More stuff for Realm of Sejhat. When I'm not drawing or working, chances are I'm writing stuff for this. I may have more pertinent artwork in the future.

Intended as a game design concept, this document explains the three different combat schools a player character can choose from, as well as which specialty suits them best.

It goes on to explain the importance of subordinate commanders and camp followers and how they would theoretically affect gameplay.

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Army Structure

Land armies throughout Sejhat, while filled with diverse units, are roughly unified in their command structure. First, any aspiring commander must obtain a commission. For most commanders this is achieved through an education at a military academy, but in wartime situations it is not unknown for officers to rise from the ranks of the enlisted. In rare cases, commissions can be purchased on behalf of an individual by a patron or donor. Regardless of the method of obtaining an army commission, any aspiring commander has to choose their combat school, as well as their specialty. All commissions must be granted by a monarch or a direct representative of the sovereign, such as a Governor General.

COMBAT SCHOOLS

There are three combat schools, and each school has four specialist options to choose from. First and foremost is an Infantry Command, giving a commander access to basic, veteran, and elite infantry troops of all sorts. An Infantry Command is a bloody, but undeniably necessary post. Ostensibly, the infantry appear poor, vulnerable, and plentiful. Poor commanders see such a command as a good way to mask incompetence, as the loss of some poor, barefoot rascals can seemingly always be justified. Talented commanders, however, tailor their strategies to their strengths. Infantry are almost as versatile as they are numerous on the field. They can harass or charge, fend off cavalry or overwhelm artillery. Losses are inevitable, but more replaceable in an Infantry Command than any other combat school.

The second school is that of the Cavalry Command. A cavalry posting is usually the property of the wealthy, landed aristocracy for the simple reason that few can afford the numerous animals required for such a command. Cavalry commanders must face a logistical reality: They cannot match the numbers of enemy infantry or the firepower of the artillery. As such, a cavalry commander must rely on stealth, skirmish, and maneuverability as well as a good old charge. Various mounts and soldiers ensure that a cavalry commander is never spoiled for choice. Arguably the biggest job of the cavalry is the neutralization of enemy artillery. The cavalry tend to be weak against infantry, but only if those infantry are disciplined. Otherwise, there are few things more terrifying than a squadron of charging cavaliers appearing out of nowhere on one’s flank. The professional and wily nature of most cavalry units means that units in a Cavalry Command enjoy higher morale than any other combat school. They are the most difficult to rout or send scurrying away.

The third school is that of the Artillery Command. Unlike the peasantry of the Infantry and the nobility of the Cavalry, Artillery units generally hail from the middle classes. Literacy is a must, as reading maps, measuring powder, and infusing deadly bombshells with magical incantations or volatile alchemical substances commands a steady hand and a ready wit. An Artillery Command is populated with merchants and mages, but it is under the direct oversight of the sovereign and the Ordnance Board. Few nobles anywhere can afford or justify the enormous cost of artillery pieces, so almost all guns are the property of the sovereign and the nation. That in mind, the main concern of an Artillery Command is to put those guns, each a massive investment, to best possible use. There are many exotic varieties of guns, some designed for specific roles like siege warfare, some for ‘sniping’ enemy artillerists, and some for blowing anyone or anything away with relative indiscrimination. Artillery commanders also have access to specialist infantry units whose job is to find other creative uses for the powder stores and the magicka. Most commonly artillery is used to neutralize enemy infantry, and is most vulnerable to cavalry. In hand-to-hand combat artillerists are almost always outnumbered and outmatched. Therefore, an Artillery Command must do everything possible to prevent the enemy from reaching them. Units in an Artillery Command are small in number and expensive, but make up for this with awesome lethality at range and a suite of special tactics. They are the most effective at routing enemy units.

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COMBAT SPECIALIZATIONS

While choosing a school of combat guides commanders towards certain units and tactics, specialty training is essential in determining one’s combat abilities, honor guards, and special tactics. While in theory every commander can gain access to units across the military spectrum, specialization brings focus to martial endeavors. There are many methods of waging war, and combat specialization ensures that a commander is able to find their perfect niche.

INFANTRY COMMAND

Logistics Officer- you have a way with numbers and a gift for understanding what soldiers need, as well as what they can do without. You may not gain the love of your soldiers for stretching their rations or issuing them repair kits instead of new boots, but without you the enterprise of war would rapidly disintegrate from mild mayhem into unspeakable chaos. You understand what many commanders don’t: That good logistics alone cannot win a battle, but bad logistics can certainly lose it.

• Reduces infantry costs
• Improves infantry HP
• Increases unit capacity
• Reduces attrition

Drillmaster- you are relentless and unflinching with your training, and you demand the same of your troops. You have learned a variety of tricks, all of which are useful for getting large numbers of troops from point A to point B in record time and in order. You have an aggressive tendency to outpace your supply caravans and push your troops and yourself a bit too hard to gain a strategic advantage. You may not always win, but you always arrive first and draw first blood.

• Improves infantry marching and running speed
• Forced March ability doubles pace at cost of stamina
• Attack Column ability allows battalions and companies to attack without forming into battle lines, catching enemy ambushers off guard
• Improves rate of fire for missile infantry
• Reduces unit HP and increases attrition

Captain of Skirmishers- to some commanders, battle is a chess game. To you, it is a hunt. You believe that the best battles are won before they begin with tracking skills, good intelligence, and more than a handful of crack shots. Through means fair or foul your favorite activity is spreading panic in the enemy’s front ranks before they can do the same to yours.

• Improves HP of light infantry, riflemen, and bowmen
• Allows light infantry, riflemen, and bowmen to hide in short grass
• Sniping ability improves chances of hitting officers and commanders, dealing huge morale damage
• Improves marching and running speed for all skirmish units, including cavalry scouts, hussars, and battlemages

Captain of Grenadiers- you adore splendid uniforms, tall soldiers, big hats, and intense brawls. To you a battle isn’t complete without the flash of cold steel and the blast of grenades. You think of yourself as brave, elite, and impetuous. You pride yourself on frontline leadership, breeding intense loyalty among your troops. Your style of fighting may not be polished or particularly safe, but this doesn’t concern you so long as the mission is clear, the enemy is present, and your troops ready to charge.

• Attack Column ability allows battalions and companies to attack without forming into battle lines, catching enemy ambushers off guard
• Grenades wreak havoc on the enemy’s front lines, but can misfire
• Battle Frenzy temporarily boosts unit morale at the risk of losing control
• Improves elite and melee infantry HP
• Improves heavy infantry melee damage

CAVALRY COMMAND

Cavalier Lord- your approach to mounted combat is direct and forceful, and you have come to rely on the charge as a way of driving the enemy before you. Where other cavalry commanders turn their backs on enemy formations you tend to press the attack. As such, your soldiers are better protected from attack, but at the cost of some speed and maneuverability.

• Flying Wedge formation can pierce through enemy battle lines if used properly
• War Mounts are trained to attack the enemy without fear, giving each heavy cavalry soldier an additional attack that deals 25% of the soldier’s melee damage
• Larger squadrons of heavy & imperial cavalry units
• Improves heavy cavalry HP and morale
• Reduces unit speed

Vanguard- you see the role of the cavalry on the battlefield as a tactical one, one that rewards ambition and bravery, as well as the ability to capitalize on an enemy’s weakness at a moment’s notice. You have no compunction about attacking stragglers and raiding enemy supplies. You prefer the command of light, fast cavalry units and relish in playing mind games with the enemy as you convince them, through force or fraud, that there is no escape.

• Spyglass temporarily and vastly improves the visibility range of your commander and detects hidden units
• Allows light cavalry to hide in tall grass
• Improves accuracy of missile cavalry
• Improves light cavalry morale and speed
• Reduces heavy & imperial cavalry HP

Lance Major- You combine the primal force of the charge with the blinding speed of the light cavalry into one deadly package, funneling the weight of both mount and rider into a single spear point. You love the charge and endeavor to close with the enemy before they have a chance to react. You deal in sharp, decisive blows that force the enemy to rout, but this makes you vulnerable to reprisal if the enemy resists your efforts. The power and relative lightness of the lance enables you to repeatedly engage the enemy in ferocious charges, at the cost of your melee abilities. Put short, you are a master of ‘hit and run’ attacks.

• Flying Wedge formation can pierce through enemy battle lines if used properly
• Battle Frenzy ability temporarily boosts unit morale at the risk of losing control
• Improves light cavalry speed and HP
• Improves lance charge multiplier
• Increases costs for heavy cavalry

Commander of Mounted Infantry- Where most other cavalry commanders are caught up in the élan and nobility of their craft, you take a practical and modern look at war. You forego power and speed for economy, and while your mounted infantry lack the nobility or individual bravery of other cavalry units they make up for it in numbers and versatility. Dragoons and their counterparts can lay down impressive firepower for cavalry units, and they can outpace any infantry units, allowing them to capture vital defenses and occupy them like no others. Mounted infantry can also be used in charge or pursuit, but their lack of specialization makes these somewhat poor choices.

• Platoon Firing ability allows dismounted infantry (such as dragoons) to fire from three ranks at once from one end of the battle line to the other, matching the firepower of enemy infantry
• Increases size and capacity of mounted infantry squadrons
• Increases mounted infantry rate of fire
• Reduces mounted infantry costs
• Reduces cavalry speed

ARTILLERY COMMAND

Bombardier- You favor the crackle of exploding shells and the booming of great guns to the staccato of lighter pieces, and there is nothing more satisfying to you than seeing enemy soldiers sent airborne by terrible blasts of magic and explosive chemicals. You are the bane of any defending force, foregoing rate of fire for sheer destructive capacity. Your guns are ponderous and not always accurate, but they make up for this with an unmatched ability to kill at extreme and medium ranges. You endeavor to slow down the enemy as best you can so that you have more time to obliterate them before they get close enough to harm you.

• Caltrops can be deployed in vital choke points or on the flanks to dramatically slow enemy movement
• Registered Artillery ability enables howitzers, mortars, and rockets to fire two salvoes with dramatically increased accuracy
• Enables mighty siege weaponry
• Increases firepower of howitzers, mortars, and rockets
• Reduces artillery rate of fire

Royal Engineer- Though the artillery is commonly associated with ponderous and intimidating guns, you see the importance of traps and specialized infantry as paramount. You surround yourself with sappers, saboteurs, and pioneers, scouring the landscape and taking every possible opportunity to make it safer for you and deadlier for the enemy. You’re not above using booby traps or a bit of tomfoolery to confuse and disorganize the enemy. Some say your style of fighting is dishonorable, but no one will deny that you make life for your enemies a living hell.

• Caltrops can be deployed in vital choke points or on the flanks to dramatically slow enemy movement
• Fougasses violently explode in the direction of the enemy when activated by a pressure switch, throwing rocks, glass, shot, and even grenades into enemy formations for exceptionally deadly effect
• Breastworks protect your artillery and troops from some incoming missile fire
• Torpedoes explode underfoot when activated by a pressure switch, killing anyone unlucky enough to be nearby
• Grenades wreak havoc on the enemy’s front lines, but can misfire
• Cannons are more expensive

Light Artillerist- You forego the heavy firepower of other artillery units for the sake of maneuverability and close-range killing power. Light artillery can be moved into position with relative ease, allowing a shrewd commander to screen the enemy’s front ranks with blasts of grapeshot before withdrawing to new positions. Certain specialist guns also boast remarkable accuracy at a cost of firepower, allowing light artillery commanders to pick off enemy artillerists and cavalry. Despite this ability to pick off targets at long range, much of the lethality of light artillery is at close range, where grape shot and machine guns can inflict terrible casualties and pin down enemy soldiers in crossfires.

• Breastworks protect your artillery and troops from incoming missile fire
• Barrage ability allows cannons to fire three salvoes at dramatically increased speed, with any available ammunition
• Enables machine guns, light artillery pieces that are very effective at close range
• Swivel Guns are small artillery pieces that allow infantry garrisoned in buildings to defend areas with greater effectiveness
• Reduces light artillery costs and increases capacity
• Disables heavy artillery

Field Artillerist- You believe first and foremost in the final argument of kings, the mighty cannon. You run a hard line among your troops and instill within them a strong sense of duty and discipline, bringing unmatched cohesion to your units. Your weapons are not as spectacular to behold as the grand siege weapons of bombardiers or the complex mechanisms of the light artillery, but they are proven and effective, and doubly so with talented artillery crews. Your fire is moderately accurate and quick as a result, and your close range firepower can be devastating.

• Advanced Barrage ability allows cannons to fire four salvoes at dramatically increased speed, with any available ammunition
• Reduces artillery costs
• Increases rate of fire for cannons
• Registered Artillery ability enables howitzers, mortars, and rockets to fire two salvoes with dramatically increased accuracy
• Increases unit morale

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SUBORDINATE COMMANDERS & RETINUES

While choosing a specialty goes a long way towards determining what kind of army a commander will have and what tactics are available to them, one still requires the support of a talented corps of officers to gain access to new units and tactics. A primary concern for a field officer is to build a ‘retinue’ of talented individuals who will serve your cause loyally and contribute their best efforts in battle. Each sub-commander can take command of a company in the field, and each contributes certain bonuses, be they passive or active abilities. Sub-commanders sometimes provide useful advice on technological upgrades, which can help with any number of concerns from re-arming the troops to obtaining superior elite units. Sub-commanders also enable you to train specialist units and mercenaries to help round out your weaknesses, and many of them can accompany you on personal missions as party members.

Separate from your sub-commanders, but no less important are your camp followers, or retinue. These are officers and civilians who, like acquired sub-commanders, have thrown their full weight behind your cause and contribute as best they can. However, members of your retinue cannot lead soldiers into battle, instead focusing on the day-to-day affairs of your army. For example, it is an excellent idea to enlist the aid of a surgeon, whose medical staff provides a reassuring presence for the army and whose skills with a lancet and saw can ensure that some of the wounded actually survive, possibly to fight again. A musician can keep the soldiers happy through entertainment, but can also inflate the nature of your exploits into something heroic and grandiose, impressing your superiors and the local peasantry alike. A quartermaster and treasurer are absolutely necessary for the functioning of an army, helping you mitigate costs and keep the troops shod, fed, and content. Like sub-commanders, members of your retinue also have plenty of ideas for technologies and improvements to grease the wheels of your military machine.

A commander must endeavor to keep his sub-commanders and his retinue happy, which will keep them committed. Many of them will join your cause at the expense of dealing with personal problems, or perhaps with the hope that you will help them. These can be anything from helping a sub-commander settle an old grudge to finding a way to alleviate a camp follower’s debts. You can choose to ignore these opportunities, and most of your followers will be patient with you. However, doing so may deprive you of special technologies, tactics, and units that they would only share with you as a close personal friend.


SUBORDINATE COMMANDERS

Reconnaissance Officer: A commander wishing to have a detailed account of the battlefield, its features, the strength of the enemy, and their positions needs more than a detail of light cavalry for scouting- he/she needs a charismatic individual that’s unafraid to dodge the enemy pickets and ride back in one piece. Reconnaissance Officers are difficult to control almost as a rule, but this is part of what makes them so useful. They are intuitive and impetuous, and lead by example. Even a vanguard cavalier can benefit from placing a squadron of cavalry under the command of a good Reconnaissance Officer, and they can also provide consultation and tactical advice on the use of light cavalry.

Master of Sharpshooters: Similarly to their counterparts in the reconnaissance cavalry, Masters of Sharpshooters are hardened officers that carry rifles and know how to use them. Light infantry and riflemen especially can benefit from the guidance of a Master of Sharpshooters, using every scrap of cover to conceal their movement and inflicting heavy morale damage on the enemy through sniping, skirmishing, and disappearing acts. They are independent officers used to living off of the land and spending perhaps too much time in the wild, simply waiting for the enemy to make a crucial mistake. A Master of Sharpshooters has a big bag of tricks, some of which they will part with in order to improve the accuracy, stealth, and health of your light infantry and riflemen.

Warlord: A relic of past times, or so some would say. Most petty tyrants lord over their fiefdoms, but some can be impressed to join you through feats of strength and a willingness towards cultural understanding. Typically hailing from the more ancient and conservative cultures on Sejhat, warlords bring to bear powerful melee units and relevant technologies to make all hand-to-hand attacks carry serious weight. Their fighting styles may seem obsolete by modern standards, but they are far from useless. They can also greatly improve upon the somewhat meager equipment and tactics of melee levy units, such as pikemen.

Lord Alchemist: An unstable person who deals in unstable chemicals, the Lord Alchemist is part scholar and part sadist, all too willing to join with the artillery to rain all kinds of groundbreaking chemical weapons on the enemy. He/she willingly parts with some secrets, enhancing the power of explosives and gunpowder while enabling new types of special ammunition for artillery pieces. However, he/she saves some especially effective ‘solutions’ for personal usage in battle. Lord Alchemists are an ideal choice of ally for bombardiers, but have a way of making even allied soldiers nervous.

Mercenary Captain: A vital ‘cultural envoy’ on your travels to foreign lands, the mercenary captain’s motivation is plunder and pay. They are not free, and command high wages even by officer standards, but they make up for this with abundant combat expertise, strong battlefield abilities, and making foreign mercenary soldiers available to you. Foreign mercenaries are more expensive than standard professional troops and vary in quality, but can be indispensable in rounding out your army in any areas where it is weak. The ‘inventory’ of available troops changes as you travel through the world, so consult this officer often to inspect available services in a given region.

Destrier: Destriers are effectively knights drawn to lost causes and charismatic leaders. Bringing a Destrier into your corps of subordinate commanders makes special heavy cavalry units available and enables special improvements for existing heavy and imperial cavalry. They are stoical, brave, and driven leaders who are at their best in a charge, bringing significant health and morale boosts to whatever cavalry they lead.
Assassin: Mysterious, cold-blooded, lithe, and lethal, assassins are an unsettling presence among allied and enemy officers alike. To slake their thirst for blood and conquest, they can provide powerful special abilities to riflemen and swordsmen, each with different effects. Riflemen have a much higher chance of killing commanders and officers under the leadership of an assassin, while swordsmen can hide almost anywhere and can maintain their concealment even while moving, springing a fatal trap for those unwary or unlucky enough to stray too close. They perform best while separated from the main body of the army. They also will part with powerful, but expensive technologies that enhance the stealth of your units.

Commissioned Battlemage: Mages, for all their eccentricities and all of the superstitious fears against them, are generally a positive force in an army. Commissioned Battlemages are protected by the sovereign and endorsed by the nation, and are scholars of all kinds of magic. In battle, they can strike terror into the enemy with thunderbolts and fire or fortify their allies with beneficial magic. They are not well-loved by the common soldiery, slightly reducing morale, but have so many ideas for improvements and research that they are practically indispensable.

Shaman: In nations that do not have disciplined and centralized systems of magic, such as the lands of the Beastfolk and the Orcs, shamans provide a rough equivalent to the responsibilities of a battlemage. They tend to emphasize mystical and healing magic over elementalism and illusion, but they make up for this penalty by buoying the morale of the soldiers rather than eroding it. In battle, Shamans unleash raw, ancient magicks upon the enemy and can heal allied troops. Shamans also fulfill many of the same roles as priests in other races.

Veteran Engineer: When facing enemies dug behind defenses or forced to defend the walls yourself, the veteran engineer is an excellent ally that accepts many of the responsibilities of sappers and saboteurs. At the head of the column he can breach walls with hidden explosives and lead the charge, throwing grenades along the way to play havoc with defenders. In defense, he can consult your soldiers on how to build breastworks and easy-made structures designed to funnel enemies into choke points. He can even teach heavy infantry units how to craft and deploy simple booby traps and explosives, making them that much tougher in defense

Rebel Captain: Not everyone can be wealthy or afford the finest units there are to offer, but with the aid of the Rebel Captain a commander can learn the nuances of doing more with less. On top of unlocking special guerillas and militia units, the Rebel Captain is replete with ideas that boost the morale and combat abilities of conscripts, pikemen, irregulars, levies, and militias, as well as combat schematics for the ‘wooly bear’, a spiked log that protects weak infantry from otherwise murderous cavalry charges. In combat the Rebel Captain works best with light infantry and militia to improve their accuracy and health.

RETINUE (CAMP FOLLOWERS)

Quartermaster: The quartermaster, along with the treasurer, is one of your first camp followers and joins you as you obtain your commission. Even if you chose to become a Logistics Officer this individual is vital in keeping your army supplied, shod, and in functioning order. Regardless of your national origin there will always be problems with supply, and this member of your retinue is the go-to man to solve them.

Treasurer: Along with the quartermaster, the treasurer oversees the absolutely vital role of keeping the soldiers paid. If you have hired too many soldiers, or if your expenses begin to outstrip your income, this man will inform you of it and provide you with potential solutions. If you fail to heed his advice, you may find that your troops are deserting faster than you can recruit new ones. On a side note, the treasurer is also capable of investing your personal funds into the bustling commodities market, acting as a de facto financial advisor and portfolio manager. He can even help you withdraw extra money from the army’s treasury and conceal its transfer into your personal piggy bank, for a ‘handling fee’. Just try not to overdo it. After all, this is tantamount to robbing yourself.

Armourer: An ideal first choice for a new camp follower is an armourer. While obtaining weaponry is partly the responsibility of the Quartermaster and your own personal choices, a designated Armourer can greatly improve the availability and quality of weaponry for your army. The Armorer can also help you obtain rare weapons and equipment for personal use.

Cadence Officer: Curiously, the cadence officer is an individual who marches, but does not fight. They can ensure that your army moves with efficiency, improving unit cohesion and speed. Even if you chose to become a Drillmaster, a Cadence Officer can provide additional and serious bonuses that will allow you to take ground and form ranks faster.

Surgeon: A surgeon is a dabbler in medicine, biology, and butchery, sometimes with an emphasis on the latter. While soldiers may fear him in good health, he provides a reassuring presence on the eve of battle and in its aftermath. The belief that one can survive injury and avoid a grim, agonizing death on the battlefield does wonders for morale, and those soldiers that survive to return to battle reduce considerable strain on the quartermaster and treasurer.

Master Barber: The Master Barber’s responsibilities go far beyond personal grooming. Often, the barber is something of a medical handyman and general practitioner, filling the role of an apothecary and dentist as well as a stylist. Often sagely men filled with character, stories, and advice, a barber keeps morale high by dealing with any number of personal medical problems among the troops and officers.

Musician: Whatever you do, don’t call him or her a minstrel. Today’s musicians pride themselves on complex compositions of all sorts, and can usually find volunteers among the soldiers willing to test them out. Besides keeping the spirits of the soldiers up, musicians can also write inspirational symphonic works that breathe life and heroic qualities into your campaigns. A musician, therefore, is more than a minstrel- they are a propagandist. A good musician, given the opportunities he or she needs, can improve the way the local populace looks at you, from the nobility down to the peasantry.

Canteen Officer: Simply having food available is not a complete solution to the dietary needs of the soldiers. A canteen officer oversees cooking and public hygiene for the entire camp. Somewhat unsettlingly, the same individual in charge of latrine duty is in charge of cooking food. Laugh if you want, but giving the troops the option of safe, quality food and a clean place to ultimately deposit it can do wonders for the individual soldier’s daily rhythm, improving overall health and endurance.

Priest: A tireless attendant to the spiritual needs of the army, the Priest is a person that everyone wants to avoid while on leave, yet desperately wants to see upon their return. Aside from accepting confessions and dispensing hangover remedies, the Priest is an overall healing factor in the camp. He has ideas on how to resist morale shocks as well as improve the health, and therefore hit points of soldiers.

Troubadour: With wit, acrobacy, and humor, the troubadour is an expert of entertainment and keeping spirits high. From ribald plays to dazzling displays, the troubadour improves the morale of the army, but also has a much more important role. Troubadors, besides entertaining soldiers, also provide consultation on martial arts and reading one’s opponents in hand-to-hand fighting. Swordsmen and officers especially can benefit from the effects of a troubador’s training, but even the average soldiers can learn a thing or two about flowing around the enemy’s attacks instead of simply parrying them, giving melee bonuses to everyone in the army.

Spymaster: A shadowy and mystical agent, a spymaster is of particular use to officers and commanders, and is generally someone you want on your side to provide intelligence information regarding the enemy as well as certain important aspects of the landscapes, people, and townships of Sejhat. The spymaster’s advice is seldom free, however, and good advice costs money. This isn’t due to his greed-- if people are going to put their lives and occupations on the line to betray their secrets, they need a financial incentive. The Spymaster reliably transforms this money into success, making his word a sound investment.

Surveyor: A very important camp follower for artillerists especially, the surveyor is a master of the landscape and nature’s bounty. Prior to battle he can provide valuable information regarding the landscape and how to position artillery and troops. A hidden marsh or bog, invisible to the naked eye, could make a perfect trap for onrushing cavalry and infantry. A surveyor also keeps an eye out for nature’s bounty, and his skills at finding valuable resources can augment your income.