Do You Like to be Teased?

[HeadHoncho]

Good to know. Immunity to Kill spells would be really strong. Thanks!

[Lord Alz]

I like this concept. It is one that I thought even as far back as the early 90's that would be a step change in this game design. It allows for a unpredictable variable that you and your enemies share. Some seem stronger than others but that is why they are from 1 to 3 although Aclarity seems by far the weakest. I don't think in all my games I have ever been surprised but that also might just be luck.

[HeadHoncho]

Cunning: +15% bonus to Incite Rebellion (#320).  +3 levels to max agent training.  Agent training -1000 gold.  

Oratory:  +15% to Maintain Status Quo (#310) and Usurp Control (#330).  +2 to starting Influence.

Industrious:  +10% food and gold production and defensive value of all controlled PC’s.   Increasing production or defenses -2k gold.  

Stalwart:  Immune to Fear and Chaos.  25% resistance to harmful magic (4000 magic damage would become 3000).  +15 points leader promotion and emergence, -15 points leader and wizard death  (improved survivability to combat damage and kill leader / kill wizard).  

Trick of the Trade:  Gets 25% more in a trade with another kingdom than the indicated amount (this does not come from the other player’s treasury).  Agents have -10 points to being captured if above a 15 point chance.  Sea movement 10 points less likely to be interdicted.

Foreknowledge: some kingdoms will have the short name or general location (region) of a specific artifact.  

Trackers:  Intrinsic L4 Recon of group area.  Detects groups in Ambush, but not invisible groups.

Acuity:  Never surprised, treat as entrenched.

Order:  +2 to starting Influence. Controlled PC’s have 10 points intrinsic counter espionage in addition to any agent counter espionage, and intrinsic 10 points Maintain Status Quo.  Research cost and Agent Training +1000 per level (i.e., a penalty due to the imposition of maintaining order).  

Military Tradition:  Better and more starting leaders, leaders promote at +10 points, emerge at +10 points, and have 10 points better survivability.  Brigades advance in experience at 10 points greater than others from battle experience.

Devout:  HP does not cost Influence.  HP only gets Exhausted 25% of time (normally 50%).   Enemies get -3 morale in controlled regions if they are Suspicious or -5 morale if Hostile per turn the group is in the region.  Cost of Attract Maiden and Test for the Gift is 50% of normal.  They gain the Lesser Angel and Avenging Angel spells.  Devout kingdoms have -2 to maximum trainable agent level and +1000 to magic research cost.

Seafaring:  +3 to starting quality, -2k gold to fleet construction.  Interdict at 80%, own patrols interdicted only 50% of normal (so if normally patrols are interdicted 30% of the time, Seafaring nations would have theirs interdicted 15% of the time).

Flight:  Great movement abilities, +20% attack value vs. PC’s.  Recon own group area as L1.  Patrols have 30 movement points.

Ruthless:  Cause Fear (-10% to morale of groups or 10% to PC defense).  +10% intrinsic status quo.  +10 points to Threaten.  

Riders: Patrols get 30 movement points.  Cavalry values for these kingdoms are higher.  +1 to emissary and agent range.

Adventurers:  +10 points in Unusual Sighting encounters.  Does not require a wizard capable of Light or Bridge where normally required.  +10 points to leadership promotion and -10% to leader and wizard death in unusual encounters.  +10 points to Rescue and Escape attempts.

Healing:  Some kingdoms have the ability to reduce attrition to their groups.  3% attrition is eliminated automatically at the end of the turn to each group, and additionally the kingdom may issue a special order to a group to further reduce attrition by a further 5%.    Leaders and Wizards that have a result of killed in battle get a “saving throw” which gives a 20% chance of surviving their wounds instead of being killed.

Foreknowledge:  Kingdom has the short name of one or more artifacts on setup.

Magic Resistances (33% failure when targeted) and Magic Immunities (auto failure when targeted).  Each independently assigned to kingdoms:
• Resistant to Sleep
• Immune to Sleep
• Resistant to Death Magic
• Immune to Death Magic
• Resistant to Battle Magic
• Susceptible to battle magic (+33% damage from battle magic)

Balance Concerns

Trick of the Trade should have its +25% capped at some max gold or food amount per trade.
Order status quo effect should be percentage, not raw points.
If Kingdoms already start with base traits, strongly recommend capping selection points at three rather than five.


Three Points

Oratory
Industrious
Order
Healing (or Unavailable)
Immune to Sleep
Immune to Death Magic


Two Points

Cunning
Stalwart
Trick of the Trade
Trackers
Devout (if the special spells are great)
Riders


One Point

Foreknowledge
Acuity
Military Tradition
Devout (if the special spells are just OK)
Seafaring
Ruthless
Adventurers
Resistant to Sleep
Resistant to Death Magic
Resistant to Battle Magic


Unavailable

Flight
Susceptible to Battle Magic
Healing (or Three Points)

[Lord Alz]

Choosing negatives and getting more points is interesting also. Vulnerable to battle magic +1 points.... -10% to status quo and -1 emmy range +1 points etc.

[Frost Lord]

I love the idea of Traits.  This looks awesome Rick...!

Not sure if you are soliciting additional ideas, but here are a few for you to think about:

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Forethought:  X additional Standing orders allowed

Siege Engineering: bonus to laying siege (For example: Less turns to execute or Group more powerful when laying siege or Better chance to capture emmies located within or Emmie movement in and out halted ….etc)

Political Intrigue: All bids for a HC seat and on HC issues are automatically increased by x%.  Voting counts as 1.5 votes which is used for tie-breakers (unless an opposing player has this ability also).

Allure: Can Enamor 2 times per turn, but the 2nd one costs more or is less effective or costs influence (or all of the above)

Slander: Can Denigrate 2 times per turn, but the 2nd one costs more or is less effective or costs influence (or all of the above)

Charisma: King Raising influence adds 1.1 to 1.5 instead of the standard 1.0

Training Camp: Can hire veterans from a PC, maybe for an additional cost or limited to one or two per PC (or both)

Assassin: Agents are specialized in assassinations (+ x%)

Thievery: Agents are specialized in stealing (+ x%)

Gremlin Training: Agents are specialized in sabotage (+ x%)

Abduction: Agents are specialized in kidnapping (+ x%)

[HeadHoncho]

I actually love all of these, although Political Intrigue would probably be difficult to implement and message, and Charisma might be better ranged at 1.1 to 1.3.

Great suggestions, FL!

[Lord Diamond]

I like them as well.

[Jumpingfist]

I like them and I like the idea of taking a negative to give yourself a bonus.

[Frost Lord]

I like the negative as well, but it should be limited. You do not want someone gaining another 5 points from negatives so that they can spend 10 points on the positives.

[Jumpingfist]

Yeah I was thinking same thing limit to like 1 point of negative call it flavor for the kingdom. May allow two 3 pointers that way which could be fun