Cataphracts Ruleset

1. The Map

The game takes place in the region of Idis, The publicly-available history and politics of the region can be found in the ⁠world channel; Commanders may have specific knowledge that exceeds that which is publicly available. The map is composed of 6 mile hexes (3 miles on a side, about 23 square miles). Hexes have a terrain—such as flatland, hills, or forests—and a settlement score. A hex’s settlement equals its average population per square mile, typically given in multiples of 20. Thinly-populated, near-empty hexes have 20 settlement, densely-settled areas close to cities have 100 settlement. Only the Referee has access to the full map. Each Commander will be given a partial, abstracted map when the game starts, which may be augmented as further intelligence is gained.

1a. Weather

Weather changes by the day. As the months change, so too will the weather. Weather can slow or prevent travel, alter rivers and roads, reduce scouting ranges, and otherwise affect logistics and battles. The Referee determines the weather in each hex; Commanders can ask for the current weather and an (unreliable) forecast at any time.

1b. Regions

All hexes that are within 3 hexes of a Stronghold and which are not closer to another, different Stronghold are considered to be part of the same region, whenever that term is used in the rules.

2. Commanders and Armies

The basic unit of play is the Army; each Army is under the control of one Commander. Whenever a new Army is created, a new Commander must join the game to command it; if a Commander is not available then the Referee will simulate its actions but it cannot be directed by any existing Commander. When a Commander deliberately carries out an action that would result in the creation of a new Army it is their responsibility to recruit a new Commander for that Army; otherwise, the Referee may select a new Commander for any Armies raised.

Each Commander, and thus their Army, is associated with either one of the Factions, or no Faction.

Armies are made up of infantry, noncombatants, cavalry, and wagons. Armies are composed of at minimum 100 soldiers. By default, noncombatants (support staff, officers’ personal retinues, and other followers) add an additional 25%.

2a. Detachments

Armies are made up of detachments, composed of soldiers of the same type (infantry or cavalry), often from the same region, plus their attached wagons and noncombatants. When dividing armies, detachments cannot be split. Thus, the 1st Aegyssus Chiliarchy (1,000 infantry) could be separated from the 2nd Aegyssus Chiliarchy (another 1,000 infantry), but each chiliarchy could not be divided further. Detachments are set when the Army is raised. Detachment compositions vary by faction, but are usually 500–1,000 infantry or 200–500 cavalry. As detachments earn victories, commanders may bestow upon them names and honours. Detachments can be disbanded or merged, but this may have an impact on Morale.

Some detachments have special rules. Skirmishers are infantry, but act as cavalry for the purposes of scouting, foraging, and fording rivers. Armies of exclusively skirmishers ignore rough terrain, can travel off-road at full speed, and reduce their noncombatant count to 10%.

Heavy infantry count double for the purposes of determining numerical advantages in battle. Heavy cavalry count quadruple.

Factions have their own special rules and detachments.

2b. Raising Armies

You can raise armies in regions you control. It takes one month to raise an army, which rallies at a point in the region of your choosing. Your referee will tell you how many soldiers you raise.

Recruiting from a region a second time within a year of the last carries a 1-in-6 chance of triggering a revolt; double if recruiting in recently-conquered country. Revolts produce an army of 1d20 × 500 infantry, led by a local revolutionary commander.

3. Supplies

Each infantry and noncombatant eats 1 supply per day. Each cavalry and wagon’s riders and animals eat 10 supplies total per day. By default, an army can carry 15 supplies per infantry and noncombatant, 75 supplies per cavalry, and 500 supplies per wagon. Armies may deliver supplies to and from one another, as commanders order.

Each day without supplies, an army reduces its morale by 1, then checks morale. After two weeks without food, an army dissolves completely.

3a. Foraging

An army can spend a day foraging its current hex and adjacent hexes. A hex produces foraged supplies equal to its settlement rating × 500.

Foraging a second time within a year of the last carries a 2-in-6 chance of triggering a revolt; 3-in-6 if foraging in unfriendly territory. Revolts produce an army of 1d20 × 500 infantry, led by a local revolutionary commander.

3b. Razing

An army can spend a day to torch its current hex and adjacent hexes, removing the possibility of foraging until next spring. 1-in-6 chance to trigger a revolt when torching, as above; double if torching hostile territory. An Army with a Cavalry Detachment may raze up to two hexes away.

3c. Scouting

During the day, an army sees everything in its hex and adjacent hexes. An army with a cavalry detachment increases this to 2 adjacent hexes. In bad weather, this is reduced by 1 hex. In very bad weather, this is reduced by 2 hexes.

3d. Stationing

A force of up to 1,000 infantry (or a force that includes cavalry equivalent to 1000 infantry, where each Cavalry member counts as four Infantry) may be stationed under the command of a Stronghold Commander. While so stationed, they may be considered self-sufficient, in terms of ensuring that their Supply needs are met. Wizards who are Stationed are not considered to be unsupervised for the purposes of developing strange ideas.

Stationed Detachments may not be given orders more complex than defending their stationed Stronghold.

4. Travel

All travel plays out in real time. When the order is given for an Army to travel, the Referee will privately determine how long the journey will take. A Commander may privately inquire where they are at any time and will receive an imprecise answer based on the maps available to them. Otherwise, the Referee will notify the Commander when they have reached their destination.

On roads, armies move 12 miles per day, marching up to 5 days per week, for a total of up to 60 miles per week. Offroad, reduce the speeds by half. Wagons cannot travel off-road.

A forced march increases this to 18 miles per day, marching up to 7 days per week, for a total of up to 120 miles per week. Armies of exclusively cavalry double their forced march pace. Once per cumulative week of forced march, lose 1 morale, then check morale.

An army undergoing a night march travels 6 miles per night, or 12 miles at a forced march. At the end of the night, check morale. If the road forks, 2-in-6 chance to take the incorrect path. Armies cannot night march off-road.

Marching armies stretch 1 mile of road per 5,000 infantry and noncombatants, 2,000 cavalry, or 50 wagons. Armies stretching longer than 6 miles travel only 6 miles per day, for a total of 30 miles per week, or 12 miles per day at a forced march (for a total of 72 miles).

When fording a river (rather than crossing a bridge), each mile of infantry in the column requires a half-day to cross. Cavalry ford at their regular speed. Wagons cannot ford rivers.

Armies march and camp in formations ordered by their commanders.

4a. Harrying

A detachment may harry an army within scouting range. When a detachment spends a day harrying, choose whether to focus on killing soldiers, torching supplies, or stealing loot and supplies. By default, a detachment has a 2-in-6 chance of success:

Killing soldiers reduces enemy numbers by 20% of the harrying detachment’s numbers.

Torching supplies reduces the enemy supplies by an amount equal to 2d6 × the harrying detachment’s numbers.

Stealing loot or supplies captures loot or supplies equal to 1d6 × the harrying detachment’s numbers.

On a failure, the harrying detachment suffers 20% losses and does not accomplish their objective. Skirmishers add +1 to their roll (both the initial roll and the results). Cavalry add +2.

Harried armies move at half speed, and cannot rest.

You cannot harry armies garrisoned in a stronghold.

5. Morale

Morale is the will to fight and general spirit of the army. Morale moves up and down according to in-game events: victory, pillage, and time off raise morale; defeat, bad conditions, and forced marches lower morale. By default, armies have a resting morale of 9 and a maximum morale of 12. The Morale of each Army is privately tracked by the Referee. A Commander may, at any time, spend 1,000 loot to increase the Morale of their Army by 1.

Certain events will call for a morale check: roll 2d6 equal to or under the army’s morale. On a success, your army holds; on a failure, consult the table below, using your roll as the result.

2. Mutiny. 19-in-20 chance each detachment joins a new commander.
3. Mass desertion. Reduce the army's size and supplies by 30%.
4. 1d6 random detachments defect to another army.
5. Major desertion. Reduce the army’s size and supplies by 20%.
6. Army splits in half. 3-in-6 chance each detachment joins a new commander.
7. Random detachment defects to another army.
8. Desertion. Reduce the army’s size and supplies by 10%.
9. 1d6 random detachments depart from the main column for 2d6 days, then return.
10. Camp followers. Army picks up an extra 5% noncombatants.
11. Random detachment departs from the main column for 2d6 days, then returns.
12. No consequences.

5a. Rest

A commander can allow an army to rest for a specified duration. Armies reset their current morale towards their resting morale by 1 per week. With a week of rest in a town or city, an army’s soldiers deposit all carried loot, thus freeing up their supply. Additionally, in a town or city, each week of rest resets the army’s noncombatant count by 5% until it reaches 25%.

If a rest ends before its specified time—by will or necessity—the army loses 2 morale.

At the end of a period of rest, the army checks morale.

6. Battles

When two or more hostile armies meet, the referee will provide each commander with their current information and the lay of the land. Commanders draw up a brief plan of battle, then each roll 2d6, adding the follower modifiers:

Positive:

Numerical advantage: +1 per 100% more total soldiers. Cavalry count double.
Morale: +1 per point of morale difference.
Chosen battlefield: +1
Surprise: +1
Advantageous terrain: +1
Tactics: +0–3

Negative:

Morale: -1 per morale below resting.
Rough terrain: -1
Undersupplied: -1
Sick or exhausted: -1
Bad weather: -1
Out of formation (foraging, resting, etc.): -2
Tactics: -0–3

The higher of the two rolls is the victor and achieves their objective; the loser does not. Then, compare rolls and apply the difference as result:

1. Defender, if there is one, holds the objective. Attacker, if there is one, loses 1 morale. Both sides suffer 5% casualties.
2. Both sides suffer 10% casualties. Loser loses 1 morale.
3. Victor suffers 5% casualties, loser suffers 10% casualties. Loser loses 2 morale, victor gains 1.
4–5. Victor suffers 5% casualties; loser suffers 15%. Loser loses 2 morale, victor gains 2. 1-in-6 chance loser commander captured.
6+. Victor suffers 5% casualties; loser suffers 20%. Loser loses 2 morale, victor gains 2. 2-in-6 chance loser commander captured.

The losing army retreats 1 hex (or as appropriate), then checks morale. On a failure, it routs: lose 1d6 × 10% of your supplies, the army retreats a further 1d6 hexes away (as much time as that takes) out of control, then regroups. If retreat is impossible, reduce the army’s size and supplies by half, spend 1d6 days out of control, and stay in place. Lost supplies may be acquired by victorious commanders.

6a. Strongholds and Sieges

A stronghold is a fortress, city, or fortified town. Strongholds maintain small garrisons: by default, fortified towns keep 250 infantry, cities 500 infantry, and fortresses 250 infantry and 50 cavalry.

You can garrison your army in a stronghold. You can also split detachments from your army to garrison the strongholds of hexes you travel through.

When an army nears a stronghold, the referee will provide commanders with their current information and the lay of the land. Commanders draw up a brief plan, then the siege begins.

At any time, commanders can launch an assault against the stronghold. Assaults function as battles, but the attacker suffers -1 to their roll, while defenders gain a bonus equal to their defences. By default, towns add +3, cities +4, and fortresses +5. If the stronghold’s gates are open, this bonus is reduced to 0. In assaults, the losing side takes an additional 10% casualties. In assaults, cavalry do not count as double for the purposes of determining troop totals.

The garrison of a stronghold has a threshold. By default, towns have a threshold of 10, cities 15, and fortresses 20. Each week under siege, modify the stronghold’s threshold, then roll 2d6: if the result is over the stronghold’s threshold, someone—a traitor or negotiator—opens the gates.

Default: -1/week
Disease: -1/week
Resupply: +2/week
Siegers attacked: +1/week

A detachment of 10 siege engines takes a month to construct. Once built, each detachment of 10 reduces the stronghold’s defensive bonus by 1 per week. Siege engine detachments take a week to break down or reconstruct.

After a stronghold falls, commanders can allow the army to pillage: reduce the location’s held loot and supplies by half, the army gains 2 morale, and earns the ire of locals. Alternatively, check morale to keep the soldiers in line. Either way, 3-in-6 chance commanders (and other important individuals) inside escape capture.

Captured strongholds can provide supplies, where X equals the number of weeks the stronghold underwent siege before capture. Towns provide 1d6-X × 10,000, fortresses provide 1d6-X × 1,000, and cities 1d6-X × 100,000.

7. Specifics of Play

Time is tracked 1-to-1 with real life. If your army needs to take a month to build siege engines then it will take a month to do so.

Each Commander has an Orders channel through which all communication with the Referee must take place. Commanders may specify orders for their Army at any time by using their Orders channel; the Referee will do their best to put them into effect as of the time at which they were submitted but reserves the right to enact them at the time they are seen if necessary. An order must be submitted every week, even if those orders are to hold in place or maintain their current action; if a Commander does not submit an order in the week then their Army will do nothing, and will not continue to maintain their current course of action. It is a Commander's responsibility to submit their orders; the Referee will not be giving reminders.

As events occur throughout the week, the referee will contact the commander and offer them decisions: from here, commanders may alter their stated orders through to the end of the week, as appropriate.

7a. Communication

Commanders who are in the same hex may request a channel through which they may communicate freely. Otherwise, messages must be sent through the Referee.

Through friendly and neutral territory, messengers on horseback can travel 48 miles per day. 19-in-20 chance a dispatched messenger delivers their message safely.

In hostile territory, messengers on horseback can travel 36 miles per day. 5-in-6 chance of safe delivery.

To send a message to another commander, send your referee your message, and the referee will convey it at the appropriate time.

News of far-away events travels roughly 12 miles per day overland. Along the coasts, it travels 60 miles per day. A Commander may ask the Referee for news from their current hex, or from 1 hex away if their Army has a Cavalry detachment.

The top-level Commander for each Faction is assumed to have negotiating power on behalf of that Faction, although they can delegate that authority as they please. Contracts and treaties are only as good as the word of their commanders. Assume commanders have sufficient translators. Remember, you can always negotiate.

It is strictly forbidden to use any means to communicate or share information outside of the structures set forth by the game.

8. Other Means

8a. Operations

Operations are activities undertaken by individuals or small teams outside the purview of an army, including intelligence and espionage.

By default, an operation costs 100 loot. More difficult or complex operations may cost more.

The referee determines possible outcomes for the operation, then rolls 2d6. Safer operations, such as simple intelligence-gathering, have a high likelihood of success; more dangerous operations, such as assassination of a commander, have a low low likelihood of success. Detailed plans and additional funds may change these odds.

8b. Magic

Wizards function as their own one-person detachments within a larger army. They count as infantry. Raising a Wizard Detachment can only be done in a hex with a Tower.

Wizards must memorize spells to cast; once cast, they forget the spell. Memorizing a spell requires a wizard to rest (this can be while travelling at normal pace on major roads or by boat, but not while carrying out any other activity), with the appropriate spellbooks, for 1–4 weeks, depending on the spell. Transported, the spell’s books, accouterments, and assistants requires space for 1,000 supplies. The nature of the spells that can be cast are subject to negotiation with the Referee.

Left alone without their commander, 1-in-6 chance per week a wizard starts to develop strange ideas, stops following orders without question, and becomes their own commander. They automatically start with the Scholar trait, then roll them up as a new commander.

8c. Single Combat

Commanders in the same hex may challenge each other to a duel. In single combat between commanders, each rolls 1d100 over their age: if both succeed or both fail, the more experienced fighter wins. Regardless, those who fail roll for death & dismemberment.

8d. Loot

Loot is carried like supplies.

By default, towns have 1d6 × 10,000 loot and cities 1d6 × 100,000. Castles vary.

8e. Boats

Ships can carry 100 soldiers, 20 cavalry, 10,000 supplies, or siege equipment. Embarking or disembarking takes a day. A coastal hex can allow up to 100 ships to embark or disembark at a time; a river hex allows 50 ships to embark or disembark per side.

Ships do not track supply or size. Instead, they cost 100 loot per ship per day for transportation and battle.

Ships travel 12 miles per hour on the sea, 12 miles per hour downriver, or 6 miles per hour upriver. Rowing adds 6 miles per hour of travel but functions as forced march.

Ships have morale 9. When a ship fails a morale check, it does not suffer additional consequences but instead ejects all non-crew on the nearest land, then sails away for 3d6 days before returning. If doubles show, it does not return at all.

For naval battles, fleets of ships follow the same rules as armies of soldiers. Warships equipped with siege equipment count quadruple for the purposes of determining fleet size. Ship casualties include all passengers.

9. Commanders

When introducing a new commander, roll 1d20 to determine their relationship to you and their age. After they turn 20, new commanders gain a random commander trait each decade.

1. Child. 14+3d6.
2. Sibling. 20+2d20.
3. Parent. 30+3d20.
4. Niece or Nephew. 16+1d20.
5. Aunt or Uncle. 30+3d20.
6. Cousin. 20+2d20.
7. Roll 1d6 and add “Step-”.
8. Roll 1d6 and add “-in-Law”.
9. Spouse. 20+2d20.
10. Friend. 20+2d20.
11. Rival. 20+2d20.
12. Student. 16+1d20.
13. Teacher. 30+3d20.
14. Priest. 20+3d20.
15. Councilor. 20+3d20.
16. Bodyguard. 20+1d20.
17. Quartermaster. 20+2d20.
18. Creditor. 20+2d20.
19. Favourite. 16+2d20.
20. Stranger. 14+3d20.

Commander traits may be selected freely when earned. Available Commander traits are:

Beloved. Your army gains +1 resting morale.
Brutal. Strongholds you besiege lower their threshold by an extra -1/week.
Commando. You can designate one detachment in your army as skirmishers.
Crusader. Your army gains a +1 bonus in battles against heretics and infidels.
Defensive Engineer. When you defend a stronghold, add +2 to the garrison’s defensive bonus.
Duelist. You count as 10 years younger for the purposes of single combat, and win ties.
Guardian. Your army suffers 5% fewer casualties in battle. -1-in-6 chance to be captured in battle.
Honourable. Your army never pillages unless you order them to. -1-in-6 chance to spark a revolt when foraging, torching, or raising additional armies.
Ironsides. When you defend a stronghold in a siege, add +5 to its threshold.
Logistician. Your army can carry 20% more total supplies. Your army stretches half as long on the road.
Outrider. With a cavalry detachment, your scouting and foraging range expands to 3 hexes.
Poet. Your morale rolls count as 2 higher for the purposes of determining failed morale consequences.
Raider. 20% extra loot found in captured strongholds. 10% extra supplies foraged.
Ranger. Bad weather does not reduce your scouting ranges.
Scholar. You can memorize spells like a wizard.
Siege Engineer. You can construct a detachment of 10 siege engines in a week.
Spartan. Your army has only half as many noncombatants attached. When you acquire new noncombatants, you pick up only half as many.
Stubborn. Your army does not lose morale on defeat in battle.
Vanquisher. You deal an extra 5% casualties to the enemy in battle. +1-in-6 chance to capture enemy commanders in battle.
Veteran. Your army never routs upon defeat in battle.

9a. Spectators

The Gods

The Gods are omnipresent and have access to all of the information in the game. They will shortly start appearing in sidebars. Any spectators who are amongst the Gods are never allowed to join the game and are strictly prohibited from discussing it with any players privately or in any completely public forum.

The Chorus

The Chorus are spectators who may join the game at some point in the future. They are diagetically located in the world (starting just outside of the city of Rasmussenn in Chert) and only learn information that has reached their location as gossip. As a group they may travel to another location, travelling at around 20 miles per day, or 40 if they are thrashing their horses. If they wish to enter the game then they must travel from their location to the location of their army at the same rate.

Addendum to rule 8e: Procuring Boats

If you are occupying a stronghold that is by the coast or a river then you are assumed to have access to materials, manpower and shipyards, and can thus build - let's say 100 ships in 2 months. You can also hire ships; there will be up to 10 ships readily available for hire in a fortified town, 20 in a fortress, and up to 100 in a city, provided that they are not already hired out.

If you are out in the countryside, it would take four months to construct boats and in that time you would build a number of boats equal to 1% of your total non-combatants, rounded down (so 1,500 non-combatants would build 15 boats). You would be able to hire up to boats on a river or coast tile equal to the development score of that tile divided by 10 (so an 80 development hex would yield 8 boats). You would only be able to do this once per month per hex.