Rehashing A Campaign System

At BOYL 2014 myself and lenihan (http://wheretheseapoursout.blogspot.co.uk/) were discussing the 5th edition campaign rules. We agreed that they were nice and simple and allowed for fast campaigns to be run without an over burdening of paperwork. Over the last few days this has been going around in my head and I decided to see if I could convert them (unashamedly nab them) to work for 3rd edition. So, after a little bit of tinkering this is my first draft. I still have to post up about creating Veterans but the rest is pretty much here.

Anyone who hasn't already switched off is free to give them a go and report back their findings. I hope to give them a go with my fellow OGRE's at a later date. They obviously will need tweeking and some things may not be as clear on paper as they are in my head so this posting may get edited
with other people's suggestions. Simply put, constructive criticism is encouraged!

The campaign takes place either on a newly discovered island, a deserted or unexplored area of the Border Princes or even in a totally new world that is not Warhammer, just one that uses the rules and everything..........................

Each player fights to gain control of the land and become the lord of a new realm. To begin with each player generates three random territories from the territory chart below. These represent a mix of settlements, terrain and resources which his army controls. Once the campaign is under way new players can join at any time simply by generating three random territories from the chart.

Each player makes a note of his territories on a sheet of paper, in a note book, on a spreadsheet or anything that will serve as his campaign diary.

Armies
Players choose an army of 1,500pts for each battle and forces are chosen afresh every time the army fights, although each player must stick to the same army - Orcs, Empire, Wood Elves etc....... You may wish to start with slightly smaller armies, say 1,000pts  or 1,200pts as this makes it easier to get the armies together. 1,500pts is a reasonable total for players who already have established armies.

Armies are chosen from the relevant list in Warhammer Armies and all of the restrictions listed apply (i.e. maximum number of items of magic armour, 0-8 Treemen etc.......). Note, as the value is 1,500pts all maximums and minimums are reduced by 50% (e.g. the 50 minimum Clarats in a Skaven army becomes minimum 25).

Army Restrictions
The types and quantity of troops the armies can field is restricted by the territory they control. As the army's commander expands his territories he also expands his army, attracts heroes and wizards to the cause, acquires riches and wins new magic items.

To start off with each player is restricted in his choice as follows:

Strategic Features - such as bridges, roads and passes - limit access by your armies. to represent this, armies are chosen to 1,500pts and larger armies can only be assembled by taking control of bridges, roads and passes.

General - this can be ANY character type of ANY level allowed to be a general by the Army List (Hero or Wizard). This character represents YOU and should be given an appropriate (or not) name of your choosing.

Characters - additional Heroes and Wizards can only be included if you have appropriate territories.

Army Standard - can be included if you have a character other than your general to carry it. NB: It can only have magical properties if you poses the appropriate territories.

Magic Items - you may select a single magic item. Each additional property counts as extra 1 magic item for the purposes of territory. If a magic weapon is selected then the initial 25pts of the weapon is added to the first property and counts as 1 magic item. Undead Heroes of over level 5 that must carry a magic weapon get a "gimme" magic item. The cost of the item is added to the cost of the hero but no properties can be selected unless the player controls the appropriate territories.

Elites - only two units of shock or missile elites can be included in your army and can not include more unless the player controls training grounds.

Riding Beasts - each army may include up to 10 riding beasts and can not include more unless the player controls stables to house the beasts. (things in the list that count as riding beasts for territory purposes are: horses, warhorses, cold ones, chaos steeds, orc boars, wolves, undead horses and undead ox). Riding beasts for Characters and those used to pull chariots must come out of this allocation also.

Skirmishers/Scouts - you may not include skirmishers and/or scouts unless you control either a Forrest or Mountains as it is there territories from which such troops are drawn.

Pack Animals - your army may only include 6 pack animals and can not include more unless the player controls kennels to house them. (things in the list that count as pack animals for territory purposes are: chaos hounds, warhounds, bears, wood elf boars, wild cats, giant rats, skaven giant wolves, rat ogres, cold one warhounds, slann giant scorpians, slann giant spiders, sabre tooth tigers, and hob hounds).

War Machines - each army can include a single war machine and can not include more unless the player controls forests to provide wood to build machines and fuel furnaces. (things in the list that count as war machines for territory purposes are: chariots, treemen (yes, really!), bolt throwers, cannons, warp-fire throwers, normal fire throwers, jezzails, pump wagons, stone throwers, lead belchers, organ guns, flame cannons, gyrocopters, rocket launchers, bazukas, mortars, whirlwinds, tenderisers, and those chaos dwarf field guns that Erny has about 6 of).

Ridden Monsters & Hosts - You may not include ridden monsters or Hosts unless you control appropriate territories from which these are drawn from. You may only make use of the hosts that your Army list allows you to. Dragon Kin and Carrion count as Ridden Monsters.

Allies - You may not include Allies unless you include a Trade Route as it is by trade that diplomatic friends are made. You may only make use of the Allies that your Army list allows you to.

Mercenaries - You may not include Mercenaries unless you include Mines to produce gold/silver/precious gems/warpstone with which to pay them. You may only make use of the Mercenaries that your Army list allows you to.


Territory

To begin with each payer generates three territories. To generate territory roll a D66 on the chart below.

D66	Territory	Effect
11 to 13	Wizards Tower	Roll D6
		1 to 5 Level 5 Wizard
		6 Level 10 Wizard
14 to 15	Shrine	Roll D6
		1 to 4 Level 10 Wizard
		5 to 6  Level 15 Wizard
16	Temple	Roll D6
		1 to 4 Level 20 Wizard
		5 to 6  Level 25 Wizard
21 to 32	Village	Roll D6
		1 to 5 Level 5 Hero
		6 Level 10 Hero
33 to 34	Town	Roll D6
		1 to 4 Level 10 Hero
		5 to 6 Level 15 Hero
35	City	Roll D6
		1 to 4 Level 20 Hero
		5 to 6 Level 25 Hero
36	Training Ground	+1 Elite unit
41	Stables	4+D6 riding beasts
42	Kennels	2+D4 pack animals
43 to 44	Road	+D6x10 points. +D6x10 per battle won if the road is staked.
45 to 46	Bridge	+2D6x10 points
51 to 52	Pass	+3D6x10 points
53 to 54	Forrest	Skirminshers/scouts +D3 warmachines.
55 to 56	Mountains	Skirminshers/scouts + access to Monstrous & Chaotic Hosts. After each battle roll a D6. If you roll a 6 you gain an additional Mine (see below).
61 to 62	Trade Route	1 magic item and access to Allies
63 to 64	Mine	1 magic item and access to Mercenaries
65	Ruins	1 magic item and access to Ethereal Host
66	Spy	You gain a Spy plus roll an additional territory

Spies represent agents and sympathisers in the enemy ranks or amongst his subject peoples. If you have a spy network you can use it to spy on your enemy's territory and conduct acts of sneaky espionage.

If you wish you can use a spy at the start of a game. Roll a D6:

D6	Territory	Effect
1	Caught	Your Spy is intercepted and slain, but not until he has revealed details of your entire spy network. Your Spy Network is uncovered and destroyed
2	Steals Maps	A treacherous servant in the enemy's camp steals important maps of troop movements and supply lines. If you win the battle you are able to exploit this knowledge by annexing a valuable part of his empire. To represent this the enemy must change the territory he has staked to one of your own choosing.
3	Assassin	A conspiritor in the enemy's ranks attempts to slay an enemy character on the eve of battle. Pick an enemy character as the target. Roll a D6 to see whether your assassin gets past his bodyguard: 1-2 the assassin is discovered and killed - no effect; 3-6 you reach the target. If the target is the General deduct 1 from the dice roll because he is better protected. The assassin strikes D3 automatic hits against the victim at strength D6. If slain the character is removed from the enemy's army; if wounded he starts the game less the number of wounds inflicted by the assassin.
4	Sabotage	A saboteur in the enemy's camp hamstrings the horses/wolves/cold ones etc…. & sets fire to the baggage. Roll a D6 for each cavalry model or chariot in the enemy's army. On a roll of 6 remove the model. For each model removed in this way the enemy can add one infantry model of no greater value to an existing infantry regiment. Also, roll a D6 for each war machine in the enemy army - on a roll of a 6 it is destroyed.
5	Bribery	You have bribed an enemy officer who has a grudge against his General, paying him to hold back from the fight. Nominate one enemy unit as being under the command of the bribed officer. At the start of each turn, the enemy must roll a D6, and on a roll of a 1 that unit will do nothing that turn unless it is already engaged in hand-to-hand combat in which case it will fight normally. If the unit is skirmishers or allies it will do nothing on a roll of 1 or 2.
6	Poison	Your agents have poisoned the wells in the vicinity of the enemy camp. At the start of his first turn the enemy rolls a D6 for each of his units. A unit which rolls a 1 is suffering from the effects of poisoned water and cannot move or shoot in the first turn. Otherwise it is unaffected.

Fighting Battles

Players are free to fight each other as they wish, representing skirmishes along their borders intrusions into their rivals' territory and outright invasions. The number of territories held by each player represents the size and power of his realm. The more territories a player has the bigger and better his power base.

When battle is joined both players must stake one of their territories. Spies can not be staked in this way. Each player nominates the territory to be staked before the game begins. After the battle is over an additional territory is generated from the chart.
 
Winning Territory

The player who wins the game retains his original territory and selects either of the two remaining territories to add to his own. This will either be his rivals territory or the new one. The loser takes the territory that is left.

If the winner takes his rival's territory the loser is assumed to have been forced back into the newly generated territory. If the winner takes the new territory then the battle has determined which side will posses the new land.

In the event of a draw both sides retain their territories and the player with the least territories gains the new one. If both players have the same amount of territories then roll a dice to see who gets the new territory.

Underdogs

If a player has at least twice as much territory as his opponent then his enemy is an "underdog". The following rules help to protect underdogs and also encourages players to fight opponents of a similar level.

If a player is an underdog he can raid his enemy's land. A raid is fought just like any other game except that both armies are limited to the same maximum points value set by the underdog. The points value must be at least 1000pts and it can be as high as the underdog's entire army.

Because the underdog player is making a surprise raid into enemy territory, taking advantage of his small size to penetrate deeply into his enemy's lands, he can pick which territory his enemy must stake. Obviously an underdog will choose the best targets to raid!

Futhermore, both armies are limited in choice as if the staked territories were the only territories either player had. This represents the fact that only local troops are available to fend off the raid, while the raiders are a nimble and mobile force.

To be continued...................................