15th c. campaign - seasons/movement?

[timurilank]

Under the HOTT section I have an on-going thread titled, Game of Thrones - German style. The original concept evolved while reading about medieval Germany and in particular the regions of Southern Germany; Thuringia, Wurzburg, Swabia and Bavaria. The last named presented me with my benchmark; a dying Duke dividing the kingdom among his sons.

This brings me to my current hurdle. The DBA campaign system allows movement per season; Spring, Summer, and Autumn.

Question:

Has anyone expanded the seasons to movement by months or weeks?


Something to consider.
Aside from a lord's retinue, castle garrsion assembling an army was an expensive business. Negotiations, contract signed, pledges made an "army" deployed for 60 days.

[timurilank]

If you scroll down to the third post you will find a map of the Bavaria into four major areas; Bavaria - Landshut, - Ingolstadt, - Straubing, and - Munich.

Rather than using the traditional three nodes per "kingdom", I had considered increasing the number of nodes. The primary reason was to allow the collapse of a kingdom become a process; requiring more time and make allowances for unusual scenarios.

Question:
Has anyone created maps with increased number of 'cities' per kingdom?
If so what other adjustments were made?

[Crocus]

I have given nations more than 3 homelands to start with: the decision is, more than one field army or devalue/distribute the income.

If you want a regular DBA campaign then the former is out: one field army, no garrisons being constructed, field armies abounding or mini armies flashing about reinforcing and stuff.

The second is easier in that the paperwork is kept to DBA level, but once a nation gets down to few territories then there is little they can do to climb out, garnering 1AP for their province and but 2AP for their capital. Some provinces might be more productive and they will be fought over.

I have never tried to divide the seasonal moves because I solo campaign and the headache that coordinating half a dozen nations' moves for a season can be painful, let alone trying to see where the armies are for the second week of July!

I have come down on the side of using Diplomacy-like (welll exactly alike in fact!) Supply Centres that support one army; the Diplomacy crossover continues easily from there. This gives multiple armies, though often two will combine for an assault and give the allied contingent, as Diplomacy supported attacks are unnecessary and bounces are always contested.

There are lots of great Diplomacy variant maps to fight over: at present I' a bit bogged down in Excalibur, an Arthurian variant, but I'm mentally wrestling with the Barbaria/Invasions Dip Variants to prepare for a Winter Fall of the West campaign. (there are many minis yet to paint so note I don't stipulate which Winter!)

I am using handwritten notes at present, but could write them out and post if you like. They're based on things I've found on the net.

Timurlank I also found an old campaign mechanic from the old Stronghlod called Border Reivers - are you familiar with it? Various reivers fight for plunder and gain revenge points that align their attacks, whilst a Marcher Lord NPC wades in periodically to quash the leading reiver clan. Any good for you?

Just seen the thing about 2 monthes feudal service: never tried but could this be done prov by prov with the provincial levy being paid for, random but weighted contigent, serving only for a season then drifting home? Too flaky?

[timurilank]

Crocus,

I would indeed be interested in reading those notes.

At the back of the DBA 3.0 draft are some interesting bits. Phil does like a three month season, but no changes are expected in that direction.

Bookkeeping is not my forté, so I would look for optoins to assemble armies outside and during a campaign. In a Slingshot article titled "Barmy Armies" the writer used a variable strength be placed on six index cards. DBA using the 12 elements for a basic army, the cards could add or deduct extra elements, such that two opposing sides would most likely not be of equal strength.

Outside the campaign season (border raids), then I would reduce the basic strength to a Lord, his retinue and local levies if defending.

During the campaign season, I can imagine there would be plenty of activity falling short of the original planning; weather, logistics, allies become less willing, etc.

Border Reivers I am not familiar with.

[timurilank]

This was posted elsewhere, but to keep things a bit tidy I have copied here.

From Crocus:

Reivers a HoTT Campaign for 4-8 Players
by Alan Saunders (Stronghold)

Each player a border clan vying for prestige whilst avenging slights perpetrated against them.

Each player needs an appropriate army and there needs to be an army of Warden's Men.
There is no map as the clans are assumed to be able to roam widely and attack whom they wish. Stealing territory is not an option.

Each player must keep track of the following:

1: How many AP available for attack and defence.
2: Current prestige total. This can only go up.
3: Their Revenge Total vs each other clan. This can go up or down but never less than zero.
4: Their Resource Total. This can never go above 8.

All clans start with zero Prestige, Revenge against each other clan, and 6 Resources.

Sequence of Play

Each year is split up into three Raiding Phases and a Replenishment Phase.

For each Raiding Phase:

1: Determine order of play. Clan with highest Prestige goes first, the next highest goes second and so on. Roll for ties.

2: Determine if Warden calls a Hot Trod. H will attempt to deal with the clan with the highest Prestige. Take that clan's Prestige and subtract the next highest Prestige from it. Roll 1D6: if the die is less to or equal to the difference of the two Prestige scores then the Warden decides to deal with them. (In other words if the clans heve roughly the same Prestige he will leave them alone. If one clan becomes too powerful then the Warden will step in).

3: If the Warden calls the Hot Trod resolve the action against the chosen clan. Th Warden is run by the player with the highest Revenge Total against that particular clan. Roll off for ties.

4: Each player then takes their turn. If they choos to Raid, select their target and resolve the Raid.

Replenishment Phase:
At the end of three Raing Phases there is a Replenishment Phase. Each player automatically receives 2AP of troops, plus AP's worth equal to their current Resources. A clan cannot exceed 24AP.

One player rolls 1D6 and keps a running total of the scores: this will determine the end of the game.

[timurilank]

A further contribution from Crocus:

Raiding

A clan can choose to Raid in the Raiding Phase. If a clan chooses not to Raid they get 2AP of troops back.

Any other clan can be the target of a Raid, but remember it is a Bad Thing to have high levels of outstanding Revenge against another clan at the end of th game.

The selected target may decline battle. They automatically lose, counting as having lost their Stronghold. Revenge is determine as if a battle had been fought.

If the target clan decides to fight then a normal HoTT battlre ensues. The raider is the attacker, the target the defender.

At the end of the battle the attacker scores Prestige points as follows:

+1 For each AP you destroy above that which you lose.
+2 Kill enemy General
+2 Capture enemy Stronghold

The defender does not score Prestige. This can only be gained from successful Raiding or defeating the Warden.

The victorious Raider steals 2 Resources from the defender and adds them to their total. The total cannot exceed 8 and excess Resources are lost.

Revenge

Both sides then determine Revenge Totals towards each other.

-1 For each AP you destroy above that which you lose
-2 Kill the enemy General
-2 Capture enemy Stronghold
-1 For each AP you lose above that which you destroy
-2 Own General killed
-2 Own Stronghold captured.

The Warden

If the Warden attacks a clan resolve it as a Raid. The clan is always the defender. The Warden is always th attacker and gets a 24AP army.

If the clan loses, or declines battle, then it gets +1 Revenge against each other clan and loses 2 Resources.

If the clan wins they gain Prestige as if they were a victorious attacker, as no-one likes the Warden. Each other clan gets +1 Revenge against the victorious clan. The Revenge points simulate the fact that the Warden's forces were drawn from the other clans!

End of the Game

At the end of each Replenishment Phase one player should roll 1D6. When the accumulated score exceeds 20 the game ends and a victor should be determined.

Each clan takes their Prestige and subtracts from it the highest Revenge Total they have against any other clan. This is their final score. The clan with the highest final score wins. This simulates the fact that although a clan might have great Prestige, there is loss of face if Revenge is not exacted from othe clans from past acts.

[timurilank]

This note came from the website Schloss Eggersberg located in Bavaria.

"From Schloss Eggersberg:

1417

Balthasar Muracher was still mentioned as lord of Eggersberg Castle. The members of the Muracher family were dreaded robber-barons. Even in 1561, a Bavarian chronicle mentioned the unscrupulous ways in which the nobility exploited the people.

In those days, the Muracher were known for their notorious raids and bloody feuds in the entire surrounding area. Konrad Muracher of Flügelsberg was captured by the Knight Heydeck in the course of their feud and kept imprisoned from 1385 to 1394. Ulrich von Murach robbed merchants from Augsburg in 1407. Jörg, Friedrich and Erhart von Murach even raided and robbed Helfenberg Castle near Velburg, whereby they benefited from the fact that the owner, Prince-Elector Louis III, had died in December 1436.
"

I found passages of similar activity in the region and thought this would be useful to add to the campaign. This will also bring the Duchy of Bavaria under the scrutiny of the Holy Roman Empire as a number of commercial centers within Bavaria are "Imperial Free Cities"; Ulm and Regensburg to name two.

Thanks again Crocus for the rule set.

[Crocus]

No problem amigo mio. I will laboriously type in the Diplomacy notes when my two index fingers have stopped bleeding from transcribing Reivers!

[timurilank]

Originally Posted by Crocus

No problem amigo mio. I will laboriously type in the Diplomacy notes when my two index fingers have stopped bleeding from transcribing Reivers!

No need to go that far. The last time I gave blood was while playing rugby.

I am covering the bases of the Austrians and Bavarians with a sand/glue mix. Laborious work, but I should be finished with 80 plus elements later this afternoon.

[Berthier]

I have been following the discussion with regards to the 15th Century Campaign with interest as I am in the midst of starting one up in Northern Germany for Field of Glory called Coins of Contention. The primary antagonists are the Hanseatic League and the Danish dominated Kalmar Union.

Here is a link to the map I drew with Campaign Cartagrapher 3:

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/berthier...Contention.JPG

The rules were loosely based on Rob Smith's Magnea Graecia. Although, we are starting with just the Hansa and the Danes, I could easily add the Teutonic League, Later Medieval Swedes and/or an Imperial/Feudal German player(s) to the campaign. Looking forward to reading more about your campaign.

Christopher Anders