[BIRTHRIGHT] Gettinplayers to adventure

[ConjurerDragon]

Shade wrote:

>At 07:25 PM 4/14/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 14 Apr 2003, Shade wrote:
>>
>>>??? Really? I am afraid I just don`t comprehend how this is possible.
>>>Isn`t a province about 40 miles by 40 miles? 1600 square miles or so?
>>>
>>That`s the big end of the province scale -- according to the BR rulebook,
>>they tend to measure 30 to 40 miles on a side, so 900 to 1600 square.
>>Based on what I`ve managed to work out with blow-ups of the few (Players
>>Secrets) maps with scales by counting squares (numerical integration by
>>hand, as it were), the ones actually on the map have a bigger spread than
>>this, but are centered more or less around that range.
>>
>>>That`s tiny! I live in Austin, Texas, USA and I would guess the Austin
>>>metropolitan area alone is about the size of a province. Austin isn`t
>>>even that big of a city.
>>>
>>*grin* Recall that on the medieval (and to some extent the modern!)
>>European scale, Texas is IMMENSE. Also, the concept "metropolitan
>>area" includes a fairly high population density and modern mechanical
>>transportation systems: 40 miles was much, much longer when you had to
>>walk the whole way, and there were only 9,000 people there (a level 3,
>>if you believe province level = population).
>>There is plenty of room for all sorts of strange adventure locations in
>>the sparsely populated Erebannien.
>>
>
>You don`t think 200 soldiers could patrol every inch of Austin? I find it
>really hard to believe there is a lot of "unexplored" territory in a 1600
>square mile area.
>
Please remember that this area is not urban with neat houses and cleaned
streets. If I look at a map of Germany in medieval times or
roman/germanic times, then you could walk out your house take a few
steps and stand right in the next primeval forest.
The only connection between villages being a small path or for a city
perhaps a dirt paved road and trees, trees, trees.

The roman general Varus lost a few legions in the german forests, not
only because of the forest but also because of it.

>How about rangers? You don`t think 100 rangers (25 per province) could
>patrol the 4-5 provinces of the Erebannien? I find it really hard to
>believe that they could not... I mean, how can you miss a band of 50 gnolls
>in the Erebannien if you`re a ranger? You can probably track them pretty
>easily, and you contact the Aerenwe military forces, who come in and clean up.
>(For that matter, how many rangers would you say Aerenwe has?)
>
Two or three?
Most Birthright products tell us that very few people have classlevels
(2E term which means that they have only an NPC class), so most people
(97%?) are only commoners, experts, adepts and warriors and Aristocrats
(NPC). From the remaining 3% most do never come above 3rd level (that is
mentioned in the PS of Talinie if I remember right). And this 3% also is
split among all PC classes, as Wizards/Magicians/Sorcerors, Fighters,
Aristrocrats/Noble (PC class) Clerics, Rogues, Druids and Rangers.

Even the warcard "scout" unit certainly is NOT made up of rangers, but
experts.
bye
Michael Romes

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[Shade]

At 05:24 AM 4/15/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Shade" <lordshade@SOFTHOME.NET>
>Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 6:58 PM
>
>
>> I find it really hard to believe there is a lot of "unexplored"
>> territory in a 1600 square mile area.
>
>After the plague struck, large agreas of Europe, formerly populated were
>abandon to the wilderness, in part because wolves (also bears and boars)
>proved to dangerous to villagers reduced in numbers by disease. While
>fantastic characters of role playing might be mightier, so are the monsters
>of those wilderness areas. And that assumes you imagine Cerilian populations
>to be as dense as European populations.

And they are actually a lot less dense, if the numbers for province
populations are to be believed.

>
>Kenneth Gauck
>kgauck@mchsi.com
>
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[Nikolai II]

Copy and paste from the similar thread a bit down where I was alone to reply. Most of this is old hat now, but I wanted it to be seen :P

200 soldiers in a province is nothing, considering the size, but even more considering that they follow the roads.
Normal soldiers are fragile, and won't leave the beaten path unless ordered (and should take damage for doing so, unless scouts)

A ruined castle takes up a few acres at tops (complete with forbidding woods and putrescent swamp) while a province iirc is about 400 sq.mi. so you can fit a lot in there.
Then there are castles in use as well, infested with goblins (who hold hostages) or ruled by robber knights (who have to be dealt with silently or the throne would seem questioned).

They are quite local, so problems dealing with the entire region should make them come together (Diem/Gorgon/Spider/Roele funding brigands/beasties to take care of).
Another solution is (a lá Ars Magica) to let the players create and use embassadors for contacting each others, and they get to play either their main man or the liutenant in the adventure. (Use domain action or Lt. action).
This allows 'stay-at-home' kings to do so, and still not be left out of the adventure, while 'adventurer' kings get more xp and become better kings.:)