In September the skies above the Imperial Capital of High Rus darkened as if a storm approached. For a week they remained in that overcast state from horizon to horizon. When the storm arrived it wasn't rain nor snow that fell upon the streets, but a buzzing army of countless armed creatures just as numerous as rain drops. The capital fell to the horde in a matter of hours, the ancient walls of the Imperial castle unable to withstand the sheer force of their numbers.
At first the nations of the world saw it as an unfortunate disaster and reacted accordingly, allies rushing to give aid in return for future favors as enemies did their best to take advantage of their foe's calamity. When the skies of more and more capitals became gloomy with the same ominous darkness, these nations realized this was not a problem limited to one unfortunate neighbor. It was something that would overtake the world if it was not stopped immediately. Ancient grudges where thrown to the side and old alliances where dusted off anew. For the first and perhaps last time in history the nations of the world where united against a common threat known as the Grand Invasion.
You are a General in charge of the Grand Army, a multinational alliance consisting of every military force on the planet. Your mission is to stop the Grand Invasion and save the world.
Game Play
This game will have two phases. First is the Deployment Phase, where everyone sends their Units to wherever they want to fight the Grand Invasion. They should give the Units mission objectives such as "Take the Fort" and a general strategic outline such as "My Light Infantry will harass the main formation in the forest using skirmish formation". You will also send your Generals to oversee the troops, giving the area your General Bonus. When everyone has deployed you will receive the Combat Report for each area telling you what went down.
The second phase is the War Council. Every general will get one vote on certain Events that will determine the outcome of the war. Often this will be a list of benefits where only one can be chosen. New units and other benefits will be granted at this stage. If you do not have a particular opinion on what option to take you should probably post "Pass" so we don't wait on you. In the event of a tie, a coin is flipped to determine the winner. It is council law. After the War Council is another Deployment Phase, and so on and so forth.
Generals
This is you! Each player gets their own general in charge of a chunk of their nation's military. You are expected to lead from the front, but not to directly enter combat yourself barring a few exceptions. Should your force be routed you will likely escape on your mount barring a catastrophic defeat that you really should have seen coming. So here is the Character Sheet!
Name: What your General is called, when you arn't being called General. Your actual rank may be lower or higher, so it is entirely possible they call you something other than General all the time.
Nation Bonus: The Grand Army is made up of every nation known to every nation. Each nation has its own culture, with many consisting of non-humans that are better or worse at some aspects of warfare. This is a bonus representing those things that your nation is good at. Every unit from your nation will have this bonus, even if commanded by someone else. Example: High Rus is made up of Northmen who are acclimated to the cold. Not only can they withstand it better, but they have many tricks such as how to hide their tracks and ambush enemies using the snow. High Rus units get a bonus when fighting in cold climates.
General Bonus: This is the bonus all units in your area receive when you deploy with them. Be as creative as you want. Example "GeneralName has served as a guerilla fighter for decades. He is particularly adept at leading Light Infantry"
Units: Who your General commands, the people you deploy to fight on your behalf. At the start you choose one unit from the list below as your starting unit. If you choose Line Infantry or Light Infantry you will receive two units, otherwise you will only receive one. Each Unit comes with the appropriate support units, so don't worry about the non-shooty guys.
Mount: Even if you command Infantry, most Generals receive a mount. Mounts are more than just a badge of office. They are traditionally used to protect a General's life, either fighting a threat or carrying the General well away from whatever is trying to kill them. What type of creature do you ride into battle? Or at least into commanding the battle?
Backstory: A brief description of your General and the Nation they hail from. Just to establish a character.
UNITS
Infantry:
-Line Infantry: Line Infantry are the basic soldiers that make up the bulk of most armies. Armed with a musket and bayonet, these men march into battle in tight formations meant to maximize their firepower or defend against enemy firepower. Their main advantage is numbers, you can give a farmer a gun and drill him into an effective soldier cheaply and quickly. Still they are not to be underestimated, most battles are won on the backs of these men.
-Light Infantry: Light Infantry act as skirmishers ahead of the main formation, often equipping themselves with rifled muskets that are slower to load but are more powerful with greater range. Often this means fighting out of formation, harassing the enemy to break their formation before the Line Infantry arrives to give your main troops and advantage. In some armies these are irregular militias as this role takes less drilling than Line Infantry, but in others they're considered highly trained elites as it takes more initiative and skill to perform their role effectively. If pressed they can serve as Line Infantry.
-Grenadiers: Despite the name the use of grenades is mostly regulated to defending fortifications and being dropped by flying units. In the current era they act as elite infantry often in shock roles, leading the attack on enemy positions. Much of their equipment is the same as Line Infantry, with the difference tending to be that Grenadiers represent a smaller number of better trained troops who are often veterans from Line Infantry.
Cavalry:
Winged Hussars: As the name suggests, these are men who ride on flying creatures. Such creatures can typically lift little more than the mass of their rider, leading them to take the roll of light cavalry. They are especially valuable in reconnaissance and screening, giving a birds eye view of the battlefield to the men on the ground allowing for unparalleled intel and shooting down enemy Winged Hussars to prevent them from doing the same. Their unparalleled mobility also allows them to raid and skirmish, if they encounter an undefended enemy position then they can devastate it with
grenades or bombs drop from great height...but if the position is defended from air troops then their fragile mounts will likely find themselves destroyed in short order by such an attempt. Typically armed with pistols or carbines, with explosives taken only if their use is expected.
Cuirassiers: Cuirassiers are cavalry who didn't get the memo that black powder is the king of warfare. Armed with melee weapons such as sabers or lances in addition to pistols, these men ride mighty and often giant creatures into battle. They are typically kept in reserve and used to break enemy ranks, if they successfully charge against an enemy line the results tend to be a slaughtered enemy line. Many wear armor to protect themselves against enemy bayonets and fellow cuirassiers who they often find themselves pitted against, giving them their name. The downside is typically expense, the type of monsters that make good Cuirassier mounts don't come cheap and often fit poorly in peacetime roles.
Dragoons: Dragoons are Mounted Infantry rather than being true cavalry. Typically they ride faster mounts than the Curassiers, then dismount to engage the enemy on foot as a smaller target, though they are capable of acting in cavalry roles if necessary and do so more frequently in this era than in the past. They are typically armed with carbines and sabers for when they need to fulfill the cavalry role like charging into the enemy ranks. Their mobility is not to be underestimated, the right soldier in the right place is often the key to victory.
Heavy Winged Hussar: While most flying creatures are barely able to lift a man, there are some exceptions. Rare, expensive, but powerful exceptions. A Heavy Winged Hussar is someone who rides a giant, mighty flying creature such as a True Dragon. With a mount as strong as a Cuirassier's and the mobility of a Winged Hussar, they are capable of flying over enemy positions and utterly devastating them with ranged fire while fearing little retaliation. The downside is cost. A single Heavy Winged Hussar mount costs as much as a normal army, and as a result a single Heavy Winged Hussar is often the entire military force of their home nation. If you pick this you will likely ride it yourself.
Artillery:
Field Artillery: God sides with whoever has the most cannons. Field artillery are big guns that can still be moved around the battlefield effectively. This include cannons, which fire cannonballs that bounce around enemy formations killing anyone who gets in the way, howitzers that fire explosive shots at said formations, and occasionally rockets that are significantly more mobile in return for reduced firepower. Fire support is an amazing aid to infantry, but their greatest weakness is that they're vulnerable without said infantry. Sure they can give a whiff of grapeshot to anyone marching toward the front, but they'll easily be outmaneuvered by the enemy if not supported.
Siege Artillery: Really big guns. So big you can't really move them in combat conditions. Siege Artillery are meant to defend or attack static positions such as forts. As such they completely disregard mobility in return for maximizing firepower. In addition to really big cannons and howitzers, this includes mortars that are meant to fire explosive shells over defenses to kill the people inside without having to bother with knocking their walls down. Having one at your side is great, getting one to your side is a pain.
Anti-Air Artillery: Flying units are a great asset to the battlefield. Thus the ability to destroy flying units is a great asset for the battlefield. While many different forms exist and have existed over time, the current era has settled on "firework" rockets that explode in a large cloud of shrapnel. Winged Hussar units are unarmored and fragile, so a small amount of debris can knock them out of the sky very easily. It takes some skill to cut the fuse to the right length to make the rocket explode at the correct height, so they are often trained separately from normal artillery men. Their main weakness is that they do little against anything that isn't flying. Vital if you are up against flying enemies, useless if you are not.
Wizards: While not technically artillery Wizards are typically used as walking artillery. Wizards are creatures who use magical powers. They are very versatile, being able to cause an explosion in the enemy rank is one of the least strange things they can do. Other common uses include using illusions to trick enemy scouts, using spells to act as makeshift anti air, shaping the battlefield to their side's favor, skrying enemy units, and providing enchantments to other troops. They are also more mobile than most artillery, a big thing when artillery's main weakness is lack of mobility. Their own weakness is the limit to their spells. Wizards can typically cast one spell, which immediately drains their stamina to the point they can no longer move unassisted. A Wizard battalion only gets one meaningful action a fight before they become a liability to their side. Still clever use of their powers can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Alchemist:Alchemists are units trained in the handling and deployment of various alchemical substances. Typically equipped with leather masks that are full of reagents that bind to the various toxic fumes they use, flasks of different liquids some of which are magical in nature and a pistol as a sidearm. They use many alchemical and gas-based weapons and can also serve as frontline medics with their healing balms, potions and general medical knowledge
The Enemy
At the moment little is known about the enemy, with most information being from survivors of the High Rus attack. It is known that they have the appearance of humanoid locusts, standing on two legs with four arms ending in strange hands. The main force has four wings but are incapable of true flight, using them only to glide to the ground from their origin in the sky. All unit types barring Wizard and Heavy Winged Hussar have been spotted. It is unknown if they are capable of magic. Their weapons are bizarrely organic in appearance, with their main "musket" looking something like a cross between a reed and their own arm. They fire projectiles without the use of powder. Their weapons seem to have less range and are less powerful than that of the Grand Army, but they are faster firing with a quicker reload. Reports suggest they fight in formation. Nothing is known about what happened to those who remain in the land they have conquered.
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Topic: Generals of the Grand Army (Napoleonic Fantasy RPG) (Read 9391 times)