Part Two

Ave Imperator: Struggle for Empire, C. 235CE
DBA Campaigns with Rules Variants

By Mark Cordone

Seige Cards

Clubs: The defender may launch a sortie by playing a clubs card. He rolls versus two dice if the siege lines have not been completed, three if they have. With success he may destroy one point of enemy baggage if using camp followers, or two if any other troops; or he may destroy the enemy siege engines (Artillery) if he beats them in a close combat roll. (If behind siege lines count as defending a BUA +4)

The attacker may build siege engines by rolling vs 2 dice if there is artillery on his army list, or three if there is not. Success means he may play another clubs card to bombard the town. (on his next or subsequent turns). Artillery built for a siege is NOT another element in the users army, can not be taken with him afterwards and does not count for breakpoint.

If he has artillery he may open a bombardment of the town by rolling 2 dice vs. the card. If successful he has opened a breach and may assault the town.

To assault a town both the attacker and defender nominate one element of FOOT from their armies, and roll a close combat with the defender considered to be defending a BUA. If the attacker pushes back or destroys the defender he has carried the breach and the city falls, with all defending elements massacred in the frenzy that follows. The enemy general is HIT, and all rules for leader hits apply, if he lives he is captured as is all baggage and treasure in the town. The attacker may only launch ONE assault on a town each month.

Diamonds: Both sides may attempt to forage for supplies in the town, or the surrounding countryside. The attacker vs. two dice, and the defender vs. two dice +1 for each season the siege has lasted. Roll less than or equal to the cards value and find enough food to prevent one element's attrition for your army that month.

Hearts: Both sides may attempt to rally their forces by rolling two dice less than or equal to the cards value, +/- their charisma modifier (to the cards value.) Add +1 for each month the siege has lasted to the roll, after the first. Success means that army does not have to test vs. breakpoint that month. (Example: A general with a +1 charisma modifier plays an 8 of hearts on the third month of the siege. He needs to roll an 8+1-2 =7 or less with two dice to rally his army.)

Spades: The attacker may complete his siege lines by rolling less than or equal to the cards value with two dice.

He may also attempt to build a ramp up to the city walls by rolling three dice, if successful he may assault the town as if he had a breach, but the defender only counts as defending in bad going.

If he chooses, he may attempt to undermine the walls by rolling the cards value or less with two dice, if successful he has created a breach just as if through bombardment.

The defender may repair a breach by rolling the cards value or less with two dice, or countermine by doing the same. Repaired breaches make the walls as good as new for purposes of the siege, and a countermine causes the collapse of an attacker's mine before it has caused a breach in the walls.

Joker: If played by the attacker roll 3 dice versus the cards value (11), and if successful then a traitor opens the gates! The town falls immediately and the defender's army, general, treasure and baggage are all captured.

If played by the defender (as for the attacker above) then rumors of the approach of a massive relieving army spread panic through the ranks of the besieger's army causing him to immediately lift the siege and retreat out of the province.

Alternately, a joker may be used as an ace of a suit of the players choice.

Sack

Once a town has fallen, the attacker may sack it. In addition to any booty captured as indicated above, he may roll 1D3 for each level of the province and gain that many dollars in gold to be added to his army's war chest.

Surrender

The parties are free to negotiate any terms of surrender acceptable to both at any time prior to a successful assault.

Generals Fate

Whenever a generals element is engaged in close combat or shot at there is a chance that he will be hit. The other player rolls one die, and on a one the general is imperiled. Roll another die, with results as indicated below:

1. Killed: Results exactly as if the generals element has been destroyed.
2. Badly Wounded: But he will pull through. The general is out of action for the rest of this season and all of the next. Treat as if he has been killed for this battle.
3. Wounded: No pip roll for his next bound for his army, and -1 modifier to all pip rolls for the rest of the battle.
4. Light wound: Bloodied but unbowed, he carries on. Roll another die, if evens are rolled his perseverance inspires his troops and his element gets a +1 to all CC rolls for the rest of the battle, but if odds are rolled his troops are shaken by the close call and suffer a -1 to all cc rolls for the rest of the battle.
5. A near miss: no other effect.
6. A near miss: no other effect.

If a general is wounded or lightly wounded and his element is pushed back in close combat there is a chance the foe may capture him before his bodyguards can spirit him away to safety. Both sides roll one die, if the general's roll beats or ties the enemies he escapes, if the foe beats his roll he is captured. On his next bound the only move his army may make is for the general's element or entire group to surge forward and attack the enemy in an attempt to recapture him. If they succeed in pushing back the element that took him prisoner, they can try to recapture him be rolling off as indicated above. If they destroy the element they will automatically recapture him. The enemy may put him to death before he can be recaptured by rolling a one on one die. If he is not recaptured that bound then his captors have carried him off the their camp and may do with him what they like. For purposes of this battle he is considered to have been killed.

Generals

All generals have three attributes: Leadership, Charisma, and Prowess. For each roll 1 d6, on a 1 the general has a rating of -1, on a 2-5 his/her rating is +/- 0 and on a 6, a rating of +1.

• Leadership: Modifies his pip rolls.
• Charisma: Modifies the number of elements that must be eliminated before reaching army break point.
• Prowess: Modifies all combat rolls for the generals element.

In addition, Generals have experience levels, roll as per attributes above.

(1) Green Generals have a -1 modifier across the board.

(2-5) Experienced Generals have no modifier.

(6) Veteran Generals have a +1 modifier across the board.

Generals gain experience points, one for each battle they have fought, and siege they have been a part of. At start a green general has 1d3 points, an experienced one 2d3 and a veteran general 1 d6+6. Each time a general gains an experience point he may try to go up one level. To do so he rolls 1d6+ his experience total; A green general will advance to Experienced if his total is 8 or higher, and an experienced general advances to veteran if his total is 16 or higher.

Please not that regardless of modifiers, a general always gets one pip, and his breakpoint will never be lower than 2.

Return To Part One

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Last Updated: May 19, 2002

Questions, comments, and feedback are welcome. Sent them to Chris Brantley at brant@erols.com.