To that end, I have compiled a list of reasonable goals, not in any priority order but in the hope of clarifying the ends to which such a game aspires. At a meta-level, these have been selected to further the aims that make such a game functional for Autarch: namely, that it’s beneficial to the community and a viable business strategy.

Recruitment

A Living ACKS game provides open tables that someone interested in the system can watch or easily drop into to try it out. Lots of people on the ACKS Discord ask in #looking-for-game to see if there’s a table they can join, and while many admirable Judges welcome that, there always seems to be more demand. Providing an easy on-ramp for people to jump into an ongoing game helps them see if it’s a good fit for them, and thus grows the community. This relies in particular on having open slots where people can join with new characters, and on participation being welcoming, without an unreasonably high skill floor or complexity barrier, without undermining the essence of ACKS.

Consistency

Once people want to play, it can be hard to find consistent opportunities to do so. Having a reliable opportunity to play on a weekly or bi-weekly basis is a big selling point for any RPG, and overcomes a core objection (“I don’t have a group”). (This is different from Recruitment — a Living ACKS campaign both supports them in deciding “this is for me” as well as then engaging with it in the longer term.)

And even players with consistent games often struggle to engage with some of ACKS’ more unique mechanics — arbitrage, warfare, rulership in particular. Some prominent members of the community played for years without getting to partake in such aspects of the game. ACKS is best at its fullest scope, and from a business perspective this helps demonstrate not just that ACKS plays well but the arenas in which it crushes its competition, and convert passively-interested players to much higher levels of engagement and interest in the system.

Promotion

Such a campaign naturally generates discussion, new tidbits of lore, social media presence, campaign reports, potentially even actual play streams. This makes ACKS more visible, recruits more people, expands the community base.

Community Building

There are quite a few ways such an endeavor can work to draw the (existing and future) community together. Adventuring together to grow camaraderie is perhaps the most obvious, but the broader creation of shared experiences is a big part as well. If people are playing through the same events (in different instances or different parts of the same instance), that creates a background that we can see more generally in the OSR community with modules like B2 and the G-series, or in the ACKS community with AX1.

There’s also a layer where people become invested by the exercise of agency over the setting. Shared creation of canon based on in-game actions creates a lot of further attachment to the setting itself, and can also in turn lead to prestige within the community as an intangible “reward” for such investment. Unfairly earned, this can instead produce rancor, so it is a point to be careful of (particularly when settling between competing visions of the setting, more than simply ‘leaving a mark’), but one with great potential.

Skill Development

A large open game is an excellent opportunity for developing “the state of the art”. Player-side, I imagine this looks like the expansion of heuristics and procedures, refinement of skilled play, discovery of new maneuvers or spell synergies, etc. This promotes skilled play, and also illuminates things like the sorts of reasonable precautions competent NPC rulers should be taking to defend themselves, or places where rules might need to be errata’d or patched.

Judge-side, there are similar opportunities for collaboration. Similar to how a standardized format and language for statblocks is useful, imagine if we had similar templates for campaigns. The Discord community already shares numerous spreadsheets, but there are lots of Judge tools and procedures that this provides an opportunity to converge on and make ACKS content more generally interoperable between campaigns. More foundationally, it’s also just a good opportunity for Judges to observe each other in action and learn from that — particularly useful for new Judges, but I’ve picked up useful framing from many on the Discord as well.

Player-side, I do think there’s a valuable caution to place here as well, that it is a goal for Living ACKS to promote deep strategy and tactical innovation, not to define a particular, narrow paradigm of “good play” and then straightjacket parties into repeating it. There is a tendency for intense gameplay at scale to develop into a clear meta, and the desire for intense and thoroughly analyzed gameplay must be balanced against concerns of ossifying a flawed paradigm.

Content Creation

Lots of Auran Empire adventuring in a standardized format means that whatever content is created for such campaigning can hopefully be easily translated into modules, which have the natural benefit of playtesting from Living ACKS and can then be promoted more widely.

At an ideal level, we’d eventually have comprehensive campaigns set up so that someone who wants to get into ACKS and run their own campaign can check out “the season 1 Borderlands” and have everything provided in an accessible format (which they can then tweak to preference, of course, but even if they do nothing of the sort it’s useful to have a fully worked example to imitate or intentionally deviate from).

VTT Conversion

There has been a lot of work put into developing an ACKS module for Foundry VTT, but not yet a ton of people switching over to play there. If Living ACKS gameplay happens on Foundry, that gets a lot more exposure for the VTT module and thus secures more support and engagement with that. Perhaps this is a sub-concern of Content Creation generally, but it’s an important one.

EDIT: In a similar vein, promoting Domains at War: Battles has been proposed as a significant goal, and I concur. That ruleset in particular is one that Autarch cares a lot about, and which is closely bound to much of ACKS’ core uniqueness. It’d be a great ruleset to bring more front and center, particularly to make use of Mike Gai’s superb Battles App (currently in development).

Conclusions and Viability

Lots of people on Discord think the idea is super cool. The primary hurdle is how to implement it in such a way that it is positive for the community and profitable to Autarch, so that those constituents can support it and make it happen.

The ACKS community is already fairly monetized relative to comparable RPGs in its core consumer base, so options that expand that core consumer base are optimal. That might be by directly bringing in outsiders, or converting PDF-owners into active Judges who run games and draw in their own players, converting players who use the Judge’s books into Patreon subscribers, etc.

This might be financially viable as advertising plus content production, particularly if the Judges are principally being compensated for converting the sites they use into publishable modules with Autarch support.

“Pay to play” has been proposed in a few incarnations, so that perhaps participation at levels 5+ becomes a Patreon perk, or perhaps retention of in-game holdings (which incurs behind-the-scenes bookkeeping and Judge availability) requires some IRL upkeep payment.

Ultimately, there is a lot to work out, and some of it is very tricky and touchy (e.g. approach to PvP). I intend to discuss more of that at length in the future, but getting a broad framework for what the actual goals of a Living Campaign are is the first step. If there are points I’ve missed, let me know, and I’ll see about editing them in.

It was not particularly well received, at my table or at others I have discussed it with. The published set of divine repertoires are more focused than in 1e, but even in II there is an expectation that each will have a broad array of options rather than many near-variations on the same concept.

It certainly makes sense that players would dislike this, in retrospect — the marginal utility of an additional way to boost strength, or an additional recon/detection spell, or an additional blast, etc. drops off quickly the more spells of that type you already have available. Making the spell lists more focused makes them weaker.

Moreover, there’s an established sense of what a divine caster “should” be able to do to fill their role, and casters without access to some basic staples will struggle to meet the expectations players have of them. All prayerful divine casters in the Revised Rulebook share the following spells in repertoire:

• 1st: Counterspell, Cure Light Injury*

• 2nd: Energy Protection, Holy Blessing*, Holy Chant, Physical Protection

• 3rd: Dispel Magic, Rune of Warding, Spellward

• 4th: Cure Serious Injury*, Energy Invulnerability, Neutralize Poison*, Physical Invulnerability, Repair Disfigurement & Disability*

• 5th: Blast Ward, Restore Life & Limb*

• 6th: Greater Blast Ward, Prophetic Dream, Quest

We might characterize this as the distilled essence of the divine caster role at each level (with the exception of holy chant, which is very circumstantial and more an incidental overlap in my opinion). Interestingly, these are generally among the best spells available at each level. If taken as a template for making new divine spell repertoires, that predetermines just over three spells per level on average, leaving a lot of open design space (though 4th level is notably constrained with five overlaps).

Excluding shamans to look only at the strictly-Lawful prayerful divine casters in the Revised Rulebook, they share the following, rather more extensive set of overlapping spells in repertoire:

• 1st: Counterspell, Cure Light Injury*, Discern Evil*, Discern Magic, Holy Circle*, Illumination*, Remove Fear*

• 2nd: Augury, Energy Protection, Halt Humanoids, Holy Blessing*, Holy Chant, Physical Protection

• 3rd: Dispel Magic, Holy Circle, Sustained*, Holy Prayer, Perpetual Illumination*, Rune of Warding, Spellward

• 4th: Angelic Aura, Cure Serious Injury*, Energy Invulnerability, Inspire Awe*, Neutralize Poison*, Physical Invulnerability, Repair Disfigurement & Disability*

• 5th: Atonement, Blast Ward, Communion, Restore Life & Limb*, Strength of Mind*, True Seeing

• 6th: Banner of Invincibility, Blast Ward, Greater, Dispel Evil*, Prophetic Dream, Quest, Summon Winged Herald

This is a much more constraining baseline to build from — six to seven spells are shared at every level, leaving only three to four open to differentiate the different D2 casters (D3-4 casters admittedly have rather more flexibility).

To assess their relative abilities apophatically, one might make a similar list of the major spells at each level that a given divine caster lacks in terms of standard operational problem solvers:

• Crusader of Ammonar: speak with beasts, avian messenger, cure blindness, cure disease, speak with dead, divination, tongues, create food/water, summon weather

• Bladedancer of Ianna: speak with beasts, avian messenger, cure blindness, cure disease, remove curse, speak with dead, create food/water, summon weather

• Priestess of Mityara: summon weather

• Shaman: cure blindness, perpetual illumination, remove curse, speak with dead, divination, tongues, atonement, communion, true seeing, dispel evil

This seems a concise argument to justify my standing belief that priestesses are in truth quite a potent class, despite community perceptions that frame them as less-than-stellar. I do think the strength of that argument probably hinges quite a lot on the extent to which the Judge imposes factional constraints on a setting — if not being sworn allies of the temple in question means they will likely deny you spellcasting services, or at least charge a significant markup, then naturally a priestess will be stronger than if you can just pay the base fee and expect spellcasting on demand.

I do favor strongly factional play, so perhaps my difference of perspective there reflects a significant difference in gameplay. That said, I also observe from the above that the point where a priestess most potently pulls ahead is in the 5th-9th level range, so if most people are making judgements based on 1st-4th level play (as often seems the case), that would also bias their valuation of the priestess downward.

On a different tack, shamans notably get a set of excellent non-standard operational problem solvers that no other prayerful spellcaster has by default: water breathing, protection from temperature, skinchange, speak with plants, lay of the land, safe travels, call of the aerophract steeds, summon weather. (Various other Call spells are also outstanding, but generally fall short of being operational problem solvers.)

Taking the above, how might my proposed divine classes be revised? In brief, the Crusaders of Elion should probably remain simply equivalent to Crusaders of Ammonar, and Priestesses of Rora equivalent to Priestesses of Mityara. Crusaders of Jash should follow something close to if not identical to the Bladedancer list, and Crusaders of Therin should use something very close to the standard Studious Lawful list with added buffs and detection spells. Priestesses of Aliya seem broadly reasonable as written, though they’d be worth another pass, and perhaps some custom spells; I could also see making them Studious instead of Prayerful, which would be an interesting turn but probably makes them too similar to Witches.

In any event, I find this analysis instructive and hope it’s useful in making more spell lists. I am quite a fan of divine casters — I would count Crusaders, Bladedancers, Veildancers, and Elven Hierophants (i.e. Druids) as among my favorite PCs I’ve played. The ancient world certainly put enormous focus on piety and religion, and I would like to further highlight those sorts of influences in gameplay — holy orders and miraculous prayer being another attempt in the same vein, modifiers to social interaction being another, and heroic funerals/heroic codes/similar rules as well. Factional play and constrained access to some divine resources by repertoire selection makes up a fourth pillar supporting that aim.

• 1 conscript can be recruited and trained per 10 peasant families.

• The average wage of a soldier in ACKS is about 25gp, for a normal agrarian society.

• The expected garrison has wages of 2gp per family in civilized territory, 3gp in borderlands, or 4gp in outlands.

1 conscript per 10 families, at an average 25gp wage, works out to 2.5gp per family. From this, we can naturally conclude that at least half of the population in a society following the typical structure must live in civilized domains, or else the society will be unable to meet the expected garrison expenditure without a militia or an outside source of troops (neither of which the Auran Empire or other “default” societies seem to rely upon).

Half-civilized is not a hard target to meet, but does suggest non-homogenous population densities. A large town or city automatically civilizes all domains within 48 miles (208 6-mile hexes), plus improves the next 24 mile radius around that to borderlands (a further 252 hexes). Given that the maximum population density in civilized territory is twice that in borderlands, it seems reasonable to assume the actual population densities follow the same pattern (with outlands naturally having half the density of borderlands, to match).

Tangentially, 125/250/500 peasant families per hex in outlands/borderlands/civilized is a good baseline I’ve found useful for big picture mapping — notably, it was the default applied for my ongoing patron wargame in Mythic Greece, and yielded reasonably historical values. If mapping down to individual 6-mile hexes in detail, with patches of unsettled land amidst inhabited country where there are old forests, uncleared swamps, and the like, it works elegantly when increased to a denser 160/320/640 peasant families per hex because that lines up with the typical populations given for the personal domain of a barony (160 families on average) or march (average 320 families) so that they fill neat whole, half, or at least quarter hexes.

Above, I offered without justification an average wage of 25gp per troop. I don’t think that value is made explicit within the books, it’s just a number I’ve gotten from , which I trust and which does seem to line up with a lot of historical distributions. But it does raise the question, what is the maximum average wage per troop? In the trivial case, you only train cataphracts, and it’s 87.5gp (because 25% of troops are veterans at steady state). In the more interesting case where every conscript is trained into the highest wage troop type they qualify, a spreadsheet is called for, which yields an average wage of 28.56gp/troop.

The assumed default and historical norm of 25gp/troop monthly wage thus appears pretty close to an optimal configuration, and we are further justified in expecting realms to concentrate most population in civilized areas.

Alternative Solutions

What if we have a society that isn’t mostly civilized, but has lots of Borderlands and Outlands regions, how can that be made functional?

ACKS presents five main options. First, it can call up a militia, or more likely have a trained militia. That as much as triples the recruiting pool, though with penalties to domain income and morale while it is mustered. (A trained militia counts against garrison cost regardless of whether it is mustered, however, so it makes a convenient solution.) This is the solution applied to demihumans, whose realms are typically fractured and broken and do not benefit from optimally placed large settlements.

Second, the domain can be a Clanhold. Clanholds have no large settlements, and never improve beyond Outlands, but every man is a warrior and every family contributes such a man. This is a tenfold increase in the recruiting pool, and they all come trained and ready to fight, but removes the ability to develop large settlements or use complex favors and duties. This is the solution applied to low density “barbarian” societies, such as Viking-esque raiders, pastoralists, and hunter-gatherers. In variant form, it also serves for the nomad demchi rules.

Third, the domain can use the rules developed for Republican City-States (on the Patreon and eventually Axioms), in which slave gangs are given to freeholding families to free up additional manpower to join the aristocratic soldier elite. This is costly in terms of domain income, but provides permanent soldiery compatible with civilized domains and large urban centers (though I would recommend not adding many more citizen-held slaves than necessary for the desired force size, because they do get very expensive).

Republican City-States are particularly useful in the historically common case where you have a large imperial power base with a preferred soldier pool that is only a small subset of that. Historically this tends to arise because the Delian League wants to field Athenian soldiers rather than Greek soldiers, or the Ptolemies prefer ethnic Macedonian soldiers to Egyptians, or the Roman Republic wants Romans and Socii from Italy rather than levies from the early provinces. By granting citizen-held slaves, that large tributary base can be translated into troops of the specific preferred varieties.

If a Judge wanted to introduce this sort of framework in their game on a mechanical basis, giving every ethnicity Inhumanity with all other ethnicities would force a substantial shift in that vein (by imposing a penalty to reactions, loyalty, and morale with troops from other cultural bases; for a softer version, apply this only with 0th level characters and assume levelled leaders are more neutral-minded unless specifically specified otherwise). ACKS reasonably avoids this as part of its default paradigm of taking Antiquity at its best to dampen the rampant, overt discrimination of that era, so Republican City-States in turn seem substantially less necessary because the world is more enlightened and cosmopolitan.

Fourth, the garrison can be supplemented with trained animals. “Garrison cost cannot be paid with expenditure on henchman, mercenary officers, specialists, or any other hireling except actual troops”, but at the least we do know that cavalry and war elephants count, so I could see permitting a reasonable number of guard dogs to be used in similar fashion to supplement a garrison (applying their rental rate as effective garrison wages). This has upsides and downsides; notably, it’s a lot easier to compromise or bribe away a relatively smaller group of elite animal handlers, who will naturally comprise a concentrated power block within the military.

Fifth, and finally, the domain can recruit from abroad to gain outside sources of soldiery. This obviously doesn’t work in a vacuum where such resources are not available, so it can’t solve issues at the level of a setting as a whole, but if there’s a particular frontier or war-torn region, it can increase its ability to field troops via foreign mercenaries, Call to Arms favors from vassals elsewhere, slave soldiers, etc.

Conclusions

There are indeed enough troops! And when there aren’t, the various methods for solving that seem to have a reasonable set of tradeoffs against one another. Mixing different options in a campaign map adds interesting cultural differences to mobilization, especially when some polities also have senates, some are oligarchic, etc. — you get a lot of diverse approaches to warfare incentivized directly from the basic building blocks of society, even before you get into different societies having different compositions of troop types. At some point I would like to build a set of more focused mercenary recruitment tables to reflect that as well, and perhaps rules for abstract mercenary companies . . . but for now, this shall be plenty sufficient.

To be clear, this is not a general history of alignment as a mechanic; that has been provided elsewhere with great thoroughness. Likewise, this certainly doesn’t settle the debate; there are infinite objections. I would like to progress the debate to deeper and more nuanced topics, rather than the standard routine I am guilty of promulgating.

Specifically, I am focused on the usage of alignment in ACKS, which frames it along a single axis of cosmic war between the forces of Law and Chaos — “Alignment as Allegiance.” But it is not the Law and Chaos of Moorcock’s Elric, wherein both are dangerous extremes, and humanity must seek Neutrality and balance in between them. Rather, the vision of Poul Anderson prevails as in Three Hearts and Three Lions — Law as light and reason and justice and civilization, enlightened law in the Classical sense, standing opposed to the darkness and despair of Chaos, which envelops both tyranny and anarchy, those extremes in which men are subjected to arbitrary and capricious rule, where might makes right, the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer as they must.

While there is certainly contemporary usage of Chaos (and Chaotic Good / Neutral / Evil) alignments with reference to whimsy, spontaneity, quirkiness, classical liberty, and anti-authoritarian sentiments, that is simply not what is being referred to in this context. Enlightened Law secures and protects liberty, tyranny is essentially Chaotic, and character quirks (while often annoying) are largely irrelevant to matters of alignment.

Alignment as Morality?

Law versus Chaos is a clear dichotomy in such works. However, that same juxtaposition starts to overload alignment with a lot of morality-laden meaning. And I do think alignment has moral implications for characters, but morality is not the core function thereof. The point of such alignment is rooted in its original role in traditional wargames — establishing the teams, the sides in the focal conflict, the broad factions that actors are sorted into.

Consider the case of World War II: the two alignments are clearly the Allies and the Axis. Without getting into an argument over the details, I think we can broadly claim that the Allies had more concern for moral action and are unambiguously “the good guys”, to the Axis “bad guys”. That said, if we want to consider whether assassination, torture, bombing of civilians, etc. are Allied or Axis tools, they are clearly used by both. There is a moral inclination, but the hard line between the Axis and the Allies is not one of morality.

What is the hard line, the actions that inherently place you as a member of one side or the other? Allegiance to a side and fighting for its cause. If you’re a saboteur and assassin, that doesn’t inherently align you; what aligns you is the side you fight for. If you’re an Allied soldier who fights the Axis, you’re one of the Allies, and vice versa. Likewise, when has someone crossed a line, such that they have switched alignment and are no longer an Ally? They have done so at the point that they’re no longer fighting for the Allies, and are either a self-interested mercenary or non-combatant (Neutral) or have joined the Axis.

To be clear, that’s not to say that everything the Allies did was Good; in point of fact, calling their alignment “the Allies” rather than “Good” specifically avoids that. By choosing in-setting names for the factions rather than ones which impose a direct moral judgement, we avoid a messy argument about morality, in favor of leaning into the premise of setting the game in World War II. (And if players want to argue about morality, they are welcome to, but the game rules don’t depend upon it.)

Essential Myths

We can see the same dynamic at play in Star Wars. The Empire is the Bad Guys, and the Rebels are the Good Guys. That doesn’t stop the Rebels from doing morally-questionable things at times, but we have a very clear alignment framework that persists regardless of such actions. Likewise, Saw Gerrera’s disregard for many of the principles of the Rebellion doesn’t introduce particular ambiguity into the fact that he is a member of the Rebellion and fighting for the Rebels, against the Empire. And when Han heroically returns to save the day at the end of A New Hope, even if he has just converted from Neutrality to Law, he’s still a scoundrel who’d cheat at cards.

How does all this apply to fantasy? Well, if we look to mythology, Law and Chaos is a very fundamental divide across cultures around Europe and the Mediterranean (i.e. the sphere of Classical Antiquity). The Greek Gods against the Titans, the Norse Aesir against the Giants, Celtic Tuatha De Danann against the Formorians, Babylonian Marduk against Tiamat, the Egyptian Ennead against Apophis. This axis seems broadly present across many cultures as a major metaphysical divide, and carried forward across speculative fiction (e.g. E.E. “Doc” Smith, Poul Anderson, Roger Zelazny). It doesn’t mean that Zeus, Odin, Corwin, and the rest are always Good, but they’re pretty clearly on the side of Law.

What About Internal Conflict?

Alignment as Allegiance also doesn’t preclude internal conflict within a side. Soviet meddling in Poland and British hesitance to reopen the Western Front can still drive tensions, and potentially such powers could end up fighting one another as well, but it is not the focal conflict of such a setting, and obviously harms the cause of the Allies as a whole. Similarly, internal conflict between Vader and Tarkin is practically a given in Star Wars. It’s reasonable to ask then, if the sides can be fluid or irregular, what’s the point of alignment? And the answer is that alignment is normative.

If I build a WWII wargame, and on turn two Britain sells out to join the Axis and divvy up France between them to secure peace in Europe while Russia joins with Japan to invade the western United States . . . that might be interesting, but it has fundamentally failed as a WWII wargame. Likewise, Lawful crusaders and Chaotic orcs are on opposite teams and shouldn’t generally be cooperating, because otherwise you miss the desired focal conflicts of adventure and war and conquest. Maybe they team up momentarily because the orcs are subject to a (Chaotic) wyrm, and both want to see it dead, but even that should be fraught with fear of treachery because fundamentally they are not on compatible sides and the power balance between their sides in the long term is zero sum.

So What’s the Point?

What practical utility does that mechanic offer?

First, inasmuch as it has accepted normative power, it sets expectations and creates patterns of behavior. Consider: there’s no rules that force players to seek XP, and games do exist (such as Traveller) where there is no such mechanic. But it’s part of the game’s normative framework that seeking XP is what characters do, and a core premise of gameplay. Alignment likewise establishes a normative premise of what the teams are, who can work together with whom, what basic standards of morality are “normal” for each side (and what consequences you might expect for violating such norms). Contrary to typical thought, I find that examination of normal play suggests it is basically effective in that respect. Players understand the sides, and generally abide by that well.

On a more concrete level, team-setting can be encoded in mechanics that reinforce the distinction. There are modifiers to reaction rolls, domain morale, and vassal loyalty based on alignment. Some spells and abilities have effects determined by alignment (e.g. holy circle, or a Paladin’s Aura of Protection). Armies broadly won’t be composed of both Lawful and Chaotic troops. Different spheres can respond differently to different alignments, magical Corruption pushes characters toward Chaos, and many creatures are innately aligned (e.g. angels, demons).

Moreover, teams have different “special abilities.” Chaos can perform blood sacrifice and necromancy, has lots of options for irregular and monstrous troops (e.g. beastmen, giants, undead), and can feed them prisoners. Law tends to have larger, more stable realms that can reliably generate competent officers and disciplined (Formed/Loose) troops (not strictly exclusive but it often tends such). Some particular monsters (like faravahar, khepri, lamias, or the easily-summoned and fantastically-potent phoenix) can have a notable impact on their own in like fashion.

Last, on an aesthetic level, I have observed it to help shift players from their present mindset into something truer to Antiquity — not an age where peace fosters prosperity, but one of conquest and heroics. Some may consider that ill, but I appreciate it, for supporting the intended gameplay as heroes akin to those of Antiquity.

That sort of “moral confusion” is arguably the greatest flaw of such a paradigm, but it seems largely nonexclusive. Few enough reasonable, intelligent people can agree on moral frameworks for it to be solved in a tabletop roleplaying game! I would rather explore those alternate moral frameworks, and see theirs flaws from within as one who has for a time embraced them, than to refuse them (an approach, I might note, which is already necessary if one intends to play more than one alignment). Playing Chaos, after all, has often revealed the superiority of Law in many respects taken for granted — institutional support, structural cohesion, loyalty of henchmen and vassals.

Where From Here?

I think this is an appropriate schematic overview of the position, but some notable points remain worth dealing with. The perennial debate about orcs and goblins, free will, biological imperatives, cosmic imperatives, and the divine is an important one that I do intend to review but need to review past discussions of first, and will probably be of some length of its own.

Some thoughts on the role of fantasy religion more generally also seem worth developing. Religion is omnipresent in Antiquity, and it would be difficult for a setting to overstate its role (albeit easy to miss its focus). I’ve fleshed this out with some mechanical frameworks for playtesting previously but there’s a lot of room for setting-level elements rather than just rules. recently published Alternatives to Aslan on a related topic. Perhaps the eventual solution here is to publish a section of the my Frozen North or Madran League or some such, that’s just tricky when I have players actively adventuring in those regions and would rather not give away my secrets.

The classic argument about “Lawful Stupid” and paladins falling from grace, on the other hand, I think is largely headed off by Alignment as Allegiance as a model. Setting aside the above concern over the innate Chaotic alignment of orcs and such, killing orc-spawn is unambiguously Lawful — it destroys a Chaotic force in the making. Law does not mandate particular actions, though it may proscribe some options (e.g. necromantic buffs, poison) that might otherwise be useful.

Can Law and Chaos adventure together? I am inclined toward yes-with-caveats, but will think on it further to lay those out clearly. Chaotic characters in a Lawful society (or vice versa) will naturally want to keep their beliefs secret to avoid being tried and executed for heresy, so this comes up more in the context of “can I cooperate temporarily with the monsters?”

Are there other big questions on alignment worth giving some thought to? Let me know!

After the success of last summer’s wargame in the Silver Crescent region of my homebrew setting, I checked in with the players and it sounds like a solid group is up for picking up again. Resuming the Silver Crescent proved troublesome (not all players will be able to rejoin, and it’d be pretty involved to get everyone back up to speed on what was happening, and hard to introduce new people with appropriate background), so instead I pitched the idea of Mythic Greece and it was met with great acclaim. How could it not? Tony Bath’s Setting up a Wargames Campaign puts a map of Greece right on the front cover.

The setting is strongly inspired by the Second Macedonian War, chosen because of the incredible density and diversity of autonomous actors in the region (useful for creating an asymmetric, multipolar environment), while still being mostly things that people have heard of. Rome, Athens, Sparta, Byzantium, and Macedonia are all famous of course; Crete and the Seleucids nearly so. Most of the recipients of the Pauline Epistles are present here as well. Aetolia and Achaia will be new to most, but the concepts are quickly grasped. Which brings us to, the great powers:

• The Antigonid Dynasty over Macedonia is the regional hegemon and ostensible ruler of Greece and the Aegean, powerful on land and sea but with unconsolidated holdings that still permit many lesser rivals to contend in its sphere. It is threatened by neighbors that have not yet turned their full focus to it, but soon will if it cannot secure its power base. It does hold two major ports to that end, as well as Mount Olympus itself, home of the gods . . .

• The Kingdom of Pergamon is a wealthy hub of commerce pinned between the Antigonids and the Seleucids, but kept alive by strong armies, a small but potent fleet, and Hellenistic sorcery. Ephesus was taken from it, and slowly have the seas been wrested away, but no longer.

• The city of Rhodes is a rising naval power that has won friends across the eastern Aegean city states, freeing them from Macedonian oppression to establish itself as a great city in its own right, and recently adding even distant Byzantium to its client-allies. It seeks to continue that rise over all the Aegean, and eliminate the Cretan pirate scourge that raids its shipping.

• The Roman Republic has recently concluded the Second Punic War and is thus at the unusual junction of untouchable strength and unwillingness to spend much abroad. Its fleets are uncontested in the Western Mediterranean to deploy a consular army where it wishes, but if its consul fails to impress the People and Senate of Rome with a string of glorious military and diplomatic victories he risks being ordered to withdraw.

• The Seleucid Empire has vast reach, but is presently occupied with integrating the collapsing Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt, and has limited ability to project armies into the region. It holds Ephesus, taken from Pergamon who took it from Macedonia in turn, and wishes to retain such holdings while preventing any rival from consolidating the Aegean. While militarily limited, the Seleucids have fantastic riches with which to do so, as well as the strange sorceries of the east.

And the lesser powers:

• The Aetolian League is aggressively expansionist, thriving with Epiran mercenaries and territorial ambitions to expand out of its unassailable mountain reaches as part of whatever coalition is going to win. Having recently secured Delphi (and Apollo’s attendant favor upon his Oracle), it is confident it can back the right horse.

• The Achaian League seeks to preserve their holdings against the many threats about them and find a stable balance with Macedon and others. They benefit greatly from Corinth joining their number, adding the foremost economic hub in Greece as well as an ancient temple to Aphrodite.

• The city of Athens remains the cultural hub of Greece, home to its oldest and greatest sorcerous traditions, a navy that is still strong even in its waning years, and the Parthenon of Athena. It seeks lost greatness, to reclaim its scattered Aegean colonies, or at least hold out against Macedonian encroachment and Spartan aggression.

• The city of Sparta once held all the Peloponnesus in its allegiance, and is now reduced only to its ancient holdings. It must ally with or subjugate the peninsula to reclaim its rightful place, and the strength to finally bring an end to expansionist Athenian tyranny; its hero-leaders and elite soldiers grant it a distinct edge man-for-man over any challenger.

• The pirates of Crete scourge the seas, chasing fortune and their own autonomy, particularly from Rhodesian tyranny. Knossos is one of the most ancient cities of the Aegean, and holds many ancient secrets.

As of this writing, I have players for Macedonia, Pergamon, Rome, Athens, Sparta, and Crete, with a few people I’m waiting to hear back from before I bring in some notables from Discord. We will be playing with ACKS II of course, in 7:7 time (one week in real life equating to one week in game) with a cycle of weekly orders running over the summer from May to August. I have also recruited a handful of players who don’t want the full commitment but are interested in checking things out, to serve more abstractly as various gods who might be appealed to for salvation or ruinous wrath. (And if they go silent for a span, or just act on their whims . . . that’s basically in-character.)

These are all relatively civilized states, but I do have plans to bring in some barbarian auxiliaries. Dardania and Thracia are obvious choices for clanhold polities for the various powers above to recruit from or be menaced by. Further diversity of domain types will be gained by the use of The Armies of Republican City States (a Patreon article pending Axioms release) where appropriate, though also a matter of research and discernment where slave families end and citizen soldiers with personal slaves begin. I think there are some internal variations on that framework and Separated Land and Lordship more generally that could prove interesting and which I will probably work through and share here in the coming weeks.

I am saddened that my map doesn’t extend far enough west to really justify Parthian involvement or any power that could be a demchi, given how fun and disruptive that was previously, but the different naval constructions should be an interesting variation instead. I intend to lean into that, and flesh out my houserules for naval BR combat to better differentiate the myriad classes of ship ACKS has rules for. Cretan pirates as well make for a somewhat different “domain type”.

Heroes and monsters make another natural point of differentiation. Mythic Sparta inspires every officer to be a hero; other polities will be much more restricted in their access to heroes willing to lead from the front. The Greek classes from Axioms Special Edition 2021 - Heroes and Hoplites add further interesting, particularly in providing access to much-coveted capstone powers such as Lion-Hearted Leader and Cunning and Flexible Reconnoiter. Some states also have mythic histories that support special monstrous troops (not mere beastmen, but proper monsters!), though I will keep those quiet because the details may come as a surprise.

On the question of magic, I am still considering whether Arcane and Divine magic make sense, or if (slotted) Eldritch would be a better fit for the themes of Mythic Greece. (I don’t want to use ceremonial magic because it makes it much more complicated to assess “I want to cast these spells every day.”) Accessibility in terms of just using published RR spells is probably going to win out since this is in large part a way to engage those new to ACKS.

Overall then, I expect this to be an interesting and more directly interactive scenario than last year. The prior game featured a larger map dominated by central desert that impeded movement; this one is centered on the Aegean Sea, which rather enables it. The singular settlement safe from naval assault is Sparta, and even that is only one hex from water, though amphibious assault also features many challenges. Control of the seas and counteracting such via armies on land I expect to prove focal interests here. I also have more players slated for this scenario than previously, or rather, I am not going to leave some of the factions as NPCs when I can instead recruit more people to run them. This in turn makes everything feel packed in closer together, and I expect will see some very aggressive plays.

If anyone is interested in talking through or playtesting some rules for naval BR combat and naval control, definitely let me know, I’ll be working through that in the coming weeks.

This question came up on the ACKS Discord some time back in the context of sages, and is one I have reflected on since, and the answer really comes down to the sort of game we’re playing. In 3e D&D, I don’t think it’s fundamentally a problem. It is well suited to that mechanical framework, where skills advance with level and there’s no presupposition of symmetry between PCs and NPCs.

NPC classes generally arise in such contexts from the conception that PC classes are fit for special people of great power and significance, and that NPC classes are distinct in that they focus on “unspecial”, more mundane talents less suited to adventure or authority. Sages, craftsmen, merchants, and the like all might fall into such a category, where mechanically they require certain abilities at a given level of competence that requires levels, but they don’t need the corresponding martial prowess, and generally aren’t the sort of special people who would advance into PC classes anyway. This in turn reflects an assumption that heroic stature and personal power are fundamentally distinct quantities from one’s stature in ordinary society.

In ACKS, a very different approach is taken. A typical NPC ruler is a fighter, just like a many PCs; the difference between PC and NPC is much narrower, more a matter of willingness to dare and take risks than a matter of mechanical distinction. This arises from what levels and XP represent: the accrual of glory and spiritual power through the exercise of heroic authority. A ruler is powerful because rule is glorious. This reflects traditional Western fantasy, from history to pulp: the great aristocrats of Homer, Tolkien, and Burroughs can be assumed to be great heroes, by simple virtue of their station. Creating levelled characters who are not capable of adventure and rule and power is undermining the essence of what levelled characters are, in such a framework.

So, what about those sages, craftsmen, and merchants? That same tradition answers that they, too, are powerful. Elrond, Feanor, Hephestus, Daedalus, Archimedes, Dido, Merlin, Wayland, Sinbad, Marco Polo . . .

If there is a need for unimportant artisans in such a framework, 0th level characters can take proficiencies and attain great skill. But if a class is to be made for them, the point of having such a class is to elevate such characters to personal and social power.

I would further note that ACKS compellingly demonstrates that opening such options to PCs has pretty much uniformly good effects. A “merchant” class for NPC sellers of goods is simply much lamer than the existing venturer class open to PCs! Item crafting and advanced magic research likewise! PCs don’t need to engage, but they have the option to. So I see no reason to expect that advanced lore skills or virtually anything else should be different. Denying cool options to PCs is easier but not more rewarding.

(As an aside, taking easy options can certainly be justified in terms of getting something playable, but at the point you’re making a new class, that’s a wholly optional additional workload that’s worth taking the time to do in the best possible way that can be found, or not at all.)

A couple of counterarguments worth discussing: the Axioms rules for Noncombatants, and classes like the forthcoming Elven Arborist in BAO.

It is true that Axioms introduces rules for Noncombatant characters; frankly, I don’t think they’re a great fit for ACKS, but they’re a tool for tuning the game to your interests. If someone much prefers the sort of setting where PCs are inherently distinct from NPCs, and authority does not bear a crown of might, the Noncombatant rules are a way to convert it to better match that.

The forthcoming Elven Arborist is a more nuanced circumstance, more comparable to the Venturer. It’s not a class optimally suited to dungeoneering, but both still have applicable features that are quite handy (especially Treachery, Natural Medicine), have specialties that do come up, and when push comes to shove have a solid baseline as capable combatants (short bows and polearms for the Arborist!). And for the right sort of gameplay (arbitrage, sylvan exploration), each offers impressive advantages. They’re not NPC classes, they just have clear niches.

Which brings us to the Sage, considering the appropriate build for which originally inspired this article.

Sage

Key Attributes: INT
Requirements: None
HD: d4
Max Level: 14
XP to 2nd Level: 2375

Sages are scholars and loremasters, well-learned in arcane lore, though not so masterfully as mages. Rather, they supplement sorcery with deep knowledge, and the capacity to acquire yet more by drawing together the most relevant pieces of a research library to grasp the grander picture.

Combat Proficiencies: Sages have weapon proficiency with clubs, daggers, slings, and whips. They have no armor proficiency. They have fighting style proficiency with no optional styles.

Combat Progression: Sages advance in attack throws by two points every four levels of experience (i.e., as thieves), but in saving throws at only two points every six levels (i.e. as mages). They do not gain any bonus to damage as they advance in level. They can cleave after killing a foe a maximum of once per round per every two class levels (rounded down).

Starting Class Powers

At the start of play, sages have the following class powers: Collegiate Wizardry, Deciphering, Esoteric Research, Knowledge (any), Magical Engineering, and Study of Lore. Additionally, sages cast Arcane Magic using the Arcane 3 progression given on JJ p295 (starting at 1st level as a 1st level mage; at 2nd-8th level, as a mage of one level lower than themselves; at 9th-12th level, as a mage of two levels lower; at 13th-14th level, as a mage of three levels lower). It is strongly recommended that sages be granted the full research rate of mages of their level.

Esoteric Research: A sage is capable of esoteric research that bridges disciplines across dozens of tomes and scrolls in a research library, illuminating hidden insights that surpass the scope and depth available to readers of lesser mastery. When confronted with a specific topic outside his chosen Knowledge specialty, he can conduct research as an ongoing dedicated activity in a research library worth at least 30,000gp and taking 1d8 days per 30,000gp of value (counting the library’s total value the researcher takes advantage of access to, not divided by the number of readers; minimum one dedicated activity). He may attempt to finish more quickly, but takes a -1 penalty per day short of the rolled period. If he has at least two ranks in Knowledge, the time required decreases to 1d6 days per increment, or 1d4 days with three ranks in Knowledge.

Upon completing this research, he can make a Loremastery throw, with a +1 bonus for every additional 30,000gp of research value of the library consulted. On a success, he can recall expert commentary as if he had succeeded on a relevant Knowledge proficiency throw.

Additionally, by examining old histories in a research library, the sage can perform Treasure Hunting hijinks using his Loremastery throw in lieu of Searching (and without needing Streetwise proficiency). He gains bonuses from possessing other proficiencies as normal, as well as adding his library bonus to magic research. For every -1 penalty he takes to this throw, he can attempt to find a map to a treasure worth an additional 1d6 x 1000gp. If “caught”, the Judge will secretly roll 1d6 to determine the consequences: 1-3, must lie low or reroll on 1d3+3; 4-5, a rival adventuring party starts surveilling him to snatch his next target; 6, a rival adventuring party starts trying to kidnap or kill him to secure his research. Determine the level of the rival adventuring party from a base level of 8 - [local settlement’s market class].

Study of Lore: A sage’s deep study of lost wisdom grants him benefits as Loremastery proficiency. However, if he also takes Loremastery proficiency, he gains a +2 bonus to Loremastery throws, his eligibility to undertake Major Magic Research is determined as if he were two caster levels higher than actual, and he can count a research library as a research workshop of half its value.

Additional Class Powers

When they advance in level, sages gain the following additional class powers: at 3rd level, they gain a second rank of Magical Engineering; at 5th level, they gain a third rank of Magical Engineering; at 6th level, they gain Minor Magical Research; at 9th level, they gain the ability to Unveil Esoteric Meaning and can found a Sanctum; at 11th level, sages can undertake Major Magic Research; at 11th level, sages unlock the Wisdom of the Ages (since this class is designed for non-eldritch campaigns by default, this power additionally grants a +1 bonus to saving throws); at 14th level, sages gain access to Supreme Magical Research.

Class Proficiencies

Proficiency Progression: At 1st level, sages select one class proficiency from their class proficiency list and one general proficiency from the general proficiency list. They select an additional class proficiency at 6th and 12th level. They select an additional general proficiency at 5th, 9th, and 13th level.

Sage Proficiency List: Alchemy, Armor Training, Bargaining, Battle Magic, Beast Friendship, Black Lore of Zahar, Bright Lore of Aura, Counterspelling, Elementalism, Elven Bloodline, Engineering, Expanded Repertoire, Experimenting, Familiar, Illusion Resistance, Knowledge, Language, Loremastery, Martial Training, Mastery of Enchantments & Illusions, Mastery of Conjuration & Summoning, Mystic Aura, Quiet Magic, Prophecy, Sensing Power, Soothsaying, Transmogrification, Unflappable Casting

Secrets

The Sage is built as F1a/A3, yielding a cost of 2375 XP to 2nd level. Armor is traded from Broad to Restricted for four powers, weapons are traded from Narrow to Restricted for another, and both fighting style proficiencies are traded away for an additional two powers. This results in a total of seven class powers plus a free general proficiency.

Two powers at 1st are traded off for powers at 3rd and 11th and at 5th and 9th. One power is spent to gain Deciphering, which is listed as a thief skill but can be taken as a class power (a la Climbing and Eavesdropping) following the precedent set by the Loremaster (from the HFH).

Design Commentary

A typical Sage hireling is a 5th level Sage, as might be inferred from their wage (500gp being enough to support a lifestyle as a 5th level character but not one of 6th level), who has spent their general proficiencies at 1st and 5th on additional ranks of Knowledge. The RR lists their throw to recall expert commentary or identify magic items as 3+, which matches this build (Knowledge III, Magical Engineering III). The 18+ throw given for Loremastery improves to 14+ (which I think is reasonable; the poor chance of even a sage succeeding on Loremastery has been remarked on). The JJ indicates an 8+ throw for a Sage to identify an item by magic research, which matches their 12+ base throw with +3 from Magical Engineering and an expected +1 INT (the average bonus for a prime requisite rolled on 3d6). The numbers check out.

The Esoteric Research power also creates a framework for addressing why sages might take a considerable amount of time to answer a question, and why they have broad ability to do so and not merely expertise within a very narrow field. In the default case, a Sage with Knowledge III and a 14+ Loremastery throw in a Class III market will take a full month to max out their bonus to 2+ to be able to find the answer to an unusual query in a dusty tome.

In terms of “would a PC want to play this?”, being approximately one level behind on spellcasting is certainly a major downside compared to a mage. The comparative upsides include gaining a whole bunch of class powers that give sages more information context, excellent item identification, a modest edge in magic research, interesting alternative downtime options when they don’t have money to burn, and a better attack progression — all for a slightly lower XP cost.

Incidentally, this class also fits neatly to emulate Gandalf, providing Loremastery, F1 attack progression, martial training to gain access to swords, and the iconic research in the archives of Minas Tirith.

On the whole, I am content with where it stands, and while I don’t expect it to be as popular as a mage, I do think the occasional PC would give it a try (which is in itself appropriate; mages should be the most common arcane casting class). More often, I’d expect a PC to take a sage as a henchman, but it is still a class that a PC would want to see advance in level and not just work endlessly around town as a perpetual 1st level.

Such a class also fills a very useful mechanical niche, inasmuch as 0th level sages are going to advance up to 5th level fairly rapidly if they are undertaking magic research to identify items (since they do so as 5th level characters). On the whole then, I think it’s a useful elaboration of the system to show how sages are actually 5th level characters, while opening that same option to PCs who want to try it, which was rather the point of the exercise.

Consider a 9th level mage, with a 600gp per day research rate, able to conduct 18,000gp of research in a typical 30-day month compared to his 10,000gp monthly campaign XP threshold: he earns 8000 XP. Comparatively, a 9th level character of an A2 or A3 class has only CL 7th, and a research rate of only 200gp per day — in that same month, he only conducts 6000gp of research, well below his threshold to start earning XP.

By 11th level, the gap widens, with the A3 researcher (CL 9th) performing 18,000gp of research and the A2 researcher (CL 8th) only 12,000gp, compared to their 45,000gp thresholds. The A3 researcher is only marginally able to gain XP from research at 8th level (6000gp possible vs 5000gp threshold), and the A2 researcher finishes at 3rd level (210gp possible vs 150gp threshold)! For the same reasons, such classes will never be able to support their lifestyles principally from magic research above those levels, either.

The main factor ameliorating this disparity is that there are no published A2/A3 human classes (apart from the 1e Warlock, whose ability to earn XP was not impacted by slower progression in the 1e rules), and so any such class has alternative options. An Elven Courtier doesn’t need magic research to advance, because even without magic research it’s a full F2/T2 class. To a Zaharan Ruinguard, magic research is almost merely incidental, compared to being a conquering warlord! So in the cases that actually arise in play and not merely in theory, there’s no particular issue.

But to a human class that places three build points in Arcane or Eldritch spellcasting, magic research remains the core expectation of how NPCs of such a class might advance. The T1/A3 or F1/A3 builds I have considered for a Sage still read as principally a mage that trades a bit of spellcasting progression for some class powers, as would a direct update of the 1e Warlock. A2 classes are more flexible, but arcane magic is half the class, and still can reasonably be expected to influence their options for campaign activities. If one strictly follows the present rules, the natural conclusion is that such classes simply should not exist — which is fair enough, the published corpus abides by that restriction, and things work out fine that way.

However, if a Judge wants it to be viable for human A3 classes to exist, or wants to make human A2 classes more competitive, I think the solution is straightforward: base magic research rate off of character level, not caster level. Full caster classes will still retain advantages in magic research, having superior magic research throws and unlocking access to more advanced research options sooner, but this way the partial casters will still be able to effectively make use of their ability to perform research.

Even if a 9th level character of an A3 class can still only make potions and scrolls, being able to do so at the full 9th level rate means that he isn’t wasting his time doing so. This also better parallels other campaign activities: thief skills (and thus hijinks) scale purely off of character level, and qualifying for military command likewise is simply a matter of the character’s level, with a bonus at 5th level for appropriate stronghold types. On the whole then, I think it a small but valuable tweak, to open up the class design space and to help compensate the A2/A3 racial classes for their lofty XP costs.

However, I think there is additional nuance that can be added to the actual framework used for sapient items, and some necessary refinements to keep them running smoothly in play. Martin and FCL from the ACKS Discord had some particularly relevant insights, and playtesting will always turn up troubles, and so here we stand.

In this iteration, the key to sapient items (more general than “intelligent weapons”) is that the wielder can borrow any of the item’s powers, but doing so increases the item’s ego by 1 for each new power that is used. Ego also rises when the item suffers calamities. When ego equals the wielder’s level, a struggle for mastery occurs, where the item can attempt to dominate its wielder. Afterwards, ego is reset to zero. Thus, smart characters can aim to carefully manage their item’s ego, but the risk of a calamity pushing the item over the edge forces a tradeoff between prudence and power that only gets reset via struggle.

Creating a Sapient Item

Sapient items are created through magic research, like more typical magic items. However, in lieu of a component cost, the character who will provide the item’s sapiency and powers must be sacrificed at the culmination of the research project when the magic research throw is made. On a successful magic research throw, the character’s soul passes into the item, which becomes sapient. On a failed magic research throw, the character is slain or destroyed (and is considered to have been instantly killed).

The base cost of a sapient item is 1000gp per level of the character to be bound into it, plus 10,000gp. This is then multiplied by the bound character’s XP cost to 2nd level divided by 2000. Thus, a sword into which a 5th level elven spellsword is to be sacrificed and bound would have a base cost of ( [1000gp/level x 5 levels] + 10,000gp) x (4000 XP to 2nd / 2000 XP to 2nd) = 30,000gp. This counts as an effect of the bound character’s level. Because every character is unique, samples and formulae are not applicable.

If the bound character is unwilling to pass into the item, he can make a Death saving throw to resist. On a success, he dies normally and the project is ruined and unsalvageable. On a failure, he is bound and his soul passes into the item as desired by the researcher.

A sapient item can also be enchanted as a magic item following the normal rules, to grant it more typical powers, except that it automatically gains a +1 permanent bonus as a result of its nature (higher bonuses can be added as normal). The full material, component, and labor cost of such research must be paid in addition to the above. However, if the bound character is of level equal or higher than the total level of all other spell effects being enchanted, do not further penalize the magic research throw by the levels of those spells.

A sapient item can be identified as such with a successful Loremastery throw after one turn of inspection, which also reveals the identity of its bound character. Any other powers of the item can be identified as normal for an item of its type; if it has no other powers, it appears to be simply a +1 item to such inspection. Magic research to identify an item must succeed by a margin of the item’s level to discern that the item is sapient and identify the bound character.

Designer’s Note: The cost above is considerably cheaper than the cost of directly granting the relevant class powers that might safely be drawn upon (which would be approximately 12-24,000gp per level of the bound character). Instead, the pricing is based upon the cost of creating constructs, crossbreeds, and undead with the relevant abilities — which is appropriate, because the result is not an item that can be safely and automatically used, but a sapient actor that can cooperate with its wielder or defy them. Ultimately, it is an outcome appropriate to the source material that characters might come to rely upon such items as shortcuts to power, only to become possessed and suffer for their hubris.

Item Purposes

The desires of living creatures are fluid and oft-shifting, but when bound into an item, they crystallize around certain ideals and aims — primarily set by the soul bound to it, but also shaped by the nature of the item itself. A soul bound into a sword will find its thoughts bend towards destruction, just as one bound into a shield will be inclined to protect. Thus, every sapient item has a purpose, composed of a function and a target. The function is strongly influenced by the type of item, generally along the following lines:

• Weapon: Attack (slay, hunt, conquer, punish)

• Armor or Jewelry: Protect (defend, build up, patrol, liberate)

• Book or Scroll: Study (learn, teach, discover, remember)

• Crown or Ring: Rule (lead, inspire, infiltrate)

The target is the sort of creature to which it is purposed to apply its function. If desired, this can be randomly rolled using the Creature Type table on JJ p. 164, or that on TT p. 51, or the Random Enemy Type table I shared at the bottom of my original rules for Intelligent Weapons.

Together, these form the item’s purpose. For example, “Destroy Beastmen”, “Protect Dwarves, Gnomes, & Halflings”, “Study Dragons”, “Consume Creatures of Elemental Fire”, and “Rule Elves & Fae” might all be viable purposes. A power that is used by the wielder momentarily and solely in the direct pursuit of an item’s purpose never increases an item’s ego (inversely, if the item dominates its wielder, the wielder can voluntarily choose to grant the item free use of any his abilities without incurring ego).

Mastering a Sapient Item

When a character first attempts to wield a sapient item, he engages in a struggle for mastery with the item. He must make a Death saving throw, at a bonus equal to the difference between his level and the item’s level (thus if he is lower level than the item, he saves at a penalty). He gains a further +2 bonus to the save if the item is of the opposite alignment to his own, but takes a -2 penalty if they share an alignment. No benefits from spells or items apply (the item itself implicitly benefits the same, upon being wielded). On a success, the wielder retains mastery; on a failure, the item gains mastery and dominion over the wielder. In either case, the wielder can freely use the item’s powers for an hour (or the item dominating the wielder can use the wielder’s powers freely), after which its ego is set to 0. (At which point any continued use of powers raises ego as normal.)

While the wielder holds mastery, he can act freely, and use the item’s powers as desired (see Ego and Powers of a Sapient Item, below). However, using these powers will incur ego as described below, and when the item’s ego equals the wielder’s level, it can attempt to wrest control from him in another struggle for mastery (as above).

If the item has mastery, then the wielder becomes dominated by the item. It can use its own powers without incurring ego, and can maintain temporary hp from its own HD indefinitely. Any saving throws made by the wielder or item use the item’s own saving throw (except for a saving throw in another struggle for mastery). However, whenever the item uses one of the wielder’s capabilities (or the character takes damage to his own hp), it incurs ego following the standard rules below (reversing the roles of the character and item). When the accumulated ego equals the item’s level, it triggers another struggle for mastery.

The item loses mastery if it ever leaves the character’s possession, but a new struggle for mastery will occur the next time the character tries to wield it again.

Ego and Powers of a Sapient Item

Every sapient item possesses at least a +1 permanent bonus. If it is not of a form that could normally benefit from such (i.e. not a weapon or armor), the Judge may choose to grant its bonus to AC (a la bracers of armor), a proficiency throw, or nothing, but regardless it counts as having a +1 bonus for purposes of sundering.

A wielder who has mastered a sapient item can draw upon its abilities while it is within 30’ of him, but increases its ego in doing so. The wielder may choose to gain any of the item’s class powers, or class or general proficiencies, increasing the item’s ego by 1 per each gained. Abilities that count as multiple class powers increase ego proportionately more. Each thief skill counts as one class power. Rebuke Undead, Spellsinging, and similar powers count as one class power per relevant build point. Each spell slot used counts as one class power (casting from the bound character’s repertoire), and must be supported by first using a spell slot of a lower level (if any). Using an item’s combat proficiencies can grant the wielder proficiency in one additional category of weapons (as Martial Training) or one additional tier of armor (as Armor Training), each incurring 1 ego. Additionally, the wielder can choose to use the item’s attack throw and damage bonus in lieu of his own, increasing the item’s ego by the effective bonus to each of hit and damage that the wielder is gaining. Finally, the wielder can draw upon the item’s resilience to renew his vitality and endurance, rolling one or more of its HD and gaining the rolled total as temporary hp that last one turn per level of the item, increasing ego by the number of HD rolled. (Spent HD are recovered after spending a dedicated activity interacting with the item.)

These increases in ego only apply the first time such a power is used since the last struggle for mastery — once a wielder starts drawing upon an item for some capability, he can continue to do so without consequence until a struggle for mastery is triggered and resolved. For example, if a wielder uses three of an sapient sword’s HD, he increases its ego by 3. If he then spends a dedicated activity practicing with it, it recovers those HD and he can spend them again without further increasing its ego.

However, powers that are used momentarily and solely in the direct pursuit of an item’s purpose never increase an item’s ego (and inversely, if the item dominates its wielder, the wielder can voluntarily choose to grant the item free use of any his abilities without incurring ego).

Additionally, an item’s ego is increased by 1 each time it suffers a calamity, such as:

• Needing to make a saving throw to avoid destruction (e.g. because of a sunder attempt, the Item Loss from Damage custom rule, etc.).

• Leaving its wielder’s possession, outside the parameters of normal use (e.g. a sapient javelin can still be thrown in combat, but must be recovered after the combat if not sooner; a book may be left on a table within 30’ while the wielder is working in his laboratory; etc.).

• The wielder acquiring another sapient item.

• The wielder violating the item’s code of behavior (if any).

• The wielder acting directly against the item’s purpose.

All sapient items are capable of perceiving their environment by using their wielder’s senses, by seeing out of any gems in the item (an item without gems can see through a patch of polished metal or a knot in wood, if any), and by feeling tactile sensations upon their surface. They are likewise capable of limited communication via empathic impulses conveyed to their wielder through touch. In lieu of gaining a general proficiency, such items gain an additional mode of sensation or communication upon reaching 5 HD, 9 HD, and 13 HD, selected by the Judge from the following list based on the item’s nature, purpose, and abilities (incurring 1 ego per power used in the wielder’s service, as normal):

• Permanently benefit from lightless vision out to 60’ (or 90’ if the bound character possesses Shadowy Senses).

• Permanently discern evil, discern invisible, discern magic, or discern poison out to 60’.

• Cast locate treasure three times per day.

• Cast lay of the land or locate haunting once per day.

• Adjusting writing on itself to communicate precise written information (including e.g. maps, spell formulae, etc.).

• Telepathy with 0’ range. Taken multiple times improves range by 30’ each time, or permits use of clairvoyancy or clairaudiency with targets contacted by telepathy.

• Casting a shared dream once per day, targeting anyone who has ever touched the item. Taken a second time permits corrupting dream to be used instead.

Additionally, sapient items can gain other magical abilities as they advance in HD as well. In lieu of gaining a class proficiency (at whatever levels the bound character would gain them), such items gain a power selected by the Judge from the following list based on the item’s nature, purpose, and abilities (incurring 1 ego per power used in the wielder’s service, as normal):

• Gain or increase the item’s permanent bonus by +1, up to no more than the class damage bonus of a fighter of level equal to the sword’s HD.

• Wielder gains permanent energy protection, physical protection, lightless vision, or water breathing.

• Wielder can weave smoke at will.

• Cast phantasmal figment once per three turns.

• Cast flight, invisibility, striking, or sustained swift sword on its wielder once per hour.

• Cast death ward, giant strength, or neutralize poison on its wielder three times per day.

• Cast animate undead, scry, or telekinesis three times per day.

• Cast blast ward, contact other sphere, cure critical injury, deflect ordinary weapons, or teleportation on its wielder once per day.

At the Judge’s discretion, other powers with base costs of no more than 25,000gp as magic items might be added or substituted on either list.

Designer’s Note: A transmogrification spell at 2nd level can grant a single proficiency for an hour with 30’ range, and can thus be enchanted into an item for a base cost of 24,000gp. Thus, the above effects are of approximately equal value to the proficiencies that might have been gained.

Sapient Items as Henchmen

A sapient item that a wielder has mastered can potentially be taken as a henchman, if the wielder and item are of the same alignment and the wielder is of higher level than the item. When such an offer is tendered, the character makes a hiring roll but adds their WIL modifier rather than their CHA modifier. No proficiencies may be applied, but the wielder gains a +1 bonus if of the same race or ethnicity (as appropriate) as the character bound into the item, and a further +1 bonus if of the same class. A wielder of a rival race or ethnicity takes a -2 penalty. Finally, a -2 penalty is applied for each sapient item already in the wielder’s possession unless he agrees to divest himself of them.

Likewise, items have no use for monetary bribes, but a bonus can be gained by swearing an oath to fulfill some quest relevant to the item’s interests: a +1 bonus for a quest expected to last at least one week or expose the wielder to typical adventuring danger (e.g. a dungeon of the normal level for their ability); a +2 bonus for a quest expected to take at least one month or involve great jeopardy (e.g. a dungeon level one deeper than normal); or a +3 bonus for a quest expected to occupy at least one year or involving mortal peril (e.g. a dungeon level two deeper than normal).

Once an item is taken as a henchman, it has a starting Loyalty equal to the wielder’s WIL modifier (rather than CHA; Blood of Kings or similar powers increase this normally). It does not expect a share of treasure, but does gain a half share of XP as normal for a henchman (and can thus increase in level in the bound character’s class, gaining new abilities). Loyalty increases as normal when gaining a level, and decreases as normal when a calamity is suffered.

A sapient item does expect to be paid an appropriate wage for a henchman of its level, either in spending appropriate to its interests, or in deeds taken in its service (measured in the wage-value of the wielder’s time spent accomplishing them). Denying an item due compensation for a season or longer counts as a calamity (as normal, but evaluated on a seasonal rather than monthly basis; items are patient, and recognize that wielders are more likely to quest in their service and be more effective doing so when they can make adventures periodically rather than as a constant monthly endeavor).

However, once an item is a wielder’s henchman, it is considerably more willing to serve his needs and lend its powers. Instead of inciting a struggle for mastery when its ego equals the wielder’s level, it does not do so until its ego equals twice the wielder’s level.

Concluding Thoughts

I was initially very concerned about niche protection for bearers of sapient items, but settled upon an answer: any violations of niches present here are already effectively violated by either magic items, or henchmen, or both. Moreover, many such benefits are analogous to those that might be gained from Transformation (e.g. becoming undead), which generally brings a full d8 HD and monster attack progression. Notably, no one is getting multiple additional ranks of armor, or a full suite of weapons they wouldn’t otherwise have access to, and no additional cleaves (though I have gone back and forth on that latter point).

One “issue” this framework does introduce is that it tends to favor divine casters, who level quickly, have excellent Death saves, and have WIL as a prime requisite. This was not really my intent; aesthetically I would prefer for pure fighters to be the best at wielding such items. That is hard to arrange for any system built around saving throws; it was why I’d initially based it off hit points, but that ended up actually just prioritizing CON. I’m very open to suggestions on aligning this more effectively.

I had hoped to see this shared last week, but the last bit of polish to something shareable took a fair bit of work, and proved worthwhile to reformat some things and make sure the whole is self-consistent. My aim of trying to post more consistently in general has been frustrated by my interest angling toward longer posts that tend to require playtesting, but I’m hopeful to identify some more focused topics that are easier to assemble an essay on. I am considering actual play reports, detailing a region of the Auran Empire, building out some PoIs from AX3, and custom monsters as potential approaches, though PoIs in particular do seem likely to sprawl into bigger projects. As ever, I would be glad to take reader considerations into account.

So this year, I put together my own submission, The Stormlord’s Citadel. I would like to publish a couple other projects this year, and the review-and-feedback-heavy format here seems well suited to an initial effort so that later works can benefit from early mistakes. I quite enjoy giants as adversaries; the G-series was my initial introduction to D&D and a formative experience. Cloud castles are of course a classic staple of fantasy, but too involved to run on the fly, so detailing out a storm giant’s home in the clouds seemed a natural choice.

I had not planned to release the project itself until after the competition was over and I had the chance to update it in response to the aforementioned feedback, but there are a whole bunch of contest judges valiantly reviewing every single submission on their blogs and such posts are rather more fun to read when you can pull up the product and directly compare to what they’re talking about. To that end:

The Stormlord’s Citadel V2

13.5MB ∙ PDF file

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If that doesn’t work, it can also be downloaded from Google Drive.

Design Commentary

I expect revision may take it in excess of the competition’s two page limit, though I will aim to stay within three pages. There are some aspects of the scenario that I expect experienced ACKS will grasp with a thorough read but which I would have liked to explain in greater detail . . . which seems an excellent impetus to explain them here instead.

The first major point I would draw attention to is the difference between effective bombardment range (1800’, as per heavy trebuchets) and the Citadel’s standard cruising altitude of 15,000’. At a 24 mile (per 8 hours) expedition speed, it takes the Citadel a full hour to descend roughly 3 miles for siege assault, and as long again to rise afterward. Once within that range, of course, it can eliminate enemy artillery virtually unopposed, being mobile and invisible behind heavy cloud cover while high HD attackers roll boulders over the sides toward static targets (+1 to hit for subjacency, -2 for crude ammunition, and -4 for an unseen target still yields a net attack throw of 8+ for an 8 HD monster, two points better than veteran soldiers).

The second major point I would raise is the extreme difficulty of operating at 15,000’ elevation. A flight spell will be sufficient to ascend in probably three to four turns depending on encumbrance, but likely won’t last long enough to also make it back down. Flying mounts are a more viable option, but anything approaching the Citadel while it drifts 3000’ above the highest obscuring clouds will quickly be spotted and then face a barrage of lightning as it approaches — a risky proposition considering the typical fragility and enormous expense of such mounts. Solutions are well within reach of high level adventurers, but they won’t be trivial. Once within that lofty realm, characters will take mounting penalties from altitude sickness, forcing a hasty resolution or departure.

Taken together, these suggest an alternative route: attacking the Citadel while it besieges some town, once it has descended to much more accessible elevation. This introduces a different issue, namely of finding the Citadel in the midst of its enveloping storm, and replaces the passive time pressure of altitude sickness with the active time pressure of the Citadel’s renewed ascent and ongoing destruction of a probably-friendly settlement. (Which of course can itself be dealt with, if they find the seat of power and displace the Stormlord therefrom.)

In addition to those immediate sources of pressure to keep individual assaults quick, the ability of the Citadel itself to move across the map and attack towns and cities (on its own, or in a combined arms operation with a ground army that has hired it), makes it a potent threat to a ruler’s dominion and one that demands an adventurous solution.

A third point to note is the openness of the central courtyard: it is terribly exposed, and any conflict there is liable to draw in the animate statues from the second story and the upper wallwalk, who can throw thunderbolts from their vantage points above while statues lower down pin adventurers in place, along with the water elemental. Since it is outdoors, the Stormlord can also call down lightning strikes every round. I would have liked to have also given him dispel magic to counter prepared buffs (particularly energy invulnerability) without needing to close with them himself (to deploy his Ring of Antimagic), so perhaps I’ll work that in.

To mitigate the scouting abilities of high level adventurers, the Invisible Stalker that slinks around and watches to raise the alert is one important counter, and the impressive senses of the Quicksilver Golem and the Stormlord himself are another. Invisible intruders will find it difficult to remain undetected, and key rooms are lined with lead to screen against magical observation.

In terms of treasure, a sizable proportion of the potential haul is in the giant-sized workshop, which is quite bulky, and in possession of the Citadel itself (which I estimated as a 4.5Mgp stronghold). Both of these are of course liable to be destroyed if the Stormlord is slain, and thus they reward adventurers who do their research to be aware of that and then handle the situation with finesse to ensure he lives in impotence, or at least to crash it from a low altitude.

As a more minor note, I would be curious whether little details come through, like that the servants are mute because their tongues have been cut out. I should also mark the kitchen and servants’ quarters as lit, and perhaps describe them as carrying candles. I originally had lighting shown on the map but it didn’t look great and it seems to have slipped through the cracks in editing.

Considering potential revisions, I would like to add some minor extra bit of detail to the leftmost caverns on the bottom floor. The cavern map in general might benefit from another pass. Labelling the maps with their floor number would also probably be beneficial; for a smaller site like this, I have not made up my mind on whether rooms should be numbered in one sequence or separately by floor. I’m also undecided at this point whether it might be worthwhile to redo it entirely in a simpler, cleaner format. Dungeondraft is good for making maps suitable for VTTs, but that’s not really a use case I particularly care about. However, neither are my hand-drawn maps paragons of clarity, so it’ll take some experimentation to find a good candidate.

First Feedback

. . . And, before I had the chance to finalize my thoughts above, Grutzi has already beat me to it and shared his own review. It is good to hear he enjoyed the detail of the map, and the criticism that it makes it potentially hard to read is very fair. The map size is a bit of a funny story — I have made Dungeondraft maps for my own use on a few occasions, but this is the first time I’ve printed them to images for sharing, and the initial print on default settings grossed roughly 100MB (apparently calibrated for VTT displays). I adjusted the settings after that to get files small enough to send in an email, but figured, “it’s a titan’s castle, why shouldn’t the maps be gigantic?”

Refining the prose descriptions is a good critique that I will have to put some thought into. To answer some specific questions he poses that I’ll have to incorporate into the text:

• The statues can jump down with normal fall damage, but probably won’t, because their primary attacks are to fling thunderbolts and they have sufficient range to hit anywhere in the courtyard.

• Walls are sheer surfaces and can be scaled by thieves and similar classes at normal rates.

• The mirages hold from both sides and depict natural formations of alabaster that match with the rest of the Citadel.

I am hopeful that other judges will have similarly practical feedback! It is a significant draw of the competition, which I am told has totaled some 40 entries this time round. From what I’ve seen thus far, there’s some stiff competition, and the sites have been uniformly well worth reading through and prepping to add into a hexcrawl.

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Inheritance

Before discussing bloodtheft and the usurpation of bloodlines, however, it first must be addressed how they are normally inherited. ACKS does not have an explicit system for attribute inheritance yet (more properly, it has an unofficial one in an Axioms article, which I don’t find particularly compelling, and it has some forthcoming principles for elves in Before All Others). The system I have used is that when a child rolls attributes, it takes a random die from its father and from its mother, and then rolls a third die, to generate stats on 3d6 down the line. If it is desired to roll stats on 5d6 or 4d6 keeping the best three, then after rolling the three dice, the player can make an appropriate number of rerolls. For BLD, if only one parent was blooded, the other parent always contributes a die roll of 0.

Bloodline derivation is inherited from a blooded parent. If both parents were blooded, there is a 1 in 6 chance the child inherits the derivation from the stronger bloodline (whichever it may be), or else inherits the derivation of the parent of the same sex (i.e. a son generally inherits his father’s bloodline, while a daughter typically inherits her mother’s). (Those wishing to hew more closely to the original Birthright rules can simply reverse those chances.)

Whenever a scion would gain a bloodline power, there is a 4 in 6 chance they gain the same power their parent of the same derivation gained at that level or tier of bloodline potency. If the parent’s powers are unknown, the powers can simply be rolled normally, but in cases where a parent’s bloodline abilities are concretely established, their children of the same derivation will tend to match them.

When a scion dies, his heir (if any) immediately inherits his domain without needing a Ceremony of Investiture, and gains his current Regency Points, unless bloodtheft interferes.

Bloodtheft

The scions of the blood of old carry great power within them, and none who lacks their divine graces might harm it. But those who share in their power can take it, the theft and usurpation of a bloodline, known as bloodtheft. This requires a blooded scion to slay another with a blow that pierces the heart: he must be wielding a piercing weapon and deliver a coup de grace. Upon successfully doing so, the usurper instantly is considered to be the heir of the one he slew, inheriting his domain and current Regency Points without needing a Ceremony of Investiture (getting that claim recognized by men may be more difficult, and will likely require force of arms).

If the BLD attribute score of the slain scion was greater than that of the blooded usurper, the usurper permanently increases his BLD score by one point.

Tighmaevril

Weapons wrought of tighmaevril are not merely capable of stealing bloodlines but yearn for it. “Blood-silver” blades will instantly slay any blooded scion they reduce to 0 hp or below and grant the full benefits of bloodtheft above, even to an unblooded wielder.

Additionally, if the usurper would qualify to increase his BLD score via bloodtheft with a tighmaevril blade, instead of increasing his BLD score by one point he may choose to permanently raise it to match that of the slain scion. If he does so and his BLD attribute bonus increases, he must save vs Death, at a penalty equal to the difference between the usurper’s and victim’s level or HD. On a success, he may steal one bloodline power from the victim, permanently gaining that power in lieu of whatever power he would be entitled to from increasing his BLD attribute. On a failure, he suffers bloodtaint, and his bloodline derivation is permanently converted to match that of the slain; he immediately assumes the bloodline powers of the slain to the extent possible, replacing his own powers as appropriate. An unblooded usurper always assumes the bloodline derivation of the slain.

Lords of Shadow

The awnsheglien or Lords of Shadow are Birthright’s great antagonists: Blooded monsters of Azrai’s derivation. Terrain encounters with a Monstrous Shadow should be replaced with Lords of Shadow, though the Judge may use such Lords as Chaotic rulers as well. Lords of Shadow are typically paragons of some natural animal or Chaotic monstrosity.

Compared to a normal monster of its type, a Lord of Shadow will take the higher of either increasing its HD to a minimum of 11, or increasing them by half (to a maximum of 36). Per HD of increase, its average damage increases by 2 and its AC increases by 1. For every 4 HD of increase, it gains one special ability as a cacodemon, and because of its bloodline should be considered to have a further * for purposes of XP and treasure. Its size category generally increases by one, to a minimum of at least Large. All Lords of Shadow are of Chaotic alignment and sapient intelligence.

Lords of Shadow will have BLD attribute scores rolled on 4d6, keeping the best three dice, with a minimum result of 9. Particularly ancient or powerful Lords may be assigned better rolls or higher scores by the Judge, even up to BLD attribute scores exceeding 18: 19-20 is a True Bloodline with a +4 bonus, 21-23 is a Pure Bloodline with a +5 bonus, and a score of 24 is a Deific Bloodline with a +6 bonus. They possess one bloodline power, plus one per point of BLD bonus, plus an additional power at 5 HD, 9 HD, 13 HD, 17 HD, 21 HD, 25 HD, 29 HD, 33 HD, and 36 HD, as normal for scions. Lords of Shadow always follow Azrai’s bloodline derivation or equivalent, though they can potentially possess the bloodline powers of other derivations.

A Lord of Shadow will have a domain of at least one 6-mile hex, all of which will be a shadowed sinkhole of evil (equivalent to a place of death). Its stronghold-lair within that domain will be a blighted sinkhole of evil (equivalent to the prior place of death overlapping a Chaotic altar). If the domain is not occupied by beastmen minions, enslaved humans, or other families, the Lord of Shadow gains access to a Chaos Holding of rank equal to its HD, of which the Lord is a beneficiary. (This is specifically to compensate for a Lord which does not rule a traditional domain — it likely still has some manner of monstrous servitors!)

A scion who reduces a Lord of Shadow to 0 hp or below must immediately make a save vs Death, at a penalty equal to the difference between the scion’s and the Lord’s HD. On a success, the Lord has been truly vanquished and its bloodline purified; the scion benefits as though he slew the Lord via bloodtheft. On a failure, he gains the same benefit but suffers bloodtaint: the scion’s own bloodline is corrupted and permanently converted to Azrai’s derivation, and he assumes the bloodline powers of the slain Lord to the extent possible. Moreover, he becomes tainted by the Shadow itself, and will slowly transform into a Lord of Shadow himself. This normally takes a number of days equal to the square of the scion’s level or HD, but is accelerated by one day any time the scion benefits from a bloodline power of Azrai’s derivation. A remove curse spell causes the day on which it was cast to not count against this decay.

The Shadowlands

The custom setting I have developed for playtesting ACKS-Birthright was designed to embrace the conqueror gameplay loop and adventurous warfare between regents, being a land held firm within the tyrannical grip of the Lords of Shadow and their blooded minions.

Thus the legends tell us: A century ago, the hosts of the Shadow marched against Creation, their armies beyond number and their power beyond reckoning. The Elders had failed in their warding, and the Makers in their keeping, but on the eve of world’s ending the strength of men was not yet spent, and their heroes sallied forth with their very gods beside them. And still, the Shadow triumphed: the Light was broken, its champions scattered, its gods slain upon the Field of Tears and all the world cast into eternal twilight. Only a remnant escaped the desolation, and fled into the mountains, and bore the last hope of dying Light within them. Now a century has passed, and even that hope falters feeble, as deathless legions stand relentless before mountain-gates and the Shadow’s dark designs near their final conclusion. But the Shadow has erred: the power long dormant within exiled souls has been rekindled, and those in whom it burns may yet turn away the final night, if it does not consume them.

From mountain-refuge, blooded heroes arise once more, and if they have the strength they may yet push back the Shadow, reclaiming the lands veiled in darkness as their own realms and slaying the dark gods who now rule there.

It is more black-and-white than the original Birthright, by design, to fully embrace typical epic fantasy themes and to broadly align PCs as paragons of Law with endless Chaos to war against. I think Birthright mechanics are quite well suited to that, and I think as well that the base ACKS gameplay loop would work impressively well in a “rebels against the evil empire” sort of setup, while also presenting a variety of novel challenges.

Sadly, my group that I had begun playtesting things with encountered manifold scheduling issues, so I have not run things through, but someday I will be able to run that campaign. When I do, I expect that will lead to some further clarification, expansion, and revision, and ultimately to refine these rules to a place they are worth publishing. In the meanwhile, let me know if you make use of them!

In ACKS, their ability to do so via magic is chiefly mediated by the limit of maintaining no more than one perpetual spell per caster level, at each level of spell slot known. Proactive sorcerers will naturally aim to maximize their use of such spells, ideally keeping at least one perpetual spell at each useful level (i.e. not 1st, unless custom spells are invented to provide benefit there).

To that end, I have listed all of the standard ACKS II spells of perpetual duration (with a parenthetical AD listing whether they are Arcane or Divine spells at that level), bolding those I believe to be particularly relevant for characters to maintain for the benefit of their sanctum.

• 2nd: illusory interior (A), magic lock (A/D), transform beast (D)

• 3rd: create chasm (A), ice sheet (A), incite madness (A), perpetual illumination/tenebrosity (AD), rune of warding (A/D)

• 4th: plant growth (A), wall of wood (A)

• 5th: forgetfulness (AD), plant growth (D), mirage (A), wall of stone (A)

• 6th: bath of the goddess (D), body swap (A), enslave humanoid (A), perpetual figment (A), transform other (A), wall of annihilation (A)

As you can see, arcane spellcasters have an overwhelmingly better selection, and it is on them that I shall focus.

At 2nd level, magic lock is the gold standard of defenses. It is strongly caster level dependent, so it makes sense to be cast by the master of a sanctum; illusory interior is useful to conceal spaces from cursory observation but is easily cast and maintained by an apprentice.

At 3rd level, rune of warding is similarly the outstanding candidate for defenses, as a universal defensive spell that allows all manner of other nasty offensive effects to be loaded (arcane casters have little reason to ever take the default damage option when they could instead charge it with a fireball, thunderbolt, or similar spell).

Perpetual illumination might be worth having an apprentice cast, but generally has too little advantage over mundane lighting to be worthwhile for a sorcerer’s defense compared to an extra rune of warding (for adventurers, of course, their utility is largely reversed). Perpetual tenebrosity, however, is circumstantially fantastic for monstrous spellcasters with echolocation or mechanoreception.

Ice sheet is worth mentioning as the lowest level option for a dismissible bridge or wall; it just requires water present. Combination with create water and/or weave water to provide such a source and create the requisite form can greatly expand the scope of such opportunities.

At 4th level, wall of wood is broadly superior to plant growth for area denial and as a dismissible bridge or wall when water is not conveniently present.

At 5th level, mirage is the clear winner, in combination with illusory interior gaining most of the utility of perpetual figment unless you specifically want illusions of creatures (which would be constrained to act on a preset loop).

Upon reaching 6th level spells, options abound. Enslave humanoid and transform other both provide access to powerful guardians for an arcanist’s lair; being invisible, wall of annihilation is a brutal trap.

So, broadly, when I build out a sorcerer’s lair, I assume he will have his level in magic locks and runes of warding. Both are simply too useful to pass up. At higher levels, mirage and some 6th level option are strong candidates, though I can understand why limited repertoire slots might not be available at such a point. It is hard to build useful 1st level options, but two notable additions present themselves and have proven a valuable addition to my repertoire:

Elemental Sentinel
Arcane/Eldritch 4
Drawing upon an elemental source within range, the caster animates it into the guise of a major elemental of the appropriate type, which acts on its own initiative each round. When manifested, the caster must task it with a single objective, such as guarding a location or hunting down a particular creature, stated aloud. The elemental will persist for one month and endeavor to complete that task (and can be given a new order if it does so). However, elementals are primal beings, unable to conceptualize complex orders (e.g. contingencies, nontrivial decision making, etc.), and will interpret their orders to bring reality into alignment with their elemental source (e.g. fire elementals incinerating their surroundings, earth elementals destroying stonework and draining lakes, etc.).

Summoning (summons): summon a creature (85), up to 12 HD (x0.9), up to 1 special ability (x1), restricted to specific type (elemental) (x0.7), passively hostile (x0.8), controlled by speech/gesture (x0.8), draws on specific environmental source (elemental source to be animated) (x0.67), 1 turn casting time (x0.8), only cast 1/week (x0.8), 10’ range (x1), 1 month duration (x2.5), arcane/eldritch summoning (x1) = 36.74

Beguiling Kiss
Arcane/Eldritch 3

With a kiss (requiring an attack throw against an unwilling target), the caster bewitches one living creature. If it has 2 HD or more, it can resist the effect with a Spells saving throw, which arcane or eldritch casters make at a -4 penalty. Otherwise, it is bewitched until dispelled or the caster chooses to stop sustaining the effect.

Enchantment: target bewitched for duration (40), touch range (x0.4), indefinite duration (x2.2), one creature of any HD (x1), only affects living (x1), save avoids if 2 or more HD (x0.75), save at -4 if arcane caster (x1.1), arcane/eldritch enchantment (x1) = 29.04

These two additions expand the scope available to casters. The first is not a perpetual effect, but gives them access to long term powerful summoned creatures as guardians. (Air and earth elementals in particular have useful mechanoreception, to detect invisible or otherwise stealthy intruders.) Summon manes, summon insect swarm, and various callings make good daily casts for a mage, but summon hellhounds has fierce competition at 3rd level and lesser hellhounds are barely better than war dogs as guardians (apart from the admittedly-useful ability to discern invisible, but personally I’d still favor a 3rd level variation on elemental guardian that manifests an 8 HD minor elemental). Summon shadow and summon invisible stalker are solid but better suited to skullduggery; summon ooze strikes me as unimpressive (for divine casters, however, summon insect plague is quite solid as a daily cast).

The second is simply the lower level pairing to enslave humanoid, which offers less total control but at merely 3rd level; it is sufficiently potent at that level to be competitive with the other excellent options already there, and provides an excuse to deploy living monsters as guards.

Some additional standard precautions include a daily casting of indiscernibility, to limit magical reconnaissance, as well as lead shielding around sensitive locations — coating a surface with a thin layer of lead costs only 0.25gp/square foot. It is thus quite cost effective to shield individual spaces, and even potentially entire fortresses (which could then have additional layers of internal shielding to prevent divinations from being particularly useful within them either). Lead will notably protect against greater clairaudiency, which indiscernibility importantly does not. Mundane secret doors are similarly useful, though still vulnerable to true seeing.

Introducing random elements into daily routines can also disrupt magical reconnaissance (inasmuch as a scrying spy still needs to know when to observe), and can foil augury and communion that can express only simple information and cannot foresee random results.

Routine checks with discern bewitchment and discern curse can also be beneficial to arrange, though nontrivial considering the limited availability of such spells. More practical may be to retain a contract killer or apprentice with a scroll of summon invisible stalker as a dead man’s switch, which will trigger on any loss of complex function (e.g. enslavement) as well as upon death.

The aforementioned war dogs are a cheap and loyal upgrade over normal soldiers; they have their own vulnerabilities, but access to 2+ HD guards is otherwise quite constrained and they seem exceedingly worthwhile to stiffen resistance.

Last, the Treasure Tome includes a number of excellent items of single or limited charges, which provide immunity to some effect such as poison, enchantment, or death spells. I would expect such items to feature as staples of the nobility’s standard allocation of items of power, along with other standouts such as chimes of warning or a ring of antimagic (excellent even on an NPC caster, to be worn passively and removed when needed for spellcasting or to move past sustained spells, as a defense against magical observation or surprise magical attacks).

Will a typical mage do all of the above? Likely not; he is merely human, and the demands of comfort and convenience leave holes in many defenses. However, our typical mage may well take a scattering of the above precautions, and truly wary, paranoid examples will not be so terribly uncommon — particularly if they expect adventurers to come knocking. Perhaps some of these elementary tricks can help keep them alive a little longer, and give the ever-beleaguered Judge a starting place in building out their sanctums.

Magic Types in Birthright

One of Birthright’s traditional quirks was that non-blooded arcane spellcasters were limited in various ways as mere “Magicians” with no innate magical abilities, and full arcane magic was only available to blooded Wizards. ACKS has a system that reflects such distinctions quite neatly, in my opinion, and can easily be extended to fold in divine casters as well: namely, ceremonial magic. Blooded spellcasters may be either mages or any of the standard divine classes, and use spell slots as normal. Non-blooded spellcasters use ceremonial eldritch classes. This distinction also helps keep non-blooded spellcasters relevant while leaving them broadly inferior: they have more breadth individually, and the quirks of ceremonial magic give them a distinct niche. This also constrains proper divine magic only to those blooded characters who bear the shards of the divine, which I deem quite fitting to represent a world whose gods were slain, even if imitations have arisen to replace them.

Additionally, while divine spellcasters have normal codes of behavior, I personally would impose the constraints of shaded magic on both arcane and ceremonial eldritch spellcasters. This in turn ties into some of the options below, which permit blooded regents to transfer some corruption into their underlings or realm; such a mechanic does not have any direct basis in Birthright, but seems in my opinion nonetheless a sound reflection of the essence of the setting.

Investiture of Rulers

In order for a region of land to be counted as part of a regent’s domain, it must first be formally claimed by rite of investiture. A priest-regent can invest himself or another regent as ruler of up to one 6-mile hex at a time by expending 100 DP and making a successful magic research throw as an ancillary activity. When this throw is made, a rival creature lairing within the hex may pit its will against the claimant’s if it has HD equal or greater than either the priest-investor or the claimant; only the highest HD creature that attempts to do so will be able. When this happens, it imposes its HD as a penalty to the investiture throw, and on a natural 1 or failure by 14 or more, it wrests control of the rite and is itself invested as ruler, stealing half of the would-be regent’s Regency Points, rounded down (if any). Left to its own devices, such a monster could become a Lord of Shadow . . .

Consecration

See the ACKS II Revised Rulebook section on “Using Divine Power” for rules on returning DP through prayer or using it to consecrate altars, fields, and rulers.

Lairs of Power

A spellcaster who attunes a dungeon-sanctum containing a place of power can draw Arcane Power (AP) from it, at the following rates based on the area of the place of power and its magnitude:

• Minor Place of Power: 1 AP per 1000 square feet per day

• Major Place of Power: 1 AP per 500 square feet per day

• Supreme Place of Power: 1 AP per 100 square feet per day

A non-blooded sovereign is only able to draw power from a region of up to 10,000 square feet. An arcanist-regent, however, has a deeper tie to the land and locale, and can collect AP from a place of power of any size so long as it is entirely within his attuned dungeon. This AP is in addition to any he collects from sovereignty over the monsters within such a dungeon.

Additionally, an arcanist-regent has metaphysical authority over the denizens of his dungeon. Whenever he would gain corruption within his dungeon, he may instead transfer it to a creature lairing within, which takes twice as much corruption. Each creature in his dungeon may only be used in this manner once each month, and counts it a calamity each time it acquires a corrupting weakness in such a fashion.

Lastly, the regent can anchor his perpetual spells within the attuned place of power, so that it sustains them as well. He can anchor a number of spells of each level equal to 1 + his WIL modifier (minimum 1), though minor places of power permit only spells of up to 2nd level, and major places of power permit only spells of up to 4th level. Once anchored, they are sustained by the place of power itself — and thus, will persist even if the regent abandons them, so long as their target remains within the place of power, even should the regent die.

Ley Lines

An arcanist-regent who wishes to draw upon his dungeon while not personally present at its site may do so by forging a ley line from the dungeon to his location. The base cost of this research project is based on the distance traversed: 1000gp x [6-mile hexes the ley line will traverse]², plus 1gp per square foot of the destination site within which he will be able to draw upon its power. It requires paying the base cost in both special components (typically AP) and labor, but not material costs; as part of paying the labor cost, the scion must walk on foot from the dungeon to the final endpoint of the desired ley line. At its attempted completion, the scion must make a successful magic research throw at a penalty equal to the number of hexes traversed. Afterwards, each ley line costs 1 RP per month to maintain, but time spent within its locus destination counts as time spent within the dungeon for purposes of maintaining attunement. If the dungeon it draws from contains an attuned place of power, the ley line gains the associated effects discussed on the ACKS II JJ p. 92, and the locus destination takes on the same properties as the origin place of power (but their area does not increase the AP the regent can extract).

Invested Items

An arcanist or priest regent of any level can create invested items, anchoring them to his power and authority so that they function as magic items while within his realm. This follows the standard rules for crafting magic items on RR p. 391, but the component and labor cost of the research is reduced to 10% of the normal amount. However, at the end of each month, this component cost must be paid again in AP or DP, or else the item’s power dissipates and it becomes a mundane item of its type. In that form it may be used to pay the material cost of recreating the item, but the labor and component costs and any required magic research throw must be wrought anew.

Designer’s Note: Based on the rules for automatons in BTA, a 90% reduction in material or labor cost for a project can be gained by adding a monthly expense of 140% base cost / 33. Reducing both by 90% would thus incur monthly expenses equal to ~8.5% of the automaton’s base cost. I have rounded this up to 10% for convenience and to keep this potent option from becoming overpowered — it is chiefly a way for low level rulers to create some custom items quickly and easily at longer term costs, or for a more powerful ruler to churn out potions and other items that will soon be consumed for use in the defense of his realm.

Supernatural Companions

A regent might wish to retain the service of supernatural creatures, such as dragons, demons, faeries, the undead, or even a unicorn steed. The MM provides a “trained value” entry for each, as an estimate of what it might cost to buy their services indefinitely, but for many of these creatures it is implausible to simply purchase one; even if one can enslave a dragon, how does one make it serve? To convert this value into a wage, the simple solution is to divide by 33. I would further propose that many such entities would accept payment in AP or DP, to add another useful function to those resources. A county of 900 families (780 peasant plus 120 urban) generates some 2160 DP per month, sufficient to entice the service of a specter, unicorn, a 6 HD dragon or cacodemon, a pair of invisible stalkers, or eight monstrous attercops — a fitting entourage of wonders or horrors for a 7th-8th level regent, who need not be a caster to benefit.

My rules for summoning monsters as a supreme magic research option are also potentially applicable, particularly when taken with an eldritch bent.

Future Plans

I have often been asked about what is left to finish out this series, and as things presently stand, the only major outstanding element I have planned is rules for awnsheglien and Lords of Shadow, and for bloodtheft. Those will compose the final post in the series, though probably not for a couple months yet — I have quite a bit of travel coming up for various reasons, and such posts are content-dense. A good chunk of that is already drafted, but I want to give it a thorough review in light of II since it is now a couple of years out of date.

In the meanwhile, perhaps as a simpler tack, I think there is a lot of benefit to be offered in providing a gazetteer and basic overview of the setting creation process from the Judges Journal over a series of posts, as a worked example to help illustrate how that plays out. My initial thought was to choose another region of the Auran Empire, perhaps Nicea, which seems to get little attention and could benefit from fleshing out. That said, I have a broad appreciation of the Auran Empire, and don’t feel particularly bound to anywhere in particular, so it seems worth asking: what region would you all find most interesting to see fleshed out for adventuring?

I would like it to be fairly traditional in general parameters, that is, not the unsettled and cityless expanse of the western steppes, nor the isles about Corcano, nor the regions Archon has already covered, but that still leaves pretty much all the known world and a lot of fun regions that I know others have started to delve into. Rorn and Jutland have certainly been popular, and I’m aware of other Judges working on games set in Krysea, Kemesh, and Celdorea. It is a credit to the setting that it holds such broad appeal and potential breadth of campaigns while retaining coherence, and I think that too will come through even more as more regions are built out in the public eye.

Which brings us to the topic of the day: realm magic, the grand sorceries of blooded sorcerers and priests. I have some additional thoughts on ley lines and gathering AP from places of power and such that will get a separate post once I have them polished up; there’s plenty here in the meanwhile. Birthright’s “battle magic” is also worth mentioning, which was their intermediate tier between normal spellcasting and full realm magic, and was intended as the name implies for battlefield use. ACKS draws less of a hard line between the two concepts, so I’ve largely merged them here; their difference is one of degree, not of kind.

Essentially, the mightiest of realm magics already exist in ACKS as ritual spells. Flying fortress, magic mushrooms, ranine rain, and shadeveil could all easily number among their ranks; cataclysm, harvest, palace of Sulaimon, plague, and undead legion literally do have direct equivalents, as do the uses of miracle or wish to create wealth or destroy armies. But there is an intermediate level of potency, occupied by the lesser realm magics and the battle magics, and there is an elegant solution to that.

The implicit spell point value of a 7th level ritual is 500 spell points. An 8th level ritual is 1000 spell points. A 9th level ritual is 2000 spell points. For comparison, under the spell building guidelines, normal spells are worth up to 10 x [spell level] points, so e.g. a 5th level spell is 41-50 points. This is not explicitly mentioned in the text, because frankly rituals are well outside of distribution for the design scope of the custom spell system and many of them are going to end up esoteric, but it is the design intent and can be observed in such rituals as palace of sulaimon and spawn of the deep. And from the power scaling, we can extrapolate similar guidelines for lower level rituals as follows:

• 7th level ritual = 500 SP = 50,000gp base cost

• 6th level ritual = 250 SP = 25,000gp base cost

• 5th level ritual = 125 SP = 12,500gp base cost

• 4th level ritual = 60 SP (i.e. a 6th level spell) = 6,000gp base cost

• 3rd level ritual = 30 SP (i.e. a 3rd level spell) = 3,000gp base cost

• 2nd level ritual = 20 SP (i.e. a 2nd level spell) = 2,000gp base cost

• 1st level ritual = 10 SP (i.e. a 1st level spell) = 1,000gp base cost

The careful observer will note that, at these prices, 1st-4th level rituals are generally uneconomical compared to making scrolls of 1st-3rd and 6th level spells. To create a niche for them, they are available as options from low levels onward. Blooded spellcasters of 1st level or higher can learn and cast realm spells of 1st-3rd level following the normal rules for ritual magic. At 5th level, they gain the ability to learn and cast realm spells of 4th-6th level. At 9th level, they gain the ability to cast ritual spells of 7th-9th level (two character levels earlier than normal).

Sample Realm Spells

1st-3rd level spells of all sorts can serve as 1st-3rd level realm spells.

Since 4th level realm spells are equivalent in spell points to normal 6th level spells, there is no need to provide additional options (though I added cry of the valkyrie anyway, because why not?). Some 6th level spells particularly suitable for use as 4th level realm spells include: conflagration, control weather, earth’s movement, level water, panic, passageway, petrification, quest, reveal ritual magic (which should also identify realm magic), summon invisible stalker, torpor, wall of annihilation, and wall of force.

As ritual effects, realm spells can only be dispelled by a caster of higher level than the one who cast the effect.

Lens of Heaven

Arcane Realm 5, Divine Realm 6

A faint shimmer fills a 60’ diameter cylinder 10’ tall within 360’ of the caster, as sunlight within is sharpened and refracted into a matrix of incinerating heat that deals 1d6+1 {F!} {L!} damage to all occupants. No attack throw is required, and no saving throw can mitigate this damage, but the region must be in sunlight. So long as the caster continues to concentrate, he can move this region up to 60’ within range each round and continue to inflict damage, up to a number of rounds equal to his level.

Blast: 1d6+1 damage per level (33), max 1d (x0.1), elemental (fire) (x1), general environmental power source (targets in sunlight) (x0.9), 360’ range (x1.2), duration concentration up to 1 round per level (x2), 30’ diameter x 10’ cylinder (x4), four of them (x4), no save (x1), arcane (x1) = 114 or divine (x2.25) = 257 with Minor Breakthrough

Levistan Gaze

Arcane Realm 6

The caster assumes the stygian face of Levistus himself, the ice-prisoned archdevil, his breath a scouring wind and his visage a frozen waste. All within the 60’ long x 30’ wide cone of his gaze take 1d6+1 {C!} {S!} damage per level, which continues so long as the caster continues to concentrate; unlike normal concentration effects, this does not reduce the caster to half movement speed and he retains full normal mobility. Additionally, 1d4 shades of ice are conjured with it, bound spirits that will sacrificially interpose themselves to negate the next 1d4 targeted spells or attacks against the casters.

Blast: 1d6+1 damage per level (33), elemental (water) (x1), 0’ range (x0.4), concentration duration (x4), 60’ x 30’ cone (x6), save halves (x0.75), arcane (x1) = 237.6; Illusion: target surrounded by mirror images (24), self range (x0.33), concentration duration (x1), target 1 creature (x1), beneficial effect (x1), arcane (x1) = 7.9; Movement: target’s normal movement doubled (5), self range (x0.75), 12 hour duration (x2), concentration required to sustain (x0.6), target 1 creature (x1), beneficial effect (x1), arcane (x1) = 4.5; Total = 250

Fillet the Host

Arcane Realm 5

With an outreached hand, the caster sloughs the flesh off a company’s bones, and commands their bones to rise in his service. A goat-skull sigil appears at any point within 180’, and all creatures of 9 HD or fewer in a 60’ x 30’ cone who meet its eyes are instantly slain unless they make a successful Death saving throw. Those who die are instantly animated under the caster’s command as skeletons for one day, which can be made permanent by application of unholy water as per animate undead.

Death: target instantaneously slain (85), 180’ range (x0.9), instantaneous (x1), 60’ x 30’ cone (x6), targets must behold spell effect (x0.75), creatures with 9 HD or more cannot be targeted (x0.75), save avoids (x0.5), arcane (x1) = 129; Death: animate dead target as undead skeleton (5), 180’ range (x0.9), 1 day duration (x7), 60’ x 30’ cone (x6), targets must behold spell effect (x0.75), creatures with 9 HD or more cannot be targeted (x0.75), save avoids (x0.5), arcane (x1) = 53; Total = 182, Minor Breakthrough

Cenotaph Circle

Arcane Realm 6

This terrifying dweomer unleashes an irresistible petrifying curse on three living targets within 180’, or five targets at 11th level or higher. Those afflicted can feel their skin and bone and organs slowly crystallizing, but are permitted a save vs Paralysis to fight off the gradual petrification: on a failure, they are petrified instantly, but on a success can continue to act for one turn before being fully petrified. The effect cannot be dispelled, but remove curse can negate partial petrification; once a target is fully petrified, only depetrification or similar magics can restore them to life. (In either case, the caster level of the effect is irrelevant and always sufficient to be able to lift it.)

Death: target instantaneously petrified (130), 180’ range (x0.9), instantaneous duration (x1), target 1 creature + 2 per 5 levels (x3), only affects living creatures (x0.9), save avoids (x0.5), arcane (x1) = 158.0; Death: target instantaneously petrified (130), 180’ range (x0.9), instantaneous duration after 1 turn delay (x0.5), target 1 creature + 2 per 5 levels (x3), only affects living creatures (x0.9), only if save passed (x0.5), arcane (x1) = 79.0; Total = 236.9

Phantasmal Sentinel

Arcane Realm 5

With one turn of incantations, the caster can sequester a shard of terror within an object. The next creature to touch it will see it animate into a monster from their darkest horrors, as will anyone else within 10’. It will pursue its awakener ruthlessly for 1 round per level of the caster, as a phantasmal horror. It can be disbelieved, but if anyone who can see it has not disbelieved it, it will turn to pursue them. If it is struck with an attack by anyone not already pursued, it will split in two and the new horror will pursue the attacker.

Illusion: send phantasmal killer (130), requires one turn to cast (x0.8), target 1 or more creatures within 10’ radius (x1.5), touch range (x0.5), 1 round/CL duration (x1), duration does not begin until triggered (x2.75), save avoids (x0.5), arcane (x1) = 107

Dominion

Arcane Realm 5

With a mind-breaking word, the caster attempts to tie the life-force of a target within 30’ to his own will. The target makes a Death saving throw, and if it succeeds there is no effect. If it fails however, the target is perpetually enslaved to the caster (as enslave humanoid but affecting creatures of any type). Moreover, if any effect (such as dispel magic) would ever attempt to dispel or otherwise end the enslavement, the target instead is instantly slain and raised as a zombie, with no saving throw, which will then continue to carry out the caster’s orders even in death.

Enchantment: target enslaved for duration (60), 30’ range (x0.6), perpetual duration (x2.2), target 1 creature (x1), only affects living creatures (x1), save avoids (x0.5), arcane enchantment (x1) = 39.6; Death: target instantaneously slain (85), animate dead target as undead zombie (5), 30’ range (x0.5), instantaneous duration (x1), duration does not begin until triggered (x2.75), target 1 creature (x1), only affects living creatures (x0.9), save avoids (x0.5), arcane (x1) = 55.7; total = 95.3

Enslave Legion

Arcane Realm 5

The caster’s will totally crushes that of up to a battalion from across the battlefield, enslaving them to serve him in thought, word, and deed. All humanoids of less than 2 HD within a 120’ diameter sphere within 240’ of the caster must make a Spells saving throw, and on a failure are enslaved (as enslave humanoid).

Enchantment: target enslaved for duration (60), 240’ range (x1.25), perpetual duration (x2.2), 120’ diameter sphere (x8), only affects living creatures (x1), only affects humanoids (x0.75), only affects creatures of less than 2 HD (x0.25), save avoids (x0.5), arcane enchantment (x1) = 124

Enslave Host

Arcane Realm 6

The caster’s will ripples out like a tidal wave, engulfing that of all around him. All living creatures of less than 9 HD within a 240’ radius of the caster must make a Spells saving throw, and on a failure are enslaved. Creatures of less than 2 HD automatically fail this save. Once in effect, the enslavement lasts until dispelled or until each creature makes a successful Spells saving throw against it. The enslaved creatures receive another Spells saving throw to break the spell each each week if they have 5 – 8 HD, or each month if fewer than 5 HD

Enchantment: target enslaved for duration (60), 0’ range (x0.4), duration until save succeeds (x1.75), 480’ diameter sphere (x10.5), only affects living creatures (x1), only affects creatures of less than 9 HD (x0.75), save avoids if 2 HD or more (x0.75), arcane enchantment (x1) = 248

Transposition of the Spheres

Arcane Realm 6

The caster instantly transfers himself and up to one touched companion per level above 1st into whatever location is geo-spiritually analogous to their current site on another sphere. The Judge will select which sphere and where within it based on the surrounding environment, but characters may discern in advance which location is likely with a successful Knowledge (metaphysics) throw made as a dedicated activity (and over many iterations, they might eventually construct a space corresponding to a chosen destination with which they are familiar). The passage is harrowing, and characters brought across must save vs Spells to maintain their focus upon remaining with their companions, or else on a failure will instead be transposed to a metaphysically similar location on the same plane (but not necessarily one nearby). Even on a successful save, all transposed characters are left fatigued for 24 hours upon arrival. Any means of return must be secured separately.

Movement: caster teleports target any place in existence (2500), all willing targets fatigued for 24 hours after duration (x0.9), teleport has chance of error (x0.5), teleport limited to one specific destination (geo-spiritually analogous location) (x0.66), 0’ range (x1), instantaneous duration (x0.1), target 1 willing creature per level (x4), only creatures can be targeted (x0.8), beneficial effect (x1), arcane (x1) = 238

Pennants of Protection

Arcane Realm 6, Divine Realm 6

This realm spell augments three pennants or banners carried within 30’, plus another at each of 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th. While each is carried and the caster concentrates, any missile or melee attacks dealing mundane damage targeted at the bearer of a target banner or any of their allies within 15’ of the flag are deflected and automatically miss. If a deflected attack has an area of effect, roll for scatter to determine the direction and distance deflected; however, the center point of the area of effect must be at least 10’ from the banner bearer. The protected creatures can still be harmed if the area of effect is so large that it can affect them despite being at least 10’ from the flag. Attacks made with silver weapons are considered to deal extraordinary damage for purposes of this spell. This protection lasts until a banner is no longer held (failing only for the banner that was dropped), the caster stops concentrating, the effect is dispelled, or one turn elapses.

Protection: deflection of mundane weapons (40), protection only applies versus evil (x0.9), 30’ range (x1.1), 1 turn duration (x1), concentration required to sustain to max duration (x0.6), duration ends if target object dropped (x0.85), target 1 creature + 1 per 2 levels (x4), protection in 15’ radius sphere around target (x3), beneficial effect (x1), arcane or divine (x1) = 242

Cry of the Valkyrie

Arcane Realm 4, Divine Realm 4

When a hero (humanoid with class damage bonus +2 or better) dies in combat, this realm spell can be cast with a turn spent reciting their worthy deeds, any time before the sun’s next setting. It summons a valkyrie to avenge him; she can communicate in any languages the slain spoke in life, and will relentlessly pursue those responsible for his death. Once the slain is avenged or a day elapses, she will return to the corpse and bear it away to exalted glory; if he is restored to life before that time, she will kill him before doing so.

Valkyrie, MS Incarnation, HD 8**** (hp 48), AC 10, SV C8+2 (8/5/11/8/10+), init +2, SPD 40’/120’, FLY 80’/240’, 2 Weapons 1+ 1d6+5 {BW!}, ML +4; LV 60’; immune mundane, resist energy, divine spellcasting (as 8th level Bladedancer)

Summoning: summon a creature (85), up to 8 HD (x0.7), up to 4 special abilities (x3), specific creature only (valkyie) (x0.7), passively hostile (x0.8), controlled by speech and gesture (x0.8), specific environmental power source (death of a hero) (x0.85), takes one turn to cast (x0.8), 10’ range (x1), 1 day duration (x1.5), freed if performs exceptional task (avenges the fallen) (x0.66), no save (x1), arcane (x1) = 54 or divine (x1.2), divine summoning (x1.08) = 70 with Minor Breakthrough

Vestige of Heroes

Arcane Realm 5, Divine Realm 5

This realm spell calls up the spirits of heroes fallen in battle, to fight again in service to the caster. With one turn of chanting upon a battlefield of old (a place where a battle was fought at least a decade past), 15 einherjar are summoned per level of the caster, to fight with fearless ferocity — enough to fully man one longship per five levels of the caster. They have the statistics of manes, but additionally have animal reflexes, are naturally stealthy, are skilled warriors for +1 damage, and wield great axes for base 1d10 {S!} damage. In battle, they go berserk, as Berserkergang proficiency. They are trained in Climbing with a throw of 6+, and in Seamanship as sailors or rowers.

When they are summoned to this world, the einherjar will collectively make a Spells saving throw. On a failure, the caster successfully leashes them to his will, and they will obey his audible verbal orders, though they will always interpret their orders in pursuit of glorious and violent deaths, and if left without orders will seek out and slay his enemies. If they succeed on that saving throw, however, they break free from the caster’s control and will wreak havoc on all around them, slaughtering indiscriminately. In either case, they remain for one week, or until slain or dispelled.

Summoning: summon 15x CL in HD (95 x16), up to 1 HD (x0.15), up to 2 special abilities (x1.66), specific creatures only (einherjar) (x0.7), passively hostile (x0.8), controlled by speech and gesture (x0.8), specific environmental power source (only cast on a decade-old battlefield) (x0.85), takes one turn to cast (x0.8), 60’ range (x1.15), 1 week duration (x2), save avoids (x0.5), arcane (x1) = 124 or divine (x1.2), divine summoning (x1.08) = 161 with Minor Breakthrough

Binding of Souls

Arcane Realm 6

This dark realm magic chains the souls of the freshly slain, binding them to their arms and armor in service to the caster. Up to one fresh corpse (slain in the past day) per level, each still bearing the equipment it wielded in life, can be bound. Each makes a Death saving throw (using his throw at time of death), and on a success the soul escapes the binding and passes on to its destined afterlife. On a failure, the soul is bound to its equipment and raised as a wraith in service to the caster, a profane void. Either way, the corpse crumbles to dust. Wraiths created in this way are bound to obey his verbal orders, but will twist the intent of their orders to spread woe and terror upon the caster, those he cares for, and anyone who happens to be nearby. They serve indefinitely, until slain or dispelled. Because of its potency, this realm spell can only be cast in places where the border between life and death is at its very thinnest, and requires a forsaken sinkhole of evil to invoke.

Summoning: summon 4x CL in HD (95 x5), up to 4 HD (x0.4), up to 2 special abilities (x1.66), specific creatures only (wraiths) (x0.7), passively hostile (x0.8), controlled by speech and gesture (x0.8), specific environmental power source (fresh corpses) (x0.85), can only be cast in a Forsaken Sinkhole (x0.67), 10’ range (x1), perpetual duration (x4.5), save avoids (x0.5), arcane spell not a calling/conjuring/summoning (x1.5) = 217

Essential Transformation

Arcane Realm 6

A touched living target of up to huge size is remade according to the caster’s desire, to perpetually occupy any other living form with up to four special abilities and HD up to the lower of the caster’s level or twice the target’s level or HD. Touching an unwilling target requires an attack throw, and the target can save vs Spells to resist the effect.

Transmogrification: transform to the form of a living creature (35), gain new form’s physical characteristics, attacks, and up to four special abilities (100), HD limited to caster level and 2x target level (x0.75), touch range (x0.6), perpetual duration (x3.5), target 1 creature (x1), attack throw required against unwilling (x0.75), target can be up to huge size (x1.5), save avoids if unwilling (x1), arcane (x1) = 239

Summon Mist

Arcane Realm 5 or Divine Realm 6

The caster raises vast banks of fog from a large body of water in which he stands, making the entire region Foggy. Speed is halved, visibility cut to 20’, and Land Surveying, Navigation, Searching, and Tracking proficiency throws also suffer -4 penalties. The caster is unimpeded and can see through it normally; creatures that can see invisible likewise penetrate the fog, though they still take the penalties to Land Surveying and Navigation throws unless they can see invisible out to at least one mile. The fog extends along any contiguous waterways to fill up to one 6-mile hex per level of the caster.

Wall (esoteric): based on summon weather, but constrained to fog and with a specific environmental power source, and targeting one hex per level rather than only a single hex.

Annals of War

The Caliph of Thar stands outside his capital, infested by the lizardman scourge, and whispers to the ring upon his right hand: “I wish that a plague would ravage the army of Thrassia occupying the city of Thar.” And reality bends to his command. Though the lizardmen prove resilient, every commander in that host is afflicted, and they are carried off by winged thrassians in flight while the hosts of Thar retake their city and butcher the remaining lizardmen as they waste away from illness.

But to the west, his cause is not so secure: Thar7 had been sent to advance on and pursue the Temahni host it had repelled prior, but now finds itself met not just by Temahni raiders but also by the ordered legions of the Oracle’s crusade, now having reached the south after long journeying. The cavalry of Thar is routed, and limps back to the city with grievous losses, twice terrible for permitting the Temahn to recover those of their kin taken prisoner.

Thar8 rides north from Kirkuk to scout the Temahni homeland while its defenders are absent, and notes a citadel manned by hill folk to their north, quite an oddity. He knows it not, but it is the last of the Oracle’s supply bases, constructed on his long march south.

The great army of Thrassia broken, their God-King incapacitated, it is all that can be done to salvage that position for the intact thrassians to carry their officers north as they flee homeward. Even so, one of his most capable officers looks set to sicken and die if not treated with immediacy, and the only ones who could provide such healing are themselves afflicted. They did manage to make off with the Caliph’s treasury, however, and butchered much of his great city . . . he will feel their bite sharply.

The Pirate King sails west, fighting a southwesterly wind and failing to encounter the Alian fleet that sacked Keelhaul Cove and now holds his treasury. He does encounter the Agrahvan fleet, which has deserted and turned to piracy at their sultan’s demise, but while he would love to hire them his lack of funds prevents that.

The sea-witch who is sister to the Pirate King researches the Rod of Cataclysms en route south, seeking battle with that same Alian fleet and not finding it. Failing to find it, she instead calls down a cataclysm of wrath and ruin on Ali-Aram, which will strike at next week’s ending if she is not slain or the rod broken.

Having failed to recover his treasury, and declined to win plunder, the Pirate King’s bribes and enticements to those who follow him are unravelling, and he will face considerable desertion over the next few months. The loyalty of pirates is a fickle thing, particularly in light of the High Priestess’ offer of amnesty and employment.

Of the High Priestess herself, she supervises the consolidation of the pirate stronghold, and the newly-raised Emir Nazar, well-rewarded for his support. He in turn oversees the interrogation of pirate captives, and acquires the name of one of the Pirate King’s inner circle to be scried. But the heavens and the seas proclaim the doom that comes for Ali-Aram.

Her Vizier musters the forces of the city to seize the suspicious merchant convoy that has lingered in port in Ali-Aram and which his agents now believe has ties to Najran, but they slip the noose, departing in the night apparently for unrelated reasons.

A small fleet of House Khair escort galleys return to Ali-Aram fleeing from the west, where they claim the Steward of the City disembarked and then brutally seized the fortress Naeem Khair was overseeing construction of. Their lord appeared to have been cut down attempting to reach them, but it is unknown whether he survived. His brother is furious.

In the heartlands of Thar, the Oracle and the Kagan muster their forces together at dawn, who ride swift to meet the Thari cavalry come to finish off the Temahn alone and instead find a host to rival the assembled armies of all Thar. The might of Thar is routed and pursued, and many captives taken, and many captives freed, to much rejoicing in the camp of the horsemen.

Temahni outriders also receive the Atlas of Dominion, which has made its way here from further south through varied hands.

Reflections

Wisely but moderately surprisingly, we have yet to see attackers attempt to storm the walls of a city and fail; it has only been attempted with overwhelming numerical superiority. I am glad to see it, though with overwhelming numbers it may still be too easy to win such battles. It is worth further testing, in any event.

More generally, even when maneuvering toward field battles, most armies seem cautious and don’t seek battle if they don’t expect to win handily. The pressures of logistics and supply lines do not seem overly pressing. Perhaps the population densities here are just too high for that to be highly relevant, but while some armies do have high supply costs, they’re not large enough to be truly outrageous, and great quantities of supplies can be extracted via requisition along the way.

The armies’ caution also seems driven in large part by general confusion of what’s going on and what resources their opponents have access to, and even those players getting a broadly applicable report from others are having it filtered through layers of telephone. That said, reconnaissance with close proximity between battalion scale armies hardly ever fails to identify a rival force, so we also haven’t seen armies blundering into one another.

One thing I have simplified without thinking about it too much is assuming that all prisoners can be broken to reveal their full information, after this was uniformly the result for the first dozen that I played out fully. Given a bit of time it’s pretty easy to Intimidate them given the various bonuses involved. I appreciate saving the roll, but if you wanted a quick, single round chance of failure, a Morale roll with them resisting on 12+ would probably be my favored approach (and is something I'll be considering for the future more generally).

Running this takes basically one evening a week from me, which is not awful but starting to get taxing. I’ll have to see if there’s a better way to break it up, other things I can automate, or just time that I can consistently schedule it for.

Treasure

Naturally a first step in conversion was to sum up the XP and gp total across the three modules:

• D1 contains 111,526 XP of monsters, 313,090gp of treasure, gp:XP ratio 2.8,

• D2 contains only 38,073 XP of monsters, 552,118gp of treasure, gp:XP ratio 14.5,

• D3 contains a stunning 484,752 XP of monsters (not even including the additional 170k XP of the 8000+ inhabitants of the city merely alluded to), an equally impressive 1,931,419gp of treasure, for a gp:XP ratio of 4.0, right what it should be for ACKS.

If a group works through all three modules and gets about 85% of the total XP, that's close to an even 3M XP. If that group has six PCs of around 10th level, plus a dozen henchmen or so, that's enough to just about level everyone twice. A very hearty haul. D1 is treasure light by ACKS standards, and D2 treasure heavy, but across the three modules the ratio is 4.4 gp per monster XP, very reasonable. Running the modules in ACKS, the treasure should need no adjustment.

Domain Structure

Per D3, the chief economic activities of the drow seem to be control of trade in the Underdark, and the cultivation of rare fungi. Control of trade attaches itself naturally to large settlements. Checking the mushroom farming rules for domains in By This Axe, two more significant requirements emerge: first, mycoculture requires dwarves. That is easily enough expanded to permit other Underdark-dwelling races. The second requirement is perhaps more challenging: a vast quantity of wood is needed as an input to be composted by the fungi.

To that end, I propose that perhaps different varietals of mushroom rely on different food sources, and that while the most convenient food source near the surface is wood, within the depths of the Underdark can be found other strains that feed upon the strange radiations that permeate the deep caverns where drow have chosen to settle. Similar varieties might exploit geothermal and magmatic vents, or lakes of strange chemicals. This has the interesting consequence for domains in the Underdark that most land there effectively cannot be settled — instead, settlements must cluster tightly around the scattered points where food can be produced, or must have a very secure means of importing food in bulk. This very aptly fits the lore.

It is not mentioned in D3 directly, but it seems very fitting as well for some drow to oversee slave-mines amidst the Underdark as well. I plan to treat these as outposts that are supplied centrally from parent-settlements, and privately owned by the great houses of the noble families as their major sources of wealth. Provision of food produced in abundance by fungal farms is perhaps a similar basic lever used to control the beastman clanhold-vassals that surround and pay tribute to the drow.

Deep dwellers in large settlements called vaults, mycoculture, mining — does all this together step too much on dwarven toes? I think not, for two principle reasons. First, I think it makes sense that different societies trying to survive in the same basic ecological-economic context will find similar solutions. The “dwarf package” is largely just the “underground-dweller package”, contextualized for the only race that commonly does so near the surface. If this is dwarf-exclusive, it’s hard to work out how any other Underdark dwellers can function.

Second, dwarves still retain some unique advantages in this system — dwarf families can be dynamically reassigned between different functions, which lends them rather more flexibility. They can also work as miners even if not enslaved, and thus benefit in morale. Drow, by comparison, seem to view manual labor as beneath them and will use slaves for both mining and mycoculture, requiring both more laborers and suffering worse morale when doing so. They also cannot delve deeply — that dwarf subsystem seems best to keep dwarf-exclusive, to reflect their superior stoneworking. Last, to secure that dwarf niche, it is worth noting that dwarves remain the only race that operates on both the surface and in the depths. As a species, they have a remarkable adaptability and flexibility, to operate in either environment and tune their allocation of labor to the environment, which effectively translates into the resilience and endurance that they’re known for.

Economics and Demographics

The challenges of demography are rather more difficult, but can potentially be resolved. A typical drow warrior is 2 HD, a 2nd level character. That could be explained by treating them like beastmen — they would be inherently 2 HD creatures, due to natural ferocity and ability. However, this largely precludes them being a playable race at that point (not awful but not ideal), and more importantly does not match how demihumans are treated more broadly — elven and dwarven combatants are 1st level characters, not 1 HD monsters. It’s also basically trivial in demographic terms, and thus unacceptably precludes the opportunity to play with spreadsheets.

The first option I considered was to simply build the realm as a demihuman clanhold, which would entitle it to abundant levelled characters, and seems broadly justified by drow raiding practices. But this encounters two core problems: first, clanholds don’t form large cities, and the domain in question is fundamentally built around a large city. Second, what would prove to be the most challenging issue, is the simple matter that a clanhold doesn’t explain how all of these 2-4 HD troops are being paid — they aren’t just raiding, but actively patrolling a fortified environment. Clanhold demographics also generally overcorrect: compared to default elven demographics, the quantity of 2-4 HD troops in D3 is only 14-31% greater than we would expect in a typical elven domain, not a huge margin, whereas a barbarian realm more than doubles those totals.

Using the as-yet-unreleased BR and wage formulae from the revised version of Domains at War: Battles (available to King-tier backers of the ACKS Patreon!), I calculated the monthly wages of 2 HD drow warriors at 120gp each, 3 HD veteran drow warriors at 240gp each, and 4 HD elite drow warriors at 480gp each. Counting only those drow of 2-4 HD actively serving in obvious garrison roles in the hex of the vault itself, I total 511 troops and 92,640gp in wages. Their mass combat stats as companies are given below.

• 120 Drow Warriors, LF, UHD 2 (uhp 16), MV 2/4/6, 4 Sword & Shield 8+ or 3 Crossbow 9+ with sleep poison, AC 7, SV E2, ML +2; magic resistance -5; BR 20

• 120 Veteran Drow Warriors, LF, UHD 3 (uhp 24), MV 2/4/6, 5 Sword & Shield 7+ or 4 Crossbow 8+ with sleep poison, AC 7, SV E3, ML +3; magic resistance -4; BR 40

• 120 Elite Drow Warriors, LF, UHD 4 (uhp 32), MV 2/4/6, 6 Sword & Shield 6+ or 4 Crossbow 7+ with sleep poison, AC 8, SV E4, ML +3; magic resistance -3; BR 80

• All drow warriors additionally have lightless vision 90’, natural stealth, quickening, SLAs (illumination and tenebrosity 1/day each), sunlight sensitivity (-1 to hit, AC, morale, and saves vs fear in bright light and -2 in full daylight or equivalent). Females have MV 2/5/8 instead of 2/4/6.

The Domain

Of Erelhei-Cinlu, it is said:

Between 8,000 and 9,000 Drow live in the city, and double that number of half-casts, servants, and slaves. To this permanent population can be added a thousand or so creatures visiting for purposes known only to themselves.

Let us be optimistic, and assume that Gygax was noting only adult drow, and further assume the maximum of the range offered. That yields some 4500 drow families, 6000 slave gangs, and 500 metics. Adding up the slaves detailed elsewhere yields an additional 197 slave gangs, not including those on the estates of merchant houses. Since I assumed the maximum of drow within that range, I have declined to inflate that number further by adding in those individuals detailed throughout the module (an additional 1729 families worth if they were to be added in).

I have run the numbers many different ways, and it’s quite a strain to make those numbers work. If we treat the drow and metics as urban families (exactly reaching a Class II market for a net income + garrison expense of 5gp/family), and the slaves as mycocultural peasants maximally exploited and repressed (4gp land value for mycoculture plus the standard 4gp in services and 6gp in greatly elevated taxes, less 2gp for maintenance, for a total of 13gp/family, with the -6 penalty to morale rolls that imposes for high taxes and the absence of tithes and liturgies offset by repressing the peasants with at least about 64,000gp of troops each month . . . which they neatly have on hand). Having different tax rates for peasants and urbanites requires splitting this into two separate domains, but for various reasons, we want to do that anyway (the racial difference is part of that, but it also permits us to model the drow city with potentially good morale while the peasants are uniformly miserable under the crushing heel of generationally perfected exploitation).

Two incidental concerns: first, greater income is theoretically possible via special strains of mushrooms, and more justifiable than with dwarves (since the drow have access to ritual magic that makes it rather easier to successful experiments). That said, it still relies on experimentation, which I find highly dubious as an assumption, and moreover I think it poor niche protection for the drow to be better at mushroom experimentation than dwarves (I don’t know that I would forbid it outright, though I very well might, but they should be clearly worse at it). Second, land improvements might appear useful but close reading reveals they are not compatible with mycoculture (which is good and sensible, given how self-evidently broken they would be if they could be used together).

Taken all together, the combined income and garrison expenses of the entire city comes to 107,264gp monthly. There is virtually nothing more that can be done to further increase revenues, this is a functional upper bound on income. And the problem we immediately encounter is that just paying the wages of those drow who are obviously being used as a garrison consumes 86% of this income. That leaves too little for anyone else to subsist on, not to mention that does not include provision for the wages for the noble household guards, temple guards, or the militant orders! It’s a reasonable objection to argue that perhaps the nobles and temples cover those wages themselves, and there are some things they can do to help, but the bulk of noble and temple income is already accounted for in the city’s revenues (the merchant clans do have independent income sources, so I exclude them and their troops from these numbers). We can see that just as a matter of income, solutions that involve paying troops their normal wages seem clearly nonviable.

The above analysis came about as I attempted to instead make some variation on the (also a recent Patreon release) republican city state rules fit, which I found intriguingly well-suited thematically but fiscally implausible for these circumstances. Those rules would be better suited to a circumstance where there were simply too few combatants in the society and a larger proportion of the total manpower was needed to be mobilized, but that’s simply not an issue the drow face: their problem is one of economics, not demographics. There are 2208 drow soldiers under arms; a domain of 12,475 families can call up 1248 conscripts and 2495 militia, so while we’re near the upper end of standard mobilization rates, these numbers are ultimately reasonable even if we neglect Erelhei-Cinlu’s position as the sovereign over surrounding drow settlements that provide a larger population to pull from.

This is what ultimately persuaded me to return to Helgeran’s excellent Knightly Realms rules that he has very kindly shared on the ACKS Discord, which I had initially rejected as not quite fitting what I was modelling. They are an excellent system for supporting a large number of 2nd level knights spread across the countryside, by making them rulers who can be called up for military service, providing them with campaign XP qualifying income and only needing to meet their wages as levelled characters (rather than as troops) to prove reasonable (they can be paid less in essence because their pay is qualitatively superior, being under their own control in perpetuity, an XP source, and with the measure of autonomy gained by being rulers). For the 2-4 HD troops here in question, such wages are only about 40% of their wages as mercenaries, a reduction that makes it possible for us to get a working model while only minimally adjusting what Gygax wrote.

The trick here is that Helgeran’s model applies to knightly rulers of small domains, but even compared to that, there are a huge number of warriors to account for here relative to population. The solution I have found is to use the oligarchy to create a tiered “democracy” of sorts. Erelhei-Cinlu is not a single domain, but rather a set of oligarchic domains.

The Garrison

The soldier-caste is an oligarchy of all soldiers for the city’s defense, supported by 3000 enslaved work gangs formally allegiant to the city but in practice overseen and managed by the soldiery. (3 HD drow have double shares; 4 HD drow have quadruple shares). All soldier-oligarchs have an obligation to serve in the garrison and fight in the city’s defense (since they are rulers, they can be mustered by a Call to Council, though removing more than half from their position will lead to rampant slave revolts or leave the city without garrison). The oligarchy earns 39,000gp per month, split across with 772 shares, which works out to just over 50gp/share — enough to cover the upkeep expenses of all soldier-oligarchs, and get them to their respective levels via campaign XP, but no higher.

The Orders Militant

The militant orders can be provided for by similar means, as independent oligarchies, with some slight adjustment. Of the female society, we are told:

This military sisterhood supposedly counters all other factions in direct service of Lolth. . . . The nobles furnish recruits, equip them, and pay all costs. The sorority is only nominally answerable to the noble house, but the noble family is responsible for any misconduct or misdeeds of the group it sponsors. Considerable rivalry does exist between the sororities, and there is intrigue and politics within the society.

And of the males likewise:

Just as the female organization is a neutral instrument of the drow clerical hierarchy, so too is the fraternity of male fighters an instrument to counter any destructive feuding or power seizure by one or more of the merchant clans at the expense of the others. Of course, the society also furnishes troops for guard duty, patrols, etc.

From this we can conclude that there seem to be direct payments from the noble houses and the merchant clans to the support of the female and male societies, respectively. Given that the military sisterhood is “in direct service to Lolth”, we can tentatively assign the noble support in coin sent their way as the tithes from the city (5000gp), plus the patronage of its officers (that is, we can set aside the wages due the 5th+ level leaders of the warrior sorority as being paid by the nobility to retain them in their entourages, reinforcing those allegiances and deepening the intrigue there). With that and a further 1300 slave gangs whose services they are granted by the nobility, they can support themselves as an oligarchy in the same model as the garrison, earning 21,000gp per month split across 438 shares. The slave “barracks” noted in the module can instead be characterized as holding cells for unruly slaves, which seems reasonable given that the 62 enslaved occupants are locked and chained in separate rooms while under guard. Incessant slave rebellion is inevitable given the ruthlessness of the drow, but with such a large and capable force to repress them it is unlikely to develop.

The male society is harder to account for because we have only very limited means by which to assess the wealth of the merchant clans. However, I have previously worked out approximate numbers for the volume of trade in a Class II city such as this, and here we will make use of them. I assessed about 715,072gp of goods passing through the city each month in trade; split across 16 merchant clans, that works out to each having control of 29,807gp of goods and a profit of 6033gp each month, assuming the clans control roughly two-thirds of local trade (they almost certainly have trade and profits elsewhere, but they will also have officers, troops, and other expenses in those places as well). Those numbers are supported by tallying the average value of goods on each of their properties: 28,655gp, within about 4% of my estimate.

Each merchant clan is led by a 7th level clanlord, aided by two 5th level officers in overseeing various troops under them with wages of 5340gp (they are paying full wages to their troops, as their troops do not hold the benefits of rule). If the clanlord personally manages 75% of that and his two officers split the remainder, each can cover his monthly wage and secure sufficient campaign XP to reach the appropriate level, as well as retaining in entourage their share of the officers of the fraternity (575gp per clan). That leaves each clan 3414gp in profits each month, a reasonable sum. If we work back from the total number of slaves we determined originally, 1897 slaves are left for the male order, which would necessitate a monthly tribute of 700gp per merchant clan in order for the warrior fraternity to have appropriate income. That is well within their means, and a very efficient way for them to purchase political influence (which might in turn be leveraged to acquire or deny monopolies, which could transform my assumed even distribution into something considerably lopsided; such is politics).

The Sovereigns

This leaves the noble house guards and the temple guards, which I would have to make rather expansive estimations about tribute outside of what is given in the text to afford. Some tribute is reasonable: given the troglodyte and bugbear guards fielded by each house, we can reverse engineer that each holds in vassalage 1182 troglodyte families and 940 bugbear families (with those household guards serving via a call to arms as the free duty owed). This yields an expected tribute of about 4473gp per month to each house. D1 implies a network of additional outposts, mines, and other vassals that will also send in tribute, though the scope is difficult to assess and unlikely to be a huge further income source. But while valuable, all this is insufficient to cover the myriad expenses tallied by the great houses of the drow.

However, it is very much worth noting that all of the noble houses and the temple guards are led by divine spellcasters of 9th+ level. To borrow a mechanic from ACKS 1e, if each 9th+ level divine spellcaster is granted roughly a platoon of fanatic followers who need only be paid basic upkeep, then these numbers work out very neatly. That particular mechanic was cut from ACKS II, but priestesses do receive unpaid attendants (and in considerably greater numbers), so contrasting the single platoon here against the six or so that the updated divine spellcaster would receive, it seems reasonable. A matriarch whose household guard is slain will of course find them irreplaceable, and be promptly assassinated so that her heir can attain 9th level in her stead to replenish them.

Given the 5000 drow urban families, the revenues of ruling the city total to 25,000gp per month. The tributes mentioned above add another 35,787gp monthly, bringing the total to 60,784gp. While by no means an insignificant sum, split among the eight noble houses and four high officers of the temple, that covers only about half of the upkeep of the least of the houses, and only a paltry fraction of that of the highest among them. That entire sum could support any single house, but hardly all of them together. On the upside, at 5063gp per oligarch and an average of 10th level, they have +1 Personal Authority for an expected base domain morale of +2 (because they will all have Leadership, and an even or positive distribution of Charisma). The Vault of the Drow is not in danger of an uprising among its lower classes, but rather of treachery among the great houses.

The upkeep expenses of the drow matriarchs themselves total 92,750gp per month (save the High Priestess of Lolth herself). Their male consorts, officers, and such add another 87,050gp. The female officer and priest wages add a further 70,850gp. All together that totals to 250,650gp, well above the total revenues of the entire domain, but not unreasonable at the scale of the city — since the revenues of rule are so divided, the revenues of other city officials must be as well. Magistrate positions, magic research, and passive investments into the merchant clans and businesses within the city can fully close this gap; it is quite a sizable city they rule and well able to support that level of investment. If they intended to make up that entire margin of 189,866gp via passive investments, that would imply a principal of about 6,328,867gp value in the domain; a rough approximation from the JJ suggests the value of the assets across the domain is closer to 30Mgp.

Theocracy

To return to the questions of demographics, the large number of high level divine casters is noteworthy but can be explained by a rotation of the rights to divine power among the oligarchic rulers, with each of the eight matriarchs and the four 9th+ level priestesses entitled to the full divine power of the city for one month each year (with them appointed chaplain to the proximate vassal oligarchies of the soldiers and the orders, to draw on their DP as well). The 21,915gp of DP that typically grants is enough, combined with their long lifespans, for them to quickly reach 9th-10th level, and after a very long time eventually reach 11th level, which is the distribution that we do indeed see in the city. It also highlights the disruption caused by the ongoing religious schism in the city: if some fraction of the populace has followed the Eilservs in their conversion to the worship of Elemental Evil, the DP available will be split, and neither faction will have a sufficient amount to advance (House Noquar in particular is likely to be furious over this, given their ruler is presently only 8th level).

The exception is the presence of the 14th level High Priestess, whose station cannot readily be explained. Demihuman realms don’t expect to probably have a 14th level character until they’re around a million families. Barbarian realms expect to have one around 55,000 families, which is closer, but still doesn’t predict one in this domain. Given that this is the High Priestess of Lolth, and there are other drow vaults alluded to, if we interpret her as having supreme authority across a multitude of vaults then her presence here can be justified as being the overarching divine spellcaster across what is effectively a large realm. Perhaps she also receives her own tribute payments in that capacity, or perhaps she simply lives at the upkeep of an 11th level character rather than a 14th level one.

Composite Domains

If one wanted a more generalizable template for drow domains, I might suggest the following:

• Drow rule composite domains. A composite domain has two distinct components: a citadel of the drow, and a cavern of their slaves. Each will have separate domain morale. Because of their reliance on subterranean mycoculture, composite domains can only be established in caverns bathed in the luminous radiation upon which such mushrooms feed in the furthest depths of the world.

• The citadel yields normal urban settlement revenues to the ruler of the composite domain, but does not have to pay for a garrison. The domain’s steward, chaplain, and munerator receive their typical wages based on the citadel’s revenues and expenses.

• Large citadels typically fracture between competing factions into oligarchic rule: one noble house or grand priestess will emerge for every 500 drow families. If not given a share in rule, they will agitate against the ruler: each faction not participating in the oligarchy imposes a -1 penalty to domain morale rolls for the citadel and a -1 penalty to vassal Loyalty rolls. Any bandits or NPC leaders who emerge as a result of low domain morale should be treated as additional factions fighting to seize seats on the oligarchic council.

• The slave-cavern contains the work gangs whose labor feeds and enriches their tyrannical masters. It has a base morale score of -4 rather than 0, takes a -6 penalty to domain morale rolls, and does not generate revenue. Instead, it provides a free garrison force that the ruler of the composite domain can deploy as desired (usually, it is left to repress the slave-cavern). This force will contain one 2 HD drow warrior per 10 work gangs, one 3 HD veteran drow warrior per 15 work gangs, and one 4 HD elite drow warrior per 150 work gangs, and is under the command of the composite domain’s captain of the guard (who earns 12.5% of their collective wages as his salary, as normal; if the composite domain is under oligarchic rule, multiple captains can be appointed, splitting this wage among them). If the number of work gangs decreases, any excess drow warriors will become raiders who plunder the weak nearby and aim to found their own composite domains or secure oligarchic rule.

• The maximum number of work gangs in the slave-cavern is limited to one work gang per 20,000 cubic feet of space appropriate for mycoculture. If there are additional work gangs, the ruler of the composite domain can use them to excavate additional space (100 work gangs can dig out an additional 20,000 cubic feet in a month, as can a 1000gp construction project), establish a mine, etc.

• In a typical composite domain, there will be the same number of drow families in the citadel settlement as there are work gangs in the slave-cavern. If there is not, for every full one hundred drow families in excess of the number of work gangs in the slave-cavern at the end of a month, the citadel loses 1d10 drow families. Likewise, for every full one hundred work gangs in excess of the number of drow families in the citadel at the end of a month, the citadel gains 1d10 drow families.

• Any drow families that arrive as followers, via immigration from prestige, or from high domain morale will bring one enslaved work gang to the domain as well. The citadel settlement is treated as an elven domain for purposes of immigration from prestige.

Conclusions

I am very pleased to have found a way to make this model work; I quite literally have gone through half a dozen major iterations that almost work, or that work if I make a few unwise rulings on edge case mechanics, but I think this is actually broadly reasonable. If a player wanted to rule a composite domain as above, I’d be fine with that (though that doesn’t mean it’s easy to secure such a position).

Erelhei-Cinlu’s defenders total about 564 BR across 20 companies. Being all loose foot makes them somewhat fragile, and definitely superior on the offensive; their stealth and extreme sunlight sensitivity reinforce that. Cavalry can’t really be used in the Underdark, but on the surface they’ll suffer greatly if beaten on the field and subject to pursuit. If they took half their force on campaign, they’d be in the same league as a prince after accounting for their heroes, but with so few units and their deep internal tensions they could potentially be withstood by a strong duke with a band of PCs if he fought hard and smart — characters right about 10th level, which is what the module is recommended for. Very nice.

Incidentally, I found it interesting that the stats given for Lolth herself make her roughly equivalent to a speaking cacodemon of the eighth rank (a “devil”, with 16****** HD). A good reminder that with appropriate minions, support, and environment, reasonable threats can remain potent opposition well into the late game.

If anyone has thoughts on further refining this, or considers some of these jumps unreasonable, or would be interested in specific analysis of the array of monsters and treasures, I’d be interested to hear it. I am still working through all of the implications of it myself, but it fits the text and seems well-suited to creating the chaos, intrigue, and ruthless treachery that drow society has been depicted with. Let me know what you think!

I am still muddling through drow domains; I have a working model now, but it’s not as rigorous as I’d like so it’s still going through some revision, and I’ve been quite busy. So in the meanwhile, enjoy! I’ve found these very fun.

Ritual Summoning V1

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To continue in that vein then, in my time running and playing in eldritch campaigns that do not feature arcane and divine magic, it has become increasingly clear that it drives a number of subtle differences in the structure of campaigns. It is useful for Judges considering such a campaign to understand the impact eldritch magic has, and the way it changes some fairly fundamental assumptions built into gameplay. It is simply different, although I do quite enjoy it.

The Nuances of Eldritch Magic

Having established how it might be adapted to largely mesh with ACKS II, I can identify the points where it still differs greatly from the default assumptions of arcane and divine magic more precisely. To that end, four major distinctives emerge:

1. Shaded Magic

2. Ceremonial Magic

3. Studious Magic

4. Indirect Magic

Shaded Magic

Eldritch magic is shaded magic: its use or misuse has severe spiritual implications. A necromancer who often invokes black sorceries will find himself warped to resemble his practices. All casters have access to the same spell list, but instead there is tension and differentiation in whether or not they choose to pursue corrupting black magic, or remain pure hearted in white magic, or dabble in grey magics that will ever tempt them with misuse.

It is very much worth noting that each shade of magic has access to magics of a different sort, and these clear lines should not be muddled. In a very real sense, grey and black sorcerers do and should have better spells available than mere white magicians — pursuing white magics is a self-imposed handicap, that avoids the risk of crippling corruptions. Being subject to shaded magic grants a full ceremonialist or spellcaster a full four powers, equivalent to a priestess’ code of behavior that prevents violence against humans and demihumans and requires her to obey the laws of the land and orders of her rightful superiors, among other constraints, upon pain of losing her spellcasting and class powers. Given that the potential corrupting weaknesses, while awful, are not nearly so harsh as the loss of all spellcasting, and offer the same boon, the constraints they impose should be if anything even harsher. Players will plead for permissiveness in interpreting new potential white spells that expand their capabilities, and the fair-minded Judge should be extremely discriminating in approving them.

Further, when assessing whether a character takes corruption by their misuse of grey magics, remember that intent is not necessary (just as it is not necessary for any violation of a code of behavior!). If someone unwittingly harms a Neutral bystander, or magically infiltrates a site and happens to steal something of theirs therein, that is a corrupting act — “For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” Caution and discretion are the bywords of safe use of magic.

Understand then the impact that has on the broader setting, when all magic is subject to such constraints. As established in my prior post, hiring someone to perform black magic is expensive, because it imperils their soul and sanity, not to mention illegal. Hiring the use of grey magic would be something entered into with caution, because if someone then misuses that power, the caster suffers.

Though grey magic has its place in society, white magic will be most prevalent in Lawful realms. The applications of warcraft to magic are made more explicitly about reconnaissance, deception, construction, and the like, rather than battlefield spellcasting, unless one is open to corruption, or fighting the forces of Chaos itself (though it is worth noting that strategic applications of magic to warcraft of such sorts tend to be superior to tactical applications regardless). But likewise, the great power potentially offered by black and grey magic provides a temptation to dabble in dark powers, and the presence of Chaotic cults within society (and potentially even the authorities overlooking them) is more easily explained.

Incidentally, shaded magic also answers the problem of a caster endlessly summoning demons to learn their names and build a wide array of options — each shaded casting inflicts corruption, and thus comes with a small but meaningful cost that does not exist when the spell is translated to arcane magic.

Ceremonial Magic

By default, the overwhelming majority of eldritch magic is ceremonial magic. A mortal magician works magic through ritual, incantation, and precise performance of ceremony. A being with spell slots is something supernatural, an inhuman power — faeries, demons, monsters, gods use spell slots. Mere mortals are limited to ceremonies. Perhaps among adventurers there may be a rare Zaharan, who has inherited bargains for demonic power, or a Nobiran who bears the touch of the gods, and these should be met with awe and fear and wonder, for neither is common, and neither is truly human, as evidenced for all to see by the powers that they wield.

This has rather significant impacts on gameplay, because ceremonies have very different availability from spell slots. Because of the way ceremonies work, low level spells will be relatively much more available; high level spells may be slightly less available (both in the market but also on adventure). Ceremonialists will carry lots of trinkets by the mid-game, and have incredible amounts of healing on tap should they need it, though it may take a bit of time.

Having time to prepare for things will in general be quite powerful. A mage can burn all his spell slots, and then sleep overnight to recover them and be back at full power; a careful ceremonialist might have more spells readied in trinkets at his best, but could well take weeks to recharge them. It falls to the Judge to keep up the time pressure, at both local levels (e.g. random encounters while adventuring) and the campaign (e.g. major events that proceed on a schedule if undisrupted, even if PCs waste time or spend weeks amassing trinkets), and to likewise make sure that enemy ceremonialists are themselves appropriately prepared and can respond in kind.

Studious Magic

In a traditional arcane/divine setting, while arcane spells may be scattered about and availability of any specifics is uncertain (that is, the fact that there’s an 11th+ level caster in town does not guarantee that he can cast stone to flesh), the standard array of divine spellcasters have prayerful repertoires. It is a safe assumption that you can always get basic healing with suitable donation, and even unusual spells like salving rest, remove curse, cure disease, and restore disability and dismemberment are all effectively guaranteed if the market is large enough to support a spellcaster of the requisite level (though cure disease being only on the priestess list by default in II makes that less absolute, it can still very much be expected in any Class IV or larger market).

In an eldritch setting, that is no longer the case. Repertoire slots are much more precious, and if it is not often useful, a given spell can and will be replaced. A Lawful temple in a Class III market is not at all guaranteed to have any of the above spells, unless the Judge specifically decided to include them. This is a different gameplay paradigm, but I think it’s quite an interesting one, in which rather than curses being fixed by getting back to town and making an appropriate donation, they can be more significant challenges that call for a pilgrimage to the Pillars of Ali-Ara where there is rumored to be a prophet who break them.

Moreover, by dividing such abilities up among competing factions, and leaning into the polytheism and mystery cults of Classical Antiquity, a Judge has one more lever by which to make politics and social interaction very gameable. In my own setting, the Temple of Elion holds the secrets of breaking curses, while the Temples of Rora and Aliya retain most other healing spells, and the Temples of Therin and Jash are the most militant and retain most combat buffs. Players who ally (and are members of, or take henches from) one or two factions still can’t generally cover all their bases, inherently pushing interaction and competition between them and other factions.

As I have recommended in the past, I strongly recommend building out the full repertoire of the highest level caster of each organization, and each caster of 7th+ level, in a settlement of note where you expect players to spend some time. Lower level characters can be assumed to study under them and have subsets of that repertoire. The availability tables in my prior post let you quickly assess how many (if any) methodical ceremonies of a given level are available to purchase on a given day in a given settlement; having repertoires built out in turn lets you quickly assess which spells are available, and from whom, to be fast in play and make the world richer and more relational. If there’s interest, I have quite a few of these built out, and could put together some examples.

Building out the repertoires for casters of 7th+ level in notable settlements is really useful to this end, because it tells you who can fix problems. If the answer is "nobody here", then you know to tell the character he must make a pilgrimage to the Pillars of Ali-Ara where there is rumored to be a prophet who can lift his curse.

Indirect Magic

It is not an uncommon observation that the eldritch spell list, generally speaking, removes many of the easy direct solutions to problems. Many of the classic ACKS spells are now black magic (conjure cacodemon, bewitch humanoid, panic), and standouts such as fireball have been removed entirely. Teleportation is off the table. Area of effect spells in particular suffer and tend to be fairly weak, or are reliant on environmental constraints, making tight formations (the “dungeon phalanx”) effective for longer into a campaign. The numerous spells with environmental power sources add a quite interesting dynamic to gameplay, where e.g. a pyromancer wants to prepare natural fires wherever he is going to do battle, and a sea-sorcerer will only have access to his best spells on open water.

The constraints on aerial movement effects (levitation and flight moved to much higher levels; arcane shift and teleportation cut entirely) are a boon to thieves, whose climbing and leaping talents can shine into the mid- and late- game. Likewise, buff spells stand out as one of the strongest options among white magic, which helps reinforce the fighter’s niche and drive intra-party coordination.

Another particularly significant example of the shifted focus of magic is that restore life and limb is a ritual spell. Restore disability and dismemberment is likewise much more expensive than normal (3600gp versus the typical 185gp). Neither is commonly available (both require an 11th+ level caster, who must have that spell in repertoire — not going to happen below a Class III market, and even there it's not more likely than anything else). People who take mortal wounds will probably have them for a while. But there are still lots of good ways to prevent the taking of mortal wounds! They just tend to require more foreknowledge and preparation, so that buffs to AC or boost saves or resist a damage type can be readied, or elements woven to control the field of battle, etc.

In the low levels, this tends to mean characters who might’ve been saved and healed are instead retired. In the mid levels, this tends to make parties more cautious, since they know they don’t have a safety net. By the high levels, that effect can be very pronounced, I think likely too much so, and having some reliable way to raise the dead without spending 150kgp+ is beneficial to the game. In 1e that cost for a 7th level restore life and limb would’ve been only 63kgp to commission, most of that being the caster’s wage for their time, with only a further 9kgp needed to upgrade to resurrection (compared to doubling the above value to 300kgp in the II), so this has also become rather more difficult than when the book was written. High level play with zero room for enemy victory can be fun, but tends to be pretty stressful for players, so if that’s not your aim then it’s good to provide some cheaper mechanism (though there’s still a lot of room for it to be quite expensive — 63kgp is never going to be pocket-change). There are lots of interesting ways to pull that off - mystic pools in inhospitable locales that can periodically provide healing, a much-hungered-after item of power, being able to invest in a clone for one’s soul to reoccupy upon death (priced as a construct of the character’s HD), angelic heralds that can be summoned by the worthy to receive true divine healing, terrible demons or cunning fae that offer similar services for a greater price . . .

On the whole, however, the fact that the spell list is split into distinct shades, and not dominated by some standout breakthroughs included for legacy reasons, helps support diversity among spellcasters and enables more niches (by making existing niches narrower or more focused). It also opens up more opportunities for research — you’ll never research a better fireball, but it’s very viable to hone many of the eldritch spells into a variation that’s more suited to your intended use case. Likewise, if the Judge includes esoteric sects and mystery cults that players can join (or hunt down and steal spells from), giving them powerful custom spells within their specialty is a very cool way to reflect that. The standard arcane spell list is a good model of a setting dominated by imperial institutions that have amassed and brought together knowledge over centuries; the standard eldritch spell list suggests a setting where mages are more cutthroat and secretive, where knowledge dies with its discover and sorcerers know they must keep tricks up their sleeve even from their apprentices to defend against betrayal.

Conclusions

Eldritch magic does not imply exactly the same sort of setting as do arcane and divine, and if a Judge swaps it in expecting it to provide a little different flavor but few substantive changes on gameplay, he is likely to be thrown off by unexpected consequences. That is largely as it should be, and in keeping with good simulationist principles — things that are different should work differently. That said, with a broader understanding of the impact eldritch magic has on a campaign, it has incredible potential to rework the setting, embracing Classical Antiquity, Swords & Sorcery fiction, and player agency. It also has the potential for experienced players to push them into a new paradigm, that forces reassessment and iteration on old tactics, and restores some of the wonder and mystery eroded by familiarity. The rules for eldritch magic are the high point of the greatest book of ACKS 1e, and I hope more Judges may be inspired to give them a try.

The Annals of War

The Caliph of Thar dispatches his new cavalry contingent (his Seventh Army) against the Temahn under the command of General Valrex, high commander of the hobgoblin armies of Agrahvar, to test his performance and his loyalty. He brought six battalions of elite Agrahvan hobgoblin cavalry with his defection, and was further granted three battalions of uruk boar riders from Thar, and with them he rode west and masterfully repulsed the nomads. His own losses were light, but he destroyed a tithe of their force and took twice as many again captive; this was in part due to the Caliph’s own subtle manipulations, as he had persuaded one of the high aghas (tribal chieftains in service to the Kagan, this one a noted rival to that supreme lord of the savannah) in advance to withdraw early from the battle after suffering only light arrow fire, hopefully to precipitate a rout and shame the Kagan. That ploy played out very nicely, and the Kagan does not even appear to suspect it, but it is an unforeseen consequence that the treacherous agah’s own brother was among those captured and the plot is thickening.

The Sixth Army of Thar meanwhile remains encamped about that city, its siegeworks complete but seemingly no closer to driving out the lizardmen within. From discussion with other patrons, he seems confident the Oracle’s armies are near, but his scouts cannot find them, and his wounds from the treacherous Sultan of Agrahvar keep him from invoking his own dark magics to discover their whereabouts. This makes him all the more desperate to reclaim his capital swiftly, not to mention payroll coming due in another week’s time.

Thrassia remains besieged within the falls, devouring prisoners to feed themselves as a portion of their army is detached to pillage the city. Even at their slow rate of progress, the city’s grandeur yields much plunder. Scouts have been detached to explore the sewers, sub-city caverns, and dungeon vaults of the Caliph, to see if there might be a path of escape thereby, but with no luck thus far. The winged thrassians do get an excellent look at their besiegers, and confirm that it seems that neither can Thrassia fight free, nor can Thar retake its capital.

The Temahn got a very good look at the Seventh Army of Thar as it assaulted and drove them back as mentioned above, and at the city of Thar before that, but while their retreat was noted by Thari scouts, what was missed was that they actually retreated to screen and join the Oracle’s Crusade. The Kagan has been in negotiations with the Oracle for some time now and seems to be seriously considering conversion to the cause of Law, a momentous event if true. The Oracle has pushed him to begin that process, to demonstrate the worthiness of a potential assault to free his kin.

The First Fleet of Pirates suffers deserters in the night, as its veteran heavy infantry contingent gets tired of watching Kirkuk with no plunder and leaves with their vessels to conduct proper piracy elsewhere. It is reinforced by most of the garrison of Keelhaul Cove, which sailed east to join them and was favored by swift winds.

The vassals of Najran are marched about, but express their discontent, as does the Sultan himself who feels that the Pirate King’s promises to free him from Thari tyranny are being ignored. The Sultanic Fleet of Agrahvar appears near the city of Najran, and sends emissaries warning of the chaos in Agrahvar and seeking employment there; no response has yet been given.

The Pirate King himself infiltrates the garrison at Kirkuk to sow chaos and perhaps seize it, or perhaps assassinate the Caliph’s henchmen overseeing it. His sister in Ali-Aram investigates his agent’s disappearance there, and in the course of that finds herself scried upon by the Grand Vizier of Ali-Aram, confirming her suspicions.

Last, but of dire import, their continuous line of contact with the force left to garrison the secret pirate base at Keelhaul Cove has gone silent. But there is little mystery, for the criers of Ali-Aram spread this message from the High Priestess across all realms:

Ali-Ara, The Tempestuous Muse and Queen of the Seas, has turned her wrath on the wicked this day. The so-called “pirate-king” has faced a mortal blow to his motley domain. Like all foul creatures of the night he relied upon secrecy, and this proved his undoing as even his inner circle betrayed him. The location of his little mousehole, where he gathered filthy lucre and the chained righteous, has been delivered. His sparsely defended fortress is now protected by thousands of faithful spears, his captured Alian slaves now walk free and turn their lashes upon their former Masters, his seized gold is soon to adorn Ali-Ara’s Temple. The families of the pirates on the island throw themselves at my feet and beg clemency for the actions of their sons, fathers, and brothers still at sea. The gangs and fleets that he has bribed, threatened, and bewitched even now seek opportunities to slip away before another massacre befalls them.

My heart, full of mercy and magnanimity, grows harder with every day that passes. Any Captain who has ever spoken his name on MY island is being scried upon by scholars at my university, and my squadrons of ships are are sailing to see you hanged and your men enslaved along with any family members found on my island. Daniya’s mines always need more hands to plumb the darkness. Cast yourself on Ali-Ara's mercy, paint her mark on your sails and forehead and sail alone towards the harbor of Ali-Aram and throw yourself on the mercy of the Tempestuous Muse before it is too late. The wicked may repent as long as they yet breathe, but that time grows yet shorter.

Which brings us nicely to Ali-Aram, and the High Priestess’ highly successful seizure of the secret pirate base, which incidentally occurred just after most of the remaining garrison there sailed off east to threaten Kirkuk. The fighting was fierce nonetheless to take the town and fort, but quite rewarding, the isle being a site of many slaves and the families of many pirates. Her faithful henchman Rashid Nazar is elevated to the title of Emir and granted vassal authority over the isle, and the Alian slaves are freed, while the remaining slaves are distributed as spoils of war to keep the troops happy. That said, they have no leads at present on where the pirate fleets may be . . .

The Maestra Nadia spends her days scrying the various nobles of Najran, thanks to the targeting details provided by the good Captain Ibrahm, who is now repeating his investigations in Agrahvar and finding the city in chaos after the Sultan’s death at the hands of the Caliph. Rumors fly as to what quarrel came between them, and who was to blame.

A ploy to interrogate the captured pirate via bewitchment fails, but torture has mixed results; they buy the lie that he’s merely a Najrani notable present in Ali-Aram to instigate terrorism, but do force out descriptions of his companions in the city, who were then scried by the Vizier, to find additionally among them a witch of great power who scried him in turn. There was also some social trouble as the Vizier expressed his dislike of being sidelined by the Commander of the Ever-Bright Eyes as an advisor, but the High Priestess took steps to assuage that (mostly this was the Prince of Thieves fishing for his mouthpiece’s suggestions to perhaps eventually be taken, rather than routinely ignored as they largely have been).

In service to the Prince of Thieves (who, at this point, I don’t think any patrons besides himself suspect exists), a spy ring has ridden north from Jechtel to attempt to scout and infiltrate the Thari army besieging Thar. The spy rings within Thar have still made no contact, but negotiations are ongoing between their confederates abroad and the God-King of Thrassia.

In Agrahvar, the reins of power have been seized by Kalobar, High Priest of the Uncreated Night. Six spy rings there are split between infiltrations and spreading rumors, attempting to enflame things there and establish a dominant narrative that the Sultan was betrayed by the Caliph of Thar, who then bewitched Valrex and has compelled him to serve unwillingly. While not what happened, it’s a very plausible narrative (and honestly, closer to what I expected to have happened than to reality). They also report on the same Alian captain who was poking around Najran early the prior week now being present to do the same in Agrahvar, of the Agrahvan navy seemingly having disappeared (a warning passed along to spread many worries among other patrons), and of food shortages becoming more prevalent as the city is divided by riots and unrest.

After interrogations of the captive pirate in Ali-Aram fail, the Vizier receives his wish, and the High Priestess authorizes him to prepare a raid to seize the suspicious fleet and its passengers, calling in favors from her allies in the city to support that endeavor. We shall wait and see how it plays out . . .

Reflections

Given that next week is when payrolls come due, and a missed payment will prompt army-wide morale rolls, the Caliph is growing increasingly desperate to retake his capital and treasury, and with it the ability to collect income from his personal domain as well. The Pirate King is more desperate yet — he has just learned that his locus of power has fallen, and very well may not even be able to maneuver his forces back to attempt to reclaim it in time.

Forced marches have come up a couple times now, but I am increasingly unpersuaded that they should matter at the scale of weekly turns. The bonus to strategic initiative is very strong, and the requirement to spend a day in rest immediately after is very minor, only a one eighth decrease in total weekly movement. I think this is mostly my fault for assuming a rule that seems pretty clearly intended for use with daily orders would also apply to weekly orders, without really thinking it through, but it seems pretty clear at this point that it shouldn’t be viable as a way to get a bonus or else it should become the standard baseline.

One question that has come up a couple times but thankfully never yet forced me to give an answer, how many vessels are assumed to be present in a port settlement of a given size, that could be impressed into service? I’m sure the morale penalty for doing so would be awful, but if times get desperate, or you plan to pillage the city anyway, I could see it being undertaken. Any thoughts from the viewing gallery?

Addendum: wargame reports from the Intro, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, and Week 7 are all available.

I’ve been thinking recently about the best way to format stat blocks. The standard shorthand used in ACKS II is very concise, but I find the order slightly unintuitive, and I think a slightly more expansive version could add a lot of useful detail (notably creature type, size, saves, BR, special senses, descriptions of unusual special abilities). In speaking with Martin, , and others on the ACKS Discord, I’ve gotten some good feedback and refined this model a bit further, and now I’m sharing it more broadly in the hope of gaining some further input on what is necessary and what can be cut. Please let me know what you think!

My general thinking is to start with the broad descriptive statistics (name, size, type, alignment, HD), then proceed to defensive stats (HD, hp, AC, saves) that get used when it’s not that creature’s turn, then to active stats (initiative bonus if any, movement speeds by type, attack routines) that are used during its initiative, and then finally the general notes (ML, XP, BR). If there are any special senses or special abilities, they follow that.

Example Stat Blocks

To start with a simple example:

3x Orc (Beastman), MS Humanoid Beastman, AL C, HD 1 (hp 4, 8, 6), AC 3, SV F1 (13+), SPD 40’/120’, 1 Spear or Short Sword 10+ 1d6 {P}, ML +0, XP 10, BR 0.010; LV 30’

• Equipment: belt pouches with 4sp each, leader also has a 10gp quartz

I think includes basically all relevant information, compressed down. “MS” is “Man-Sized”, the size category; “Humanoid Beastman” could possibly be abbreviated but I’m not yet persuaded doing so would be worth it. “{P}” succinctly indicates the damage type (“Piercing”) using the format from the drafting of ACKS II, and the listed saving throw is vs Paralysis (all that’s really necessary for fighter saves, given that each column right is just at -1 relative to that prior). BR isn’t normally included with monster stats, but I find it useful whenever there’s a chance something will be engaged in mass combat. “LV” at the end is “Lightless Vision”; if the orc also had Night Vision, I’d append “NV” for that as well, but any other special senses are rare enough to be written out in full.

I don’t list standard equipment (mundane weapons, armor) that can be trivially inferred from the statblock, to avoid unnecessary clutter. Separating Equipment out under a bolded subheader makes it easy to reference and sum up loot.

Trying a slightly more complicated monster:

20x Pixie (Faerie), Sm Enchanted Humanoid, AL N, HD 1**, AC 6, SV E1 (12/14/15/16/16+), SPD 30’/90’, FLY 60’/180’, 1 Tiny Sword 10+ 1d4 {P!} or Tiny Bow 10+ 1d4 {P!} (75/150/300’), ML -1, XP 16, BR 0.122; LV 60’; Precise Shooting, invisible, weak wings (rest 1 turn after 3 turns flight)

If the pixies had a number of proficiencies, I might favor:

class powers (Precise Shooting, Performance, Sensing Power)

But generally I find the format of bolding the name of each special ability makes them easy to remember and reference, especially if special rules for the nonstandard powers can be included as parenthetical notes. Standard powers (proficiencies, features that reference a standard class, invisibility or the like that just work as explained at the start of the MM) don’t need explanation in my opinion; the Judge should be familiar with those.

Findura the Lamia, Lg Monstrosity (sapient), AL C, HD 9*** (hp 45+10/3 duplicates), AC 13, SV F9 (8+), SPD 80’/240’, 1 Tail 2+ 1d6 {B!} + 1 WIL or Bow 0+ 1d6+2 {P!} + poison (120/240/360’), ML +1, XP 2500, BR 3.250; LV 60’, NV; enslave (anyone drained to WIL 3), SLAs (at will: word of command, spectral figment, perpetual figment; 1/day: bewitch humanoid, illusory duplicates used), poison (demonic attercop: save or after 1 round paralyzed 1d4 turns + 5d6 {Po!})

• Equipment: bow of curved dragon horn (Composite Bow +2, apparent 750gp), 2x quiver, empty vial (already drunk Potion of Necromantic Potence), vial of demonic attercop poison (1000gp), fitted bronze muscle plate (MW Plate Barding +1, apparent 1250gp), belt pouch (35gp and a 500gp topaz)

• Mass Combat: LA 5, SA +3, MM +0

• Description: Upper body of a woman with midnight-black hair atop the body of a lion with a serpent’s tail. Cunning, evasive, subtle. Aims to catch characters alone, enslave them, and then act through pawns. Speaks Auran, Ancient Zaharan, Elvish, Orc, Gnoll, and Ogre.

Lamias are among my favorite monsters, very versatile opponents and interesting to run and to oppose. Because this one is expected to have already drunk a Potion of Necromantic Potence and cast illusory duplicates when it is encountered, I included the temporary hp (“+10”) and number of duplicates for reference in it’s hp entry so that they’re not forgotten in the heat of play.

For magic and masterwork items, I prefer to list the description, with the actual item name bolded in the parenthetical along with its apparent value. This is a good habit and prevents players identifying which items are magical just based on what lacks description, and doing it in advance helps me to remember to tie it into the regional history, give weapons names, etc.

The Mass Combat section at present just abbreviates its command abilities (respectively: Leadership Ability, Strategic Ability, Morale Modifier), but if one might be playing out a battles scenario this would also be the fitting place for unit statistics.

The “Description” section here is very much optional, but useful for a powerful and intelligent creature that is likely to recur, knows a specific set of languages, etc.

One last example, to demonstrate how I’d set up a proper spellcaster:

Hag, MS Enchanted Monstrosity (sapient), AL C, HD 9***, AC 8, SV C9+1 (8/5/8/11/10+), init +2, SPD 30’/90’, 2 Claws 2+ 1d4+4 {S!}, ML +2, XP 2500, BR 3.206; LV 60’; immune (all mundane), SLAs (1/day: adjust self, bestow curse; 1/week: bestow curse)

• Chthonic Witch 9: DEX 16, WIL 14; Bedazzling Glamor, Seduction, Subtle Beguilement; Loremastery 10+, Quiet Magic, Mastery of Enchantments and Illusions, Alchemy III, Naturalism

• Spellcasting (Witch 9): 1st (5): allure, cure light injury, discern evil, discern magic, word of command; 2nd (5): beguile humanoid, dominate beasts, magic lock, necromantic potence; 3rd (5): bewitch humanoid, deflect ordinary missiles, dispel magic, phantasmal figment, rune of warding; 4th (3): invisibility, skinchange, restore disfigurement and disability; 5th (2): curse of the swine, dominate monster

• Equipment: crooked ash staff

• Mass Combat: LA 5, SA +3, MM +0

I assume the Judge knows the rules for Enchanted creatures and doesn’t need the standard features of each monster type defined in statblocks. Initiative is noted here because it’s not +0. The save listed as “C9+1” is intended as shorthand for the saves of a 9th level crusader with a +1 bonus (from it’s WIL 14). Since it doesn’t follow fighter saves, and thus it’s a little trickier to infer the other throws from just the throw to save vs Paralysis, I list the full set.

Given that the hag has nonstandard attributes and a full set of class powers, breaking that out into its own bullet is worthwhile, while avoiding cluttering up the combat statistics overmuch.

The type of spellcasting is listed for reference and caster level, and then each level of spells is listed along with its number of slots and repertoire at that level, bolded for easy scanning.

On the whole, I’m pretty happy with this format, but I do think it’s still an open question whether the full monster type needs to be listed, whether BR should be a standard inclusion or only when mass combat is likely, whether supply cost should be added, whether armor type should be listed in a parenthetical after AC (useful principally if the popular armor penetration of large monsters optional rule is in use), etc. Please let me know your thoughts!

The preparatory movements are now paying off, as ploys are brought out and battles are fought. Next week we’ll see even more fighting; I think in part, the great powers of Ali-Aram and Thar are seeing the musters they had begun at the beginning of this scenario approaching, now halfway to completion with the surge of reinforcements that will bring.

It hasn’t really fit into the summaries below, but it’s been quite interesting running the fanatic Oracle of Theris at Calarah as an NPC faction, who is constantly urged by Ali-Aram to proceed more slowly, and by the Temahn to hurry before Thar can consolidate its grip. I’m still hoping to find a patron to run that, but the one guy I have been speaking with sounds like, while his schedule is now freeing up to participate, he wants a less centrally involved faction — probably some Madran merchant-prince who can provide monetary backing and spies and intelligence but mostly try to manipulate things from afar. (Originally I had proposed one of the Dragonlords of the Far East, but he seems averse to throwing in his allegiance with the chthonic powers of the Underworld.)

The Annals of War

The Thari garrison at the ruins of Kirkuk works to rebuild the citadel there. Upriver, the 6th Army is picked up by the fleet that had docked outside that city and taken upriver to Thar itself — finding themselves arriving only hours after a great host of lizardmen erupted from the river and took the city! Finding it held by their enemies, too strong to take by storm, the army of Thar begins to invest the siege of their own capital. Smoke rises within as the city is plundered. Circumvallation and countervallation proceed quickly with the aid of a potent Standard of Encampment (see the Treasure Tome).

As that position is entrenched, an unknown army of uruks approaches from the eastern savannahs, where they have apparently made their living as mercenaries and have now come to offer their services, at a hefty rate given the Caliph’s apparent desperation. Around the same time, two brigades of elite Agrahavan hobgoblin cavalry ride up from the south, led by their Sultan who warns of dire news — but then once in private audience, draws his blade and attempts to murder the Caliph outright! Both are struck down together, but healers are quickly brought in and manage to save them both, though the Caliph lost an eye to his vassal’s treachery and will need two weeks of bedrest (itself quite crippling, given how much he needs every commander he can get in this dire time).

Apparently, the hobgoblin host had sealed orders from their sultan that were intended to lead them to treacherously fall on the uruk rear as well once admitted within the camps, but they have been conditioned toward honor from birth as a precaution to ensure their own loyalty, and at such blatant treachery desert their sultan (as their sultan feared they might, but deemed necessary to attempt). With their sultan in the Caliph’s hands, and unknown chaos now spreading at home, the hobgoblin General bargains with the Caliph for new employment and an agreement is reached. The Caliph Mesakai seems uneasy to trust his former enemy, but having been rendered unable to command himself and with threats tearing pieces off his domain on every side, he is growing desperate — particularly when scouts report a 6000-strong army of Temahni nomad warriors just 50 miles to his west. Though he does yet have a wish . . .

Thrassia obviously made their own bold play here, racing downriver to seize Thar after their scouts reported its garrison left understrength, aided by the admittedly-sluggish river and a forced march into just beating the Caliph’s own army. Now they are trapped there, dire straits for most forces suddenly besieged in a hostile city with no supply lines . . . but the God-King of Thrassia laughs, for he holds a city full of manflesh.

The companions of the Pirate King undergo a swift reorganization this week, as called pegasus mounts enable extremely fast travel., and redeploys heroes from the central desert to the fleet at the secret pirate base of Keelhaul Cove and to reinforce Ali-Aram where their ranking operative disappeared in the night with no trace. The aforementioned fleet then sails east to Najran, buoyed by a strong west wind. The Pirate King himself, having just previously spoiled the army’s supplies, departs the 6th Army of Thar and meets them there. The Second Army of Najran, led by the Sultan himself, marches east to threaten a crossing of the swamp by land and encircle Kirkuk from that side as well.

In Ali-Aram, a grand fleet of most of a hundred vessels is assembled and sets out, taking much of the city’s garrison along with the High Priestess’ newly hired mercenaries, courtesy of her friend Rashid Nazar and his contacts with the mercenary guildhouses of the region. She is intent on dealing with the pirate threat, though she does not suspect its operatives are so close to home, but rather has gained intelligence from negotiation with the Wasted Breaths on the location of the secret pirate base she had suspected must exist, and her fleet is well over halfway there by the week’s ending.

She leaves her Chaplain-Regent and heir in command in Ali-Aram, under guidance from the Knight-Commander of the Ever-Bright Eyes (a militant holy order with a modest presence in the city that the High Priestess has been working to befriend) and her eunuch spymaster. Her vizier is frustrated to be, perhaps unintentionally, excluded from this council, and from his own attempts to reach out to the Oracle at Calarah being insultingly rebuffed as the Oracle has little interest in negotiating with either sorcerers or pawns. He does present a triumph, in hopes of having his station restored, and is not disappointed: in response to a prior inquiry to investigate the suspicious merchant fleet that had long been noted in dock here, he now hands over its captain to be tortured and interrogated, having seized him and compelled the admission that he was a Najrani notable here to investigate the viability of terrorist acts (all of this is in truth a manyfold deception: the Prince of Thieves kidnapped the captain, but bought his deception and does not know he is in truth an agent of the Pirate King himself; when the High Priestess started looking into the matter, the Prince of Thieves passed along the prisoner to his own agent her Vizier, to be surrendered to her judgement and win her trust and gratitude).

Her agents on the western isles continue their campaign of pacification and colonization with little to note. Former-Admiral Syed Ibrahm spends a couple days reaching out to old contacts in Najran and gathering information, then propelled by the west wind completes his navigation to Agrahvar to begin liquidating his cargo there promptly next week. Notably, he found many 1.5-rower galleys under construction in Najran — not strictly incriminating, but certainly indicative of cooperation with pirate scum. He also collects the names of many local officials, to be scried at later convenience.

Having mustered by last week’s end, the host of the Temahn is once again gathered for war and plunders their way east toward Thar, though as yet they have no means to cross the great river. They maintain an orderly requisition, without unnecessary slaughter, in the interest of plundering these lands again next year. However, when emissaries from the east and south come to present them with lavish gifts of fine silks, forged steel, fair flax, and good wine, in offering of friendship after seeing how righteously were plundered the evil dwellers to their north and west, those from the south are stripped naked and whipped back to their masters, and those from the east slain outright.

A small band of Temahni scouts was entrusted with the Atlas of Dominion after it was snuck off The Mystery near Kirkuk, and they ride north to rejoin their people as well. Contact with the Oracle confirms he intends to bring his army to hex 160.81 by the week’s end, and though careful diplomacy the Kagan manages to pacify the tribes whose lands the Crusade will traverse.

The Prince of Thieves pulled off a rather tricky exchange in Ali-Aram as discussed above, and with that complete has returned to the deep shadows to pluck at the strands of his web, content that he has forestalled the threat to his base of power in Ali-Aram — though his rumormongerers note that a new captain seems to have arrived already, among numerous other tidbits.

After tense negotiations, and secreting the Atlas of Dominion off to Temahni horsemen on the riverbank beside Kirkuk, The Mystery manages to peacefully pass the Thari blockade there, after persuading them that destroying its light trebuchet battery isn’t worth the losses it will inflict.

His operatives in Thar go silent, however, and he has no word from that part of the world; his continuing concern for the location of the Thrassian host, and his various attempts to scry where they might be, have not saved his men there (and his scrying is ineffectual, for that host is now warded, after leaving an opening at the very beginning to persuade scriers it was not).

The Wasted Breaths reach his desert fortress on the western coast south of Ali-Aram, continuing their slow overland trek, but seem to be negotiating with Ali-Aram as though they’re already closing in on Agrahvar.

Reflections

I am insufficiently heartless in enforcing the deadline for submission of orders, and that’s slowed things down somewhat; it’s hard to feel good about setting a strict constraint when people have real lives that get in the way, and especially when many of my players here are new to ACKS. The fact that they’re able to jump into this at all leaves me very satisfied, it just makes the turn-cycle a bit slower than I’d like (presently orders/reports every week and a half to two weeks rather than every week).

That said, the Sultan of Agrahvar was generally among the slowest (in part because he felt trapped with few options by the constraints of planning a rebellion with honorable troops whose loyalty would be questionable if they learned of such, as demonstrated above). I think he viewed his assassination attempt as a Hail Mary — not without fair odds of succeeding, but the dice were against him. With his capture by the Caliph of Thar, he is effectively eliminated, save for a stunning and improbable feat of diplomacy, so I am optimistic that things might move faster.

On the whole though, people are enjoying it, and there’s good momentum and trying out ACKS at the adventurer tier seems a popular option once we can get our schedules in alignment. Summer in Alaska is a tricky time to organize any sort of activity, but especially one involving sitting indoors on a lovely evening, but we’ll make it happen sooner or later and I’m excited to see where it goes.

Addendum: wargame reports from the Intro, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, and Week 7 are all available.