Rules of the Game

This page discusses these rules in greater detail. You should read this carefully, and I recommend that you save this webpage for future reference. "I haven't read the rules page" won't be accepted as a valid excuse.

Character Death

I've had bad experiences with character deaths in a PBEM. Therefore in this game, every regent is made immune to assassination. They can still die in battle or adventures, or be taken prisoner and bloodthefted. However, bloodtheft will ONLY transfer the victim's bloodline to the slayer (as per rulebook) - the latter will not automatically gain control of the victim's domain.

Vassals

I've also been burned by allowing too many vassals. This game is pretty big, if it gets any bigger it risks collapsing under its own weight. Therefore - although regents can hire lieutenants, they cannot create any new vassals. The existing regents are the only holding controllers in the game. If one dies or drops out, then he can be replaced, but the total number of regents in play at any one time (and therefore the number of actions that need to be processed) cannot be greater than the starting number.

Domain Turn and Action Submission

This game is run one turn at a time. There will be a deadline for submitting your actions, displayed prominently on the main page. All turns must be submitted by that date, midnight, your time; late turns may be accepted at the DM's whim, but will not be able to affect any other domains. To submit turns, use this turn submission form. When submitting each turn, rename the RTF file to the form of YourDomainName#.rtf (where # is the number of the turn for which you are submitting). If you must leave for some personal business, let me know in advance and I will run your domain for you. If you don't send me any turn submissions for three consecutive turns, without informing me in advance, your domain will revert to NPC status.

To submit a turn, fill out the turn submission form and send it to the e-mail address of the DM covering your area. We will resolve the actions and at the start of the next turn mail you your updated domain sheet (which will include the income for the new turn).

Law Claims
Law claims are simplified. If your law holding is greater than or equal to the target taxed holding, you collect 1 GB from the claim. Law holdings collect nothing from targets greater than themselves.

Court Costs
Court level will not affect the success of diplomacy with PC or NPC regents. However, the court level will affect the success roll of the following actions: Create (not trade routes), Investiture, and Rule. Actions involving sources will not depend on court level though. Additionally, the base costs of the Decree actions will change depending on your court. The exact modifiers are listed below:

Court level cannot be set higher than 10 GB. Also, you can only shift your court costs a maximum of 3 GB per turn (i.e. a court of 6 GB could be shifted anywhere from 3 to 9 GB next turn).

Initiative: Initiative is determined by rolling 1d10 and adding the regent's level. Regent can choose to delay their actions until later in the round, so that they go last (or second-to-last, etc. as described in the rulebook p.40). They cannot choose specific placement however.

Realms and Realm Actions: actions involving holdings can be performed either on any/all holdings of the same type found in different provinces (which don't have to be in the same realm), or on any/all holdings of any type within a single province (e.g. all holdings in Porto Preto). Note that lieutenants cannot perform realm actions, only domain actions (this is in fact an official rule from the BR rulebook - see page 57). Some of the realms in this game are quite spread out - a realm is defined as all lands under the control of a single regent - so in the case of colonial powers, their colonies count as being part of the same realm as the mother country.

Character Actions: On the other hand, if a lieutenant is not used for a domain action on any given round, he may perform a character action (such as Research) without using the one free lieutenant action per turn. Any/all lieutenants not performing a domain action can be assigned to a character action every round. No extra RPs can be added to such actions, either. Lieutenants also cannot hire other lieutenants.

Critical Failures and Successes: A roll of 1 on any action is an automatic failure, regardless of spent RPs. Additionally, if the roll is 1 and 10 or more points below the required success number, the result is a critical failure, with some minor bad thing related to the action happening to the regent's domain. On the other hand, a roll of 20 is an automatic success, and if it is also 10 or more points above the required success number, the result will be especially good, with a small bonus gained.

Supporting and Opposing: Actions that can be supported or opposed by certain regents have this fact mentioned in their descriptions below. Additionally, only such regents can spend additional RPs supporting or opposing the action. Thus, a source holder cannot affect another regent ruling a temple, so he cannot spend RPs on it, either. For most actions, the regent attempting them can support himself with additional RPs.

Class Bonuses: Some character classes receive bonuses to their actions as follows:
Fighter: Declare War or Raid Province once/turn as a free action.
Paladin: Declare War or Agitate once/turn as a free action, but usable only against direct religious enemies.
Ranger: Special Ranger Espionage once/turn as a free action.
Priest: Agitate once/turn as a free action.
Thief: Espionage or Piracy once/turn as a free action.

Government types

This game is slightly unusual in that several nations already in play have unusual governments with some special rules in play for each. (You can read these rules here.) Its possible for nations in the course of the game to adopt these government types or even come up with their own governmental system. The action you would use here is Progress.

Income

Income is simplified in this game. Provinces produce taxes as follows:

Temples and guilds produce income as follows:

The below table lists all actions available in this game, as well as my personal clarifications and modifications, if any.

Racial Modifiers

To reflect the fact that not all races are as adaptable as humanity, some races have penalties when attempting certain actions. If the race does not appear on this list, it has no modifiers. Penalties may possibly be overcome by use of the progress action.

Warfare

Running Battles
I will likely use some sort of system quicker than warcards to resolve battles. However, you should still specify your battle plans and such, as these will certainly affect the outcome.

Castle Assaults
Artillerists (or equivalent units) are required for castle assaults. If a castle is successfully assaulted, it loses 1d4 levels (possibly being destroyed) and is captured by the attacker.

Spotting and Identifying
Spotting enemy units (an ability of scout units) allows to determine the presence and number of enemy units in an adjacent province, as well as a rough estimate of the proportion of mounted units within the enemy army. Enemy units in a regent's own provinces are automatically spotted by him, regardless of his own forces.
Identifying enemy units (such as the result of Espionage action and Scry realm spell) allows to determine the exact composition of the enemy army in a province. If the regent has a non-source holding or units in a province, enemy forces moving into it are automatically identified.

Occupation and Pillaging
Pillaging will bring GB equal to severe taxation doubled. A pillaged province is reduced by 1 level.
Occupying the province also gives the option to occupy any/all law, temple and guild unfortified holdings in it. Occupied holdings drop to level zero immediately. Alternatively, the occupying army can choose to reduce a single source by 1 level.

Prisoners
Units surrounded in battle or ridden down by cavalry can be taken captive. Of course a regent may give orders to take no prisoners. Prisoners may be returned through negotiation, but must be either re-equipped by their regent (for half the muster cost) or disbanded. If a regent ignores offers to ransom his own units taken prisoner, the loyalty in his provinces may suffer. Prisoners must be guarded by military units (one unit is enough to guard any number of prisoners); if unguarded, they have a chance to escape.

Port Blockades
A port province (level 4+) can be blockaded. At least as many ships are needed as the province's level. Ships without missile capabilities cannot blockade. A blockade stops all traffic into and out of the port. Anyone wishing to pass must either get permission or fight. River blockades are discussed below under Terrain.

Repairing Ships
To fully repair damaged ships, the gold bar cost is the ship's build cost divided by the number of hits that the ship has (at full strength), per hit taken (these costs are listed on the Units page). This takes a slightly modified build action, so you repair 1d6 GBs worth per turn and requires the use of a port (this does count as a ship being built). Repaired units may not be used in the action round that they are repaired.

Terrain and Trade

The following table indicated the various terrains, their maximum province level, movement cost, and the base road cost.

* Certain mountain ranges cannot be crossed; such places are indicated on the map as thick black lines, showing uncrossable province borders. Dwarf and orog units can cross such mountain ranges normally though.
** A river takes all movement points to cross, unless there is a bridge (road) going across.

Rivers, coasts, lakes, and oases modify the normal maximum level of the province. These modifiers are cumulative (thus a desert province with a river and an oasis can have a maximum level of 8). The maximum level is 10.
Roads halve the movement cost of terrain. They can be built into high mountain provinces, but not across them. Roads cannot be build across impassable province borders.

Rivers
For ease of play, rivers cannot be sailed by ships. Only coastal provinces can harbour ships or conduct sea trade.>

Realm Spells

All realm spells from the basic rulebook, Book of Magecraft, and Book of Priestcraft are available, unless stated otherwise below. I have made a few modifications for realm spells, as outlined below:

• Alchemy (wizard): the ratio of exchange is improved to 1 GB for 3 RP.
• Deactivate Ley Line (wizard): the success chance is affected by character level difference and by the difference in source levels (the source used for this spell vs. the most powerful source on the ley line). If the roll is successful, the line will be deactivated for a number of rounds equal to the difference between the needed result and the actual result (for example, if the success chance is 6+ and the roll is 14, the line is deactivated for 8 rounds). If the roll is exactly the roll needed to succeed, the line is permanently destroyed.
• Deplete Mebhaighl (wizard): the duration of the spell is 4 rounds.
• Dispel Realm Magic (wizard): This spell has a success change of 10+. It is modified by the difference between the levels of the opposing wizards, and the source levels used to cast the original spell and the Dispel (all this in the manner of the regular Dispel Magic spell). Both wizards can then bid RPs to modify the roll further.
  The defensive version of the spell is similarly altered, but the defending wizard must decide beforehand how many RP are invested in the defense. He can't add more RP later, but the RP he placed initially will be used every time the defense is triggered, until the spell ends.
• Feign Destruction (wizard): There are some unclear matters about this spell. I think that they should be clarified:
  * The affected area cannot be raided, looted or pillaged (it’s impossible to find valuable goods).
  * Only the defenders can initiate combat. If there is no native army present, no combat can take affect (native soldiers can simply remain under the illusion and will not be attacked, because they will appear as handicapped, diseased or otherwise incapacitated).
  * The contest action will not work, nor will the investiture (it’s impossible to estimate the assets that are to be transferred).
  * However, the affected provinces and all holdings withing produce no income, as the rulers' officials cannot locate any money or resources to be collected.
• Mass Destruction (wizard): The number of affected units is 2+1 per 3 levels. The commander of the affected army makes a saving throw (per BoM) for each unit affected. If the save fails, the unit is destroyed, and if successful the unit is merely hit. The cost is only 4 RP per unit.
• Poison Source (wizard): the duration is 2 rounds per caster level.
• Protect Source (wizard): the focused RP will be more powerful, every 2 counting as 3 for purposes of the success roll.
• Royal Facade (wizard): this spell will create a fortification if cast upon a regent's palace. For a landed regent's palace it will create or improve a castle, for a non-landed regent's palace it will create a fortification in the same province. The level will be 1 per 15 GB worth of the affected building (thus if the spell is cast on a 30 GB palace of the landed regent, the province would gain 2 castle levels).
• Siphon Mebhaighl (wizard): the limitation of not being able to move 2 points when stealing sources from opponents is removed.
• Subversion (wizard): if the enforced action has a GB and RP cost, the regent whose the asset is must pay these costs. However, if there is a success chance, both the regent and the casting wizard can bid RP to affect the success chance.
• Sunder Ley Line (wizard): it costs 10 RP, 5 GB and requires a source of 5.
• Warding (wizard): this spell does not affect river traffic unless the river is wholly within the warded province. It does block sea trade routes if they are attached to a warded province. A wizard can only lead individuals through a ward, not entire armies. However, at the cost of 1RP a blooded general can attempt to lead an army through a ward - base chance of success is 10+source level, and both general and mage can bid further RP to influence the target number. Additionally, all holdings in the warded province produce no gold (although they continue to produce regency); this does not apply to capital/headquarters provinces or holdings however, those continue to generate gold for the regent.
• Bless Land: in this PBEM, this spell works as follows. The casting temple gains 1 GB and 1 RP per affected province (although the RP gain won't happen if the priest already collects more regency than his bloodline allows). All other regents with income-generating holdings in affected provinces gain ½ GB per province (rounded down); if the landed ruler has declared a temple his state religion, he gains 1 GB per province from that temple's blessing. Temples hostile to the casting priest gain nothing.
• Dispel Realm Magic, Protection from Realm Magic (priest): these spells are moved to the All sphere. These spells are also modified in the manner of wizard's Dispel Realm Magic spell described above.
• Maintain Armies, Population Growth (priest): these spells are not available.
• Holy War (priest): this spell allows the priest to muster any troops without the landed regent's permission (any non-standard temple troops are still counted against the maximum number of troops available per turn).
• Consecrate Relic (priest): this spell is available with some notes. Only one relic per temple will be allowed, and this relic must closely follow the philosophy of that temple's deity. Every relic's use will be strictly monitored by the deity.

Battle and War Spells

Battle spells are not used in this game.

Most normal spells are not used either. Only those useful in mass warfare (ones listed on the warcards) are useful (I will, however, take note of spells available in adventure actions). Bear in mind, though, that this game is not about archmages ruling the world, it is primarily concerned with armies and diplomacy. While battle and war magic will help, it is no substitute for an army. The war spells available in the game are listed below, sorted by spell level:

Wizard

1. Phantasmal Force, Wall of Fog
2. Fog Cloud, Hypnotic Pattern, Improved Phantasmal Force, Pyrotechnics, Web
3. Fireball, Gust of Wind, Lightning Bolt, Melf's Minute Meteors, Spectral Force
4. Confusion, Dig, Fear, Hallucinatory Terrain, Ice Storm, Massmorph, Rainbow Pattern, Solid Fog, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice
5. Advanced Illusion, Chaos, Cloudkill, Transmute Rock to Mud, Wall of Force, Wall of Iron, Wall of Stone
6. Chain Lightning, Control Weather, Death Fog, Death Spell, Disintegrate, Lower Water, Move Earth, Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, Permanent Illusion, Programmed Illusion, Transmute Water to Dust
7. Delayed Blast Fireball, Mass Invisibility, Power Word Stun, Prismatic Spray
8. Incendiary Cloud, Mass Charm, Prismatic Wall, Symbol
9. Meteor Swarm, Power Word Kill, Prismatic Sphere

Priest

1. Bless (All), Courage (War), Morale (War)
2. Chant (All), Emotion Perception (War), Obscurement (Weather), Rally (War), Warp Wood (Plant)
3. Adaptation (War), Call Lightning (Weather), Caltrops (War), Fortify (War), Prayer (Combat), Pyrotechnics (Elemental Fire), Spike Growth (Plant)
4. Entrench (War), Hallucinatory Forest (Plant), Leadership (War), Lower Water (Elemental Water), Produce Fire (Elemental Fire), Tanglefoot (War)
5. Control Winds (Elemental Air, Weather), Disguise (War), Flame Strike (Combat), Illusory Artillery (War), Insect Plague (Animal), Spike Stones (Elemental Earth), Transmute Rock to Mud (Elemental Earth), Wall of Fire (Elemental Fire)
6. Blade Barrier (Creation, Guardian), Fire Seeds (Elemental Fire), Gravity Variation (War), Transmute Water to Dust (Elemental Water), Turn Wood (Plant), Wall of Thorns (Plant)
7. Control Weather (Weather), Creeping Doom (Animal), Earthquake (Elemental Earth), Fire Storm (Elemental Fire), Holy Word (Combat), Illusory Fortification (War), Shadow Engine (War), Sunray (Sun), Symbol (Guardian)

Custom Spells

Custom-made realm spells may be available at your DM's discretion. Also some spells from the Birthright website may be available. In any case, check with your DM before researching such spells.

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