Edicts

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    Edicts are the official pronouncements by your government about how you are running the kingdom that turn. For example, you may decide to have low or high taxes, to have more or fewer holidays, and how much effort to put into improving the kingdom’s infrastructure. Edicts fall into four types: Holiday, Improvement, Promotion, and Taxation.

    In the Edict Phase of the kingdom turn, you may set the Holiday, Promotion, and Taxation edict categories to whatever level you want, as well as decide how much of your allowed improvement from the Improvement edict you’ll use. For example, you may decide that this turn holidays are quarterly, promotions are aggressive, taxation is minimal, and you won’t build any improvements.

    Holiday Edicts

    Holidays are general celebrations or observances that take place across the kingdom. The BP expenditure includes lost revenue from citizens not working during the holidays, preparations and logistical arrangements that occur year-round, and the cost of the actual celebrations (these annual costs are averaged over the year and included in the listed Consumption modifier that you pay each turn).

    The number of holidays per year is the number you promise to uphold and the number that the common folk expect to enjoy over the next months. The Loyalty and Consumption modifiers change as soon as you change the number of holidays per year. The listed number assumes that you are fulfilling your promise—if you announce 12 holidays in the coming year but don’t actually hold and pay for them, the GM should increase your kingdom’s Unrest to reflect public disappointment and outrage.

    Example: Logan is the Ruler of a kingdom with some Loyalty issues. He issues a Holiday edict that there will be 24 kingdom-wide official holidays in the next year (Loyalty +4, Consumption +8). In the second turn, he worries about the increased Consumption’s effect on the Treasury, so he issues a new Holiday edict decreeing that until further notice, there will be no kingdom-wide holidays. He loses the previous +4 Loyalty bonus and incurs a –1 Loyalty penalty for the new Holiday edict, but no longer has to pay the 8 Consumption each turn for his previous edict. If he frequently changes Holiday edicts from high to low levels, the GM may decide that his citizens no longer believe such promises and he won’t gain any benefits from having a high level of Holiday edict until he becomes consistent.

    Improvement Edicts

    Improvements are physical improvements you can make to your kingdom: founding new settlements, adding buildings to a settlement, building roads, creating facilities such as mines to tap natural resources, and claiming more hexes for your kingdom. Your kingdom’s Size limits how many improvements you can make each turn; see Table: Improvement Edicts below. You can make all of the improvements listed on the appropriate row of the table. For example, if your kingdom’s Size is 5, on each turn you can create 1 new settlement, 1 new building, 2 terrain improvements, and claim 1 more hex.

    Promotion Edicts

    Promotion edicts are events and actions the kingdom uses to attract new citizens and increase the well-being of the kingdom, such as recruitment campaigns, advertisements about services and goods, and propaganda to improve the perception of your kingdom at home and abroad. Promotions increase Consumption, but also increase Stability.

    Taxation Edicts

    Setting the tax level determines how much revenue you collect from taxes in the Income Phase. Higher taxes increase your kingdom’s Economy (making it easier for you to succeed at Economy checks to generate revenue) but make your citizens unhappy (reducing Loyalty).

    Optional Edicts

    There are four types of optional edicts: Diplomatic, Exploration, Trade, and Vassalage. Each turn in the Edict Phase, after you have issued your Holiday, Improvement, Promotion, and Taxation edicts, you may issue one of these special edicts.

    Diplomatic Edicts

    Diplomatic edicts are special edicts that allow you to establish an embassy, treaty, or alliance with another kingdom. You must have an official representative of your kingdom, such as an ambassador or leader, present in the other kingdom to make this edict (though the GM may allow magical communication to handle most of the edict’s details and bypass this requirement). Using this edict costs 1d4 BP in travel and other expenses.

    Your representative must attempt a Diplomacy check. The DC is determined using the following formula:

    DC = 10 + your kingdom’s Infamy + the target kingdom’s special Size modifier + your kingdom’s special Size modifier + alignment difference modifier + relationship modifier + the target kingdom’s attitude – your kingdom’s Fame – BP you spend on bribes or gifts

    Special Size Modifier: This is equal to the kingdom’s Size divided by 5.

    Alignment Difference Modifier: This is based on how close your kingdom’s alignment is to the target kingdom’s alignment, according to the following table.

    Table: Diplomatic Alignment Difference Modifier
    Alignment Difference* DC Modifier
    Same +0
    1 step +5
    2 steps +15

    * Per alignment axis.

    Relationship Modifier: This takes into account your treaties, alliances, and conflicts with the target kingdom’s allies and enemies. If you are friendly with the same kingdoms, the target is more interested in diplomacy with you. If you are friendly with the target kingdom’s enemies, the target is less interested in negotiating with you. Modify the DC as follows for each third party you have in common.

    Table: Diplomatic Relationship Modifier
    Relationship DC Modifier
    You and the target kingdom both have an alliance with a third party –8
    You have a treaty with the target kingdom’s ally –4
    You and the target kingdom both have a treaty with a third party –2
    You have an embassy with the target kingdom’s enemy +2
    You have a treaty with the target kingdom’s enemy +5
    You have an alliance with the target kingdom’s enemy +10

    Attitude: Much like the starting attitude of an NPC, the target kingdom’s initial attitude toward you is indifferent, though the GM may modify this based on alignment differences, your shared history, culture, warfare, espionage, racial tensions, and other factors in the campaign world. These factors may also influence the Diplomacy DC for using this edict (generally increasing the DC by 5 for every attitude step worse than helpful).

    The act of making this Diplomacy check takes place over several days, with the emissary socializing with representatives of the target kingdom, discussing common interests and the benefits and goals of entering a diplomatic agreement with your kingdom. Because this check is not a singular event, abilities and spells that modify a single roll have no effect on this check unless they last at least 24 hours (for example, glibness does not affect this check).

    Type of Diplomatic Relationships

    You use Diplomatic edicts to establish an embassy, treaty, or alliance; each is a closer relation than the previous one.

    Embassy: You attempt to establish mutual recognition of authority and territory with the target kingdom, represented by granting dominion over embassies in each other’s settlements. Attempt a Diplomacy check using the Diplomatic edict DC. If the Diplomacy check fails, the other kingdom rejects your diplomatic efforts and you cannot attempt to establish an embassy with it again for 1 year; if the check fails by 5 or more, your kingdom’s Fame decreases by 1 and the other kingdom’s attitude toward your kingdom worsens by 1 step.

    If you succeed at the Diplomacy check, you create an embassy agreement with the target kingdom; if you succeed at the check by 5 or more, the target kingdom’s attitude toward your kingdom improves by 1 step and your kingdom’s Fame increases by 1. You may purchase or build a Mansion or Noble Villa in one of the other kingdom’s settlements to use as an embassy (if so, your ambassador uses it as a residence). The target kingdom’s leaders may do the same in one of your settlements. Your embassy is considered your territory (and vice versa). Your embassy grants your kingdom the normal bonuses for a building of its type (they apply to your kingdom’s totals but not to any specific settlement in your kingdom) and increases Consumption by 1, Economy by 2, and Society by 2. If the target kingdom builds an embassy in one of your settlements, that kingdom gains these bonuses.

    If you founded your kingdom with the support of a wealthy sponsor from another kingdom, your kingdom automatically has an embassy agreement with your sponsor’s, and you can use Diplomatic edicts to establish a treaty or an alliance.

    Alternatively, your envoy may attempt to threaten rather than befriend the other kingdom. In this case, your envoy attempts an Intimidate check, applying your kingdom’s Infamy as a bonus. You also gain a +1 bonus for every active army your kingdom has. This check’s DC is the same as the Diplomatic edict DC above, except your Fame and Infamy do not modify it. You may spend BP on bribes or gifts to modify the DC. Your Infamy increases by 1 whether you succeed or fail at the check. If you succeed at the check, you create an embassy agreement with the target kingdom. If you fail, the target kingdom’s attitude toward you worsens by 1 step, Infamy increases by an additional 1 and you cannot make this threat again for 1 year. If it fails by 5 or more, the kingdom’s attitude toward you worsens by 2 steps and Infamy increases by an additional 1; if the kingdom’s attitude becomes or is already hostile, it declares war on you.

    An embassy is considered a permanent agreement. Replacing your ambassador does not affect the edict or the embassy. If you want to close your embassy and break the embassy agreement, attempt a Loyalty check. Success means you close the embassy. Failure means your citizens reject the idea of severing ties with the other kingdom and continue to staff the embassy; you may try again next turn.

    If you attack a kingdom with which you have an embassy, attempt a Loyalty check. If you succeed, your Infamy increases by 1. If you fail, Infamy and Unrest both increase by 1.

    Treaty: If you have an embassy agreement with another kingdom, you can approach that kingdom’s leaders to establish a treaty that formalizes your economic and social cooperation and understanding. Doing so requires a new Diplomatic edict and requires your envoy to attempt three Diplomacy checks using the Diplomatic edict DC. These checks must be attempted in order (as an extreme success or failure can change the target kingdom’s attitude and the difficulty of the later checks). If two or more of the checks fail, the attempt to create a treaty fails; your kingdom’s Fame decreases by 1 and you cannot attempt to establish a treaty with the other kingdom for 1 year.

    If two or more of the checks succeed, your envoy and one of the target kingdom’s leaders (typically the Ruler or Grand Diplomat) attempt opposed checks with the following skills, rerolling ties: Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), and Sense Motive. Either or both parties may substitute Intimidate for Diplomacy (even if this means one party is making a Diplomacy check opposed by the other’s Intimidate check). As with Diplomatic edicts, abilities or spells that modify skill checks do not apply unless they last at least 24 hours. Whichever party wins most of these opposed checks has the advantage in the negotiations and decides whether the treaty is balanced or unbalanced.

    For a balanced treaty, increase each kingdom’s Economy by 10% of the other country’s Economy. The Fame of the party with the advantage in the negotiations by 1.

    For an unbalanced treaty, the advantaged kingdom’s Economy increases by 15% of the disadvantaged kingdom’s Economy, and the disadvantaged kingdom’s Economy increases by 5% of the advantaged kingdom’s Economy. The advantaged kingdom’s Infamy increases by 1. You may use a Diplomatic edict to change an unbalanced treaty in your favor to a balanced treaty; doing so does not require a check.

    If one kingdom is an NPC kingdom and the GM doesn’t want to calculate its exact Economy modifier, estimate its Economy as 2d6 + its Size.

    A treaty is considered a permanent agreement. If you want to renegotiate it, attempt a Loyalty check. If you succeed, your envoy and one of the target kingdom’s leaders attempt opposed checks as described for embassies above (this doesn’t guarantee you end up with a more favorable treaty). If you fail, the existing treaty remains in effect and your Unrest increases by 1.

    If you withdraw from the treaty, attempt a Loyalty check. Success means Unrest increases by 1; failure means Unrest increases by 2.

    If you attack a kingdom with which you have a treaty, attempt a Loyalty check. If you succeed, Infamy and Unrest increase by 1d2 each. If you fail, Infamy and Unrest increase by 1d4 each.

    Alliance: If you have a treaty with another kingdom, you can use a Diplomatic edict to form an alliance—a military agreement of mutual defense and support. This works like the negotiations for a treaty, except it requires six Diplomacy or Intimidate checks. Four of these must succeed for the alliance to form.

    If successful, negotiations proceed as for a treaty, with three opposed Diplomacy or Intimidate checks to determine who has the advantage in negotiations. The party with the advantage may decide whether the alliance is balanced or unbalanced, but the bonuses apply to each kingdom’s Stability instead of Economy.

    Kingdoms in an alliance can move their armies through each others’ territories and station them in each others’ territories or in unoccupied Forts and Watchtowers, though not inside allied settlements. If an allied kingdom stations an army inside your territory, you must succeed at a Loyalty check or gain 1d2 Unrest; this does not apply if your kingdom has been attacked and you have requested aid from the ally.

    If you are attacked by another kingdom, you can call for aid from your allies. Failure to send aid increases an ally’s Infamy by 1d4; the precise nature and amount of aid sent is at the discretion of the rulers of each kingdom, and the GM decides whether this Infamy increase happens.

    If you attack a kingdom with which you have an alliance, attempt a Loyalty check. If you succeed, Infamy and Unrest increase by 1d4 each. If you fail, Infamy and Unrest increase by 2d4 each. An attacked ally may end an alliance, treaty, or embassy agreement with the aggressor without penalty.

    Relationships with Multiple Kingdoms

    A kingdom may have embassies with any number of kingdoms. For each treaty or alliance after the first, the bonus to Economy or Stability is reduced by 1 (minimum +0).

    Expanding Settlement Modifiers

    As explained in the Buildings section, the Settlement entry for a building lists modifiers that affect skill checks in the settlement. If the GM wants these modifiers to influence the kingdom as a whole, add up the Settlement modifiers for all settlements in your kingdom, divide them by 10, and apply the following adjustments according to your kingdom’s alignment: Chaotic: +1 Crime; Evil: +1 Corruption; Good: +1 Society; Lawful +1 Law; Neutral: +1 Lore (apply this twice if the kingdom’s alignment is simply Neutral, not Chaotic Neutral or Lawful Neutral). Use these total modifiers everywhere in your kingdom. If a settlement has its own settlement modifier, use the higher of the two modifiers for rolls relating to that settlement.

    Exploration Edicts

    Exploration edicts are special edicts that allow you to commission explorers to map unclaimed hexes and prepare them for your kingdom. You may choose to accompany the explorers or let them explore on their own.

    When commissioning an expedition, you must determine the length of time and plan the route in advance. Financing explorers costs 1d4 BP per month of the expedition, paid in advance. The explorers start at your capital, and spend the agreed-on time traveling to, exploring, and mapping unclaimed hexes. At the end of the contracted period, they return to your capital. See Table: Terrain and Terrain Improvements for travel and exploration times. Each expedition requires a separate Exploration edict.

    Explorers note obvious terrain features and resources on the first day in a hex. Each day spent in the hex allows Knowledge (geography) and/or Survival checks to locate hidden landmarks, lairs, or resources, with a DC ranging from 15 for things that are relatively easy to find or well known in local lore to DC 30 for those that are well hidden or generally unknown.

    Explorers have the same chances for random encounters and other dangers that you would if you traveled through or explored the hex yourself. If you are not traveling with the explorers and they have a hostile encounter, you may have the expedition attempt a Stealth check (DC 10 + twice the encounter’s CR), using the worst Stealth modifier among the expedition members. If the check fails, you may attempt a Stability check (DC = Control DC + twice the encounter’s CR). If you succeed at the Stability check, the explorers escape and survive but are temporarily scattered and make no more progress that month. If you fail the Stability check, the explorers are killed; Unrest increases by 1, and the remainder of your BP investment in the expedition is lost.

    Trade Edicts

    Trade edicts are special edicts that allow you to create a trade route with another kingdom, increasing the BP you gain every month, as well as possibly increasing your Fame and other kingdom statistics.

    To plan a trade route, select another kingdom as your trade partner and determine the distance in hexes from a settlement in your kingdom to a settlement in the target kingdom, tracing the path of the trade route rather than a direct line. a trade route can pass through grassland, desert, or any terrain that has a road or highway. If your settlement contains a Pier, the trade route can pass along rivers and coastal hexes. If your settlement contains a Waterfront, your trade route can pass through water hexes.

    Longer trade routes are harder to maintain than short ones. To determine the effective length of your trade route, hexes with roads or rivers count normally. Grassland and desert hexes count double. Water hexes and hexes with highways count as half. This total distance is the Trade Route Length (TRL). Divide the Trade Route Length by 10 to get the Route Modifier (RM). Subtract the TRL from your kingdom’s Size to get the Length Modifier (LM), with a minimum LM of 0.

    Establishing a trade route takes 1 hex per day along Roads and Rivers (upstream), 2 along coastlines, and 4 along water or Rivers (downstream). If the journey requires 1 turn or more, you gain no benefits from it until the turn the traders arrive at their destination.

    You must invest at least 5 BP into the initial trade expedition using this trade route. The first time your traders reach the destination settlement, attempt an Economy check, a Loyalty check, and a Stability check. Determine the DC as follows:

    DC = Control DC + your settlement’s Corruption + the RM + the LM – your settlement’s Productivity

    If all three checks fail, the trade route is a total loss; Fame decreases by 1 and Unrest increases by 1. If one check succeeds, the expedition fails to reach its destination but sells its goods elsewhere for 1d4 BP per every 5 BP invested.

    If two checks succeed, the trade route is established; Economy increases by 1 and Treasury increases by the RM + 2d4 BP per 5 BP invested in the initial trade expedition. For example, if you invested 5 BP in a trade route with an RM of 2, Treasury increases by 2 + 2d4 BP.

    If all three checks succeed, the trade route is established and is a great success; Economy increases by 2, Fame increases by 1, and Treasury increases by the RM + 2d4 BP per 5 BP invested in the initial trade expedition.

    An established trade route provides its benefits for 1 year.

    A kingdom can have one of each of the following types of trade route. Each type requires certain buildings in your settlement, and each increases the Economy bonus from a successful trade route.

    Food: If your kingdom has surplus production from farms and fisheries that reduces its Consumption to below 0, you may export food. a successful food trade route increases Economy by 1 for every 10 Farms and Fisheries in the kingdom; this benefit is lost in any month that Farms and Fisheries do not reduce Consumption below 0. You must have at least 1 Granary and 1 Stockyard in your settlement.

    Goods: The trade route transports goods such as weapons and textiles. Count all Guildhalls, Smithies, Shops, Trade Shops, and Tanneries in the starting settlement and divide by 10; a successful goods trade route increases Economy by this amount. You must have at least 1 Guildhall in your settlement.

    Luxuries: This trade route carries exotic goods such as art, musical instruments, books, spices, dyes, and magic items. Count all Alchemists, Caster’s Towers, Exotic Artisans, Herbalists, Luxury Stores, and Magic Shops in the starting settlement and divide by 10; a successful luxuries trade route increases Economy by that amount. You must have at least 1 Luxury Store in your settlement.

    Raw Materials: This trade route carries common raw materials such as lumber, stone, ore, or metal. a successful raw materials trade route increases Economy by 1 for every 10 Mines, Quarries, and Sawmills in the kingdom. You must have at least 1 Foundry in the starting settlement to count Mines.

    Vassalage Edicts

    Vassalage edicts are special edicts that allow you to cede a portion of your lands (or unclaimed lands you deem yours to take) to a subordinate leader, sponsoring that leader’s rulership in exchange for fealty. You can also use a Vassalage edict to found a colony beholden to your kingdom. You may also use a Vassalage edict to subjugate an existing kingdom you have conquered without having to absorb the entire kingdom hex by hex. When you issue a Vassalage edict, you must select a person to take the Viceroy leadership role.

    Issuing a Vassalage edict requires you to spend 1d4 BP and give additional BP to the Viceroy as a starting Treasury for the vassal kingdom (just as a wealthy sponsor may have granted to your initial Treasury). You may give up to 1/4 of your kingdom’s Treasury to your new vassal as a grant to help found the kingdom.

    When you issue a Vassalage edict, you are creating a new kingdom or attaching an existing kingdom to your own. Your vassal functions in most respects as a separate entity with its own kingdom scores. You decide how it is governed; you may give its leaders full autonomy, or give occasional suggestions or commands about buildings and improvements, or control it directly by giving orders to the Viceroy.

    New Vassal or Colony: When you issue a Vassalage edict to create a new colony or kingdom, you may immediately establish an embassy, treaty, or alliance (your choice) with your new vassal (see Diplomatic edicts). You may decide that the treaty and alliance are balanced or unbalanced. These decisions are automatically successful and do not require rolls.

    Subjugation: When you issue this edict to subjugate another kingdom, you may immediately establish an embassy, but you must follow the normal rules if you wish to establish a treaty or alliance. If you spend BP on bribes or gifts to reduce the DC and you succeed at forming the treaty or alliance, you may count half of this amount as going toward new improvements or buildings built in the vassal kingdom that turn.

    The starting attitude of the vassal kingdom is based on alignment compatibility (as per Diplomatic edicts) and modified by the circumstances under which you deposed the prior leadership per GM discretion—for example, improving if you removed a hated tyrant or worsening if you unseated a popular ruler.

    Subjugation may cause friction between your established citizens and the newly conquered. You must attempt a Loyalty check each turn (when you issue the edict, and on future turns during the Upkeep Phase), increasing the DC by the subjugated kingdom’s Size divided by 5. Failure means Unrest increases by 1d4. If you succeed at this check three turns in a row, you establish a peaceful equilibrium and no longer need to attempt these checks.

    Vacancy Penalty: If the vassal kingdom take a vacancy penalty for not having a Viceroy or a Viceroy not doing his duties, that kingdom also takes the Ruler vacancy penalty. a Consort or Heir from your kingdom may mitigate this penalty if she is touring the vassal state; however, she cannot also mitigate the Ruler vacancy penalty in your kingdom.

    Table: Holiday Edicts
    Per Year Loyalty Consumption
    None –1 +0
    1 +1 +1
    6 +2 +2
    12 +3 +4
    24 +4 +8
    Table: Promotion Edicts
    Promotion Level Stability Consumption
    None –1 +0
    Token +1 +1
    Standard +2 +2
    Aggressive +3 +4
    Expansionist +4 +8
    Table: Taxation Edicts
    Tax Level Economy Loyalty
    None +0 +1
    Light +1 –1
    Normal +2 –2
    Heavy +3 –4
    Overwhelming +4 –8
    Table: Improvement Edicts
    Kingdom Size New Settlements1 New Buildings2 Terrain Improvements Hex Claims
    01–10 1 1 2 1
    11–25 1 2 3 2
    26–50 1 5 5 3
    51–100 2 10 7 4
    101–200 3 20 9 8
    201+ 4 No limit 12 12

    1 Instead of creating a new settlement, your kingdom may create a new army unit (see Mass Combat), expand or equip an existing army unit, or bring an existing army unit back to full strength.
    2 Upgrading a building (for example, from a Shrine to a Temple) or destroying a building counts toward this limit. The first House, Mansion, Noble Villa, or Tenement your kingdom builds each turn does not count against this number.

    Section 15: Copyright Notice

    Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign. © 2013, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Ryan Costello, Adam Daigle, Matt Goetz, Tim Hitchcock, James Jacobs, Ryan Macklin, Colin McComb, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Stephen Townshend.

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