Lords of the Earth
Campaign Five

Main | Newsfaxes | MSI Listing

 

L5 Rules Addendum's:

Ships are required to go exploring seazones, traveling overseas etc.

Pay attention to the newsfax. I think those who take the effort to at least skim the contents should be rewarded, even if your only reward is the humourous interaction of Hassan and Abdul.

Rule 5.2.2 is dead. Something about being able to base ships out of ports besides the one they serve. No...... If you have ships assigned to trade runs they will be based out of the your port that is supplying that run. If that port gets sacked to someone decides to raid shipping in that sea zone your fleet takes damage period.

Cities and Trade: Cities are constructed at the end of the turn. My understanding this is in the rules and I have heard it mentioned on many occasions. No trade to or from that city until the following turn. The same goes for Ports in a province that supplies trade to an inland city. The argument against this is that the city will generate income at the end of the turn for City income. Yes, I know, consider that the taxes paid by all those workers that broke their backs building the city in the first place.

Of Course the last two maybe mute when next turn rolls around because...........New trade system will kick in next turn (most likely) . Don't build any trade vessels ever again.

I have everyones first two turns fret not. I will compensate those who have built ships in some way if you would like transports back. I have no problem with that it is very early in the game and it my inclination not to screw you all over with a change like this.

 

Errata:

 

Goals:

The one controversial idea I came up with is a goal program, (this is similar to the quest option for SE’s and RO’s I think).    The idea is that you can give an objective you plan on obtaining or I give you an objective (probably historical in nature).  I will give you a time limit to complete the task in and if you do so then you get some kind of small bonus for your efforts. 

 

Example:  Saxon England  …..  Jeff decides to let me set his goal 

 

If Saxon England gains control of both the Danish provinces in England within the next 15 years Jeff will receive a bonus.  (Note I don’t care how he does it only that it happens) 

 

  Let’s go further:  Jeff succeeds!  Boy are the Danes pissed.  Jeff gets:

 

+2 NFP’s because of all the people he freed from Danish servitude.  

Or....

 

The people of England Rejoice at King Jeff uniter of England +20 Gold as gifts pours into the royal treasury from grateful citizens and merchants.

 

Successful accomplishment of a goal will be announced in the news fax.    If players ignore goals that is fine and they suffer no consequence.  If players want to tell me what their goals are I will give them a timetable for completion and if they succeed reward them accordingly.

 

Allies:

 

Standard Feudal Allies:  These are single Province entities that are won through a diplomatic roll only.  They of course are part of the progression towards integration.

 

Minor Nations/Super Feudal Allies:  Yes I know I am creating some confusion on this front so let me try to explain now in detail.

 

Minor Country:  Nation of 2 or more provinces deemed not fit by the GM to stand on it’s own as a player nation.  These nations will rarely integrate into other nations but will frequently become “Super Feudal Allies” (SFA).  As a minor nation they might petition a larger more powerful nation to be their protector thus becoming a SFA   Or they might offer services to a nation in order to gain money or food.

 

Super Feudal Allies:  (SFA for short)

 

These nations are tied to another nation via a Feudal Arrangement.  Unlike a normal Feudal Arrangement though these nations do not show up on your stat sheet.   The GM will give you a good idea of their strengths and weaknesses, size of their military that is available to you and they will pay a tithe to the “parent nation” .  The Parent Nations may make request of the SFA and depending on the request and their loyalty factor they will say yea or nea.    All minor nations will be listed on the MSI chart so everyone should have a clue as to their effectiveness.

 

Troops:

 SFA’s will typically have 600 to 1000 Cavalry available to the Liege along with a leader.    Get their units killed they have to be rebuilt that is an important thing to remember.  Note the 600 – 1000 men are specifically designed for military duty abroad.  They will never strip their country of all troops, to fight a war for the Liege.   The richer an SFA is the more troops at home and abroad they will have.  If the SFA is not actually going off to war they typically will be sitting around in react mode waiting for the chance to act on the behalf of their liege if the liege gets attacked, of course a loyalty roll will be made before they run off to get themselves killed for the liege.   Parent nations are not allowed to build troops for SFA’s.  You can give them money to build troops but the parent nation may not construct them.

 

Actions:  Some SFA’s will have leaders who are exceptional in things besides combat.  These leaders will offer up their services for duties besides direct combat activities.  I am thinking mainly supporting diplomacy actions and intel actions here.  You don’t want them recruiting countries directly because if they do the independent province becomes theirs not the parent nations.

 

Influence:  Nations have influence levels in SFA’s just as primacies do.   Influence levels are affected directly by the actions taken by the parent nation.   Do not neglect, ignore, or abuse your SFA’s they don’t like you getting their troops killed off all the time and they like being rewarded for good service to the parent nation.  Keep in mind they are minor nations effectively so the rewards don’t have to be huge.  

 

Creating SFA’s:  Yes this is possible too.  In fact recommend in some instances.  To create a SFA all you have to do is tell me you are doing it and which two or more provinces will be allocated to this task.  If you want to allocate some resources to them at the time of creation you can.

 

Example:  Egypt owns Sicily, Sardinia and Malta.  These areas are far away from home and thus difficult to defend so Egypt decides to split them off and form the Moslem Kingdom of Sicily.  Bang it is done I create the leaders and go.  Everything in the province becomes the Kingdom of Sicily’s.  Now Egypt could have gutted the provinces or left things in the provinces that is up to them.  I would highly recommend leaving things in the provinces since it would be pretty disappointing to release a nation on turn an have them over run the next.   Or you gut the provinces and the nation has to build everything from the ground up.    When Egypt creates the new nation it becomes a SFA.  The influence level at that juncture is at maximum.    After the first turn the influence level declines automatically at one point a turn to reflect the fact that the newly create nation is working toward a national identity of their own.  When the second-generation leader comes to power then the decline is at 2 points per round.  Third Generation 3 points per round.  Of course many things can alter these affects it is up to each of your to figure what works and doesn’t.

 

Advantages to creating a SFA. 

Reduces your imperial size.

Gives you access extra leaders.

Gives the parent nation tithe.

Give a nation some control over the surrounding regions. 

 

Why go to the trouble Dean?   LOTE vets might laugh at this but in my opinion nations are too restricted in growth.    

 

 

Turns and Turn Around Time:

The campaign should function consistently at one turn a month with the exception of the first couple of turn that may be slower on my end since I don’t have a clue about what I have gotten myself into.  I personally hate long lag times after I get my turns even though it is sometimes useful so I plan on giving people 2 weeks to get their turns to me.   Charges are 5 bucks a turn, yes I will be using Pay Pal it seems as if this is all the rage so I will oblige the people of LOTE.