Witness3's Domain actions as adventure plots

Witness3

DM Tips

The idea is to see domain actions as quest triggers. Instead of a simple bidding war, the action is expanded, and the outcome of the action is the actual reward of the quest itself. The action cost becomes a budget set aside by the domain to fund the adventure, while RP points may be spent locally to obtain further resources or access to otherwise difficult to access locations, information and other assets.

Note that the quest may be generated as a response to an action, more than an active action. In such case, preventing the enemy's action will be the quest's goal.

This way of playing requires a strong cooperative approach between domains. Adventures always stop the game flow, so it’s best to be sure that all players will be playing the adventure of a single domain.

This brings the concept of a Narrative Birthright, where the players decide their course of action, the Keeper sets up small sandbox adventures based on the action's effects.

[hide][top]House rules

Use RP and GB as bonus to any roll. RP is considered the regent calling favors, while GB are cash, titles, land, etc. However, players must request a sum with at least a week in advance. This will emulate the "you need a month to do a domain action" thing, as the players will have to choose between acting on their own or spending precious time waiting for the regent's help.
Allow using holding level for long-time checks, such as gather information. Holding levels represent resources available to the regent, and by extension to its adventurers.
Do not give in the temptation of allowing domain spells. They are off the book. If a wizard is connected to his own (or his master) source holdings, you may use this as a force-like thing , maybe allowing extra-sensorial plot-devices such as sixth sense or small visions.

[hide][top]Tips on actions

[hide][top]Cast a realm spell

The spell must be cast in a specific province, so the party must journey there, help the caster set up the ritual, and ensure the caster casts the ritual and gets some rest before returning to the capital.

[hide][top]Contest Holding/Route/Line/etc

This may be as generic as it goes. The idea is that something or someone must be removed from controlling the population. It may be fighting someone from the law, discovering a small conspiracy or crime from a guild, fighting the poison from a preacher, or finding out the secret location of a mebhaighl source, or maybe just burn down a rival’s warehouse. The GM should decide how many levels are removed, with the court actions being the maximum.

[hide][top]Build/Disband

Fun fact: did you know that you may fail a disband domain action, meaning the authorities won't believe the messenger? The characters may be sent to check out why the work has stopped, or to solve any issue preventing the action.

[hide][top]Ceremony/Decree

Such actions may be used to enforce a law or to create an event such as a festival. Creating an event may mean setting it up, or ensuring that nothing goes wrong, or even going to check out why there is so much slowing in the event’s creation. Maybe something will happen during the
event itself…

[hide][top]Create Holding

This depends on what the level 0 holding is considered. Maybe the party must open the first house of a guild, maybe they have to scout the terrain for a new source, or maybe just save a local priest.

[hide][top]Create Province

The frontier is calling! Players will have to trace maps, routes, find a good spot for a settlement, and help the settlers reach the chosen spot without being attacked...

[hide][top]Diplomacy

This may be the negotiation itself, or maybe the players are just the security entourage of the diplomat. Or maybe they are there to boycott the diplomatic effort.

[hide][top]Espionage (as black ops)

To conspire means finding out the right people, ensuring that they won’t talk, or being the final tool of the
conspiracy itself. The conspiracy needs not to be malicious – maybe it’s the secret retrieval of a kidnapped prince from the clutches of the evil Iron Baron.

[hide][top]Espionage (finding information)

Be it secret or not, nothing beats a good old investigation adventure.

[hide][top]Finance

Yes, even the Finance action may be an adventure. Remember, GB are not huge chests filled with gold, they are a simple way to represent assets and resources, either physical or abstract (such as nobility titles). Player may have to find a buyer or a way to liquidate such assets, and turn them into real gold, or maybe they have to bring a treasure to a seller to ensure the deal goes as planned.

[hide][top]Move troops

Players may be in charge of the troops, or they have to remove a major obstacle that is preventing a unit from entering the region.

[hide][top]Muster troops

Did someone said "montage scene where the characters teach the townfolks to fight?". This may involve telling the local count to muster troops, or finding out that there is some problem preventing the mustering.

[hide][top]Occupy Province

Each one of the effect of occupation may be a quest seed, including preventing them. Players may have to enter a castle, or maybe they have to help the refugees escape before it’s too late. Maybe they have to hunt enemy units pillaging the province.

[hide][top]Rule Province/Holding

This depends on a straight definition of what the holding level will represent. Are you enforcing a law? Building a warehouse? Corrupting a judge? Spreading the faith? What happens here is that you will have to
fulfill a quest to ensure that the job gets done. Maybe you have to win the count's favor, or engage into a hostile takeover against local guilds, or guide a wizard through an ancient temple to seek out a source, help the local holding vassal to solve some matter that will result in an advance in holding levels.