[ index | archive | maps | rules ]

Lords of the Earth
Campaign Twenty-Eight

Exploration Rules

 

The Age of Discovery is upon Europe. Portugal has started the push into the Dark Continent, and even now men theorize about a direct sea route to the Orient. A great mystery is about to be unraveled and the face of the globe changed forever. Unfortunately, the current way Lords of the Earth is run takes much away from that mystery. With all the Sea Currents already mapped, and all the Regions already given a value for all to see, there is very little mystery at all.

This game will be modifying the traditional exploration rules and map sets to try and add this mystery back into the game. We will be changing Regional values and terrain so that it will not be instantly known which places are the most valuable. Additionally, the currents to the New World have been changed. Sea zones will have to be explored for the new currents to be discovered and utilized.

There arises a difficulty in exploration when undertaken by a national leader. Oftentimes the leader doing the exploration will need to move outside of the CCR of its host nation. This requires a revolt check each and every turn this is done, a failure resulting in the leader being lost. Either because of going rouge himself, or being lost to foul weather or foul play. To offset this difficulty within the rules, an Open Nation may use the services of a new Player Position: That of the Explorer.

Because the Explorer is its own position, it is more flexible in its ability to move outside of the European sphere. And as a specialized position, the Explorer Leader has various unique abilities to help him in his quest for knowledge.

New and Revised Leader Actions (Open Nations)

Explore
Code: EX
BAC: 2
Stat: Charisma

Results: There are two general uses for this action:

Mapping Known Zones and Currents: This allows the nation to attempt to explore an Ocean Current, Seazone, Inter-Island Arrow, etc. If successful, the nation will gain a number of mapping points for the target in question. When enough mapping points are gained, the nation gains a 'Rutter' for the target. The nation may then use that target for all the normal in-game actions. (Tracing Trade, Tracing Control, Fleet Movements, etc).

Finding Uknown Currents: This allows a nation to attempt to discover any Ocean Currents or Island Arrows either leading from or two a given seazone or island zone. If successful, the nation will learn of a new current, or will learn that no (more) currents are to be found.

If an exploration action fails, there is the possibility of losing map points (possibly going negative) and losing ships.

Note that each year a leader is outside of the CCR of the host nation while exploring, a loyalty check is made against the highest ranking leader. If this check fails, the expedition immediately returns home to the nearest port city (In game this represents anything from mutiny, lack of supplies, illnesses, and just plain getting lost). This loyalty check takes the place of normal CCR violation checks only when under EX orders. Explorer Positions leaders are immune from this.

Survey
Code: SV
BAC: 2
Stat: Diplomacy

Results: A successful use of a Survey action on a Region will reveal the stats of a given region. This includes: GP Value, Resistance Value, Terrain, Existence of Trade Centers, and if the region has the potential of Double Cultivation. Additionally, if there are local inhabitants, it will reveal the prominent language and religion of the people. Failure forces the leader in question to make a Leader Fate roll.

Explorer Nation Type

Beginning Statistics

Explorers need a good amount of Charisma/Guile and Diplomacy to do their job. Thus, the rolling of their statistics is slightly modified:

Combat: 2D6-1
Diplomacy: 1D6+5
Charisma/Guile: 1D6+5
Admin: 1D6 (Secret Statistic)

Languages

Many actions undertaken in a Region of a different language will have a penalty added to the chance of success. Explorers are able to learn new languages to offset this penalty in their work. Explorers begin the game with three initial languages from the Known World. One must be the prevalent language of their homeland, the other two may be any which the Explorer could have had teaching in. Explorers may then learn an additional amount of languages equal to half of their Diplomacy rating by a successful use of the new [Learn Language] action.

Home Base

Explorers begin with a Base in a Renaissance City. This is a free Outpost that the Explorer uses within Europe or the Middle-East, mainly for interacting with Sponsors and other Nations.

Outposts

Explorers may build outposts in explored regions. This will allow them to base troops and leaders in far away places, and acts as an anchoring spot for CCR purposes. As long as the Explorer's leaders and troops end the turn either within the CCR of the Explorer himself, or in one of the Outposts belonging to the Explorer, those troops and leaders will not need to undergo a revolt check. However, a given explorer may only have up to his Admin rating in number of active outposts at one time. A [Construct Outpost] action must be undertaken by the Explorer for an outpost to be built.

Regional Control

Explorers may wield control over regions. However, because they have no capitol, and generally no Infrastructure it is usually difficult. Active Outposts do count for CCR purposes against the region they are in, otherwise all CCR must be traced from the Explorer himself. If an explorer ever gains a region at Friendly Status, he immediately loses his Explorer status, and becomes a new Open Nation based out of that Region.

Statistics

Explorers begin the game with the Average QR's and Ren Ratings for their Geozone.

Sponsorship

Explorers may be Sponsored by Open Nations. A sponsoring Nation may grant the Explorer Position access to any of its QR's or Renaissance Ratings. This counts as a Transfer. Once Transferred, the Explorer's Ratings are raised to that of the Sponsoring Nation.

Leader Recruitment

Explorers are also able to find fellow adventurers to follow their cause. Instead of investing in BL to gain Lieutenant leaders, Explorers may recruit leaders from around the world by successful use of the new [Recruit Leader] action. Explorers may have a number of leaders up to half their Charisma rating. Additionally, Explorers may [Recruit Guides] to recruit local guides in inhabited African and New World regions. This will offset movement penalties for uncontrolled regions, as well as offset some penalties to certain actions. Explorers may have up to half their Charisma rating in guides as well. If an Explorer ever gains normal national leaders (through BL investment or Allied regional control) these leaders count towards the number of Lieutenants they may control. Explorers may appoint one of their leaders as an (H) Heir. This leader will take control of the Explorer Position upon the current Explorer'd death, does not count toward the limit of leaders the position may control.

Troop Recruitment

Explorers may also attempt to [Recruit Troops] to accompany them on their explorations out of the various Mercenary pools. If successful, these Mercenaries will join the Explorer on the promise of loot or foreign lands alone. However, woe to the Explorer who doesn't deliver on his promises, mutiny tends to be very deadly to the man calling the shots.

Support Costs

Explorers will need to pay support for the national troops they control, either through GP given from the Sponsoring Nation, or GP gained through raids.

Maps

Each Explorer has his own unique set of maps. As he uncovers more and more of the World, these maps will grow in detail and size. Explorers are free to share as much of this information with other Nations as desired. However, they must be physically brought to the Nation in question. These transactions must also be noted in both sets of orders or the transaction may not take place. Maps may be transferred between nations over trade routes, but again, this must be clear in both sets of Orders. Note that it is the players responsibility to transfer the actual map files amongst yourselves. Thus, if a nation wants to give false maps to another, it is very easy, generally the only way to be sure is to have a Contract with an Explorer yourself. There are severe penalties to undertaking actions in a region that hasn't been successfully (or has been falsely) surveyed.

Reputation

Through the game, Explorers will begin to garnish a reputation. A good reputation will be a bonus to recruitment actions, and a superb one may even result in leaders and troops requesting to join the Explorer without the need to expend recruitment actions. On the other hand, poor and bad reputations are a direct penalty to these actions, and the infamous Explorer may find even his 'trusted' leaders abandoning his cause.

Reputation is gained by successful exploration and surveying of new areas. Good wages and treatment of leaders and troops under his command will also boost this. Successful skirmishes with natives can also be a positive modifier. Reputation can be harmed by breaking Contracts, needless slaughter, poor wages, and unsuccessful campaigns.

Quests

Cities of Gold and Fountains of Youth have had many explorers flock to their cause. While these rumors have proved false in our own history, this game is making no guarantees. Who knows what rumors may trickle from Darkest Africa or the New World and this time around be true. Additionally, the first one to the New World will have the distinct honor of naming it.

Explorer Leader Actions

Learn Language

Code: LL
BAC: 4
Stat: Diplomacy

Results: Successful use of this skill allows the Explorer to learn an additional language. An Explorer may have up to half his Diplomacy rating in new languages. Existing European languages can be taught in any European City. Specializes languages (Such as Arabic, various African or New World) can be learned in a Nation or Region where the language is spoken or by directly studying under a leader or guide who already knows the language. In this case, the Explorer and leader or guide must be in the same location for the duration of the action.

Recruit Leader

Code: RL
BAC: 4
Stat: Charisma

Results: Successful use of this action will recruit a Lieutenant to the Explorers cause. His stats will be randomly generated, and he will only begin with his native language. Exceptional success on this action will have the effect of finding more than one leader interested. The explorer may then view the leader's statistics before making a choice on which one to recruit. Extra Time will be a bonus to this action, and ignorance of the local language will be a penalty. A given Explorer may have a number of Lieutenants equal to Half his Charisma Rating. If dismissed, these Lieutenants will suffer a revolt check like any National Leader would.

Recruit Guide

Code: RG
BAC: 4
Stat: Diplomacy

Results: Successful use of this action will recruit a local guide to the Explorers cause. This guide will know the prominent language of the region, as well as knowledge of the terrain of the surrounding regions. This will not only allow the Explorer to know what terrain surrounds his current location, but the regions will count as Controlled for purposes of movement. Extra Time will be a bonus to this action, and ignorance of the local language will be a penalty. A given Explorer may have a number of Guides equal to Half his Charisma Rating. Guides may be dismissed at any time without penalty. Guides act as Feudal allies do. MEaning they may only take actions by themselves which use the Combat Statistic. They may support other leaders as normal. Guides must end the turn in the location they were recruited from, just as Feudal Allies.

Recruit Troops

Code: RT
BAC: 4
Stat: Charisma

Results: Successful use of this action will secure the contract of a group of Mercenaries. The Explorer must be in a city of the specific Geozone he wishes to recruit from. These troops expect payment in the form of gold taken from raids or trade with African or New World natives. If the Explorer is lax in delivering, he will suffer a negative effect to his reputation, and must perform a successful Charisma skill check not to be violently turned upon. Extra Time will be a bonus to this action, and not knowing a language common to the Geozone will be a penalty. Geozones which have their Mercenaries hired out consistently will be more difficult to recruit than a Geozone rarely employed.

Construct Outpost

Code: CO
BAC: 4
Stat: Charisma

Results: This action costs 5 GP to the Explorer. Successful use constructs an Outpost in a given region. Leaders and troops which end their turn in an Active Outpost are considered to be within the CCR range of the Explorer. Regions with an Active Outpost in them are considered within the CCR as well. An Explorer may only have a number of Active Outposts equal to his Admin Rating. Outposts closest (But outside his actual CCR) to the Explorer will be checked first for Active Status. Outposts which contain troops, leaders, or a controlled region beyond that number must calculate CCR normally. If the action is unsuccessful, the GP expended is lost. Additionally, aggressive natives may view an outpost as hostile and there is a chance of native uprising. Outposts may be looted as if they were an Abbey.