Cry Havoc for B-right

[Sir Tiamat]

Someone did an attempt at Anuirean units in the download section.

Yeah, I have seen that one… It looks good, but it looks like the author takes a different approach.

I am attempting to balance the gold cost to hire and equip an individual and its upkeep, based on level and equipment… with this information players and DMs alike can create any unit they can imagine… large or small, elite or under equipped…. This is one of the strengths of Cry Havoc…

Moreover I am aiming for slightly smaller unit sizes than the birthright 200, because smaller units are much better for play.

[Sir Tiamat]

Costs for Unit consisting of 10 individuals (multiply for larger units)

A unit’s Muster Cost is:
10 x PHB + Quarterly Pay
A unit’s Garrisoned Upkeep Cost per quarter/domain turn is:
PHB + Quarterly Pay
A unit’s Active Upkeep Cost per quarter/domain turn is:
2 x Garrisoned Upkeep Cost (PHB + Quarterly Pay)

-PHB is the total cost of the Equipment in the Player Handbook that the Unit holds.
-The Quarterly Pay according to the level and class of the unit is shown below on table 1.
-Additionally, when designing units with equal Muster Cost and Yearly Garrisoned Upkeep Costs, as in the Birthright-Play-Test, use a PHB equipment value of half the unit’s Quarterly Pay.



Table 1. Rounded Quarterly/domain turn Pay of a Unit Consisting of 10 creatures

NPC-Class Pay in garrison
Level 1 200 gp
Level 2 500 gp
Level 3 1000 gp
Level 4 2000 gp
Level 5 3500 gp
Level 6 5500 gp

PC-Class Pay in garrison
Level 1 500 gp
Level 2 1000 gp
Level 3 2000 gp
Level 4 3500 gp
Level 5 5500 gp
Level 6 8000 gp

Optional rule: The upkeep and Muster cost can be further rounded into GBs as directed by the DM

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This may seem complicated, but allows the building of various kinds of units. based on the game-balance provided by DMG and PHB.

[kgauck]

These costs look fine for normal recruits, what is the pay for mercenaries? People with no obligations to the land (being from elsewhere).

[Sir Tiamat]

Both the upkeep and muster should be considerably higher...

One might simply double the cost as per the play test... This is the simplest option that most likely will retain game balance.

Or one may try to double or triple only the quarterly pay; this would require a lot more playtesting for balancing....

[Panics]

Personnally... I found your rating strange... I would go like that:


Level | 1 character | 10 characters | Per Domain Turn

1 | 6 gp | 60 gp | 180 gp
2 | 12 gp | 120 gp | 360 gp
3 | 18 gp | 180 gp | 540 gp
4 | 24 gp | 240 gp | 720 gp
5 | 30 gp | 300 gp | 900 gp
6 | 36 gp | 360 gp | 1080 gp
etc

For PC-class you could double.. as for mercs.

Taking the cost of unit per "Stronghold Builder" (Wotc).

This cost represent standard monthly payroll for a Warrior (war).

When Mustering you should had PHB prices for equipment (since the Regent is providing the equipment) but I wouldn't have a maintenance price. Soldiers take care of their stuff most of the time. If something broke, they can replace it without the Regent having to really pay for it.

For Active duty, I would double the cost. Mercs on active duty would receive 4 times standard payroll (2x (2x180gp (for mercs))).

Also, you should respect a hierarchy. Rare will you see a unit of 10 level 6 or 50 level 6. At level 6, you should be a sergeant or captain more than 100 mens at your command. Who would give orders to 10 fighters level 6 ? one captain level 12 ? DM should control a logic in the army. In my last battle, I had a level 3 fighter (subcommanders) for every 100 men (1st-level orcs fighters). And a Commander level 8. My army had 300 orcs.

[kgauck]

I do see one use for characters like the unit of 10 level 6, and its the trusted personal guard of an elite figure who has cultivated such a unit.

[Panics]

yep that could be... but he won't use it in a mass battle P but when you will confront this elite character in a DnD adventure !

[kgauck]

I think it depends on the elite figure. If he goes into battle, he probabaly does so surrounded by his guard. Perhaps a dozen picked men who have been with him on several campaigns and who he knows and trusts. Men whose devotion is based on experiences, not on a contract or a schedule of payments.

[Sir Tiamat]

An elite unit consisting of level 6 individuals would be extremely rare indeed. I have included this because I would regard this as the highest level imaginable. These would not be individuals mustered by a simple domain action, these would be loyal handpicked companions and nobles, serving for honour and duty. A PC regent would probably need quite some successful adventures before being able to field such a unit and the unit would probably be extremely small. The costs of this unit would ordinarily consist of privileges and lands rather than a simple payroll. Still, these costs are represented in a GB or gp cost, for bookkeeping purposes. According to the B-right setting a GB represents more than simple gold value.

[Sir Tiamat]

Personnally... I found your rating strange...

To answer I will have to revert to my calculations…

For a level 1 warrior I initially took a daily pay of 3 sp (as per DMG I think), which would make a monthly pay of 96 sp and a quarterly pay 288 sp…

Then I thought let us give the poor souls an extra day of pay each month and one more each quarter, because of festive days etc. making a nice round figure of 30 gp a quarter per individual.

I considered a straight line as you did, going from 30 for level 1 to 60 for level 2; 90 lvl 3; 120 lvl 4 etc. However, these costs did not coincide with the greater power of higher level individuals. Looking for a nice formula I thought why not take a similar formula as for XP:

Lvl1= X
Lvl2= lvl1+1X
Lvl3= lvl2+2X
Lvl4= lvl3+3X

I first took a base of 3 sp daily for NPC classes and a base of 5 sp daily for pc classes. However after some testing I found that for game balance reasons the NPC classes could best be a little cheaper compared to the PC classes. So I changed the first level price for 30 to 20 and based the higher level price of the NPC classes on the price of the PC classes of a lower level.

Though one might feel need to change the costs I would argue that the relative distances between levels and npc and pc class kept similar. Still, I would gladly hear good reasons for changing them or better formulas.