[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Written and Designed: Neil Gow
Art: Peter Frain
Editors: Iain McAllister and Andrew Kenrick
Playtesters: Andrew Watson, David Grundy, Ben Clapperton, Nigel Robertson, Matt Prowse, Malcolm Craig,
Mike Sands, Jason Pollock, Stefan Tyler, Steve Ironside, Kerry Adam, David Avery, Stephen Thomson, Tracey
West, David Snoddy, Andrea Civiera, Ian O’Rourke, Colin West, Belinda Lund, Graham Hart
Ideas and Input : Rich Stokes, Jason Morningstar, Chris Bennett, Robert Earley-Clark,
Jez Grey, Brennan Taylor, Mick Red
Feedback: The wonderful folk at Collective Endeavour (http://www.collective-endeavour.com/)
Dedicated to my great grandfather, Gunner Thomas Watson of the Royal Field Artillery,
1914-1920, veteran of the Somme.
© 2008 Omnihedron Games. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden,
except for purpose of reviews. Any similarites to characters, places, situations or institutions etc. (without the purposes of historical
accuracy) are purely co-incidental
Artwork p43,54,94 © 2008, clipart.com
1809 Edition - the second printing of the game (2009)
J
Europe Alame!
October 1810
The spectre of the Emperor Napoleon hangs heavy over the sovereign
states of Europe. From the smoke of the bloody French Revolution one
man has managed to galvanise the French people into one mind –: the
conquest of the continent and the establishment of a great Republic.
However, there are those that stand against Napoleon and his near
unstoppable columns of blue-clad troops. To the east, the grand old states
of Prussia and Austria are constantly pressured and Russia maintains a
state of fragile neutrality.
Overseas the island of Great Britain remains resolute in its opposition
to this dictator. King George will not allow this madman to sweep across
Europe and spread his republican ideals. His armies make a stand in the
last western European state still free of Napoleon’s rule – Portugal.
After a failed thrust into Spain, Britain’s greatest General – Arthur
Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington – has been forced to ight a slow
retreat back towards Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, and the newly-erected
fortiications at the Lines of Torres Vedras. His scorched earth policy has
hurt the Portuguese as well as the French but now his enemies have been
halted and are retreating back from the front. It is time to march forward
and retake Portugal, Spain and then Europe!
The future of a free Europe depends on the men of the British army,
considered by some to be the most lethal ighting force in the world.
Gathered from across the British Isles, the King’s regiments, resplendent
in their bright red tunics, march forth into the Iberian Peninsula. Drilled
to within an inch of their lives, these men will stand under ire from the
heaviest cannon, march across the battleield in perfect order and then
unleash volley after volley of withering musket ire into their enemy
before descending down on them in a vicious bayonet charge. Supported
by the inest horse cavalry and strong supply lines ensured by the British
domination of the seas, the Redcoats will stand against the French
columns or die.
However, there are some circumstances where a few men can succeed
where hundreds would surely fail. Buoyed by the success of his new
Light Infantry units and his Rile regiment, Wellington has encouraged
his commanding oficers in the ield to form detached units of soldiers,
lead by capable oficers, who can be given missions of great importance.
You are those men!
4
Duty & Honour
Introduction
What is Duty & Honour?
Do you enjoy a good bodice ripping yarn of daring-do? Do you get a shiver up
your spine when you hear Richard Sharpe screaming at his men to ire four
rounds a minute? Do the words ‘Beat to quarters and run out the guns!’ ill
you with excitement?
Duty & Honour is a role-playing game that puts you and your friends in the
roles of the men who fought during the Napoleonic Wars. However this is not
the bloody, gritty and torrid reality of these harsh battles – rather it is told
from the perspective of the thrilling works of iction that has built up around
this time – Sharpe, Hervey, Hornblower, Aubrey, Kydd et al.
Each player in Duty & Honour has their own character and together with the
other players tell the story of that character’s own personal war. Some may
be destined for greatness, others may perish on the ield whilst others may
claw and scrape away to ensure that everyone but them perishes. This game
is their story.
What do you need to play Duty & Honour?
You need some friends – three or more – one of whom is willing to act as
the arbiter for the game, commonly known as the Game Master (GM). You
will need somewhere to play – a house, a game club, an online space or even
a VOIP connection. Each player will need a character sheet, a pencil, some
mission cards and a pack of ordinary playing cards, with one joker included
but another available.
What sort of a game is Duty & Honour?
In Duty & Honour the progress and plot of the game are thrown open to the
players to direct as they try to complete their missions, both personal and
professional. Alongside the GM, the players suggest the sort of adventures
that they would like to participate in and how they can overlap to create a
great story. This requires both the GM and the players to think on their feet
and be able to work together to create an exciting and compelling story.
Notation
Cards that are overturned are noted by Number irst and Suit second. For
example: AS is the Ace of Spaces. 5D is the ive of diamonds. KC is the King
of Clubs. 10H is the Ten of Hearts.
The characters that the players control are called ‘Player Characters’ or PCs
The characters that the GM controls are called Non Player Characters or
NPCs
Duty & Honour
5
J
War in Europe
The View of General Abercrombie
Scots Foot Guards (retired)
Never, in all my years in the military, have I
known a time of such desperation. Across
the world it would appear that forces are
conspiring against King George and his empire.
The damnable Irish are stirring for trouble, the
Indians are barely civilised, the Americans are
barely capable of managing their newly won
independence and across Europe the armies of
France are cutting territory left and right for
their Emperor Napoleon.
Let no one underestimate the danger of the
words and deeds that have looded from
Paris over the last twenty years. Revolution
no less! The purging... no, murder, murder
of the aristocracy, destruction of centuries of
ine artworks and the imposition of a military
dictatorship. Oh, there are those that view
Napoleon as a military genius, but a true soldier
knows that an army exists to serve the people
rather than to enforce the will of one man and
by God, that one man’s will is being imposed.
Having studied their fractured country, I never expected the Italian states to hold fast
against an organised army but I expected the Prussians to show more of a ight. Once
again it comes down to the British to make a stand and face down this madman. We
tried once before, but our excursion into the Lowlands taught us but one thing. We
were lacking; Lacking organisation, lacking coordination and lacking discipline.
Those things have changed. I remember hearing of young Wellsley’s actions in India
a few years ago and I marked him as a man on the rise. He’s taken command in the
Peninsular and things will be changing. I have read Wellsley’s comments on supplies
and I have to say I am impressed. He has embraced the lessons that the Riles and our
experiences in America have taught us about the use of light infantry and skirmishers.
Even eschewing the traditional three-ranked volley for a faster two-ranked disposition,
it all points to a bountiful change.
Our forces have landed in Portugal easily, thanks to the free seas we enjoy after the
victories of Nelson and Cochrane. Portugal is a small country but by God, they are a
stubborn people. The last allies we have in Europe I wager. From there we will meet
Napoleon’s troops, beat them, drive into France and then on to Paris. We have to beat
this man or everything that we hold dear will be destroyed.
Would the French ever have the audacity to invade England? Napoleon took men into
Egypt and beyond, I cannot see the cliffs of Dover being any barrier to his ambitions.
The idea of a French column marching across the ields of our blessed country sends a
shiver down my spine. That is why we are in Portugal you see? We must ight for that
which is clearly right – the freedom of the people to be ruled by their rightful King, not
the imposition of some petty dictator.
I only pray that Wellesley can indeed turn his slender foothold in Portugal into
something more solid. Many men are going to die before that happens, I wager. There
are some that think this war will be over within the year. I fear otherwise.
6
Duty & Honour
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]