Maelstrom Discussion

[Ry Vor]

Some new kingdoms under consideration.  The new ones likely come from here (don't propose new ones on this thread).  So, perhaps comment on what you think of the ones posted.  What would they be like?  Which traits, special abilities?  Intriguing or boring? What comes to mind?

Lycans.

Valkyries.

Free Traders

The Scattered Tribes

Descendants of Olympus.

The Samurai
 
The Giant Ants

Dark Hills Dwarves

Sea Elves

The Knights of Destiny

The Pharohs

I guess it depends on which kingdoms will not follow to the new lands.   I think 10 new kingdoms assuming we are still selecting from 24 total.   Of this list The Giant Ants and perhaps free traders are not to appealing just by name.   If giants and dragons are becoming like artifacts I think giants ants would fall in that same area, perhaps as some cool mounts.   
Some of these could go lots of ways so no idea how much I like or dislike.   Other than most all are cool names except maybe Dark hill dwarves.   Maybe just to much D&D in me I like Deep Dwarves as evil Dwarves and my Elves Dark.

Without any real detail could you give a brief vision of these?

The Giant Ants.  Can burrow, surprise, climb walls, reproduce, no magic, but special abilities.  Look at JF’s Mundanes. Not effected by magic except Fire (Firestrike, Wall of Flame).  Need high Rulership, low influence.   Have Forethought, Devout.  Red ants, black ants, fire ants.  No diplomacy, no allies, cannot be on HC or effected by HC.   Secretive, dispersed.  Six villages in different regions, one town capital with very high numbers.  Recruit ants instead of men.  Population and defense of all PC’s increase 10% per turn.  Population becomes ants after three turns, then, only useful to Giant Ants.  Conquering a PC that is not ant population provides 100% of population in food.   Companions Wasps and Spiders, Scorpions.  Different ant types: Red ants strongest but cannot swim, black ants fight and also work – build improvements, tear down improvements.  Yellow ants can swim, stay underwater.  Flying Ants.

[Ry Vor]

Free Traders

Start with 3 coastal / sea towns, dispersed, two start as ports (improvement built) and markets.  Cannot be declared enemy by any kingdom.   3 villages in three separate regions.  Industrious, Sea Faring, Cunning, Trick of the Trade, Spy Network, Foreknowledge of one Mythical city at random.  Advantaged Magic, Advantage in all terrains.  Start Tolerant everywhere (Likeable).  Merchants:  own trades not reported.  Start with Merchant Naval Yard in capital, and an additional Merchant and Cruiser fleet at capital.   Pacifist:  Worst starting military and reinforcements.  Cannot be declared enemy.  Receive regional intel as if Significant in all regions at worst (otherwise Substantial or Control, Tight Control).  Foreknowledge of a dragon or giant picked at random.   Capital is fortified, can be any of the three coastal towns.  Gets Locate Character early.  Starts with Mist Talisman on Ruler and Duke.  Six customization points.  -2000 gold & food cost to recruit any Human races (N, H, Z, W).  Normal maintenance.    Capital Byzantium.   Own agent missions other than Counter Espionage have a 15 point increased chance of success.  For example, kidnapping a foreign noble in a controlled PC.

[Jumpingfist]

Ok I am a fan of Ants . Nice job

Looks like Free Traders would naturally replace the UN.

[Jumpingfist]

Asked for so here are some thoughts . Please take away any parts that are liked

Lycans- I could see these more similar to the Harry Potter type where some could be natural bitten but others powerful mages. Perhaps lycans mastery in magic. Tracking, empathy(not sure what this does but sounds cool), acute, secretive, adventurous, heroic, restistance (death magic)
They are not trusted, Tolerant only in there capitals region all others suspicious.
Early spells not sure
Kingdom brigades are various types of were creatures
No human recruit - they do not trust lycans
Champions. Wolves, giant rats, giant bats,
Special abilities
-Emissaries/wizards/leaders -15% to be assassinated/kidnaped
-Emissaries can sneak in and out iPCs. Issue normal move order but if a group is blocking they have a 75% chance to move past the group anyway. Also lycans are 15% less likely to be detected when they move into PCs
-in combat for every brigades worth of damage there is a 25% chance of getting another kingdom brigades. So 20% attrition caused to a 10 brigade enemy group would give 2 25% chances to get a new kingdom brigade(green)

Kingdom brigades fairly strong charge and infantry type

Giant rats - pretty weak, can be up to 10, special 10% chance per giant rat to poison enemy groups food. If poisoned the group consumes food but suffers same effect as if ordered not to be feed this turn. If ordered not to eat Rats have no effect.

[Titus]

I will come back but the idea of the Samurai. Strong military in all phases due to armor and training. Strong emmisaries with a large court but to hire new prov gov's requires .7 influence. Also they cannot attack any kingdom until declaring them an enemy (bushido code and all). Reinforcements can grow by the size of the kingdom. Control a region get 2, a region and substantial get 3, 2 regions get 4 (everyone wants to work with the Shogun). Wizards are not strong but excel at healing and concealment (say a p4 can mask for free). Foreknowledge of a dragon. Just some early thoughts.

[Ry Vor]

Asked for so here are some thoughts .  Please take away any parts that are liked

Lycans- I could see these more similar to the Harry Potter type where some could be natural bitten but others powerful mages.   Perhaps lycans mastery in magic.   Tracking, empathy(not sure what this does but sounds cool), acute, secretive, adventurous, heroic, restistance (death magic)
They are not trusted, Tolerant only in there capitals region all others suspicious.
Early spells not sure
Kingdom brigades are various types of were creatures
No human recruit - they do not trust lycans
Champions. Wolves, giant rats, giant bats,
Special abilities
-Emissaries/wizards/leaders -15% to be assassinated/kidnaped
-Emissaries can sneak in and out iPCs.  Issue normal move order but if a group is blocking they have a 75% chance to move past the group anyway.   Also lycans are 15% less likely to be detected when they move into PCs
-in combat for every brigades worth of damage there is a 25% chance of getting another kingdom brigades.  So 20% attrition caused to a 10 brigade enemy group would give 2 25% chances to get a new kingdom brigade(green)

Kingdom brigades fairly strong charge and infantry type

Giant rats - pretty weak, can be up to 10, special 10% chance per giant rat to poison enemy groups food.  If poisoned the group consumes food but suffers same effect as if ordered not to be feed this turn.  If ordered not to eat Rats have no effect.

My initial notes for Lycans:

Lycans.  Werewolves are the characters, Wolfmen the main brigade type with maybe 2 brigades of Werewolves.  Resistant to everything.  Cannot kill Werewolf character by spell or without magical weapon.  Were rats, wolves companions.  Foreknowledge of three US of Vampires.  Vampires fly, immune to all except magic weapon.  Like Demon Princes.  If control two Vampires, gain a vampire serf (whatever the name is)  brigade that flies.  Gain a second brigade if control 3+ Vampires.  Vampire can change the allegiance to the Lycans of an emissary or character that is not warded or guarded.  (cool)  Vampires are at -33% vs. Devout kingdoms.  Gain 1 influence for each Vampire character controlled.
Magic is mastery.  Strong, cheap military, inferior court except for Vampire characters, superior agents and fanatics.  Low influence, perhaps high Rulership.  Maybe the highest.  Hidden capital that upon relocation the Lycans inscribe a Glyph of Non-Detection.  They can inscribe on any held PC given a P3+.
Riders trait.  Cause Fear.  Cheap companions.  Fast movement.  Does not require Causus Belli if we do that.  Cannot be on high council.  Gains 20% in combat (instead of 10%) against declared enemies.

[Ry Vor]

Here's another idea under development:

PC Improvements:

Each requires a character of one or more classes to construct.  Some require two or three turns from an Engineer and possibly a Sage to accomplish.
Castles provide defense and also imbue the PC with immunity to rebellion and usurpation, unless the castle is first captured or destroyed.  Also, the castle must be captured or destroyed before the PC can be attacked.  So the castle is a separate entity that shares the area of the PC it protects.  Castles can be the base of Leaders and Wizards.  Artifacts now assigned to characters instead of groups or PC's (except glyphs).   Castles maintenance upkeep after groups and fleets. 

Attack Castle at #145.  If successful in conquering or destroying, can attack PC same turn #150 but with potentially group weary (-15%).
·        Mott and Bailey.  Not a castle.  For village only.  +2000 defense.  +1 MSQ.  +.1 influence when constructed.  One turn with Engineer, two turns with other character.  -500 gold and food per turn upkeep or destroyed.  Wooden Towers after Mott and Bailey +1000 defense.   10k gold, 10k food.  Wooden towers provide level 1 recon and 5% counter-espionage. 
·        Castle.  Requires town or city and Engineer, 4 turns, Level 2 Engineer 3 turns, Level 3 Engineer 2 turns.  Has 10,000 defense.  Must be conquered before town can be conquered.  No MSQ required for castles, impervious to political action.  30k gold, 30k food.   Costs 4k food and gold upkeep per turn.
·        Greater Castle.  Only in city (including mythical cities).  Replaces Lesser Castle.  20,000 defense.  Engineer, 5 turns.    40 points MSQ, 40 points CE.  +1.0 to Rulership, 1.0 to Influence, +1 to RR, -1 RR to all declared enemies.  Replaces Castle (pre-requisite).  Costs 50k good and gold. 
·        Legendary Castle.  50,000 defense.  150k food and gold.  +2 Rulership and Influence.  Replaces greater castle (prerequisite).

(There are about 25 other PC Improvements)

[Ry Vor]

All the numbers could change for the Castle concept.  For now, its just about the concept itself.

[Ry Vor]

All the numbers could change for the Castle concept.  For now, its just about the concept itself.

I think I hear the community synapses firing....

[Rogal]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but what about a future NPC area which could lead to helping or hurting different armies.  I was thinking of Knightly orders and Chapter houses.  Maybe they could be a mix of pc and unusual encounter.  The town could be a really high defense pc, but could have a radius that has an army attack anyone passing through its intercept range that are not on good terms with.  Be warned in the early game scouting for an active NPC could be in your region.