This is a good answer and should probably be in a rulebook somewhere ;-)

Regarding your suggestion of keeping separate accounts for RP earned and
"given": Doesn't this raise the ugly possibility that the Baron could
rescind his/her earlier decree of support for the Count, thereby reclaiming
the RP?

Jonathan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ed Stark [SMTP:ted@wizards.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 1998 9:11 AM
> To: birthright@MPGN.COM
> Subject: Re: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Birthright: Regency points
>
> At 12:23 AM 3/10/98 -0500, you wrote:
> >Greetings all,
> >
> >here is a question thats been bugging me, how do you explain regency
> >points in roleplaying terms.
> >for example lets take Prince Avan, and one of his vassels. In the
> >vassalge agreement, a tribute of 5GB and 10RP is agreed upon, now the GB
> >is easy,
> >' you pay me 10000gp every 3 months and I wont invade your grubby little
> >domain and kill you '
> >but how does a regent ask another regent to send to him something that
> >is an intangible link to the land and the divine spark within the
> >blooded. how can it be explained. is it something that happens
> >unconsciously between the two regents in an undeclared contest of wills?
> >any comments would be appreciated, thanks
> >
> >wyntergryn
>
> Sure, no problem. RP are a representation of popular support, personal
> power, and status in the land. If you have lots of RP, you can call in
> favors, enforce commands, and issue orders that you are pretty sure will
> be
> obeyed. People under you will consider your commands important and will
> drop everything to do what you want.
>
> On the other hand, if you don't have a lot of RP (or spend them on your
> actions), people don't listen as well. Even if they are loyal and love you
> to death, if you don't focus your attention on an action (by spending RP),
> go through the motions of getting support and setting the political wheels
> in motion, you have less chance of succeeding.
>
> This sort of influence can be transfered. You can explain it however you
> wish. Let's say, for instance, that the Baron of Roesone and the Count of
> Ilien come to an understanding. For whatever reason, the Baron gives the
> Count 20 RP. In roleplaying terms, the Baron is coming out and saying "I
> support the Count! If you owe me a favor, the Count can call it in!" If
> you
> want to roleplay this, you can actually have the Count keep the RP
> separate
> and, when he spends the Baron's "gift" RP, he has to be able to explain
> why
> the Baron's influence would help on that occasion.
>
>
> -- ->-- ->-- ->--@
> Ed Stark
> Game Designer, Wizards of the Coast/TSR Division
> Asst. Brand Manager, BIRTHRIGHT/GREYHAWK/MARVEL Group
> TSR Website: http://www.tsrinc.com
> (soon to be http://www.tsr.com)
> ************************************************** ************************
> *
> To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the
> line
> 'unsubscribe birthright' as the body of the message.