COMMANDERS

An army’s commander helps maximize its effectiveness and
can provide special bonuses to an army. The commander
can be a PC or NPC. Unless you decide to command an army
personally or the GM allows you to recruit an exceptional
commander through adventuring and roleplaying, a new
army’s commander is an unexceptional leader who provides
no bonuses to the army.

The Mass Combat Army Sheet has a space to record
information about the commander of each of your armies.
In addition, there’s also a space to record information for
a general—a general is a character (often you) assigned to
administrate your armies, but is primarily a figurehead
and grants no bonuses herself unless actively leading a
particular army. The relevant information is as follows
(assume a value of 0 unless otherwise specified).

Name: This lists the commander’s name (and class and
level, if notable).

Charisma Modifier: This lists the commander’s Charisma
modifier. It is added to the army’s Morale checks.

Profession (soldier): This is the commander’s ranks in
Profession (soldier). Divide the number of ranks by 5 (minimum
0) and add that number to the army’s Morale checks.

Leadership: The commander’s character level +
Charisma modifier. If the commander is a monster, use
HD instead of character level. If the commander has the
Leadership feat, increase this value by 3. This number is a
prerequisite for some boons.

Boons: This lists the boons the commander knows (see
below). A commander’s maximum number of boons known
is 1, plus 1 for every 5 ranks in Profession (soldier). A new or
unexceptional commander might know no boons at first, but
can gain them from victories in battle. If you’re a kingdom
leader acting as a commander, you automatically have one
boon appropriate to your leadership role (see below).
The commander must be active with the army to grant
a bonus on Morale checks or a boon to the army. Being
active requires spending at least 3 days per week with the
army. An army without a commander (whether because the
commander is dead or because she isn’t spending enough
time with the army) loses 1 Morale per week. You may offset
this loss by doubling the army’s Consumption that week.
If you have an army without a commander and you have
no commanders available to fill that role, you may promote
a unit from the army to be an unexceptional commander.
This commander has a +0 Charisma modifier, 0 ranks in
Profession (soldier), and a Leadership score based on the
level or HD of a typical unit in that army.

Boons

Boons are special abilities a commander grants to an army.
Most of these boons affect the rolls and statistics for battles,
and the commander must be present at the battle to provide
their benefit. A commander grants the army all the boons she
knows (she doesn’t have to select just one).

Bloodied but Unbroken: The commander inspires the
army to be at its greatest in the most desperate times. When
an army’s hit points are at half its full normal hit points or
fewer, it gains a +1 bonus on Offense checks. A commander
must have Leadership 4 or higher to select this boon. At
Leadership 10 or higher, this bonus increases to +2.

Bonus Tactic: Choose one tactic. The commander
always knows this tactic, and the commander’s army can
use this tactic even if it doesn’t know that tactic on its
own. You can select this boon multiple times; each time
you select it, choose a new tactic.

Defensive Tactics: The commander is especially good at
defensive tactics. Increase the army’s DV by 2. A commander
must have Leadership 5 or higher to select this boon.

Flexible Tactics: The commander trains the army to
be receptive to multiple orders during a battle. The army
gains a +5 bonus on Morale checks to change tactics
during a battle. A commander must have Leadership 6 or
higher to select this boon. At Leadership 12 or higher, this
bonus increases to +10.

Hit and Run: The commander drills the army in quick
attacks followed by a fast retreat. After attacks are resolved
in the Ranged phase or the first Melee phase, the army
may use the withdraw tactic with a +2 bonus on its opposed
Morale checks. A commander must have Leadership 5 or
higher to select this boon. At Leadership 10 or higher, this
bonus increases to +4.

Hold the Line: The commander is skilled at convincing
the army to maintain morale against dangerous opponents.
If the army fails a Morale check to avoid a rout, it may reroll
that check. It must accept the results of the second check,
even if it is worse.

Live off the Land: The commander makes the army
trap game, hunt, and fish to augment its food supplies.
Reduce the army’s Consumption and speed by half for any
week this boon is used. The GM may rule that Huge and
larger armies deplete the available resources from a hex
over 1d3 weeks, requiring the army to move if it wants to
maintain the reduced Consumption level.

Loyalty: The commander inspires great loyalty in the
army. The army gains a +2 bonus on all Morale checks. A
commander must have Leadership 6 or higher to select this
boon. At Leadership 12 or higher, this bonus increases to +4.

Merciless: The commander encourages the army to
be ruthless in its tactics and spare no wounded enemies.
The army gains a +1 bonus on opposed Morale checks to
prevent another army from withdrawing and on the last
Offense check against a routed army or one using the
withdraw tactic.

Sharpshooter: The commander drills the army in
precision ranged attacks. The army gains a +2 bonus on
Offense checks against armies using fortifications. This
boon has no effect if the army can’t make ranged attacks.

Triage: Whether using magic, alchemy, herbalism, or
folk knowledge, the commander drills the army in using
emergency methods to treat wounds. Once per battle, the
army may take a –4 penalty on its Offense check during
the Ranged or Melee phase and heal damage equal to half
its ACR. If the army has the healing potions resource,
it also gains the healing from this boon (without the
Offense check penalty) when it uses healing potions.

Kingdom Leader Commanders

If you have a kingdom leadership role (Ruler, High
Priest, Grand Diplomat, and so on), you may take the role
of an army commander. To determine your bonus on
Morale checks and the maximum number of boons you
can know, use either one-fifth your ranks in Profession
(soldier) or one-sixth your character level, whichever
is higher (minimum 1). As with other commanders,
you must remain active with the army to grant your
commander bonus on Morale checks, and must be at the
battle to provide tactics and bonuses.

Losing Commanders

If an army is destroyed and the commander is an NPC,
the commander is killed (01–20), captured (21–70), or
escapes (71–00). An army of mindless creatures kills all
captured NPC commanders. You may ransom a captured
commander by paying BP equal to the commander’s
army’s Consumption (if captured by another kingdom,
this goes to that kingdom’s Treasury). A commander
with a history of losing battles, being captured, and
being ransomed gains an unlucky reputation among
your troops and reduces the Morale of any army under
her by 1.

If you are the commander and your army is destroyed,
the GM should present you with an opportunity to escape
with serious injuries (at 25% hp or lower), otherwise
you are captured and held for ransom. The other
PCs may pay BP, gold, or other treasures to ransom
you, or the GM may allow the other PCs to have
an adventure where they attempt to rescue you
instead of simply buying your freedom.