Related Information to ICon Kingmaker Pathfinder Rules, Setting, Question

ICon Kingmaker Pathfinder Rules, Setting, Question - Page 27

Game Master says...

Excellent questions and to be expected and welcomed when introducing a new rules system over the old one.

Firstly to answer Diarmadhim from the main topic. Ultimate Rulership is a good reference for adding high fantasy elements and more unique settlements, as well as adding detail. It's $10 for the PDF, but I do not expect everyone to buy it if you don't want to. I'll summarise relevant rules when they come up - for now just let your imagination run free (Within reasonable limits of cost).

I haven't yet compared the 'economics' of the Stronghold rules to the Kingdom Building rules, but I finished my exam, so should have a bit of spare time now. I would allow the feat straight away if we keep the two rulesets separate, but I also want to help you get what you want.

The increasing prices are for kingdoms that do not get a starting windfall. The Swordlords are willing to offer you a gift of 20 Build Points (Effectively buying your loyalty for now) by sending resources, manpower and management to you. There are other major players in Brevoy who may offer you BP in return for influence.

Answering KNtoran, you start a kingdom/barony by claiming one hex and building a settlement. Every month (1 turn) you claim a number of hexes as given in Ultimate Campaign on Table 4-4: Improvement Edicts (Currently 1 hex). The optional rules in Ultimate Rulership also modify this on Table A1: Expansion Edicts, but I think this adds too much complexity - up to you as a group.

Jumping to Mykael's questions, as barons you certainly have the power to settle your own lands, but I would recommend using your title to band together and set up your preferred form of government. You can go as far as intermarrying your children and joining houses. The laws are up to you! Instead of setting up all the required statistics straight away, we can discover your kingdom's alignment and your characters' preferred leadership roles by taking the first few months more slowly, and focusing on them in detail - then abstract away later.
Like I mentioned above, 20 BP to start, with the freedom to pander to various organisations in exchange for more. If you want to strike out on your own, you can take your 5 BP for yourself.

Zork, there will still be an overarching plot and many threats you can deal with (Often only you will be able to deal with them). Daishin hit many points right on the head. Often a lord's peasants, serfs and slaves were unable or not permitted to defend themselves. They relied on their barons and counts to protect them locally, and their dukes and kings to defend them from international threats.
If you do decide to split up, either out of greed, mistrust or irreconcilable differences in worldview, you can still work together. You can trade and there are rules for diplomacy and alliances, as well as for vassalage, independence or unification. If that's sounding too complicated, try to stick together.

Daishin, I will try to fit both new characters in smoothly, probably skipping the usual prologue I do.
You bring up a good point with Wall of Stone. Allow me to quote the rules:
"Construction: Construction is completed in the same turn you spend BP for the building, no matter what its size is. A building's benefits apply to your kingdom immediately. At the GM's discretion, construction magic (Such as lyre of building, fabricate, or wall of stone) can reduce a single building's BP cost by 2 (Minimum 0). This is a one-time reduction per turn, regardless of the amount of magic used."
So it's absolutely fine, but probably not as powerful a solution as you hoped for.

Which brings up a second point: The first sentence of that rule says a building - nay, an entire district! - goes up instantly in a month. You can convince yourself that it's the power of magic, but if you want, Ultimate Rulership introduces a system where you pay some build points over a series of months (Same total cost). It also has a handy table for reference which I am not allowed to reproduce in full. And I like my own idea of instead of discounts halving the cost, the time to build is halved.

So, feel free to still interact with guests at the feast, but we can also treat the main game topic as planning and meeting during the whole month of Erastus. I take it Theaton will go back to Restov at some point to receive his title…

Question Setting Rules Pathfinder Kingmaker ICon

Yes after he hears about it from the others and He will start out with the hex that has the TZ on it as his base. With plans to expand to the before mentioned Hexes. He will stay in contact with the others and hopes they build close too so they can together work to make sure these lands stay free of threats.

ICon Kingmaker Pathfinder Rules, Setting, Question Archive Pathfinder / D&D

Sounds awesome. I can understand why Theaton would choose that hex. I think I will stick with my fort. Mykael and Zork can choose what to do with their 5 BP. Are you guys going to start your own city-state or join up with one of ours?

I picked up Ultimate Rulership and will go through it tomorrow. Tonight I play Dungeons & Dragons with some irl friends!

Question - the 500 platinum you mentioned. Was that 500 each, or total?

That's an awesome ability Daishin! How would you like to be a member of my city-state's council?!

Page 27 Question Setting Rules Pathfinder Kingmaker ICon

Ignoble says...

Can't do much with 5BP so I'm not sure how feasible it would be for each of us to start up our own little "City-states" I'm thinking it would be better if we pooled our resources so I think Mykael will be more inclined to want to work with Archival on repairing the fort and using it as a base for expansion.

Question Setting Rules Pathfinder Kingmaker ICon

Right, if this was real life, a settlement like this would have three absolute requirements. Defensible terrain, or at least terrain suitable for defensive structures. Direct access to a steady supply of food and potable water, and access to a relatively safe route to the rest of civilization.

You also want to be able to get to other resources such as wood, stone, and valuable materials like the gold Theaton is going for, but you don't have to squat on them, at least not to begin with, just be able to protect workers obtaining said material.

Now, I don't know exactly how Ultimate Rulership translates such needs, but I expect it does take such things into account at some level.

This is your decision guys, but my unsolicited advice would be the following:
-Pool your resources for now into a single location, if and when the initial settlement is secured enough to be able to supply and protect splinter groups, then you can start carving out individual fiefdoms with considerably less risk than if you split up from the start.
-Obtain as much information on these offers for more startup resources as you can, pay particular attention to long term consequences of the same. Giving up half the profits on future trade for instance will kill the colony almost as quickly as not having the resources to defend it.
-In the absence of proper roads, water is a good substitute for the sake of supplies and trade. A forest hex with good terrain by a river would likely be a good starting location. Clear the forest for building material, plant farms where the trees were, look into building irrigation systems to keep them particularly fertile, and use rivercraft for most of your travel and transport until a proper road in and out of the region can be built and secured.
-That fort mentioned might also be a good starting point, existing structures are usually of some help. But you need to look into why it was abandoned and if it serves your current requirements. If you can't properly supply a colony's basic needs in that location, it is a deathtrap, not a boon.

Edited: daishain on 20th Nov, 2016 - 1:45pm

ICon Kingmaker Pathfinder Rules, Setting, Question

Game Master says...

The 500 platinum was total - up to you how to split it.

Without having read it, some of Daishin's concerns are addressed in the main game topic. Basic supplies are abstracted away - but you do have to worry about feeding your population on the grand scale. Every month there's a step involving paying consumption in terms of BP.

ICon Kingmaker Pathfinder Rules Setting Question - Page 27

Great concerns Daishain! We actually just took down the Stag Lord. I was given his fort since a couple of the others were wanting to just burn it down; I can understand why they would want to do so - throughout history if a force couldn't hold something they would destroy it if able so their enemies couldn't use it. It's quite defensible and seems to have an unnatural defense of undead appearing if you don't stay on the road to enter it. It's a tad rundown, but can definitely be fixed up.

According to the Greater Explored Area map, your second and third recommended requirements are also covered. It's right on the Tuskwater lake and a plethora of rivers stem from it that run throughout the lands in addition to reaching what I believe is Nivakta's Crossing and possibly even all the way to Restov, if I'm reading the map right. It also seems to be about dead center of the map we were given to explore and update.

Am I correct ICon, in thinking that Restov is the larger black dot to the Northeast of the map and the road and rivers run along it for a ways, with the river branching off away from the road if one continues traveling west to Oleg's? One more question - What's the black dot in between Restov and Nivakta's Crossing?

In reference to the 500 platinum, since there were four of us, are you guys wanting to continue our 10% being set aside as a party fund and the remaining 450 platinum being split amongst the four of us? That would give us each 112 platinum and 5 gold (Aka 1125 gold) as a reward. If you'd rather not do the 10%, just say the word .

ICon Kingmaker Pathfinder Rules Setting Question D&D / Pathfinder Archive - Page 27

Out of Character: I am good either way we split the reward. Theaton's main concern now is finishing the exploration of the charter they were given and then setting up and building his home.