Grand Kingdom Beta rules 1.0

GRAND KINGDOM GAME RULES
beta 1.0
Written by Odd
With much influence (and copy pasta) from a variety of other sources:

 Special thanks needs to go to Red_Philosophy and his "Cinder" Rules Builder Alpha Ruleset .1, as   A LOT of these rules are either taken from or based on these rules.
which in turn are Based on Empire Ruleset 1.2 and Magical Nations Builder Alpha .5

Also thanks to the Unknown Author of the "Primal World " Nation Builder Rules.

*** The usage and modification of these rules is public domain with attribution of authors ***

1. Introductions
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Grand Kingdoms is a game of war and trade, of diplomacy and backstabbing. You will take control of a new fledgling nation just staring out thrown into a world of chaos. Your tiny nation can become anything, from peaceful traders to bloodthirsty conquerors... or both! Almost anything is possible, brutal and savage orcs may rise to become a Nobel and civilized society, the height of art and culture. Or a once peaceful kingdom may start beating the drums of war and watch the word burn, if you so choose.

*A Note on magic and fantasy - For this game right now there is SOME magic however at the games start this will be unavailable to players. It is a low fantasy setting similar to LOTR. However the world is filled with strange and powerful creatures, magical forests and other similar things. Who knows, maybe you'll stumble upon the lost ruins of an ancient localisation that DID know such things. However last game had a very steam-tech/punk feel to it and I'd like to preserve that going forward, something to make this different then all the others, maybe?

2. Nation Sheet
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First thing's first, create your burgeoning nation, just entering the Medieval Age.....
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I. Nation Sheet
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To be filled in by player during generation:

Previous Player: (This is where you list your previous name in a Grand Kingdom game, note your tripcode MUST match. This is so you can claim your reserved spots)
[NOTE:] You don't HAVE to be a previous player, there just might not be room for new players at any given time.
Name: (What do your people call themselves? This will be your new name on the map )
Ruler: (Who is in charge? This may be a king, a Council of Elders whatever)
Government Type: (Are you a Kingdom, a Democracy? This is important)
Religion: (If any, but your people would probably believe in SOMETHING at least at first, be as creative as you'd like, but don't be *lol ranDUMB*)
Race: (What ARE your people?- helps determine starting eccentricities )
[NOTE: Possible races include the cliche-Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Halflings and Orcs. there are other in game races but they are either Hostile or Unplayable in this test run]
[NOTE 2: This is what race makes up your government, most of your nation will *probably* be a mix of various races unless your nation goes to lengths to remedy this]
Fluff: (A general description of what your race is physically/intellectually capable of, if applicable, as well as a small base culture - but civilization is just beginning, and you may (if you choose), add onto this as your nation grows and progresses, creates it's own distinct culture, discovers new technologies, and makes new friends. (Or enemies. Either one.) )
[Note:] (One or two paragraphs please. You may be rewarded for genuine effort.)
Location: (Map Number)

To be filled in by GM:

Population[#](+/-growth per turn):  ( Per turn increase generated by GM based on current pop size, food and happiness)
Food: (Determines pop growth, winter population loss and general quality of life)
Raw Currency: [#] (+-/turn)  [generated by GM]
Culture: [10] (+-/turn)  (everyone starts at 10 +/-  generated by GM)
Happiness: [Content] (everyone will start at content)
Territory: [How many hexes or squares?] assigned by GM
Unique Buildings: [generated by GM]
Defenses: ( None to start unless otherwise noted)
Trade Routes: [none initially]
Bonuses: [generated by GM]
Eccentricities: [generated by GM]

Military Units: [generated by GM]

Resources/Quantity: [generated by GM] [amount]

Technologies: (these are the technologies you start with)
[Weapon Making I]  (this is to arm yourself, protect yourself and hunt the wilds, it includes Bow and arrow and spear making with whatever material you have access to and knowledge of)
[(some sort of food tech based on your start)-I] (this is your starting food source and ability to use it, will be different for everyone)
[Writing-I] (this is your basic governmental technology, without records a kingdom would not run)
[Survival-I] (your cultures knowledge of how to survive in the land that they come from)


2.B WHAT STATS MEAN
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Population: The number of people you have. This is a raw amount and increases per turn. This is in many ways the overall 'health' of the nation. You will spend this like currency to buy troops, When you win or lose territory this will be effected, as well as the random seasonal events. Don't let it reach zero.
Food: Determines population growth per turn. Five modifiers:
Starving(negative growth)>Scarce(no growth)>Adequate(base growth)>Plentiful(1.5x growth)>Abundant(2x growth)
>NOTE: Food ratings will periodically decrease (the GM will notify individual players when it occurs)

Raw Currency: Money. This is how much money the government (if there is one) has. Currency is generated per turn and determined by the GM at generation. New buildings, territory, and certain actions will generate or cost currency. Currency can be used in many ways; the imagination is key to currency (rush buildings, buy mercenaries, etc).

Culture: Culture is the integrity and coherence of the values of your nation; it also is an indicator of how appealing your nation is to others. Culture can be raised by investing into the fine arts, religion, or other avenues.
--- Note: Culture can be used to peacefully assimilate territory and maintain political stability during conquest/expansion.
--- Note: Culture can also be 'spent' -- like currency -- To perform actions or possibly expand your border, creative use is key.
--- Note: Massive disparities in culture can cause tensions along borders.

Happiness: Don't leave your civilians in the dust! If this stat stays stagnant for too long a time, penalties will occur. Everyone Starts at "Content" Not good and not bad. There are no established levels as this runs from [Active Rebellion] to [Utopia] and is rather ephemeral.

Territory (hexes/squares): How large your nation is. Territory changes nearly every stat -- but it also increases the complexity or administrating the nation. The GM will notify you of stat changes, issues (such as stability), and otherwise.
--- The value of territory: Every single hex provides +.1 currency a turn and +.1 population growth/turn.
--- Benefits of Growth: The types of resources gained from expansion varies. However, it is generally: Minerals, population growth, materials, or equipment.
--- Downsides of growth:  Constant expansion requires technology (bureaucracy) and culture to avoid becoming difficult.
--- Note: Towns and cities can also be built or seized.

Unique Buildings: These are buildings that are unique to your nation. They might have certain benefits and are located at the capital unless otherwise noted. These also might be towns and cities abstracted for convenience.

Defenses: Defenses are military buildings. They might provide defense, hinder it, or provide bonuses. Modifiers are to be determined by the GM.

--- Note: If you have multiple cities and towns, defenses at the capital do not carry over to subsidiary towns and cities.
--- On networks: A "network" of defenses may be constructed that will serve this purpose, but it will take far more time. It's usually proportional to the size of the nation.
Bases/Forts: Bases are what one might expect -- built up hexes that serve as defensive positions. Bases can serve to corral armies into narrows or positions they would prefer not to be in.
-- Note: generally, fortresses exert a 'gravity' of 2 hexes in every direction. Units attempting to move toward a town, city, or territory must attack the base before they assault a nation. Alternatively, they may attack the intended hex (town/city/capital), but there is a severe penalty (-.4x).

Trade: By building a trade port, you can engage in economic or cultural exchanges with other nations. These provide benefits, but are easy to interfere with -- attacks, if carried out cleanly, leave no survivors and the opposition will gain things at the GM's discretion.
-- Note: Trade routes are indicated by a line on the map between the two nations. When completed, they will be reflect on your nation stats as Trade Routes: [Nation: +2 Currency/turn. -5 iron/turn]  [This is an example.]
--Note: Trades agreed upon in a turn do not take effect until the following turn where the player will list them as an action, this is because things like pirates or monsters might be affecting your trade routes.

Bonuses/Eccentricities: The bonuses or modifiers your nation receives from the GM. Bonuses are usually good, while eccentricities are usually not so good. Depending on the nation, you might have more or less of these.

Military Units: Standing units.  Fairly self explanatory. Vague descriptors are used to clarify strength of units, and some will have a modifier that befits them. (See: Military)
--- Note: Standing military are parked at the capital unless moved. Units return home immediately when desired, though not if engaged in combat.
---Note: You will be creating your own units, fluff is important, see examples below under Resources and more late
--Note: You name your own units

Resources: Certain resources are available at generation, but most must be obtained later, these are your stock piles of materials. Certain resources are required to produce certain units and buildings, and the GM will notify you if you need a resource to produce a unit.
--- Note: Generally, ***if you can validate the production of something to the GM, you can produce it.***
--- Example: A Militia Squad Might require
Iron Weapons[10], Population [10]
which upon your [Build Unit] action to create the unit the GM would tell you that you now have the unit "Militia Squad[x1}...adding armor would even make them better!
Example 2: A Golden Palace might require
Gold[1000 lbs] Marble/Limestone/Rock [1000 lbs]
which upon your Build action the GM would tell you that you now have the unique building "Golden Palace"
Example 3 A Platoon of Musket wielding Camelry might require
Population [30], Camels [30] and Muskets [30]
which upon your [Build Unit] action the GM would tell you that you now have the unit
"Camelry Platoon[X4]"

Technology: The respective capacities to impact material reality. This is provided at generation by the DM and will likely increase in a fitting fashion. The categories may be abstract, as a full list of technology would be cumbersome. Higher levels of technology allow you to do more advanced things with it. If you want to do something the GM will tell you if you have appropriate technology
--- Example technology: [Mechanized Infantry I]. [Aeronautics VI].
---NOTE: Technology advances in trees, For example
Say You have [Weapon Making 1 ] and [Writing 1] It would look like this
[Weapon Making 1]
[Writing 1]
Then after many seasons you have developed a new weapons tech and writing 2  along with iron and then steel smithing it would look like this:
[Weapon Making 1]----[Sword Smithing 1]
[Writing 2]
[Iron Smithing 1]----[Steel Smithing 1]
Then after years your steel making is know throughout the land and you have developed fearsome weapons, and a powerful government, it might look like this:
[Weapon Making 1]----[Sword Smithing 3]----[Muskets 2]----[Artillery 3]
[Writing 4]----[Bureaucracy 2]
[Iron Smithing 1]----[Steel Smithing 4]




3. Taking a Turn:
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Each turn will begin with the GM posting that it is a new season [Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter]
Each season will contain either a random event determined by dice roll or a World Event requiring some action on your part.These events should be taken seriously, as the ramifications could be dire.

To take your turn you must link the Event with the following format:

Following the initial generation of stats and bonuses, the players roll. You can catch up on your rolls if you miss a roll, but only 2 missed turns during which you may not take combat actions unless you have previously disscussed this with the GM

Overview:
--- Players roll 3d100 for actions taken during the turn. The GM may fudge rolls so the player won't feel hopelessly frustrated, depending on his/her mood, and players may consolidate actions to increase the effectiveness of an action.
--- The Research slot: Players are also allocated a research slot (1d100). You may only conduct research with this slot and not utilize it for actions. [[The total rolls for the player would therefore be 4d100 initially.]]
--- Combat is handled in a specific way. See "military" below .
--- **Stats are added to their respective rolls, within reason and within fluff.** For example, a combat roll will benefit from military technology



An Example Turn. *IMPORTANT*
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[Your nation stats, fluff, etc, here. The GM likes fluff that helps him/her determine a proper result for your nation.]

Example actions:
1.[Action] I roll 1d100 to build some fancy new units. [Build units]
2.[Action] I roll 1d100 to add new territories in hex  x23,y12 (It goes poorly, well, or the GM says something odd). [Expand]
3.[Action] I roll 1d100 to build a massive fortress in hex x11,y11. [Build]
4.[Research Slot] I want to develop better industrial methods. [Research Production I]

NOTE: (If you want to combine 3 build actions to work on one project, or take 3 separate build actions that's okay what you do with your turn is up to you as long as you have the resources,  Some possible actions include [Build unit] [Expand] [Build] [Mobilize] [Consolidate Units]-(This allows you to reform several smaller units into a single larger more complex unit, see section 4. Military) these are not all possible actions.)

[This totals 4d100.]

-- Other: Did you miss a turn? You can have up to *two* turns stored. Declare your intentions to the GM.
-- Other: Have "Meta" concerns? Add a [META] after your turn and speak [your concern in brackets.]



Statistics and Concepts.
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Additional Rolls: In the course of the game, you may be allotted additional rolls as befitting the increasing sophistication or size of your nation. The GM will let you know; ****IMPORTANT NOTE: Strict expansionism is not assured to produce more dice for more expansion.****

How Rolls Are Handled by Odd

100-100 (Success, Massive; auto completion; 2x bonus)
99-90 (Success, Huge; possible auto completion)
89-75 (Success, Large)
75-50 (Success, Medium)
49-25 (Success, Minor)
25-16 (Failure Small, GM's judgement; mercy for repeated failures possible)
15-06 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QGkOGZubQ (Failure, Medium)
05-01 (Critical failure, and a loss of something, whether it be progress, population, or something else. )


4.A The Military.
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Military Unit Upkeep: Base military and espionage upkeep is 2 currency/per unit per turn as default beyond the unit cap (initial base cap is 6).
-- Note: Upkeep is free for your initial six "slots". After those slots are filled, it is a good idea to consolidate the military to more complex/larger units into these to slots reduce costs.
-- Strength Multipliers: All units are assigned a modifier to determine the strength of the unit. It goes as follows: (.5x)>(1x)>(x2)>(4x)>(8x)>(16x)>(32x). IE: Two units with a modifier of .5x will equal a unit with a modifier of 1.
-- Note: **Assume strength modifiers apply to cost; ".5x" units are cheap and flimsy.**
-- Exceeding unit cap: Units apply their combat modifier to their upkeep; so, a Mutant (1x) would cost 2 currency. A Mechanized Brigade (4x) would cost 8 currency/turn.
-- Extending unit cap: You may be able to increase the unit cap on professional armies by developing [Professional Army] research or creating certain buildings.


4.B War
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Combat & Strength: Most combat is handled this way. This is unit vs. unit.
Combat rolls are simply 1d10 (depending on the unit some may be more other less) x modifiers and + special abilities. Both players roll dice for the number of units in the field, with the GM handling the respective strength of the units and then writing up the result; the player with higher dice rolls (AFTER GM INTERPRETATION BECAUSE TACTICS AND TECHNOLOGY MATTER) gains an abstracted victory -- of some sort -- typically. This is similar to the boardgame Risk.
-- Combat Example: 1 Mutant Squad [2x]  attacks 2 Furious Blobs [.5x]. The Mutant rolls a 7[2x], while the blobs squads roll a 3[.5x] and a 5[.5x]. The result is: 14 versus a 1.5 and a 2.5 -- a clear victory for the Mutant, coupled with a coordination advantage. One or both blob units may rout or be destroyed depending on the GM's opinion of other factors such as technology, drill, and other peculiarities.
--- Note: Non-player combat functions a bit differently and is abstracted, such as during encounters with wildlife.
--- Note: During rolls, unless explicitly assigned, higher modifier units attack first (alphabetically) unless there is a modifier in place (such as quick, surprise, etc).

Brands: Occasionally a unit might be gifted with a brand. Branded units have peculiar qualities and respond in different ways to certain attacks or events; they might activate at odd times that seem important. A brief list: [Armored][Brave][Fear][Resilient][Plucky][Huge][Infiltrate][Clever][Slayer][Resist][Cowardly][Bushwacker][Slow][Sapper][Fast][Quick][AERIAL][PSI][MAGE][Bombardment]

Tactics & Combined Arms: Sometimes the GM may award combat bonuses if he thinks the units in question are well arranged or complimentary; the GM may also allow modifiers based on tactics. This might provide a bonus of 'combined arms' or something similar if units are mixed, or, a bonus if 'air-war' [or something similar] is researched.
--EG: Air war at a 'good' level might provide a modifier of 1.5x against untrained enemy units. Level usually increases proportional to skill: eg. [Ground Warfare I] (1.1x modifier) [Ground Warfare II] (1.2x) [Ground Warfare III] (1.3x)

Espionage: The stealthy way to do war & other things. Espionage units are used much in the same way as combat units are. Unlike combat units Espionage units do not use standard military tech, only tech that benefits them specifically and wealth as modifiers. They roll 1d10+modifiers and compare dice to find the winner. The winner may then find out something useful, sabotage a stat, slow mobilization, sabotage construction, or attempt to steal a tech (among other things). Espionage units are produced using a d100 roll. Defending against Espionage without your own spies is difficult but can be done. To do so, roll 1d5+defense stat and other espionage modifiers.
--- Note: *****You can contact the GM in private to orchestrate espionage!****
--- Note: Generally, the GM "eyeballs" a variety of factors when determining bonuses. This can include the type of government, political situation, skills, unit abilities, or otherwise.

4.C Mobilization
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There will come a time when your nation is in crisis, when your regular military has been defeated or your army is off in another land and your homeland is attacked. That is the time to mobilize. Mobilization represents your regular everyday population setting aside their usual vocations and taking up arms to defend themselves. You must use a [Mobilize] action to do so. You will receive Mobilized Units as described by the GM that are almost identical to regular military units but they do not cost upkeep and your food usage will double. However, keeping your populous mobilized for to long can lead to dire circumstances, best not to push it.

Mobilization comes in two forms
Minor: You are limited to only one build and one research action per turn and cannot combine actions, you will receive medium strength units and the day-to-day life of the majority of your population is unaffected.

Major: You can take no build action unless you spend two actions and your single allowed research will be slowed. You will receive a powerful force-based off of your population and technology. This represents a major war effort for your people, it effects the lives of all your citizens and cannot be maintained for very long without repercussions.

4.D Win conditions
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When you win a war, either by eliminating another player's armies and occupying or destroying their cities or they surrender, you have three options for what to do next:
Annexation: Take some of their territory based on your conquest or all of their territory and destroy their nation- they can either make a new nation, or become your Vassel
Plunder: Take all of the money from their reserves and leave them be. If you choose this, you will roll 1d100 and if it is sufficiently high, you will receive a tech of theirs you do not possess.
Puppet:  For the next three turns you will have 8 actions instead of the normal 4, when three turns have elapsed things return to normal.

If you wish to impose other conditions in character feel free to do so.

5. Vassels
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Vassels: There will come a time when a nation is destroyed or where there simply isn’t enough room for a new player. This is where the Vassel system comes into play. A vassel is a player who can be given a number of provinces(hexes/squares) in an existing nation. Courtiers start play with the stats of their parent nation. He gains a 2d100 roll to develop his province along the lines he sees fit but otherwise plays like any other nation. The key difference is that a courtier has no independence, and must do what his nation demands of him
NOTE: A Vassel cannot declare their own wars
NOTE: A Newly conquered nation that becomes a vassel cannot attempt to overthrow their new liege lord for 5 turns.