Rules Modifications

• Characters
• Income and Expenses
• Domain Actions
• Supporting and Opposing Actions
• War and Battles
• Creating Magical Items
• Miscellaneous

Characters
The characters are pregenerated, as specified in the conversion file. This means they have a predetermined bloodline strength and derivation. However, you can play your character in any way you want. NPCs will generally behave according to their alignments, but don't count on it.
Character stats can be generated in two ways: you can use 80 points to divide between stats as you wish, or if you know the official TSR stats for your character, you can also use those. Blood abilities, weapons, and armor are given by me. Proficiencies are not used. For spellcasters, priests get spells from PHB and ToM according to the Immortal they serve, and wizards are assumed to know all common non-battle spells from the PHB and ToM (within their level limits). Battle spells are shown separately in your summary.

Income and Expenses
I roll all the taxes and calculate expenses each turn (of course you may also wish to calculate your average expenses and plan accordingly). Make sure that you tell me your desired tax levels (light, moderate, or severe) for each province, or else I'll assume the same tax severity as the previous turn. Also tell me if you wish to make law claims and against whom, as well as your desired court expenditure.
Court Costs
Since diplomacy is not resolved with a die roll, here's the new rules for court costs: they will affect the success of certain actions. An average court costs 6 GB; at that level there is no modification. For each GB below the normal level, the success number is worsened by 1; for each GB above, it gets better. If you have no court (0 GB), those actions are not possible. The affected actions are: Create (except sources), Rule (except sources), Contested Rule (again, except sources).
The court level also affects the GB cost of certain actions. For each GB below the average court level, the GB cost of an action is raised by 1. The actions are Decree and Diplomacy.

Domain Actions
The game is played in rounds, so you need to send only one action at a time (as well as any lieutenant and free actions). Here are the rule changes for actions in this PBeM:

Contests
When you submit an action with a non-automatic success, make sure you specify your desired success number, as well as the maximum RP you are willing to spend on it. If other regents try to lower your success chance with RPs, I will spend your RPs up to the maximum level you specified. This also goes for the Contest action - the attacker should tell how many RPs he wants to spend on each contested holding, and the defender should have told me beforehand how much RPs he is willing to spend protecting his holdings (so make sure you tell me). Even if nobody is going to contest your action, it's a good idea to spend some RPs on certain actions which otherwise would be almost impossible (such as ruling a holding to level 10).

Diplomacy
Diplomacy is never resolved with a die roll, even with NPCs. You may still want to throw in some extra GBs, to make the other party more receptive. The following are possible things that may be achieved with diplomacy:

• Create a trade alliance - allows trade routes to be created between the two countries, both by the rulers and all other guildmasters (unless specifically banned)
• Create a military alliance - allows the allies to move troops into each other's territories, and requires them to come to each other's aid during a war
• Sign a vassalage agreement - the liege and vassal are considered to have both trade and military alliance, and they may further agree among themselves on the vassal's tribute to the liege (if any)
• Respond to a random event such as feud, unrest/rebellion, etc.

Note that you can combine several Diplomacy proposals into a single action. However, you can only do Diplomacy with one realm in a single action. It is also a good idea to negotiate through e-mail first, to make sure that the other party is willing to agree to your diplomacy.
The following does not require a Diplomacy action, and you can do these things in private e-mail:

• Standard communication
• Send a gift of GB

All e-mail communication must be CC-ed to me.

Espionage
Espionage can be used to perform one of the following thing (only one at a time):

• Reveal military info about a realm (number of troops, castle levels, military alliances, current military research if any)
• Reveal a realm's troops movements and exact locations
• Reveal a realm's political/economic situation (regent's current level and bloodline strength, treasury size, lieutenant levels and possible bloodlines, realm's current friends and enemies, current diplomatic negotiations)
• Create a random event such as assassination, intrigue, corruption, or heresy.
• Assassinating a regent is very difficult and costly. The base cost is 1 GB per target's level (and no, you don't know the current level of each regent). If the assassinated regent has a heir, the heir assumes control of the domain. If no heir was nominated, there will be turmoil in the domain for the next round, after which someone (usually one of the lieutenants) will take control of the domain, but will lose all RP and half the GB.
• Check on a specific rumor (if successful will reveal whether it's true and the rumor's origin). Note that some rumors are thrown in by the DM.
• Steal some gold from another regent's treasury. If successful, you manage to steal 1d20 GB. If not successful, your attempt may be revealed.
• Trace the responsibility for espionage done against you. You don't need to be sure that espionage has been performed - if you are paranoid, you may wish to check on things anyway
• Kidnap a regent or a lieutenant. They could then be killed (see above) or sold for ransom. If a regent is kidnapped and held away from his country, he can't perform actions and does not get the domain summary. The only exception is that his lieutenants can perform an Espionage action to organize a rescue, or pay the required ransom via Diplomacy.
• You can assassinate a regent's advisor. The advisors are seneschal, marshal, magist, and spymaster (although the titles may be different in each realm). If the advisor is not present, the player doesn't get that advisor's portion of the domain summary (so assassinating the marshal can really cripple the realm's ability to handle warfare). A new advisor can be hired for 5 GB, as a free action (but you cannot hire a lieutenant on the same round).

Espionage success can be affected by spending RPs, and RPs designated to contest enemies' actions will be spent to counter espionage as well.

Research
In addition to spells, research can be also used to create new unit types. However, you can't do it at will - instead when the time is right I will notify you of the possibility of new research. Generally, new units will become available when you hire a specific lieutenant or achieve a specific goal (no, you don't know what these might be). Also note that research (both spell and unit) may well last several rounds, necessitating a Research action every round until it's done. So it's best to ask your advisors about the expected research time before doing anything major.
Researching realm spells costs 1 GB per level, or 1.5*base GB cost, whichever is higher. The time required is 1 round per 3 levels. The level of a realm spell is equal to the required source holding.
Researching Battle Spells: costs 1 GB, takes 1 round per 3 levels.
Wizards can exchange realm and battle spells between themselves by taking an action (both wizards). Any number of spells can be exchanged in a single action.

Trade Routes
The number of trade routes going OUT of the province is as per normal rules. The number going IN is equal to the level of the province. This is both land and sea routes; thus, a province (7) can have e.g. 4 land routes and 3 sea routes going into it. Trade Route information is available on each realm's page. It lists the current remaining land and sea routes available. If a province does not list a sea route, it cannot be reached by sea (at least not yet). Also note that while most rivers can support keelboats and coasters, the big river in Darokin (Streel) can also be sailed by caravels, and the rivers of Broken Lands cannot be sailed at all.
Creating trade routes: you can create a maximum of 4 trade routes in a single action. Also note that you cannot create both land and sea trade routes in the same action.

Supporting and Opposing Domain Actions
Here is a list of actions that can be supported or opposed by holding or province levels.

Declaring War and Occupying
When someone declares war on you, that's all you are going to know - since the troops are moved only in the war moves (after everyone has taken their turn), you won't know exactly where and how many troops are invading. Thus, it is up to you to create a good border defense, since in the war moved your troops can only move so far.
If you want to make a surprise attack, well, about the only way to do it is to mention in your action that you are declaring war after your target (and/or anybody else) has made their actions. This allows you to at least catch your opponent unprepared (hopefully), and ensure that he won't be able to perform any action immediately in response to your attack. Of course, if you have already submitted your action and then someone declares war on you, you won't be allowed to change your action.
Mustering and moving troops - although these are free actions, you can only do them during your own turn. Thus, you won't be able to muster or move troops at the latest possible moment, when someone declares war on you (unless you haven't done your own action yet). This also means that concentrating all your troops in one area may prevent them from reaching the attacked province even in the war moves.
If the aggressor occupies the province, the defender's holdings will be reduced to zero only after the fourth war move (at the end of the round). But is the conqueror fails to invest the province (i.e. they are driven out, or they just don't bother), then when they leave, the holding levels return to full value. But, for each round that the province is occupied, the defender's holdings are permanently reduced by 1 level (thus not returning to full value if the attacker leaves). And, of course, if they do successfully invest the province, the holding levels stay at 0 (permanently reduced, pending subsiquent attempts to rule them).

Battles
Battles are run by me. However, you may still submit a battle plan, describing your units' general strategy and specific battle tactics. Do this only if your wish your units to behave abnormally - I will use common sense in battles so you don't need to describe every little detail.
Also, as mentioned before, characters may participate in battle and add bonuses to the unit they are attached to. Your lieutenants can be moved freely and will accompany troops if you wish. Make sure to tell me which units you want to attach your lieutenants to (lieutenants can be killed if all units on their side die). Your regent may also be used in a battle if you wish. A regent can die in battle, so be careful!

Creating Magical Items

1. You need to gather the rare ingredients. This will take an Adventure action (you will automatically succeed). Please specify for what type of item you are gathering components - only one item can be covered in a single action.
2. Start making the item. Wizard and priest regents are assumed to have all adequate laboratories and libraries. The cost will vary depending on the item and its power:
   Potion: 1 GB
   Scroll, spell: 1 GB per 3 spell levels
   Scroll, protection: 1 GB
   Ring: 1 GB per 1000 XP
   Rod/Staff/Wand: 1 GB per 1000 XP
   Miscellaneous Item: 1 GB per 500 XP
   Weapon/Armor: 1 GB per 500 XP
3. Time to create:
   Potion: 1 week (1/4 round)
   Scroll, any: 1 week (1/4 round)
   Ring: 1 week per GB
   Rod/Staff/Wand: 2 weeks per GB
   Miscellaneous Item: 3 weeks per GB
   Weapon/Armor: 2 weeks per GB
   You will have to use the Research action every round while the item is being made. You can interrupt the process, but the chance of success is worsened by 10% for every round of interruption. Lieutenants can also assist you in gathering the ingredients by taking an Adventure action to do so for you.
4. Chance of success: 70%, +1% per 2 levels of the maker, +2% per additional GB spent. Maximum success chance is 95%.
5. The DM reserves the right to disallow any item, or to modify its cost and/or creation time.

Miscellaneous Stuff

Birthright Supplements
Book of Magecraft: all realm and battle spells are available, but not regular spells. Rules for source renewal are used.
Naval Battle System: all rules are in use.
Book of Priestcraft:

• Battle spells are all used. Erik's Entanglement is called Ordana's Entanglement. Avani's Asylum is called Al-Kalim's Asylum. For Turn Undead Unit see the Immortals page for info on who can turn undead. Haelyn's Holy Warding is called Vanya's Holy Warding. Ruornil's Silver Robes is called Asterius' Silver Robes. Despite being named, these spells are available to any priest with appropriate sphere access.
• The following realm spells are used: all spells from the BR Rulebook, Protection from Realm Magic, Holy War, Magical Tithe (only to churches worshipping Asterius or Minroth), Population Growth (can be cast only once in 4 domain turns, and the spell ends after the province has risen one level), Bless Holding, Excommunicate, Legion of Dead, Erik's (Ordana's) Mighty Forests (available to churches worshipping Ilsundal, Ordana, or Zirchev), One True Faith (see Immortals list for each religion's enemies), Consecrate Relic (contact me for details if you wish to cast this spell).
• None of the regular spells are used.
• Rules for state religions are used. A Decree action is necessary to declare an officially recognized religion.
• Also all rules for investiture are used. However, designating a heir does not cost anything, as indicated above.

BR Netbook (look here)
I use the following from the BR Netbook:

• Contested Rule action - very useful for temples, guilds, and sources
• Raid Province action (esp. appropriate to Atruaghin Clans, Broken Lands, Ethengar, Ostland, and Ylaruam)
• Priest Realm Spell: Destroy Undead
• Wizard Realm Spells: Combine Sources, Renewal, Warding Wall

Age of Regents
I am keeping track of your regents' age. While most are not in any danger of dying, there are several regents who might consider selecting a heir or creating a longevity potion to become 10 years younger. Wizards can also opt to attain lichdom; in that case, they should contact me for details.

Lieutenants and Research
Wizard lieutenants can research spells for themselves at any time, as long as you provide the gold to do so. Lieutenants can also create magical items on their own. Such actions are not considered lieutenant actions and you can still use some other lieutenant for a domain action (researching lieutenants are of course unavailable for lieutenant actions).

Spreading Rumors
This can be done at any time, as a free action. You can spread any number of rumors in a single action, but each rumor costs 2 GB (1 GB if you are a guilder or a thief). The rumor will be added to the Rumors page next round, and the DM reserves the right to edit rumors to improve readability.

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