Royal Marriage Rules

Marriage Effects

Royal Marriages in LOTE traditionally only help two things: Diplomacy Rolls and Increasing the Royal Family. Royal Marriages between Nations have little purpose beyond Role play value. In Lords 24 (robbed of course from the excellent Deus Vult! and other sources) this changes. Nations now gain a direct benefit when marrying between each other. Each Royal Marriage between two played nations comes with a direct benefit chosen by the players themselves. Of course, players must agree on which type of marriage bonus will be gained.

There are two general types of Marriage: Double- and Single-Sided. Double-Sided Marriages offer an equal bonus to both partners. Single-Sided marriages, on the other hand, only benefit one Partner, and are generally used as currency in other types of negotiations (Border Disputes, Peace Treaties, etc).

The Effect of Marriages end, naturally enough, when one partner of the Union dies. Nations have a grace period of one turn to re-marry between themselves to keep the Effect going. Wise rulers will quickly do so rather than face losing a bonus in military campaigns or the loss of trade with a lucrative partner.

To enact a Marriage, both royal family members must be in the same location and simply note it in both sets of orders. Once a marriage is enacted, the Wife is moved to the Husband's capital and remains there for the duration of the Union. If the Husband dies, the Widow is moved back to the original nation's capital.

Remember, marriage bonuses last for the duration of the marriage.

Double-Sided
Type	Effect
Favoured Trade Partner	The Duration of the Route between you and your Partner is set to 150 years. Once the marriage ends, the Duration returns to the previous value.
Extended Trade Pact	Allows a special Trade Route [EXT] to be formed for the duration of the marriage. Route Income is equivalent to Land Trade Across the Silk Route. Each partner must choose a port city to base the Route in. This route automatically closes during any turn in which either city is Blockaded or Pirated. The partners need not have all the intervening Rutters between the host cities, but there must be a viable sea route between them (No going around Africa).
Military Alliance	May utilize partner's territories and fleets for army supply purposes when performing A, AT, APH, AS, S and PS actions. Ignores the Multi-National Force penalty for when combining forces with partner during A, AT, APH, AS, S and PS actions. Armies automatically abort any A, AT, APH, AS, S, PS, RD, and PI actions against territories held by their partner without a Combat Check.
Defensive Pact	May utilize partner's territories and fleets for army supply purposes when performing D, R and AL (Must be OC to you or your partner) Actions. Ignores the Multi-National Force penalty for when combining forces with partner during D, R and AL (Must be OC to you or your partner) Actions. May React to partner's territories and armies in addition to your own and do not suffer the +1AP Cost for uncontrolled borders while doing so.
Open Ports*	Partners may treat each other's port cities as 'Friendly' for End of Turn Docking Purposes. Partners' MSP are automatically immune to each other's PI Actions. Fleets must still meet normal CCR limitations for Revolt Checks.
Open Borders*	Partners receive guides within each other's nations for movement and CCR purposes. Players without this marriage bonus must send leaders to guide foreign forces within their lands.
Mercantile Travel*	Partners may ship NFP and Royal Family Members along their trade route without a leader. Players without this marriage bonus may only ship gold and Agro and Rutters without a leader.
Spy Network*	Nations may assign their Intelligence Bonus Points to their Partner's Operations with an SO Operation. The SO Operation used must be an Intel OB.
Assassin Network*	Nations may assign their Intelligence and Assassin Bonus Points to their Partner's Operations with an SO Operation. The SO Operation used must be an Assassin Operation.
Clerical Network*	Nations may assign their Religious Bonus Points to their Partner's Religions Operations with an SO Operation. Nations must be of the same Religion.
Good Relations*	Casus points toward each other in both nations are reduced by Five. One Shot.
Mercenary Brokerage*	Nations may contract mercenaries in cities controlled by their partner.

· These Marriages may also be Single-Sided. In that case, only one of the Partners receives the advantage.

· These sorts of marriages can also be used when an NPN requests aid from another nation.

Single-Sided
Type	Effect
Trade Embargo	One partner cannot trade with a specified nation for the duration.
Exiled Court	One Partner may move it's Royal Family and Government to the other's Capital. Allows a Position to survive with no capital or land holdings. Turn costs for exiled positions are reduced.
Military Support	One partner must supply the other with an army or fleet for the duration of the marriage. The army or fleet must be supplied with a leader of at least 5 comber rating. The recipient can use the army as FA for the duration and the supplier must replenish any lost units. For NPNs, the value of the army is 20% of its native army value in units (RRV*2+GPv+PWB/10 of all F and HM regions and cities).
Religious Union	Converts a Leader. Missionary Actions and Raise/Lower Religious Strength Actions undertaken by the primary nation receive a bonus in the secondary. Nations must be of Tolerant Religions.
Granted Estates	Allows a nation to Transfer a Region or City without the normal loss of Control Status. Control Status can still be lowered due to Terrain, Culture, and Religious Limits. One shot.
Granted Men	Allows a nation to Transfer Troops to the second without penalty. Troops Transfers between Players without this marriage bonus are normally Halved. Halved again if differing Religions. One Shot. For NPNs, the value of the army is 10% of its native army value in units (RRV*2+GPv+PWB/10 of all F and HM regions and cities).
Tithe	Allows one nation to give up a percentage of its income every turn to the other when a Trade Route does not exist (Nations with existing Trade Routes may grant tithes at will). Gold may be transferred through a Tithe just like a Trade Route. Tithe percentage must be written in the Marriage Notes.
Primate/Order Relations	Allows one nation to transfer Primate/Order Influence to a second nation. Both Nations must be the same Religion. Influence may not exceed nation’s Maximum. One Shot.
Grain	Allows one nation to give up a percentage of its grain every turn to the other.
Increased Claim	If an NPN, the receiving nation received an increase of one to its control level. Permanent increase.

Legendary Marriages

There occasionally arise certain women in history who are so beautiful or beguiling that they are able to shape events despite the sexual repression of the times. When determining stats for female leaders there is a small modifier applied, giving them a bonus to Charisma/Guile. This can result in the woman ending up with a 'C' (Or 12) Rating of Charisma. When these woman are used in a political marriage, their status allows the marriage partners to pick an additional marriage bonus from the following list. Note that some effects require specific marriages to have been chosen from the above lists.

Legendary
Type	Effect
Trade Union	The Duration of the Route between you and your Partner is permanently increased by 25 years. Must have chosen Favoured Trade Partner or Extended Trade Pact. One Shot.
Secret Trade Maps	Merchants use shortcuts and hidden waterways to shorten the distance of a trade route between the nations. Distance becomes 1. Trade Route is immune to enemy Piracy and Blockade attempts.
Enhanced Alliance	Armies of both nations acting in tandem receive a special Battle Assistance effect. Must have chosen Military Alliance (For Offensive actions) or Defensive Pact (For Defensive actions).
Military Support	The husband receives +1 to his Combat stat for the duration of the marriage.
Diplomatic Support	The husband receives +2 to his Diplomacy stat for the duration of the marriage.
Charismatic Support	The husband receives +3 to his Charisma stat for the duration of the marriage.
Educated Midwives	All HC actions between the husband and wife receive a bonus, making it more likely children will result, and less likely the wife will die during childbirth.
Educated Physicians	The husband and wife can receive three wounds in a turn before being killed. An initial 'Killed' result counts as two wounds.
Hired Bodyguard	The husband and wife each receive a free Counter-Assassination operation each turn.
Economic Dowry	The husband receives a palatial estate (5 PWB) in the region or city of his choice. May not exceed the Maximum PWB allowed per terrain type. One shot.
Feudal Dowry	The husband receives ten mobile units of his choice (elite troops count as two units each). If the husband is not an active leader, the units are placed in the capital. One shot.

Muslim and African Wives

As a slight advantage over their Christian counterparts, Muslim and Pagan Rulers are not limited by the concepts of monogamy. As such, Kings of the Muslim religion may take up to four wives at any one time. African Pagan King and Heir leaders may each take two brides. Each wife may carry an advantage as above or be used for a diplomacy bonus.