[ index | archive | maps | rules | nations ]

Deus Vult! - National Heroes

There are numerous ways for a leader to improve their statistics. Education of Royalty, Religious Education, Completion of the Hajj, Random Events, and so forth. These permanent stat increases stay with the leader for their lifetime, and can obviously make them more effective at the actions they undertake. However, once a leader surpasses the normal stat limits (B, or 11), they become more than a simple leader and move into the realm of National Heroes. Note that A National Hero is only formed due to permanent stat increases. Temporary increases such as support diplomacy operations, battle assistance, artifacts and the like, do not make National Heroes.

Once a leader becomes a National Hero, they begin to have designs of doing more than a normal leader. Each National Hero gains a goal or desire that they wish to attain or sate. These goals and desires are varied, but will always be some sort of tangible agenda. Examples include the desire to perform a particular action: A robber baron who desires to raid other nations, a holy monk who desires to religiously convert nearby pagans. They might wish to undertake a particular quest: A pilgrimage to all the holy cities and sites of their religion, or a quest for a specific artifact. They can also be direct goals: The conquering of a specific region or city, the assassination of a specific enemy leader, a marriage to a specific royal daughter.

To keep these Heroes happy, the player must use them in a manner which furthers their desires or goal each turn. That robber baron should be running at least one raid per turn, etc. In any given turn where the leader is assigned no actions that further his goal or desire, there is a chance they will ignore their orders and pursue their aims anyway. The higher the Heroic stat, the more likely the Hero will pursue his own agenda without orders. This can make them both a blessing and a hassle. And don't expect these Heroes to be easily duped. Sending the robber baron to raid that 0 GPV mountain region won't sate him very much, if at all. Heroes with a tangible quest, like the search for the True Cross, remain happy once the quest is complete and they retain the goal (In this case, possession of the True Cross).

Finally, national Rulers should be wary of earning the ire of their Heroes. Sending assassins, alerting the Hero's enemies, or other nefarious schemes on the part of the king can very well turn the Hero against the royal family. This could change the goal of the Hero to that of usurping power, causing trouble during the next dynastic transition, selling his services to your worst enemy, or other equally nasty effects.