the unit will not be able to charge. The same applies to Light Horse units and all medium Units.
LIGHT HORSE ( inc. H archers). The LH fight fast and loose and their ability to cover terrain qiuckly makes them ideal for many duties. Scouting is the obvious one with skirmishing the main objective probubly. Small Units of LH ( 15 - 50 ) will roam behind an advanceing enemy force attacking supply caravans or settlements (if on the offensive). LH units under competant leaders can roam deep into enemy territory ( whether on offence or defence ) and attack unsupecting targets. An attack of this sort has a serious propaganda value and boosts home moral. LH Pcs in Battle have the same encouters attak rules as LI. H archers are perfect for haressing enemy camps. Units H achers can breakup and and surround an enemy large anamy camp and fires arrows into to it at intervals to keep everybody awake. Then ride away and hide until the pickets have passed them. Shooting oil skins attached to arrows at enemy camp fires can cause nerves to be frayed, while fire arrows setting light to tents will cause a few sleepless nights. The goal is not to kill the enemy but to have him take the field with lowered moral due to tirdness or frustrstion and unease. A minus 1 to moral of all units affected should be applied after an effective action. This minus is effective for the next day only so successive actions must be carried again to renew it.
HEAVY CAVALRY. These units are the main battle force. Committed at crucial moments in any battle where punching or killing power may win the day. HCs duties outside of the field are of high importance. The King or General will keep these units around himself and his nobles for protection. HC on the field of battle are tought foes. Their charge is devestating and always their first attack. HC that are not used like this are wasted. After the charge the HC can carry through with killing power and speed. If the enemy break and route the HC does not need tme to regroup.
KNIGHTS. These units for elite body guards for lords and nobles who command battlefield units. If their are enough knights then individual units free of encumberments may be formed. The bodyguard units are comprised of a lords own knights. When a lord or noble spies an opposing noble they will immediatly attempt to engage. This may involve them fighting through a skirmsih to do so but it is vital. The victor in these clashes will succeed in capturing the enemy Lords standard ( colours ), his Magic items, and if he captures the Lords rather than killing him/her then he has a noble to ransom. Slaying an opposing Lord and taking his colours is a great feat and honour, the effect upon the Lords troops is great ( a moral boost for the winning Lords, a severe moral hammering for the defeateds troops ).
MAGIC Items. Knights are usually the only units that will have magic item to weild against the enemy. PCs will usually be in the army and have to ware a uniform (tabbard) or standard armour. The Tabbard will be worn over the units standard armour. If the Player is in HC and he has magic chain mail which he may wear it, if the standard armour is chain. The same applies to larger waepons ( shortswords and daggers are excempt). If the HC carry a spear, shortsword and lance the PC cannot carry a Mace. Rings and other such Magic items are of course okey. The fodder units mentioned earlier on are exceptions to this rule .But theifs and optortunists are many in any army, especially this type of unit, PCs will be sleeping, eating and travelling with people they do not know so they should be very careful about what thay take with them.
FRIENDS AND FELLOW COUNTRY MEN: As the PCs serve throughout a campign thay will meet many people. This is a great way to flesh out a character by surrounding him with people who are friends or aquantanances. The PC may save a comrades life or even better visa versa. How PCs get on with NPCs developes a Characters loyalties ,likes and dislikes. Also when the war is over the PC will know some normal people frm diverse places so a network exists. If PCs are adventuring in forign lands they may visit and stay with some of these friends. The basic effect of this is to bring the map to life by having people real to he Pc living about it. The relantionship PCs make may last for life.
