Realms: scores

[Sir Tiamat]

Here's a first draft that will hopefully demonstrate how I intend to reform ruling a domain. From the simple premise that realms are similar to characters, I strive to design a streamlined system as an aid to roleplaying.

Though I think birthright is one of the best settings designed, it's mechanics are a bit rusty. For me mechanics are not the core of a setting, they must only work and support the setting. As such, I am willing to radically change the mechanics of the setting, while retaining its feel. I also understand - being on a forum dedicated to an AD&D setting - that to some my views may seem like that of a radical heretic.

[Sir Tiamat]

After you choose your regent-type, determine your Domain ability scores. Six abilities provide a quick description of your domain's characteristics. Does it rely on a loyal and large base of followers? On an all-seeing, and ruthlessly efficient bureaucracy? Is it creative and resourceful? Your ability scores define these qualities—your domain’s strengths as well as its weaknesses.


Force (For) measures your domain's manpower, its militia and labor force.
✦ Many holding attacks are based on Force.
✦ Warlords and Cardinals have powers based on Force.
✦ Your Force might contribute to your Resilience defense.
✦ Force is the key ability for Labor, Muster and Rally skill checks.


Organization (Org) represents your realm’s structure, reorganization, stamina, and vital force. All domains benefit from a high Organization score.
✦ Your Organization score is added to your [realm/holding] hit points.
✦ The number of reorganization efforts you can use each day is influenced by your Organization.
✦ Many […] powers are based on Organization.
✦ Your Organization might contribute to your Resilience defense.
✦ Organization is the key ability for [perseverance] skill checks.


Responsiveness (Res) measures self-reliance, adaptation, creativity, and the reaction time of your domain's holdings.
✦ Many Distant attacks are based on Responsiveness.
✦ Many Guilder powers are based on Responsiveness.
✦ Your Responsiveness might contribute to your Security defense.
✦If your realm relies on concealment, your Responsiveness might contribute to your Fortification Level.
✦ Responsiveness is the key ability for Commerce, Design, Exploration, Seafaring, and Stealth skill checks.


Intelligence (Int) describes how well your domain learns secrets, is aware of forces in surrounding lands and society, and discovers rival plans.
✦ [Archmage/ Mage] powers are based on Intelligence.
✦ Your Intelligence might contribute to your Security defense.
✦ If your realm relies on concealment, your Intelligence might contribute to your Fortification Level.
✦ Intelligence is the key ability for Research, Source Lore, Information Gathering, and Espionage skill checks.


Bureaucracy (Bur) measures the coordination, planning, and efficiency of your domain.
✦ Many Warlord and Cardinal powers are based on Bureaucracy.
✦ Your Bureaucracy might contribute to your Loyalty defense.
✦ Bureaucracy is the key ability for Administrate, Ritual, and Diplomacy skill checks.

Devotion (Dev) measures your domain’s popularity, your subject’s loyalty, your persuasiveness, and your leadership.
✦ Many Cardinal powers are based on Devotion.
✦ Your Devotion might contribute to your Loyalty defense.
✦ Devotion is the key ability for Ceremony, and Lead skill checks.


Each of your ability scores is a number that measures the power of that ability. A domain with a 16
Force is much stronger than a doamin with a 6 Force. A score of 10 or 11 is the normal realm average, but player realms are a cut above average in most abilities. As you advance in levels, your ability scores keep getting better. Your ability score determines an ability modifier that you add to any attack, check, roll, or defense based on that ability. For instance, making a basic holding attack with a lawholding is a Force attack, so you add the ability modifier for your Force score to your attack rolls and damage rolls. If your score is 17, your realm is pretty forcefull; you add +3 to attack rolls and damage rolls when you make that attack.

Your ability scores also influence your defenses, since you add your ability modifier to your defense score.
✦ For Resilience defense, you add the higher of your Force or Organization ability modifiers.
✦ For Security defense, you add the higher of your Responsiveness or Intelligence ability modifiers.
✦ For Loyalty defense, you add the higher of your Bureaucracy or Devotion ability modifiers.

[Sir Tiamat]

Skill Key Ability

1. Labor Force
2. Power display/ rally Force
3. Muster Force
4. Endure hardship Organization
5. Commerce Responsiveness
6. Expedition/ Exploration Responsiveness
7. Seafaring Responsiveness
8. Design Responsiveness
9. Stealth Responsiveness
10. Research Intelligence
11. Source Lore Intelligence
12. Information Gathering Intelligence
13. Espionage Intelligence
14. Ritual Bureaucracy
15. Administrate Bureaucracy
16. Planning (admin) Bureaucracy
17. Execute (admin) Bureaucracy
18. Diplomacy Bureaucracy
19. Finance Bureaucracy
20. Ceremony Devotion
21. Lead Devotion


Domain skills can be used in skill challenges for any action the ruler would like to create that is not an attack.

[tpdarkdraco]

Hey Sir Tiamat,

It is great to see someone else hard at work. I haven't even looked at a 4e conversion for the domain side of things.

I find your ideas very intriguing and I like the idea of a realm character sheet. Very keen to see more explainations and expanded ideas.

[rjurikwinds]

Yes; I'm rather intreagued too, and I like idea of realm/province "abilities".

I'd naturally ask;
Do each of these abilities material into physical or natural characteristic;
Forests for Force,
Roads for Organisation
Rivers for Responsiveness
Hills or mountains for Devotion
...

Or are these scores more abstract -- perhaps more descriptions of the makeup (sophistication) of the population?

[Thelandrin]

I like this idea and I didn't even realise that I was in the 4th Ed forum until I started reading about the defences and their dual ability modifiers

[Sir Tiamat]

Yes; I'm rather intreagued too, and I like idea of realm/province "abilities".

I'd naturally ask;
Do each of these abilities material into physical or natural characteristic;
Forests for Force,
Roads for Organisation
Rivers for Responsiveness
Hills or mountains for Devotion
...

Or are these scores more abstract -- perhaps more descriptions of the makeup (sophistication) of the population?

To clarify, these scores are indeed intended to be more abstract, representing the constitution of your government and followers and their collective strengths and weaknesses. Obviously, while these scores represent the attributes of a domain, these could be rooted in various underlying characteristics depending on the domain. For example, the force score of a law domain could represent militia, levies and serfs that could provide labor, that of a temple domain could represent the faithful, whereas the force score of a source domain could well represent summoned creatures and magical forces.

[irdeggman]

I like this concept but you need to be careful or throw out one of the BR core elements.

Somehow the society "level" and source "level" need to be related and force a limitation on the relative ability scores for the province.

What I mean is that (except for elven lands) a high nature and high society can't co-exist.

The magic power of the land is tied to its nature rating while the physical (e.g., income, military, etc.) are tied to its "society" level.

[Sir Tiamat]

I like this concept but you need to be careful or throw out one of the BR core elements.

Somehow the society "level" and source "level" need to be related and force a limitation on the relative ability scores for the province.

What I mean is that (except for elven lands) a high nature and high society can't co-exist.

The magic power of the land is tied to its nature rating while the physical (e.g., income, military, etc.) are tied to its "society" level.

Domain scores represent the attributes of the domain, that is the collective holding and province levels of a regent. It is therefore not related to the source or society level as such. A high rating could theoretically imply both.

[irdeggman]

Realm scores represent the attributes of the realm, that is the collective holding and province levels of a regent. It is therefore not related to the source or society level as such. A high rating could theoretically imply both.

So it is totally independent on pppulation size and terrain?

So an attack is made against the same type of defense (since the attributes seem to work towards those) is likewise indendent?

Are they restricted to each each other - that is you determine them with a point buy type of interaction (like normal attributes)? So that you can't be "great" at every thing. Or can all of them be "high" or increased to be "high"?

Off hand to me it seems that there should be a limit to these attributes based on population or else a province with a low population can have the same attribute score as one with a high population.

Now if these are reworked to be a percentage that is multiplied by province level to determine an overall number used for such things that would factor in most things that are important, although making it very complicated.