At 12:29 AM 12/5/2003 +0100, CMonkey wrote:
>When created these maps grant a commander a +2 insight bonus to their
>Warcraft during strategic and tactical warfare for the next 2 seasons.
>After this point, the maps are too out of date to be useful.
As a couple of folks have noted, two seasons seems like a very short amount
of time for the effect of maps to last, but I think it depends a bit on the
description of what it is the maps portray. That is, if these kinds of
maps portray strategic/tactical information mostly–things like troop
movements, their projected positions, temporary defenses, supply lines, the
location of havens, rallying points, mission goals, etc. then it makes
sense that their effectiveness would be lost within a few months or even
weeks of the map being made since that information changes quite
quickly. The topographical information of the map may not change–and may
not be very worthwhile from a tactical/strategic standpoint–but the
particulars of the map might be the important factor. I have a few ideas
on how one might go about deciding the length of time a map might stay
effective below.
>Maybe a more open A reconnaissance map can be created with an Espionage
>action of DC equal to 10 plus the level of the province.
I really like the idea and would suggest an extrapolation. I like nice
general guidelines that can be used to express a wide variety of
situations, so for something like this I would go with a whole subset of
“research and information” documents; maps, diagrams, demographics,
resource studies, etc. that might be effective at both the adventure and
the domain level. I`m going to refer to this whole concepts as “documents”
here, but in general they could take the form of any researched text or one
based upon the experience and knowledge of an informed compiler.
In addition to the military applications originally suggested, the effects
of such documents could range from the adventure level of play to the
domain level. An “economic document” might give a regent an insight bonus
to trade actions, a document outlining the attitudes of the population
might give him a bonus to Agitate actions. A report on protocol and
current events might give a character a bonus on diplomacy (either the
skill check or the domain action.) Thorad`s Tome of Divine Wisdom might
give a player a +1 or +2 bonus on certain Knowledge, Religion checks, while
a book equating to Sun Tzu`s Art of War might give a PC a bonus on
Warcraft checks, and a report on the demographics of a province might give
a bonus to Rule actions. Since the insight bonuses don`t stack a character
can only get a maximum benefit from such “book learning” as opposed to his
more practical benefits from ranks and ability scores.
The effectiveness of such works might be limited by time, application or
circumstance and might be noted along with the description of the
work. The benefit of a document should be related to the time and effort
required to compile it as well as the skills/abilities of the compiler, but
it should probably never amount to much more than a +2 aid check. A
document might grant a +1 bonus if the check made to compile it succeeds,
+2 if the check exceeds the DC by 10 or more, and +3 might be the result of
a critical success on the check to compile the document.
Either as part of the same check or by making another, the length of time
the document remains effective might be equal to d10 times the amount of
time put into its compilation. Exceeding the check by 10 or more makes the
effectiveness of the document bump up one level from days to weeks, weeks
to months, months to years, years to decades, etc. A critical success
bumps it up another increment. Someone who spends their lifetime compiling
a document might hope to have it remain effective for centuries after it is
written.
For example, if a regent has his agents spend a week observing and
investigating the movement of nearby troops in a province the document
might give its bonus for 1-10 weeks. Those who read this report will get a
+1 to +3 bonus on Warcraft actions made in that province depending on the
results of his check. The bonus remains effective for 1d10 weeks if he
succeeded his check, 1d10 months if he exceeded the check by 10 or more and
1d10 years if he got a critical success. For most documents their bonuses
might disappear or they may only have very special uses. They might aid
Knowlede, local checks or something like that.
I`d also suggest that unlike magic items simply owning a copy of a book is
not enough to give the bonus. Having read it isn`t either. One must
successfully “study” a book in order to gain the benefit of it. As a
general rule one might use wisdom checks in order to reflect successful
study, but individual texts might require a skill or ability check and an
amount of time related to the benefit of the book. For instance, studying
and understanding a document might require a DC 15 intelligence check after
one week of continuous study, or two weeks of study broken up over a period
of time. (A day here, an hour there.) Another book might require a DC 20
Knowledge, Nobility check, and another might require wisdom, charisma or
even Will saves.
“The Fashion of Brecht Society” by Elza Lund. This text on Brecht clothing
also describes the etiquette and manners of court life in southern
Brechtur. Having successfully studied it (a DC 15 wisdom check requiring 1
day) will give a character a +1 bonus to Diplomacy checks made in southern
Brechtur for the “effective” period of the document.
The creation of these items might be the result of skill checks (craft and
knowledge are apt, but not the only ones possible) or those that have
domain level effects should require domain level activities actions like
espionage. In most cases, however, I see the domain level requirements
being limited to free (court) actions since the benefits are fairly
small. The cost of such domain actions should probably be similarly minor;
1GB, no RP and give benefits depending on the result of the check per the
information above. The effectiveness of documents compiled by a court
action should be 1d10 weeks, while one compiled from an espionage action
might last 1d10 months/action rounds. If one uses rules for embassies,
trade routes or other domain level effects that might similarly influence
how long or how effective the documents might be.
Gary
