Commanders

Every army has a leader. Your commander influences your units’ performances both through their fame and their class bonuses.

Commander’s Rating

Your commander’s rating is added to the total whenever a unit in that army makes an attack roll or a Rally saving throw.

Commander Promotion and Weight Limit

Commanders begin at +0 and gain fame through a Training check, or, after a battle, they can gain fame equal to the weight of units they defeated. The DM may also award fame for completing story-based goals. When a commander has enough fame, their rating increases.

The commander’s rating determines the maximum amount of unit weight that their army can hold.

Commanders
Rating	Fame	Weight Limit
+0	0-14	10
+1	15-39	15
+2	40-74	20
+3	75+	25

Unit Attachment

Your commander is attached to a unit in its army at the beginning of a battle.

Should that unit retreat or be destroyed, the commander stops receiving fame for the duration of that battle. If the army is defeated, the commander becomes a prisoner of war.

Commanders not present on the field do not add their rating to their units’ attack rolls or Rally saving throws.

Commander’s Class

The commander’s class provides a benefit to its attached unit. Your commanders’ default class is determined by your government type, but you can choose their class if you have the required building. These classes, bonuses, and requirements are shown in the Commander Class table (see appendix B for traits and reactions).

Commander Class
Class	Bonus to Attached Unit	Building Required
Artificer	Distraction trait	Alchemist
Barbarian	Rage Strike trait	Arena
Bard	Inspire trait	Bard College
Cleric	Heal trait	Abbey
Druid	Charge trait	Grove
Fighter	Brutal trait	Barracks
Monk	Shielded reaction	Monastery
Paladin	Parry reaction	Chapel
Ranger	Close Range trait	Herbalist
Rogue	Nimble trait	Thieves' Guild
Sorcerer	Wild Magic trait	Elder Stones
Warlock	Eldritch Enchantment trait	Summoning Circle
Wizard	Cantrip action	Library

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Army Commander: Generally speaking, most of the troops looked to their leader for moral support and would fight harder when he was nearby (probably in hopes of recognition and reward). If the figure representing the army commander is with a body of troops, that unit will add 1 to the score of each die it must roll (two dice adds 2). However, the army commander will suffer the same fate as that unit, should it fail to make a required score. Any unit within 12" of the army commander will also receive a bonus of 1 to the score of any die or dice roll it must make. The army commander will automatically rally any unit it joins, but if he leaves that unit before having stayed with it three complete turns, it will return to its former unrallied status. If the army commander is killed or captured, all units on that side must check morale as if they had taken excess casualties, and at a minus 2 from the dice.

The army commander will always be the last figure killed in a unit, regardless if by missile fire or in melee.

Mercenaries are not affected in any manner by the army commander.

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DEFINITION OF COMMAND

Commanders are an important part of any army. AD Regular units must have Unit Commanders; mobs and skirmish units sometimes have Unit Commanders. Brigade and Army Commanders command multiple units, and also exercise sole command over mobs and skirmish units that do not have Unit Commanders.

A unit is In Command when all figures are within the Command Radius (see (4.8] COMMAND RADIUS) of the unit's commander, and the unit has not failed a discipline check or routed. A unit that is not in command is Out of Command.

A regular unit must be in command to go into Closed Formation, or to move when it is in Closed Formation. A regular unit must be in command to perform a Fighting Withdrawal or to go into a special formation ([11.6], (11.7]).

A regular unit that is in command receives combat and morale bonuses. A regular or skirmish unit that is out of command may still move and fight, but does not receive these bonuses. A mob always suffers Out of Command penalties regardless of its command status.

A commander may rally units that have Routed (see [6.0] RALLY PHASE).

COMMAND RADIUS

Every commander has a Command Radius (abbreviated CR). The command radius of a human or demi-human commander is calculated by adding the character's charisma to his level and dividing by two. Fighters and their sub-classes (rangers, paladins, etc.) receive a 3" bonus to CR. The command radius of a humanoid or monster commander is equal to 2/3 of the creature's movement rate.

LIMITATIONS: A commander must be able to communicate with his troops. Magical silence or darkness can take a unit out of command even if its commander is within his CR. There are no absolute rules on who can command what kind of unit, but beware of alignment problems, racial hatreds, languages, and the like. Common sense is recommended in choosing commanders. Commanders with special powers (telepathy, etc.) must have their powers defined in advance, either by the scenario or by the referee. Think carefully before allowing exceptions, and make sure everything necessary to the scenario is defined beforehand.

COMMAND HIERARCHY

Some commanders have higher ranks than other commanders.

A Unit Commander commands only his unit. He cannot benefit the members of another unit.

A Brigade Commander commands 4-8 units. He can take over a unit if a Unit Commander is killed, rally a routed unit whether or not the Unit Commander is still alive, or place figures in command that are outside the command radius of their Unit Commander. He can also Give Orders to mobs. Brigade Commanders are only used in battles that have more than seven units on a side. There must be two or more brigades of 4-8 units each in order to have Brigade Commanders.

An Army Commander is the highest-ranking officer on the field. Each side may have no more than one Army Commander. The Army Commander may have Brigade Commanders if the battle is large enough. Otherwise, the Army Commander directly controls the Unit Commanders. An Army Commander can perform all the functions of a Brigade Commander, but can affect any unit in the entire army.

SPECIAL NOTE: Some scenarios may give a specific command structure for a battle. Some monsters (e.g., modrons) have special command hierarchies. All exceptions to normal command rules must be worked out and agreed to by the referee, or the other players if there is no referee, before the battle begins.

Effects of Command

Figures must be in command to undertake several different functions. A shaken unit can only rally if all of its figures are in command. Units that are not in command cannot change frontage. A unit not in command cannot declare or perform a charge.

During the owning player's movement step, a unit's commander can move either before, during, or after the unit's move.

If a unit is not in command when it begins to move, its movement allowance is reduced to half of the normal amount, even if theunit becomes in command while moving.

Figures that are not within the command diameter of their leader at the time they make an attack receive only half the normal number of attack dice for that attack (1 AD per two figures, rounded up).

CHARISMA BONUS

The Charisma of a commander affects the current morale of his troops. Use the following table to determine the charisma modifier of each commander:

Commander Charisma	Morale Modifier
19+	+3
17-18	+2
15-16	+1
7-14	0
5-6	-1
3-4	-2
2-	-3

Charisma Bonus

Some commanders have a charisma bonus, listed as a note on the roster when it applies. These individuals, by force of personality and leadership, can increase the courage and ferocity of the troops under their command. This bonus applies to the morale of a unit under the character's command whenever the entire unit (or as much of it as remains in the battle) is within the commander's CD.

For example, a unit with a morale of 12 that is commanded by an individual with a charisma bonus of +2 functions as if it had a morale of 14 as long as it remains in command.