Domain Action Questions

[Jamie]

Hey everyone. I am a long time player of Birthright but new to this conversion that you have put together. I am using the domain action rules for the first time and have a few questions. More may come but this is a start.

1.) Does the agitate action require a holding in the province you are attempting to agitate? In the second edition rules it did but I see no mention of it here so I am going to use the 2nd edition standard. However it would be good to have an "official" clarification.

2.) Can cleric characters still perform Agitate actions as a free action once per domain turn?

3.) Domain attitude, I am guessing, replaces domain loyalty? If so does it still only affect provinces?

[irdeggman]

Welcome

1.) Does the agitate action require a holding in the province you are attempting to agitate? In the second edition rules it did but I see no mention of it here so I am going to use the 2nd edition standard. However it would be good to have an "official" clarification.

Yes it does require a holding since it revolves around a regent using his influence and influence is measured by holding level. The action description states the holding used for the action.



“The Agitate action does not have a standard domain action check. Instead, a domain attitude check is made (as discussed in the section on adjusting domain attitude) but with slightly different adjustments and modifiers. (1) Regardless of the result, the domain's attitude cannot move in the opposite direction

of the active regent's intended agitation (up or down). (2) The active regent may spend GB to provide a bonus or penalty to the check (1 GB per +/- 1). (3) The active regent's holding used for the action provides a bonus (or penalty) equal to the holding level. (4) If used against another regent, the target regent's largest holding provides a bonus to the check equal to its level. (5) All regents in the area may spend RP to support or oppose the check, providing a bonus or penalty of one for each RP spent. (6) The domain attitude may not increase or decrease by more than two attitude levels per Agitate action.”

2.) Can cleric characters still perform Agitate actions as a free action once per domain turn?

No there are no “free” actions based on classes anymore. This mostly has to do with the ease of multi-classing for 3.0/3.5. All class abilities should be listed in Chapter 1 (make sure you use the revised/sanctioned Chap 1 and 2 and not the ones in the BRCS-playtest document. Check the pinned thread above to see what I’m talking about.

3.) Domain attitude, I am guessing, replaces domain loyalty? If so does it still only affect provinces?

Domain attitude is by default at the province level and yes it replaces the 2nd ed loyalty. “Each domain has an additional attribute that represents the contentment and loyalty of the general populace towards the domain. Domain attitude is measured on a province-by-province basis on the same scale as NPC attitudes: Helpful, Friendly, Indifferent, Unfriendly, or Hostile.”





From the BRCS-playtest “Generally speaking, the attitude of the general populace towards a domain can be considered fairly geographically uniform. The reputation of a hard-dealing merchant-prince, for example, will be consistent throughout his domain. In some instances, however, the attitude of segments of the population may differ. For example, a regent that is well-loved in his home province may be despised in provinces that he has recently conquered. The DM should feel free to create multiple domain attitudes for different geographic areas or demographic populations as the situation merits. Domain attitude by province is the recommended level of resolution for landed regents. Domain attitude by realm is the recommended level of resolution for non-landed regents (to ease book-keeping)”





But see the agitate action for specific regent/ modifiers. You can agitate towards a regent, that is the attitude towards that regent.

[Jamie]

And thanks again irdeggman.

[Jamie]

Another question about agitate. In the description of the ability it says that you can agitate against "a person, domain, or idea." What are the consequences of doing that? If I agitate against a guild does it's regent suffer the same penalties as a province regent if the attitude drops far enough?

The main reason for this question is that there no longer seems to be a method to deal with unwanted or competing holdings without declaring outright war (Contesting). I was wondering if Agitate provides a more reasonable path. Agitating against a specific guild could take the form of an aggressive marketing campaign by your own guild. Or a recruitment drive by a temple to lure worshipers from a competing temple.

This would require minor modifications to the consequences of poor domain attitudes towards non-province regents. Perhaps instead of rising up against the ruler in open rebellion they just slowly stop being patrons of the targeted holdings. Worshipers stop going to that church, customers stop buying from that guild. This could be reflected in a drop in holding level. This may also take away some of the effectiveness of the Contest domain action. This is all just a suggestion and speculation.

Or perhaps a minor change in the details of the Contest action would help get around this war issue. Perhaps contest could be changed to include these methods of reducing a holding.

[Raesene Andu]

This would require minor modifications to the consequences of poor domain attitudes towards non-province regents. Perhaps instead of rising up against the ruler in open rebellion they just slowly stop being patrons of the targeted holdings. Worshipers stop going to that church, customers stop buying from that guild. This could be reflected in a drop in holding level. This may also take away some of the effectiveness of the Contest domain action. This is all just a suggestion and speculation.

Or perhaps a minor change in the details of the Contest action would help get around this war issue. Perhaps contest could be changed to include these methods of reducing a holding.

In many ways this is similar to the contest action. Both contesting and agitating against another regent could be considered hostile actions, but neither is like declaring war.

To remove an enemy or unwanted holding from your lands you have to take 1 of 3 actions.

1. Contest their holdings.
This is probably the easiest, just openly contest their holding in your territory. They may not like it, but unless you are attacking a big powerful domain with lots of friends the holding will be removed with a minimum of fuss. Always a good idea if you make sure to justify your actions first (enemy holding was run by baby-killing priests).

2. Occupy and destroy.
This is the most hostile method. You need to occupy your own lands and then use your troops to burn down the enemy provinces. There is no way that this can be seen as non hostile. Make sure you combine this with agitate to look after the hit you will take to your loyalty.

3. Espionage/Great Captain
This is the hardest method, but at the same time has the least negitive effects. Use your spies to create a great captain random event for the enemy holding and try and get them to break away. If you plan well you may even end up with a new vassal.


As for agitate, there is no reason why every domain within a realm cannot have its own domain attitude rating, except maybe wizards. There is more bookeeping involved. So if you have an Anuirean realm with 3 temples (say Haelyn, Cuiraecen, and Belinik) the temples of Haelyn and Cuiraecen may have the support of the people (helpful attitude) while the temple of Belinik may have a hostile attitude towards it. Of course, you can't have rebellions against a non-landed domain, but it can make doing actions in that realm harder, especially when you apply the effects of the land regent's law holdings to any actions.

[Osprey]

Of course, you can't have rebellions against a non-landed domain, but it can make doing actions in that realm harder, especially when you apply the effects of the land regent's law holdings to any actions.

Why not allow rebellions against non-landed regents? Why not have angry peasant mobs rising up to sack a hated temple in their midst, especially if they are the faithful of an opposing sect? Why not have this (sometimes) be the direct result of secret agitation by the sect's enemies? Surely this is plausible enought to include in a BR campaign.

Osprey

[The Jew]

Why not allow rebellions against non-landed regents? Why not have angry peasant mobs rising up to sack a hated temple in their midst, especially if they are the faithful of an opposing sect? Why not have this (sometimes) be the direct result of secret agitation by the sect's enemies? Surely this is plausible enought to include in a BR campaign.

Osprey

The game i'm currently playing in has seperate attitudes for each non-source holding. Their is certainly no reason one couldn't apply all the rules to guilds and temples.