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House rules: Province resources











[top]What are province resources?


Provinces can be described in very simple terms: terrain, coast, river - that's about it in terms of the geography. While this simple description keeps the book-keeping simple, it does mean that those who like detail can feel that provinces are too 'samey'.
Resources are a way around this lack of variation, adding flavor and possibly mechanics to the game. Flavor-only resources are description - Province A is noted for ale, Province B is noted for lager, province C has trees well suited for masts, province D has dense hardwood ideal for making luxury goods. But flavor doesn't require house-rules, so on to the crunch...

[top]Design thoughts


A Birthright DMs job is hard enough on the book-keeping side, without them having to track resources. As such resources should add to a players domain and be tracked by the player, they should not impact foreign domains, or provide a defensive bonus to the province which would have to be remembered by the DM.
Resources should however fit the province thematically - a 'fish' resource does not fit well for a province in the Tarvan wastes! Similarly a technological resource such as fine cloth or metalwork likely requires a fairly high province level to permit the infrastructure, etc.

[top]AndyTall


[top]Terrain substitute

Province resources can be used to substitute for the normal trade goods rules - so rather than 'provinces of a different terrain or culture can link with a trade route' you could use 'provinces with different resources can link via a trade route. In this case every province would have at least 1 resource, although most of these would be simple (grain, fish, salt, timber, ore, masonry, horses, livestock). As a note a resource is something that the province has a surplus of under this perspective.

[top]Production limitation


Province resources could also be used to limit productivity - for example varsk cavalry require guilds to run varsk ranches (and lots of snow). So a province without surplus horses could not whelm mounted troops, a province without fine steel could not equip elite units, a province without fine timber could whelm shortbowmen but not longbowmen, a province without hard stone might find any roads have double maintenance costs, etc. This encourages players to use diplomacy with regents who control necessary resources in order to be able to create the unit, ship, asset, etc that they wish to create.

[top]Domain enhancements


Another way to run resources, is that they are 'beyond the norm', and if developed, give domain level bonuses. Under this approach resources become similar to structures in mechanical terms. Developing a resource then requires the use of a realm/court action. To stop things getting silly a province should only have 1 resource barring unusual circumstances. Or perhaps a province could have 1 resource per 4 levels?
The DC of the create resource action should be increased if the resource would be hard to find / develop (terracing the hills without the aid of Karamhul engineering skills) and the action should fail if it is impossible (prospecting for gold in a province without gold ore).
Some quick thoughts along this idea based on Sarelth's table:
ResourceDevelopment costMaintenanceDevelopment DCEffect for Developing regent
Fine stone10 GB0.25 GB12the province is noted for easily quarrying hard-wearing stone, +2 on all construction actions in the province/in a province linked by a trade route, buildings are constructed 1 GB per turn faster than the norm, if the construction check is passed by 10 or more, the construction cost is reduced by 1 GB that season.
Foodstuffs20 GB0.5 GB20due to agricultural techniques, fie growing conditions, or unusually productive crops the province can exceed the normal maximum population for its terrain type by 1. +2 to rule province actions, +5 to any action to counter a famine or plague random event.
Holy Site20 GB 10 RP0.5 GB20The holding level of any temple built around the resource acts as 2 levels higher for the purposes of casting domain spells. The RP cost of any such spells is reduced by 25%.
Luxury goods40 GB1 GB15the province can support 2 more guild/trade levels than the norm. +4 on all trade venture actions.
Mebhaighl nexus20 RP2 RP20The province source level is increased by 1 (before any other modifications) and cannot be reduced below 1 by population alone.
Militant populace5 GB 20 RP2 RP15The population produces more able units than mere levies or irregulars if the regent raises the levy. 50% of any levy raised is of a specific regular unit type (pike, archers). A second 'resource' can be constructed to make 1/4 of any units a special type (scouts, light cavalry) or add a second regular type to the list.
Surplus population10 GB0.25 GB15The population has a surplus of young men. If a levy is raised 25% extra units are raised, and the muster cost of any unit raised in the province is reduced by 25%.

[top]Sarelth


Provinces have resources indicated on the holding pages. Resources have the effects indicated below; the effect is for the regent (and only that regent) who develops the resource using the Build action.
ResourceDevelopment costEffect for Developing regent
Cattle5 GB+1 GB income; the province is not affected by famine events; the maximum number of units that can be raised in the province is raised by 1
Cloth10 GB+3 GB income
Copper*5 GB+1 GB income
Fish5 GB+1 GB income; the province is not affected by famine events; the maximum number of units that can be raised in the province is raised by 1
Furs8 GB+2 GB income
Gold/Gems*+10 GB3 GB income
Grain5 GB+1 GB income; province not affected by famines; maximum number of units raised by 1
Horses8 GB+1 GB income; can muster horse-mounted Cavalry units in the province for 1 GB less than the normal muster cost (minimum 1 GB)
Iron*8 GB+1 GB income; can muster Inf units in the province for 1 GB less (minimum 1 GB) than the normal muster cost
Lumber*8 GB+1 GB income; can muster Archer and Artillery units in the province for 1 GB less than their normal muster cost (minimum 1 GB); each Lumber resource developed by the regent reduces his building costs for ships by 5%, to a maximum of 50%, as long as it is connected to his capital by roads or ferried by ships (1 GB cargo space per resource); other nations can block this delivery at will if the road passes through their territory
Metalwares8 GB+2 GB income
Silk10 GB+3 GB income
Silver*8 GB+2 GB income
Wine8 GB+2 GB income; +3 to Agitate actions in the province
Wool8 GB+2 GB income
Holy Site10 GBCan only be developed by a temple of the specified faith; gives +3 GB income and doubles the temple's level for purposes of Contest action
Note: Development of resources marked by an asterisk may harm the source level of a province.
Resource development can be contested in two ways. A developed resource can be attacked with armies using the pillage action; if the pillage is successful, the development is removed. Additionally, any law holder in the province can use a Decree action to close a developed resource, as long as his law holding is equal to or higher than the holding that is using the resource. In both cases, the development is removed but not the resource, and the removing regent must use the Build action to develop it again if he wants to use it. Resource usage can be transferred to another eligible regent via the Grant action.


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