House Actions

House Actions are undertaken by the Lord of a House. Each House is given a single House Action each month.

Manage Resources

• Shifting points of Resources from one category to the other. Status (Steward) test against a Difficulty of 6, +1 step per additional point to be removed from a single Resource. For each point so generated, reduce the targeted Resource by one.
• Points need not all come from the same Resource, but for each point generated from a secondary Resource, reduce that secondary Resource's rating by 2 (3 in the case of Wealth).
• Failure on this roll results in no points being shifted; Critical Failure results in the loss of one point from each targeted Resource, with no gains.
  • Defense generates None.
  • Influence generates Law.
  • Lands generates Defense.
  • Law generates None.
  • Population generates Power.
  • Power generates Influence, Law, Population.
  • Wealth generates Any.

Build Defenses

Defense Holdings

• Each time this action is taken, the Lord makes a Status (Steward) test against a Difficulty (9), +1 step per additional point to be invested in the Holding. Failure reflects difficulty in getting resources marshaled, while a Critical Failure results in the loss of one point of Defense. Other modifiers may apply. Once all the Defense Holding points have been invested in the Holding, construction continues without needing the Lord's interference; this is its Construction Time.
  • Tower: 10 Defense; Construction Time: 36 months
  • Hall: 20 Defense; Construction Time: 60 months
  • Small Castle: 30 Defense; Construction Time: 72 months
  • Castle: 40 Defense; Construction Time: 96 months
  • Superior Castle: 50 Defense; Construction Time: 144 months
• Modifiers to Test Result: Spring +2, Summer +5, Autumn -2, Winter -5

Speed Building

Defense Holdings

• Additional stewardship can allow a Defense Holding to be constructed faster. This is considered a House Action once construction has already begun, and reflects the addition of additional resources and organizational efforts.
  • Taking this action costs 1 Wealth, the point of which is sacrificed for the roll.
• Lord makes a Status (Steward) test, with a Difficulty (6). Each degree of success represents one additional month of construction completed by the end of that month.

Acquire Lands

Defense and/or Land Holdings

• This action is used to solicit the approval of one's Lord to acquire new domains, which generally must be adjacent to one's current lands (although not always).
• This may only be taken if the targeted domain is either unclaimed, or was the territory of a House defeated in battle (by oneself or someone else).
• Acquiring such permission is an extended Intrigue against the bearer of that land right, requiring a number of Victory Points equal to the Land Holding Cost of the domain in question.
  • If there is a Defense Holding on the domain in question, the House must have sufficient Defense points free to pay for that Defense Holding should they acquire the land.
• Only one Standard Intrigue can be made per turn against the bearer of that land right.
  • If House has allies who might assist in some way (other Lords, important functionaries in the court of one's liege), a single Intrigue may be done as part of the same House Action against that person as well, allowing the acquisition of Victory Points more quickly.
• Each Victory Point gained must be accompanied by an investiture of one Land Holding Point.
• Once the domain is acquired, the House must also immediately invest Defense points equal to any Defense Holdings on the new domain.

Encourage Growth

Land Holdings

• This action allows a House to take action to encourage the growth of a Community feature on one of the domains they control.
• This is a Status (Steward) test with a Difficulty based on the current size of the Community in place in that domain.
  • Each degree of success allows the House to invest one point of Land Resource towards the increase of that settlement.
• The frequency that these rolls can be made is based on the current level of the Community in that domain.
  • None: Routine (6), may roll once per month.
  • Hamlet: Challenging (9), may roll once per three months.
  • Small Town: Formidable (12), may roll once per year.
  • Large Town: Hard (15), may roll once per decade.
  • Small City: Very Hard (18), may roll once per half-century.

Create Banner Household

Power Holdings

• Used to establish a Knightly Household as bannermen.
• This is generally bestowed upon a knightly retainer, or other individual of Status 2 or lower.
• There is no roll involved, although the Power Resource cost must be invested in it.
  • Additionally, the new house is generally given a domain as their new seat. That domain is removed from the gifting House's Resources and lost.
  • The new House begins with Defense, Lands and Wealth equal to that gained from the gift domain.
  • Law and Population begin at half of the gifting House's ratings.
  • Influence begins at 1d6 per point of the founding Lord's Status, maximum rating 20.

Uplift Banner House

Power Holdings
House Status 6+

• Used to create or uplift a Knightly Household to a full Minor House, requiring not only an act of the sponsoring Lord, but his liege's approval.
• Requires a Status (Steward) test, with a Difficulty based on the household's Influence: Hard (15) for 21-30, Formidable (12) for 31-40, Challenging (9) for 41+.
  • Success indicates that one's liege is in favor of the upraising and grants permission.
• This grants the power of Pit and Gallows to the banner house.
• The new House begins with Status of 4.

Train Troops

Power Holdings

• Used to either create new troop units, or to upgrade established units in experience.
• Requires a Status (Steward) test (6). Each degree of success allows the investment of one point of Power towards the establishment of a unit. Units may not start out with Trained or higher quality; all new units begin Green.
  • Multiple units can be trained at the same time, but this increases the Difficulty by one step for each additional unit. Each success gained allows the investment of a point of Power into each unit, however.
• Training troops can improve the unit's level of skill as well.
  • This is a Warfare (Command) test with a Difficulty based on the current skill of the unit.
  • Each success allows the House to invest one point of Power Resource towards the increase of that unit's training.
  • The frequency that these rolls can be made is based on the current level of the training in that unit. The troops must train for this entire time to gain the benefits thereof.
    • Green: Formidable (12), may roll once per three months.
    • Trained: Hard (15), may roll once per year.
    • Veteran: None. Only actual battle experience can make Veteran units Elite.

Establish Investment

Wealth Holdings

• Used to establish new Wealth Holdings.
• Requires a Status (Steward) test (9). Each degree of success allows the investment of one point of Wealth towards the establishment of an investment.
  • Multiple investments can be fostered at the same time, but this increases the Difficulty by one step for each additional investment. Each success gained allows the investment of a point of Wealth into each investment, however.
• Once an Investment is paid for, roll the Time necessary to establish (subtracting one for each Establish Investment action taken).
• The only exception to this rule is the Godswood; these were created by the Children of the Forest, and the knowledge of their creation has left mankind, if he ever had it. Those with Heavy Woods in their domains may find and reclaim an old Godswood that was allowed to grow fallow, however.

Wage Wars

• Engaging in warfare is considered a House Action, although its resolution does not fall within the context of these rules.
• In any month in which a House is engaging in warfare, it does not have a House Action.
• Additionally, the House Fortunes roll of a House gains a -5 Penalty, plus an additional -1 Penalty for each month thereafter, while engaged in Warfare.

Host a Tournament

• Used to host a Tournament. Running a successful tournament requires getting word of the tournament out beforehand, as well as successful management of the tourney.
• Getting the Word Out: This is a Status (Reputation) test, with a Difficulty based on the size of the tournament. Each tournament size also requires a certain amount of time advance notice. Each kind of tourney also requires a minimum Status to accomplish. Getting the Word Out does not qualify as a House Action, though the rolls for such are done at the same time as House Actions.
  • Local: One month advance notice, Difficulty 6, +1 step for each week less than a month (minimum one week). Minor House minimum.
  • Regional: One season advance notice, Difficulty 9, +1 step for each month less than a season (minimum one month). Minor House minimum.
  • Grand: One year advance notice, Difficulty 12, +1 step for each season less than a year (minimum one season). Major Houses only.
• Managing the Tourney: Running a tourney counts as a House Action. This requires a Status (Tournaments) test, at the Difficulties noted below for each size of tourney. Each tourney also has a cost associated with it, by size, and a reward for the House that successfully puts on the tourney.
  • Local: Difficulty 6; Cost 2 Wealth + 2 Wealth for the joust + 1 Wealth for additional contests; Reward 1d6 Influence.
  • Regional: Difficulty 9; Cost 5 Wealth + 2 Wealth for the joust + 2 Wealth for additional contests; Reward 1d6+3 Influence.
  • Grand: Difficulty 12; Cost 10 Wealth + 5 Wealth for the joust + 5 Wealth for additional contests; Reward 1d6+6 Influence.

Non-House Actions

The following actions may be taken by anyone with the authority to perform House Actions, but it is not a House Action itself.

• Generate Coin: Wealth is an abstraction of money. It may be turned into literal funds by a Status (Steward) test (9), +3 per additional point of Wealth to sacrifice. This may be done once per month, and takes one week to accomplish. For each day shorter than that, increase the Difficulty by +3.
  • Critical Failure: Wealth points are lost, and no coin is gained.
  • Failure: 100 gold dragons/point of Wealth is generated.
  • One Degree Success: 200 gold dragons/point of Wealth is generated.
  • Two Degree Success: 225 gold dragons/point of Wealth is generated.
  • Three Degree Success: 250 gold dragons/point of Wealth is generated.
  • Four Degree Success: 300 gold dragons/point of Wealth is generated.