‘The Adventurer Conquer King stem
value of spiritual essence a ruler can extract from the peasant
familie in his domain. This amount ie always less than the full
10gp per fifty congregants, as no domain will be 100% faithful
to the character’ god.
EXAMPLE: Balbus, now 9" level Cleric, rules Ammantavus,
domain of 2500 peasant families (12,500 people) with a domain
‘morale score of, Each week, Balbus gains 4gp worth of spiritual
essence per 10 families (50 people), oF 1,000gp value total, from
his domain, IfBalbuss subjects were more loyal to him, he could
gain much more spiritual essence from his domain,
‘To become the spiritual advisor of a domain ruler, the divine
spelleaster will generally have to be the highest level divine
spelleaster with whom the ruler has Friendly relations (as per
the Monster Reaction table).
Arulerwho askshis subjects
‘to worship a god or religion
foreign to them will suffer
large penalties to domain
morale, Rulers will often
address this by throwing
festivals in the new faith
or taking other steps to
increase domain morale
For rules on establishing
domains, peasant families,
and domain morale, see
Strongholds and Domains
later in this section,
Pes
BLOOD SACRIFICE
While chaotic divine spelleasters may earn divine power from
gaining congregants, a darker path is also available to them:
Blood sacrifice of living creatures to their deity.
A spdleaster can conduct no more than one blood sacrifice
per class level per day. Conducting a blood sacrifice must be
performed in a chaotic temple, graveyard, or other sinkhole of
evil (see Chapter 10, Secrets, for additional rues on sinkholes
of evil). Each blood sacrifice takes one turn and requires a
‘magical research throw. Ifthe magical research throw succeeds,
the chaotic divine spelcaster earns divine power equal to the
‘XP value ofthe creature sacrificed. Sacrificing unwilling chaotic
creatures provides no divine power, as the dark gods see litle
‘merit in the slaughter of theiz own worshippers. ‘Ihe sacrifice
of willing chaotic creature does earn divine power, however.
EXAMPLE: Mentu the Death Priest, a 12" level chaotic cleric, is
sacrificing a beautiful white unicorn to his patron deity, Dirgion
the Doombringer. If Mentu succeeds on his magical research
throw of 54, he will earn divine power equal to the unicorns
XP value (135XP). Unfortunately, he rolls a2 and the unicorns
spirit escapes to a holier place. In a rage, Mentu sacrifices the
8 orcs who had captured the unicorn. As these are unwilling
chaotic sacrifices, he gains no value from doing so (apart from
sating his blood lust)
STRONGHOLDS AND DOMAINS
‘At particular milestones in their career, adventurers can begin
to attract followers by establishing a stronghold. The type
of stronghold, the level required, and the number and type
of followers attracted is defined by the characters class. The
Strongholds by Class table summarizes the diferent possibilities,
‘SECURING THE DOMAIN
‘To establish a stronghold, the adventurer must first secure
an area of land, known as a domain. The minimum size of a
domain isa I-square mile area ofland, An average domain size
4s a 32-square mile area of land (1 6-mile hex on a standard
wilderness map) while the maximum size of a domain is
500 square miles (1 24-mile hex on a large scale map, or 16
‘contiguous 6-mile hexes on a standard map)
Domains of land are classified as either civilized, borderlands,
‘or wilderness areas. A newly secured domain will be civilized
if tis with 50 miles (8 6-mile hexes) of a city or large town.
‘A nevily secured domain will be borderlands if it is within 25
miles (4 6-mile hexes) of civilized areas, All other newly secured
domains are wilderness. Explorers must have borderlands or
wilderness domains. Fastnesses and vaults may only be built in
wilderness areas, or civilized or borderlands areas of their race.
the adventurer is securing a civilized domain, the adventurer
will need to get a land grant from the local ruler (usually im
exchange for a pledge of fealty or the performance of some
great quest). If the character simply wishes to buy civilized
land, he will find it very expensive; an acre of good land costs
about SOgp, so a I-mile domain containing 640 acres would
‘cost 32,000gp and a 32-square mile hex containing 19,200 acres
‘would cost 1,216,000gp. (Theres a reason land was synonymous
‘with wealth throughout human history), For this reason, most
adventurers will secure unclaimed borderland or wilderness
domains. Tis requires entering the area with other adventurers
‘or mercenaries, and dealing with any lairs and wandering
monsters present there. The larger the domain, the more
challenging to clear it
‘When the domain is first secured, roll 343. he total rolled
should be noted as the domains land revenue in gp per peasant
family per month, Not all land is equally valuable. High land
revenue means the domain is rich in farm produce, timber, furs,
stone, or even minerals. Low land revenue represents barren,
infertile soil with limited natural resources. ‘The Judge and
player can determine the exact reason for the land's value (or
Jack thereof) based on the roll
Blodsaciice 15
omenESTABLISHING THE STRONGHOLD.
The adventurer must now decide whether or not he wishes to
establish a stronghold om the domain he has secured. If the
domains land revenue is very low, the adventurer may decide
not to proceed, and instead seeks to secure a different domain,
Ifthe adventurer does wish to establish a stronghold, he can do
s0 by claiming an existing stronghold or by constructing a new
fone, If there is an existing structure that’s suitable for use asa
stronghold on the domain, this structure can be claimed, This
structure might be a castle granted with the land, or a tunnel
‘complex cleared ofits prior inhabitants in the process of securing
the domain, and so on, Normally, however, the adventurer will
need to construct his own stronghold on his newly secured
land. The player should design a plan for the stronghold and
calculate the costs based on the prices listed in the next section,
‘When drawing up plans for a stronghold, note that diferent
kinds of structures will ave different thicknesses of stone. Most
buildings have walls 1-2' feet thick, while towers and similar
‘outposts have 5’ thick walls, Keeps have the thickest walls ofall,
at 10' thick.
Hideouts and Hijinks section (9135)
cost of building stronghold reduced by 50%
followers never need ta check morale
cast of building stronghold reduced by 50%
followers never need to check morale
must be underground, may not be in human or een
Civilized or bordelands area
must be underground, may not be in human or even
Civilized or borderland arez
see Hideouts and Hijinks section (p135))
‘may not be in human or dwanen civilized or bordertand
area, all animals within 3 miles of fatness become
frendly
rust be in bordelands ar wilderness
see Sanctums and Dungeons section (p141)
Bercy
Class E od
“Assasin, Hideout 246 1" level assassins
Bard Hall 11d4+ 1x10 0° level mercenaries
1d6 13" level bards
Bladedancer Temple $5d6x10 0° level mercenaries
Td6 13" level Bl. dancers
Cleric Fortified Church 56x10 0° level mercenaries
16-13" level clerics
Dwarven Craftpriest Vault 3d5x10 1 level dwarves
Dwarven Vaultguard Vault 3d5x10 1 level dwarves
fF Nightlade Hideout 246 1* level nightblades
El Spellsword Fastness 3d6x10 1" level eves
Bplorer Border Fort 1d4+1x10 0" level mercenaries
146-13" level explores
Fighter Castle 14+ 1x10 0° level mercenaries
146-13" level fighters
Mage Sanctum 246 0" level apprentices
4146 1 level mages
Thief Hideout 246 1* level thieves
see Hideouts and Hijinks section (p125))
Ores
Barbican (gatehouse, 2 small towers, and a drawbridge) 38,0009
Battlement (100' long, crenellated parapets) 5009p
Building, stone (20° high, 30” square, wood doors, oor, roof, stais)* 3,0009p
Building, wood (20' high, 30’ square, wood doors, oor, roof, stais)* 1.50099
Conridor, dungeon (10'x10'x10', hewn ste walls, flagstone flor) 5009p
Drawbridge, wood (10' x20') 25099
Gatehouse (20' high, 30’ x20’, metal portcllis, wood doors, floors, stairs) 550099
Keep, square (80 high, 80’ square, wood doo floor, stars)” 75,0009
‘Moa, unfiled (100" x 20" x 10° deep)” 40099)
Moat, filed (100 x20’ x 10° deep)* 80099
Palisade, wood (10' high, 100' long, 1 thick) 1259p
Rampart, earthen (10° high, 100’ long, 15! thick) 25009
“Tower, small round 30" high, 20° diameter, wood doors floors, stais) 15,0009,
“Tower, medium round (40" high, 20° diameter, wood doo, lors, stats) 22,5009
Tower, lage round (40' high, 30° diameter, wood doors, oor, roof, stairs) 30,0009
“Tower, huge round (60° high 30° diameter, wood doors, floors, oof, stats) 54,0009
Wall stone castle (20' high, 100" long, 10" thick) 5.00099
Wall stone castle (30' high, 100" ong, 10° thick) 7.50099
Wall stone castle (40" high, 100° long, 10" thick) 1250099
Wall stone castle (50° high, 100" ong, 10° thick) 1750099
Wall stone castle (60" high, 100" long, 10" thick) 22,50090
“The dimensions of these constructions can be altered as long asthe square footage remains the same.
125 Establishing the Svonghold‘The Adventurer Conquer King stem
ue
Cottage, wood (20' high, 30” square thatched 300gp
reaf, wood stats, earthen floar*
Hut pit (8 high, 8 square, thatched rof, sunken 159p
earthen foot)"
Hut sod or wattle (10" high, 10" square thatched 25gp
roof, earthen floor
Hut, mudbrick or wood (10' high, 10" square, 50gp
thatched roo, earthen foo
Longhouse, wood (15! high, 30" long, 15! wide, 300gp
thatched roof, earthen floos)*
Roundhouse, wood (15' high 15' diameter, 125g
thatched 00, earthen foo
“Townhouse, stone (20' high, 20° square, thatched 1,200gp
roof, wood floor and sti)
“The dimensions ofthese constructions con be altered as long asthe
square footage remains the same.
Bren
‘Arrow Sit/Window™ 109p
Door, wood (3! x7')* 1099
Door, reinforced wood (3° x7") 2099
Door, ion/stone (3! x7") S0gp
Dor, secret (3! x7)" By material x5
Hloor/Roof, flagstone oie (10° x 10°)" 40gp
Fo/Roof, wood (10! x 10')* 10gp
Shutters (window)* Sap
Shifting Wal (10! x10") 100009
Sais, wood (one fight, 3° x 10°)" 2099
Sais stone (one flight, 3! x10)" 6099
* Upgrade a structure to include these of time of construction for
25% ofthe accessors’ bose cost
In addition to the building costs, the adventurer will need
hire at least one engineer (250gp/month) per 100,000gp cost
of the stronghold, ‘Ihe time required to construct a stronghold
depends entirely on its total price. For every 500gp it will take
‘one day of game time. The construction time can be reduced by
25% by paying 50% additional construction costs, or reduced
by 50% by paying 100% additional construction costs. ‘The
construction time cannot be reduced by more than 50%,
Cwilzed| 15,0009p per 6-nile hex
Borderlands 22,500p per 6-mile hex
Wilderness 30,000gp per Gxnile hex
Strongholds have a minimum cost, based on the size and
classification of the domain to be secured, The Minimum
‘Stronghold Value table shows the minimum value required to
secure each 6-mile hex in a domain, Small domains in civilized
realms can be controlled with a stone home or tower, but large
tracts of wilderness can only be settled with a formidable
stronghold, A stronghold of insuflicient value will limit the size
‘of the domain, and therefore its maximum peasant population.
See Limits of Growth, below.
ATTRACTING PEASANTS AND FOLLOWERS
‘While the adventurers stronghold is under construction, the
domain around his stronghold will slowly become setled
by the workers and their families. In addition, peasants and
laborers secking the adventurers protection will sete near
the stronghold. ‘Ihese peasant families become permanent
inhabitants ofthe adventurers domain, ‘Uhe number of peasant
families that wil inhabit the domain when the stronghold is
‘complete is determined on the Domain Population table. Each
peasant family is assumed to have an average of 5 peasants,
Families wil be of the same race as the adventurer, eg. elven
fastnesses are settled by elven peasants. Once the stronghold is
of sufficient value to control the domain in which itis located,
the peasant families will begin generating income for the
character, and begin to incur costs (see Collecting Revenue
and Paying Expenses below). Unt then, the domain will not
‘generate money, nor grow.
Penns
ree
Starting Families
Civilized 1845 x 10 per Gaile hex
Borderlands 346 x 10 per 6mile hex
Wildermess Vd4+1 x10 per Smile hex
‘The characters followers will also begin arriving during
stronghold construction. One half of the character’ followers
(rounded up) will arrive when the stronghold is hallway
‘completed, An additional one quarter of the character's followers
(rounded up) will have arrived by the time the stronghold is
finished, The remainder of the followers will arive within the
first month following the completion of the stronghold
‘Use the Followers Type and Equipment by Class table, below,
to determine the arms and equipment ofthe arriving followers,
Rall once for every 10 followers.
Apprentices (such as 1* level assasins, elven nightbades,
‘mages, and thieves) and leader types (such a 1-3" evel bards,
bladedancers, clerics, explorers, oF fighters) can be quickly
created using the pre-gencrated templates fr their cass, or the
Juuge may allow the adventurer to generate and equip them
using the Character Creation rues in Chapter 1
‘AsvactngPeasans and followers 127
omen