Determining Source Level

[Lord Eldred]

I know that sources levels depend on the type of land that they are located on but what if half the land is forest and half the land is plains?

[Lawgiver]

Simple mathematics take over... you split the difference. I've gone so far as to split it 3 ways before. Add the total potentials for each and divide by number of different terrain types. Use that for your base max. potential

[Lord Eldred]

Is that what the rules say or is that just the best way you have found to do it?

[Magian]

I would say whatever is most prominent in the province such as Ilien I would consider it a plains for source level however Tuornen's provinces have low mountains and I would give them that source level not the plains value. (some have high mountains, doing this from memory please forgive bad examples)

[Lawgiver]

rules... shmules... I may be the Lawgiver. But if the law is vague or absent, then common sense takes over. That was my common sense solution.

[morgramen]

This has also been a common grumble I've had with Birthright. The province borders seem ultiamtely imobile and uncahngable. Not only do you need to calculate the source levels of any province you subdivide, but you also must calaculate maximum level of the 'new' provinces.

Since I personally think that the new provinces total couldn't exceed the total of the original (unless you cram like sardines), the new subdivisions would seem to drastically complicate the system.

If Balteruine (in Mhoried) for example was subdivided into 3 smaller provinces, then how would you calculate it? (Originally a 2/3 province.) The math and playability gets ugly...

[Temujin]

Just don't split up a province Morg :P

As far as source levels go, I generally tend to take the dominant terrain for the province, and modify it from that if I feel the province should have more or less magic potential.

[Lawgiver]

Forgive me Morg but why in the world would you want to chop up a province like that? We're talking an area of land 30-40 miles across.... if you divide it into to too many small sections none of them will be big enough for any use... thus the fractional division. Mebhaighl flows an collects in 'pools'... we're talking Olympoc size pools not the little kiddie wading pools.

[morgramen]

Well I don't really, but it has come up in the past. Players always seen to want to change the name and size of the provinces (and create new ones!).

Also, I have been trying (since I first started playing Birthright) to come up with some sort of 'subregency system for playing a domain game that is actually below the standard game that most people play. Take for example the magician PC I mentioned in an earlier post. He is a landed noble in Edlin province. Now, if I want to play a 'domain' game with him at this 'municiple' level, how would I go about it?

The provinces would have to be divided into districts. SOurce and population level calculated. Some fashion of Gb and RP would need to be devised.

In effect, I want it to run as a standard birthright game, but only on a smaller level. It's been about 4 years and I haven't come up with any method that suits yet.

[Lawgiver]

Why over complicate things? The BR system is fairly stable and liked by most people. Rather than rewrite/change the way things work. Switch the perspective. Since you insist on dividing provinces into smaller chunks or districts as you call them. Simply divide everything by the number of districts per province (max of 4 for ease of math). Then the cost of actions in each district is a fraction of the provincial cost. The income would be difficult to collect in fractional amounts. You may need to round that up or down to the nearest whole number (or expand the table).

For example, a Rule action on a province from 2 to 3 costs 3RP and 3GB normally. To rule one of the 4 districts of the province it would cost .75 RP and .75 GB (1500 gp). Following the rule you would have a province 2.25. When rolling income roll it as a 2.

Does that make sense?

[Lord Shaene]

Just a note, I believe there is the possibility to have more then one source in a province in special circumstances, sometimes their is a stand alone source, i.e a very ancient tree, a hidden source in a mountain cave that was lived in by a god, etc...

[Temujin]

Orginally posted by morgramen
Also, I have been trying (since I first started playing Birthright) to come up with some sort of 'subregency system for playing a domain game that is actually below the standard game that most people play. Take for example the magician PC I mentioned in an earlier post. He is a landed noble in Edlin province. Now, if I want to play a 'domain' game with him at this 'municiple' level, how would I go about it?


I'd recommend you use the rule Solmyr implemented in his Enothril campaign. Essentially, the concept of province rulership was removed and the province is simply ruled by the law holders. Taxation is according to the law holdings levels too, so a law(1) in a province(4) would get the taxation for a province(1). See the drift? This allows to 'split' up a province between two rulers, or a ruler and his vassals, the minor nobility. Of course, the regency from the law should be double standard; 2 RP per level for warrior, 1 RP per level for others.

Is that any help Morg?

[Lord Shaene]

Just wondering if anyone can confirm or deny the possibility of there being more than one source in a province?

[Temujin]

There is only 1 source in a province, but there is more than one source manifestation(usuallly), hence the many possible levels of that source. Different mages can control different manifestations, but you have to control them all to control the whole source.

[Lawgiver]

Orginally posted by Lord Shaene
Just wondering if anyone can confirm or deny the possibility of there being more than one source in a province?

I'm all for allowing multiple sources within a certain domains. However, I would prefer to do it on a case by case basis rather than develop a generic rule (my own personal flavor). In some cases an ancient tree or cave or valley or pure river may offer a source of power. But a province of nothing but forest is a bit difficult to classify. Does one wizard own 33% of the forest and the other control 66%? At what point is the border of the mebhaighl defined? Concentrations in certain areas can be defined, but without clear borders or clustering it becomes a bit more difficult.

[Lord Eldred]

I would say the same forest doesn't have multiple sources in it however the forest that has an ancient river bed going through it may have one source as the forest and the other the river bed. Thus Lawgiver's problem would be eliminated.