Rank Structure on Mars

[Malcadon]

I have been thinking about the military rank structure of Barsoom nations. This is about adding some greater dept to what was presented in the books. What I present are my own additions, and is in no ways meant to be canon.

It should be noted that military divisions like infantrymen, cavalrymen, sailors, etc., as well as forward group, first rank, etc. are represented on one's dress (the way they decorate themselves), but I have yet to figure that out. The use of a feather headdress is to note rank form a distance or under the haze of combat. The division between within a rank (e.g. field commander, staffer) becomes more apparent closeup, with more specific dress decorations.

Here are the ranks of the regular armed forces:

Than (warrior) are regulars within an army. They hold fealty to their Jed, and they provided equipment and supplies. Like Panthan, they are rank-and-file personal who serve as infantrymen, cavalrymen, sailors, marines, scouts, guards, etc. They have one upright feather noting their rank. They get standard pay.
Odthan (greater-warrior) are veteran and elite troops. They are troops who proven themselves in combat, but lack the traits (tactics and leadership) to become an officer. They are given better treatment and priority over common troops. They are usually put into reserve, given critical assignments or tasked with guarding important figures. Their rank feather is flanked by two shorter feathers. They get duplicity (x2) pay.
Padwar (junior-officer) are lieutenants. Unlike Earth lieutenants, one has to earn his way to this rank. They have two feathers noting their rank. Their pay is x2.5 standard. There are three tiers to this rank:
  • Apprentices — They serve as aids to a Dwar, as they learn about tactics and leadership.
  • Commander — They are squad leaders in command of ten to twenty men, a team of two-man flyers or a patrol boat.
  • Staffer — They serve under a Dwar's command staff. (This is an apprenticeship to the rank of Dwar)
Dwar (lower-officer) are the Martian equivalent of an army Captain or naval Commander. They have three feathers noting their rank. Their pay is x5 standard. There are two tiers to this rank:
 • Commander — They command an Utan (100 men) or a Frigate-size ship with patrol element (small two-man flyers or patrol boats).
 • Staffer — They serve under a Teedwar's command staff.
Teedwar (middle-officer) are the Martian equivalent of an army Major or navy Captain. They have four feathers noting their rank. Their pay is x10 standard. There are two tiers to this rank:
 • Commander — They command a Dar (1,000 men) or a Cruiser-size ship with Frigate-size escorts.
 • Staffer — They serve under a Odwar's command staff.
Odwar (higher-officer) are the Martian equivalent of an army General or navy Admiral. They have five feathers noting their rank. Their pay is x20 standard. There are two tiers to this rank:
 • Commander — They command an Umak (10,000 men) or an entire fleet from a Battleship-size ship.
 • Staffer — They serve under a Jedwar's command staff.
Jedwar (chief-officer) are the Commander-and-Chief of an entire national army, and are subordinates only to a Jed or Jeddak. They have five feathers separated by six short feathers to note their rank. Their pay is x50 standard.
Jed/Jeddak (chief/chief-supreme) is a leader of an entire nation, and is the Martian equivalent of a King. A Jed controls a city state, while a Jeddak controls several cities. Do to their access to the state's treasury and their royal stipend, they have no salary. They have a crown with several feathers.

Here are the ranks of the regular technical forces:

Zeethan (technical-warrior) are specialist troops. They are technicians, artillery gunners, sappers, etc. They have a small upright feather on the right-side of their main feather. Their pay is x1.5 standard.
Zeewar (technical-officer) are like Warrant Offices, but with authority over Zeethan and Panzeethan personal, and are highly skilled engineers. They have two and a half feathers noting their rank. Their pay is x2.5 standard. There are two tiers to this rank:
 • Apprentices — They serve as aids and apprentices to a Jedzee, as they learn about leadership and more technical fields.
 • Commander — They are department heads or commanders of technical teams on the field.
Jedzee (chief-technician) are the Chief Engineers on a ship, or field commanders of an Engineer Corp. They have three and a half feathers noting their rank. Their pay is x5 standard.

Here are the ranks of the free agents:

Panthan (free-warrior) are basically mercenaries. They are seen as the least loyal and most expendable. Unlike Gorthan, they have nothing to prove and only fight for money. They must supply their own equipment and transport, and buy their own food and supplies. They should have one downward feather noting their rank. They get standard pay.
Panzeethan (free-technical-warrior) are specialist mercenary troops. They are hired technicians, artillery gunners, sappers, etc. They have a small downward feather on the right-side of their main feather. Their pay is x1.5 standard.

Other:
Gorthan (bonded-warrior) are captured and enslaved, petty criminals, or disgraced soldiers who are proving their loyalty and honor by serving as highly expendable troops, akin to Panthan troops, but without pay — basically they are like the penal battalions form Earth. This is considered a rank of distress and shame. They have no feather, and are striped of there battle-harness — effectively naked — save for a singe belt with scabbard, a sword and wrist & anklebands of a slave. They are still provided for with food (mostly Usa) and board, as any slave.
Healers (for a lack of a better name) are pacifists under oath, so attacking one is considered highly disgraceful and cowardly. They have a distinct dress and large colorful plumes. They will treat or lend comfort to anyone injured, regardless of their status or race.

If one is to put it into D&D Fighter level titles (treating the Fighter class like Dark Sun with greater followers per level, and no "0-level" troops), here is what one would get:

Level	—	Title
1st		Than*
2nd		Odthan
3rd		Padwar**
4th		Dwar***
5th		Teedwar
6th		Odwar
7th		Jedwar
8th		Jed
9th		Jeddak

* Includes Panthan, Zeethan and Panzeethan.
** Includes Zeewar
*** Includes Jedzee
Note: Gorthan could be any level.

[tdenmark]

Don't really have much to add. Well done.

[Malcadon]

Thanks for all the... d ...guys!

I had another thought about the armies of Barsoom — form who I would alter it for my own use. It is a setting where duds with swords can take-on duds with explosive rifles and not get totally wasted. The setting justifies this asymmetrical lethality with the horror system: "I would not blast the swordsmen with my radium rifle, as that would be too disgraceful", but in truth, there are too many assassins, bandits and savages who fight with no sense of honor, to make the code all that practical.

The only thing that makes sense is portable force fields akin to the Holtzman Shield (sans the nuking effect with lazguns). At first I thought of individual screens, but that would only benefit lone fighters like John Carter, then I had the idea of a large area bubble produced by a singe man with a portable force field generator. This would mean that a unit of troops are bound to the protection of the guy carring the device, who would also serve as a Standard Barrier — the generator would be elevated by a pole that can be decorated with flags and icons. This would be a critical assignment, with everyone counting on him to keep the standard raised.

Besides protection, I also see screens like this as a given for fast airships to better repel air for the sake of aerodynamics, as well as to protect the crew and passengers form fierce winds and extreme temperatures — as in, the reason aircraft are usually not open like a boat.

I know that they are in a states of technological stagnation, but their ancient scientists produced some fantastic inventions (flying ships, directional street lighting, etc.), and portable force fields would not be beyond them. Even if they cannot produce them anymore, they could be using devices that have been passed down over generations of soldiers.