Lorsh
Varlot
LORDS/KNIGHTS
These warriors have the best equipment that money can buy. Their war horses are always draped in mail and pretty heraldry, and they themselves wear the most recent developments in plate armor - at least a jackoplates, and depending how much money they have, they may add supplementary protection such as splints, schynbalds, elbow cops, knee cops, pauldrons, vambraces, etc. They tend to wear the greathelm for cavalry charges (for the extra rich, a flip-up visor may be included), with a 'secret helm' or skullcap worn beneath their chain coif underneath. They are skilled with a variety of weapons, and are extremely deadly in hand-to-hand combat. They are practically invulnerable to conventional weapons, including most crossbow quarrels and lance strikes.
MEN-AT-ARMS
Professional warriors that fight in the same manner as a Knight. The mount(s) and equipment of an aspiring man-at-arms is prohibitively expensive for most folk, so these higher-status soldiers are only reliably recruited from the highborn and silvery classes of society. Most men-at-arms are nobles, knights, squires, and retainers giving feudal service. Others are masterless robbers or mercenaries, depending on the state of the region. Wealthier freeborn commoners with lands are sometimes compelled to serve as men-at-arms in the levy, but can usually avoid it with a money payment.
Whatever their social origins, these heavy cavalry are well-versed in the use of lance, sword and shield, whether fighting on foot or from horseback. They wear tailored steel mail from head to foot, making them difficult to offend. Their preferred steed is the warbred stallion, protected by a padded horse trapper at the least. Men-at-arms often drape their warhorses in pretty caparisons. The richer armsmen may have more than one mount.
SERGEANTS
Sergeants are a class of relatively professional, but still lowborn soldiers, rooted in 'servant'. Most are retainers, hailing from common families that have supported noble households in exchange for special rights and landholdings. They often wear the badge and livery of the noble family that they serve, though some sergeants are levies from towns or mercenaries from free companies. 'Sergeant' can also refer to better-equipped mercenaries and levies with chainmail - not all terminology is necessarily consistent, anyway.
A full-sleeved shirt of mail with attached chain mittens and a coif, coupled with a helmet, would be considered the best level of protection for this type of fighting man. Most sergeants have a simple mail shirt and no armour on their hands at all. Poorer sergeants make due with less coverage, like short-sleeved or sleeveless shirts of mail - or even no mail at all. Compared to men-at-arms, who are always fully-equipped, sergeants often lack chain stockings for their legs, making them more exposed when sitting atop a horse. Therefore, many sergeants dismount to fight, or go entirely on foot.
A regular saddle horse without caparison or barding is usually considered an appropriate steed for a Mounted Sergeant. They use a variety of weapons, but for most it is just a spear (or lance), sword, and shield. Most sergeants can reliably operate a crossbow or short bow in a siege or skirmish situation.
*Fully-armored sergeants atop a warhorse (usually an old or cheap one) may have the honour of riding alongside the chivalry in the front ranks, at which point these 'sergeants-at-arms' basically become indistinguishable from men-at-arms.
COMMON SOLDIERS
These troops hail from a particular settlement or locality, and tend to be freeborn people. The majority are levied from the countryside, though sometimes they are recruited or conscripted from towns and cities. Others can be found serving for pay as mercenaries, or more politely 'indentured soldiers' or 'stipendiaries'.
Due to the social class of most of these folk, this is usually limited to cheap and simple gear like iron helmets, padded cloth, and wooden shields covered with hardened leather. Some of them serve mounted, while veterans may have a short garment of mail.[/SPOILER]
KNIGHT
ALT: PALADIN
Wage: 🜲 1.5 p/turn | Equipment: 🜲 90
Greathelm
Jackoplates
Coat of Mail
Mail Stockings
Sword
Lance & Shield
War Horse w/ Mail Barding
MAN-AT-ARMS
ALT: SERGEANT-AT-ARMS, SQUIRE-AT-ARMS
Wage: 72 sp p/turn | Equipment: 🜲 30
Helmet
Coat of Mail
Mail Stockings
Sword
Lance & Shield
War Horse w/ Padded Trapper
MOUNTED SERGEANT
ALT: VETERAN HORSEMAN
Wage: 36 sp p/turn | Equipment: 🜲 15
Helmet
Mail Shirt OR Coat of Mail
Sword
Spear & Shield
Saddle Horse
HORSEMAN
ALT: GROOM, VALOT (MOUNTED), MOUNTED SERGEANT (POOR)
Wage: 24 sp p/turn | Equipment: 🜲 7.5
Helmet
Gambeson
Sword
Spear & Shield
Saddle Horse
SERGEANT
ALT: VETERAN FOOTMAN, VETERAN GUARD
Wage: 24 sp p/turn | Equipment: 🜲 10
Helmet
Mail Shirt OR Coat of Mail
Sword OR Axe OR Bludgeon
Spear & Shield OR Pike OR Polearm
FOOTMAN
ALT: GUARD, WATCHMAN, VALOT
Wage: 12 sp p/turn | Equipment: 🜲 2.5
Helmet
Gambeson
Sword OR Axe OR Bludgeon
Spear & Shield OR Pike OR Polearm
POOR FOOTMAN
ALT: CHURL
Wage: 6 sp p/turn | Equipment: 🜲 1.5
Helmet OR Padded Cap
Padded Tunic
Old Sword OR Axe OR Club
Spear & Shield OR Pike OR Polearm
MOUNTED RANGER
Wage: 36 sp p/turn| Equipment: 🜲 15
Helmet
Mail Shirt OR Mail Corslet
Sword
Warbow & Arrows
Saddle Horse
MOUNTED ARCHER
Wage: 30 sp p/turn| Equipment: 🜲 7.5
Helmet
Gambeson
Warbow & Arrows
Sword
Saddle Horse
ARCHER
A more professional bowman, serving as a soldier. Usually has a simple helmet, padded armor and a sword.
Wage: 18 sp p/turn| Equipment: 🜲 2.5
Helmet
Padded Tunic
Sword
Warbow & Arrows
BOWMAN
A poor archer, wearing no armor. Carries a knife, and rarely a sword. Their bows may also be shorter and less powerful.
Wage: 12 sp p/turn| Equipment: 🜲 1
Dagger
Bow & Arrows
MOUNTED CROSSBOWMAN
Wage: 45 sp p/turn
Helmet
Mail Shirt OR Coat of Mail
Sword OR Dagger OR Axe OR Bludgeon
Crossbow & Bolts
Saddle Horse
VETERAN CROSSBOWMAN
Wage: 30 sp p/turn | Equipment: 🜲 15
Helmet
Mail Shirt OR Mail Corslet OR Coat of Mail
Sword OR Dagger OR Axe OR Bludgeon
Crossbow & Bolts
CROSSBOWMAN
Wage: 24 sp p/turn | Equipment: 🜲 5
Helmet
Gambeson
Sword OR Dagger OR Axe OR Bludgeon
Crossbow & Bolts
MILITIA CROSSBOWMAN
Wage: 12 sp p/turn | Equipment: 🜲 2.5
Helmet
Padded Tunic OR Leather Jerkin OR Linen Shirt
Sword OR Dagger OR Axe OR Club
Light Crossbow & Bolts
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