Astrology

Astrology rules are pretty common, but I'll mention the ones from the Medieval Player's Handbook, by Green Ronin.
- An alternative approach to Astrology as a skill
See Also: Prognostication
- Divination in general
Generally an Astrology check reveals natural phenomenon.

DC 15 check reveals a natural event. If no special events are taking place, then the weather is known. Earthquake, flood, rain.

DC 18 some descriptive details about the natural event, generally scope or duration, such a minor earthquake, major flood, rain all day.

DC 20 Includes secondary details, such as wind or temperature. Or in the case of a major event, the weather.

DC 25 Full information of an event, as one might receive from a witness after the event.

DC 30 Fully detailed information about everything that is natural and connected to the event.

Natal Astrology is the ability to divine personal characteristics of another character.

DC 20 Alignment

DC 25 Class

DC 30 Abilities and a broad outline of personality

DC 35 character level some details of personality

DC 40 full game statistics and a detailed description of personality

Political Astrology is the ability to interpret the general mood and actions of a people in a region. In a Birthright Campaign a region is a province and all adjacent provinces.

DC 20 General activities of the populace, such as harvest, festival, planting

DC 25 Detailed activities of the populace, such as harvesting wheat, outdoor festival with feasting, singing, dancing, and a joust.

DC 30 Loyalty rating of the provinces for a single realm or domain

DC 35 Detailed description of the loyalty of provinces, including grievances and issues for and against a realm or domain.

DC 40 Complete knowledge of the activities and loyalty of a region for all of the realms and domains.

Election Astrology is the ability to predict the actions of a character at a specific time. Because characters have free will, predicting their actions is notoriously difficult. Election Astrology requires both political and natal astrology as prerequisites.

DC 30 The most likely decision the character will make

DC 40 the reasons behind the decision

The Crown of GloryThe Crown of Glory

Astrology is reading the stars at a specific time, so that time must be studied. You cannot determine when Boeruine will declare war. You have to ask about a specific time and ask what Boeruine will decide about war and peace. With a +22 bonus to Knowledge (Astrology), Harald is a powerful astrologer. He can reliably set a course of events from start to finish through a sequence of checks. Calant is adjacent to all of the provinces in Boeruine except for Dhalaese. It would not be very difficult for Harald to be unable to determine that provinces were mustering for war (a general activity requiring a DC 20 check). Even specific information, such as a general sense of the army composition is only a DC 25. From this, he can go forward and attempt to determine where Boeruine will attack and who, perhaps even why. Or he can go back and look for a train of events that leads to war, and advise Darien Avan accordingly. Either way, DC 40 checks are not outside the reach of Harald.
Astrology Check: Astrology checks take a half hour. If the astrology is under pressure or interrupted, no skill check succeeds. If the astrologer was not able to take 10 in these conditions, no check could be made. An astrologer is allowed to take 10, but he cannot take 20.
Astrology reads the stars, and is not a magical effect. It is not blocked by spells or items that block scrying. The greatest weakness to astrology is the free will of human action.
However, future plans have future consequences, so assassination attempts against Harald Khorien, Darien Avan, or anyone else Harald checks for can be detected, studied, anticipated, and prepared for. While the assassins might detect prevention and change their plan, the very fact of their attempt is anticipated is often sufficient to prevent an attack.
If a decision of Harald, Darien, or another ally is being made and they consult Harald. If he can determine what will happen (be it random event or domain action or personal action), he can make a check with a DC five higher than the basic detection to determine if a plan might counter the effect. For every five points that the check succeeds by, the decision maker informed of these readings gets a +1 bonus to his primary skill check.

Example: Boeruine and Avanil face each other at Roger's Pass. Harald succeeds at a DC 20 astrology check and predicts that Boeruine will place archers on the high ground and will fall back with his infantry in an attempt to draw Avanil into a trap. Prince Darien's battle commander, Lord Andrew, asks if the archers could be swept from the high ground with cavalry. Harald returns to his charts and astrolab and checks. He makes a DC 25 check and verifies that the infantry in the pass will be unable to defend the archers in the hills. In fact, since Harald rolled a 14 and so obtained a 36 result, 11 points above that required, Lord Andrew could make his warcraft check with a +2 bonus to surprise the Archduke and sweep his archers away.
Other rules for Astrology should still work nicely with this build, since the same core skills will be in play. If the associated feats are significantly different, substitution should still be fairly easy.

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