14.0 The Army of England

14.0 The military career is the career that most men of England pursue. For the brave and strong it can be a way for the low born to eventually win fame, money, or even a title. Although there are restrictions with regard of what regiment a character can join. Everyone is eligible to enter some regiment in the Army.

14.1 The military is made up of Regiments. Each regiment has a command structure identical to every other regiment. But each regiment has a different status associated with it because of their prestige. The higher the status of a regiment the higher the SL will be required to be accepted into that regiment.

Army Tables

Joining Regiments

14.11 Attempting to join a regiment is a pre monthly action and any number of regiments may be applied to as long as they are in descending SL order. If rejected, a character may reapply the following month. If the Colonel (or acting commander) of a regiment is a PC then the decision over who to admit rests with them. But prospective candidates must still meet the minimum requirements for acceptance into that regiment. There is a -1 modifier to the acceptance roll for every 2 rejections that month. If there is no PC commander, then the application is rolled for on the acceptance table and it may be influenced.

14.12 All PC ensigns and army lieutenants are considered to be in the 1st Battalion/Squadron with the exception of lieutenants who have acting commands due to vacancies above them in the command structure. Ensigns may never hold an acting command. A and B companies/troops are in the 1st battalion/squadron, C and D are in the second, and E and F are in the third. Ensigns must do 2 weeks and Lieutenants 1 week of regimental duty per month unless excused by their Battalion/Squadron commander. (NPC will excuse a character for 1 week only on a roll of 5+ (d6), if requested and may be influenced). The only weekly activity that can be combined with regimental duties is practice with the regimental weapon, and this must be ordered. Practicing with a regimental weapon outside of a fencing school cannot bring Expertise over 14.

14.13 The highest rank that may be purchased upon initially joining a regiment is Captain and then only if a vacancy exists in that regiment. All ranks up to Captain must be purchased. A character is not allowed to write orders stating he will join a regiment only if he can purchase a certain rank. Applications to regiments may state that the character wants to buy the rank but he competes with all other applicants if another beats him out he will start at a lower rank. Such are the fortunes of life in the Army. After the character has joined a regiment he may only purchase one rank at a time. No rank may be skipped. If two characters wish to purchase the same rank it goes to the senior character. In the case of two lieutenants it goes to the character highest up the greasy pole. If horses are required to be purchased for the new rank and the character cannot afford them he in not allowed to buy the rank. Members of cavalry regiments and captains of any regiment must purchase a horse and equipment (costing 100 crowns). Majors and above must buy 3 horses. If a promotion is received and horses cannot be afforded then the character is awarded a brevet rank until he purchases the required mounts. Then he is awarded the full rank. Note: The Colonel rank may not longer be purchased. And the LTC rank may only be purchased if the character has help the rank of Major in that regiment for 6 full consecutive months.

14.14 There are a fixed number of officers above lieutenant in each regiment. There is no limit to the number of lieutenants and privates in a regiment. There are 6 captains in a regiment each commanding a company. 2 Majors each commanding a squadron, 1 Lt. Colonel commanding a squadron, and one Colonel commanding the regiment. Seniority within a given rank is in order of commands. The LTC commands 1st Bat/Sqd, the most senior Maj commands 2nd Bat/Sqd, and then the junior Maj commands the 3rd. The most senior captain is in command of A Co/Troop, next in command of B and so on. Notice that officers may move up in command due to vacancies above them in the command structure due to deaths, promotions or an officer serving in an appointment that takes him away from the regiment (like a brigade major or someone serving as an adjutant). In cases of promotion and purchasing ranks, PCs always take precedence over NPCs. Although promotion is still dependant on the promotion roll during campaigns. If two PCs are up for promotion or wish to purchase the same rank then the one with the highest roll gets the promotion. If there is a tie or if a die roll is not relevant (Purchasing ranks for instance) then the character highest up the greasy pole gets the rank. A character who could only hold a brevet rank becomes lower in seniority to any who may accept full rank. the following example should help to illustrate the rank structure within a regiment.
(In this example NPCs are represented by the letter N followed by a number, which represents military ability, and PCs are represented by initials.)

Above is shown a regimental listing before and after a campaign at the front. It will illustrate several points. Note that before the campaign that Lieutenant RT held command of F Company due to the vacancy in the captaincy above him. After the campaign the Lt Col and one of the majors were killed while the colonel was promoted to Brevet Brigadier. Note that even though he holds the rank of Brigadier he still occupies the slot of colonel if the regiment until such time as his rank of Brigadier becomes permanent. Captains HsY and N1 have also been killed. CdC has been promoted to major and both RT and N3 have been promoted to captain. RT is the senior captain in this promotion since he is the PC. Notice that all officers have moved up in the command structure due to vacancies above them. Even leaving the command of E and F company in the hands of the Lieutenants. As an aide the office of the field marshal posts a list of commands to all regiments each month for clarification.

14.15 A character may change regiments only twice in his career without resigning his current position as this practice is felt to undermine regimental loyalty. The attempted change must be to a regiment of the same type (Cavalry or Infantry) and to a regiment of higher status. The character is not required to resign his position until he is accepted but he starts in the new regiment at the bottom as if joining a regiment for the first time (he may purchase rank up to captain in the new regiment if there is a vacancy) He does not have to purchase horses if he already owns them.

Brevet Rank and the Field Marshal
 

14.21 Promotion is to brevet, rather than full, rank for promotions beyond the rank of Colonel and when the candidate does not meet the minimum SL required. SL requirements for members of the General Staff must be met.
 

14.22 An officer who is promoted but can not afford the horses required for his new rank is instead promoted to brevet rank, horses being borrowed from the regimental stables. If he has the money, horses will automatically be purchased when required. He is confirmed in his new rank as soon as he buys the required number of horses.
 

14.23 If the holder of a brevet rank subsequently reaches the minimum required SL, he is confirmed in that rank. Another promotion also confirms the rank. Brevet rank lasts for a maximum of 12 months at which time the rank is lost, unless the officer holds an appointment which requires that rank, in which case he maintains his brevet rank as long as he continues to hold such an appointment. A Brevet Brigadier General (BBG) still occupies the Colonel's slot in his regt.

14.24 Brig Generals (full) and above have no regimental associations.

14.25 In order to be promoted from a general staff brevet rank an officer must hold the appropriate command for that rank. When promoted in this way, the officer assumes the permanent rank and must obtain another promotion to reach the next brevet rank. For example, if a BBG were to receive 2 promotions while commanding a brigade he would become a Brevet Lt General, but would then need a promotion while commanding a division to become a full Lt Gen.

14.26 The Field Marshal does not go on campaign although his aide accompanies his regt if it is going.

Frontier Regiments

14.31 Frontier regts are on campaign all year round. Civilians will always be accepted as a private, but ranks can not be purchased. Members of the military who volunteer to serve with a frontier regt join initially as lieutenants, if their permanent rank is that or above. Promotions are possible within a frontier regt but vacant slots are taken by NPCs.

14.32 The number of frontier regts changes to meet requirements. Their names clearly indicate their distinction, even if they take the name of a 'missing' regt from the original EG rules (e.g. 69th Arqubusiers [Frontier], 3rd Frontier Regt). All frontier regts are infantry. Volunteers serve in a random regt unless one is specified in their orders. Officers serving in a frontier regiment do not require horses.

14.33 If a character is awarded a promotion while serving with a Frontier Regt, he is also promoted in his own permanent regiment provided there is a vacancy, he meets all the usual criteria, and his frontier rank is the same or higher than his permanent rank. A character serving with a Frontier Regt gets paid the higher salary of his regular pay or his Frontier pay. A character who survives a tour with a Frontier Regt loses any rank he has in the Frontier Regt as soon as he returns to London.

example : JP is a lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards and spends a season as a volunteer with a frontier regiment as a subaltern where he is awarded a promotion. There is a vacant captain's slot in the frontier regt but JP does not have the required SL to be a captain in the Coldstream Guards. He is therefore promoted to brevet captain in the Coldstream Guards and to captain in the frontier regt. If he returns to London at the end of the season he loses his frontier captaincy but retains his new brevet rank in the Coldstream Guards. If he stays at the front for another season and gets another promotion, his brevet rank in the RFG becomes his permanent rank and he is promoted to major in the frontier regt if there is a vacant slot.

14.34 A colonel of a frontier regt who is promoted to BBG remains in command unless he later takes command of a brigade.

14.35 A character who joins a frontier regt due to Disgrace, or through lack of funds, takes the rank of subaltern if his permanent rank is that or above. Those sent to the Frontier as a sentence take the rank of private.

14.36 A member of a frontier regt (not a volunteer btn or higher level unit) who is caught poltrooning (i.e. rolls a modified 6+) is summarily executed in the field, rather than going to Court Martial.

14.37 Frontier regts do not have adjutants or chaplains.

14.38 A character who is on campaign must finish the current season, even if they have finished their requirement due to disgrace or sentencing.

The Royal North Highland Border Regiment

14.41  The Royal North Highland Border Regiment is a unique unit.  And elite frontier regiment.  Characters who go to the frontier to campaign may wish to campaign with the RNH rather than a normal frontier regiment.  To be accepted into the RNH characters must meet certain requirements.

14.42  Ensigns may campaign with the RNH only if they have an endurance of 110 or more and a Rapier expertise of 9 or more.

14.43 Officers may campaign with the RNH only if they meet the requirements for ensigns and, in addition, have received one merit promotion (non-purchased) or have been mentioned in dispatches.  Officers with a MA or 1 are not accepted into the RNH.

14.44 Since the RNH is an elite unit, constantly in the field, there are always openings for qualified officers and men.  Officers of the rank of major and above always command battalions (even colonels and general officers)

14.45 While on Campaign the division containing the RNH rolls for it's battle result as if the commander had one higher military ability than he really does.

Army Tables   Army Appointments