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Kingdom Diplomacy and Trade Routes
A kingdom’s success or failure often reflects the relationship that kingdom shares with its neighboring countries and the viability of its trade economy. To address this reality in kingmaker each kingdom has a base trust score which reflects the overall reputation of the kingdom, and individual relationship scores which influence the reactions of not just neighboring countries but potentially factions within. Last if the PCs formalize trade agreements with other nations this will effect their baseline trust scores, their relationship score with that nation (and possibly its allies and rivals,) and the stability and economy score of their own nation.
Baseline Trust Score: This starts with your stability score subtracting your command DC (if this is a negative number then this starts at 0.) If your kingdom is lawful add 2 if neutral on the lawful/chaos axis add 0, if chaotic subtract 2 (again negative numbers = 0.) Next take the Ruler’s cha modifier + The Grand Diplomats Cha modifier together and divide this number by 3 (rounding down) if the kingdom is still a barony, by 2 if the kingdom is a ruled by a duke or duchess, or 1 if the kingdom is a true kingdom, this is always at least 1 add this result to your baseline trust score.
Woodhaven for example starts at 19 + 0 + 4 = 23
Relationship Score: Take baseline trust and divide the result by the difference in kingdom alignment to get baseline relationship score rounding down. Then add modifiers from the list below.
Example:
Woodhaven (NG) and Brevoy (CN) 23/2 = 11 +25 (BPs gifted), + 5 (shared culture of citizens), +5 (for destroying Stag Lord), +5 (Erastil shared religion), +5 trade agreement (magic items for BPs), -5 (border dispute), -8 (diplomatic insults to Brevic suitors) = 43 seems like a nice high number right? Well lets just say that number is against a command DC set by the DM and could be good or bad depending on the situation.
Brevoy has a high expectation of Woodhaven as they have helped the PCs found this kingdom, they expect favors in return scaled by how the success the PCs have achieved as a DM I’m saying Brevoy’s DC is exactly the number of PC hex claims +5, in this instance that means the PCs are at 33 hexes so 38 is the command DC and this means that Brevoy’s attitude will start to slide from friendly if the PCs do not start making overtures to Brevoy as their kingdom expands next build phase. Easiest way would be to request an Ambassador exchange and treat the man sent well. Another way might be to treat the suitors send for the ruler’s hand more kindly, or negotiate a more extensive trade agreement since Brevoy and Woodhaven are already connected by roads.
Relationship modifiers:
Per Ambassador sent/received +2
Per Attitude of Ambassador in steps above or below Indifferent +/-1 per level
Per BP lent or given as gift +1/2
Per Trade beneficial agreement for them but not you +10
Per military aid action +5
Per diplomatic aid action +2
Per diplomatic aggressive action/disagreement -3
Per border dispute -5
Per military skirmish -8
War is declared -25
State religions like/hate one another +/-5
Shared Culture/Different or foreign culture +/-5
Per violation of the Riverlands’ Accords -3
Diplomatic Insult -1 to 10
Favorable Trade (for you) In favorable trade for them -5
Equal Trade agreement +5
Trade Agreements: To enter a Trade agreement the PCs must have a Treasurer and Grand diplomat, and the 2 kingdoms must be connected by road or river. The 2 kingdoms must make diplomatic contact (typically by a royal visit or Ambassador exchange) and have goods one party or preferably both parties could make use of. If one country has a good another needs, yet the country in need has no goods the other country yet they agree on trade anyway then a trade imbalance is established meaning favorable trade for the country in need. Aside from the diplomatic benefits the trade agreements impact stability and economy by +5 for equal agreements, by +/-8 for Favorable/Unfavorable agreements. In addition they get that modifier x2 in BP (so +10BP for an equal trade, -16BP a month for unfavorable, +16BP for favorable)
Example Trade Agreement:
Varnhold needs Foodstuffs because every plains hex he claims creates bloodshed from the Noman Centaurs, he also has a surplus of Stone as he is surrounded by mountains and has a good quarry.
Woodhaven has no quarries and could use the stone, while she produces a 7BP surplus in consumption.
They have made diplomatic contact, but varnhold needs to claim 2 hexes and build roads to connect the kingdoms in order to set up trade. Once this is accomplished the PCs who are creating additional farm excess in anticipation of this and both kingdoms will profit by +10BPs a month!
Mutually beneficial trades are highly desirable to both nations, unfavorable trades typically come with strings attached and heightened diplomatic expectations.
Excellent! I will use it in my campaign. I love win-win.
Like it a lot!
The Romans are not to be trusted!
OK been thinking more and more how to set command DC for these rules.
There's no hard and fast rule that will make this absolutely easy but there's one factor that will always matter, size. Proximity and alignment also make sense as factors so lets try working with that.
[b]Base Command DC[b] = number of hex claims * Present Attitude modifier
Works for both allies and enemies: your allies expect more form you as you expand and your enemies grow more covetous/incensed as you grow larger despite their animosity.
Take the other countries present attitude and use the table below as a multiplier based on the countries size, the sweet spot is friendly-helpful comes with strings
Hostile multiply # of hex claims by 2
Unfriendly multiply # of Hex claims by 1.5
Indifferent multiply # of Hex claims by 1
Friendly multiply # of Hex claims by .5
Helpful multiply # of Hex claims by 1
As you can see it is difficult to take a country from Hostile to even merely Unfriendly. As you expand it becomes harder, which makes sense particularly with closer neighbors.
[b]Starting Base Attitude[b] =
Alignment for each step different on good/evil access add 1
Alignment for each step different on good/evil access add 2
Each matching alignment subtract 3 (can get into negative numbers)
Regional Neighbors(any riverlands kingdom): multiply by 1.5
Distant neighbors (Numaria, Iberia): subtract 2
Further Off: Indifferent period
-6+ = Helpful
-3 = Friendly
0 = Indifferent
3 = Unfriendly
6+ = Hostile
This is a work in progress so comments and suggestions are appreciated