Chevauchee | cetentes Bets dzois tare feiot tes ieiéme en mon tir nude m A Medieval Skirmish Wargame By Tom Mecredy and Ivan SorensenChevauchee Beta Rules Chevauchee is a medieval skirmish wargame, only requiring a handful of figures a side, Adapted from the FiveCore system pioneered by Nordic Weasel Games, Chevauchee revolves around fast-paced combat encounters and objective focussed missions. The ultimate intention of this game is fo bring medieval warfare fo life on the tabletop, creating larger-than-life characters and acts of heroism which could have been liffed from some long-lost chronicle, This beta fest contains all the rules you need fo play a pick-up game. Rules for playing campaigns and utilizing characters will be in the final release. What you need fo play: - Ahandful of figures - Some six-sided dice, of at least two different colours - Two ten-sided dice, - Ameasuring tape or ruler marked in inches. To play using metric measurements, multiply all distances by 25 Suifable ferrain — Scrap paper and pencilsMintotures Any individually based figures are suitable, Most skirmish games use figures scaled 15mm and upward, though smaller figures can be used, Terminology - Figure: A single model soldier, representing one real-life counterpart, - Warband: A group comprising all the figures available fo a player, - Turn: When the rules refer to a turn, they refer fo a single player's turn, Any time limits are counted in the initiating player's turns only, — Kill Dice: Dice rolled to see if a figure is injured, - Shock Dice: Dice rolled to see if a figure suffers negative morale. Re-rols Some game rules permit a dice fo be rolled again, In all cases, the original roll is discarded and the new roll stands, Disclaimer No intention has been made to glorify or otherwise trivialize the grim reality of armed conflict. No assumptions have been made about the gender or orientation of the players.Forming the Warband The cornerstone of your force is a warband, Comprised of anywhere between §-12 armed men, a typical game will only have one warband while larger games may feature multiple formations. Within the warband, figures can be categorized in fo ways: - Retainers: These heavily armed men are the professional soldiers of the medieval world. They can issue orders and have access fo the best weapons. - Levy: Unuillingly plucked from their former lives, these conscripts are poorly trained peasant warriors, armed with whatever weapons their lord can spare. Handling your Floures Measure all movement from the approximate front of a figure’s base. Figures may move through their allies, but cannot end their move with overlapping bases, When placing a figure behind an obstacle, it should be made clear whether the figure is peaking out or hiding. Peaking figures can be targeted by affacks without penalty. Avoid placing hidden figures on the corner of terrain features to avoid confusion,The Turn Sequence Activations Not every figure in the warband may act in the same turn, Each player has access fo 4 action dice, the outcomes of which can be assigned to one figure per dice, Af the start of each turn, each player should roll his action dice and consult the fable below, Scurry: Selected figure may move and dash, No reactions may be taken against this figure. Engage: Selected figure may move and fire or move and dash or charge. Charge: Selected figure may fire their ranged Weapon or charge. The Turn The turn sequence boils down fo two simple steps, ~ Activations: The player rolls his action dice and assigns them to his figures. = Resolve Actions: The player resolves any moves or attacks with his activated figures, along with any reactions from enemy figures. A figure may take two actions per activation, Once both these steps have been completed, the turn passes to the next player,Movement Basic Movement Infantry figures have a basic movement rate of 6". When activated, a figure may move up fo their Full movement allowance in any direction. Moving figures can be left facing any direction at the end of their movement, Facing is important for determining counter charges and reaction fire. Sprinting A figure wishing fo move further following a normal move may sprint. Indicate a destination and roll 1d6, Add the result to the figure’s basic movement, Sprinting moves should be made in a relatively straight line, and count as part of the initial move for the purposes of reaction fire, Charging Instead of making a normal move, a figure may elect to charge at a visible enemy figure. A charging figure must move S#1d6" in a straight line towards the enemy figure, ending the move in base contact, If the move is insufficient to reach the enemy figure, move the figure the number of inches rolled, Charging figures will usually strike first.Rough Terrain Rough terrain could be anything from a small patch of woodland to an area of marshy ground and field strewn with rubble and debris, A figure may enter, move inside or exif a rough ferrain feature without penalty, Figures may nof enter or exif a rough ferrain feature in the same movement phase. Obstacies Obstacles are vertical terrain features which block movement, Hedges, walls and fences are typical examples of battlefield obstacles, Obstacles are divided into fwo categories: - Simple obstacles are waist high or lower. On moving into a simple obstacle, a figure must end their move, They may cross if on a subsequent furn, - Obstructions up to the height of the figure are considered difficult obstacles. These require a full move to cross, The figure moves into contact on one turn, crosses using their move on the next turn, and moves off with a third move,Hiding If a figure makes contact with a suitable terrain feature or obstacle, they may elect to hide behind if. Use a suitable marker or verbal clarification fo mark this. Hiding figures may not be targeted by ranged weapons unless the firer has direct line of sight, but they may be attacked in melee. A hiding figure will strike first, even if charged, If armed with a ranged weapon, hiding figures can make ranged attacks by peeking, This opens them up to reaction fire and they are assumed to be visible during the enemy turn, Butidings Having inferior floor plans for buildings can make movement and combat within structures considerably easier but is not Necessary, Doors can be moved through as part of a normal move. If the door is locked, if can be breached with a successful fask roll and an appropriate tool. Windows count as a simple obstacle, Figures in doorways or windows may hide.Reactions Figures may make a reaction if they could attack on their last turn but did not do so, Once a player has declared a move, so long as that figure is not scurrying or moving involuntarily, the other player may nominate a figure capable of making a reaction. Only one figure may react to each movement. Reaction fire is only permitted from the front 180° of the figure, Snap Fire If a moving figure comes Within 4" of an enemy figure that began the turn out of sight or more than 4” away, if is subject to snap fire. Resolve snap fire using kill dice only. A figure may only snap fire once per turn, though they may guard fire if able, Guard Fire Guard fire is resolved with shock dice only. May not trade for kill dice, even if a Weapon allows if. A figure may guard fire more than once in a single turn. Gounter-Charge If a moving figure comes within 6” of an enemy figure that began the turn out of sight or more than 6" away, if is subject to a counter charge, The enemy figure moves into base contact with the moving figure, interrupting the move and resolving an attack. Charging figures always strike first,Special Actions Tasks A task is any action outside the bounds of combat or movement, Persuading a fruculent peasant or turning the windlass on a portcullis would both require a task roll. When called upon fo make a fask roll, use the fable below, 4 Delayed: The action does not succeed, but can be attempted again next turn, Succeed as expected. Failure: This figure cannot carry out the action, Another figure can attempt if if applicable. Orders Retainers are battle-hardened warriors who command the respect of the warband’s levies. As such, they may spend one of their actions to issue an order fo a levy figure with a command, Retainers may issue an order to any Levy figure within 6", = Form Up: The Levy figure moves 1d6" towards the retainer. = Stay Alert: The Levy figure may roll kill dice when using guard fire, = Charge Them: The Levy figure may roll two dice when charging and pick the highest result. = Try ft Again: The Levy figure may roll two dice on their next task roll and pick the highest,Combat These rules represent the violent exchanges of hand-to-hand combat that characterized medieval warfare. Any figure armed with a melee Weapon can engage another, ina frenzied flurry of blows. Combat is decided by rolling kill dice and shock dice. The amount of dice rolled by a figure is determined by their skill and the weapon they wield, To initiate a combat, move the attacking figure into base contact with the defender and resolve the first attack, Usually, the attacker strikes first, Kil Dice Injured: A glancing blow grazes the figure. Roll 1d6 at the start of each turn, adding +1 for each subsequent result. On the result of a 6, the figure goes Out of Action, Killed: The figure goes Out of Action and is removed from the fable. Shock Dice Fiinch: The target loses the ability to retaliate. Broken: The target must move their full allowance away from the combat,Ranged Attacks Figures armed with ranged weapons can make affacks at considerable distances, They may fire at any target within their line of sight nof obscured by cover, There is no requirement to fire at the closest target. Resolve a ranged attack by rolling the appropriate number of kill dice and shock dice, Kitt Dice Knocked Down: Indicate in a suitable manner or place laying down, The figure may nof act normally unless activated or contact is made by a friendly figure. Killed: The figure goes Out of Action and is removed from the battlefield, Shock Dice 1 Flinch: If the target is in cover, they are pinned down, On the following turn, they may not move or make any kind of attack or reaction. If the target is in the open, they move 1d6” fowards. the nearest cover. The figure will attempt to hide and may not be activated on the following turn. Fleeing: The figure moves §” away from enemies and towards cover. If they cannof reach cover within 6", they will move a second time. A Fleeing figure will keep running until activated or contacted by a friendly figure.Grappling A figure may grapple instead of a normal weapon attack. Grappling figures are locked in a point-blank struggle for survival involving knives, fists and anything else that comes to hand, Both combatants should roll 146 and add any relevant modifiers, The highest scoring figure wins the grapple, causing the other figure to go out of action, The following modifiers add bonuses or penalties fo the roll: - Attacking: +1 Pinned Down: Must re-roll S's, Balled; -1 and must re-roll 6's. Short Reach Weapon: +1 = Extra-Long Reach Weapon: -1 IH endvoID OM Te convel ewe qtr mefivet \ fit venennf ef wre telogree #1 of ameCreating a Warband Retainers and Levies The Warband is composed of two types of figures. Retainers are the cream of fhe crop, armed with the best weapons and armour and placed in a position of command over the levy. They are also highly skilled mounted warriors. Levies are drawn from the peasant stock, pressed info service with little training and poor equipment. They have access to ranged weapons and are more mobile than their armoured companions. Retainers are always equipped with heavy armour and one skill from either the general or retainer skill fables. To determine a retainer’s starting armaments, roll once on the table below. Simple melee weapon and shield, Advanced melee weapon, [4-6 [complex motes woapon To determine a Levy figure's starting armaments, roll once on the table below, a Simple melee weapon and shield, Ranged weapon, Roll another dS, 1-2: Shortbow, 3-4; Longbow, 5-6; Crossbow, ls | Advanced melee weapon,To determine your starting forces, roll 3d6 on the fable below, 1 Levy figures and 1 Retainer. 2 Lovy figures with special gear and 1 Retainer. [>| 2 Levy figures with light armour and 1 Retainer. 3 Lovy figures with special gear and 1 Retainer, 2 Levy figures with light armour and 1 Mounted Retainer. 2 Mounted Levy figures and 1 Mounted Retainer. For larger games, both sides may roll 1410 on the following table, fo determine if any additional elements are supporting their warband, Hedge Knighf;#1 Retainer with an advanced melee weapon and shield, +1 Levy with a simple melee weapon. Foresters; +3 Levy armed with longbows and hunting horns, ‘Watchmen: +4 Levy armed with simple weapons and light armour. Engineers: +2 Levy armed with simple weapons and bags of pitch or casks of black powder or sacks of caltrops. Brigands: +1 Refainer with an advanced weapon, +3 Levy armed with shortbows or simple weapons, Hobllars: +3 Levy on horseback with simple weapons and shields, Indentured Soldiory: +4 Lovy with light armour and advanced weapons or crossbows. Mercenary Crossbowmen: +3 Levy wiith light armour, crossbows and povises. Household Retinue: +3 Retainers with advanced weapons or simple weapons and shiolds. Mounted Knights: +3 Retainers on horseback with advanced weapons.Armoury This section covers the fools of warfare used by knights and common men alike, Swords and axes, bows and spears are all covered by these rules, A list of common weapons is presented at the end of the section, while the tables that follow allow you to create your own using a handful of dice. Weapon Type In Ghevauchee, weapons are broken down into three types by the complexity of their construction and use in battle. Generally, more complex weapons are only available to retainers and very Jucky levy figures, The type of weapon is usually determined by the Warband Creation fable. = Simple: Something that even the worst warrior can use to fend off the enemy, Roll 1 Damage, 1 Reach and 1 Tag, = Advanced: A weapon with a particular fighting style or quirk associated with if, Roll 1 Damage, 1 Reach and 2 Tags. — Complex: Only a highly trained warrior could utilize this weapon fo it’s full potential. Roll 1 Damage, 1 Reach and 3 Tags,Damage Type This governs how the weapon is used against an enemy. Slashing weapons use the edge of a blade fo open up wounds, piercing weapons use a sharpened point fo penetrate armour and crushing weapons destroy flesh and bone with sheer mass, 4-5 Piercing: Roll 2 Kill Dice and 1 Shock Dice per attack, Slashing: Roll 1 Kill Dice and 1 Shock Dice per attack. Re-roll failed kill dice against unarmoured targets, Crushing: Roll 1 Kill Dice and 1 Shock Dice per attack, Re-roll failed kill dice against armoured targets. Reach A weapon's reach governs at what range affacks can be made. These categories are deliberately broad to encompass. the biggest variety of weapons, Short: +1 to all grapple rolls, Must target the horse when engaging mounted targets. Medium: The wielder may exchange all kill dice for shock dice when making an attack, Long: +1 Kill Dice against mounted targets. ~1 fo all grapple rolls, Extra—Long: May attack figures when they are within 2”, Cannot Sprint. Must only roll shock dice when the enemy is in base contact.Tags Medieval weapons are unique in both appearance and in the way they are used in battle. A hooked axe-blade can haul down shields, two-handed weapons can cleave a man in two, The tag system represents this uniqueness, allowing a player to represent a whole battlefield of armaments from many different periods, Formation: Other figures within 1" using weapons with this tag may reroll one failed kill dice, Heavy: +1 Kill Dice, ~1 fo Grapple Rolls, Two-Handed: #1 Kill Dice, +1 Shock Dice, ~1 fo Grapple Rolls. Figure may nof use a shield, Hooked: Re-roll one failed kill dice against fargets carrying a shield. Cavalry: +1 Shock Dice when wielded from horseback. Versatile: Re-roll one failed shock dice, ‘Mulfl-Type (Plorcing); +1 Kill Dice. Roll again if the weapon is already piercing. | =| [eas] fee] ‘Mutti-Type (Slashing): Re-roll failed kill dice against unarmoured targets. Roll again if the weapon is already slashing. Mutti-Type (Crushing): Re-roll Failed kill dice against armoured targets. Roll again if the weapon is already crushing. Blade Trap: The Figure gains the benefits of a shield, Complex Guard: When defending, the figure may ignore the result of one kill dice, OfP-Hand: This may be used in conjunction with another one-handed weapon, 93-100 Nimble; This weapon always strikes first,Ronged Weapons The medieval world played host fo a wide variety of medieval weapons, from slings and short bows to mechanical crossbotus, The rules for these weapons are presented below, = Thrown Object: Roll 1 Shock Dice, 8" Range, May be picked up from the ground by any figure as one of their actions. = Sling: Roll 1 Kill Dice and 1 Shock Dice, 12” Range. Re-roll successful Kill Dice against targets with heavy armour, = Javelins: Roll 1 Kill Dice and 1 Shock Dice. 8" Range. May be thrown while charging. = Shortbow: Roll 2 Kill Dice and 1 Shock Dice, 18" Range, Figures with the Expert Rider skill may fire from. horseback, = Longbow: Roll 2 Kill Dice and 1 Shock Dice. 24" Range. Re-roll failed kill dice against armoured targets. = Crossbow: Roll 3 Kill Dice and 1 Shock Dice. 18" Range. May not move and fire. Re-roll failed kill dice against armoured fargets,Armour While many different types of armour were available across the medieval world, Chevauchee breaks protective gear down into two basic types: Light and Heavy. = Light Armour: If the figure goes out of action from a weapons hif, roll 1d6. On a1 ora 6, the figure is wounded instead. = Heavy Armour: Roll 1d6 for every successful Kill Dice. On a1ora 6, the attack fails. -1 to Sprinting, -1 fo all Grapple Rolls, = Shield: Figure must re-roll all grapple rolls. Re-roll one successful Kill Dice per attack. Gain an extra re-roll if there is another figure with a shield within ".Horses Medieval warfare was characterized by the use of mounted warriors, offen in heavy armour. Mounted figures have a base move of 8" and may sprint as normal, Figures with Expert Rider roll 2d6 for sprinting and pick the highest. When charging, mounted figures add +2 Shock Dice to their attack, Mounted figures may use one-handed weapons and shields, Expert Riders may use short bows. Figures may mount or dismount horses instead of moving. Figures targeting horses should use the fables below when resolving shock dice and kill dice. Kil Dice Lame: The mounted figure moves at half speed and may not sprint for the rest of the battle, Killed: The horse is removed from the battlefield, Place the rider in base contact with the enemy figure. Roll 148, On a1 or 6, the figure is knocked down, Shock Dice 1 Bucking: The rider is thrown from the horse, Roll 146, On a1 or 6, the figure is knocked down, Bolfing: The mounted figure moves 8" away from the combat. Roll 1dS, On a1 or 6, the figure is thrown from the horse and knocked down.Special Gear Many soldiers carried extra items fo assist them on the battlefield, Roll on the fable below to determine the nature of Stokes: A pair of wooden stakes cut from a nearby forest. A Figure may deploy them as one of their actions. A sof of four stakes counts as a difficult obstacle and will inflict 2 Kill Dice and 1 Shock Dice on charging horsemen, Pavise/Hoarding: A huge shield or moveable barricade, A figure may deploy it as one of their actions. A pavise or hoarding acts as cover for any figure directly behind if. Groppling Iron: A heavy iron hook and a length of sturdy rope. A Figure may treat difficult obstacles as simple ones, providing they make a successful fask roll, Trumpet/Drum/Plipes: A Sombastic instrument designed fo carry signals across a chaotic battlefield, Retainers adjacent fo a figure with this item may issue an order fo 148 Figures within an 13" range, Hunting Horn: A musical instrument carved from animal horn, A figure with a horn may rally figures at a range of 12", Retainers carrying the horn may add 6" fo the range of their orders. Bag of Plich: A bag filled with highly flammable resin, used as an incendiary weapon, A bow-armed figure may spend an action to set their next shot alight, gaining +1 Shock Dice, Sack of Caltrops: A sack filled with spiked traps designed to impede the movement of horsemen and light infantry, A figure may spend an action fo scatter the traps in a 2" circle, The traps inflict 1 Kill Dice and 4 Shock Dice on any figure passing through the circle, Keg of Black Powder: A keg of explosive powder, A figure may place the keg as one of their actions, and ignite it with a successful fask roll. Affer one full turn, the keg detonates, Each figure within a 3" radius suffers 1 Kill Dice and 1 Shock Dice,Weapon List The following tables provide a number of pre-made weapons fo speed up the process of puffing a warband together, Simple Weapons Arming Sword | 2 Kill Dice,1 | Piercing | Medium rsatile or Armour Shock Dice, Piercin: Curved Sword Fighting Axe 2 Kill Dice, 1 Shock Dice. Knife A Kill Dice, 1 Shock Dice. Misericorde 2 Kill Dice, 1 Shock Dice,Advanced Weapons Longsword 3 Kill Dice, 2 pew | Shock Dice, Battloaxe 2(3) Kill pm Medium, Two-handed and Dice, 2 hooked or Shock Dice, Mutti-Type (Piercing) 2 Pen | : ° Gomplex Weapons Halberd 3 Kill Dice, 2 | Piercing | Long Formation, Shock Dice, Two-Handed, Multi-Type Crushing Poleaxe 2 Kill Dice, 2] Crushing | Medium Two-Handed, Shock Dice. Versatile, Multi-Type Piercing Bardiche 3 Kill Dice, 2 | Slashing | Medium Shock Dice, 1Skills Skills are additional abilities which provide some sort of advantage in combat, Skills come in three basic types: General, Levy and Retainer. General Skills These skills are available fo both types of figure and provide bonuses fo basic actions like movement and task rolls, Roll 1010 on the fable below. ‘Strong: Ignore the effects of the First hit taken in a battle. Lightning Reflexes: This figure always strikes first, Formation Flghfer: This figure may re-roll an additional kill dice when fighting in formations, Armoured Fighter: This figure suffers no penalties from wearing heavy armour, Charisma: This figure gains +1 to all fask rolls involving persuasion, 17 | eek Drs owing owsapon dove at atonal Sunderer: After resolving an attack, this Fioure may select another farget with 2" and roll his shock dice against them. This action may be repeated against any other targets, dropping one dice cach time until all the figure's shock dice are depleted, [> ____| siete Agus pane a aka [o | Grtt: This figure automatically recovers when broken,Retainer Skills These skills are exclusive fo retainer figures, enhancing their abilities at commanding others, fighting from horseback and engaging other retainers, Roll 1d10 on the table below, Expert Rider: This figure rolls 246 for sprinting when on horseback, picking the highest result. The figure may also fire ranged weapons from horseback, Cavaller; This figure gains +1 Shock Dice when using weapons with the cavalry fag. a ce es Master Swordsmen: This figure gains #1 Kill Dice with Medium reach weapons, Shlold-Broaker; Following a successful attack, roll 146: On a tora &, destroy the enemy's shield, 7 Grappling at the Susord: This figure gains +{ to all grapple rolls. Commanding Shout: This figure can issue orders fo any Levy Figures. within Thunderous Charge: This figure adds +1 Shock Dice fo the mounted charge bonus. Footwork: Following an attack, this figure con move 2” in any, direction, This move cannot inifiate another combat.Levy Skills These skills are only available to Levy figures, enhancing their ability fo engage targets at long range, and in nasty close-quarter bratuls. Roll 1410 on the table below. [| Eagle Eyed; Increase the maximum range of all ranged weapons by 2". [2 | Grack Shot: Add +1 Kill Dice to all ranged attacks. [>| Berserker: Add +1 Shock Dice fo all melee attacks. Furlous Charge: This figure may roll 248 when charging and pick the highest result. Unarmoured Fighter: This figure gains +1" base movement when not wearing armour, Polearm Master: This figure gains +1 Kill Dice when using Long and Extre-Long reach weapons, Aggressive: If a grapple ends in a draw, this figure can force his, enemy fo re=roll. Rapid Fire: This figure may exchange all his Kill Dice for Shock dice when making ranged attacks. Knife Fighter: This figure gains +1 Kill Dice with Short reach weapons. Slaughterman: This figure may re-roll one failed Kill Dice when. attacking horses. pas ceeCreating Characters Characters are the protagonists of your blood-soaked story, These fables are designed to run in conjunction with the campaign systems presented later on in this book, producing the men who populate your corner of the medieval world, Feel free fo re-roll any results that don't quite fif, most of the options presented below are for roleplaying and have no mechanical impact. Young: Perhaps barely out of puberty, this character is flush with youthful vigour. Middle~Aged: Just past their prime, this character has a wealth of experience fo draw on. Old; This character has managed to survive multiple decades against all Patriotism: This character is prepared fo fight and die in service of their King. Survival; Powered by base instinct, this character just wants fo save their own skin, Zealotry: God has called this character to battle, Glory: This character is seeking recognition on the blood~soaked battlefield. 46-60 1O Fatallst; Death's cold embrace fs all that awalts this character, Family: The folks back home drive this character onwards, 91-100 Revenge: This character has scores to settle, Adventure; Life is simply more interesting on campaign. Brotherhood; The bonds of Fellowship formed by combat are the strongest of all, Ambttion: This character is seeking advancement through conflict. Escape: Some dark past pursues this character,Background Peasant: A humble serf, farming fields and tending cattle, Dragged away from their life of servitude fo fight for king, country and survival. Valued Professional: A blacksmith, butcher, carpenter or other tradesman highly valued in their tight-knit community, The call of war has drawn them fo the battlefield, Merchant; Dratun by the lure of gold or far-off lands, merchant caravans criss-cross the continent, Many follow in the rear of armies, bringing supplies fo hungry soldiers, Outlaws: Cast out by society, thousands of souls scratch a Ii the fringes. Many are criminals of the worst order, some wore just unlucky, Noble Retainer; From domestic servant fo household knight. All sorts of folk are bound fo serve the noble hous Holy Orders: A servant of one of the many religious organizations vying for control of the medieval world. Professional Soldier: The unending conflict needs a steady supply of hardened men. The professional soldier serves his master and himself, whatever his station. Bard; A man of songs and laughter, wandering from court fo court singing tales of heroism and felling the fales of old, Length of Service 3-6 Fresh from the Flelds; The character has yet to experience the horrors of the medieval battlefield, Bloodied: A few skirmishes has given the character an appreciation of how awful the battlefield can be. 7-3 Seasoned Campalgner: Numerous battles have moulded this character info a veteran soldier, commanding the respect of his peers. #4 General Skill, Hardened Veteran: A cold-blooded killer, both feared and respected across the kingdom. #1 Retainer Ski,Tratts and Quirks ‘Speaks other Tongues: The character can converse in another language. Flamboyant: Confidence and exuberance ooze from the character's colourful Facade, Alrs and Graces; The character has experience in dealing with the 7- nobility. 1 10-12 Self of the Earth: The character is at home among commoners and peasants. iS Gambling Problem: Dice and cards have a particular hold ever the character, 3-4 16-18 Unhappy Spouse: Something has displeased the character's better half, 19-21 Drunkard: The character spends most of his fime in a state of inebriation, 3 7- Prodigfous Skills The character has a remarkable knack for one skill in particular, ‘Scarred: An unfortunate Injury has marked the character for life. 1-33 Malmed: The character has been grievously wounded, leaving a permanent and inconvenient legacy, [es-27 | Parenold: The character is always looking over their shoulder, Scholar: The character is often found with his nose in a book, or hunched over in a dusty library, 40-42 Plous: The character is devoutly religious. 43-45 Pompous: The character has an inflated sense of self-importance. 48-48 Prodlofous Strength: The character could wrestle a bear and win, Impetuous; The character acts quickly and decisively, without forethought, Ee 55-57 Unusual Moniker: The character has acquired an odd nickname, 58-60 Rofund; The character is grossly fat.Tratts and Quirks (Cont.) Unusual Pots A strange creature accompanies the character. Beautiful: The character is blessed with an alluring visage. Quick-Witfed: The character has a particularly sharp mind and a cutting sense of humour, 70-72 Dullerd; The character lacks intelligence and common sense. Kinslayer: Tho character has murdered a blood relative, and has been ostracised by society. Grusader: The character has travelled with a crusading army, fo fight against heathen invaders. js The character has been cast out by the church, Heretics The character has turned their back on an organized religion. Disoased; The character is afflicted by some plague of long-term illness. Post: The character has a knack for producing lyrical verse. 97-100 Duelllst; The character is a master of single combat,Battle is Joined Setting up the Battle Area In most cases, simply pick a visually appealing table and play on if, Players wanting a more mechanical approach should fill the table with ferrain markers, with approximately 6-8” between them, Roll 146 on the table below for each marker, Linear Obstacle: Wall, hedgerow, barricade, fence, treeline. Vegetation: Woods, bushes, shrubbery, Structure; Building, ruins. Obstruction: Marsh, water, rubble. Individual Feature; Boulder, debris. Natural Feature: Hill, scattered frees, broken ground. Type of Battle Battles are broken down into three types. Roll 1410 fo determine the nature of your engagement, Pitched Battle: A straight-up fight between two forces. Defensive Action: One side is attempting fo hold a location or protect something important,Setting up the Objectives Each mission type has a number of potential objectives associated with it. Roll once on the table appropriate fo the mission type. Livestock Rald: The attacking side is atfempting fo make off with some livestock, Place 14S+1 cattle or 143#1 horses in an enclosure near the centre of the fable, The atfacking player must secure at least half the animals before leaving the battlefield, Slash and Burn: The attacking side is atfempting fo destroy a small hamlet and the surrounding fields, Place a cluster of 1441 buildings in the centre of the fable. The attacking player may use bags of pitch, gunpowder, fire arrows or burning brands to destroy the buildings. Ignited buildings take 1d4 turns fo burn down, All buildings must be destroyed before leaving the battlefield, The Grain Stores: The attacking side is attempting fo steal a large quantity of stored grain from an isolated barn, Place a single large building in the centre of the fable. The barn is filled with 1d6#1 sacks of grain. A sack of grain may be removed from the barn with a successful fask roll, Figures carrying grain sacks are reduced fo half move unless they are mounted. The attacking player must remove half the sacks of grain before leaving the battlefield. Baggage Train: The attacking side is ambushing a convoy of supplies or other valuables as if travels through supposedly friendly country. Deploy a road or dirt track between two fable edges. Place a cart laden with 144#1 sacks of grain or other supplies. The atfacking player must remove half the supplies before leaving the battlefield.Pitched Battle 3 Rout: Both sides are trying fo drive the other side from the table, Held to Ransom: The attacking side fs attempting fo capture a number of prisoners fo use as bargaining chips in the conflict, The attackers may leave the battlefield once over half the enemy force has been taken prisoner. Toke and Hold; The attacking side is attempting fo gain control of a strategic location, Place an appropriate fortification or other defensible terrain in the centre of the board, The atfacking player must gain control of this location and defend it until the defending side has retreated. Hostile Roconnalssance; Both sides are attempting fo scout locations surrounding a central objective, Roll 1d4 and place markers on four strategic terrain features in the centre of the board, These must be searched with a task roll before either side can quit the field. Defensive Action Ambush: The defender has got the jump on the attacker, aiming to rout them before they get further info Friendly territory. Deploy the defending side behind concealment or cover, out of sight of the attackers. Play begins using the infiltration rules. The defenders must kill of capture half the atfacking force before leaving the field, Rearguard: A village stands in the path of the ravaging invader.The defender must hold them off while the civilians escape, Deploy 248 civilians somewhere on the table. The defending side may only leave ‘the table once half these civilians have exifed the fable, ‘Scorched Earth: With an invading army on the warpath, the retreating defenders must leave a barren wasteland in their wake. Nominate 144+ terrain features as places of logistical importance (Fields of grain, mills, wells, orchards etc). Using burning brands, fire arrows, pitch and gunpowder, the defender must destroy over half of these Features before leaving the battlefield. The attacker has fo prevent this destruction, Hidden Treasure: Some local peasants have hiddon caches of supplics in the area, Randomly place 1d6+1 markers inside terrain features on the board. Both sides can leave the battlefield once at least half of these markers have been collected,Objective Special Rules These rules govern a series of specific mechanisms presented in the mission generation rules on the previous pages, Cattle The rules presented here are designed to represent domesticated livestock, kept by medieval peasants across the world, Docile unless provoked, these animals provide sustenance fo invaders and defenders alike. At the start of each turn, roll once on the fable for each animal fo determine their movement. Myopie; The animal pauses, glassy eyes staring blankly. No movement. Spooked; The animal moves 2d8” away from the nearest visible figure. jes | Docile; The animal moves 6" in a random direction. Cattle can be herded by any figure. This requires a successful fask roll within 6" of the animal.The cattle will move as spooked in a direction picked by the herding player. Garts and Wagons Carts are two-wheeled vehicles drawn by one or two draft animals, Carts with one animal move at a rate of 6" per turn, with a dash move of 1d6", If fhe cart has two animals yoked, the controlling player may re-roll the dash dice.A cart requires one figure to control if, who may walk alongside the draft animals or steer from the back, A cart may transport one additional passenger when fully loaded, and an additional two if empty. Wagons are heavy four-wheeled vehicles pulled by a team of draft animals, Wagons move af a rate of S" per turn. If the wagon has less than fwo animals yoked to if, reduce movement by half, A wagon requires one figure to control if, who may walk alongside the draft animals or steer from the back, A wagon may transport one additional passenger when fully loaded, and an additional four if empty. Figures may use ranged weapons from the back of both types of vehicle. Figures with medium and long reach melee Weapons may attack figures within 1" of the cart. Pavises, hoardings and shields may be attached to the cart to provide cover for figures riding in if,Design Notes Conceptually this game is drawn from a number of sources, I've found inspiration in a couple of books, notably The Perfect Heresy by Stephen O'Shea and For Honour and Fame by Nigel Saul. The former paints a lurid picture of the Albigensian Crusade in the south of France, contrasting a brutal series of sieges and atrocities against the background of day-to-day medieval life. The latter delves into chivalric history, describing the development of the knight from a professional soldier info a high-status landowner, The game's visual aesthetic is drawn primarily from the new raft of historical media surfacing on the big and small screens, While movies like Kingdom of Heaven and Ironclad or The Black Death have a whole host of problems associated with their attention fo historical detail, they bring small groups of colourful characters info the forefront, presenting them against a gritty background of violence. | wanted fo put Chevauchee's emphasis on these small warbands of larger than life characters. In my mind, the most important part of game design is injecting period detail and character through mechanics. The player should be able fo fell their own story, and the game should assist this mechanically. As such, I have drawn on historical nonfiction, film and videogames fo provide a set of campaign systems which allow players fo fell their own stories, These aren't covered in the beta ruleset, but will be available in the final version, At this moment, the period covered by this game is fixed in the late fourteenth/early fifteenth century, The rules are broad enough fo span warfare from the Viking age fo the Renaissance, and at some point there will be small supplements fo cover these points in history. I settled on the late fourteenth century due fo a pretty extensive historical bias towards the Hundred Years War and a vague, unsupported notion that this point in time represented the most archetypal medieval setting; plate armour is pretty ubiquitous among the nobility, the English bowman is king of the European battlefield and firearms are yet fo come into their own, Thanks for putting up with my unstructured ramblings, enjoy the beta, Any Feedback should be directed to: ~ Tom Mecredy, inmecredyaamail.com, thoupsidedowunpiranhafish.tumblr.com ~ Ivan Sorensen, runequesteraamail.com