Strength and Fear: An Ustalavic Kingmaker Campaign

Game Master vayelan

You know, it probably is a good idea to give a glimpse behind the GM screen and discuss what I have planned for the game.

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First off, the betrothal offers were originally meant as throwaway details to demonstrate that opportunistic nobles and merchants were watching your ascent to power. However, I did write up some NPC notes on them in case you guys decided to investigate any of them.

Of course, since Consort is one of the (optional) leadership roles, there is incentive for Valeska to seek out a partner.
We can discuss that either here or via PM, if you would like.

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Now, onto bigger matters...

What I have been building up to is the return of Tar-Baphon, the destruction of Vigil, and the Fall of Lastwall.
While these events are central to the Tyrant's Grasp AP, they occur off-screen for our game.

Baron Ludwig and his ghouls were the primary Whispering Way cell operating in Canterwall, so by defeating them you have bought your land a reprieve from the coming chaos and darkness falling on neighboring lands. Thus, although Ustalav at large and other nearby Inner Sea nations will soon be gripped with fear by the Whispering Tyrant's return, your county will be an island of comparative security and stability. This means that refugees from Lastwall will be immigrating to Canterwall, fueling a boom in your domain.

As the Whispering Tyrant builds up his forces, you guys will need to work out alliances with the dwarves, orcs, and other Ustalavic nobles to create a bastion against the undead. This can even lead to a number of possible, drastic turns, such as declaring independence from Ustalav, uniting with the Belkzen, or even becoming the ruler of all Ustalav.

Loot related... I should be adding Raven's Head and Equestrian Plate to the loot sheet? Are they both going to Kain?

I'll also mention that each Kingdom Turn, the Spymaster can decide which of the three kingdom attributes (Stability, Economy, or Loyalty) to add their bonus to.

Noted.

That's very cool, Vayelan! We should have our county be an early adopter of Stasian Coil magitech then :)

That's super cool!

For kingdom roles, I think Marshal is best suited to Miruna. Enforcer isn't called Assassin anymore but it's still a bit iffy for her.

Kingdom Turn 3: Sarenith 4720

Upkeep Phase

Stability Check DC 24: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 17 = 34
Result: No unrest, so +1 BP (treasury at 12 BP)

Pay Consumption: 2 BP (treasury at 10 BP)

Fill Vacant Magic Item Slots: none

Edict Phase

Assign Leadership: Miruna becomes Marshal, Leta becomes Spymaster, Nadiya becomes Magister.

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Okay, some decisions to make.

@Leta - do you want to apply your Spymaster bonus to Stability, Economy, or Loyalty?

Do you want to claim any hexes? You could claim the hex with Clover's Crossing and work to rebuild the village.

You can also discuss building terrain improvements like farms or constructing new buildings in Ravengro.

Stability being fine, Leta takes the opportunity to have an affect on the local Economy by supplying information she's gained on an illicit black market some recent visitors had set up.

Loot related... I should be adding Raven's Head and Equestrian Plate to the loot sheet? Are they both going to Kain?

I believe yes and yes.

For the kingdom check, makes sense to claim Clover's Crossing. IMO of course!

Are we going to RP out any of the promotions?

Are we going to RP out any of the promotions?

You guys are welcome to RP the promotions if you would like, but it will not be required.

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Also, I just remembered something worth mentioning:

Ordinarily with kingdom building, when you establish a new settlement, the rules assume you are starting from scratch.

With both Ravengro and Clover's Crossing, you are reclaiming settlements that have fallen on hard times, so there are extant buildings that can be renovated. These buildings will only cost half the normal BP that would be required for starting from scratch.

In Ravengro, you still have the option of renovating the Temple of Pharasma, Bank, Jail, Town Hall, Library, and Graveyard.

In Clover's Crossing, you'll have the option of renovating the Town Hall, General Shop, Granary, Tavern, Graveyard, 2 Trade Shops, and 4 Houses.

Graveyards are a cheap +1 loyalty, IMO.

Does claiming hexes cost?

And, are there any in game effects/costs to all the tunnels, craters, etc...

Or are we hand waiving that stuff?

I don't want to send folks there... just to be killed by undead. Work crews, settlers, people returning, etc...

Claiming a hex costs 1 BP, which represents clearing paths, establishing patrols, and setting up tents for workers, settlers, etc.

The ghouls have now abandoned the catacombs beneath Clover's Crossing, so your residents will be safe when you resettle the village.

There are a few possible Settlement Qualities we could apply as game effects for the catacombs, such as Under-City, City of the Dead, or Adventure Site.

There is also a game mechanic where, when you build a settlement atop a large subterranean complex, you can annex those caves as an underground district for the surface settlement. However, I'm not sure if the catacombs would be large enough for that, plus there might not be many residents willing to live and work down there.

I think the way I'd like to handle it is treat it as a foundation for a unique settlement improvement with effects similar to a Cathedral or Museum, costing a certain amount of BP to seal off the ghoul tunnels, reconsecrate the site, and restore it to its proper purpose.

Are there extra challenges or costs associate with those sinkholes we should be aware of? Or just the underground annex possibility?

Are there extra challenges or costs associate with those sinkholes we should be aware of? Or just the underground annex possibility?

The ghouls had specifically weakened the ground under the church over the course of several weeks, so they could trigger the sinkhole while most of the villagers were attending the church.

The ground and foundations for the rest of the village remain stable, so there is no extra cost required.

However, you could turn the site of the tragedy into a monument for half cost.

Once again, Kain will put forward the motion of military education. Have the youths and young men and women of the county have either mandatory service or voluntary, but give incentive to them in either case.

Those that serve will not only be given pay, housing, and meals. But free education as well. Stoke a little militaristic idealism into folks. This way we solve two problems with one stone. We create a military (albeit, at the moment it would be more akin to a more glorified militia. Akin to Kain's old home settlement before it was destroyed) and create both jobs and a work force under out direct control. We could make this work to our advantage further by pulling high potential individuals aside for an elite force that would be potentially used to go out and fight, rather than simply defending the towns, placing a special name on this "elite" force could instill further pride and morale, such as "the Raven Knights" or something to that effect. The goal being to either lessen the impact of mandatory military service (be that soldier, staff, or non-combat personnel) or, provide inciting enough incentives that a fair majority of the population would be willing to sign up.

Note, we could use this to create engineers not only for military, but civil use. Using them as labor for renovations/constructions. This way, theoretically, almost all non raw materials expenses are going back into our people, not potentially foreign contractors, as it were.

Whether or not implemented, I think economy is a good stat to focus on mechanically and RP wise. After all, no money means no food or materials, which means no anything else. Stability a close second. Hopefully, one can fund the other.

It also could provide a way to reconcile residents with the new influx of refugees. If both are fighting for the county, hard to call them outsiders after all.

As a side note, RPing a militaristic knight with an almost heart of gold is more fun than I thought. One mindedness isn't always dull! Hah!

Valeska had always agreed with Kain's views, even if she had to focus on other priorities.

With the undead incursion, it may be time.

I like the idea of turning the Catacombs into a sacred site... it's already got the sacred defenders, and the windy passages could serve as something similar to the purpose of a prayer labyrinth--to encourage contemplation and prayer as one wanders the windy passages. I'd think it'd also bolster the spirits of the people who live there, to turn what was a source of tragedy into a site that will prevent such a tragedy occurring again (both because it is consecrated, and because regular visitors and maintenance will help prevent someone sneaking in and subverting its purpose).

I understand if we have to prioritize BP elsewhere first, but as an eventual goal I think it's cool.

Nadiya wrote:

Are we going to RP out any of the promotions?

You guys are welcome to RP the promotions if you would like, but it will not be required.

I ask because Nadiya's not the type to show up and say "Hey, can I have a job in local government?" (though obviously I am willing to have her easily buy in)--just kind of curious about the pitch she'd be given.

Mechanically, Kain's proposal can be implemented by first raising the kingdom's Promotion Level, then creating your first army unit, either this turn or the next.

As described in the Kingdom Building Rules, "Promotion edicts are events and actions the kingdom uses to attract new citizens and increase the well-being of the kingdom, such as recruitment campaigns, advertisements about services and goods, and propaganda to improve the perception of your kingdom at home and abroad. Promotions increase Consumption, but also increase Stability."

The kingdom's current Promotion level is "none," giving -1 to Stability but costing no BP. Raising it to a "Token" level gives +1 Stability and costs 1 BP per month, raising it to "Standard" gives +2 Stability and costs 2 BP per month, and raising it to "Aggressive" gives +3 Stability and costs 4 BP per month. There is a higher level, "Expansionist," but that costs 8 BP per month, which is probably a bit too much right now.

As for creating your first army unit, there are two options I would suggest for getting started. Establishing an army of 200 human soldiers (which qualifies as Army Size: Large) would cost 1 BP per month (whilst kept in reserve; active army units have a weekly cost). Alternatively, you could establish an army of 500 human militia members (qualifying as Army Size: Huge) for the same 1 BP cost.

There are also resource upgrades you can purchase for army units, such as Ranged Weapons, Improved Armor, Improved Weapons, Healing Potions, etc.

Any mounted stuff, a la The Riders of Rohan? Sorry if it's cheeky!

Kain seems mounted oriented :)

I almost want to do both, which one would folks think it's the first step? Do we have the population to support this?

Also, should we do one at each location? I suppose reserve and militia don't need barracks? Might need Town Hall as a command center?

Assuming we're using the mass combat rules, what's the difference in the ACR of regulars vs militia? Leta would prefer militia, who have more freedom than a heavily regulated army. But she realizes it's not her area of influence, and wouldn't push it either way.

I wouldn't worry too much about "staying in one's lane" as we're all learning together.

Except those that know all the rules, but there could be perspective they hadn't considered.

This campaign (DM) hasn't created a "race condition" where if you're not exactly at this level by this time, game over.

I think either or both of they can be supported is good, as we build our economy.

How do we build a communication network (spy in the sense of intelligence gathering)... I think Evets could be a factor, if he continues to travel or with his contacts.

Any mounted stuff, a la The Riders of Rohan? Sorry if it's cheeky!

Kain seems mounted oriented :)

Yes, to create a cavalry unit, you can equip one of the army units with horses (or other mounts) as a resource upgrade.

The base cost depends on whether you are outfitting them with light or heavy horses, and whether you are upgrading the militia or heavy soldiers. Either way, the maintenance cost is just upgrade by 1 BP per month.

Assuming we're using the mass combat rules, what's the difference in the ACR of regulars vs militia? Leta would prefer militia, who have more freedom than a heavily regulated army. But she realizes it's not her area of influence, and wouldn't push it either way.

200 regulars and 500 militia both have an ACR of 3, in addition to having the same cost.

I think for right now, a militia force makes the most sense given our resources and narrative level of development. It's a nucleus that can be developed over time. Later we can shift that to a pair of smaller but more professional units to represent ongoing training and a more developed economic base.

Yes, to create a cavalry unit, you can equip one of the army units with horses (or other mounts) as a resource upgrade.

Army is "regulars" and not "militia" correct?

No mounted militia?

In general, at this point if mounted... It's say light horses for speed in maneuvers and story wise, communication. Mounted patrols.

DM Vayelan wrote:

Yes, to create a cavalry unit, you can equip one of the army units with horses (or other mounts) as a resource upgrade.

Army is "regulars" and not "militia" correct?

No mounted militia?

In general, at this point if mounted... It's say light horses for speed in maneuvers and story wise, communication. Mounted patrols.

"Army" or "Army Unit" are the umbrella term for various forces you can raise and maintain.

Here's a link with some of the sample armies.

The army unit I referred to as the "regulars" is composed of human fighters, while the militia one is composed of human warriors.

Either one can be equipped with horses, so you can definitely have a mounted militia unit. This would definitely fit thematically thanks to both Kain's training and the open moorlands of the county making mounted patrols very useful.

Kain would vote for the 200 mounted soldiers, preferring better equipped and better trained soldiers, thematically the rest of the volunteers/populace would work as guards, construction/farming labor/non-combat staff that tend to the logistical needs. Aside from the a fore mentioned reasons, it would form the basis of founding a more elite force later in time.

That said, a militia force probably aptly fits the bill. And have +1 speed fits the light cavalry thematic. It also works well with the general idea of "get people into the military" idea behind the incentives to join/lessen the impact of required service.

Is there any difference cost wise for resources for the 200 soldiers vs 500 militia?

As it stands, healing potions are out cost wise, which is what I figured. But Ranged weaponry+mounts Might could be done. Though a tad expensive.

I think it makes sense to go for the militia first and then switch over to soldiers when we can build a larger and more formidable army. It makes sense storywis--we'd be starting with barely trained but willing civilians, and as we progress and Kain does his thing many of them are replaced or become disciplined soldiers. When we have more BP we get two sets of 200 soldiers (400). And I support any upgrades y'all like.

PS: I'd like to eventually fix up the temple of Pharasma in Ravengro. Leta mention fixing up the graveyard which would be appropriate as well. Graveyard is 4 BP. Temple from scratch is 32 but you get a discount with the graveyard and it sounds like "renovate" would lower the point cost? Remind me how do we get BP?

Looks like we've got 10 BP, so 1 for military (plus one more for additional upgrades perhaps?), 1 for buying the Clover's Crossing Hex. So that's 2 or 3 spent. Do we want to bank the rest or get started on other stuff?

There is a chart showing how the cost for resources scales with the size of an army unit: x1 for a medium-sized unit (100-strong), x2 for large (200-strong), and x4 for huge (500-strong).

I'll try to lay out some options and their costs:

100 heavy infantry (1 BP upfront, 1 BP per month)
200 heavy infantry (1 BP upfront, 1 BP per month)
200 militia (1 BP upfront, 1 BP per month)
500 militia (1 BP upfront, 1 BP per month)

100 heavy cavalry (regular soldiers on heavy horses) (3 BP upfront, 2 BP per month)
200 heavy cavalry (regular soldiers on heavy horses) (5 BP upfront, 2 BP per month)
200 light cavalry (militia on light horses) (3 BP upfront, 2 BP per month)
500 light cavalry (militia on light horses) (5 BP upfront, 2 BP per month)

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Also, as a note, after rereading the entry on buying mounts for a unit, at least one settlement in your kingdom needs a Stable, Stockyard, or Foreign Quarter. Thus, you would need to build a Stable (10 BP) to "unlock" cavalry. However, with Kain's expertise, I would be willing to impart a discount on the Stable.

I guess the root question(?) is... How do we scale gaining more BP?

Let make sure to use BP to earn BP...

I guess the root question(?) is... How do we scale gaining more BP?

Let make sure to use BP to earn BP...

Purchases of buildings that add to economy, mostly. more buildings (of the right type) equal higher rolls, equal more BP in (from what I remember; it's been a few years).

And yes, I meant "regulars" as soldiers, ie "regular army" vs militia.

After claiming the hex with Clover's Crossing, you will have 9 BP in your treasury. Here are some affordable ways to invest that for future revenue:

For 2 BP, you can build farms in the Clover's Crossing hex. This will decrease your monthly Consumption by 2 BP.

For a total of 5 BP, you can renovate one of the Houses and the General Store in Clover's Crossing, giving +1 Economy.

If you do both of those, this will leave you with 2 BP in the treasury, which means you can still create 1-2 non-mounted army units.

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Once the Income Phase begins, you can also deposit gold or other wealth and sell expensive items to increase your treasury.

On the Loot tab of the Rulership Tracker, there are quite a few magic items that don't seem to have been claimed. If no one wants to take possession of them, you could trade them for BP.

wheres the link to the loot tab?

So, if you built a farm, and created a mounted unit of 500 light cav (or 200 heavy cav), that would leave us with 2BP, and 0 consumption from the army unit.

Let's sell off the loot.

Everyone take a look and call out what you want. I'm go last, I've a rather eclectic multi-class. Great for story telling, but all over the place mechanically.

About how many BP works this get us? Rough estimate?

Timing wise... We're talking about weekly intervals, can we wait for mounted? Currently only have 1 militia unit on foot for each location?

Will all that, what's our BP look like for next turn? Stables, mounted forces, church, graveyard, town hall, etc...

wheres the link to the loot tab?

It's a sheet/tab in the Rulership Tracker, sticky up top!

At the bottom of that workbook, you should see multiple sheets/tabs.

About how many BP works this get us? Rough estimate?

Timing wise... We're talking about weekly intervals, can we wait for mounted? Currently only have 1 militia unit on foot for each location?

Will all that, what's our BP look like for next turn? Stables, mounted forces, church, graveyard, town hall, etc...

When depositing wealth or selling items, the exchange rate is 4000 gp = 1 BP

Each Kingdom Turn represents the passing of one month.

It's hard to predict how many BP you'll have for the next turn since we still need to roll the Economy check for collecting taxes during the Income Phase.

How do the special abilities work? Like, how could we give an army of mounted soldiers

Mount (Cavalier 1): The army’s mounts increase the army’s OM and DV by 1.

How do the special abilities work? Like, how could we give an army of mounted soldiers

Mount (Cavalier 1): The army’s mounts increase the army’s OM and DV by 1.

I don't think there's a way to purchase special abilities as though they were upgrades.

I think the idea is that the GM and players collaborate to create a custom army unit with those abilities that can be recruited or trained.

In this case, we could rule that Kain can make Profession (Mercenary) checks each kingdom turn, and after a certain number of months (maybe 2-3?) you can upgrade an ordinary cavalry unit into one with a cavalier ability.

How do the special abilities work? Like, how could we give an army of mounted soldiers

Mount (Cavalier 1): The army’s mounts increase the army’s OM and DV by 1.

keep in mind also armies can modify their Strategy during the melee phase similar to Power Attack for an individual.

Strategy DV OM Damage Dealt
Defensive +4 –4 –6
Cautious +2 –2 –3
Standard +0 +0 +0
Aggressive –2 +2 +3
Reckless –4 +4 +6

Before we sell stuff off, can I snag one of those cloaks of resistance, if they're just sitting around?

Before we sell stuff off, can I snag one of those cloaks of resistance, if they're just sitting around?

Works for me!

Lol nix that. I've already got one!

Didn't you snag one in the dungeon? That might be the one you already had and it just hadn't been marked as yours.

DM Vayelan wrote:

Nadiya wrote:

Are we going to RP out any of the promotions?

You guys are welcome to RP the promotions if you would like, but it will not be required.

I ask because Nadiya's not the type to show up and say "Hey, can I have a job in local government?" (though obviously I am willing to have her easily buy in)--just kind of curious about the pitch she'd be given.

Okay, I was being too subtle.

Valeska, Kain, Bashuk (as the veteran characters in the story): I have absolutely no idea how to transition my character into her role as magister. I would appreciate you helping me out with a brief RP nod/opportunity and let her know exactly what her responsibilities are so I can figure out what to do with her from here on.

THank you.

Apologies, I thought Valeska's post about inviting us to dinner was the in for that conversation. Does that not work? I figure we can ask any questions our characters have there and let the conversation develop.

Apologies, I thought Valeska's post about inviting us to dinner was the in for that conversation. Does that not work? I figure we can ask any questions our characters have there and let the conversation develop.

Thank you for pointing that out, in the three posts from Valeska it was the very first thing mentioned, and by the time I finished reading to the end I'd forgotten I was invited to be there. (ETA: that sounds potentially snarky. I'm not being snarky, I really just lost track of what was supposed to be happening.)

The dinner is fine with me if we can get to the subject, I had thought it was intended for NPCs to share concerns (like in the Kingmaker video game when you have all the NPCs show up in the throne room to petition the main character).

I would say let's claim the hex or hexes and start with the least expensive mounted military force, along with the required building.

This is humble beginnings. So, if something has to act as a stable, so be it.

What would be left for us to spend after that? And, should we cultivate farm land (I see one more plain adjacent to water, costs 2 BP?) to decrease required maintenance cost during future turns? Military requires food.

They march on their stomachs, after all!

I think we have some MWK weapons and armor that are unclaimed, we can swap them out for 16000 = 4 BP (approx) or are we selling at half price? So, only 8000 gp = 2 BP?

I do not believe these items affect our armies, I think army upgrades need to be purchased with BP. Actually, this swap could (in the abstract) justify story-wise the creation of our militia.

I calculated value in a column to the right.

Development-wise we could try to synergize: Vineyard Cost 3 BP (-1 BP consumption per turn and -1 cost to build a Brewery.) 5 BP to build a Brewery (next turn) for +1 Stability & Loyalty.

I'm looking through the rules for things like that. I like Sawmill, too.

The other thing I'm trying to consider is terrain requirements and adjacency... farms (cost 2) need plains adjacent to water, vineyard needs hills (cost 3), sawmill needs forest (cost 3), etc...

Rulership Map question...

Is the whole thing Canterwall (under Valeska's rule) -OR- just the horizontal strip with the red lines being borders to other counties - not under her rule?

EDIT: Found answer here Map Post <<< Link