Every Unit is defined by four base statistics, or "Stats". These represent the Unit's collective physical and mental capabilities on the battlefield. While these mirror the primary attributes used by player characters, they are simplified to reflect the average capability of a group rather than a heroic individual.

• Body: Represents the Unit's collective strength and endurance. It determines the ability to deal physical damage and resist harm.

• Mobility: Represents the Unit's movement speed and ability to avoid damage.

• Mental: Represents command discipline and tactical ability. It decides the maximum Unit size and Action Points.

• Spirit: Represents the Unit's accuracy for ranged attacking and resistance to magical effects.

The following stats are derived from the 4 main stats and help to determine the capabilities of each Unit.

Action Points operate in a similar manner to player characters. A Unit determines its Action Point total by taking 3 and adding its Mental stat and Experience Rating. Finally, add the result of a die roll to this total. The size of this die changes based on the Unit's level; it is a d4 at level 1, increases to 2d4 at level 5, and becomes 3d4 at level 10.

Roster is a measure of a Unit's fighting force. Every ten soldiers in a Unit count as one Roster, rounding up for any remainders. When a Unit takes damage, it reduces its Roster by the same amount.

Full Complement is the maximum number of soldiers a Unit can maintain in its Roster. Full Complement is equal to 10 plus the Unit's Mental stat and its Experience Rating.

Movement determines how far a Unit can advance across the battlefield during a standard move action. A Unit's Movement is equal to 2 plus its Mobility stat, modified by Formation features or Armor the Unit is equipped with.

Passive Armor represents how difficult it is to successfully strike the Unit with a standard attack. When attacking a Unit, the opposing Unit must roll over the Passive Armor in order to hit the opposing Unit. Passive Armor is calculated by taking the armor value of the Unit's equipment and adding the Unit's Mobility stat.

While the Cavalry formation is specialized in mounted warfare, they are not the only ones capable of riding. Any Unit, from archers to infantry, can be outfitted with mounts to increase their speed and durability. To field these beasts, a community must possess the Stable cornerstone, or the Exotic Stables for rare and monstrous creatures.

A community cannot maintain a chaotic menagerie of different species effectively. Therefore, when outfitting an army, the community will select a single type of mount from the available tables. This choice represents the region's breeding specialization and dictates the only mount type available to that army. An individual soldier or a commander might have their own unique mount, but this will not change the Unit's statistics.

Riding into battle changes the fundamental nature of a Unit. When a Unit is mounted, it ignores its natural Movement and the Action Point cost for movement; instead, it uses the speed and cost provided by the mount. Furthermore, the physical bulk of the beasts bolsters the Unit's survivability, adding a Roster Bonus to the Unit.

Mounts are a luxury of war, and no army can field them for every soldier. The number of beasts available is determined by the community's Livestock. A community generates 20 Livestock for every level of the Military community. Each species of mount has a specific Livestock Cost listed in the table; rarer or more resource-intensive beasts have a higher cost, significantly reducing the number available compared to common beasts.

A mounted Unit is limited by the number of steeds available, not the number of soldiers. You cannot squeeze more soldiers into a Unit than you have mounts to carry them. For example, if you have enough horses for 20 soldiers (2 Roster), the base Roster of that Unit is 2. However, the Roster Bonus provided by the mounts is then added to this to determine the Unit's total Roster.

Massive beasts, such as Elephants, are an exception. A single beast is large enough to carry an entire Roster, or 10 soldiers.

Just as an adventurer chooses a class to define their role in a party, a unit assumes a Formation to define its role in an army. The Formation determines a unit's fighting style, its specialized techniques, and how it interacts with the chaos of the battlefield. While equipment provides the tools of war, the Formation provides the discipline and training to use them effectively.

The backbone of any standing army, Infantry are versatile, resilient, and dependable. They excel at holding the line through sheer numbers and adaptability, capable of shifting tactics mid-battle to press an advantage or shore up a crumbling defense.

Specialists in reach and reaction, Spearmen control the space around them with deadly precision. They are particularly effective at halting enemy charges and striking before the enemy can close the distance.

Moving unseen through the chaos, Scouts are the eyes and ears of the army. They excel at ambush tactics, striking from the shadows to disrupt enemy lines before fading back into obscurity.

Thunderous and fast, Cavalry units dominate the field through shock tactics and superior mobility. They are the hammer of the army, capable of flanking maneuvers and devastating charges that break enemy lines.

A wall of iron and discipline designed to be unbreakable. By locking shields and moving as a single entity, the Phalanx controls the flow of battle, punishing enemies who attempt to break their formation.

Masters of ranged warfare, Dragoons rain death upon the enemy from a distance. Whether using bows, crossbows, or black powder, they soften enemy ranks and control the battlefield without ever engaging in melee.

Wielding the destructive power of magic, Warcasters turn the tide of battle with arcane artillery and supernatural defenses. They are few in number but terrifying in impact.

Technicians of destruction, Engineers focus on siege warfare and mechanical ingenuity. They are essential for breaching fortifications, deploying defensive structures, and operating heavy siege engines.

A Unit without leadership is a mob; a Unit with a Commander forges together an army. Commanders are not merely officers; they are heroes, veterans, or tactical geniuses whose very presence inspires those around them to feats of glory.

Command Capacity True leadership is rare. An army begins with the capacity to commission one Commander. They gain the ability to field one additional Commander for every 3 levels of the Military Community.

Commanders are defined by two ranks: Captain and Warlord. Every commander begins at the rank of Captain, granting the Unit the Captain Feature immediately upon assignment. The rank of Warlord represents a leader who has forged a deep, battle-tested bond with their troops. A Unit gains the benefits of the Warlord Feature only when the Unit reaches 5th Level. An army may only have 1 Warlord at a time. A Military community at level 10 allows an army to field 2 Warlords.

Player & Unique Commanders

While standard commanders follow the archetypes listed below, unique heroes can shape the battlefield in their own image. When a Player Character takes the field to lead a Unit, they act as the Commander. They select one of the archetypes below to determine their Captain feature, but upon reaching the Warlord rank, they do not use the standard ability. Instead, they imbue the Unit with their abilities, granting the Unit one of their Class Features. Similarly, famous named NPCs encountered in the world often possess unique Warlord features distinct from the standard archetypes, reflecting their specific legendary status.

When diplomacy fails, the armies march. Unlike the frantic pace of individual combat, warfare is a slow, grinding machine where positioning and morale play a far greater role than raw skill.

Actions of War

All Units utilize their pool of Action Points to navigate the battlefield and engage the enemy.

March: The standard movement of an army. By spending 3 Action Points, the Unit moves up to its full Movement.

Re-position: Sometimes a Unit needs to make a minor adjustment rather than a full march. A Unit can spend 1 Action Point to move a single space.

Double Time: When speed is paramount, a Unit can be pushed to the limit. A Unit can move double its Movement, but this exertion costs Double the Action Points.

Attack: The Unit engages an enemy within range. This action costs 5 Action Points. Unless modified by a specific weapon or ability, the standard range for a ranged attack is 5 spaces.

Battlefield Mechanics

Flanking: An enemy surrounded is an enemy defeated. If two allied Units are positioned on opposite sides of an enemy Unit with at least one empty space between the allies, they are considered to be Flanking. Units in this position gain a +1 bonus to all damage rolls against the trapped enemy.

Static Structures Walls do not bleed. Buildings, fortifications, and other static structures are built to resist the chaos of war. As such, they take only half damage from standard Unit attacks.

Numerical Superiority: In large-scale combat, numbers often decide the victor. A small squad cannot hope to stand toe-to-toe with a full regiment without suffering severe consequences. When two Units engage, you must compare their current Roster counts. If a Unit's Roster is less than half of the enemy Unit's Roster, they find themselves hopelessly outmatched. In this state, the smaller Unit deals only half damage to the larger force, struggling to make a dent in the enemy lines. Furthermore, the larger Unit gains Advantage on all attack rolls made against the smaller Unit, easily overwhelming their defenses through sheer mass.

Disbanding: If a Unit is reduced to 0 Roster, it is effectively destroyed as a fighting force. The Unit disbands immediately and is removed from the battlefield.

Logistics

Time on the battlefield is not measured in seconds, but in hours. A single round of combat represents approximately six hours of grueling exertion. Consequently, a day of battle is divided into only two rounds. This cycle dictates the rhythm of the army, controlling when troops can be rallied, healed, or retired.

The End of the Day

When the second round concludes, night falls and the fighting effectively ceases. During this respite, damage is assessed and the army prepares for the next dawn.

Recovery: Under the cover of darkness, medics are allowed to sweep the field to find survivors among the fallen. They can recover one-quarter of the soldiers from any Unit that was disbanded that day, based on its roster count at the start of the round it was destroyed.

Voluntary Disband: At the end of a day, a Unit may be retired to move the soldiers to reserves.

To determine the exact number of survivors in a Unit that has taken damage, take the Unit's current Roster, subtract 1, and multiply the result by 10. Then, roll a d10 and add the result to the total.

The Start of the Day

As the sun rises, the army reorganizes. Before the first round of the new day begins, reserves may be called upon to strengthen the army.

Reinforcements: War is a game of attrition, but also of renewal. At the start of the day, soldiers may taken from their reserves (including those recovered by medics or voluntarily disbanded the night before) to reinforce damaged Units up to their Full Complement.

Formation: If enough reserves are available, they may be formed into entirely new Units.

Re-equip: A Unit can swap equipped weapons or armor.