Inter Arma Appendix IV

Inter Arma Appendix IV
Gunpowder rules

0. Introduction
As the playtests of the original rules and both main appendixes went well, and I was getting into a swashbuckling/ pike&shot painting spree, here is an updated and revised sub-version containing more weapon characteristics.

This appendix does not limit the rules to certain periods, but it is not considered fair to play with participants from different eras (Spartans vs. Napoleon’s Old Guard). You can do it for fun though.

1. Melee additions

a) Bayonet
Muskets with bayonet serve as polearms and can damage from second rank.

b) Pike
Pikes serve as polearms and can damage from the second&third ranks; single units armed with pike can engage in combat as far from the edge of their base as long the pike is (e. g. a 4cm long pike adds such range).
Once getting past ’pike point’, which means entering this range, opponents have a +1 on iniative. The pikeman can then draw sword which counts as shooting in the previous turn and removes the effect on enemy initiative (but still results in a disatvantage for the pikeman, see the rest for explanation).
If the pikeman does not draw sword he can roll 1d6, if it results in 6 he can retreat as far as he could inflict damage again. If the pikeman fails the retreat dice and passes the saving roll, he cannot counterattack.

2. Firearms

a) Ranges
All initiatives as in the main book; distance in centimetres.

Type				Short	Med	Long
Arquebus, bandolet		6	10	14
Pistol and small arms		5	7	9
Musket				10	14	18
Rifle				12	18	24
Carbine				8	12	14

b) Skills
Ranged skills from Appendix I apply to firearms as well. Quiver Draw can be renamed ’Quick Load’ for simplicity’s sake.

c) Ammunition
As ammunition for firearms is more specific than it is for arrows/crossbows, rules can be set that each soldier is supplied by a number of shots and an amount of powder. This can vary if a party is on campaign.

3. Special combat

a) Cavalry vs. infantry
Cavalry attacking infantry in closed formation reduces initiative by 1 and takes a morale test after the first turn of combat, and every consecutive turns spent in contact after.
Infantry attacked by cavalry, unless being Elites/Veterans, takes a morale test first on sighting, then after the first turn of combat, and every consecutive turns spent in contact after.
Pike&shot era musketeers and similar troops (arquebusiers etc.), when fired previously, reduce their initiative by 2 when opposing cavalry without the support of pike

b) Salvoes
Elite/Veteran infantry in closed formation and armed with firearms can fire volleys three ranks deep, distance counted from the first rank for all ranks.

c) Caracoling
Cavalry shooting carbines/small arms is simultaneous with any opposing way of combat. Caracoling cavalry can fire small arms in three ranks deep, distance counted from the first rank for all ranks, thus simulating movement.

4. Special units

a) Classification: Conscripts/Militia
one level below Regulars, units classified as Conscript/Militia reduce their initiative and saving rolls by 1 and take a morale test every turn after the first turn in combat.

b) Abolition of shields.
When playing in an era where shields are out of use, a well-clad unit (helmet, buff coat etc.) can be counted as one carrying a shield, armored being unchanged.

Armored unit for example is a cuirassier in three quarter armor, or a pikeman in breast+back plate and tassets.

c) Dismounting
Dragoons and similar units can ride equal distances to regular non-armored cavalry, dismount, then move 8cm or walking range. Horses left behind must be marked on the tabletop; units on foot must return to these by standard movement, spend a turn mounting up, then they can move again similar to cavalry units. Horses are counted as unarmored units and can be wounded/killed.

5. Modification on intiatives

Closed formations of units take a singular initiative in a melee. Classification modifiers count when the formation contains more than 50% of the class (e. g. a unit of 16 pikemen must have 9 Elites/Veterans to add +1 to its singular initiative). Then the enemy saves as many hits they had taken from the enemy lines, then the player with initiative saves as many times as many hits the enemy could inflict after removing wounded/dead units.

Example:
A pike block of 16 units from the previous example, in 4 ranks, counted as Elite/Veteran vs. a similar unit of pike but counted as Regulars as there are not enough Elites (only 8). The initiative roll results in an even, our pike adds +1 for its classification and wins the initiative.
Three ranks inflict damage, the enemy rolls 12 saves, results in 3 dead and 4 wounded in the first three ranks. There is no further movement in this turn, so the fourth rank cannot march forward: the intact pikemen strike back, which results in 5 saving rolls to our pike block. Out of five saving rolls then, only 1 results in a death and one in a wound. (After this sequence, the pike block with the heavier losses has to take a morale test.)

Massive units relying on firepower (e.g. two bodies of musketeers facing each other) roll hitting rolls & saves only when not engaged in close quarter combat.

6. Artillery

As the regulations on artillery are mentioned only in Appendix I, and those are insufficient, hereby submitted are the rules for artillery.

a) Ranges
Type			Short	Med	Long
Medium/Siege guns	14	20	26
Regimental guns		12	16	21

Roll dice to see if hit as in the main book.
Elite/Veteran and Commander/Hero gun crews increase hitting roll by 1 on Short and Medium distances.

b) Special rules
All targeted living units, regardless how well clad they are, reduce their saving roll by 1 if hit by artillery.
Artillery can fire canister up to 15cm of distance. There is no hitting roll and all units in the targeted area of 8x8cm must roll a save.
Damaging closed formations results in all units behind the first target have to roll a save. The same applies to units in skirmish order or close behind each other. This is to simulate the effect of cannonballs.
When marching on swamps/wet terrain each unit behind the targeted one has to roll a further hitting roll, to see how far the cannonball bounced. If the cannonball misses one unit, the further ones behind it don't have to roll more.

7. Addendum

This appendix for the core Inter Arma ruleset was completed (with chapter 4 finished and chapter 5 added) on 02/12/12. Further modifications to be noted below.

26/12/12: gunpowder artillery is included.

The rules are free to use and available for public.
Please feel free to add your comments / criticism on my blog http://randomncreative.blogspot.com