Monday, December 15, 2014

Refurbished map and character sheets


This is a smaller, 60x80 hex (if I remember right) map of the world. Any resemblance to historical nations and geography is accidental. You can now access the map from the 'Basic information' page and download the full-size version.
This would call for slower movement rates on campaign, so an army will have to have over 75% cavalry to move 4 hexes a day (applied to messengers too), and any other unit will move 2 hex per day, 3 in forced march (only on roads), and roll on 1d6 and reduce movement rate by 1 hex when rolling a 1.
This time I opted not to name many settlements and fortresses and name them on the go. I can always look up older posts or turn to the old map for inspiration or naming these consistently. Also, the geography is a bit different from the previous version but I tried to keep the events of the Störkburg campaign relevant.

The character sheet was another sensitive matter. I have not had good profiles for most of the personalities besides some very basic guidelines. What helped me a great deal was constructing a chronology (also available at the info page) and give a descriptive age to each character, then use the stuff already described in various scrap files and notes from the Schultze-Böhnstadt folder on my laptop (Training and Temperament). Added to this were the many fun aspects of 'Creating Big Men' mechanisms from Sharp Practice: physique, popularity, character traits etc. Looks and personality goes to the 'Misc' part. 


Thursday, December 11, 2014

Long-term plans in Schultze-Böhnstadt

With a Christmas purchase, the two basic (Flossian and S-B) armies will be complete. These will set an example as a core army:
(Baccus sets of figures and numbers used) [units/stands in Maurice]

Basic army
Regular infantry (2=192) [6/24]
Regular cavalry, dragoons and/or cuirassiers (2=72) [6/24]
Irregular infantry (1=48) [6/24]
Irregular cavalry, when used so (1=36) (1-3/4-12)
Artillery (1=4 guns +16 crew) [4/4]
~360 figures.

This is, first of all, for variety and the entire army will rarely be deployed, if at all.

I would like to do some other nations' units as well and in all probability redesign the map for a more integral use.
For Glambria, I will use SYW French (an obvious choice).
For Quattri Formaggi, most likely the same army will be used.
Varangia, a historically accurate GNW Swedish army.
Leuwenthal, a GNW Russian army - these will, obviously, double up as actual GNW units.

A good thing about Maurice is it can be used for totally different levels of engagement. For example, in the games we played, the units were battalions of about 120 men (so a 1:5 figure to IRL scale as played in Cossacks). Remember, these are still nascent peace-time armies of relatively small states. But I could use 4-stand units for regiments of multiple battalions as well - so, for example, I could play the three cuirassier regiments as one 4-stand unit, the 1st Prinzipalitär Foot as a unit of musketeers and one of grenadiers, and the other regular regiments as 4-stand units again. It is explained in Maurice under the advanced rules that the relativity of the game (using base widths and an abstract disruption system instead of casualties) allows a variety of engagement scales to be reproduced.

The Principality also has some sea ports so it is just obvious that for naval games, I'm going to use the same setting.


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The Treaty of Neu-Leuchtenberg

The defeated von Presser had met with Princeps Erhard Berthold at the fortress of Neu-Leuchtenberg to sign the peace treaty; a messenger with switched horses was sent to Rückelburg and another to General Hohenspitz with news of the armistice and following negotiations.
The Princeps reasoned, and Erik von Südflosse agreed, that they must not be heavy-handed about the conditions of the treaty, but they must set clear borders:

The Union will renounce all claims of the Störkburg Valley and consider it mandatory to rest its frontier on the Grühne. Any action by local nobility and outlaws against Principality settlements will be met with force on the Flossian side.
The Union, when called for, will provide materials for any Böhnstadter war effort up to a sum of 50,000 Thalers.
Karrotenbad and the neighboring region, up to the border, will be demilitarized.

In return, the Principality will march out of Union territory and will respect the Union's sovereignty over the territories described above.
The Principality, above the possible future 50,000 Thalers, will not ask for any further toll.

These terms were most generous in von Presser's eyes as well, so he signed the treaty with dignity, and the knowledge that, when the time will come, he will be more prepared for a fight instead of sending fresh recruits to the frontlines. But where could he gain a well-trained army? His thoughts were wandering again.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Armistice

On the northeast, the broken army of Elector von Presser left the field routing. The Elector chose to visit Princeps Erhard Berthold under a white flag and begin discussing the terms of surrender.
Bishop Michheim did not risk taking a second foothold on the left bank of the Flosse so he burned the second bridge down, united with the other, intact half of his brigade and marched back to reinforce Rückelburg, waiting for news on von Presser's enterprise.