TEXT: Great Army of Bissel
  December 26, 2001
  Version 1.0
  The Proclamation
  The following announcement was made at the Grand Festival of Bissel in 591 CY:
  “Per order of His Lofty Grace, Larringan, the Margrave of Bissel, I, Lieutenant
  Matin Danel, am instructed to inform you that as of the first day of Fireseek,
  Five Hundred Ninety Two Common Year, all residents of Bissel that are of age,
  able mind, and able body are required to spend twenty six weeks of each year in
  military service in the newly sanctioned Great Army of Bissel, the March’s first
  national army, service to last for a minimum of five years.  Failure to comply
  with this new order will be considered an act of treason against the Margrave
  and the March and will be punished accordingly.”
  History
  Bissel had the dubious distinction of having no permanent national military to protect
  itself.  This is one of the chief reasons why the March has been successfully conquered
  by various neighbors over its history.  In response to this serious weakness in Bissel’s
  defenses, the Margrave has decided it is time for Bissel to have its own permanent
  military force (one which coincidentally will be under his direct control).
  Who must serve?
  All citizens of Bissel that are of age, able mind, and able body must serve in the military.
  As part of a compromise with the Bissel Ruling Council, the Margrave has exempted the
  following individuals from normal military service: barons, lord mayors, and select
  officials of the March and of the individual baronies and townships.
  A citizen of Bissel is someone who resides in Bissel primarily.  With respect to PCs, any
  PC who lists Bissel as their home region is generally considered a citizen and therefore
  subject to conscription into the army.  There is one exception to this rule; you can declare
  your PC a visitor to Bissel instead of a permanent resident.  This exempts you from the
  military service requirement, but it also bans you from participation in any meta-
  organization in Bissel for as long as you maintain this declaration.  You can change this
  declaration at any time, but you are then subject to immediate conscription into the army.
  To be of age for military service, a citizen must have reached adulthood (as per the race
  chapter of the PH), but not yet have reached old age.  In the future, conscription will
  occur at the first Mustering Day after adulthood is reached, but, in this first year, all
  
  citizens are being forced to serve.  All races and sexes are required to serve in Bissel, a
  significant difference with many of the other armies and military forces in the Sheldomar
  Valley.
  Able mind and able body means that the individual is not physically or mentally impaired
  to such a degree that they are unable to serve adequately.  Blindness, loss of limb, and
  permanent mental impediment (insanity or extremely low Intelligence, Wisdom, and/or
  Charisma) are examples of situations which exempt an individual from service.  PCs
  must contact the Bissel Triad if they wish to receive such an exemption.
  What happens to those who don’t serve?
  Citizens of Bissel who fail to report for service and are ineligible for an exemption are
  committing treason and are likely to be executed if caught.  It might be possible for
  citizens to falsify service documents so as to avoid actual service.  Those caught with
  falsified documents will almost certainly be executed.  Please contact the Bissel Triad for
  more details.
  How does one serve?
  Each year of service begins on the first day of Fireseek, the official Mustering Day.
  Citizens are required to dedicate a total of 26 weeks to service to the army each year.
  Approximately one third of this time is spent in training, one third is spent in active
  service, and one third is spent in reserve service.  Most citizens of Bissel already serve
  the Margrave and/or individual barons in tasks that are considered towards military
  service.  For example, farmers produce food for the army and craftsmen produce tools,
  weapons, and armor.  In general, most citizens spend 3 months of the year in training or
  on active duty and the rest of their service requirements are met by their normal duties.
  The military leadership of Bissel makes certain that citizens are never called away from
  duties that are intrinsic to the survival of the March (farmers are never called to duty
  during the harvest time, for example).
  For PCs, the 26 weeks of service are as follows:
  • Each year, Bissel PCs must make an entry on their log sheet denoting 8 TUs spent
  on training with the Great Army of Bissel. This entry can be part of another entry
  on the log sheet as long as the notes field denotes the reason for this 8 TU
  expenditure.  PCs may not use TUs spent on other tasks to reduce this
  requirement.
  • Each year, Bissel PCs must make entries on their log sheet denoting 9 TUs spent
  on active service.  These entries can be part of other entries on the log sheet as
  long as the notes field denotes the reason for this TU expenditure.  PCs may count
  any TUs spent on scenarios/mini-modules/interactives denoted as military
  scenarios towards this 9 TU requirement if they were played during that year of
  service.  PCs may not use TUs spent on any other task to reduce this requirement.
  
  • Each year, Bissel PCs must make entries on their log sheet denoting 9 TUs spent
  on reserve service.  These entries can be part of other entries on the log sheet as
  long as the notes field denotes the reason for this TU expenditure.  PCs may count
  any TUs spent on scenarios/mini-modules/interactives denoted as military
  scenarios towards this 9 TU requirement if they were played during that year of
  service and not used to meet the active service TU requirement.  PCs may also
  count TUs spent on membership in the following meta-organizations towards this
  9 TU requirement: the Knightwatch, the Church of Fharlanghn, the Church of
  Geshtai, the Church of Heironeous, the Church of Istus, the Church of Rao, the
  Church of Zilchus, the Defenders of the North, the Company of the Brightpath,
  the Mist Chameleons, and the Knights of the Watch/Dispatch.  PCs may not use
  TUs spent on any other task to reduce this requirement.
  • TUs spent directly on military service (instead of via military scenario
  participation or meta-organization participation) do NOT count towards the limit
  on TUs spent on non-adventuring meta-gaming set by the Circle of Six.
  How is the army organized?
  All first year conscripts are given the rank of Recruit.  Commoners receive training
  focused mainly on following orders and fighting as a group.  Nobles receive more
  focused training to prepare them for service as officers.  Recruits are organized into
  temporary training units.  At the end of the first year of service, all Recruits are promoted
  to the rank of Soldier (or possibly higher) and join an official unit.  The ranks in the Great
  Army of Bissel are as follows (lowest to highest):
  Enlisted:
  Recruit
  Soldier
  Corporal
  Sergeant
  Master Sergeant
  High Master Sergeant
  Officers:
  Lieutenant
  Captain
  Commander
  Brigadier
  General
  Field Marshall
  Some citizens qualify for specialist positions in the army; these positions affect the pay
  scale and stature of the citizen in the army, but do not give the citizen an increase in rank.
  Specialists are assigned to military units differently than the average enlisted citizen.
  
  Specialist Type
  Requirements
  Artisan
  6 ranks in Craft (Armorsmithing or Blacksmithing or Bowmaking or
  Carpentry or Cobbling or Leatherworking or Weaponsmithing)
  Battlecaster
  Ability to cast 1st level spells and either
  Combat Casting or 6 ranks in Concentration
  Cook
  6 ranks in Profession (Cook)
  Engineer
  6 ranks in Profession (Siege Engineer)
  Healer
  1 level in Cleric or 6 ranks in Healing
  Musician
  6 ranks in Perform
  Scout
  4 ranks each in at least 3 of the following skills:
  Hide, Intuit Direction, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Wilderness Lore
  Teamster
  5 ranks in Handle Animal and 5 ranks in Ride
  The average enlisted citizen is assigned to a military unit based on their combat training.
  Most are assigned to an infantry unit.  Those with Mounted Combat or at least 4 ranks in
  Ride are usually assigned to a cavalry unit.  Those with Point Blank Shot are usually
  assigned to an archery unit.
  Name of Unit
  Unit Consists of
  Line (Infantry, Cavalry, Archery)
  7 Soldiers and 1 Corporal
  Squad (Infantry, Cavalry, Archery)
  3 Lines and 1 Sergeant
  Platoon (Infantry)
  Squadron (Cavalry)
  Quiver (Archery)
  2 Squads and 1 Lieutenant
  2 Squads and 1 Lieutenant
  2 Squads and 1 Lieutenant
  Company (Infantry)
  Troop (Cavalry)
  Battery (Archery)
  2 Platoons and 1 Captain
  2 Squadrons and 1 Captain
  2 Quivers and 1 Captain
  Command (special)
  4 Master Sergeants and 1 High Master Sergeant
  and 2 Captains and 1 Brigadier
  Battle (mixed)
  2 Companies and 1 Troop and 1 Battery and 1
  Command and 10 Specialists of each type
  Army (mixed)
  x Battles and 2x High Master Sergeants and x
  Commanders and 1 General
  Great Army of Bissel (mixed)
  All Armies and any unassigned Battles and 9 High
  Master Sergeants and 3 Commanders and any
  unassigned Generals and 1 Field Marshall
  Battles are the most permanent large-scale unit of the Great Army of Bissel.  In times of
  crisis, Battles are joined together to form Armies.  There are no Armies currently in
  existence.  All twenty of the current Battles are unassigned.  Each of the Battles has a
  number and name and is based out of a specific region of the March of Bissel until
  assigned to an Army.  In general, soldiers are placed into units based as close to their
  home as is possible.  The Battles of Bissel are as follows:
  
  Battle No.
  Battle Name
  Region
  1
  Roc
  Ebbernant, Parulla
  2
  Horse
  The Horsehills, Saltrenhill
  3
  Bear
  Beruak, Wintrigvale
  4
  Boar
  Cassiter, Dimhaven, Skogend
  5
  Griffon
  Burning Stalks
  6
  Wolf
  Davoniya
  7
  Badger
  Menawyk, Sareden, all but northwestern Gerorgos
  8
  Ram
  Misty Hills, Wrekin, northwestern Gerorgos
  9
  Owl
  Helbek, Munderik
  10
  Otter
  Falsford, Skaglea
  11
  Panther
  Bandalar, Thornward Province
  12
  Wolverine
  Dount, Jadarta
  13
  Pegasus
  Besselar, Dountham
  14
  Tiger
  Clunther, Khartizanum
  15
  Hawk
  Paercium, Swordfields
  16
  Falcon
  Kynneret, Pellak
  17
  Snake
  Cullen Drae, Nightwatch, Rhomstaff
  18
  Lion
  Thornward
  19
  Eagle
  Thornward
  20
  Shark
  Thornward
  With the creation of the Great Army of Bissel, the baronial army/militia system has been
  mostly destroyed.  In response to threats of secession by the barons, the Margrave has
  granted a special request; the baronial orders of knights are each assigned to a special
  Troop stationed in their barony and these Troops are never combined into a Battle or
  moved outside of their barony without the explicit permission of their baron.  Thus the
  barons have some degree of protection in the event that the Battle for their region is
  assigned to an Army.  The barons also reserve the right to form a militia from all non-
  active duty citizens in their barony in case of emergency.
  What about the Border Companies?
  The Border Companies are four renowned mercenary forces chartered to defend the
  borders of the March.  The Border Companies are paid by the Margrave to defend Bissel
  from outside forces.  The Border Companies answer to the Margrave alone, but the
  mercenaries who compose the Border Companies are not required to remain in Bissel for
  any specified length of time.  A mercenary can choose to leave at any time the March is
  not under attack, simply forgoing payment from his departure until his return to service.
  The right of a mercenary to leave the March is what undermined Bissel’s defenses
  sufficiently for Ket to invade; mercenaries left Bissel to fight the wars in the Pomarj and
  against Iuz.  The Margrave is currently funneling most of the defensive spending into the
  Knights of the Watch and the new Great Army of Bissel, and this is resulting in a further
  collapse of the Border Companies, already diminished by losses during the war years.  It
  
  is not known whether the Border Companies will be able to recover from their losses or
  whether they will soon disband for good.
  What about the Knights of the Watch and Dispatch?
  The Knights of the Watch and Dispatch are a multi-national knightly order based out of
  Gran March.  Their regional headquarters in Bissel is located in Castle Oversight in the
  capital township of Pellak.  The Knights are very responsive to the requests of the
  Margrave, but, in the end, they answer to their commanders in Gran March first and
  foremost.  They have been the primary recipients of defensive spending in Bissel the last
  few years until 592 CY; now the Great Army of Bissel receives a larger share than the
  Knights.  All members of the Knights stationed in Bissel who are also citizens of Bissel
  are required to participate in the new army.  The leadership of the Knights would
  encourage this if it weren’t already mandated by the Margrave.  Questions as to whose
  orders a Knight would obey in situations of conflict between the army and the Knights
  have yet to be resolved to the satisfaction of either party.
  Does the army pay its soldiers?
  Yes.  The army pays for a soldier’s necessities while they are on duty.  PC soldiers of any
  rank receive a Common Lifestyle free of charge during any military scenario.  PC
  soldiers who achieve officer rank may choose to receive a High Lifestyle free of charge
  during any military scenario.  While participating in a military scenario, PC soldiers may
  borrow any simple or martial weapon to use for the duration of the scenario (until they
  reach officer rank).
  PC soldiers (other than Recruits) who have their military service TUs (excluding those
  spent on military scenarios and meta-organizations) logged on their log sheet at an
  activity center are eligible to receive pay for each TU spent for this purpose if they
  possess the Profession (Soldier) skill.  They must take 10 on the check and apply the
  following modifier(s):
  Soldier
  0
  Corporal
  +1
  Sergeant
  +2
  Master Sergeant
  +3
  High Master Sergeant
  +4
  Specialist
  +2
  Lieutenant
  +5
  Captain
  +6
  Commander
  +7
  Brigadier
  +8
  General
  +9
  Field Marshall
  +10
  How are soldiers promoted and assigned?
  
  At the end of the first year of service, all Recruits are promoted to the rank of Soldier
  (minimally).  They are then assigned to the Infantry, Cavalry, Archery, or a Specialist
  position.  PCs who meet the requirements for the Cavalry, Archery, or the Specialists
  may choose to be assigned to the group they met the requirements for.  Otherwise, they
  are assigned to the Infantry.  If a PC later meets the requirements for one of these groups,
  they may ask to be reassigned by contacting one of the Bissel Triad.  PCs are free to
  determine their home base within Bissel and therefore the Battle to which they belong.
  PCs will have the opportunity to receive commendation certs via participation in military
  scenarios, mini-modules, and interactives.  PCs with sufficient commendations who meet
  any other requirements for promotion may contact the Bissel Triad to receive an official
  promotion (even if this means skipping a rank).  Commendations are mostly permanent
  items; they are not consumed by promotion.  However, PCs who fail to follow orders in
  military events can have their commendations removed.  This can cause a PC to receive a
  demotion if they no longer meet the requirements for their rank.  There may be special
  opportunities in play to receive direct promotions without meeting the requirements
  below.  The requirements for promotion are as follows:
  Promotion to
  Requirements
  Soldier
  1 year of service as a Recruit
  Corporal
  4 commendations
  Sergeant
  8 commendations
  Master Sergeant
  12 commendations
  High Master Sergeant
  16 commendations
  Lieutenant
  8 commendations
  Leadership feat or noble status
  Captain
  12 commendations
  Leadership score of 13 or noble status
  Commander
  16 commendations
  Leadership score of 16
  Brigadier
  20 commendations
  Leadership score of 19
  General
  24 commendations
  Leadership score of 22
  Field Marshall
  Selection by the Margrave to replace the current Field Marshall
  How does military justice differ from Bissel law?
  The highest-ranking officer available tries commoners accused of committing crimes
  while on active military duty.  A tribunal of the three highest-ranking officers available
  tries nobles accused of committing crimes while on active military duty.  The
  punishments for crimes committed while on active duty often vary from those commonly
  awarded for those crimes so as to fit the circumstance.  A criminal’s fellow-soldiers in his
  unit are often punished along with the criminal if they could have prevented the crime.  If
  the crime occurred during a situation where the unit was neither in combat nor about to
  
  enter combat, the punishment is likely to be similar to the normal civilian punishment
  with some modification to make it fit the needs of the military.  If the crime occurred
  during a combat-situation (or a combat-imminent situation), the punishment is likely to
  be more severe than normal (including executions or banishments for crimes that
  normally don’t warrant them).
  What is considered a military scenario?
  The following are currently considered military scenarios.  This list is subject to change
  at any time.  These are missions that soldiers in the Great Army of Bissel would be
  expected to accept for the security of the March or to aid one of our allies in the
  Sheldomar Valley.  It could also mean that the results of accomplishing the mission will
  aid in the securing of Bissel.
  Code
  Scenario
  ADP1-06
  Snake in the Grass
  BIS1-04
  A Walk in the Woods
  BIS1-05
  A Deadly Bloom
  BIS1-06
  A Baron’s Tax
  BIS1-10
  A Knife in the Dark
  GRM1-01
  Into the Rushmoors
  GRM1-02
  Caravan Duty
  GRM1-03
  Horse Play
  GRM1-05
  Under Siege
  GRM1-06
  Deadly Beginning
  GRM1-09
  Strange Bedfellows
  GRM1-10
  Fading Vision
  GRM1-12
  Field Maneuvers
  GEO1-04
  Gonfalon of Gyruff
  GEO1-05
  Little Bit of Wood
  GEO1-06
  Return of the Grand Duke
  GEO1-08
  Floating Down the River
  GEO1-09
  Expedition to the Barrier Peaks
  GEO1-10
  Shhh
  KEO1-03
  Charting the Course
  ULP1-02
  Spies Like Us
  ULP1-05
  Tomb Raiders
  ULP1-06
  Rescuers
  ULP1-08
  To Rejoin an Empire
  ULP1-10
  Hoch Jebline
  VEL1-07
  The Delivery
  YEO1-05
  Charting the Course
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Metaorg Material/Bissel/GreatArmyofBissel.pdf