My group is fast approaching RRR and will be beginning to build their kingdom soon.
I'm wondering if anyone has put together a player safe handout of the kingdom building rules? I looked through the forum but didn't see anything quite like this. I hesitate to just hand them the chapter because of sections like "Kingdom Events." I like to keep the random stuff a mystery!
As a relatively new GM, having my players' help to keep most of these additional rules straight would be helpful. I would really rather not have to type the whole section out and edit it myself.
Thanks!
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This is what I gave out to my own players. It may need some editing (only part of it was posted until the players decided on some things, then more was added to the initial post) and it has some stuff from our campaign experience (such as how the NPCs are), but otherwise should help.
The last part of it just refers to a picture I made for them to reference when building things. Because it uses art from the book, I can't reproduce it here. You might be able to get an idea on what I did with it though.
As was explained at the table, there are a few terms you will need to understand when you build a Kingdom. I am going to provide you only with as many details as you absolutely need. Here are some important ones.
Size: The size of your kingdom is the number of hexes it compromises. Simple enough. The size affects your Consumption and its Control DC.
Control DC: A kingdom's Control DC is 20 + its size. This value is the DC you'll be rolling against often with Stability, Economy, and Loyalty checks.
Population: While an exact population is always going to vary, you can get a general estimate of how big your kingdom is by multiplying your size by 250, also adding in the total population of each city.
Stability, Economy, and Loyalty: These three values are analogous to saving throws. Stability checks are made during Upkeep to determine whether your kingdom remains secure. Economy checks are made during Income to determine how much your treasury increases. Loyalty checks are made to keep the public peace, and later, to handle large armies. A natural 1 is always a failure for these checks, and a natural 20 is always a success.
These numbers I will be keeping secret, for the most part. You will be receiving a trimester report (once every four months) that tells you what the current totals are for each, and should help guide your future decisions.
Unrest: A kingdom's Unrest value indicates how rebellious its people are. It is applied as a penalty on all of your Stability, Economy, and Loyalty checks. If your Unrest ever reaches 20, your kingdom falls into anarchy. While in anarchy, it can take no actions and treats all of your Stability, Economy, and Loyalty results as 0. Restoring order once in anarchy requires a number of quests and lengthy adventures by the leaders, but your kingdom will suffer greatly during this, and you will be lucky to have much of a kingdom left once it is over. Pro Tip: Do not let your Unrest reach 20.
Unrest can never go below 0 - adjustments that would normally reduce it lower than 0 are wasted.
Consumption: A kingdom's prosperity is measured by the Build Points (BP) in its treasury and cities, and its Consumption indicates how many BP it costs to keep the kingdom functioning. If a kingdom is unable to pay its Consumption in any given month, its Unrest increases by 2. A kingdom's Consumption is equal to its size plus the number of city districts it contains plus adjustments for Edicts minus 2 per farmland.
Defensive Modifier: A city's Defensive Modifier can be increased by building certain structures (such as city walls) and has an impact on mass combat. Until your city is actually attacked, the Defensive Modifier is unimportant.
Base Value: The base value associated with a city is tied not to its size but rather to a variety of Economy-based buildings. Each such building, whether a shop, tavern, or brothel, increases the city's base value. Any magic item equal to or lower than this base value in cost is available for purchase 75% of the time (this check may be made again every month as new stock comes and goes). Any nonmagical item from the equipment chapter in the Core Rulebook is always available if its cost is lower than the city's base value. The maximum base value of any given city is 16,000 GP. The base value for a new settlement is 200 GP.
Magic Item Availability: A certain number of more powerful and valuable magic items are available for purchase in any city, although these items tend to be of a somewhat random nature as new items are found or created and enter the economy. As with base value, a community's size does not influence the number of magic items above base value that are available for purchase. Instead, these items become available as certain buildings (like academies or magic shops) are added to a city. Adding these buildings creates new slots for Minor, Medium, or Major magic items. Whenever the building is added to a city, every slot is filled by a random roll of the appropriate type. After it is generated, a magic item remains on the market until it is purchased. Alternatively, once per Income phase, a kingdom can make an Economy check to try and sell an item (push it out of its slot) which will free the slot and garner some BP from the economic traffic. Once sold, the slot remains empty until next month, when it refills again.
MATH IS FUN!
There are a few things that all of you will need to collectively decide on before you can create your Kingdom. These decisions will take place over the next few weeks in game, and on the 1st of Erastus (how appropriate) your Kingdom Building will officially begin.
First, and most importantly, your Leaders! Here is the full list of who you need and what they can do.
Ruler (Charisma)
The ruler is the primary leader of the kingdom. Unlike the other leadership roles, a ruler uses one of three distinct titles, depending on the current size of the kingdom. For a kingdom of size 1-20, the rules is known as a baron or baroness. For a kingdom of size 21-80, the rules is known as a duke or duchess. A kingdom of size 81 or higher is ruled by a king or queen.
Benefit: The ruler chooses any one of the nation's statistics to boost. If a duke/duchess, they choose two of the nation's statistics to boost. If a king/queen, they affect all three.
Vacancy Penalty: A kingdom without a ruler cannot claim new hexes, create farmland, build roads, or purchase city districts. Unrest will increase a great amount every month the kingdom has no ruler.
Special: Two characters can fill this role if they become married, in which case the two rulers can jointly command the kingdom. Both rulers apply their Charisma modifiers to the checks as appropriate for their rank.
Councilor (Wisdom or Charisma)
The councilor ensures that the will of the citizenry is represented.
Benefit: The Councilor boosts Loyalty.
Vacancy Penalty: Loyalty is decreased, the kingdom cannot gain benefits from festivals, and Unrest increases a small amount.
General (Strength or Charisma)
The General commands the kingdom's armies and is a public hero.
Benefit: The General boosts Stability.
Vacancy Penalty: Stability is greatly decreased.
Grand Diplomat (Intelligence or Charisma)
The Grand Diplomat oversees international relations.
Benefit: The Grand Diplomat boosts Stability.
Vacancy Penalty: Stability is decreased and the kingdom can no longer issue Promotion edicts.
High Priest (Wisdom or Charisma)
The High Priest guides the kingdom's religious needs and growth.
Benefit: The High Priest increases Stability.
Vacancy Penalty: Stability and Loyalty are decreased, Unrest is increased.
Magister (Intelligence or Charisma)
The Magister guides a kingdom's higher learning and magic.
Benefit: The Magister increases Economy.
Vacancy Penalty: Economy is greatly decreased.
Marshal (Dexterity or Wisdom)
The Marshal helps organize patrols and enforces justice in rural and wilderness regions.
Benefit: The Marshal increases Economy.
Vacancy Penalty: Economy is greatly decreased.
Royal Assassin (Strength or Dexterity)
The Royal Assassin can serve as a public executioner, a headsman, or a shadowy assassin.
Benefit: The Royal Assassin increases Loyalty and reduces Unrest.
Vacancy Penalty: There is no vacancy penalty.
Spymaster (Dexterity or Intelligence)
The Spymaster observes the kingdom's underworld and criminal elements and spies on other kingdoms.
Benefit: The Spymaster can increase any of the kingdom's three stats, chosen each month.
Vacancy Penalty: Economy is greatly decreased and Unrest is increased.
Treasurer (Intelligence or Wisdom)
The Treasurer organizes tax collection and manages the treasury.
Benefit: The Treasurer increases Economy.
Vacancy Penalty: Economy is greatly decreased and the kingdom cannot collect taxes.
Warden (Strength or Constitution)
The Warden leads the kingdom's defense and city guards.
Benefit: The Warden increases Loyalty.
Vacancy Penalty: Loyalty and Stability are both decreased (with Loyalty taking a bigger hit).
You have some assistance in filling Leadership roles. Quite obviously, the five of you cannot fill all eleven roles. As such, some of the people you have met will be willing to offer their services in assisting you. Is the job they want the best? Do you want them in another role? Can you trust them? All of the people below are available for Leadership, although if you want someone in a different role that they wish (or want them in a role at all if they don't want to be anything) then Diplomacy is key.
Oleg Leveton: Oleg has been around since the beginning, and although gruff and surly, has taken a liking to the latest group of explorers. Mostly since you've been successful and brought a lot of supply back to him. Helping rescue his wife's ring scored major points as well. He would be happy (in his own way) to serve as a Treasurer, having a great experience with running a trading post and managing lots of income.
Svetlana Leveton: Svetlana is the friendly side of the Leveton family, always ready with a warm bed and hot meal to the weary travelers. She was especially grateful to you for returning her ring and offering her jewelry, but she has always been very wary of the company you have recently taken up with (namely three former bandits, including one that nearly took her husband's hand off). She is not interested in being a Leader, but might be able to be persuaded if necessary.
Jhod Kavken: Jhod has a bit of a self-esteem issue. He has been a bit uncertain and introspective since you first met him, unsure of his own abilities and happiest to stay at Oleg's and heal those who needed it. With the establishment of a new Kingdom, Jhod is eager to see you expand out to the Temple of the Elk, but is very patient. Although he is not interested in helping to rule a kingdom, he probably wouldn't take a lot of persuading.
Kesten Garess: The mercenary leader Garess is a rather morose and serious individual. All business, he has handled the majority of guard duty at Oleg's along with issuing the occasional wanted poster or reward. He is a bit unsure about you leaving bandits alive instead of hanging them as they deserve, but defers to your judgment. If asked to help lead, he would consider becoming the Warden to patrol the roads and wilderness for threats. You could convince him to take on another role, but it might take some doing.
Kressle: Kressle is, and has always been, a violent and scary woman. Former leader of the Thorn River Camp, she robbed and threatened the Levetons for months before you showed up. Recently, she seems to have had her wings clipped a bit, but the way she smiles at you all makes you think she knows something that you don't, along with making a shiver run up your spine. A lack of responsibility and the ability to be free defines her, and she has no interest in helping to run your little kingdom. Convincing her to take on any role would be very difficult. Although when the small halfling spoke of a Royal Assassin, that did seem to bring a smirk to her lips.
Akiros Ismort: Akiros is a mysterious man. In less than a week this man has betrayed the Staglord, joined you on the trek back to Oleg's, and volunteered to help run your Kingdom. The lack of deceit in his voice only makes him more suspicious, and one has to wonder when he'll get 'bored' and stab you in the back just like he did the Stag Lord. Still, he always seems to have something on his mind, and can occasionally be found glancing at a worn symbol of Erastil as if he were thinking back to something. He offers his services as a General, although it might be possible to convince him to take on a different role.
Others: While these are the ones you have met and seem the most obvious, there might be others for those who want to take a challenge in recruitment. More will also become available as you meet them.
Lastly, for a Leadership role to grant its bonus, the character in that particular role must spend at least 1 week per month engaged in various leadership duties (during which time you must be located within a hex that is part of your kingdom).
This is a short chapter, but the decision is important nonetheless. The Alignment of your Kingdom might seem like a small thing, but it will subtly affect a great number of things as the campaign progresses. On the more immediate things, it has a couple of impacts.
First, it boosts two of your scores. Lawful and Evil will boost Economy. Chaotic and Good will boost Loyalty. Neutral will boost Stability. So a Lawful Good kingdom will boost Economy and Lotalty, a Lawful Evil kingdom will boost Economy a lot, a Neutral Evil kingdom will boost Stability and Economy, etc.
Second, it determines what religions you can upgrade your Shrines to in later stages. There are three types of religious buildings. Shrines are the smallest, and a kingdom can build a Shrine to any god. Temples are the next size up, with a small clergy operating out of them. Temples can only be built to a specific God if that God is within one step of the Kingdom's alignment. Cathedrals are the largest, and members of the faithful will only settle in large enough numbers to support a Cathedral if your Kingdom matches that deity's alignment.
To begin your kingdom, you need to decide where it will be born. There are three obvious options at the start. Oleg's, the Temple of the Elk, and the Staglord's Keep. No matter where you pick, the hex will need to be fully explored and rid of any immediate threats. This does mean that you cannot found your first city in the Staglord's Keep yet, although exploring the hex and finishing off the undead would not take a great deal of time. You can also decide to build your first city somewhere else, and claim a city at one of the above locations later on. Each location will give a unique benefit too, as follows:
Oleg's Trading Post: Building a city here is quick (being in the Grasslands), cheap (1 BP), and you will be able to convert Oleg's into a free Shop, Stable, or Watchtower. Being close to Brevoy will also ensure that special orders will arrive quickly. On the downside, you will be far away from exploring the rest of the area, and it will take a long time to journey to the south and back.
Temple of the Elk: Building a city here will take the longest and cost the most (2 months and 4 BP), but the ruined temple will give you a head start on your own Temple, halving the initial cost of building such a structure (saving you 16 BP). A city here is also relatively close to both Oleg's and the southern lands, giving you about equal distance for sending/picking up orders or exploring.
The Stag Lord's Fort: Building a city here is not an option until the undead are cleared from the Fort, but that is a relatively quick thing to do, and as you have a few weeks before you establish your first city, it's doable. Such a city would take 1 month and 2 BP to establish. On the plus side, the Stag Lord's Fort is very defensible and near a plentiful source of water, fishing, and trade. The structure will give you a head start on your first Castle there, saving you half the cost (27 BP). It is close to the southern lands, making exploring easy, but is far from Brevoy and Oleg's, making special orders take some time. It is possibly the best location for a Capital city being the most central and defensible, but it is also the closest to dangerous territory. Whether the risk is worth it is up to you.
Other: You can, of course, establish a city anywhere though, and the three locations above won't disappear. The same bonuses will be available even if you don't build a city there until much later in the game, assuming the hex is still safe.
Once you've decided, you will spend 1 BP to claim that hex, increasing your size (and Consumption). Settlers will begin to head over there and set up shop, so to speak. You then need to make your first City District. One city district comprises 36 blocks of space (9 squares of 4 blocks each), and I'll go into more detail on those later. For now, all you need to know is that it takes time and BP to prepare a City District. In Grassland, the city district costs 1 BP and is immediately ready. In the Hills, it costs 2 BP and takes 1 month to prepare. In the Forest, it costs 4 BP and takes 2 months. Swamps cost 8 BP and take 3 months, and Mountains cost 12 BP and take 4 months.
When the city is established, you can begin having the settlers make buildings at the rate of one per month. More detail on buildings later.
The important thing right now is you decide where your first city (and current Capital) will be, along with its name.
I'll give you some time to talk it over.
Well, I said I would wait for you guys to decide on those three things before continuing, but I have some extra time so I may as well add more. I don't want to see too many questions or discussion about this Chapter (or ones after it) until you have commented on the three decisions mentioned above first. ;)
In any event, there are a number of Phases to ruling a Kingdom. These can really be done at any time during the month, as they are assumed to take place over an entire month. It's usually easiest if we do them on the 30th, and assume that any changes were being done in the previous month (or in the previous 2-3 weeks as it will be for your first set of Phases).
Upkeep Phase
The first thing that will happen every month is the Upkeep phase (except during the first set of phases when your Kingdom Size is 0, this Phase is skipped then).
Step 1 - Determine Kingdom Stability: This is pretty simple, we have to see what the current level of security in your kingdom is. You will roll a Stability check against the current Control DC to check. If you succeed, Unrest is reduced a little (if Unrest is already at 0, you gain 1 BP as a result of some surplus goods and services). If you fail by 4 or less, nothing happens. If you fail by 5 or more, Unrest is increased.
Step 2 - Pay Consumption: Consumption is what you pay for Edicts (for the most part). This is when you will subtract Consumption from your current BP. If this causes you to drop into the negatives, Unrest increases.
Step 3 - Fill Vacant Magic Item Slots: If shops have free slots for magic items in your cities, they are rolled and filled now.
Step 4 - Unrest: If your Unrest has reached 11 or higher, your kingdom immediately loses one hex chosen by your leaders. Any improvements in that hex are immediately lost and must be rebuilt after the hex is reclaimed. Any settlements in that hex become towns that must be annexed again if they are to be reclaimed. Finally, if your kingdom employs a Royal Assassin, they reduce Unrest slightly at the end of this phase.
Improvement Phase
During the Improvement phase, your kingdom decides on leaders, edicts, what buildings to erect, and various other improvements. At the start, most of these steps can only be done once per month (claim one hex, build one building, etc.) but these limits will increase as your kingdom grows.
Step 1 - Select Leadership: Assign leaders to any vacant leadership roles. Leaders must be PCs or closely allied NPCs. You can change leaders as often as you want for the most part, but if you change too many leaders too often it will cause Unrest.
Step 2 - Claim Hexes: If a hex has been fully explored, cleared of threats, and is adjacent to a currently controlled hex (with the exception of your first) then you can claim it. To do this, you simply spend 1 BP, increase your kingdom's size by 1, and increase Consumption by 1. You can abandon a hex if your Size (and Consumption) gets too high to manage, but doing so will increase Unrest (small if no city, large if it had a city).
Step 3 - Establish and Improve Cities: This is when you prepare land for city districts and purchase new buildings for your cities. The building's adjustments for your nation are applied immediately. You can also destroy buildings at this time in order to clear space for something new.
Step 4 - Build Roads: Roads have an immediate initial cost (varying according to terrain) but pay well over the long term, increasing Economy through trade and (to a lesser extent) Stability.
Step 5 - Improve a Hex: You can develop certain hexes that contain roads into improvements. The most common of these are Farmlands, which can be developed in Grassland and Hill hexes. Farmlands reduce Consumption.
Other options include Forts, Mines, and Camps. Forts can be built in any hex, and their cost is halved if built over an area with an existing Lair or Cave. They reduce Unrest and provide a small amount of Stability. They also give a small Defensive boost to any troops attacked in that hex.
Mines can only be built in the Hills or Mountains, granting a small bonus to Economy and Stability. This bonus stacks with the Economy boost from Resource hexes, and building a Mine there will also increase the Stability bonus to match. Lastly, you can build a (Logging) Camp in a Forest hex. This provides the exact same bonuses as a Mine, the only change being what type of hex it can be built on.
You can only put one of these improvements in any given hex, and by doing so are dedicating that entire hex to that improvement (IE: you are not building one farm but dedicating that entire hex to farmland). This also means that no Cities may be built in a hex you have an improvement in.
Step 6 - Edicts: Pick or adjust your edict levels.
Income Phase
This is when your Build Points come in. Hooray!
Step 1 - Deposits: While Build Points are not, strictly speaking, money, you *can* increase your BP by adding funds to your treasury and economy. For every 4,000 GP in value that you deposit, the kingdom's BP is increased by 1. If an item is individually worth more than 4,000 GP, then it has to be deposited (see Step 3 below).
Step 2 - Withdrawals: You can withdraw a smaller amount of funds per 1 BP (getting 2,000 GP worth of money, jewelry, what have you) but doing so annoys your citizens. Besides automatically increasing Unrest by a small amount, you will also need to make a Loyalty check. Failure means you get more Unrest equal to the total BP you withdrew.
Step 3 - Sell Valuable Items: You can attempt to sell items that cost more than 4,000 gp at this point through the markets and bolster your Treasury and economy. These can be items that you own personally or magic items that are held by any of your cities (in which case you are not directly selling the item but helping to push it through the markets). To sell these items, you make an Economy check (low for Minor items, higher for Medium items, very high for Major items). A failed check simply means it does not sell. Success indicates that it sells and you get some BP in your treasury, equal to 1 BP per 4,000 GP of the item's market value (extra money *will* be noted and carry over. ex: you sell a 6,000 GP item one phase for 1 BP. Next phase you sell another 6,000 GP item, but because you had 2,000 GP left over from before, you get 2 BP).
You can make one Economy check to sell items per city district each Income phase.
Step 4 - Generate Income: The last step is making an Economy check against the current Control DC. If successful, you get some BP based on the result.
Event Phase
There is not much to explain here. Essentially, there is a chance that something will happen here. Good, bad, who knows? If nothing happened in the previous Event phase, this chance is much greater.
I spent a lot of time in Photoshop making a very handy picture for this, so enjoy it. I will go over a *few* clarifications for it.
- The amount of pluses or minuses next to something are an approximation. A single + may mean +1, +2, or more depending on what it's associated with. Two +'s, even on the same type, may mean slightly different values. The symbols are there to give you an approximation and indicate what direction those buildings and improvements will take you. Do not rely upon them as gospel. E+ does not always mean +1 Economy (though it can) and a + in one thing might represent a very different range as a + in something else (though the E, L, and S values are comparable).
- The BP values for Promotion and Festival edicts are the increase in Consumption they bring you.
- Most of the buildings take up one 'square' on your city grid (which I'll show you come game day). One city district has 36 blocks. Each block is about 750 square feet. So a shop, for example, takes up a full block. The castle takes up four blocks.
- Though they are singularly named, you are not building a single 'shop' or a single 'house' in each situation. Rather, you are dedicating all of that space for the purpose of that type of structure. A House would be dedicating that space to a great deal of housing. A Shop would be dedicating that space to a number of shops.
- Houses are the most common structure, and are required to be placed adjacent to a number of structures for them to be built (as shown in the image). The one exception is the Tannery, which can only be built if it is NOT adjacent to any Houses.
- The purpose of Tenements is very cheap Housing. They count as Houses for the purpose of filling building prerequisites, and can be improved to normal Houses later on for 2 BP if desired.
- The "Special" for some buildings can vary. Most often, building that structure will reduce the cost for certain other structures in the same city. Sometimes that structure might make certain Edicts cheaper. Other special abilities may be seen.
I'm playing Kingmaker right now, and I helped our DM come up with a similar handout which unfortunately I can't make available. What I can make available is a flowchart for the kingdom building process. We've found it makes it a lot easier to keep the sequence clear. It may not be what you're looking for, but I hope it helps.
Zo
Thank you Karui Kage and DigMarx for the fast responses! Both of those resources look like they will be very helpful and will save me considerable time!
If anyone else has anything else to add, feel free to chime in!
Thanks again!
There's no chance to getting the handout with the buildings mailed to one personally? :)
And many thanks for the rest, too, I'll modify it a bit to fit my campaign, but otherwise it looks great!
I'd post my handout here; it's got all the costs and benefits, as well as the events, edited out, but I'm afraid it would be against the forum rules as it includes a lot of the rules as written.... =\
If anyone can tell me it's kosher, I'd be happy to give it to you.
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My group is fast approaching RRR and will be beginning to build their kingdom soon.
I'm wondering if anyone has put together a player safe handout of the kingdom building rules? I looked through the forum but didn't see anything quite like this. I hesitate to just hand them the chapter because of sections like "Kingdom Events." I like to keep the random stuff a mystery!
Have whipped up something for my players. If you like, toss me an email abellemorte@comcast.net
Awesome! Thanks for the flow chart, DigMarx.
I'd post my handout here; it's got all the costs and benefits, as well as the events, edited out, but I'm afraid it would be against the forum rules as it includes a lot of the rules as written.... =\
If anyone can tell me it's kosher, I'd be happy to give it to you.
Technically the rules are OGL, so it should be kosher. It's the art that's not cool to share.
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Hey guys, don't forget about the Book of the River Kingdoms by Jon Brazer Enterprises.
It's a handy reference for both the gamemaster's and the players. For only $3, it's pretty cheap too.