Rules of War

1/27/2023

Declaring War

An official declaration of war must be made at least the event prior to the proposed Act of War, in order to allow time for both sides to amass forces for the impending conflict. A declaration of war is a formal act by which one faction announces existing or impending war activity against another. The declaration is a performative speech or scene acted out, or the signing of a document by authorized representatives of the factions involved, in order to create a state of war between two or more factions.

The Price of War

Mobilizing armies for war is expensive, there is an initial cost of 100 Dragon Gold, with an additional 100 Gold each turn that the army remains in the field.

Creating An Army

Armies are an organized military force equipped for fighting on land. They can be made up of a single faction, or they may be comprised of one or more allied forces, and NPCs.

Alliances

Allies can be crucial in a successful campaign of war. Allies will wear their own colors and heraldry on the field, openly declaring their allegiance to the force they are allied with. Acting as an Ally counts as an offensive action whether on the attacking or defending side.

Mercenaries

Mercenaries are forces paid to fight and are not obliged to wear their allegiances openly. Mercenary forces follow the same rules as allied forces, regarding numbers and force composition. Acting as an Mercenary counts as an offensive action whether on the attacking or defending side.

Invading Forces

The Invading Force may be made up of any number of invading faction troops and allies. The number in each allied faction may not outnumber the invading faction’s number of troops. Acting as part of an invading force counts as your personal offensive action.

Defending Forces

Defending forces may field their entire faction, even if it outnumbers the invading force, or field an army consisting of faction members and allies up to matching numbers of invading force. Acting as part of a defending force counts as a free action.

Reinforcements

Both sides may apply reinforcements, which allow for players to respawn during battle. Each reinforcement has a base cost 2 food and 10 Dragon Gold.

The defending force is able to utilize population centers as multipliers for reinforcements at the hex/province location. A watch tower extends the range by 1, letting it utilize nearby population centers. Villages provide 25% more reinforcements, Towns provide 50% more reinforcements, and Cities provide 100% more reinforcements.

NPCs

In the course of play factions, or individuals may develop ties with powerful NPCs that can change the tide of battle. In times of war they can sometimes be called upon, at the organizers discretion to take part in an attack or defense during a war action.

Acts of War

An Act of war counts as an offensive action, and requires the aforementioned declarations be made, and price be paid. These are some of the offensive actions that a faction may take that are considered Acts of War.

Skirmish

Sometimes a conflict can be settled with a skirmish, or an attacker wants to gauge the strength of the opposition and will open hostilities with a series of smaller fights to establish the domination of a region or make a point to enemies. In the case of a skirmish battle movement is quick and these units do not remain in the field long, a skirmish attack costs 50% of a Raid or Invasion and there is no exchange of resources or land at the conclusion of the battle. Only individual pre-cast magics may be in play, no pre-cast magics, skills or abilities may be used in set up by either side in a skirmish.

Raids

Raids are objective based combat encounters where the attacking force seeks to capture something, it could be an object representing a narrative plot point, resources, a player character or NPC, or other agreed upon objective. A raid does not require all of the defending forces to be defeated, but also does not yield the hex/province to the invading force. Rather, if the hex/province is successfully raided, the hex/province will not produce any goods and will not be able to supply reinforcements for battles for one harvest. Raids can be a great way to add narrative to a conflict, they are played out as any one of several different battle scenarios, to be agreed on before the fight.

• Caravan Battle - In caravan battles the defending force is tasked to get an item, player, or NPC from point A, to point B. The attacking force must stop the defending force from achieving the predetermined goal.

• Livestock Raid - An area is set with representations of livestock or other resources that the attacking players must gather and remove from the field. The defending forces must defend their resources.

• Heist - The defending players will set up a location that could be an encampment, inn, dungeon or other predetermined location that fits the narrative and defend the location from incursion. The attacking players are given a clear and distinct objective, stealing a scroll or map, an artifact or relic, the noble’s treasure, and surviving the defender's attempts to stop them.

• Rescue/Abduction - In this scenario the attacking force must locate, secure and abscond with another player, group of players or NPCs. As with the Heist and Caravan the defenders are charged with keeping the attackers at bay and foiling the attackers plans, whatever they may be.
  

Ambushes

An Ambush can only be applied to a Skirmish or a Raid action and costs double the dragon coins as a regular act of war. Ambushes are generally used as an opener for a larger offensive action like an invasion. The faction being ambushed, must have half their players reach an agreed upon point to escape the ambush. If the ambush is successful, the faction attacked has only half reinforcements for the next encounter. Reinforcements cannot be used by either side during this encounter. No pre-cast magics may be used by the defending force.

Invasions

To take a hex/province, fortification, or ship you must declare an invasion. When two armies meet it is known as a pitched battle, if the hex/province being invaded also has a fortification, a siege must be fought as well in order for the invaders to claim the hex/province. The siege or pitched battles may be fought in any order that best fits the narrative for the combatants and should be agreed on during the setting of terms.

Pitched Battles

Pitched Battles are a planned military encounter on a prearranged battleground, two teams meet to fight over an agreed upon hex/province. The battlefield is agreed to by both sides and each has a chance to prepare their positions on the field, including, skills and abilities, pre-cast magics, and warmachines.

Sieges

Sieges are combat encounters that take place in a hex/province with a fortification, with the sole objective to defeat all enemies, and take or destroy the structure. Defenders set up their fortification, and can choose the location on the field of both factions prior to the start of the battle. If the Defending force is defeated, the structure is yielded to the invading force as they are at the end of the battle, and may be in need of repair. Conquering the hex/province requires defeating the defending force in a separate Pitched Battle.

If the attacking force defeats the defending force in a Siege they have two choices as to how they would like to proceed, capture or raze the structure.

Capturing a Fortification - When an attacking force captures a fortification, it becomes part of their factions holdings, and they become responsible for any upkeep for the structure.

Razing a Fortification - When an attacking force razes a fortification it is torn down, completely destroyed and removed from the map.

Naval Battles

Declarations of War may include ship battles, the rules for naval conflict are detailed in The Law of The Sea.

Multi-part Battles & Campaigns

In the case of war fights that include multiple battles, like the invasion of a hex/province with a fortification, terms should include time limits and alternate dates to conclude the conflict, so that the war does not usurp the entire event. Alternatively, war fights can be made inclusive and be incorporated into the event structure, by involving the organizers in your plans.

Anatomy of A Battle

Declaration of War - The attacking force must alert the defenders to their intentions to attack, and tell the realm why they are taking the offensive action.

Terms - Terms of the conflict should be amicably agreed upon by all sides. A date should be set, scheduled with both sides and the organizers. Reinforcements and other particulars agreed on.

Fielding - Attackers reveal their forces and the defenders may match. At the agreed on event day the attacking forces are disclosed. The defenders may then attempt to match forces, recruiting allies, or hiring mercenaries. In the case of utilizing NPCs, requests should be made before the battle, so that organizers may confer and prepare appropriately. The field or location is set up for the fight.

Officials agreed to - Referees are chosen, a good rule of thumb is 1 official for every 25 players on the field.

Melee - This is the primary battle. It can be a best of three or a one off as predetermined in the terms.

Challenges & Honor Battles

An invader may challenge the defending faction to a one on one fight, and individuals may seek to play out scenes, or issue individual challenges. The defender may always decline a challenge from another faction, in which case allies are allowed on both sides. In the case of Personal Challenges & Honor Battles, they are to be played out before the main battle commences.

Resolution - Based on the terms agreed to, an outcome is determined. In the case of Invasions a hex/province is won or successfully defended. For sieges the fortification is defended, captured or razed. For raids resources are exchanged and so forth.