Lighthearter
President of the United States
The world is changing. I can feel it in the air. I can taste it on the wind.
Long ago, the powers of all mortal-kind held alliance against a being known only as The Dark Lord. He was the most powerful creature ever to live, and his hordes threatened to overrun all that was and is in a sea of boiling hatred. The legions of mortals leagued together to stop him in what is today known as the Great Alliance. Weeks of battles raged between the Alliance and the Shadow Lands' hordes, but at the end of it, the Dark Lord's power was broken and he vanished for reasons and causes unknown.
Ages have passed. The great kingdoms of men, elves and lizardfolk have crumbled from the heights they once reached. New lords now lead their bands through the wilds in hopes of a new start - and a new world.
But the power of the Enemy, though broken, was not undone . . . .
___
Welcome, Lords and Ladies, to IOTHF. The world is changed, and no longer as it once was. Your people will now have to fight for their survival in the face of other nations - and the forces of Shadow, reassembling after a thousand years in defeat.
It's a harsh new world, but can you drive your people to impossible heights as you take on the challenges to come?
Now, just as a quick aside. I want you to read and understand this one line - by posting in this thread at all, you are stating absolutely that you read, understand, accept and agree totally with all of these rules, especially Rule 0 here:
Rule 0: The Gamemaster has the authority to issue any penalization he wants for any reason he wants so long as it is within the context of the game. By joining the gamemaster's game, a player accepts that if the Gamemaster decides to issue a penalization over anything, this is the gamemaster's right and the player has no right to contest unless it is over something done out of game. Flaming, trolling, spamming, ignoring GM directives, holding up the game, provoking drama and fighting in this thread, and generally being a jackwagon as defined by the gamemaster are all penalization-worthy offenses. By even posting in this thread you declare you completely understand Rule 0, have no questions at all about what it means, and fully intend to abide by it without complaint. I don't want to be a jerk, guys, but I've had bad experiences where people don't understand how player-GM relations work in the past, so I'm laying it out in black and white here.
Let's get on with the gameplay rules then, shall we?
Joining the Game:
There, my friends, is the map. Don't judge, it's the only one that I could easily plug into a spreadsheet. Choose two provinces from this map to be the heartlands of your Kingdom. They must be contiguous, with some exceptions for reasonable distances(like the two Pacific island chains, or Cuba & Hispanola and Florida). Specify which one is where your national seat of power lies. Provide a color so I can easily mark your territory, and then pick from the following tables:
Races:
Now that you've chosen your major races, your territory and your color, we need your national character. Tell us about your nation! What is the national name, and how is their leadership structured? How do the various races all get along? What are their stances on various issues? Who is their leader? What is their history since the Battle of the Alliance?
Now, we move onto gameplay mechanics. We'll start with income and province improvements.
Income:
Income is calculated simply. Your Manpower total is added to your Trade income and then multipled by your Economic Modifier. So, MP+TI*EM=IP. Dwarves have a significant bonus to their Economic Modifier, as canny craftsmen, smiths and miners. To increase the Manpower in a province, invest two IP(Income Points) in subsidies there. If you have built an Agricultural Network there, the cost is only 1IP. Higher Manpower means more people to tax and to produce trade goods for your realm! Conversely, it also means more people to draft when war comes knocking, so bear that in mind. Goblins earn 1 free Manpower per turn in provinces that have been in their borders for a certain number of turns, though they can still pay subsidies for even more manpower.
Trade is handled simply as well. Every turn, the total global income is added up, and 5% of it is calculated, then awarded to every nation in trade. Nations that are embargoed, issue embargoes or at war do not earn trade income from the nations involved. Blockaded nations earn no trade income. Humans earn much more from trade than other races do, due to canny mercantilism ingrained in them from a young age. Any time anyone across the globe goes to war, their income is removed from the global trade pool, so any conflict hurts everyone!
Militaries:
Yes, I know I said we'd cover province improvements first but I can't help myself. Here we go.
There are three types of Military Units, over two military branches. They function exactly the same, save that army units are in a nebulous pool and ships appear on the map. There are some exceptions to this:
-To cross water, your navy must form a chain from your homeland to the destination. This applies even to your own overseas provinces, or to those of allies. If that chain does not exist, your men cannot reach the destination. Allied naval units can also form this chain, or 50/50 is also allowed.
-Ships may move 4 Sea Zones in one turn. Moving into a Sea Zone that is not bordered by a province owned by you or one of your allies costs 2 Movement instead of 1. Any T1 Ship that ends its movement in a non-coastal province is destroyed by storms and sea monsters.
-Armies will automatically deploy to face incoming invasions or rebellions without instructions. They can also be specifically ordered around to defend certain positions and not others. Combat bonuses are awarded to factions that provide good, interesting war plans and RP about their forces, in the style of this High Fantasy universe.
-All military units consume 1 Manpower from a random province. If you want a strong economy, keep your population at home instead of at war! And, if you notice your neighbors start drafting large portions of their population, it might be wise to react in kind!
-To expand your territory, use land military units to claim provinces. Neutral lands are full of nomads who will either flee or use the stability of your regime to finally settle down, so don't worry overmuch about resistance unless you fear another Power is attempting to claim the region. Unless you specify to attack any other comers, there will be a random chance of who succeeds in that case.
-Lizardfolk, Merfolk, Orcs and Dragons have combat bonuses under certain circumstances. If you or your opponent has one of these races, make sure to factor that bonus into your calculations as battle looms.
Unit Types:
T1: (Land: Levy. Sea: Galley). T1 units have 1STR and cost 1IP to produce.
T2: (Land: Soldiers. Sea: Carrack). T2 units have 4STR and cost 3IP to produce.
Command Unit: (Land: General. Sea: Admiral). CUs have 1STR and cost 4IP to produce. They also provide a +25% STR bonus to the force they are attached to. CUs do not stack with each other.
Heroes:
To further put off Province Improvements, now is a good time to talk about Heroes. These are the main characters of your fantasy world, your Aragorn and Legolas, your Pug and Tomas, your Karigan and King Zachary.
To get Heroes, simply build the Hero Academy structure. This is easier for the Elves. Two random Heroes will be generated for you. If you lose the Academy, the Heroes will remain. If you lose the Heroes, new ones will be provided at the end of the next turn. You begin the game with one Leader or Steward hero. Whenever they are killed, they will also be recreated at the end of the next turn, though it's good form to claim they are the successor or heir to the previous King/President/Emperor/whatevski.
There are eight different kinds of Heroes. All are useful in different cases and situations, depending on your Races and needs. The enemy will always know how many heroes you have, but you can keep what kinds a secret if that is your will.
You are encouraged to name and RP for your heroes, to help build the Fantasy atmosphere. Good enough RP, especially cooperative RP between the two sides in a war, or two allies, might see your heroes' bonuses grow stronger.
And now, the long-awaited section . . . .
Rings of Power:
Did you actually believe I would do Province Improvements next? Naive fool.
Rings of Power are basically special abilities your nation can utilize to powerful effect in the right circumstances. You can only activate one at a time, plus however many Magician Heroes you have.
To acquire Rings of Power, build a Ring-forge structure. This is easier for the Fae. The Forge will provide one random Ring of Power per turn. There are nine types, and they come in three calibers - Common, Great and Mighty. Common Rings are twice as likely as Great Rings, which are twice as likely as Mighty Rings. Thus, there is a one in seven chance of you receiving a Mighty Ring of any sort, and a one in sixty-three chance of any individual Mighty Ring.
No one starts with any Rings. Your enemies will be able to see on the spreadsheet how many rings you have, but not what types - that much is up to you to keep track of.
Espionage:
Ha ha ha! You were expecting Province Improvements by now! Foolish king of free people! I will never reveal their details!
Espionage is easy enough to understand. A spy costs 2IP and takes up one Manpower(remember that a spy isn't a single spy, but rather a cell of operatives complete with a staff managing them back at HQ). Halfling spies are substantially stronger than normal. They can then be sent to perform missions from the following list:
Assassinate: Attempt to kill an opposing player's hero.
Destroy Ring: Attempt to destroy an opposing player's Ring.
Steal Ring: Harder than destruction, but if successful the Precious is yours again.
Incite Rebellion: Persuade a province to rise up in arms against its liege. Easier in occupied provinces, or those which have not been part of the nation for long.
Sow Havoc: Destroy MP in a target province.
Steal IP: Steal from the enemy's income and divert it to your treasury.
Active Counterintelligence: Attack enemy spies and try to kill them.
Bribe: Convince enemy units to disband and return to their homes.
Spies have a default 10% success chance, and every Spy above the first one adds 5% to that, up to a maximum of 90%. Therefore, you would need 17 spies for a 90% success chance.
Halfling spies add substantially more to the percentage than normal spies do, and so espionage is much easier for them.
NPCs:
Province Improvements? What province improvements? I know nothing of what you speak!
NPCs are rare, and almost always a result of player actions or randomized insurrection in occupied territory. The only consistent NPCs will be the Sorceress and the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord sits upon ins Dark Throne in a random province - you know not where, as he is yet to reveal his full strength. Spies can attempt to find him, or he may try to do battle with forces that invade his home. When he is ready, he will unleash his war machine upon the world - and it is the duty of all Kings of Free People to oppose him.
The Sorceress functions as a Guardian Hero,a Steward Hero and a Magician Hero at the same time. She will wander from nation to nation, offering her services for a turn here and there. The player can then decide in what capacity she shall be used. She is sworn to the downfall of the Dark Lord. You can attempt to kill her in battle if she is aiding your enemies on the field, or with spies if she is not.
Province Improvements:
As I can no longer stall, we at last come to the great secret of this ruleset: Province improvements.
Province Improvements are special upgrades for provinces that give them certain new capabilities. Any improvement except the Agricultural Network can be built twice in a single province.
Gnomes have an easier time of building Province Improvements, due to a significant cost decrease born of skilled craftsmanship.
There is a maximum of two improvements per province.
Next post reserved. Draw your swords, men, elves, orcs, dragons and all other manner of free people! This is our world and our time!
I will be out of town from Saturday June 29 until Tuesday July 2. The game will begin most likely on Wednesday July 3. I will most likely be able to keep up with the game, but not offer significant participation until then. PM me any burning questions you absolutely HAVE to have answered before game start, but save anything else for when I return.
-L
Long ago, the powers of all mortal-kind held alliance against a being known only as The Dark Lord. He was the most powerful creature ever to live, and his hordes threatened to overrun all that was and is in a sea of boiling hatred. The legions of mortals leagued together to stop him in what is today known as the Great Alliance. Weeks of battles raged between the Alliance and the Shadow Lands' hordes, but at the end of it, the Dark Lord's power was broken and he vanished for reasons and causes unknown.
Ages have passed. The great kingdoms of men, elves and lizardfolk have crumbled from the heights they once reached. New lords now lead their bands through the wilds in hopes of a new start - and a new world.
But the power of the Enemy, though broken, was not undone . . . .
___
Welcome, Lords and Ladies, to IOTHF. The world is changed, and no longer as it once was. Your people will now have to fight for their survival in the face of other nations - and the forces of Shadow, reassembling after a thousand years in defeat.
It's a harsh new world, but can you drive your people to impossible heights as you take on the challenges to come?
Now, just as a quick aside. I want you to read and understand this one line - by posting in this thread at all, you are stating absolutely that you read, understand, accept and agree totally with all of these rules, especially Rule 0 here:
Rule 0: The Gamemaster has the authority to issue any penalization he wants for any reason he wants so long as it is within the context of the game. By joining the gamemaster's game, a player accepts that if the Gamemaster decides to issue a penalization over anything, this is the gamemaster's right and the player has no right to contest unless it is over something done out of game. Flaming, trolling, spamming, ignoring GM directives, holding up the game, provoking drama and fighting in this thread, and generally being a jackwagon as defined by the gamemaster are all penalization-worthy offenses. By even posting in this thread you declare you completely understand Rule 0, have no questions at all about what it means, and fully intend to abide by it without complaint. I don't want to be a jerk, guys, but I've had bad experiences where people don't understand how player-GM relations work in the past, so I'm laying it out in black and white here.
Let's get on with the gameplay rules then, shall we?
Joining the Game:
Spoiler :
There, my friends, is the map. Don't judge, it's the only one that I could easily plug into a spreadsheet. Choose two provinces from this map to be the heartlands of your Kingdom. They must be contiguous, with some exceptions for reasonable distances(like the two Pacific island chains, or Cuba & Hispanola and Florida). Specify which one is where your national seat of power lies. Provide a color so I can easily mark your territory, and then pick from the following tables:
Races:
Spoiler :
Now that you've chosen your major races, your territory and your color, we need your national character. Tell us about your nation! What is the national name, and how is their leadership structured? How do the various races all get along? What are their stances on various issues? Who is their leader? What is their history since the Battle of the Alliance?
Now, we move onto gameplay mechanics. We'll start with income and province improvements.
Income:
Income is calculated simply. Your Manpower total is added to your Trade income and then multipled by your Economic Modifier. So, MP+TI*EM=IP. Dwarves have a significant bonus to their Economic Modifier, as canny craftsmen, smiths and miners. To increase the Manpower in a province, invest two IP(Income Points) in subsidies there. If you have built an Agricultural Network there, the cost is only 1IP. Higher Manpower means more people to tax and to produce trade goods for your realm! Conversely, it also means more people to draft when war comes knocking, so bear that in mind. Goblins earn 1 free Manpower per turn in provinces that have been in their borders for a certain number of turns, though they can still pay subsidies for even more manpower.
Trade is handled simply as well. Every turn, the total global income is added up, and 5% of it is calculated, then awarded to every nation in trade. Nations that are embargoed, issue embargoes or at war do not earn trade income from the nations involved. Blockaded nations earn no trade income. Humans earn much more from trade than other races do, due to canny mercantilism ingrained in them from a young age. Any time anyone across the globe goes to war, their income is removed from the global trade pool, so any conflict hurts everyone!
Militaries:
Yes, I know I said we'd cover province improvements first but I can't help myself. Here we go.
There are three types of Military Units, over two military branches. They function exactly the same, save that army units are in a nebulous pool and ships appear on the map. There are some exceptions to this:
-To cross water, your navy must form a chain from your homeland to the destination. This applies even to your own overseas provinces, or to those of allies. If that chain does not exist, your men cannot reach the destination. Allied naval units can also form this chain, or 50/50 is also allowed.
-Ships may move 4 Sea Zones in one turn. Moving into a Sea Zone that is not bordered by a province owned by you or one of your allies costs 2 Movement instead of 1. Any T1 Ship that ends its movement in a non-coastal province is destroyed by storms and sea monsters.
-Armies will automatically deploy to face incoming invasions or rebellions without instructions. They can also be specifically ordered around to defend certain positions and not others. Combat bonuses are awarded to factions that provide good, interesting war plans and RP about their forces, in the style of this High Fantasy universe.
-All military units consume 1 Manpower from a random province. If you want a strong economy, keep your population at home instead of at war! And, if you notice your neighbors start drafting large portions of their population, it might be wise to react in kind!
-To expand your territory, use land military units to claim provinces. Neutral lands are full of nomads who will either flee or use the stability of your regime to finally settle down, so don't worry overmuch about resistance unless you fear another Power is attempting to claim the region. Unless you specify to attack any other comers, there will be a random chance of who succeeds in that case.
-Lizardfolk, Merfolk, Orcs and Dragons have combat bonuses under certain circumstances. If you or your opponent has one of these races, make sure to factor that bonus into your calculations as battle looms.
Unit Types:
T1: (Land: Levy. Sea: Galley). T1 units have 1STR and cost 1IP to produce.
T2: (Land: Soldiers. Sea: Carrack). T2 units have 4STR and cost 3IP to produce.
Command Unit: (Land: General. Sea: Admiral). CUs have 1STR and cost 4IP to produce. They also provide a +25% STR bonus to the force they are attached to. CUs do not stack with each other.
Heroes:
To further put off Province Improvements, now is a good time to talk about Heroes. These are the main characters of your fantasy world, your Aragorn and Legolas, your Pug and Tomas, your Karigan and King Zachary.
To get Heroes, simply build the Hero Academy structure. This is easier for the Elves. Two random Heroes will be generated for you. If you lose the Academy, the Heroes will remain. If you lose the Heroes, new ones will be provided at the end of the next turn. You begin the game with one Leader or Steward hero. Whenever they are killed, they will also be recreated at the end of the next turn, though it's good form to claim they are the successor or heir to the previous King/President/Emperor/whatevski.
There are eight different kinds of Heroes. All are useful in different cases and situations, depending on your Races and needs. The enemy will always know how many heroes you have, but you can keep what kinds a secret if that is your will.
You are encouraged to name and RP for your heroes, to help build the Fantasy atmosphere. Good enough RP, especially cooperative RP between the two sides in a war, or two allies, might see your heroes' bonuses grow stronger.
And now, the long-awaited section . . . .
Rings of Power:
Did you actually believe I would do Province Improvements next? Naive fool.
Rings of Power are basically special abilities your nation can utilize to powerful effect in the right circumstances. You can only activate one at a time, plus however many Magician Heroes you have.
To acquire Rings of Power, build a Ring-forge structure. This is easier for the Fae. The Forge will provide one random Ring of Power per turn. There are nine types, and they come in three calibers - Common, Great and Mighty. Common Rings are twice as likely as Great Rings, which are twice as likely as Mighty Rings. Thus, there is a one in seven chance of you receiving a Mighty Ring of any sort, and a one in sixty-three chance of any individual Mighty Ring.
No one starts with any Rings. Your enemies will be able to see on the spreadsheet how many rings you have, but not what types - that much is up to you to keep track of.
Espionage:
Ha ha ha! You were expecting Province Improvements by now! Foolish king of free people! I will never reveal their details!
Espionage is easy enough to understand. A spy costs 2IP and takes up one Manpower(remember that a spy isn't a single spy, but rather a cell of operatives complete with a staff managing them back at HQ). Halfling spies are substantially stronger than normal. They can then be sent to perform missions from the following list:
Assassinate: Attempt to kill an opposing player's hero.
Destroy Ring: Attempt to destroy an opposing player's Ring.
Steal Ring: Harder than destruction, but if successful the Precious is yours again.
Incite Rebellion: Persuade a province to rise up in arms against its liege. Easier in occupied provinces, or those which have not been part of the nation for long.
Sow Havoc: Destroy MP in a target province.
Steal IP: Steal from the enemy's income and divert it to your treasury.
Active Counterintelligence: Attack enemy spies and try to kill them.
Bribe: Convince enemy units to disband and return to their homes.
Spies have a default 10% success chance, and every Spy above the first one adds 5% to that, up to a maximum of 90%. Therefore, you would need 17 spies for a 90% success chance.
Halfling spies add substantially more to the percentage than normal spies do, and so espionage is much easier for them.
NPCs:
Province Improvements? What province improvements? I know nothing of what you speak!
NPCs are rare, and almost always a result of player actions or randomized insurrection in occupied territory. The only consistent NPCs will be the Sorceress and the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord sits upon ins Dark Throne in a random province - you know not where, as he is yet to reveal his full strength. Spies can attempt to find him, or he may try to do battle with forces that invade his home. When he is ready, he will unleash his war machine upon the world - and it is the duty of all Kings of Free People to oppose him.
The Sorceress functions as a Guardian Hero,a Steward Hero and a Magician Hero at the same time. She will wander from nation to nation, offering her services for a turn here and there. The player can then decide in what capacity she shall be used. She is sworn to the downfall of the Dark Lord. You can attempt to kill her in battle if she is aiding your enemies on the field, or with spies if she is not.
Province Improvements:
As I can no longer stall, we at last come to the great secret of this ruleset: Province improvements.
Province Improvements are special upgrades for provinces that give them certain new capabilities. Any improvement except the Agricultural Network can be built twice in a single province.
Gnomes have an easier time of building Province Improvements, due to a significant cost decrease born of skilled craftsmanship.
There is a maximum of two improvements per province.
Next post reserved. Draw your swords, men, elves, orcs, dragons and all other manner of free people! This is our world and our time!
I will be out of town from Saturday June 29 until Tuesday July 2. The game will begin most likely on Wednesday July 3. I will most likely be able to keep up with the game, but not offer significant participation until then. PM me any burning questions you absolutely HAVE to have answered before game start, but save anything else for when I return.
-L
