ADNES1: The Rood, The Roll and the Dragon
Welcome, one and all, to ADNES1: The Rood, The Roll and the Dragon. Inspired by a combination of Thorvald of Lym's Roll II Rule seen in Forum Games, and The Rood and the Dragon by Plotinus.
ADNES1 smushes these together and drops them into the NESing Sphere.
The Setting
The year is AD 480. Nearly seventy years have passed since the Roman legions were withdrawn from Britannia. The island, rich and unprotected, has been invaded by wave upon wave of barbarians from northern Europe - Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Danes. They have conquered or assimilated the Romano-British peoples of the south and east of Britannia. A new era dawns.
As the warlord of one of the new Kingdoms, you must struggle for supremacy with your fellow invaders. Each lord is desperate to carve out an empire in the new lands. There will be battles and wars ahead the like of which this island has never seen before - but there will be glory and honour. For a warrior wins renown in battle, and through conquest comes prosperity and the establishment of a lasting culture. Each warlord dreams of being pronounced Bretwalda - the overking of all of Britannia. But few will achieve it.
The land of Britannia is rich, flowing with many rivers, covered in game-rich forests. But land is scarce, and there is competition. To the north is the land of the Picts, a powerful, warlike people, able to mobilise great forces from their highland retreats. To the west are the remaining Romano-British kingdoms - old, secure, but their age is waning, and a new age is coming.
And greater powers stir beyond the seas. In the far west is the land of Ireland, an ancient culture, never conquered by the Romans. There still flickers the flame of antiquity and the learning of the ancients. Ireland could yet extend its cultural sway over the whole of Britannia. From Ireland, and from the European continent to the south, rumours reach you of a new religion - the Christian faith. At some point you will have to contend with missionaries who will seek to convert you and your kingdom. Christianity offers cultural and educational prizes beyond imagination. Will you raise the sign of the Rood - the Cross - throughout your lands, or would you do better to keep to the faith of your forefathers, and honour the pagan gods through battle and glory?
And to the east, rumours grow of another power - a mighty people who sail over the ocean in dragon-prowed ships, wielding great axes, seeking plunder and spoils. Build your kingdom quickly and root it in strength - for the Vikings will surely put it to the greatest test.
Your people have invested you with power and honour. Will you repay them in kind? Will you rise to the challenge? Will you win glory on the battlefield and blessings from On High? Will you seize the title of Bretwalda - or will you die in the attempt?
Spoiler The Map :
The base rules are so simple, even Byzieboos can understand:
1. Post an action.
2. Your result will be determined by the roll of a die.
3. Any attacking action immediately grants a (modified) free defence roll.
2. Your result will be determined by the roll of a die.
3. Any attacking action immediately grants a (modified) free defence roll.
Initial success is determined on a score of 1–20, with the final result adjusted by Various Acquired Modifiers (VAM). Score breakdown is as follows:
1 : Unbelievably total failure. Action WILL backfire.
2-4 : Failure, with penalty
5-7 : Marginal failure with possible penalty
8-10 : Failure, no penalty
11-13 : Straightforward success
14-16 : Success, with possible bonus
17-19 : Success, with circumstantial bonus
20 : MAXIMUM POWER. Guaranteed success, with added bonus.
2-4 : Failure, with penalty
5-7 : Marginal failure with possible penalty
8-10 : Failure, no penalty
11-13 : Straightforward success
14-16 : Success, with possible bonus
17-19 : Success, with circumstantial bonus
20 : MAXIMUM POWER. Guaranteed success, with added bonus.
Under binary conditions, 1-10 fails, 11-20 succeeds.
Note that attempting an action requiring an intermediate action (i.e. Attacking a nation with no army) automatically fails. Also note that the same action cannot be taken twice in a row. Take heed that The Rule of Funtm is in effect, and your actions may not go as expected.
"So what's different from Thorvald's game?"
Good question! Whereas previous R2D spin-offs play very freeflow, ADNES1 remains at its heart a NES. You are working within the loosely held constaints of a historically realistic setting. Your nation has STATS. There won't be tanks or nukes in ADNES. Stories matter, managing your nation effectively matters. Diplomacy and planning matters. Above I mentioned about VAM. These will be very key in this game. Success or Failure will be compounding, with subsequent rolls being modified by what has come before it.
"I'm here from the Old Days. What's different from how we played then?"
Nothing really, except now we have fewer players!
"Oh come on, it can't be that simple!
No, really!
"Are there really no other rules?"
Alright, you got me. Here are some further considerations:
- All orders must be publicly posted in this thread. Format it however you want; just make sure I know what you're trying to do.
- All players begin with one action per turn. You can, however, expand your actionability through VAM.
- Talking is a free action. Diplomacy isn't. Inter-player negotiations can occur anywhere and any time, but actually enacting the treaty requires you to roll for it to take effect on your side. You can only enact one change of diplomacy a turn unless VAM change this.
This is how the development and evolution of your nation will be tracked. If you take one turn for example.. "building a barracks" This (if successful) will give a permanent benefit for example..
"+2 to all rolls when training units"
Example Nation Stats:
Meadh : Aiken_Drumn
Leadership: Fráech mac Finchada
Strength: 20/20
Capital: Dublin
Religion: Christian
Colour: Red
Description: East coast Irish nation
Diplomacy: Alliance with France
VAM: +5 to Longbow attacks
Nation Name : Player Name
Leadership: IC Name
Strength: Current "Hit Points"/ Maximum "Hit Points"
Capital: Nations seat of power
Religion: There are few religions in this game, don't expect much diplomatic luck from rival faiths!
Colour: Representation on the map
Description: Brief description of the nation
Diplomacy: Any Diplomatic status in play
VAM: Any modifiers to dice rolls acquired.
"Cosmetic" actions (Naming units, detailing formation composition, changing the national flag Etc.) can be done without a roll, and might even improve it!
By liking this post, you have implicitly agreed to the terms of service, including that clause stating they my be changed arbitrarily at any time.
How do I join?
Welcome aboard! Either pick your country from the stat list or pick a grey province on the map and create a new one.
...Actually, let me clarify something to make sure there's no confusion.
Adding Detail to your national bio counts as your first action.
CFCers are all helpless egotists at heart, so describe your country in as much or as little detail as you wish. Your first update will determine how much your dream matches reality in terms of control over your territory, standing military et cetera, etc. Remember we are within a historical setting, but you have freedom to play within that structure. The more effort you put in here the better, but it is entirely up to you. You can change your leader/capital/colour etc at this point.
Lastly: Have Fun!
Anyone not having fun may be evicted without notice.
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