From: [d--r--r] at [mustang.uwo.ca] (Dave Harper)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Armies and PCs - Commisions
Date: Sat, 09 Nov 1996 08:14:56 GMT

6.3.3.2  Commissions

          Instead of going through the ranks like most soldiers, those
with status, riches and intelligence prefer to buy a commission.  This
is a common practice that helps ensure high education and social
skills among an army's commanders, loyalty to the throne, and helps
offset the high costs of fielding an army.
          Patrol leaders lead a patrol of nine troops, are junior
officers, and earn 5 gold a season.  A commission to become a patrol
leader costs 70 sovereigns.  Although this is expensive, it is
generally spurned as too junior a rank and too common a position for
noble sons to bear.  Roughly 10% of all troops achieve a rank of
patrol leader or above.  It is more common to find merchant families
sponsoring patrol leaders and hoping their child will earn their way
to a command.  
          Strike leaders earn 10 gold a season, lead a strike of ten
patrols, one of them under their personal command (100 troops), and
are junior officers.  A commission to strike leader costs 700
sovereigns.  This is the position most noble sons take, and is the
usual rank most people think of as a starting rank for officers.
          Force leaders are senior officers commanding three strikes,
one of them under their personal command (300 troops), and earn 15
gold a season.  A commission to force leader costs 2,100 sovereigns
and is rare, although not unheard of.  The most influential and
important families often use this rank for their children.  
          Force commanders are the most senior of all commissioned
officers, with an entire force of ten strikes under their command
(1000 troops), one of them personally, and earn 25 gold a season.  A
commission at this rank costs 7,000 sovereigns!  Only the sons of
kings and the richest, most military of the rival families can afford
such a position for their sons.  There are two force commanders in an
army, a junior and a senior officer.  Although they are technically
the same rank, the senior officer is always promoted to War Leader
when the job opens itself up, and the junior officer is always
promoted to senior.
          War leaders are considered commanders and earn 50 gold a
season.  They command a sizeable force of one army--three Forces (3000
troops), one under their personal command.  
          Generals earn 50 gold and up, depending on case.  200 gold a
season is not uncommon.  Each general commands three armies, or 9000
troops.  Generals are most commonly appointed as a title or earned
through long years of experience and competence.  
        Special note: Elite units (ultra heavy cavalry, blademasters, magical
units, etc) are entirely made up of "officers".  The average troop in
a Elite Patrol is a Patrol Leader!!  For Elite units, downsize the
number of troops commanded by 1 rank (a strike leader controls a
patrol of 10 troops, a general would command an army of 3000).