More powers for PC Officers

[Ymbert Montgomery]

I know I said no more military rules, but I think these may be popular and do a good job of increasing PC interaction.

The suggestions:

An Infantry Captain may choose to promote any Private in his Company to the Rank of Subaltern. In other regiments, the person who is responsible for admissions has this power.

The Colonel (or equivalent) of a regiment promotes all ranks from Captain to Lt Colonel.

Those officers can also ban merit promotions for a specific individual (including choosing to leave a rank open from NPC promotions but appeals will take place as 19.10. For each appeal found to have grounds, the injured party will be promoted as soon as a new rank is available and a court martial (on grounds of gross incompetence) will be called on an influenceable roll of 6+

When a rank is bought the appointing officer gets half the money spent, while the other half goes into the regimental coffers.

[Jacques Bougiedure]

In a Cavalry regiment the Commissaire promotes privates then?

Who promotes from Subaltern to Lieutenant?

Can a commanding officer deny purchase of rank without incurring a possible courts martial?

While we are at it, can we revisit the rules for captives? A 50% chance of death regardless of rank/nobility seems rather arbitrary along with it being strange that followers of Christian faith are seemingly okay with murdering prisoners of war. And why would the wardens turn down an offer of 100 times their salary to release a prisoner?

G

[Ymbert Montgomery]

Jan 26, 2021 0:47:02 GMT Jacques Bougiedure said:

In a Cavalry regiment the Commissaire promotes privates then?

Yes.

Who promotes from Subaltern to Lieutenant?

The Colonel.

Can a commanding officer deny purchase of rank without incurring a possible courts martial?

Actually, I think that's fair. It's a good way of making PC enemies, but that's not necessarily a bad thing

While we are at it, can we revisit the rules for captives? A 50% chance of death regardless of rank/nobility seems rather arbitrary along with it being strange that followers of Christian faith are seemingly okay with murdering prisoners of war. And why would the wardens turn down an offer of 100 times their salary to release a prisoner?

G

Salary I can see your point and I think 2-6 would actually be fair? Only a small chance you'll get an unreasonable foreign commander.

With death, the issue there is plausibility versus playability.

I don't think upping the chance of release from 50% is a good idea, because it means that trying to escape or mount a rescue is a bad idea and everyone should just sit and hold tight.

However, there comes a point (and three months is obviously the current cutoff) where having a PC just sit in prison for another turn is actually less fun than just having them die and rolling a new character.

[Jacques Bougiedure]

It comes down to how likely you want dying in captivity to be.

Currently, there is a basic 25% chance (50% that ransom won't be accepted, 50% chance to die) that a prisoner who does not try to escape will die at the end of the three months.

During an escape attempt, the basic chance of dying is 28%.

For the escape and rescue attempts, there should be a modifier for time spent preparing. -1 per month spent (up to -2). Rescuers might be required to spend one week in the month in order to count as planning.

Since the skills are interchangeable in the Espionage rules, Etiquette should give a -1 modifier for rescues like Thieving

Escape attempts should be modified for Thieving/Etiquette and Languages.

Garrett

[Ymbert Montgomery]

Generally I think I want sitting tight to be the least optimal option; so ideas like preparation and more skill bonuses work really well.

And I agree with you that ransoms should be more likely to work; the financial penalty is enough there that it doesn't need penalising as well.

[huillaume]

Jan 25, 2021 22:37:31 GMT Ymbert Montgomery said:

I know I said no more military rules, but I think these may be popular and do a good job of increasing PC interaction.

The suggestions:

An Infantry Captain may choose to promote any Private in his Company to the Rank of Subaltern. In other regiments, the person who is responsible for admissions has this power.

The Colonel (or equivalent) of a regiment promotes all ranks from Captain to Lt Colonel.



When a rank is bought the appointing officer gets half the money spent, while the other half goes into the regimental coffers.

I'm not sure I understand this. So, Huillaume, as Captain, may raise a private to subaltern, but is this for free (or any agreement among them) or the part that would go to the Regimental coffers must be paid in any case?

And, if he hs the power to promote him, can he deny him to buy the subaltern rank?

Jan 25, 2021 22:37:31 GMT Ymbert Montgomery said:

Those officers can also ban merit promotions for a specific individual (including choosing to leave a rank open from NPC promotions but appeals will take place as 19.10. For each appeal found to have grounds, the injured party will be promoted as soon as a new rank is available and a court martial (on grounds of gross incompetence) will be called on an influenceable roll of 6+

Wouldn't it be easier to just be able give a DM (be it positive or negative) to the promotion roll, if this is for merit promotions (I understand this means those from battle rolls, or duty rolls in case of Guards)?

[Ymbert Montgomery]

Jan 28, 2021 1:51:32 GMT huillaume said:

I'm not sure I understand this. So, Huillaume, as Captain, may raise a private to subaltern, but is this for free (or any agreement among them) or the part that would go to the Regimental coffers must be paid in any case?

For free/agreement. Essentially, as commander of his Company Hulluame has the option to choose to promote someone himself without them paying, although he may want the money.

Actually, I'm tempted to allow this with NPCs. 7+, plus an extra + 1 per extra rank. (So in the infantry, persuading the Colonel to raise you from private to captain would be 8+. That allows poor characters another way to rise in rank when they're not on campaign and gives more uses for that low level influence.

And, if he hs the power to promote him, can he deny him to buy the subaltern rank?

That's been suggested up thread and sounds sensible to me.

ouldn't it be easier to just be able give a DM (be it positive or negative) to the promotion roll, if this is for merit promotions (I understand this means those from battle rolls, or duty rolls in case of Guards)?

Easier, but I'm not sure it works as well. This way allows a commander to halt someone's career, but with potential problems for doing so. Your way is milder, but means a commander can do so without worrying about ramifications. And yes, battle/duty rolls.

[huillaume]

Jan 28, 2021 2:03:15 GMT Ymbert Montgomery said:

[Easier, but I'm not sure it works as well. This way allows a commander to halt someone's career, but with potential problems for doing so. Your way is milder, but means a commander can do so without worrying about ramifications. And yes, battle/duty rolls.

I never said this could not have consequences, as it could have the same as the other proposal

Another likewise possibility would be for the overall front commander to give a +1 to MiDs (and if you so want to the MiD value too) to a single player (not himself) per month (after lla, who writes the dispatches?)

And if you want to make other appointments more attractive, the overall front commander aide might have also this power (after all, who physically writes them? ). They could neither benefit each other.

An NPC would do this on a 7+ (influenciable, of course), as usual

It might have the same consequences than above...

[Ymbert Montgomery]

Jan 27, 2021 2:09:43 GMT Jacques Bougiedure said:

It comes down to how likely you want dying in captivity to be.

Currently, there is a basic 25% chance (50% that ransom won't be accepted, 50% chance to die) that a prisoner who does not try to escape will die at the end of the three months.

During an escape attempt, the basic chance of dying is 28%.

For the escape and rescue attempts, there should be a modifier for time spent preparing. -1 per month spent (up to -2). Rescuers might be required to spend one week in the month in order to count as planning.

Since the skills are interchangeable in the Espionage rules, Etiquette should give a -1 modifier for rescues like Thieving

Escape attempts should be modified for Thieving/Etiquette and Languages.

Garrett

Ransom now accepted on a 2-6.

Etiquette now gives a modifier, but for a different reason then you suggest. It makes sense that being able to charm people would help an escape attempt. They aren't interchangeable in the Espionage Rules, apart from trying to recruit informers. A lot of missions specifically require Thievery ability and Etiquette doesn't help.

Haven't put in language mods. This one is practical. When in a rescue attempt people can recruit someone with the relevant language. With escape attempts, this is likely to turn into a penalty of 2 in most cases which I suspect is the opposite of your intent!

[Jacques Bougiedure]

My thought was that knowing the local language would help escapees blend into the local populace and make it easier to elude capture.

G

[Ymbert Montgomery]

Jan 30, 2021 2:53:27 GMT Jacques Bougiedure said:

My thought was that knowing the local language would help escapees blend into the local populace and make it easier to elude capture.

G

Agree with you totally as far as game world logic is concerned, my issue here is meta. I'm not sure it would make sense to have that in without putting in the penalty for not having the language and that would likely punish a lot more than benefit.

[huillaume]

Jan 25, 2021 22:37:31 GMT Ymbert Montgomery said:

I know I said no more military rules, but I think these may be popular and do a good job of increasing PC interaction.

The suggestions:

An Infantry Captain may choose to promote any Private in his Company to the Rank of Subaltern. In other regiments, the person who is responsible for admissions has this power.

The Colonel (or equivalent) of a regiment promotes all ranks from Captain to Lt Colonel.

Those officers can also ban merit promotions for a specific individual (including choosing to leave a rank open from NPC promotions but appeals will take place as 19.10. For each appeal found to have grounds, the injured party will be promoted as soon as a new rank is available and a court martial (on grounds of gross incompetence) will be called on an influenceable roll of 6+

When a rank is bought the appointing officer gets half the money spent, while the other half goes into the regimental coffers.

Another question (thought about after reading a questoin done in Britiain EG!):

let's imgaine a Regiment, after losses in campaign, comes to be commanded by a Major (or even a Captain):

1. can this CO still promote subordinates as if he was Colonel (after all he's acting as one)?
2. if so, can he promote somoen to his own rank (e.g. a Major promoting a Captain to Major too)?
3. again, if 1 is right, can he promote himself?

Another point, I guess the Colonel cannot promote anyone more than one rank per month (I'd make even for longer time ,as a season or even a year, to avoid it being abused), despite the vacants...

[Ymbert Montgomery]

Feb 2, 2021 15:55:08 GMT huillaume said:

Another question (thought about after reading a questoin done in Britiain EG!):

let's imgaine a Regiment, after losses in campaign, comes to be commanded by a Major (or even a Captain):

1. can this CO still promote subordinates as if he was Colonel (after all he's acting as one)?
2. if so, can he promote somoen to his own rank (e.g. a Major promoting a Captain to Major too)?
3. again, if 1 is right, can he promote himself?

Those are good questions and I think on this one rank is as important as being acting regimental officer. I'd say no to those.

Another point, I guess the Colonel cannot promote anyone more than one rank per month (I'd make even for longer time ,as a season or even a year, to avoid it being abused), despite the vacants...

Normal limitations are in place, as if buying rank (rather than merit promotions). So you can't promote someone who hasn't got the necessary SL, anyone being promoted to a rank higher than Captain/Lieutenant/Ensign needs to have been at their current rank for three months etc. But you could promote someone from Guardsman to Ensign.

Mechanically, this works as if you were buying rank for 0 Livres!

Although any officer may want to think carefully before being too charitable; they would be throwing away money after all.

[Jacques Bougiedure]

Feb 2, 2021 15:55:08 GMT huillaume said:

let's imgaine a Regiment, after losses in campaign, comes to be commanded by a Major (or even a Captain):

1. can this CO still promote subordinates as if he was Colonel (after all he's acting as one)?
2. if so, can he promote somoen to his own rank (e.g. a Major promoting a Captain to Major too)?
3. again, if 1 is right, can he promote himself?

Another point, I guess the Colonel cannot promote anyone more than one rank per month (I'd make even for longer time ,as a season or even a year, to avoid it being abused), despite the vacants...

I would think that the acting commander should have admission and promotion right regardless of rank.  After all, he would need to ensure that the regiment has sufficient soldiers and officers.

He could not promote someone unless the rank is vacant.  For example if there are two Majors in a regiment and one is the acting commander, he could not promote another Major as this would bring the total number of Majors in the regiment to three.

An acting officer can not promote someone above his own rank.  From the above example, the acting commander could not promote the other Major to Lieutenant Colonel.

An acting officer can not promote himself, although he could purchase the next higher rank.  You might consider an exception to the one rank per three months rules in the case of a Major or Captain to permit them to purchase up to Colonel in one go.

[Ymbert Montgomery]

Feb 2, 2021 19:13:23 GMT Jacques Bougiedure said:

I would think that the acting commander should have admission and promotion right regardless of rank.  After all, he would need to ensure that the regiment has sufficient soldiers and officers.

He could not promote someone unless the rank is vacant.  For example if there are two Majors in a regiment and one is the acting commander, he could not promote another Major as this would bring the total number of Majors in the regiment to three.

An acting officer can not promote someone above his own rank.  From the above example, the acting commander could not promote the other Major to Lieutenant Colonel.

An acting officer can not promote himself, although he could purchase the next higher rank.  You might consider an exception to the one rank per three months rules in the case of a Major or Captain to permit them to purchase up to Colonel in one go.

That works for me with two modifications.

I don't think he should be able to promote to his own rank.

And I don't think they should be be able to pay directly to Colonel. I suspect you're understandably seeing that one from the perspective of an officer in the DG. But having an easier time getting the higher ranks is the only advantage the lower status regiments have to balance out all the things (death rolls in particular) they have less benefit in.