The Army of Eastern New Edom

[Tybalt]

This is a thread I'm putting up to expand available information on the New Edomite Army and also to update its status in my campaign.

First of all:
All core classes are grist to the New Edomite army's mill. I'm open to suggestions for others that might be useful however.

Because the ante has been upped by the enemy for raising evil undead, scrying, and raids by night-favouring creatures like goblins, hobgoblins and orcs I would also like suggestions for how to improve piquet lines and security.

I would like some ideas on how (given that I have a moderate level magic setting) the spellcasters might be best distributed.

Any other ideas and suggestions would also be appreciated. Thank you.

The Army of Eastern New Edom Order of Battle

[spoiler]Commanding Officer: General Sarah Carmel
General Staff:
Adjutant-General: Colonel Gwendolyn Labraid (basically chief of staff)
Quartermaster-General: Lieutenant-Colonel Eli Barra (supply and materials)
Commandant of Engineers: Major Eli Antaxerxes (siegecraft and engineering projects)
Commandant, Council Police: Major Ephraim Zadek (senior political and intelligence officer)
Senior Magical Advisor: Lord Magdiel
Senior Chaplain: Lord Talamand (High Priest of Ishtar) (plus roughly 21 clerics of Ishtar, 4 druids, 5 priest-smiths of Moradin, 8 clerics of Osprem)

Army Troops (the units directly under the General Staff)
-   Quartermaster Corps (consisting of clerks, cooks, saddlers, armorers, coopers, farriers, drovers)
-   Corps of Engineers (mostly those attached to the Headquarters are architects, senior engineers, and units of pioneers whose job is to make sure that roads and bridges are trustworthy)
-   Council Police Security Force (this is both political officers rooting out spies, spies looking for information, people skilled and analyzing information and a unit of 50 Enforcers who also act as a kind of military police)
-   Dragon Company, the Light Troops (45 rogues, rangers and mercenary barbarians attached directly as scouts to the Headquarters)
-   Field Hospital (healers, herbalists, and assistants)
-   Magical assistants (there are 3 apprentices of Lord Magdiel plus Elenestra, his deputy. In addition to this there is roughly 1 lower level wizard per fifty soldiers)

The First Division
Commander: Colonel Shalmaneser
(This is made up of forces defending the southern sea border and the area around the city of Fineberg, the largest New Edomite settlement in the East, and is the main rearguard of the army)
-   The Fineberg Regiment of Infantry (800 pikemen, crossbowmen)
-   The Fineberg Troop of Cavalry (250 medium cavalry with crossbow, lance and sword)
-   1st Battalion of the 4th Infantry Regiment (400 pikemen and crossbowmen)
-   8th Battalion of the Corps of Engineers (680 sappers, miners and artillerists)

The Second Division
Commander: Lieutenant-Colonel von Drang
(This is made up of forces in bivouacs south of Glasstower on the New Edomite side and is almost entirely made up of militia)
-   The Restenford Militia (consisting of 50 light cavalry and 250 crossbowmen and spearmen)
-   The Garoten Militia (consisting of troops from Verity and Nulb as well and having 100 crossbowmen and 200 spearmen)
-   The Sterry Militia (consisting of 150 crossbowmen and light infantry and also having 8 fishing and transport boats patrolling)
-   Eagle Company of the Light Troops (83 Light troops with crossbow, spear and sword)

The Third Division (commanded by General Carmel directly)
(Occupying Harbourtown)
-   The 2nd Battalion of the 4th Infantry Regiment (400 pikemen and crossbowmen)
-   The 3rd Battalion of the 4th Infantry Regiment (280 pikemen and crossbowmen'"short one company of infantry seconded to the Northern Front)
-   The 4th Troop of the Cavalry Corps (150 medium cavalry)
-   6th Battalion of the Corps of Engineers( 550 sappers, miners and artillerists'"note that it has seconded the 3rd Company to the  Northern Front)
-   Fineberg Militia Fleet (mostly small ships and barges used  to act as scouts, line of communication units and transports)

The Yasg Contingent (commanded by Lord Vaire, a Yasg aristocrat)
-   The Iron Men (a battalion of 400 slave-soldiers owned by Lord Vaire, armed with pikes, axes)
-   The Egedi Volunteers (a squadron of 24 dragonnel riders)
-   6 great galleys, 2 caravels and 1 cog forming a naval squadron (1400 mariners)

The Elvish Contingent (commanded by Prince Mane Andoe of the Elvish city of Lioslinn)
-   200 Elvish spearmen (light infantry)
-   8 Elvish loremasters
-   50 Elvish sharpshooters (composite longbows)
-   18 Elvish windriders [/spoiler]

For those more in the know about my campaign, or those interested, I'm building this up more in the absence of the pcs, to develop some ideas on how General Carmel and her staff might be improving the army during a rather bitter cold winter in which the relieved city of Harbourtown and the safe zone of Fineberg face off against enemy occupation of Glasstower and Westmark.

[Captain Dwur]

A very conservative distribution of magic would leave powerful casters (a rare resource) stationed in well-defended locations.  They could provide magical defenses and also prepare scrolls and wands for lower-level casters stationed at more remote or dangerous locations.  This keeps the real magical talent out of harms way, but also allows for a steady stream of magical power out to the front.

-OR-

A mobile unit of magical cavalry stationed in a central location.  They could travel as needed and bring magical superiority to one conflict at a time.

[Tybalt]

I think the mobile unit will end up being the pcs--so very likely the higher level ones would be best distributed as you say.

[LordVreeg]

What do elvish loremasters do?

this army is in the field versus the humanoids and the undead, correct?  Do they have enough silvered weapons?  I didn't see a huge amount of priests.

[Tybalt]

Silvered weapons are a good idea. As for clerics--I didn't picture there being a huge number, to be honest. Do you disagree?

I'm still working on elvish magic, but I want ultimately for it to be distinctly different from human. Essentially it works on the basis of something called earth power, and is a little like elementalism. All elves have some degree of tihs earth power but loremasters specialize in it, focus on different areas of it and become experts in it. Elvish leadership tends to have a focus on something very specific, usually leadership related. Elvish warriors tend to be focused on highly improved physical instincts and alertness.

Loremasters are usually the following: healers, summoners, shapeshifters and far-seers. Because I didn't plan elves (so far) as a pc class I've tended to keep this mysterious (even to myself) but I do intend to work on this more.

[LordVreeg]

Silvered weapons and a gang of priests is to knowingly going into battle with undead as gasmasks were in world war ! when gas attacks showed up; commanders will make some adjustments based on that.  Since they know the horror of the Undead will be faced, I'd be recruiting every Priest and Paladin this side of Fineberg.  Major Ephraim Zadek should be out of a job if he hasn't been stirring public opinion that the noble church and it's wardens will be needed to battle the horror of undeath...

I like the direction the earth magic is going in.  I'd do something totally non-vancian with it, just to mess with the PC's.  All my earth priests of Madrak, Amrist, Vernidale, et al, create a sacred grove at every halt or full stop.  The earth itself speaks to them, and greater priests of earth will actually recruit denizen's of the House of Earth to travel under her mantle to spy for them.

Does the Yasg contingent have any dragon based magic?

[Tybalt]

Thanks Vreeg, those are some helpful thoughts. Perhaps the elvish loremasters could carry shrine like assemblages with them of the important elements--a sort of combined research lab, library, and communications chamber--that they would literally root in the local elements when they establish a camp or whatever.

You're quite right about the role of Major Zadek--he and Lord Talamand should during New Edom's "Valley Forge" be recruiting as much as possible from the priestly angle. They could also press their dwarvish allies for more silvered weapons as their contribution to the war effort. (with a small population the dwarves have sent all the fighters they dare to the northern front and to Touchstone)

The Yasg contingent probably should have a group of dragon disciples of some kind--I'm planning to use the Draconomicon to come up with uniquely draconic magic for them to use. Partly because Aevar has been sneering at them for being 'wannabees' when he has a real dragon as a companion.

[LordVreeg]

Do the wizard's attatched to the engineers have any single charge petty magic to them?  Any stuff they can do to change probabity slightly or to increase some mechanical advantage?