#Squad Limitations — The Personnel Reality Of This Domain

Contents

New rule. Campaign-specific restrictions layered on top of the core squad rules. Quantifies the personnel shortage of a small rural domain.

Core References

- Required: Squads

- Reference: Unit Grades · Squad Orders

- In this supplement: Barrier System · Domain Morale

[New Rule] 2-Slot Squad Limit + Auxiliary Squads Cannot Go On Expeditions

The core Squad Rules operate squads by considering hiring cost, upkeep cost, and available personnel together. Kagamiyama Domain is a small kokujin domain of 800 people, and most of its fighting population is tied down by Barrier maintenance and domain defense. Even among such cases, its available personnel ceiling is especially tight. This rule quantifies that reality further.

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#Scent — The Weight Of Headcount

There are people called into the evening courtyard. Fewer than ten. Three old soldiers, two young samurai, three farmers who know how to hold spears, one smith's son, and the lord himself. That is everything Kagamiyama can "move."

Those who must remain inside the Barrier: guard rotations, farmers, smiths, the physician, herb-gatherers, mothers caring for children, and the onmyoji attendants around the prayers needed to maintain the Barrier. If they move, the Barrier shakes. Literally, and numerically.

Lord Akihisa opens the map. He points outside the domain. The only people who can go that far and return are the ten in this room.

"Today, who will go?"

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#Law — Personnel Structure

#Distribution Of The Domain's 800 People

Core number: the maximum personnel available for expeditions outside the domain is PCs + 1 Minion-grade squad(5 people) + up to 3 Veteran-grade individuals. Anything beyond that risks domain collapse.

#Squad Slots — Basic 2 Slots

This domain can operate 2 squad slots total.

If Slot A moves, domain defense is vacant → Barrier HP -3 immediately + negative events are weighted in the next weekly d100 event.

#Initial Composition By Slot

Slot A — Domain-Defense Squad

• 5 Minions · Cohesion 3 · Defense 12 · yari equipment
• Command: Lord Akihisa(Wisdom +1)
• Squad order Energy 2(no discount)
• Composition: 3 old soldiers + 2 young samurai

Slot B — Expedition Squad

• 4 Minions · Cohesion 2 · Defense 11 · yari+bow equipment
• Command: select 1 PC(the lord appoints them)
• Squad order Energy 2~1(depending on Wisdom stat)
• Composition: 3 young farmer spearmen + 1 smith's son(general helper and archer)

#Veteran-Grade Squad Unlock — After Chapter 3

• Unlocked on success in the Chapter 3 "Screaming Hell" climax
• External personnel may submit to the domain through expedition achievements(naval fishing villagers, etc.)
• When conditions are met, Slot B can be upgraded to Veteran-grade

#Elite-Grade Squads Are Impossible

Elite-grade squads are impossible to operate in this campaign. Elite-grade is only for individual units(when a PC reaches 9th dan). There are not enough people to run an Elite-grade squad.

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#Auxiliary Squads — Fixed In The Domain

All 4 core auxiliary squad types are fixed in the domain and cannot accompany expeditions.

Reason they cannot accompany expeditions: they are bound to facilities, rituals, and banners. Move them and they lose function.

#Exception — 1-Use Accompaniment

Only in Chapter 5 Act 4(climax), the lord's decision can allow 1 auxiliary squad to accompany an expedition. This is one-time.

• supply unit accompanies: core storage time 2× on a long-distance expedition
• military band accompanies: next round PC Energy +1 / lull
• medical detachment accompanies: immediate return check for an incapacitated PC
• flag-bearer unit accompanies: symbolic presence of the lord's authorization in the expedition(negotiation +3)

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#Expedition Formation Rules

#Basic Expedition Formation

#Additional Support — Individual Retainer Accompaniment

Some retainers can accompany expeditions as individuals. They are units, not squads.

See 6 Retainers.

#Squad Casualties During Expeditions

When an expedition squad Minion dies:

• Cohesion -1 immediately
• domain morale -1(the week the news arrives)
• replacements are difficult: a new Minion completes training inside the domain 2 weeks later(starts from Cohesion 1)
• if annihilated 2 consecutive times, Slot B squad faces disbanding(can't reorganize for 3 weeks)

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#Squad Operation Cycle(Weekly)

[Monday Morning]
 - check squad Cohesion
 - roll call for domain-defense squad
 - form expedition squad

[Mon~Fri]
 - expedition squad accompanies PCs
 - domain-defense squad patrols the Barrier

[Friday Night]
 - expedition squad returns(if conditions are met)
 - casualty report

[Saturday]
 - recovery lull
 - training check(possible squad promotion)

[Sunday]
 - Barrier infusion ritual(core consumption)
 - Barrier maintenance check
 - resident consolation(lord RP)

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#Squad Promotion(Restriction Rule)

Follow the core squad promotion rules, with the following added restrictions.

Reason: this domain lacks the resources needed to maintain an Elite-grade squad(gold for Cohesion upkeep and a specialist commander).

#Expedition Party Disbanding

The expedition squad is maintained or repeatedly reorganized until the climax ending. Depending on the Chapter 5 ending branch:

• Return Ending: disbands after returning to the core world, or is promoted into a retainer corps
• Settlement Ending: survives as the standing squad of the Spirit Realm domain
• Transformation Ending: if most squad members survive, they become dedicated domain defense

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#GM Operation Guidelines

#Staging The Reality Of Personnel Shortage

• "This house had two sons. One left on Monday, the other on Thursday. Neither came back."
• "Guard shifts are no longer 6 hours, but 10 hours. There is no one to rotate in."
• "Yaebo's spear, the one who died yesterday, hangs on that wall. No one has been assigned to use it yet."

#Pitfalls Players Should Avoid

1. "Let's take more people." Only Slot B can go on expeditions. Taking 3 more people adds pressure toward Barrier collapse.
2. "Let's form two squads." If Slot A moves, domain defense is vacant → crisis.
3. "Let's take an auxiliary squad." Impossible except for the 1-use exception. Stage the reason.

#Recommended Pace

• Chapters 1~2: low squad casualty rate(1~2 people/chapter)
• Chapter 3: casualties increase(3~5 people/chapter)
• Chapter 4: casualties deepen + Veteran-grade unlocked
• Chapter 5: worst case. Mass casualties possible(reflected in the ending)

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#Equipment Supply

The domain's equipment production capacity is also limited.

#Masterwork Weapons

• Domain start: none
• Acquisition routes: Spirit Realm relics(99-02), gifts from negotiable yoma, belongings of previous drifters
• In this campaign, acquiring 1~2 masterworks is normal(rarer than in the core rules)

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#Sheet Format — GM Tracking

[Squad Status Sheet]
Slot A — Domain Defense:
 Composition: Minions __ people(start 5)
 Cohesion: __/5
 Casualties accumulated: __ people
 Waiting replacements: __ people

Slot B — Expedition:
 Composition: Minions __ people(start 4)
 Cohesion: __/5
 Casualties accumulated: __ people
 Waiting replacements: __ people
 Commanding PC: ___

Auxiliary squads:
 [ ] supply unit — unlocked
 [ ] military band — condition: ___
 [ ] medical detachment — condition: ___
 [ ] flag-bearer unit — condition: ___

Individual retainer accompaniment available:
 Toma: [ ] permission ___ times used
 Kagemitsu: [ ] waiting to volunteer
 Komachi: [ ] unlocked

For the dedicated sheet, see 80-04-domain-sheet.md.

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#Connected New Rules

• Barrier System — Barrier HP impact when domain defense is vacant
• Morale/Fear — casualties lower morale
• Retainers — NPCs who can accompany as individuals

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"When eight leave, five return. That is the law of Sengoku. The Spirit Realm is harsher still." — Retainer Toma, just before the first expedition of Chapter 1 departs.