Kingmaker. The shadows behind the throne.

Game Master DBH

I've updated the settlement and kingdom maps for Turns 3 and 4.

Here are the economy checks for Turns 5 and 6:

Economy Check, Turn 5: 1d20 ⇒ 1
Economy Check, Turn 6: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Crap. Looks like the assassination attempt leaves Colwyn too distracted to help the economy on Turn 5.

Niadroub, on the Kingdom Tracking Sheet, don't forget to increase my Ruler modifier from 2 to 3 thanks to the Charisma Headband's boost.

I've updated the settlement and kingdom maps for Turns 3 and 4.

*fist bump*

Here are the economy checks for Turns 5 and 6:

...and blow it up.

Niadroub, on the Kingdom Tracking Sheet, don't forget to increase my Ruler modifier from 2 to 3 thanks to the Charisma Headband's boost.

I hadn't picked up on that, thanks. Updated.

I'm actually going through Turn 5 in bits and pieces over the weekend. I was expecting to have it up tonight, but we have a decision point. We're using the Deities and Holy Sites rule for this campaign, and we're building a Shrine to Erastil. Since he's LG, we need to decide if we're adding the Shrine's +1 to Economy or Loyalty. I'm assuming Loyalty since it's significantly lower, but maybe we want more cash. Thoughts?

Kingdom events turn 5: 1d100 ⇒ 46
Dangerous Kingdom event: 1d100 ⇒ 64
Scale: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Large Disaster (Hex): A fire, storm, earthquake, flood,
massive sabotage, or other disaster strikes! Roll 1d6; on a result of 1–5, the disaster threatens only 1 improved hex. On a result of 6, the disaster is widespread and threatens 1d6 additional improved hexes adjacent to the target hex. Attempt a Stability check for each threatened hex; failure means the disaster destroys one terrain improvement in the hex and Unrest increases by 1. (This Stability check represents your
kingdom’s ability to prepare for or react to the disaster as well
as the structure’s ability to withstand damage.)

One Stability check please, a massive flood is threatening to destroy the improvement in a hex.

Kingdom event turn 6: 1d100 ⇒ 8
Beneficial event: 1d100 ⇒ 5

Archaeological Find: A well-preserved ruin is found in your kingdom, with historical artifacts connected to the people who lived in your land long ago. Effect: Lore +1. If you have a Museum, the discoverers donate 10,000 gp worth of historical artifacts to its collection (if you have multiple Museums, choose one as the recipient).

Have we had this one before?

That brings use to the thaw and you will be out and about again in the next post, so get ready.

Also can someone give me a link to the map you're using to mark out your Kingdom hexes and I"ll put a link up top for it.

Richards Map

Perhaps link the two events? The damage from the flood reveals the archaelogical find?

Sounds like a solution to me.

I just need a roll from Colwyn to see if the improvement in that hex is washed away or not?

Reknar, Xantria, and Richard, I can't find a magic weapon on your character sheets, so one of you should grab the oil of magic weapon. I don't see any of our melee with weapon finesse, so one of our archers should grab that potion of cat's grace.

Thanks Niadroub, but actually Reknar has Arcane Strike - that should make up for the 'magic' weapon' part, and frees the oil for someone else ;)

Elena is happy to take the cat's grace potion if no one else will take it, though I would have thought Colwyn would have more use for it.

Her bow is already masterwork, so she doesn't really need the oil.

I think I would prefer Loyalty from the shrine.

Stability Check: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (10) + 25 = 35

I think this means that we save the day!

Also, I checked the activity log, and we have had an Unexpected Find but not an Archeological Find.

Kingdom Building

Okay, going back to the Kingdom Tracker edit from September 26th, which was the same day we added the foundry, it looks like our Unrest was an even 0. At that time, we had a house (-2 to Unrest), a Watchtower (-1), a Tenement (+2), and then we added the Foundry (+1), which is net 0. I don't know if the rules intend for us to effectively re-calculate Unrest every turn, or if, for example, you have calcuated Unrest below zero, but the rules intend for you to reset it to zero and next turn add or subtract from there instead of the calculated Unrest. If the former, I'm maintaining that the tracker was and is correct.

Turn 4

Event: Applied +1 to Loyalty and Stability for the Political Calm Event

Richard: Can you update your border map with the hex to the east of Thornford in a red border? That's also the hex that contains Sootscale Caverns, if you want to add that label. Thanks.

Okay, I think from now on, unless we have a discussion where something even remotely looking like consensus happens, I'm just going to do hex, terrain, and building actions based on number of votes and then in order of suggestion. I'll try and keep a queue, I guess.

Turn 5

Upkeep/Stability: 22 + 5 beats our DC of 25. Adding 1 BP.
Upkeep/Consumption: -1 BP
Edict/Hexes: Claiming 17 (Gold Ore Vein), -1 BP <-- Richard, this is the hex labelled "Gold Ore" on your map. Please also red-border that one.
DBH, counting this as a Resource hex
Edict/Terrain: 2 Roads like we did last time to round us out to 4. I'm going with hexes 17 and 35 to continue our highway, but this is easily changed should anyone disagree. (-6 BP)
Edict/Settlement: 3 votes for a Shrine to Erastil (who is LG, and we decided on the +1 to Loyalty), and one vote for a House since we can do that at the same time.
Edict Army: One vote for an army unit. This unit is closest to what's suggested. This is 100 warriors. It's 1 BP consumption per round with no initial recruitment cost, which is the cheapest the rules will let us create a unit for. (I think? This is really the first time I've skimmed the Mass Combat rules.)

Reknar, you're our General. I've created a (quick and dirty for now) "Military" tab on the Kingdom Tracking Spreadsheet. Give the unit a name and any other color you want. I imagine that some of the units we create in the future will fall under Xantria's purview as Marshal.

Income/Taxes: Our economy is strong for our mini-kingdom, so even with our roll of 1, we still net 8+3 BP this turn.
Event: Turn 5's event is actually this post's Good Weather and Natural Blessing results. DBH, see my next post for an explanation and follow up question. Those two events get us some nice bonuses for Turn 6, which I will start on as soon as I can.

(Anybody know a way to view a Google Drive file from a site that's not blocked by my work?)

Here's my Turn 6 notes and one suggestion:

Turn 6
Upkeep/Stability: 15+

Edict/Hexes: Queue - 2x 24 (Old Sycamore); 1x No Hexes
Edict/Terrain: I'm going to vote for a mine for the Gold Vein we just claimed, so I'm adding it to the... Queue - 1x Mine on 17
Edict/Settlement: Queue - 3x Smithy, Brewery; 2x Shop; 1x Jail, Hospital, Mill

Income/Taxes: 12+

[Dice=Kingdom events turn 5] 1d100;

[dice=Kingdom event turn 6] 1d100;

DBH, so you've already given us an event for Turn 5, although you had called it Turn 4, FYI.

HERE is where you gave us the events for Turns 4 and 5, although you labelled them Turns 3 and 4. You can see each turn's events on the tracker sheets Activity Log. I didn't say anything at first, but I guess you saw your post numbering from earlier and continued it with this most recent Events post and THIS MADNESS MUST END.

So the above event isn't wasted, want to just end this phase of Kingdom building at Turn 7 instead of 6 like we originally planned?

[dice=Stability Check]1d20+25

I think this means that we save the day!

That's actually a result of 39, because the kingdom tracking sheet hadn't applied the previous turn's benefit, yet.

Soooooooo stable, baby.

Okay, we now have a building that could potentially generate magic items. Anyone want to be the one who rolls for that? I'd do it as Magister, but I'm way too busy being bossy about a spreadsheet. Elena? Magic items aren't completely inappropriate for a High Priest's role.

Filling Item Slots: In Step 3 of the Upkeep Phase, you roll to fill vacant magic item slots in each district. Roll d% once for each district that has an open magic item slot (if the district has more than one, select one randomly). There is a 50% chance (51–100) that an appropriate magic item becomes available in that slot. This item’s price cannot exceed the base value for the settlement (reroll if the item’s price exceeds the settlement’s base value).

Example: Jessica’s settlement has a base value of 200 gp. She built an Herbalist last turn, giving the settlement 1 minor potion slot. In the Upkeep Phase this turn, she rolls d% and gets a result of 62, meaning she can roll a random minor potion to fill the settlement’s empty slot. She rolls on Table: Potions and gets a result of 45, indicating a potion of a 1st-level spell. If she had rolled anything more valuable than the 200 gp base value for her settlement, she would have to reroll until she got an acceptable result. Once a magic item is rolled for a settlement in this way, it remains on the market until someone purchases it.

Aaaaand reading through those rules, it looks like I'll have to start tracking which district our buildings are in. And probably sorting the list by district, too.

Anyway, another relevant rule:

If a building lists multiple options within a category (such as “1 minor potion or wondrous item”), it has an equal chance for each option.

It's the far north, so winter will be long. We will go to Month 7 as Niadroub suggests.

Map updated to turn 5 not turn 6 just yet.

I am up for turn 5 and turn 6 as presented.

One thing to remember about military is that the 1 consumption a month is when they are garrisoned, the watchtower might do? When on the march or active their consumption is taken once a WEEK!

Agreed on turns 5 and 6.

Niadroub, I believe a Large Militia has 200 units?

My first impulse was the 'Bloodhounds Militia' but after mulling it over, I think maybe a simple name to start with - Thornholme Irregulars - let me know if you agree.

Do we have a banner? A standard? A symbol?

Okay, going back to the Kingdom Tracker edit from September 26th, which was the same day we added the foundry, it looks like our Unrest was an even 0. At that time, we had a house (-2 to Unrest), a Watchtower (-1), a Tenement (+2), and then we added the Foundry (+1), which is net 0. I don't know if the rules intend for us to effectively re-calculate Unrest every turn, ...

Yes, I'm afraid they do. Unrest is a floating value and cannot go into negatives. Excess reductions in unrest are simply lost.

Also a house only grants -1 unrest, so even if negative unrest carried over we still had that point of unrest.

One thing to remember about military is that the 1 consumption a month is when they are garrisoned, the watchtower might do? When on the march or active their consumption is taken once a WEEK!

Actually the consumption for military units is always calculated per week in the rules, whether garrisoned or not. It's a weird design choice.

The military rules get houseruled a lot though. Some houserules I have seen include:

* Consumption is ACR / 2 per week, so just call it ACR x 2 per month instead
* The minimum consumption of 1 is per month instead of per week (allowing for small units)
* The consumption cost of a fort can be deducted from the consumption of military units staying there

None of these things are RAW though. GM DBH: What do you think?

Niadroub Kliip wrote:

Okay, going back to the Kingdom Tracker edit from September 26th, which was the same day we added the foundry, it looks like our Unrest was an even 0. At that time, we had a house (-2 to Unrest), a Watchtower (-1), a Tenement (+2), and then we added the Foundry (+1), which is net 0. I don't know if the rules intend for us to effectively re-calculate Unrest every turn, ...

Yes, I'm afraid they do. Unrest is a floating value and cannot go into negatives. Excess reductions in unrest are simply lost.

Can you show me where it says this? I'm assuming that if we lose a building that causes Unrest, we lose that Unrest penalty, also.

I think? This is really the first time I've skimmed the Mass Combat rules.

#calledit

Niadroub, I believe a Large Militia has 200 units?

I double-checked. It looks like you're right.

My first impulse was the 'Bloodhounds Militia' but after mulling it over, I think maybe a simple name to start with - Thornholme Irregulars - let me know if you agree.

I like it.

Do we have a banner? A standard? A symbol?

Nope on all three, unless Colwyn has some ideas?

A banner you say?
Perhaps when I get home from work, I will put my colored pencils to good use.

Can you show me where it says this? I'm assuming that if we lose a building that causes Unrest, we lose that Unrest penalty, also.

It's not very clear.

If Unrest is already zero, then nope, because once the unrest is gone getting rid of the building that caused it does nothing since you can't go into negatives (though IIRC there are some events that cause problems with some buildings that cause unrest, like Tenements).

Unrest: Your kingdom's Unrest indicates how rebellious your citizens are. Your kingdom's initial Unrest is 0. Unrest can never fall below 0 (anything that would modify it to less than 0 is wasted). Subtract your kingdom's Unrest from all Economy, Loyalty, and Stability checks. If your kingdom's Unrest is 11 or higher, the kingdom begins to lose control of hexes it has claimed. If your kingdom's Unrest ever reaches 20, the kingdom falls into anarchy (see Upkeep Phase).

Because negative unrest is "wasted," you can't simply add up all existing unrest effects like you would with other kingdom scores. There are also a lot of "actions" that deal with unrest.

There is also this under "Buildings:"

Kingdom: Building modifiers to Economy, Loyalty, and Stability stack, affect your entire kingdom, and are ongoing from turn to turn. Modifiers to Unrest occur once when the building is completed.

The highlighted bit is very strange (since why would you have to worry about that? Isn't that the case for all buildings?) unless you see the kingdom score bonuses provided by a building as constant (and thus effectively added up each turn) except unrest which is only modified once. It's not explicit but it shows what the designers were thinking.

When I ran a solo playtest of the system, I decided to assume that if a building caused unrest, getting rid of it didn't get rid of that unrest (since when you eliminated unrest that implies that you would also have to track where the unrest came from that you got rid of), but getting rid of a building that reduced unrest brought that unrest back.

That particular ruling will be up to GM DBH though.

There is also this under "Buildings:"

Quote:

Kingdom: Building modifiers to Economy, Loyalty, and Stability stack, affect your entire kingdom, and are ongoing from turn to turn. Modifiers to Unrest occur once when the building is completed.

Erg. Okay, that's convinced me.

DBH, I'm going to ask for a pass where I don't have to go back to turn 2 and recalculate everything based on how I thought Unrest acted at the time, and then from this point forward, I'll work with a current Unrest instead of calculated Unrest.

Some rulings. We will take the pass on Unrest. It's been too small to really trouble you so far. As you get larger it will become a factor. So we will keep track of it more closely from now on.

Consumption for the Militia? Once a month at the moment. Currently your militia would be volunteers who head home once training is done. You do have some permanent guards under Kesten, but a standing army is not something you are doing presently. The BP cost would be for equipping the militia and a training ground.

Turn 6
Upkeep/Stability: Our Stability score is above our DC, so that's an automatic pass (but let's acknowledge Colwyn's superlative roll of 15). Unrest is already 0, so we get +1 BP.
Upkeep/Consumption: Current Consumption means -2 BP.
Upkeep/Magic Items: Hooray! This is still available for anyone who wants to roll for it each turn. I'm trying to be inclusionary! But I'll do it this turn. First, there's a 50% chance that a district even provides a magic item.

1 = available: 1d2 ⇒ 2 <-- Nope!

Edict/Hexes: 2 votes to claim the Old Sycamore (Hex 24). -1 BP DBH, this was the Mite lair, so I'm counting this hex as a Lair resource.
Edict/Terrain: The last item in the queue is a Mine in Hex 17 where we have gold. Mines on resource hexes are extra beneficial. And this is my vote, not anything we've discussed, so we can feel free to veto it: Since we can do two Terrain Improvements per turn, I'm going to add a road towards to the Sootscales. Mine cost 6 BP and Road is 3 BP.
Edict/Settlement: 3 votes for a Brewery. 6 BP. Niadroub Kliip's mood improves considerably.
Income/Taxes: 28 plus Colwyn's 12 is 30, so 10 BP. Plus we're now up to 5 bonus BP per turn. 15 BP.
Event: Large Disaster which was successfully resolved.

Turn 7 Notes
Edict/Hexes: Queue - 1x No Hexes
Edict/Settlement: Queue - 2x Shop; 1x Jail, Hospital, Mill

Need suggestions for Terrain Improvements. Maybe farms? People like to eat, I guess. Plus another farm will negate our current consumption.

Colwyn, I need d20 rolls for Stability and Income, please.

Uncle Niadroub Kliip wants YOU! Serve your country! Enlist for Magic Item rolls TODAY!

DBH, I don't remember if we had this conversation before or if my brain is making it up. Is Sootscale Caverns (Hex 31) a lair and a resource? Or is it just a lair because the silver in that old mine is all dried up? Or should it just be a resource and not a lair because that's what the icon on the map shows?

For Turn 6, I support the Edicts that Niadroub has listed.

For Turn 7:

Stability Check: 1d20 ⇒ 7
Income Check: 1d20 ⇒ 7

7 and 7 on turn 7. Colwyn's feeling lucky this month, even if the kingdom isn't.

As for Terrain Improvements, maybe we could renovate the Rickety Bridge into a normal Bridge or build a Watchtower on Hex 17 to guard both the gold mine and our current northern border.

Shrine has a Magic Item on 51-100: 1d100 ⇒ 69

Niadroub. I believe I ruled that the Sootscale caverns are both a lair and a resource. Still producing silver and has Kobolds living it as well. :)

Turn 6 is good. I've gone ahead and updated the map to this point as it seems like a done deal, easy enough to undo at the worst case.

Turn 7
A mine in the Sootscales area? Get ourselves that silver vein working for us!

With that and the gold vein maybe we could get flashy and add a mint to the que start producing our own coinage, at least gold and silver ones! Golden toads and silver stags! I imagine we have some copper coming out of our mines, river pennies? Expensive but it does give a boost to a few stats and would be very cool roleplay wise.

My apologies for going missing. A family problem has come up and I'll be too busy to update again. I should be back to normal tomorrow.

No worries. Hope it works out.

Sorry people. I'm too ill to sit down and update any games. Hopefully I'll be feeling more alive tomorrow.

Hang in there GM_DBH. Get better soon!

Sorry people. I'm too ill to sit down and update any games. Hopefully I'll be feeling more alive tomorrow.

Have you tried rolling your Fort save? Just a thought.

The cough I had weeks ago has lingered, I think I pulled a muscle in my ribs a week ago coughing so badly. Yesterday while coughing it went again, in exactly the same spot!

I found out even with a voice turned gravelly with coughing I could still scream in a high pitched voice from the pain. Every move was agony and I crept around the house hunched over like Gollum.

Happily there exists the wonder known as anti-inflammatory's and I'm now floating on the euphoric sensation of not being in pain.

Update soon.

Delicious reach.

Okay, here's turn 7. Sorry for the delay. Let this serve as a reminder to never elect me for a governmental position.

Upkeep/Stability: Pass the stability check, there's no Unrest, so this nets us +1 BP.
Upkeep/Consumption: -3 BP

Upkeep/Magic Item: Okay, Colwyn rolled that yes, the shrine does produce a magic item, but I was hoping that someone would take over all of the rolls for magic items so that I don't have to look up the process and variables each time.

The shrine has an equal chance of producing a minor potion (1), a scroll (2), or a wondrous item (3).

1d3 ⇒ 1 <--minor potion

Going to the potions tables:

1d100 ⇒ 93 <--2nd level spell, which is below Thornholme's 500 gp limit, so it's fine.
1d47 ⇒ 11 <--potion of bullet shield... well, that's pretty specific. Any takers? If not...

Edict/Hexes: 1 vote for not claiming a hex this round to better control growth
Edict/Terrain: 1 vote each for a Bridge on Hex 23* (which is actually just a double-cost road for that hex), Watchtower on Hex 17, a mine in Hex 31 (where the Sootscales are), and a farm in an undefined hex.

DBH, would building a bridge on the Rickety Bridge hex be a half-cost situation? Meaning, we'd build the road, and then instead of doubling the cost, we'd only add another 50% cost?

I'm going to pause here. Looking for a decision on if we should move the potion of Bullet Shield and if so, how. If nobody wants to buy it for 300 gp, I'm in favor of manipulating the kingdom's economy as spelled out in the spoiler above, but only one time per turn.

Man, I really need another level so that I can get more spells. Or maybe another spellbook to find. All of NK's spells are... let's categorize them as "not helpful" for dealing with a rabble rouser unless we choose a nuclear option.

Anyway, DBH, there's a question for you near the end of my previous post above.

Please Niadroub - no apologies required from my end. I can't thank you enough for all the work you are doing for this game.

I say we buy the pot from the group's funds - make it part of the Royal Treasury, and offer it when we find the need for it ;)

Man, I really need another level so that I can get more spells. Or maybe another spellbook to find. All of NK's spells are... let's categorize them as "not helpful" for dealing with a rabble rouser unless we choose a nuclear option.

It's called Diplomacy :D

Please Niadroub - no apologies required from my end. I can't thank you enough for all the work you are doing for this game.

I say we buy the pot from the group's funds - make it part of the Royal Treasury, and offer it when we find the need for it ;)

Niadroub Kliip wrote:

Man, I really need another level so that I can get more spells. Or maybe another spellbook to find. All of NK's spells are... let's categorize them as "not helpful" for dealing with a rabble rouser unless we choose a nuclear option.

It's called Diplomacy :D

Here's your diplomacy.

FYI bullet shield actually protects you against all ranged attacks, not just firearms. Which makes it very good under certain circumstances.

FYI bullet shield actually protects you against all ranged attacks, not just firearms. Which makes it very good under certain circumstances.

Fair point, but nobody seems to want to buy it.

I say we buy the pot from the group's funds - make it part of the Royal Treasury, and offer it when we find the need for it ;)

I have already agreed we should buy it. Split the cost.

Reknar Heldergast wrote:

I say we buy the pot from the group's funds - make it part of the Royal Treasury, and offer it when we find the need for it ;)

I have already agreed we should buy it. Split the cost.

Shoot, I missed that! Sorry. I was so focused on having NK elbow Reknar in the ribs.

Technically, if it's part of the Royal Treasury, we don't need to pay for it out of our own pockets, but then it stays in the treasury until Colwyn gives it as a reward or prize or something to an NPC. If the PCs buy it (splitting the cost or no), then we can use it. If we cross the line of using kingdom funds for personal use, then we start risking Unrest penalties.

Um, I'm not really interested in it for NK, and I don't want to set the precedent of the party buying a one-use item that will ultimately only get used by one PC.

If anyone wants me to keep the item there until they gather the funds to buy it, that's no problem whatsoever. But unless somebody wants to buy it now or claim it now so that they can buy it in the future, I'll start making the rolls to try and get an NPC to buy it. You know.. when I get the free time to finish Turn 7.

Technically, if it's part of the Royal Treasury, we don't need to pay for it out of our own pockets, but then it stays in the treasury until Colwyn gives it as a reward or prize or something to an NPC.

I'm fine with this. I just think it is cool :D

Sorry Niadroub, I saw your question regarding the bridge, but then it slipped my mind with other things happening at the same time.

Yes it is 50% cost for the bridge, road is normal.

Monthly event?: 1d100 ⇒ 48
dangerous Kingdom event?: 1d100 ⇒ 68 Monster attack. :)

We already have a Turn 7 event! That's the whole reason we're doing a Turn 7! When will this madness end?!

Oh well. I'll throw some monsters at you cause I'm nice like that. :)

NK, what have you done?!

:P

Guys: I've been having internet connectivity issues the last few days. My connection has been going out for long periods. I'm hoping that the problem is over but I can't say for sure.

I'm going to try and get caught up but since my window for posting may be limited I will handle threads that require short posts first.

I think after this battle I'm going to take a dual-skill set cue from Richard and have two sets of spells prepared: one for when we're in Thornholme (or another city/town in our nation) and one for when we're in the field. Because I still have flaming sphere prepared and there's no way that I want to cast it in our own inn, and the other option for that spell level is glitterdust which potentially could have been useful for this encounter.

Also, I've just now realized that while an arcanist has the breadth of spells known that a wizard does, it has less spells per day than either a wizard or a sorcerer. I've been feeling that limitation, lately.