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Thread: Fortified Cities
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09-06-1997, 09:14 AM #1DarkstarGuest
Fortified Cities
Fortified Cities:
Here are some rules that I have written up to explain fortification in
the
Khinasi City States.
While reading the Cities of the Sun expansion I decided that the Khinasi
rulers would not be likely to build massive, cold stone fortresses such
as
those that are common in Anuire. A fortified holding or province in
Khinasi
would be more likely a walled city rather than a castle. Assuming this I
have adjusted the rules for castles and fortified holding to reflect
this.
For an example I will be using the Zikalan capital, which according to
the
Cities of the Sun expansion has a level 4 fortification.
Part 1: The City & Surrounding Lands
Zikala is one of the largest of the Khinasi City States, matched only by
Ariya. As a coastal city in one of the most arid regions in Cerilia most
of
the population of the province is situated either in the city or along
the
coast. Unlike Anuire where the land is able to support many farmers and
small towns through a province Zikala is unable to do this, so most
people
live in the towns and only a few animal herders and farmers live outside
the main population areas. On page 4 of the expansion it mentions this
when
it states that a city like Ariya or Zikala is the only settlement of any
size in the entire province, and the rest of the lands are sparsely
settled
plains and savannahs. Now because all the population is concentrated in
a
small area, i.e. the city of Zikala the cities rulers are more likely to
build a large city wall to protect the people rather than just a small
castle or fortress on a hill outside the city. Thus for a large city
such
as Zikala, a (6/0) province, there may be as many as thirty or forty
thousand people living within the cities wall, and in Ariya as many as
on
hundred thousand.
Because of the size and age of the City States I have now ruled in my
campaign that a fortified holding in one of these provinces represents a
fortified city instead. Although at first it may not appear as though
this
may not effect anything, it does and while thinking about these rules
the
changes I was making began to make more sense than the standard rulebook
explanation.
As the City State of Zikala is level 6 and only has a level 4
fortification
this means that only some of the city is fortified. The rest of the city
(The unfortified part) represents the part outside the city walls,
either
the slums or an area that has recently expanded beyond the boundaries of
the city wall. Because the part of the city outside the wall is not
fortified it is open for attack if the province is ever invaded. While
this
might at first not appear to have any effect it must also be noted that
if
only four levels of the province are fortified then only four levels of
holdings can also be fortified within the city walls. Thus an invader
could
rampage though the unprotected part of the city destroying the holdings
there, while the rest of the city, and holdings within the walls are
safe
from the enemies attacks.
Part 2: The Holdings.
As I noted above, when the city is fortified it only protect as many
holding levels as the level of the fortification. The rest are assumed
to
be unprotected. This does not however mean that these holding level can
not
also be fortified, above the level of the province's fortification.
On page 56 of the rulebook it states that when a province is fortified
any
holdings the ruler controls in that province are automatically fortified
as
well. This makes a lot of sense with fortified cities. When the city is
fortified and the wall built then any holdings of the ruler within the
cities walls are also fortified. Using the example of Zikala again, as
the
city is fortified to level 4 then all the holdings of the ruler, Omar
ibn
Tuarim el-Zisef are also fortified, with the exception of source
holdings.
This means that Omar's level 3 law holding is protected behind the city
walls. Now this is where my rules start to make a lot of sense. The book
also states that the Zikalan Temple of Avani also have a level 2 law
holding. This holding would represent law in the parts of the city
outside
the walls, perhaps the Grand Vizier is not concerned with what happens
outside the walls of his city so the temple has decided to set up a
police
force of their own to keep crime in that area of the city under control.
With the temple and guild holding of the province they start as
unfortified
holdings, but should the regents of those temples or guilds ever wish to
upgrade their holdings to fortified holdings then what they are actually
doing is moving their operations inside the city walls, and the cost of
the
fortification represents the cost of purchasing new buildings and land
within the walls.
What this also means is that fortified holdings within the city walls
can
still be attacked and destroyed by the ruler of the kingdom as though
they
were unfortified. This is not welcomed by the people of the city and has
a
- -3 penalty to loyalty for the province. Of course there is nothing to
stop
the guild owner from setting up a fortified holding outside the city,
but
this is a lot more expensive and cost double the normal cost for
fortifying
a holding.
Part 3: Wars.
During a war when an enemy army attacks a province and uses its troops
to
destroy the holdings of the province's ruler the rules are also changed
slightly. The fortified city still has to be neutralized, using the
rules
on page 65 of the rulebook. The difference begins when the enemy wants
to
reduce holdings in the province. Once again we can use our example of
Zikala to explain what happens. For the purposes of this explanation
assume
that the province's ruler, Omar ibn Tuarim el-Zisef, had a level 6 law
holding in the province, which as you may remember has been fortified
with
a level 4 fortified city.
When the enemy, say Ariya invades the province it must neutralize the
city
first. As this is a level 4 fortification and a city it can hold many
more
troops than a castle. A level 4 fortified city can hold as many as 16
units
of troops (4 times the level), although each turn the city holds troops
above level 4 the loyalty is reduced 1 level. Although the city can hold
16
units of troops not all of these count towards the numbers needed to
neutralize the city. An invading army in this case would need to have 8
units of soldiers to neutralize the fortified city, which is the same as
for a Anuirean castle with 4 units of troops in it.
Once the castle is neutralized the invader is free to reduce any
holdings
outside the walls to level 0. The difference between this and the
Anuirean
situation is that any holdings that have been fortified are also
considered
part of the city and can not be destroyed individually. In the example
above where Zikala has a level 6 law holding then only 4 of the levels
of
the law holding are situated within the walled part of the city. The
rest
are outside in the unprotected areas.
The enemy must take the whole city to reduce the fortified holdings. The
exception to this is any holding that has been fortified individually of
the city. They may be assaulted with artillery and destroyed as normal.
If the enemy have artillery then they may of course attack the city, but
it
is likely may be defended by soldiers from any temples and guild present
as
well as those of the province ruler.
Although these rules are not that different from the normal, I though
some
people may be interested in them as there have been some changes and
quite
a bit of explanation to explain something that was confusing some of the
players in my pbem campaign.
Any Questions or Comments are welcome as this is still a work in
progress
- --
Ian Hoskins
e-Mail: hoss@box.net.au
ICQ: 2938300
Home Page: http://www.box.net.au/~hoss
Page Updates: http://www.box.net.au/~hoss/update.html
>From the Darkness we came.
And to the Darkness we will return.
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09-06-1997, 09:12 PM #2tbeutler@sprynet.coGuest
Fortified Cities
Thanks for devoting the time to establish these guidelines!!
Some related questions ...
On Sat, 06 Sep 1997, Darkstar wrote:
>Fortified Cities:
>Here are some rules that I have written up to explain fortification in
>the>Khinasi City States.
>Part 2: The Holdings.
>
Using the example of Zikala again, as
>the >city is fortified to level 4 then all the holdings of the ruler, Omar
>ibn Tuarim el-Zisef are also fortified, with the exception of source
>holdings.
>This means that Omar's level 3 law holding is protected behind the city
>walls. Now this is where my rules start to make a lot of sense. The book
>also states that the Zikalan Temple of Avani also have a level 2 law
>holding. This holding would represent law in the parts of the city
>outside the walls, perhaps the Grand Vizier is not concerned with what
happens outside the walls of his city so the temple has decided to set up a
>police force of their own to keep crime in that area of the city under
control. >With the temple and guild holding of the province they start as
>unfortified holdings, but should the regents of those temples or guilds
ever wish to upgrade their holdings to fortified holdings then what they are
actually doing is moving their operations inside the city walls, and the
cost of the fortification represents the cost of purchasing new buildings
and land within the walls.
>What this also means is that fortified holdings within the city walls
>can still be attacked and destroyed by the ruler of the kingdom as though
>they were unfortified. This is not welcomed by the people of the city and
has a -3 penalty to loyalty for the province. Of course there is nothing to
>stop the guild owner from setting up a fortified holding outside the city,
>but this is a lot more expensive and cost double the normal cost for
>fortifying a holding.
Now in Turin, OTZ is the province ruler, so how are the holdings of ZTA
treated (ETT seems to have fortified its holdings, either in the city or
perhaps a fortified trading camp elsewhere in the province)? or has ZTA
spent the money to "bring it within the walls"
I like the cost difference ... ZTA would spend normal to "bring it within
the walls", but double to ACTUALLY fortify it(thus causing say Ariyan forces
to beseige it like a castle)
Perhaps on the pages, * =fortified with [level]
and within the walls will be simply **
>
>Part 3: Wars.
As this is a level 4 fortification and a city it can hold many
>more troops than a castle. A level 4 fortified city can hold as many as 16
>units of troops (4 times the level), although each turn the city holds
troops above level 4 the loyalty is reduced 1 level.
Do all those troops receive the fortification bonus? If so maybe the cost
of walling a city should be slightly higher ...
Although the city can hold 16 units of troops not all of these count towards
the numbers needed to neutralize the city. An invading army in this case
would need to have 8 units of soldiers to neutralize the fortified city,
which is the same as for a Anuirean castle with 4 units of troops in it.
Once the castle is neutralized the invader is free to reduce any
holdings outside the walls to level 0. The difference between this and the
>Anuirean situation is that any holdings that have been fortified are also
>considered part of the city and can not be destroyed individually.
How will you differentiate between within the walls type fortification ...
and actual fortification ... as below
>The enemy must take the whole city to reduce the fortified holdings. The
>exception to this is any holding that has been fortified individually of
>the city. They may be assaulted with artillery and destroyed as normal.
>If the enemy have artillery then they may of course attack the city, but
>it is likely may be defended by soldiers from any temples and guild present
>as well as those of the province ruler.
I've been working on a modification to sieges, artillerists ... I'll post
it soon. Again, nice work
Have you ever considered modifying the rules based on terrain, culture (like
troops)? i.e. it's normal to rule "up" a plains province (fertile ground),
but not Rjurik tundra, Khinasi steppes, jungles, high mountains, swamps ...
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