Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Russian Officer Backgrounds

To support our Livonia 1812 "campaign" - not sure how many games we'll get in - I had a go at producing a set of background tables for Napoleonic Russian officers. This first appeared on the Too Fat Lardies forum but I thought I'd save it here as well.

Roll initially 2D6 for your Leader's ethnic background and then follow the rabbit hole in most cases.

Russian Officer Background for Sharp Practice

2 Russian minor noble, poor, joined a Guards regiment as a gentleman sergeant

3 French emigré:
  • 1-3 Minor noble
    4-5 Officer in the former pre-revolutionary army
    6 Disenchanted former Bonapartist (thoroughly bourgeois but trying to hide it)
4-5 Minor noble born in the Russian Empire of non-Russian stock:
  • 1-2 Polish or Lithuanian
    3-4 Baltic German or Finnish
    5-6 Georgian, Tatar or Caucasian
Roll again as for Russian below for detailed background

6-9 Russian* noble: (Roll 1d6, adding one if rolling for your Force’s overall commander)
  • 1 A poet and a dreamer; joined the army out of misplaced romanticism 
    2 Illegitimate son of a household serf - found a place in the army by his noble father
    3 Spent most of his life on his family’s small country estate
    4 Known at court for his dangerously modern ideas but still fiercely patriotic
    5 Son of a respected noble family (it’s rumoured that his true father is a prince of the blood)
    6 Family have been army officers for generations
    7 Younger son of a princely family
10-11 German emigré officer:
  • 1-3: unemployed as a result of limits on the Prussian army after Jena
    4-6 refuses to serve under Napoleon
12 Other emigré professional soldier:
  • 1 Italian
    2 Swiss
    3 Swedish
    4 Polish
    5 Scot
    6 Player’s choice

* Note that for the purposes this table “Russian” includes Russians, Ukrainians and, because I love a bit of historical obscurantism in my terminology, White Ruthenians.

I must acknowledge the contribution of Captain Fortier on the forum, without whom this wouldn't be half as good.

4 comments:

Fire at Will said...

Nice table

Tales from Shed HQ said...

Excellent Mr C. I'm sure we'll get plenty of games in 👍

Counterpane said...

Thanks Will!

Counterpane said...

Cheers Richard. Yeah, I'm sure we will.