(ADnD2e) Ley Lines

[Delazar]

Can one end of a Ley Line be a Source (0)?

The Rulebook doesn't say anything about it, and the Book of Magecraft mentions that "when the source from which the ley line is originating is lowered to zero, the the ley line disappears" or something like that.

[Nakraal]

Can one end of a Ley Line be a Source (0)?

The Rulebook doesn't say anything about it, and the Book of Magecraft mentions that "when the source from which the ley line is originating is lowered to zero, the the ley line disappears" or something like that.

Ja we had an issue with the same thing until we found the same entry in Magecraft. It can't and it shouldn't work. Even if it could be used I would rule in my games it can't. Makes wizard regents OP as they could protect/attack huge provinces with a ley line from their base of power.

[Nicholas Harrison]

That would be the point!

Wizards maintain level-0 holdings throughout their domain so that they can link them to stronger sources with ley lines. Why would a wizard create a level-0 source in a province which has been ruled up (or ruled down, depending on your perspective)?

If you don't like wizards setting up level-0 sources behind enemy lines and attacking with ley lines, then you should set up a house rule to limit that.

Maybe, something along the lines of a new level-0 source can only tap one level of sources through ley lines each month or turn until a wizard becomes attuned to the new source.

However, if wizards are going to be part of your game (I usually make all those regents NPCs), then you shouldn't make all their level-0 holdings worthless.

[Delazar]

I'm actually inclined to agree with Nicholas. How are the great wizards in the City of Anuire going to cast realm spells otherwise? :)

I'm going to allow ley lines to originate from Source (0).

[arpig2]

In the example on page 27 of the Book of Magecraft a 0 level source is connected to a ley line.

[Invoker47]

My current campaign has one of the characters playing the regent of Ilien. It's a perfect example in the lore of how 0th level sources need ley lines. The books repeatedly describe how the only way Ilien can remain independent is if its ruled by a wizard, and if the wizard can't even cast realm spells in Ilien, that's moot and Diemed moves in turn one. Of course, the other issue I had with Ilien was that it was financially insolvent with the 3rd edition rules, until the regent started a guild and trade routes.

[Nicholas Harrison]

Yeah, I had a player take over Ilien and he mentioned that it was financially insolvent.

[AndrewTall]

All tiny realms are insolvent as the court and action costs are prohibitive until you have a reasonable size realm.

I would say however that any major city should start with a number of trade routes (players start on turn 1, but the world shouldn't appear to do so in my opinion) and that these should have a bigger cut for the ruler than the usual taxes - most ancient taxation was focused towards duties rather than taxing income (the tithe aside).

[Magian]

The only time the ley line disappears is when the original source, from which the ley line starts, is reduced to 0.

This means the original source is like the trunk of a tree and the ley line is simply a branch of that holding. The branch touches other sources, but isn't rooted in them.