Rise of the New Runelords

Game Master Harakani

Thank you everyone *blush*

Speaking of advancing.

In my head Kingmaker is one of the few books where you can have enough downtime to level-up in a semi-realistic way, and I think PbP needs an accelerated advancement schedule, so I'm going to level you when we do the kingdom turn, not bing you when you kill the kobold that gets you your last xp.

Speaking of kingdom turn...

Who is not familiar with the Kingmaker kingdom building rules?

I am only vaguely familiar. Every DM seems to put their own spin on it and EVERYONE has an opinion. As i've never gotten much into the module (and the ones I did play were highly modified) I'm not overly familiar.

Actually not remotely familiar. direct me and I'll learn.

*Bounces up & down in his seat with his hand thrust stridently up in the air...*

"Ooh, ooh. Me Me, pick me...
Oh wait, you were asking who is not acquainted with the building rules..."

I'm familiar with them, though of course they may be getting tweaked in a week or so with Ultimate Campaign...

I'm playing in a Kingmaker PBP, but we haven't gotten that far yet.

Taerine: good point. I think we'll probably ending up using the Ultimate Campaign rules when we get them.

Okay, got at least one person

So: Kingmaker is basically a turn based strategy game that runs in parallel with the roleplaying.

Each turn represents a month - though I prefer year scale.

Characters adventure "between" the turns.
So if turn 1 was 2013, and you went on an adventure back to Cheliax, then returned, when people lapsed back into downtime we would finish 2013, sna start 2014.

Each turn you get resources.

You can spend resources to change the kingdom.

You can expand the kingdom into an adjacent explored hex (giving you a reason to go adventuring).

Trouble can come up during the turn.

Normally you play for a while before getting powerful enough to start a campaign. Given that you guys started at much higher a level, I think you're ready to start now.

Works for me.

I'm going to start with the Kingmaker player guide. It's free. I assume some of the build rules are in there.

I don't know how much Harakani wants to get into the nitty-gritty mechanics with us, but I've got the rules posted here for my Kingmaker PBP.

Ignore some of the NPCs and what-not, especially as I imagine they'll be significantly different based on changes both Harakani and I have made to the campaigns.

@Simon: the only Kingdom rules in the Player's Guide are the 'Kingdom Character Sheet' & a basic explanation of what abilities are key for what 'leadership roles', not actually terribly useful past 'Well, if I'm going to be the Diplomat, I should have a good Charisma or Wisdom...' sort of thing.

It also kind of sucks that 'as written' the Ruler only adds the Cha mod to rolls, all the other positions have a choice of two. One of the changes I hope was made in Ultimate Campaign.

@Harakani: are we going to be needing to fill all the leadership roles?

@Taerine: You have Rupert Hentzau as your Grand Diplomat in your Kingmaker?! Somebody has some some great big balls...

I'm the DM for a Kingmaker game almost through book 4. I know the building rules well. The only problem I could see with doing year turns instead of month turns is that not every one lives that long. If you are trying to focus us on advancement vice development, then it's a good call. I have some files that might help (not sure how to share them), and also an Obsidian Portal page that I spent some time making, if that might help?

Arioch -- Huh. I never even knew it was a fictional adaptation until just now. It was a PC but the player had to drop out when his parents paid for him to go tour Europe for six months (or something like that) after he graduated college.

Read 'Prisoner of Zenda', seriously. Rupert von Hentzau was almost the prototypical 'Magnificent Bastard'.

Anglon: possibly. I like the mechanics as is, but some of the mechanics seem a little weird verisimilitude wise.
Not too worried about aging this party. Asked everyone to start young, so decades at least till they get to trade physical for mental scores.
If someone doesn't have age resistance by then I will be very surprised.

My plan was to let you claim this hex as your "capital", kick off the first turn and then suggest you take out the source of the Bandits.

So, are we picking leadership roles now? I'm guessing that Hargran wants to be the ruler?

Yea, I'm human so I'll definitely need some sort of age protection or youth-isizing. Do we have a druid somewhere?

I had a length IC post to write up first... internet went out in the middle of it last night and I gave up. Will try and get it done (possibly in abbreviated form) today or tonight.

Just checking people aren't going to have a problem with how we're going.

I'm actually considering a separate thread for the strategic element.

Grey is best suited to a Steward or Vizir roll. Running everything, but in charge of nothing.

As it happens, there is a balm available in one of the River Kingdoms not terribly far from here that functions like Reincarnation. So If age really starts becoming a factor, it won't be that difficult to deal with...

Maybe do it in the discussion thread? A second thread would be a bit of a pain, IMO, though if everyone else wants it, I'll handle it.

How about a separate GM Alias for the kingdom turn? That way we could keep it in the Discussion thread, and if we want to search back through the thread for past details, all we need to do is search posts by that Alias.

Spymaster or Magister. Theoretically diplomat, but he may take the Teddy Rosevelt approach. Speak softly and carry a big stick. Though in this case his stick is a gun.

Hmmm. Unorthodox, but what if I used the "Recruitment" Tab for it? Still shows up in everyone's campaign thread.
Not sure it's actually allowed though...

TMiG: Another alias for kingdom turns is a good idea.

I am actually tempted by the idea of having google docs for each turn that people can write to, but a thread for discussion would be good.

My worry is that the strategic element can be... overwhelming... for people who don't care. In my tabletop I had two players who loved it and two who either didn't care or hated it.

Taerine would probably be best as the councilor (representing others suits her humility well) or maybe diplomat.

"THKRULL WILL RULE YOU ALL!!!"

@Grey; neither of those are actual Leadership Titles, unless we re-name something.

Title(s)/mods/job description (sometimes it isn't obvious)

Ruler / Cha / big chief (duh)
Ruler (2nd/spouse/optional) / Cha / see above & beside
Councilor / Cha or Wis / talking to/listening to the common citizens of the Kingdom
General / Cha or Str / Lead the Army(s) be Big Damn Hero
Grand Diplomat / Cha or Int / talking to/listening to the neighbors of the Kingdom
High Priest / Cha or Wis / Be grand High Poobah
Magister / Cha or Int / Be Merlin/Gandalf/chief Wizard
Marshal / finally! Dex or Wis / chief park ranger, if the 'park' is all the wilderness in the Kingdom...
Royal Assassin / Str or Dex / make problems/troublemakers 'disappear'...
note; the Royal Assassin is the only Leadership position that does not have a negative effect if it is unfilled, everyone else we take penalties/can't do things if we don't got one...
Spymaster / Dex or Int / um, keep an eye on things that don't like being kept an eye on
Treasurer / Int or Wis / mr. Moneybags
Warden / Str or Con / Police Commissioner for the kingdom

Arioch could fill any role, but would serve best in one where his panache & savoir fare would be more assets than hindrances...
I.E. roles that use Cha as their mod ability, which is over half of them...

I would argue in favor of Kingdom actions taking place either in Discussion or...
Yeah, mostly just in Discussion.

Also, it's called the 'Salve of the Second Chance'. It's made in Uringen, a small River Kingdom just a bit Southwest of Mivon, which is due South of us by a ways & it costs 160 Platinum & functions exactly like the Reincarnate spell, unless you use it on the night of a new moon, when you get to roll twice on the table & choose which roll you like better.
Harakani DM, it's found in the 'Guide to the River Kingdoms, pg. 60 for Uringen & pg. 62 for 'Salve of the Second Chance'.

edit:
Starting 'Dream Team'
Ruler: Hargran (duh)
Councillor: Taerine
General: Thkrull (Why not? Nobody would expect it)
Grand Diplomat: Me! ('cause I is stylin')
High Priest: Anglon (duh, Priest of Lissala!)
Magister: the Master in Grey (that Legion trick is pretty cool...)
Marshal: Denat Leroung (Mostly 'cause we are way heavy on 'casters' & not so heavy on people who have a decent Dex...)
Royal Assassin: to be named later... ('cause')
Spymaster: Simon
Treasurer: We need a Treasurer, oh boy do we need a treasurer...
Warden: Caillus ('cause you are probably the highest Str of any of us short of Thkrull...)

Works for me. Court Wizard and Grand Vizir are pretty similar concepts.

I'm down for high priest. Makes sense to me.

I'm good with that.

Regarding Leadership feat:

How are you going to treat that for this game? In kingmaker some DM's just effectively give it to everyone.

I'm considering taking the feat. I'm just wondering what will be the difference between taking it and not for this specific campaign.

Huh. Caillus is very take charge, so I see him as a vizier/ruler kind of guy. But starting out, he's happy to help where he is needed.

That said, his Strength is only 14. Is that really the highest?

Huh. Caillus is very take charge, so I see him as a vizier/ruler kind of guy. But starting out, he's happy to help where he is needed.

That said, his Strength is only 14. Is that really the highest?

We're all wizards. Depending on my role I'm thinking of getting a cohort that's tailored to the task. We may want to do that for some if the STR based kingdom roles.

That said, his Strength is only 14. Is that really the highest?

With the exception of Thkrull, yep.

"THKRULL WILL CRUSH YOU ALL!!!"

Caillus will erase Thkrull from time!!!!

So a warden is tasked with the defenses of the land? Police, fire, rangers, that sort of thing?

Hmm...time = money. Tell me more about this treasurer.

Mechanically, the Treasurer is responsible for the Kingdom generating income. In a lot of ways it is the most dangerous to go unfilled, since with no Treasurer the Kingdom can't get any money coming in & every month sees more expenses causing it to go out...
Which leads to Unrest, which leads to the Kingdom dissolving.
Otherwise, you add your Int or Wis modifier to the Kingdom's Economy 'save'.

The Kingdom has three 'saves' or 'skills': Economy, how Financially capable/stable we are; Loyalty, how much the citizenry likes/respects the government/nation; and Stability, how well our infrastructure can handle/respond to 'stuff'.
There are a number of actions we, the characters can do to affect those things, but for the most part they are a result of our ability mods, the structures we build in the kingdom & our 'government style' which is reflected in three general Edicts.
Edicts are Promotion, kind of a general reflection of how 'hand's-on' we/the government are in dealing with what needs dealt with, do we have a standing armed force, that sort of thing.
Taxation, how much do we require the citizens of the realm to pay for what happens directly & finally Festivals per Year, how much do we pay for the common citizenry to blow off steam.

I'm guessing we will start with just one Hex & further I'm guessing the 'Fort' we are currently in is what normally is Oleg's trading-post Harakani?

Arioch: it is indeed.

I'd like to use the rules in Ultimate Campaign. In principle these are the same as the kingmaker rules.

Hmm...time = money. Tell me more about this treasurer.

Brilliant. :)

Arioch: it is indeed.

I'd like to use the rules in Ultimate Campaign. In principle these are the same as the kingmaker rules.

So you have a copy of Ultimate Campaign?

edit: When I post a statement in italics like I did in Gameplay it means something Arioch is thinking, not something he is saying.

I pre-ordered a copy.

Yeah, I have a subscription.

I'm back !

Just one thing : having tied (a bit) Denat to Kalimstrade and to the virtue of generosity, I'd prefer him to be treasurer.
And now, I guess I have a few posts to read in the gameplay section.

Ok, silly question number.. I lost track :o
What would our kind and magnificent DM (I'm not too heavy handed, am I ? ;) ) think of using the content of the Ultimate Campaign book on our characters ?

Are we required to have one person administrate and office? For purposes of ability scores and/or oversight, maybe multiple people can help perform an office? Frex, time is money, but generosity/greed is also very tied into money. Chronomancy might be tied to sloth/productivity, which is also tied to money. So do we want the chief ability score to make our decision for us? Or just roleplay it out as it happens? Or just let people speak for the role they want ooc?

Might be we just play through this discussion until most of us have the UC book. I plan to have it in a couple of weeks.

So, are we picking leadership roles now? I'm guessing that Hargran wants to be the ruler?

What ?

Regarding Leadership feat:

How are you going to treat that for this game? In kingmaker some DM's just effectively give it to everyone.

Seems the Leadership feat gives also a +1 bonus to the Leader statistics.

Ultimate Campaign is a really great book. For my tastes anyway.

Edit : Nearly forgot to ask.

You guys murdered everyone the second time rocks fell.

One more silly question but can you tell us who killed who and how ? I'm always interested in learning new ways for Denat to be useful.

Ok, silly question number.. I lost track :o

What would our kind and magnificent DM (I'm not too heavy handed, am I ? ;) ) think of using the content of the Ultimate Campaign book on our characters ?

Which parts in particular?