A Provincial Governor is paid 350 L per year. He may squeeze up to an additional 1000 L per year from the people of his province, at the risk of open revolt. Within his province, a Governor has the powers of a Magistrate. In addition, he has Command of a Battalion (2 companies) of Fusiliers to keep the peace, and as personal guards.The following rules offer three different opportunities for player characters to serve in the military:
A City Mayor is paid 300 L per year. He may squeeze up to an additional 500 L per year from the citizens, at the risk of open revolt. Within his city, a Mayor has the powers of a Magistrate. He also commands a company of Fusiliers to keep the peace, and as his personal guards. - "5.53 Ranks and Positions in the Bureaucracy," "ROYAL OFFICIAL," Flashing Blades core rules, page 33
Soldiers who join a Garrison company are trained as Fusiliers or Artillerists, as described in 3.52 Choosing Martial Skills, page 9, of the FB core rules. A Garrison company serves in a Fortress or Fortified City. Fortresses serve to protect important strategic points from an enemy and to project royal power over the surrounding region.
Gentlemen and Noblemen may join a town or city Militia on a roll of 8+ on 2D6; they must have either the Polearms or Firearms skill and outfit themselves as Fusiliers at their own cost. Militia characters must spend one month each year in military service unless called upon to campaign. Port cities may have a Marine Militia unit which serves aboard privateer ships and galleys.
Dragoons may join the Maréchaussée on a roll of 9+ on 2D6; characters with the Tracking skill or Expertise 18+ in Firearms may automatically join the Maréchaussée. A character who is a Martial Magistrate may command a Maréchaussée Dragoon company on a roll of 10+ on 2D6.
Fortresses may be Coastal, Frontier, or Internal. A Coastal Fortress is self-explanatory. A Frontier Fortress is located on the German (Holy Roman Empire and vassal states), Belgian (Spanish vassal states) or Spanish (Spain or Italian vassal states) front as described in 5.34 The Campaign. An Internal Fortress is located in the interior of France, away from the frontiers. A Fortress may also be a fortified city; if you're unsure, roll 1D6 and on a 5-6, the Fortress is a Fortified City. Fortified Cities have both a Company of Fusiliers and a Company of Artillery as well as a Company of Militia (Fusiliers) under the command of the City Mayor, as quoted above.
Garrison Soldiers and Militia may campaign each year like Soldiers serving in Regiments, using a combination of the Flashing Blades core rules in 5.34 The Campaign (p. 26-8) and High Seas 4.2.2 Colonial Campaign Rules (p. 7-8). First, the Gamemaster determines where the Garrison and Militia companies serve (Coastal, Frontier, or Internal Fortress/Fortified City); ideally this should be established by the Gamemaster and the player characters, or it may be determined randomly by rolling 1D6 (1-2 Coastal, 3-5 Frontier, or 6 Internal).
The Gamemaster next rolls for the timing, location, enemy strength, and situation of the annual campaign as per 5.34 The Campaign (p. 26). If the campaign takes place on the front where the Garrison or Militia characters are serving, then there's a chance their fortress may be involved in the action; if the campaign situation is Under Seige or Repeated Skirmishes, then on a roll of 6 on 1D6, the Garrison and/or Militia companies in which the player characters serve are included with the French forces on campaign. (Note that Garrison Captains may not volunteer their companies to serve on campaign away from their fortresses; a City Mayor may volunteer his Militia company to serve, but will only be accepted on a roll of 6 on 1D6 or at the discretion of a player character Division commander or Field Maréchal.) Garrison Fusilier companies count as one point to Army Strength for either Under Siege or Repeated Skirmishes; Garrison Artillery companies only contribute when Under Seige, but add 2 points to Army Strength. Militia companies do not contribute to Army Strength unless their Captain succeeds in a Brilliant Maneuver, in which case they add 1 point, but may be taken as casualties at the discretion of the Gamemaster or a player character Division commander or Field Maréchal. Injuries, special events, commendations and promotions, booty, and capture for Garrison and Militia player characters participating in the annual campaign are handled normally as described in 5.35 Personal Results of Campaign (pp. 27-8) and 5.36 CAPTURE (pp. 29-30); Militia characters will always be ransomed by their town or city if captured.
Maréchaussée and Marine Militia characters do not participate in annual campaigns.
In addition to service on annual campaigns, Garrison and Militia companies may participate in smaller engagements throughout the year. Roll 1D6 for a Fortress Garrison company or Fortified City Garrison and Militia companies each month; on a roll of 6, the Garrison or Garrison and Militia companies are involved in an engagement. Garrison and Militia companies involved in the annual campaign do NOT roll for an engagement during the months they're on campaign.
Maréchaussée may also participate in smaller engagements as well. Each province, as represented on page 44 of the core rules, has one or more Maréchaussée companies; the Gamemaster should determine when the character joins the Maréchaussée in which province their company is located. As noted, Maréchaussée companies do not participate in annual campaigns; however, they are more likely to have engagements when the annual campaign takes place in the province where they're located. Roll 1D6 for a Maréchaussée company each month, on a roll of 6, the Maréchaussée company is involved in an engagement. However, if the annual campaign is taking place in the province where the Maréchaussée are located, then an engagement occurs on a roll of 5 or 6 on 1D6. Frex, if the campaign is "Spanish and Coastal" during the months of March to August, then a Maréchaussée company in Languedoc, Provence, or Guyenne and Gascony will have an engagement on a roll of 5 or 6 for each of those months, while a Maréchaussée company in Limousin, Auvergne, or Lyonnais will only have an engagement on a roll of 6.
There are five basic engagements for Garrison, Militia, and Maréchaussée companies: Civil Unrest, Banditry, Deserters, Raid, and Bombardment. If an engage ment occurs, roll 1D6 on the following table to determine the situation; if the Fortress, Fortified City, or province where the player characters' companies are serving is also the location of the annual campaign, add 1 to the roll.
| 1D6 | Coastal Fortress | Frontier Fortress | Internal Fortress | Maréchaussée |
| 1 | Civil Unrest | Civil Unrest | Civil Unrest | Civil Unrest |
| 2 | Civil Unrest | Civil Unrest | Civil Unrest | Banditry |
| 3 | Banditry | Civil Unrest | Civil Unrest | Banditry |
| 4 | Deserters | Banditry | Civil Unrest | Banditry |
| 5 | Raid | Deserters | Banditry | Deserters |
| 6 | Raid | Raid | Deserters | Deserters |
| 7 | Bombardment | Raid | Deserters | Deserters |
Civil Unrest includes peasant mobs in the countryside (le paysage) violenty protesting taxes or troop quartering, rioting against a legal injustice or the nobility generally, or rebelling against religious persecution; more rarely it could include urban strife between noble clienteles or political factions, as in "fair Verona, where we lay our scene." The number of peasants protesting or rebelling is determined by rolling (1D20 x 20) and adding 200 (producing a number between 220 and 600). The Garrison Fusilier or Maréchaussée Dragoon company (1D20 + 180 men) and (2D6 X 10) civilian Militia will be mustered to quell the disturbance. Roll the three encounters as per 5.34 The Campaign in the core rules. Determine Army Strengths by dividing the peasant forces by 20, and the Garrison or Maréchaussée forces by 10. For example, if a Garrison company (200 men) and 60 Militia were sent to quell a riot by 340 peasants, the Garrison or Army Strength would be 26 (260/10 = 26) and the peasant Army Strength would be 17 (340/20 = 17). A Brilliant Maneuver by the Fusilier or Dragoon Captain or the Martial Magistrate commanding the Maréchaussée adds the equivalent of 200 additional soldiers to the royal soldiers' side for purposes of deciding the outcome.
Roll normally for individual results from Civil Unrest, but assume that none of the peasants will be mounted. Peasants are poorly armed with improvised weapons such as farm implements - treat as clubs or hand axes for damage. If a roll indicates an encounter with an Officer, the encounter is instead with an archer on foot armed with a dagger and a bow or crossbow at the Gamemaster's discretion; if the roll indicates a Cavalier, the peasant will have a dagger and a pike or a halberd , again at the referee's discretion. Instead of taking or re-taking a flag, the Personal Encounter is with a ringleader; capturing a ringleader counts toward a decoration the same as capturing or keeping a flag. There is no roll for Booty after quelling Civil Unrest - if they had anything of value, they wouldn't be rebelling! If Garrison or Maréchaussée soldiers lose in the fight during Civil Unrest, each player character in the Garrison (or Militia) must attempt a Luck roll. If the Luck roll fails, he is captured; subsequent events are determined by the Gamemaster; this may involve the captives negotiating with their captors . . .
Banditry includes roving bands of highwaymen and brigands preying upon travellers on the royal roads or threatening villages and country estates. They are marginally better armed than the peasantry, but only slightly more organized. The bandits, (1D20 x 20) + 100 in number, threaten the welfare of the King's subjects. The Garrison Fusiliers or Maréchaussée Dragoons company (1D20 + 180 men) must bring the bandits to justice. To determine Army Strengths, divide the bandit forces by 20 and divide French forces by 10. A Brilliant Maneuver by the Fusilier or Dragoon Captain or the Martial Magistrate commanding the Maréchaussée adds the equivalent of 200 additional soldiers to the royal soldiers' side for purposes of deciding the outcome. Determine the results of the first encounter; if the royal soldiers win, the bandits are dispersed and the campaign ends; if the bandits win, an additional (1D6 x 10) will join them. If the first encounter is a tie, or a victory for the bandits, proceed to the next two encounters.
When rolling for individual results suppressing Banditry, roll normally. Bandits have a dagger or a club and a bow or a crossbow. If a roll indicates an encounter with an Officer, the bandit will have an arquebus and a longsword or cutlass; if the roll indicates a Cavalier, the encounter is with a bandit with a longsword or cutlass and two pistols. Instead of taking or re-taking a flag, a player character may free a captive held by the bandits for ransom; freeing a captive counts toward a decoration the same as capturing or keeping a flag. The roll for Booty at the end of Banditry has a -4 modifier. If Garrison or Maréchaussée soldiers lose in the fight against Banditry, each player character in the Garrison, Militia, or Maréchaussée must attempt a Luck roll. If the Luck roll fails, he is captured; player characters who look rich may be taken for ransom by the bandits, but otherwise, they will only be imprisoned until the bandits leave area, left chastened but alive.
Deserters seek to escape the discpline and privation of military life, instead bullying and stealing from peasants to survive; deserters may also be mutineers, actively rebelling against their commanders or other authorities, at the Gamemaster's discretion. They are reasonably well armed but often undisciplined and poorly led. Similar to bandits, (1D20 x 20) + 100 deserters must be recaptured or killed. The Garrison Fusiliers or Maréchaussée Dragoons company (1D20 + 180 men) must restore the peace. To determine Army Strengths, divide the deserter forces by 20 and divide French forces by 10. A Brilliant Maneuver by the Fusilier or Dragoon Captain or the Martial Magistrate commanding the Maréchaussée adds the equivalent of 200 additional soldiers to the royal soldiers' side for purposes of deciding the outcome. Determine the results of the first encounter; if the royal soldiers win, the Deserters are captured and the campaign ends; if the Deserters win, an additional (1D6 x 10) will join them. If the first encounter is a tie, or a victory for the Deserters, proceed to the next two encounters.
When rolling for individual results recapturing Deserters, roll normally. Deserters are armed withdagger and either a pike or halberd or an arquebus. If a roll indicates an encounter with an Officer, the deserter is a non-commissioned officer with an arquebus and a longsword or cutlass; if the roll indicates a Cavalier, the encounter is with a deserter with a longsword or cutlass and two pistols. Instead of taking or re-taking a flag, a player character may free an officer held by the deserters for ransom; freeing an officer counts toward a decoration the same as capturing or keeping a flag and may earn a Favor from the rescued officer as well, at the Gamemaster's discretion. The roll for Booty after suppressing Deserters has a -4 modifier. If Garrison or Maréchaussée soldiers lose in the fight with Deserters, each player character in the Garrison, Militia, or Maréchaussée must attempt a Luck roll. If the Luck roll fails, he is captured; captured player characters may be invited to join the Deserters, with the threat of execution if they refuse; subsequent events are determined by the Gamemaster.
A Raid indicates that Spanish or Imperial troops, pirates, corsairs, or Huguenot privateers have landed or sent troops to make a quick skirmish attack. There will be (1D20 x 20) + 100 enemy soldiers (double this number a against a Fortified City). The royal Fort or Fortified City will be defended by its garrison (200 men, or 400 men if a Fortified City) and 2D6 x 10 Militia. To determine Army Strength, divide each side's forces by 10. If the French win the first encounter, the enemy raiders will flee, otherwise, continue the Campaign normally.
When rolling for individual results in a Raid, roll normally, but assume that none of the raiders will be mounted (substitute an Officer encounter for Cavalier). Raiders will be well-armed as appropriate to their origins. The roll for Booty at the end of a Raid has a -4 modifier. Raiders will hold a settlement only long enough to pillage and plunder (a week at most). Player-characters who look rich may be taken for ransom by the raiders, but otherwise, they will only be imprisoned until the raiders leave.
Bombardment is handled as in 6.4.8 Special Situations in High Seas. Roll 1D6 to determine the size of a Coastal Fortress; the Fortress may be Small (1), Medium (2-4), or Large (5-6). A Coastal Fortified City is equivalent to either a Medium (1-3) or Large (4-6) Fortress for purposes of Bombardment.
Marines and Marine Militia will be handled in a separate post.
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