MAGIC
Magical Skills are just that, magic and spell based skills. In Harchaon Hill, spells may be used as much as the spell caster's magic points permit. A spell caster's level of magic points is based on the player's character Rank. A 1st Rank character with magic abilities is given 3 magic points and gains 3 points for each character Rank attained by that character. Regardless of Rank, spells cost 1 spell point unless stated in the spell description. At 6th Rank and for every Rank afterwards, a character with magic abilities also gains a reduction of total words needed to be read by the caster to cast the spell. The reduction is described as follows:
Magic users must also follow guidelines when casting spells. Spells must be written down in spell books or scrolls to the appropriate word length as described in the spell description. Spell books and scrolls, like costumes, must have a medieval/fantasy look to them as well. Spells must be read aloud so others nearby may the words being spoken. The player must not interrupt the casting of the spell (this includes walking around, talking to others, fighting, being hit in combat). If the caster is interrupted, the spell is negated and the the spell points are lost. A spell caster may never have a mortal wound while casting and have at least one arm that is not lightly wounded. After the spell has been succesfully cast, the player may hold the spell until it is used. during this time, the caster may only move 5 steps. If the caster moves more than 5 steps or talks to another player, the energies of that spell are unleashed upon the caster. Spell books and personal scrolls may not be taken or used by another player. Spells that require meditation instead of words are not required to be written down.
LAND RULES
The world of Harchaon Hill consists of many Countries which actually own land and resources on the Realm Map. The Realm Map is a representation of all Countries and their Assets in the game. It displays the land that Countries own in units called Hexes. Hexes, called Provinces in-character, produce money to support the Countries. There are also many other features, such as Castles and Keeps, that help to protect a Country's Hexes. Countries may expand their Assets by conquering new land and building new Structures. Countries also retain wealth, which it can use to purchase goods and services in the game, and of course to improve itself on the Realm Map.
The following Land Rules establish the way in which Countries conduct the business of their Assets. These rules govern how Countries may interact on the Realm Map, and how they may gain and spend money.I. New Countries.
New Countries may be formed by meeting the criteria set forth earlier in the Rulebook. These criteria must be submitted/ displayed to the Land Marshall. Upon approval, the new Country will be placed on the Realm Map.
Each country must designate one or two persons to be Liaison(s) to the Land Marshall. This person shall be responsible for notifying the Land Marshall of any land Declarations made by their country. This includes the placing of original Hexes of land, Land Searches, Invasions, and the placing/ construction of Structures.
Each new Country is granted 13 Hexes of land, one of which is the Capitol - none of these hexes may be place in wasteland region known as "Harchaon Hill". These Hexes are placed on the Realm Map by the Land Marshall, as directed by the new Country's Liaison. All of these Hexes must be adjoining, and no Hex may be more than a 3 Hex radius from the Capitol. Allowances will be made at the discretion of the Land Marshall if this is no longer feasible. The Capitol Hex is considered a fortified city, having both a Castle and City placed on it. Each new Country will also be granted 75,000 stone. From this point, the new Country is free to expand, construct, and transfer monies as described later in the Land Rules. Countries that allow 6 Glacia events to pass without fielding at least 2 countrymen will lose their status as a Country, and all Assets, including land, structures, and monies, will be lost. In such cases, Hexes of land revert to being empty and Coffers cease to exist.
II. Revenue and Funds.
Hexes of land produce Income in stones, and all Land Events and construction cost money to undertake. In addition, Structures have an Upkeep Cost that is paid each season. There are also other things, such as Mines, which generate additional revenue. All of these factors shall be recorded and maintained by the Land Marshall. A Country's funds are also called it's Coffers. The Land Marshall shall, upon request, provide each Country Liason with his Country's current Balance. Countries must designate a Castle that they own as their Treasury. This structure contains the entire Coffers of the Country. It may be the Capitol Castle or any other. The Coffers can be moved from one Castle to another just as Capitols are moved, as described below.
Countries may also transfer monies between one another. To do so, a Country's Liaison must present the Land Marshall with a written certificate to denote transfer (in stones). Country Liaisons may also withdraw funds in the form of actual coin, but this is to be done at the Land Marshall's discretion, and can never be issued in an amount that is greater than 10% of the total physical coinage that the Club possesses. Countries can only transfer up to 25% of their Coffers per event.
III. Structures, Resources, and Income.Twice a year, On May 25 and November 25, Country Balances will be updated by the Land Marshall based on each Country's Assets. At this time Countries earn their Income and must pay their Upkeep. This is determined by the Assets of each Country, which are all considered either Resources or Structures.
Resources are Assets that produce money or other benefits for a Country without having an Upkeep cost. These include Hexes of land, Settlements, Mines, and Ships. They are described below, along with their Revenue.
HEX: This is one unit of land on the Realm Map. A Hex produces 5000 stones per season. A Hex may have 1 Structure and 1 Resource on it. Mines do not count for this total.
VILLAGE: This is a small Settlement that produces 1000 stone per season.
TOWN: This is a medium sized Settlement that produces 2500 stone per season.
CITY: This is the largest of Settlements, producing 5000 stone per season.
CARAVEL: A trading vessel with poor defensive value that produces 5000 stone per season.
FRIGATE: An average vessel that produces an Income of 2500 stone per season.
MAN O' WAR: This huge vessel makes no Income, but is the most powerful military ship.Structures are Assets that provide a Country's defense. They produce no Income, but instead have an Upkeep cost that must be paid each Season. While valuable for the protection they offer, they are also costly to maintain. If a Country is unable to pay Upkeep or refuses to pay Upkeep, any Structures not paid for cease to exist. There are 3 types of Structures, described below with their Upkeep. The use of these in defense is described later. Structures are built or placed upon Hexes of land.
TOWER: This is a small Structure with an Upkeep of 1000 stones per Season.
FORT: This is a moderately sized Structure with an Upkeep of 2500 stones per Season.
CASTLE: This is a large Structure with an Upkeep of 5000 stones per Season.IV. Gaining Assets.
All Resources and Structures must be aquired in some fashion, whether as prizes for adventures, conquests from war, or purchases from other Countries. They can also be built or discovered by Land Declarations. A Land Declaration is an expressed intent to the Land Marshall to build an Asset, search for a new Hex, or Invade another Country (see below). These two actions can aquire new Hexes for a Country (and with luck, new Mines). Other Assets, like Ships, Settlements and all of the Structures, can be built and paid for by making a Land Declaration. To build either a Resource or Structure, a Country's Liason must inform the Land Marshall of his Country's intent. The Country then pays the Asset's construction cost in advance, and building commences. Assets all have a cost, and also have a prescribed period of time that it takes to complete them. Costs and construction time (in Glacia events) are listed below:
CARAVEL: 30,000 stone to build, 3 events to complete
FRIGATE: 15,000 stone to build, 3 events to complete
MAN O' WAR: 50,000 stone to build, 8 events to complete
TOWER: 12,500 stone to build, 2 events to complete
FORT: 50,000 stone to build, 5 events to complete
CASTLE: 100,000 stone to build, 10 events to complete
VILLAGE: 6,250 stone to build, 2 events to complete
TOWN: 25,000 stone to build, 5 events to complete
CITY: 50,000 stone to build, 10 events to completeA Country can build only one Asset at a time. All constructed Assets must be built on a Country's own land. Ships must be built in a vacant sea Hex which adjoins a Country's own land Hex. There is no limit to the amount of Assets a Country may possess, but keep in mind that Upkeep can add up quickly. If a Structure is in mid-production, and not yet finished at the time of a season's (approx. 13 events per season), then it's Upkeep cost need not be paid. Also, Structures and Settlements may be upgraded to the next largest size by expressing a Land Declaration to the Land Marshall to do so. Once the Asset to be improved is selected, construction begins anew and the difference in cost to the next highest grade is paid. Then the difference in construction time is spent building. When the appropriate time has elapsed, the Asset is now of the next largest type. If the Season ends during mid-improvement, then the Upkeep or Income of the original size only is considered. Upgrading an Asset is considered the same as building a new one, so a Country can only be active building or improving one Asset at a time. Countries may not improve Assets for another Country. You may only upgrade your own Assets on your own land.
All Assets are the property of Countries, and not individual players.
VI. Transferring Assets.
While money can be freely exchanged between countries as described above, the transferral of Assets is a more delicate matter. The following Rules apply to the transferral of assets from one Country to another:
- A Country may never transfer it's 13 original Hexes to another Country.
- A Country may transfer Hexes or Ships to another Country freely, as long as they are not the original Hexes granted at the Country's founding. Transfers of Hexes or Ships require a formal Declaration to the Land Marshall. Such transfers must be declared 2 weeks (1 Event) prior to taking effect.
- Structures and Settlements may not be given away unless the Hex on which they are located are transferred.
- Assets awarded as prizes, whether they be Hexes, Structures, or Resources, cannot be given away to another Country until they have been first placed on the Realm Map under the ownership of the original winner/ recipient. They must then follow the procedures for transferral as described above.
- When land is transferred from one Country to another, each Country involved must forfiet it's Land Event for the day of transfer. Hexes may only be transferred at a rate of 1 Hex per event. This transfer is considered a Land Event, and can only be done when Land Events occur.
- If a Country declares war or is invaded by another, it cannot transfer land until the War is over. War declarations supercede any and all transfer declarations, so a declaration of war will nullify a declaration of transfer if they both are to occur on the same day.
- A Country may relocate it's Capitol Hex to any other Hex that it owns with a Castle on it. To do so, the Country must forfeit one Land Event for each Hex through which to be moved. Capitols may be moved through vacant Hexes, and other Countries' Hexes (with permission). When a Capitol is moved, the City moves with it, thus leaving a plain Castle on the original site, and making the new site a fortified city. For purposes of War or other timing issues, a moving Capitol is considered to be in it's original Hex until it fully arrives at the new destination. When moving a Capitol, you may not pass through or on water Hexes.
VI. Aquiring Land.
Hexes of land may be aquired by Land Search or Invasion. In either case, a Country's Liason must notify the Land Marshall 1 event prior and designate the Hex to be invaded or searched. A Country may begin either form of expedition from any Hex of land or Ship that it currently owns. Search and Invasion parties are limited in their rate of movement to other Hexes. Depending on the terrain that must be crossed on the Realm Map, it may take a great amount of time to reach a destination. Search and Invasion parties each have 6 Movement Points with which to move in the time period between events. If a party embarks on a journey that will cost more than 6 Movement Points to make, then the Search or Invasion will not occur until all Movement Points are paid. The Movement Points it takes to cross a Hex of land are modified by terrain as follows:
Hills -- 1 Movement Point to cross
Wastelands -- 1 Movement Point to cross
Forest -- 2 Movement Points to cross
Mountains -- 3 Movement Points to crossIf a party had to move across 2 hexes of Mountains, it would have just enough Movement Points to make it. However, if a party had to cross 3 Hexes of Mountains, it would not arrive at the next event, and would have to wait until the second event to arrive. Also, if a Search or Invasion party consists only of Druids, Hunters and/ or Rangers, the party receives 9 Movement Points with which to move instead of 6.
Parties may not move through the Hexes of another Country unless that Country gives permission. If a Country allows this, they must notify the Land Marshall and the Search or Invasion party must pay applicable Movement Points. Parties may never begin to move from another Country's Hexes. The only way to move through a Country's Hexes if they do not allow you is to Invade that Country and conquer the Hexes through which you wish to travel.
Harchaon Hill Relics may be taken on Land Searches and Invasions. During Invasions, the Player who first wields a relic also retains possession of it at the beginning of the subsequent battles. The winners of the last battle of a Land War may claim relics for the rest of the day event.Any warriors who use spell points during Land Searches or Invasions must consider all of the battles to be "one day" for purposes of tallying your spell points. Therefore, your spells points must be conserved from one battle to the next and do not replenish themselves from battle to battle. However, when the Land Event is over, you may start over and consider your spell points replenished for the rest of the normal day event. Spellcasters may begin a Land Event with any spells in effect that they are able to cast, as long as they do not have a limited duration. Spellcasters may enter the field with such spells in effect, paying the appropriate amount of spell points required. Other spells with time limits or other considerations, such as spellballs, must be cast normally after the battle begins.
You may only participate in 1 Land Event per day, whether it be a Search or Invasion, and you must play the same character which you checked in as.VII. Land Searches.
Land Searching is the aquisition of unclaimed Hexes by exploring. Any Country may Land Search once per event, providing they are not at War. To do so, the Country Liason must notify the Land Marshall 1 event prior to the Land Search taking place and select the unexplored Hex to be searched. At this time, the cost of the Land Search in stones is paid by the exploring Country. Then, at the event when the Search takes place, a party must be assembled to embark on the Search. The party must include at least one Ranger of 3rd or higher rank or a Scout of 5th or higher Rank, and may include as many other participants as a Country wishes to field. Land Searches cost 5000 stones for a party of three, Ranger or Scout included, plus 2500 stones for each additional participant.
Before the Land Search occurs, the Land Marshall uses the Mine & Ruins Chart and the Monster Encounter Chart to determine what is found on the Hex being searched. If Monsters are present, then the Land Search party must fight the Monsters and vanquish them. If the Party is defeated then the Country gains nothing. However, even if the party loses, if the Ranger or Scout leading the Land Search can escape from the battle, the Country may now declare an Invasion of the Hex and attack it at the next available opportunity. The Ranger must run away from the Monsters a distance of more than 100 feet to escape. Such an Invasion costs 7500 stones, and allows the attacking Country to bring all of its members and allies just as described later in the section on Invasions. The Ranger or Scout who led the original Land Search does not need to be in the Invasion party for this to happen. If the Ranger does not escape, and the party loses, then nothing is gained and the Country has no knowledge of the failed Land Search. All Land Searches, including consequential Invasions, are determined by one battle.
For purposes of Land Searches, Rangers and Scouts may only lead a Land Search once every other Event. If a Ranger or Scout is killed while leading a Land Search, s/he then cannot lead another for the next 2 events.During Land Searches, and also during Invasions following failed Land Searches, Glacia Adventure Rules are in effect. If two Countries send Land Search parties to the same Hex of land simultaneously, the Country that spends the less Movement Points to get there performs the Land Search, while the second party returns home, forfeiting the cost of the search. If both spend the same amount of points to get there, then the two parties arrive simultaneously, facing the Monster Encounter and each other at the same time. In this case, which ever party wins the battle claims the hex. If no party wins, then no one claims the Hex. The rule regarding Rangers and Scouts escaping and leading an Invasion party back still applies. Countries in this predicament may seek a diplomatic solution, but one party must leave the field of battle if they wish to concede ownership to the other.
If a Land Search is failed, then the Land Marshall must record in secret all information on the searched Hex, so that it may be used for future Land Searches. This includes all monsters, ruins and resources.VIII. Invasions and War
A Country may invade the Hexes of another Country by declaring War. When this occurs, a Country and its allies travel to a designated Hex and attack the defending forces there. A Declaration of War must be submitted to the Land Marshall 1 event prior to the Invasion. Movement points are applied as stated above, so it may take more than 1 event for the battle to take place. Upon declaration, the invading Country must pay an initial cost of 10,000 stones. The Land Marshall then informs the Country being attacked of when and where it is being invaded by the Attacker.
From the event when the first battle of an Invasion is fought, both Countries involved are considered to be "at war". During this time, neither can perform any other Land Event, though they may still build Assets. Any Land Searches declared will be delayed until the first event after the war has ended.
All Invasion outcomes are determined by the best 2 out of 3 battles. If the Attacker wins the first Hex, it may proceed to Invade Hex after Hex, as long as it wins each battle and pays the further Invasion cost of 7,500 stones per invaded Hex. If at any time the Defender wins a battle (best 2 out of 3), or if the Attacker ceases it's Invasion, then the Defender may counterattack and reinvade it's lost Hexes. The Defender only pays 2,500 stones for each Hex it attempts to reclaim. If the Defender ever fails to win a battle while reclaiming, the War is considered over. Further, if the Defenders succeed to push the Attackers back out of their land, then the War is ended as well. If the Attacker Invades and fails to take the first Hex, the War is over. Finally, if the Attacker ceases to Invade, and the Defender does not counterattack immediately, then the War is over. Any further conflict would require a new Declaration of War.
If a Hex of land is fortified by a Structure (Tower, Keep, or Castle), it is much harder to invade. Once an Attacker captures the land, a second battle must be fought to siege the Structure. This battle is fought at the following event, but does not require any additional cost to be paid by the Invading Country. The Siege is also determined by the best 2 out of 3 battles.
Depending on the type of Structure, various protection is offered to the Defending forces. A roped off area is used to represent the walls of the Structure, which has a gate and is considered to be a fortification as per Harchaon Hill Rules. The gate of a Structure may be destroyed by either: 3 hits from a battering ram, 1 Fireball, 1 ballista bolt, or 3 Lightning Bolts. A destroyed gate may be mended fully by 1 Mending spell. Structures may allow for extra warriors to fight for the defending side, and offer shelter as described below:
TOWER: Defender gains no additional warriors; 10 defenders may be inside
KEEP: Defender may field 3 additional warriors; the entire force may be inside
CASTLE: Defender may field 7 additional warriors; the entire force may be insideA Country's Capitol Hex may be invaded during a War. If this occurs, a battle is fought for the Capitol Hex. If the Defender loses, then a second battle is fought for the Castle on that Hex. If the Defender loses again during the siege, then the Attacker can claim all of the defending Country's Coffers as prize. If the Country's Coffers are located in another Castle that is not the Capitol, the Coffers still may be captured in the same way. The Attacker may never claim the Capitol Hex's Castle, so at this point the Defender has the opportunity to fight it's way out of the Castle in a siege battle. This is done every event until the Defender can reclaim the land around it's Castle. This "reverse siege" costs nothing. Once the Defender has won, it may attempt to reclaim all of it's lost lands as described above. As long as the Defender fails to win, it is trapped in the Castle. While a Defender is trapped in it's Capitol Castle, it earns no Income but is still liable for any Upkeep costs that may occur. Capitol Hexes must be chosen wisely and defended well, as a Defender stands to lose not only it's Coffers, but all of it's Structures that it cannot afford as well.
During Land Wars, the Attacker and Defender are both limited to the number of warriors they may field. The Attacker may field all of its members in surcoats, and may hire or bring as many others as they have of their own. The Defender may field all of its members in surcoats as well. If the Attacker's total force is greater than the Defender's, then the Defender may hire or bring enough allies to match the Attacker's strength. If the Defender's number of members in surcoats is greater than the Attacker's total number, the Defender may still field all of its members.
A Country may only Declare War on one other Country at a time. If a Country declares War on a another Country while it is already being invaded, they must choose the Hex they are invading after the first invading Country has chosen the Hex which they are invading. The first Country to Invade will always have the first choice of Hexes, and 2 Countries may never invade the same Hex at the same time.
During Land War/ Invasion, normal Harchaon Hill Battle Rules only are in effect.IX. Ships and Sea Battles.
Ships are Income producers, and they also have great strategic value. They are unique in that they are built like Structures, yet they do not have Upkeep and indeed can be a silver-earning Resource. Ships may travel the seas, transporting Search or Invasion Parties, and even blockading other Countries' Ships. Any Ship may deposit an Invasion force on foreign land, or a Land Search Party on far-off vacant Hexes. Ships are considered to have 12 Movement Points between events, with each water Hex requiring 1 point to move through. When a Ship moves on the Realm Map, it does not cost anything unless the Ship is transporting troops to conduct a Land Search or Invasion. If this is the case, any Ship may conduct any amount of warriors at a cost of 5000 stones per movement (up to 12 Hexes). This number of warriors is of course limited by the maximum capacity of the Ship. In order to conduct a party of warriors, the Ship must begin it's voyage from one of it's own Country's Hexes.
Ships may only occupy 1 Hex at a time. If a Ship moves into a Hex with another Country's Ship, or attempts to sail through a Hex occupied by another Country's Ship, a Sea Battle will occur unless both sides agree to peaceful passage. Countries may sail their own Ships through Hexes occupied by their own, but may not end movement with more than 1 Ship per Hex.When Ship Battles occur, Ships may have warriors and siege weapons on board to defend and attack. Ships are represented by roped-off areas, set at a size relative to the type of Ship and available field space, each set parallel to one another at a distance of 10 feet apart.
Ships can be attacked with siege weapons and fireballs. These "green damage" attacks will eventually sink a Ship, depending on its type. When a Ship has sustained enough hits to cause it to sink, it will be destroyed if the damage is not repaired by a certain time. Repairs can be made with the Mage spell Mending at a rate of 1 Mending per hit. If a Ship has sustained more green damage hits than it takes to sink it, then Mending needs only be cast for as many times as was needed to sink it. All damage must be repaired before the time limit is up, or the Ship is destroyed.
The battle statistics for all Ships is as follows:
CARAVEL: Holds 10 warriors, 1 siege weapon, sunk by 3 Fireballs in 5 Minutes
FRIGATE: Holds 20 warriors, 2 siege weapons, sunk by 4 Fireballs in 5 minutes
MAN O' WAR: Holds 30 warriors, 4 siege weapons, sunk by 5 fireballs in 10 minutesIt is also possible to cross onto the enemy Ship. Thieves, Assassins, Pirates and Monks may "jump across on ropes" and pass onto the other Ship freely. To do so, both hands must be free. Planks, made safely of cardboard, and no wider than 3 feet, may be lowered to bridge the gap between Ships. Each Ship is allowed to equip itself with up to 3 planks. Planks must span the distance between Ships to be effective. Any planks that fall or are thrown into water are considered to be sunk, as are any other weapons or objects that fall into the water. Fireball and Warp Wood spells will destroy a plank in one hit. Warriors may cross on planks, but anyone wearing armor better than AC 3 is considered drowned if they are knocked off into water. Others may crawl back onto their Ship. Warriors wearing armor AC3 or less may "swim" by crawling on hands and knees. When crawling, both hands must be free. Warriors may also jump from one Ship to another, but must land fully on the other Ship or be considered in the water. Anyone hit by an Ice Storm spell will float and can be dragged back to their Ship by 2 other warriors.
Ship Battles are determined by one battle. In order to win, one side must be vanquished, and the winning side must have an unsunk Ship to carry them. If both Ships are preserved, then the winner claims the enemy Ship and immediately places it in a vacant sea Hex adjoining the Hex in which the battle took place. No two Ships may ever occupy the same Hex at the end of any battle or movement.X. The Realm Map
The Realm Map is the written documentation of all Countries' Assets and the geographic location of all Assets. This information, along with the Balance of all Countries' Coffers, is maintained by the Land Marshall. While Coffer information is available only to each respective Country, Assets are public knowledge and can be seen by any at the discretion of the Land Marshall. All Country Liaisons may see the Realm Map upon request. The Realm Map may be expanded as a rule change, i.e. with the approval of the Noble Council. The Realm Map is considered the true and accurate account of all Countries' Assets.
XI. New Assets.
New Assets may be introduced into the Land Rules by being passed through the proper channels of Harchaon Hill. New Assets are to be considered either Resources, or Structures, depending on whether or not they require an Upkeep cost. Resources never have an Upkeep, Structures always do. New Assets, upon approval, are listed along with the other Resources and Structures in their respective sections above.
