Hello,
----- Original Message -----
From: “Kenneth Gauck” <kgauck@MCHSI.COM>
To: <BIRTHRIGHT-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2002 2:04 AM
Subject: Re: Balancing Realms (More than Mana)
> This is an interesting subject, and I was close to bringing it up on my
own.
> I have structured my game so that the most powerful class is the one that
> typically gets two sources of regency. For example in Anuire the typical
> landed ruler is the most powerful, and this is reflected in his control of
> both provinces and law.
Yes, I think the subject has lot of interest. Well, I´ll talk about
another change I´ve done (speaking about regents with two types of income).
The same thought you had came to me for some other reasons:
First: while designing a realm, I always had the same "scene": the
non-landed regents (guilders, clerics and wizards), usually give some domain
design points to the king to help him in the kingdom creation. While a king
with 40 design points normally finish with a weak realm (IMO. The example in
the rulebook is more or less that number if I don´t remember badly), another
type of regent is fearsome. A guilder with 40 design points will have easily
30 guild levels, more than most guilders in all anuire, bretchur and I think
any other land (same goes with clerics and wizards).
Secondly: while working the with the idea of mana, I came to the idea of
having to develop the Magic Level. With the old rules, the magic level is
always the maximun available to a province. I changed it to work like the
Population level. A forest for example has level 0 Magic Level at the start,
but a wizard can raise it up to level 7. You can´t have a source higher than
the Magic Level. That way, I took out a little power I gave to wizards with
the use of mana, and I try to do all regents more similar. Now, wizards
weren´t so terrible while you designed a realm, because they had to pay
Magic Level and Source Level, so they ended having more or less half they
had with the normal rules.
After that, I thought about doing something similar to balance guilds
and temples: and then I added Comerce Levels and Faith Levels. So, I ended
having 4 “base levels” (population, faith, comerce and magic) and 4 holdings
that used them.
Although the different "bases" are appart, you can´t have a level 1
province and level a level 10 guild. You can have more guilds or temples
than population, but only some more (I haven´t worked out the exact number.
I´ll try double probably).
The system works quite well while designing a realm (for my group and my
style of gaming). And it doesn´t “upset” very much the normal rules. It has
another side effect: all rulers gain more or less the same regency, but now
from two different places (a part from the base and another part from the
holding). Be aware that now I have four “types of kingdoms” (like always,
but now it´s easier to draw them on maps).
The only problem I had so far is the way of conquering enemy "bases"
(population through war, but the rest I don´t know).
Another side effect (and some other changes): what are the beneficts of
owning “bases” (population gives income). So, I add a benefit to all the
“bases”:
-
Commerce: develop resources (I play with resources). Guilds earn money
selling them: a variable income if they sell resources to the population
(the holding income table from the rulebook) or a fixed one if they sell
resources to other regents (trade routes).
-
Faith: earns divine mana. Temples earn GB (contributions from followers.
They allow casting divine spells).
-
Magic: earns mana. Sources earn more mana (and allow casting realm spells,
forging ley lines,…).
-
Population: earns GB. Law earns more GB (not sure about that change. Law
gives several benefices in the normal rules).
I have to work out some details, like a guilder using the resources of
another guilder and similar interactions (temples earning money in other
faith “bases”,… Ideas welcome 
> Mana is certainly one way to go, and I hope anyone who gives it a try will
> keep the list posted.
Sure I´ll do if someone has interest ;) I can say one thing from my test
game: elves are fearsome. They earn lots and lots of mana. The pc playing
the wizard (he is in the Sielwode) is using all his actions casting spell
after spell, keeping enemy forces out of the forest and helping the kingdom.
This is great as in all places they say that elves in Sielwode and
Thuarievel keep enemies at bay thanks to magic (well, not only magic, but
magic is a very important asset for them). But, he could also use it to
wreak havoc on other realms (throught offensive spells or summoned armies),
and most human wizards wouldn´t be able to face him (I don´t want to think
what the Sayer of the elven realm in bretchur could do). When I play more
I´ll see if elven magic is too powerful. Human wizards on the other hand
seem balanced.
> Its just a natural thing that wizards could do to collect some money and
> additional influence in local affairs. Just like any other holding, the
> ruler isn`t standing over students, the ruler directs others to perform
the
> mission of the holding, in this case a school.
This holding makes much more sense than the Profession Action (sorry,
don´t have my books here, and I have never used that action…). And allows
the wizard much more interaction with the world than the typical “court
wizard”.
Any idea about the GB income? Does it has several other effects? (help
on diplomacy actions,…)
Hope it wasn´t too boring ;)
Vicente
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