Lords of the Earth

Campaign 24

Newsfax

News

Not a lot of news this month, just the deadline problem. I know that some of your orders were lost due to my server being completely useless (all university support staff bugger off on their holidays during July and August) but there was still quite a few people who missed Friday. Please get your orders in on time for next turn.

I've finished the orders for the Far East and Southeast Asia. The orders for the remainder of nations will be completed soon.

Movement Orders

Thanks to everyone who’s sent in their orders in the new format, it’s been a great help. Can those of you who haven’t yet changed to this style please do so for next turn.

Fees

Thanks to all of you who have paid so far. I just wanted to remind everyone who hasn’t paid yet that next turn is the last one before your orders are only processed for economic activities. The cost for converting international cheques is £4.00 but this can be offset by purchasing 10 or more turns (£2.50 credit for each ten purchased).

Rules

The following are new rules and clarifications to be used in LOTE 24.

5.6.5 Port Areas (Modification)

The construction of a Port Area no longer applies to every sea zone a province occupies. Each Port Area must correspond to one particular sea zone. However, Port Areas can be built in the same province as a Port, as long as they do not serve the same sea zone.

6.1.7 Feudal Allies (Clarification)

The only actions that may be normally undertaken by a Feudal-Allied Leader are: A, AS, AT, B, BC, D, E, LS, US, PS, PR, RG, S, and SE. EP, EVC, IR, LR, R, RD, SC, and SR may also be performed, but only relative to the Leader's country (e.g. the Feudal Ally keeps the slaves or loot from EP, LR, RD, SC, or SR; the FA Leader may only react within the borders of his own country).

Please remember that any troops given to the command of a Feudal Ally become his and if he doesn't return to his own country at the end of his turn he will automatically revolt.

6.2.3.10 Diplomacy (Addition/Modification)

It is now possible to use Diplomacy on an entire nation to gain any control status. The initial chance of success is modified by the amount of Influence you have in that nation and the nations resistance to being influenced. If this is successful, normal diplomacy can continue with the nation’s resistance value being equal to the sum of its Homeland and Friendly regions.

I'm going to extend the deadline to turn 6, just because I'm a really nice bloke, honest <g>

6.2.3.34 Re-equip Troops

Code RT-C

BAC 8 Leader Actions

This action can now be used to re-equip Infantry units as Cavalry. The cost is the amount of Gold difference between the Cavalry and Infantry units.

6.5 Leader Intel, Assassin, and Religious Operations (New Rule)

A National Leader (i.e. K/Q, H, P, L, or B) may attempt to improve the success chances of one Operation per turn. Subject to a roll vs. Charisma/Guile, he may act as one bonus point (OB, AB, or ROB) in addition to any already assigned to the operation. The Leader must be physically present in the location of the Operation's target to assist. Failure of any operation thus assisted may result in the death or capture of the Leader(s) involved.

Alternately, a National Leader may act as one OC/AC/ROC point, although the chances of success are greatly reduced compared to using a "real" OC/AC/ROC point. In this case as well, the Leader must actually be present in the location of the target, although no penalties for exceeding the country's Action Range will apply.

Example: A country has no ROC, and wants to raise (or lower) its Religious Strength. She may assign a leader in place of 1 ROC, but will have much-reduced chances of success. If she had a ROC point, she could assign a charismatic Leader to act as a ROB point to improve the success chances of the operation.

I'm still not completely happy with the Leader Intel rules and am currently trying to work out some new ones.

8.6.5 Bishopric Support (New Rule)

• Rather than a Primate being able to loan his own leaders, nations of his religion may borrow BL points from him which will generate new national leaders to be called Bishops.
• Primates may freely loan BL and Infra points to any nation of their own religion. Both the loaning Primate and borrowing nation must pay Support Costs for any loaned points (this is the same as in the current rules).
• If a nation wants to borrow a leader from a Primate, i.e. get Bishopric support, that nation MUST borrow a point of BL. A Primate cannot lend out his own Bishops/Cardinals (Lieutenants/Princes). Instead, the loaned BL point will generate a random leader (to be called a bishop) for the borrowing nation. The nation may then use this leader as they see fit, although the said leader will still be subject to the strictures of the Church that he represents. When the BL point is returned/recalled, the generated leader will go away.
• This system is subject to some abuse. In other words, nations and Primates may work out a deal to continually borrow and return BL points until they get a fantastic leader. To prevent this the following safeguards are in effect:
  The first loan of BL is without danger, however every subsequent loan of BL to a nation is subject to a potential schism roll. Upon the second loan of a BL there is a 10% chance that the loaned BL/Bishop will go into Schism, taking the nation in question with him. That means that BOTH the Primate and the nation lose the BL point, and a new heresy is set up....note that the borrowing nation DOES go through a religious change with the schism, with all the potential revolts and DFs that go along with that. The third loan raises the risk to 20%, and each subsequent loan raises the risk by 10%. Also, if a Primate loans a large number of points, and then recalls all but one or two of them, this counts as one loan (no penalty)....the recipient nation will be allowed to choose which Bishops remain (i.e. if you loan 5 then the next turn you recall 4, the player gets to pick the 1 to stay...BUT both of you will have to pay support for the 5 BLs for at least one turn). If a large number is loaned, and then recalled, without the player having time to pick who stays, then I pick--and the one who stays WILL be the lowest rated Bishop. Any subsequent loan on following turns, though, will incur the normal risks described in #3 above.
• Each loaned BL/Bishop will be subject to the borrower's CCR...if the borrowed leader goes out of the CCR and fails a Loyalty Check, then both the leader and BL point revert to the Primate. That returned point can be re-loaned at no penalty from section #3 above, but the second time this happens the penalty will go to the normal risk for a 3rd loan (20% chance of schism).
• If a loaned BL/Bishop dies during the period of the loan, a random new one will be generated for the borrower at no penalty to anyone.
• In order for a loan of Infra or BL to occur, BOTH the Primate and the borrowing nation must have a note to that effect on their turns...if one forgets to put it down, then the loan fails (otherwise you can get the "offensive" loaning of Infra and BL in order to jack a nation's Government Support Costs up).

9.14 Ceding Regions (New Rule)

Controlled Regions (and separately-tracked Cities, and Major Allies/Tributaries) may be ceded to another country. Indicate what land is to be ceded, and the country to which it is to be ceded, on the order form.

When a Region is ceded, it may change status, as follows:

• Friendly becomes Pacified
• Allied becomes Economic Allied
• Economic Allied becomes Tributary
• Tributary remains Tributary
• Feudal Allied becomes Non-Paying Tributary
• Non-Paying Tributary remains Non-Paying Tributary
• Claimed remains Claimed

Revolt checks may be required for the new owner to maintain control, particularly if he is of a different religion. Note also that if the new status violates the maximum control status of the new owner (due to religion or terrain), further downgrading or revolt may occur.

9.15 Granting Regional Autonomy (New Rule)

Controlled Regions (and separately-tracked Cities, and Major Allies/Tributaries) may be granted increased autonomy, thereby reducing their control status. The permissible changes are:

• Friendly: to Economic Allied or Tributary
• Allied: to Economic Allied or Feudal Allied
• Pacified: to Pacified Tributary

Regions of any status may be reduced to Non-Paying Tributary or Claimed, including those not listed above. No other changes may be made. Note that a possibility of revolt is inherent in any change of status.

L24.4 Surrender of Non-Player Nations (New Rule)

NPNs will surrender if their Bellicosity drops to zero. When this happens a player can do one of two things; he or she can accept the surrender, taking tribute and/or land, or the player can refuse to accept it and just keep what land they’ve managed to conquer, possibly eliminating the NPN.

When a NPN surrenders the victor will receive a base Influence in that nation of 6. For each 20% of the NPN’s national income (before tax, support etc.) taken as tribute the victor will receive a reduction of one Influence level. For each 50 gold of land (as per the free start) taken as tribute the Influence level also reduces by one. Influence cannot be reduced below zero. Land ceded as part of a surrender settlement will undergo a reduction in control level, similar to normal ceding