"Lords Of The Earth"
A Guide to Reading the Player Sheet
Introduction
The Player Sheet gives the essential facts and figures for a "Lords Of The Earth" nation. As such, it is the primary resource a player will draw on when preparing orders for their nation.
Because of the wide scope of the game and the many fields of activity open to players much of the player information is summarised, frequently by way of abbreviation. This guide is intended to introduce the newcomer to "Lords" to making sense of the Player's Sheet. Each section is dealt with in turn and abbreviations or acronyms explained.
While the Players Sheet may at first glance look a little daunting, a new "Lords" player will quickly become familiar with all the terms used in the sheet.
The Player Sheet
Each turn, your GM will update the information in the player’s nation record. This will reflect changes resulting from the player’s actions and/or those affecting the nation undertaken by another player. Sometimes these changes will be transparent i.e. they will be a consequence of overt action (e.g. a rise in Income due to more Public Works Bonuses being built by the player) or to covert action (e.g. a foreign nation conducting Intelligence actions against you). If you detect an apparent discrepancy, you can query it with your GM – but bear in mind they may not be too forthcoming….
The Player Sheet is divided into several sections:
Provides player name, contact details, account balance etc. | |
Provides the basic details of the nature of your nation and its financial standing for that turn. | |
Applies a numerical grading of the various Military, Religious, Intelligence, Governmental and Educational capabilities at your nation’s disposal. | |
Gives information on current Population levels, the Agricultural output of your nation and, importantly, the current Tax Rate. | |
Records the GP cost of maintaining various nation capabilities and facilities. | |
PLAYER NOTES | An area for the GM to record any comments or explanations relating to the nation. |
Identifies the various Trade Routes maintained by your nation and the quantity of shipping on and Sea Trade routes. | |
This section lists all the current leaders at your disposal and any troops under their personal command at the end of the turn. | |
What it says. A list of your ruler’s and/or Heir’s offspring. | |
A breakdown of all the regions and cities that make up your nation. |
Section Descriptions
ADMINISTRATION
This is the section at the top of the Player Sheet.
Nation | the short name of the nation used by the GM to manage all information on the nation. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Turn | The turn just completed. Note that the length of time represented by a single LOTE turn may vary depending on what historical period this particular game started at or depending on what stage the game is at. Generally speaking, LOTE games taking place from c.1000AD – c.1400 AD will have each game turn representing five years of real time. After that date, turn length will gradually decline in steps from 4 years per turn, to 3 years per turn and so on.
Nation
| This second use of the Nation moniker gives the full name of your position. This may be based on a historical predecessor or be of your own creation.
| Player
| Your own name.
| Address
| Self-explanatory.
| Phone
| Self-explanatory.
| eMail
| Self-explanatory.
| Credit
| A statement of the balance of funds in your player account at the end of the turn. Be aware that maintaining adequate funds to cover each turn is advisable as a GM may not process orders for any player whose balance is in arrears.
| ID Number
| A number against which your personal details are recorded in the game program.
| Mail Resl?
| Indicates whether you have elected to have the player sheet mailed to you. Note that this is an overhang from the "old days" when many Lords players lived within shouting (and verbal complaining) distance of the GM.
| Nation Type
| This identifies which of the several nation types available in LOTE applies to your position. There are four main types in current use:
Open Empire | Your classic nation, holding land and cities with a King or similar leader at its head. PrimacyPan-national religious "nation" encompassing leadership of all co-religionists. Example - the Pope. Secret EmpireWhat it says. An underground "nation" of adherents to a particular belief. Example - the Assassins, Freemasons etc. Merchant CombineEmerges in the Renaissance period. A nation or organisation emphasising mercantile activities. Example - the Hanseatic League, Renaissance Venice. Print Phone | In Fax? Records whether you have requested your phone number to be made public in the MSI list.
| |
SOCIETY & ECONOMY
This consists of two sections – Society Information and Economic Information.
Society Information
Culture | See the relevant explanatory sections in the Player Rulebook for a more detailed description of these.
Society See the relevant explanatory sections in the Player Rulebook for a more detailed description of these.
Economic See the relevant explanatory sections in the Player Rulebook for a more detailed description of these.
Government See the relevant explanatory sections in the Player Rulebook for a more detailed description of these.
Religion
See the relevant explanatory sections in the Player Rulebook for a more detailed description of these. Note that this records the official religion of your nation, which determines how other religions regard you.
Geographic See the relevant explanatory sections in the Player Rulebook for a more detailed description of these.
Tech This will give the current technology rating of your nation. Cross-reference the description given here with the Tech Table at the back of the Rules to determine what numerical Tech Level you are at.
Your Tech Level is of considerable importance as it has significant impact on many aspects of your nation e.g. ability to govern it, the quality of your troops etc.
Language
Identifies the primary language of your nation. This has minimal effect on the conduct of play.
Military This is recalculated every turn. Several factors contribute to the final figure. It is usually this figure that determines your nation’s ranking on the MSI list published at the end of every turn. It gives a rough idea of how powerful your nation is in relation to others.
HBZ Origin
Identifies the region from which you calculate the reach of your Homeland Build Zone (HBZ). See the relevant explanatory sections in the Player Rulebook for more detail on the significance of the HBZ.
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Economic Information
IntrNatn Trade Value | The value (in GP) of tradable goods produced by your nation. The figure is derived primarily from the number and size of your cities. Abbreviated to ITV or simply TV.
Natinal Market A numerical reflection of the abilities of your merchants to profit from trade. All else being equal, the higher the figure the more money will be made from trade. Abbreviated to NMV.
Regional Income
The base income from taxing all the regions under your control. Each region’s GPv (Gold Point Value) is modified by the level of control you have, your culture and the region’s terrain.
City Income
The income derived from taxing all the cities under your control. Each city level (1GPv) yields a base income of 1 GPv. Like Regional Income, this base figure can be modified.
Inter-City The income derived from taxing trade conducted between cities under your control. Abbreviated to ICT. Public Works The base income produced as a consequence of the improvements and enhancements carried out in regions and/or cities. In all but a few cases, this will very quickly become the main source of income for your nation. IntrNat Trade The income accruing your nation through the taxing of trade conducted between your nation and all others with which a trade route has been opened.
Total Base Self-explanatory. The sum of all the income figures from preceding entries. Saved Gold
The value of GP left unspent from the previous turn.
National The manpower at your nation’s disposal for the next turn. Expressed in number of National Force Points (NFP). The figure here is the sum of unused NFP from the turn plus new NFP generated for next turn.
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For much of the time, the two most significant figures from this section will be your Total Base Income and your National Force Pool. Between them, these will largely dictate how and what you can do. Obviously, the more of each, the better.
RATINGS
This section is divided into five parts – Military, Religious, Government, Intelligence and Education. Each heading represents a particular capability in its own right. A numerical system of grading is used to represent just how good your nation’s abilities are in each of these fields.
Furthermore, next to each of the individual entries you will find a separate column marked "I". This records the amount of GP you have invested in this specific capability in an effort to improve it. It is a cumulative figure, so the amount invested one turn will be increased by subsequent investment until such time as the rating increases. At this time, the amount invested will revert to 0 and the process starts over again.
There are several types of military units that come into play in LOTE. To begin with though, you will be most concerned with the four basic unit types –
The game is not concerned with the actual equipment, training, morale etc of each individual unit. Instead, these matters are abstracted into each type’s Quality Rating (QR) on a numerical scale of 0 – n. QR plays an important part in deciding the outcome of any battles fought. Again, the higher the number, the better your troops/ships are. (Should you be participating in a game that has entered the Renaissance period, you will find and additional military type – Artillery – is available. Its ratings are handled in the same way as the other troop types). | ||||||||||
This identifies the capability your nation has for undertaking Religious Actions. The ability to undertake one such action is termed an Operations Capacity (Ops Cap). The Operations Bonus (OpsBonus) is a numerical expression of the supporting infrastructure. The bonuses can be allocated to Religious Operations to increase their chance of success and/or effectiveness. Both Operations Capacity and Bonus can be invested in to increase their capabilities. | ||||||||||
This area covers four key national statistics –
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This identifies the capability your nation has for undertaking Intelligence and Assassin Actions. Handled in a manner similar to Religious Actions above. | ||||||||||
Although the word University is used in this section, the statistics here represent an abstraction of your nation’s prevailing levels of education, know-how and research as well as specific educational institutions. The three areas of this section are –
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SUPPLEMENTARY
Population | Lists the total number of people in your nation and how many of them are in Friendly regions or cities. The amount of NFP you gain each turn is directly related to this latter figure. The Census line identifies whether a Census is in operation. A Census affects how much income and NFP you have at your disposal each turn. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tax | In conjunction with the Total Base Income and Census, this will let you calculate the actual quantity of GP available on a turn i.e. Base Income x Tax Rate x Census (if in effect). | ||||||||||||||||||
TaxStats | Identifies the type of taxation in effect for the next turn using the following codes –
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This identifies what percentage of the Total Base Income actually reaches the royal coffers and is available for the player to spend on the next turn.
Agriculture
Straightforward record of the production and consumption of agricultural produce in your nation.
Production and Consumption are as they suggest.
The Harvest Code identifies how bountiful (or not) the harvests have been. There are three codes –
Reserves
Records the quantity of Agro stored by the nation.
Surplus
Is the excess left over should production exceed consumption. This can be converted into GP and NFP at varying rates, traded to other nations etc.
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SUPPORT COSTS
Each turn, your nation will incur certain costs to ensure various aspects of the nation are kept in good working order etc. Most are self-explanatory –
Troop Support | the cost of keeping your existing military forces fed, clothed, paid etc.
Govmt Support
The cost of ensuring the wheels of government are running smoothly.
Intel Support
Keeps your Intelligence and Assassin capabilities in good working order.
Relig Support
Keeps your Religious capabilities in good working order.
Train Support
The cost of keeping your military forces’ training – QRs - up to snuff. (N.B. Only features once QRs exceed level 8).
Proj Support
The cost of ensuring your Public Works and Megalithic constructions are well maintained.
Total Support
What it says.
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TRADE
This part of the Player’s Sheet consists of two sections - Merchant Fleets and Trade Routes.
Merchant FleetsEach non-military fleet currently in use by the nation is listed here with a description of its activities –
Base Port | Where the fleet is based.
Route
A unique I.D. number for that fleet’s trade route.
|
Activity | Code | Meaning
T on Sea Trade.
I
on Internal Trade.
F
on Fishing duties
L
on loan to another nation.
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MSP | The number of MSP allocated to that route. This can be either undefined MSP (i.e. general merchant shipping) or Transport units put on fleet duties. The latter provide MSP equal to their Cargo Capacity.
Units
A list of number and different types of vessels on the route.
Notes
Self-explanatory Trade with
The trade partner on that particular route. |
A description of each trade route –
Route | A unique I.D. for the route.
Between...
The nation initiating the trade route.
And...
The other nation on that route.
eMSP
The Effective MSP allocated by both parties to this route (identified under "Your" and "Their" headings). EMSP equals (your Trade Range / Route Distance) x MSP on the route.
|
Type | Code | Meaning
S
| Sea Trade
|
L
| Land Trade
|
C
| Closed route (no trade passing through it)
| Route Status Code
| Meaning
|
NST
| Normal Sea Trade.
|
LTO
| Land Trade via Open Terrain.
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LTD
| Land Trade via Difficult Terrain.
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LTH
| Land Trade via Hostile Terrain.
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LTC
| Land Trade via Silk Road.
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LTS
| Land Trade via Sahara.
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LTR
| Land Trade via Road.
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BST
| Blockaded Sea Trade.
|
INT
| Interdicted route.
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WAR
| Route blocked by War.
| |
Distance | The number of Sea Zones crossed by the route. (Only applies to seaborne trade.)
Duration How many years the two nations have been trading.
| TTV The total trade value of the route (the combined ITVs of both nations on the route).
| FreeCap The Free Capacity is either 0, a negative number, or a positive number.
|
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ARMIES
This section gives details of all the nation’s leaders and any troops under their personal command.
# | The leader’s I.D. number.
Leader
| The leader’s stats.
| Age The leader’s age.
| Dth
| A placeholder for the leader’s predetermined (secret) age at death.
| Name
| The leader’s name. Players are advised to name all their leaders.
| Troops
| The military forces under the leader’s personal command. The letters used to denote various troop types are available on the build chart in the Player Rules.
(N.B. to avoid confusion between the number "1" and the letter "l", some GMs have adopted the convention of denoting Light troops with an "x" e.g. Light Infantry becomes xi rather than, previously, li.
| Location
| The city or region where the leader ended the turn.
| Status:
| Describes various statuses a leader can have using the following codes –
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CHILDREN & HEIRS
This lists the Royal offspring, the sons and daughters of your Kings and Heirs. The various parts are self-explanatory. Note should be taken of the Male? column, which indicates whether the child is male. This can have an impact on the succession.
CONTROLLED REGION LISTING
This final section gives a breakdown of the important information pertaining to the regions and cities under your control.
Region | The region’s name. Cities are noted in a distinct, indented entry under that of the region in which they are located.
GP
| The Gold Point value of the region or city.
| PWB
| The number of Public Works Bonuses in the region or city.
| Type
| The specific attributes of the region or city, using the following codes –
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Rv
| The Region Resistance Value. The higher this is the more difficult the region is to incorporate into your realm, but the more loyal it will be should you succeed.
Note that the Resistance Values of cities are not set in this manner. There are a number of different methods in use in LOTE to determine City RV. Consult your GM to see what method is in use in your game.
| YfC
| Years from Conquest. This applies to Pacified (P) and Pacified Tributary (PT) regions (see below) and keeps count of the elapsed time since you captured the region or city by military means.
| St
| This identifies the political relationship the region or city has with you. In descending order of importance, these are –
|
Rl
| The majority religion of the region or city.
| Te
| The terrain of the region, denoted as follows –
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Mc
| Megalithic Constructions. This section records the number of MC levels in the region that require support.
| Garrison
| Lists any troops left in the region without a leader.
| Fort
| The number of Fortress levels in the region.
| %C
| The percentage of any Wilderness, Steppe or Jungle region that has become Cultivated through the natural cultivation due to the existence of a city in the region.
| Port
| Records whether there s a Port Area in the region. Note this is not to be confused with a Port City.
| Tc
| Indicates whether there is a Trade Centre in the region and, if so, what type using the following codes –
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Notes
| Any additional information the GM deems it necessary to record.
| Lang
| The majority language spoken in the region or city.
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To the newcomer to "Lords of the Earth", the apparently cryptic Player’s Sheet and 100+ page Player Rulebook can appear daunting. Nevertheless, you will find yourself quickly becoming familiar with the significance of key aspects and factors. You will master some of these – like financial, taxation, investment and leader action activities – in almost no time as they will be used constantly. All other aspects of the game flow from these and can be examined and experimented with over a longer period of time.
Discovering how to weave all these elements together in optimum manner is part of the fun (and, occasionally, frustration) of the game. In that respect, you will share the same joys and headaches experienced by your historical predecessors. Unlike many other games (like chess), you will find that there’s no "right" way of doing things. The game system is sufficiently flexible and robust to allow you to pursue your goals by varying routes.
To this end, the newcomer to Lords may find some of the introductory articles written by previous players useful. These discuss various aspects of the game, from suggested economic strategies to how to handle inter-payer diplomacy. They can be found in the Player resources section of the main Lord web site at:
http://www.throneworld.com/lords/
Another useful source of information is the various Lords-related mailing lists. There’s a general Lords list – LOTE-L – and a number of game-specific lists. You will find older hands happy to deal with any queries you may have about the game mechanics.
Alternatively, please feel free to send any "Lords of the Earth" related queries to the author at:
and I’ll endeavour to give as prompt and illuminating a response as possible.
Have fun!
Lorne Colmar
GM, Lords 17, Player – Lords 1, 24 and 31
Document date - 15 December, 1999