Role-playing Regency

[AndrewTall]

When determining the RP cap do you use the target province level or the initiating province level for intrigue, diplomacy, trade routes, etc?

If the initiator province is counted, then some hostile actions become very easy for regents who rule up one mega-province and use it for all actions; if the target province (more appropriate in my view) is used then actions may be a lot easier against an enemies powerbase than the isolated wilderness province they mostly ignore which is counter intuitive...

I would presume btw that you count the province level in the RP cap regardless of whether or not you rule it - otherwise 'foreign' actions would be practically very difficult.

Hmm.

May I suggest 5(say)+target province level+relevant holdings in target province+levels of allied relevant holdings-relevant hostile holding levels+bloodline strength*2 (tainted=1, minor=2, major=3, great=4, true=5) with the province level doubled if you are the ruler of the province.

Holdings being split into two subgroups: source and other. Your law holdings should not affect your ability to forge a leyline, your source holding should not affect your ability to rule a guild...

This would encourage regents to at least neutralise other regents in the area if not win their support as the primary regent could then spend more RP's, whereas if they disapprove - even if they don't act against your regent, your regent's ability to influence events is reduced...

But that may be overly complicated...

[MatanThunder]

Its not a question of what the wizard can envision and invent, its a question of whether its more fun to play the same way I would play d20 Modern but just call the technology by magical names, or whether its more fun to get into a totally different mentality about how the world works and how you solve problems.

And how do you get to this modern envisioned game is by using ideas and inventions to get there. It is NOT modern per se to think outside the box, otherwise people like Isaac Newton, Di Vinci, Einstein would still be schlepping their way along with simply following along with what the crowd was doing.

The idea is that you can easilly play the magic ramification of high level spells coming into the game and what it would mean to Regency use. There is of course a limit to the number of activities that can be actively monitored, unless you have a horde of simalcrums or pseudo clones to keep the Regent updated.

The limits on how much activity a Regent could perform would easily be reflected by taking the PC's INT/WIS Scores dividing by 2 for an average, and then divide that either by 2 of 3 depending on your DM style. That would limit ongoing projects using regency to 3-6 (or more) actions that can be undertaken using Regency during one 3 month turn.

This would exclude other activities that might involve putting down insurrections caused by outside forces, as they would come up outside planned projects. For that matter any activity that uses Regency that is not a planned action should be allowed to use Regency as needed to influence it.

This allows for activities that would be beyond the PC/Regents knowledge as they enter a turn.

Later

[irdeggman]

The limits on how much activity a Regent could perform would easily be reflected by taking the PC's INT/WIS Scores dividing by 2 for an average, and then divide that either by 2 of 3 depending on your DM style. That would limit ongoing projects using regency to 3-6 (or more) actions that can be undertaken using Regency during one 3 month turn.

Why not include Charisma - since that is the ability that determines the number of followers you can have? And the number of followers/henchmen/cohorts is a direct reflection of the number of people that you "trust" to handle the more mundane (or not so mundane) tasks that need to be performed in order to accomplish the ongoing projects.

[Sir Tiamat]

Why not include Charisma - since that is the ability that determines the number of followers you can have? And the number of followers/henchmen/cohorts is a direct reflection of the number of people that you "trust" to handle the more mundane (or not so mundane) tasks that need to be performed in order to accomplish the ongoing projects.

That would definitely make sense, that and the divine right to rule as represented by bloodline.

What about province + holding levels plus Charisma & bloodline modifier

This allows competent (depends on regency pool) regents with high charisma and bloodline to compete in areas where they have little influence.

[ryancaveney]

What about province + holding levels plus Charisma & bloodline modifier

That sounds like a great idea. Go with it!


Ryan

[MatanThunder]

Why not include Charisma - since that is the ability that determines the number of followers you can have? And the number of followers/henchmen/cohorts is a direct reflection of the number of people that you "trust" to handle the more mundane (or not so mundane) tasks that need to be performed in order to accomplish the ongoing projects.

A good thought...I would have to point out that the stat has more to do with the number of people one can have as followers, and their ability to influence other NPC & PC's to do what they wont. It might lead to some people you can trust, so maybe add +1 task that can be accomplished per 3 followers available. It would reflect thier presence to help their Lord/Regent accomplish tasks.

I would say that using 3 lower level followers to take care of that one extra task might just be a little light too. It might take a certain number of follower levels to assist in a task. Maybe 3 followers whose total levels are 10 or greater.

These adjustments could reflect CHR/Followers input into Regency use for the Regent.

province + holding levels plus Charisma & bloodline modifier

Province has little to do with the ability to use your Regency, but it is a factor in the amount of Regency generated.

Holding level are likewise associated with province stats and thereby more linked to a level of Regency creation, and less to how much can be employed. Afterall the Regent could have many provinces and holding llevels and once again this would lead to too many actions to use regency being available in a single realm turn.

As to bloodline, the amount of royal bloodline one has will have little to do with their ability to spend regency they have gained. They may (or may not) have more right to rule, but this doesn't mean they have the ability to use it better. Unless they possess a skill that can bind some lieutenant to the tasks the regent actually starts and then hands over to them.

There is also the issue of ongoing projects that last over a 3 month realm turn. The Regent would have to continually pay for this project slot until the effort is complete. In some cases a Regent might be able to use a (True) lieutenant to fill in for them to complete an ongoing project, thereby being able to open up a slot for a new project.

Each to their own gentlemen, but I don't feel that STAT's outside intellect are part of a process that determines the number of Regency projects are undertaken by a Regent!

Later

[Sir Tiamat]

Province has little to do with the ability to use your Regency, but it is a factor in the amount of Regency generated.

Holding level are likewise associated with province stats and thereby more linked to a level of Regency creation, and less to how much can be employed. Afterall the Regent could have many provinces and holding llevels and once again this would lead to too many actions to use regency being available in a single realm turn.

As to bloodline, the amount of royal bloodline one has will have little to do with their ability to spend regency they have gained. They may (or may not) have more right to rule, but this doesn't mean they have the ability to use it better. Unless they possess a skill that can bind some lieutenant to the tasks the regent actually starts and then hands over to them.

I see a need to clarify.

Fist let me state that I see three levels of detail:
-domain/realm level (standard)
-“province level” contact with influential nobles guildsmen and their people on the ground etc. (can be role-played and provides ample opportunity for adventure)
-individual level (adventure)

I think a DM should be able to switch between those levels, or zoom in or out. At the same time actions taken at one level should affect the other levels. In this light it is important to look at the nature of provinces and holdings (book of regency) and effects of regency spending (this thread)


My post and the post of others should be read in the light of the excellent way Kenneth Gauck envisioned regency in the earlier posts. He provides a simple logical account of how regency spent on the domain level affects the realm at the individual or province level; thus, if the regent is setting up operations in a mayor town of a province what kind of support would require regency and what kind of opposition might his projects encounter from rival regency.

See:

My own view of RP is that it activates assets.[…]

Besides his excellent account of how regency might work, he also provides a rule (of thumb) far a regency cap based on his view of regency. Based on the maximum number of assets (holdings and province levels) one can activate.Since this rule of thumb would advantage the status quo and concentrated domains over stretched-out domains, this effect should be mitigated slightly.

Consequently, I suggest that a charismatic ruler with a strong bloodline can spend regency to push his/her own assets beyond their normal duties and can also activate those that do not normally support him/her. Hence my rule of thumb of activating assets:

Controlled province + holding levels & Charisma + bloodline modifier.

All the talk about system and rules (of thumb) obfuscates the fact that the core of the message was to provide handholds for role-playing regency, allowing to zoom in an out, rather than to provide rules for spending regency.

[Thelandrin]

Just a thought, but if you have a True-blooded scion as a lieutenant, something is decidedly rotten in the state of Anuire!

[irdeggman]

A good thought...I would have to point out that the stat has more to do with the number of people one can have as followers, and their ability to influence other NPC & PC's to do what they wont. It might lead to some people you can trust, so maybe add +1 task that can be accomplished per 3 followers available. It would reflect thier presence to help their Lord/Regent accomplish tasks.

I would say that using 3 lower level followers to take care of that one extra task might just be a little light too. It might take a certain number of follower levels to assist in a task. Maybe 3 followers whose total levels are 10 or greater.

These adjustments could reflect CHR/Followers input into Regency use for the Regent.

Most tasks a regent has performed are not done personally so I have to disagree. The fact that he has those he trusts is paramount to getting things done. This is the point of Charisma - a force of personality (not just looks, but also the ability to get people to do what you want them to - hence carrying out the tasks assigned). This is not just those of lower level but almost all interaction skills/proficiencies are charisma based.

As to bloodline, the amount of royal bloodline one has will have little to do with their ability to spend regency they have gained. They may (or may not) have more right to rule, but this doesn't mean they have the ability to use it better. Unless they possess a skill that can bind some lieutenant to the tasks the regent actually starts and then hands over to them.

Royalty is not always a factor. Kalien is by no means of "royal" blood and yet he is one of the most influention regents in Anuire. He has an Int and a Cha of 16 (per Ruins of Empire) - so IMO this supports the importance of a charismatic (as well as Intelligent) regent.

[Thelandrin]

The interesting thing is that regents have uniformly high scores, often far higher than any 3rd Edition PC could reasonably expect to have.