Trade Edicts

[Tempestorm]

Ok, perhaps I am missing something but if someone could shed some light on this I would greatly appreciate it.

According to the Campaign book the longer the trade route the harder it is to maintain. "Longer trade routes are harder to maintain than short
ones. Ultimate Campaign, pg 232"

Makes sense... until you look at the formula for figuring out the DC

"Divide the Trade Route Length by 10 to get the Route Modifier (RM). Subtract the TRL from your kingdom’s Size to get the Length Modifier (LM), with a minimum LM of 0. Ultimate Campaign, pg 232"

Why does the formula make the trade route easier the further away it is?

Or am I just overly tired today?

[Tempestorm]

It seems, from looking at it, that the line should read, "Add the TRL to your kingdom's Size to get the Length Modifier (LM)."

Which kind of sucks because your full kingdom size is already accounted for in the Control DC... so you would be adding kingdom size twice.

[Derek Vande Brake]

That does seem odd... perhaps they meant you should subtract kingdom size from TRL instead?

[DesolateHarmony]

Edit: removed my post.

I agree with Derek; if you subtract the size from the TRL, it allows a larger kingdom to handle a longer trade route.

[Tempestorm]

Now that makes sense...

Otherwise I was thinking of establishing a trade route with my closest neighbor to the east.... by traveling west all the way around Galarion!

[CalebTGordan]

I am looking at these rules now and I am really confused. Here is a trade route with the rules and formulas as they are in the book:

9 hexes, 7 river hexes, 2 water hexes
Control DC: 95
Settlement corruption
Trade Route Length (TRL): 8
Route Modifier (RM): 1
Length Modifier (LM): 72
Settlement Productivity: 10
DC: 163 = 95 + 5 + 1 + 72 -10

So, the DC is 165? How does this make sense? This means that a small kingdoms would benefit more from larger trade routes than larger kingdoms.

Now, if it is supposed to be that the Length Modifier is kingdom size subtracted from the Trade Route Length, that would make sense.

Then the DC would be:
Control DC: 95
Settlement corruption
Trade Route Length (TRL): 8
Route Modifier (RM): 1
Length Modifier (LM): 0
Settlement Productivity: 10
DC: 91 = 95 + 5 + 1 + 0 -10

A DC of 91 makes sense in this case. A larger kingdom should be able to handle a larger route.

Also, what is the benefit of making all three checks besides one more to Economy?

Edit: It says that the route lasts for a year. Does that mean the route brings in BP each month? Like x+2d4 (x=amount of BP invested divided by 5,) each month or is that a one time increase in BP?

Edit again: If it is a one time income of BP, there is no way you are making back your investment. If this is the case, what is the point?

[noobiegameplayer]

Thanks CalebTGordan, this makes a lot more sense :)

We as players found the Travel Route Equation ridiculous, that change makes it make so much more sense :)

A brief of where we are at (just past 2 years in game (4710 - 4712), been playing for about 18 months mostly fortnightly in real time ...)

We as players in the Duchy of Runinantia
Kingdom Size 53
Control DC 81
94 Economy
74 Loyalty
75 Stability

6 Settlements (Stag's Fall - our Capital, Elks Rise, Varnhold, Tazlford, Candlemere Island & Sacred Path Keep)
8 Settlement Districts (Stag's Fall having 3 districts)

All less than 10K XP from level 12 -- more adventurers than Kingdom Makers :))

Our Duke is a Human ex-bard turned Sorceror, our General is a Human Warrior 11, our scout is a female Catfolk Gunslinger 1 / Rogue 10 and me, our party saving female Tiefling Warrior Priest of Abadar (Cleric 11, Leadership & Travel domains)

For us to establish a short Trade Route to Restov gives us a Trade Route DC of 77.

That Trade Route DC won't change until we try to establish a trade route of LM value of X, where the X value = our Kingdom Size + 1

We as players are going to spend the next year or so not trying to resolve the worlds ills (we are most of the way through book 4 I think ???) and concentrate on more Kingdom Building

Tyra Hegarty, beloved of Abadar :)