My brain – as is its common wont – has refused to let up on The Silver Bayonet, and has insisted on creating a roster of soldier types for games set in colonial Australia. This draws on rules from the various supplements, with a few tweaks.
When putting together an Australian unit you may select from the following types:
- Convict – See Below
- Discovery Serviceman
- Doctor
- Cleverman – See Below
- Bushranger – See Below
- Infantryman
- Irregular
- Junior Officer
- Light Infantry
- Marine
- Missionary – See Below
- Native Scout
- Trooper – A renamed Provincial Soldier.
- Sailor
- Supernatural Investigator
- Veteran Hunter
- Explorer – See Below
- Woodsman
The heavier troop types found in European settings aren’t available in Australia – they’re in too much demand to be sent out to distant colonies.
BUSHRANGER
Speed: 6
Melee: +1
Shoot: +1
Defense: 13
Courage: 0
Health: 10
Recruit: 19
Attributes: Combat Rider, Master of Cover
Equipment: 2 Pistols
CONVICT
Speed: 6
Melee: +0
Shoot: +0
Defense: 13
Courage: -1
Health: 10
Recruit: 5
Attributes: Quick to Run
Equipment: Hand Weapon
CLEVERMAN
Speed: 6
Melee: +0
Shoot: +0
Defense: 13
Courage: +3
Health: 10
Recruit: 20
Attributes: Linked to Country, Experience in the Desert
Equipment: Hand Weapon
MISSIONARY
Speed: 6
Melee: +0
Shoot: +0
Defense: 13
Courage: +1
Health: 10
Recruit: 14
Attributes: Inspiring
Equipment: Blunderbuss or Hand Weapon.
EXPLORER
Speed: 6
Melee: +1
Shoot: +1
Defense: 14
Courage: +1
Health: 10
Recruit: 20
Attributes: Strong, Experience in the Desert
Equipment: Hand Weapon, Rifle, Cartridge Box
Linked to Country: This ability works the same as Spells from the base rules with the figure being able to cast the following Spells:
- Curse: As per the base rules.
- Fog: Applies the Fog effect from the Unexpected Events Table.
- Confuse: Applies the Mysterious Movement effect from the Unexpected Events Table.
- Influence: Add one Monster Die to the Fate Pool if there are currently none.
I did think about including a variation on a Malamuke as an Afghan, but they didn’t arrive in Australia until the 1860s, which is too late for the Napoleonic setting. I also considered allowing Bushrangers to take armour so you could field Ned Kelly – but he wasn’t even born until 1854!
As per my previous post these rules are in no way guaranteed to work, be fair, or be fun. But hey, someone may get some use out of them!