No I have not. You are the one who has been updating the kingdom stats.
After searching this thread, I found that it was actually SIX months, not three.
We're positively flush everyone! Been sitting on a pile of cash and we didn't even realize it. :D
Probably started when half the PCs got switched around.
As of the end of Calistril, we will actually have a whopping 47 BP, more than we've ever thought we had before.
Man these kingdom rules are complex. Making mistakes left and right even with spread sheets and other kingdom automation tools.
Wow, I can only imagine how much I would screw it up if I tried to understand all the rules. In that case, should we try to build a garrison?
I say we use it finish off the hospital and arena, finally bringing them up to Kingdom level status! What do you think Toran, Mallachatti?
EDIT: But, yes, the garrison first.
I understand the rules plenty fine I think. It's just that there are so many minute details that it's incredibly easy to overlook or otherwise forget something.
Yeah, that was my point. You understand them so well and even you make mistakes, I can only imagine how badly it would go if I tried to do what you're doing.
The garrison is definitely our first priority, but after that I'm fine with finishing the other buildings.
If we have other BP remaining, could we potentially start thinking about increasing trade via the rivers passing through our kingdom? Just an idea, but I'll probably have Toran start focusing on promoting trade through building a waterfront, and then businesses to support it, and if we have extra BP, we could use those to get the kingdom benefits of those buildings as well.
We're running out of space in the Castle District. We definitely don't have room for a waterfront. We will have to create a new district, likely on the far side of one of the flanking rivers if you want it on the water.
(Creating a new district is kind of like claiming a hex, we have to pay for it, it increases our Kingdom DC, and we get a new blank district map to add to our settlement.)
If we did that, what would you name the new district?
This was just an idea, please feel free to object if you think we should focus on other things. I'm afraid that I don't have much of a gift for naming things, but perhaps something with relevance to our city. Is there anything like that from the early days of your kingdom that would be well-honored in that way?
Nothing springs immediately to mind, though I like the idea. Perhaps we could name it after a landmark in the district (Castle district was so named for its castle, for example). We could just as easily call the new one the Waterfront District, or the Eastwater or Northwater District (depending on which river you set it next to).
The Waterfront district would certainly work if we can't think of anything better.
Smiling slightly, Toran claps the gnome on the shoulder, What's your name?"
"Professer Death"
"You, good sir, are a genius. This will be very helpful, particularly with our budding military!
"military applications? What NOOO!"
He takes out a hammer and starts smashing into it.
"Forgive me Mayor, but I am a man of science not of war. I intended the Armored wagon of Death to be used for good not evil to help mankind not destroy it!"
Well I guess that's one less thing to worry about. :P
Professor Death? That's really what a self-proclaimed "peaceful scientist" calls himself? I wonder what that's about.
Death means something different in Gnomish.
Just a heads up, I'll be out of town this weekend, feel free to bot me as needed.
Hope you don't mind if I play out this seen using you as a straight man.
I'm basing Professor Death on this Professor Death
It's just as well, I'm going to be busy this weekend too.
About all Gnome inventors tend to have quirk for most of them it's making huge and impractical inventions. For professer Death it's not seeing the military applications of his projects.
So I've observed. (¬‿¬)
Powergaming DM-I didn't mind at all, that whole interaction was somewhat hilarious!
He has one more invention to show.
I can hardly wait!
Neither can I. Go get him Toran.
How on earth do you reason with someone who is clearly unreasoning (that is, bat s&%! insane?
You out-crazy them? Toran will try reason, and I doubt that it will go over very well, but that would be my best guess.
Crazy genius 6 of one half a dozen of the other.
So going out adventuring or next month?
What do you think, Toran? I'm perfectly fine doing either one.
I'm fine doing either, but we may want to wait until we have have a more upgraded army to go out and deal with any threats like wisps or trolls. That said, do we want to try to do that next month and stay in this month?
Do you really want to let the army do the work and lose out on Exp?
Do you really want to let the army do the work and lose out on Exp?
If Toran is leading the army and we play it out using the mass battle rules, humans versus wisps, why would we lose out on XP?
Now, if we sent the army in by themselves to do all the work for us...then yeah, definitely no XP (except for maybe clearing the hex).
That was pretty much my thought, cause we're still participating, we're just not doing it alone.
So I should split the Xp with the army say each solder gets a 1/4th share.
I think you should give the party full XP as appropriate for mass combat. After all, losing a battle has severe repercussions for the whole party as well as for the kingdom they run. It's unfair to face such risks without reward.
Alright, but could you make your next army something that plays a more supporting role to the party instead of an army of fighter to well fight for you?
Mass combat wasn't really meant to happen till book 4. That's why the Bp costs for armies are so high.
Didn't know that (thanks for the pseudo-spoiler ;P ). Your hesitancy to letting us use it makes a little bit more sense now.
However, one must wonder what we are supposed to do next? We've failed to stop the wisps and clear their areas two or three times now. You've also made it abundantly clear that the dragon, Lady Greengrass, is far too powerful for us at this time. And now there are rumors that there may be an ancient lich as well (to say nothing of his high-powered bounty hunter from another world). Everywhere we turn we are met by threats that, logically, we simply cannot handle ourselves. In these particular scenarios that you've laid before us, you haven't left us with too many options.
I don't plan to use the army to solve every encounter, just against the things where it makes logical sense to use an army (such as clearing out an opposing army of wisps, driving out a hostile dragon too much a match for any one person, or laying siege to a fort full of trolls).
And if we didn't send our army out to meet these terrible foes after failing to do root them out ourselves, what might our people think of us then? That we're weak, that we're cowards, that we're incompetent and incapable of making them safe?
Well you have cleared out the wisps. You just haven't heard about it yet. Personally I expected you to come up with the net idea on your own.
Mostly I have been putting the higher level stuff in the way of foreshadowing. I have always found it annoying how the world tends to level up when the characters do so I have been working to keep the impression of a larger whole. I won't force you into any fight I don't think you can handle.
As for lady Greengrass. I will admit that she was a bit much, but I wanted to give you a enemy that you would be forced to deal with also I have made sure that her demands were always such that you could afford them. I expect that you will eventually overcome her or come to a more equal relationship.
I personally feel that anything the army can do P.C's can likely do better. The only exceptions being clean up and holding territory.
What hex were the wisps in? So I can mark it on the map.
The island with the tower.
Alright, I'm not too keen on going out without the army or additional PC support, so unless we bot the absent PCs (I still have their stats on hand) I think we should probably just start the next Kingdom month.
Growing our kingdom a bit more isn't going to hurt anything, and being an elf, I have quite a bit of patience and don't need to go adventuring every year. :P
I'd just as well stay here, and when/if we get more PCs, or when we're a little stronger, then we could do some more adventuring.
PHARAST
Upkeep Phase
During the Upkeep Phase, you adjust your kingdom's scores based on what's happened in the past month, how happy the people are, how much they've consumed and are taxed, and so on.
Step 1—Determine Kingdom Stability: Attempt a Stability check. If you succeed, Unrest decreases by 1 (if this would reduce Unrest below 0, add 1 BP to your Treasury instead). If you fail by 4 or less, Unrest increases by 1; if you fail by 5 or more, Unrest increases by 1d4.
Step 2—Pay Consumption: Subtract your kingdom's Consumption from the kingdom's Treasury. If your Treasury is negative after paying Consumption, Unrest increases by 2.
Step 3—Fill Vacant Magic Item Slots: If any of your settlement districts have buildings that produce magic items (such as a Caster's Tower or Herbalist) with vacant magic item slots, there is a chance of those slots filling with new items (see the Magic Items in Settlements section).
Step 4—Modify Unrest: Unrest increases by 1 for each kingdom attribute (Economy, Loyalty, or Stability) that is a negative number.
The Royal Enforcer may attempt to reduce Unrest during this step.
Edict Phase
The Edict phase is when you make proclamations on expansion, improvements, taxation, holidays, and so on.
Step 1—Assign Leadership: Assign PCs or NPCs to any vacant leadership roles or change the roles being filled by particular PCs or closely allied NPCs (see Leadership Roles).
Step 2—Claim and Abandon Hexes: For your kingdom to grow, you must claim additional hexes. You can only claim a hex that is adjacent to at least 1 other hex in your kingdom. Before you can claim it, the hex must first be explored, then cleared of monsters and dangerous hazards (see Steps 2 and 3 of Founding a Settlement for more details). Then, to claim the hex, spend 1 BP; this establishes the hex as part of your kingdom and increases your kingdom's Size by 1. Table: Improvement Edicts tells you the maximum number of hexes you can claim per turn.
You may abandon any number of hexes to reduce your kingdom's Size (which you may wish to do to manage Consumption). Doing so increases Unrest by 1 for each hex abandoned (or by 4 if the hex contained a settlement). This otherwise functions like losing a hex due to unrest (see Step 4 of the Upkeep Phase).
Step 4—Build Terrain Improvements: You may spend BP to build terrain improvements like Farms, Forts, Roads, Mines, and Quarries (see Terrain Improvements).
You may also prepare a hex for constructing a settlement. Depending on the site, this may involve clearing trees, moving boulders, digging sanitation trenches, and so on. See the Preparation Cost column on Table: Terrain and Terrain Improvements to determine how many BP this requires.
Table: Improvement Edicts tells you the maximum number of terrain improvements you can make per turn.
Step 5—Create and Improve Settlements: You may create a settlement in a claimed hex (see Founding a Settlement). Table: Improvement Edicts tells you the maximum number of settlements you can establish per turn.
You may a building in any settlement in your kingdom. The list of available building types begins. When a building is completed, apply its modifiers to your kingdom sheet. Table: Improvement Edicts tells you the maximum number of buildings you can construct in your kingdom per turn. The first House, Mansion, Noble Villa, or Tenement your kingdom builds each turn does not count against that limit.
Step 6—Create Army Units: You may create, expand, equip, or repair army units (see Mass Combat).
Step 7—Issue Edicts: Select or adjust your edict levels (see Edicts).
Okay, so did we want to create a new district? I'm going to have Toran start building his Waterfront, so if we want to pay the BP cost and get kingdom benefits, we should make a new district now so we have room.
Time to step things up a notch.
Step 1—Assign Leadership.
Hoping to get my friend in here within the next couple of days. If it works out, I would like to have her counted as being in a leadership position this month. She's currently eyeing the Vice Mayor position (that is, the heir).
Step 2—Claim and Abandon Hexes
Claiming hex G35 to fatten our nation, so that anyone gunning for our capital will have to fight through a hex first.
-1 BP
Step 4—Build Terrain Improvements
Building a fishery in G35, cause we can. Sadly, you cannot build farms in forest hexes, which is a real shame since it would have benefited from the Stockyard. I suppose we will start a network of roads instead.
-10 BP
You may also prepare a hex for constructing a settlement.
We will be adding a new "Waterfront District" to Allania, rather than starting a new settlement. It will be located on the South East side of the South East river I think.
-2 BP
We shall upgrade the barracks into a garrison to better support our new army.
-22 BP
Our garrison will allow us to put our army on reserve, thereby reducing its cost from 8 BP per month to 2 BP per month.
Step 6—Create Army Units
One army is quite enough for now I think.
Step 7—Issue Edicts
We will use the return on consumption from our new garrison/reserve army to increase our holidays to 24 and to increase our promotions to the expansionist level. If our situation continues to improve, we may well increase the education level next month as well.
Total expenditure this month: -35 BP
Also, I just realized that our Sawmill in hex G37 is illegal, since it can't be placed in a hills terrain. If it's alright with the GM, I am going to assume it was a quarry all along, which has identical stats (but costs us another 3 BP since it's more expensive).
If anyone disagrees with any of the above, please speak your mind.
It will be a little while before I get all the new numbers worked out and uploaded.
That is alright.
The documents are all updated and are being uploaded now.
Be warned though, they do not yet include modifiers for new players, such as my friend Darkwolf2391, should she be permitted to join (I'm hoping to have more on that tonight or tomorrow).
Also, after finding a mathematical discrepancy in my automated kingdom spreadsheet, I came across a pseudo-official ruling not supported in Ultimate Campaign's written rules that you should probably be aware of.
Apparently the rule to count new districts against a Kingdom's consumption exists in the Kingmaker books, but not in Ultimate Campaign.
The Kingdom Sheet currently takes Sean's ruling into account (otherwise our consumption would be 2, not 4; kind of caught me by surprise).
And one more thing, you should see new roads displayed on our Kingdom map. Their layout is displayed artistically and has no bearing on where the road actually goes. Any hex with a road in it connects to ALL surrounding hexes, even if it doesn't appear so on the map. Bridges work similarly in that if there is a bridge displayed in a hex, it allows for the crossing of ALL rivers in that hex, even if it only appears to cross one of them.
I think we will stick to the kingdom rules for that.
They are all the Kingdom rules. :P
Do you mean to count districts against a kingdom's consumption or not?
Until there is further clarification the old kingdom rules with consumption.
Suits me just fine (it's a drag for our kingdom, but it makes the paperwork easier).