| Losing Hexes |
|---|
| If you lose control of a hex—whether because of Unrest, monster attacks, assaults from a hostile kingdom, and so on—you lose all the benefits of any terrain improvements in that hex (such as Farms and Roads). All settlements in that hex become free cities with no loyalty to you or any other kingdom. At the GM's discretion, monsters may move into the abandoned hex, requiring you to clear it again if you want to claim it later, and terrain improvements may decay over time. |
| Losing a hex may break your connection to other kingdom hexes. For example, losing the only hex that bridges two sides of a mountain range creates two separate territories. If this happens, the primary territory is the part of the kingdom with your capital city, and the rest of the kingdom is the secondary territory. If none of the kingdom's leaders are in the secondary territory when this split happens, you lose control of all hexes (as described above) in the secondary territory. |
| If at least one kingdom leader is in the secondary territory when the split occurs, you retain control of the secondary territory, but kingdom checks regarding its hexes treat Unrest as 1 higher, increasing by 1 each turn after the split. This modifier goes away if you claim a hex that reconnects the secondary territory to the primary territory. |
| If you claim a hex that reestablishes a connection to a leaderless secondary territory, you regain the benefits of the territory's terrain improvements. You must succeed at a Stability check to reclaim each of your former settlements in the secondary territory. You initially have a +5 bonus on these checks because the cities want to return to your kingdom, but this bonus decreases by 1 (to a minimum bonus of +0) for each subsequent turn since you lost control of the secondary territory. |
| If your kingdom is reduced to 0 hexes—whether through Unrest, a natural disaster, an attack by another kingdom, or other circumstances—you are at risk of losing the kingdom. On your next turn, you must claim a new hex and found or claim a new settlement, or your kingdom is destroyed and you must start over if you want to found a new kingdom. At the GM's discretion, you may be able to keep some BP from your destroyed kingdom's Treasury for a time; otherwise, those assets are lost. |
The kingdom-building rules measure terrain in hexes. Each hex is 12 miles from edge to edge, representing an area of almost 125 square miles. The hex measurement is an abstraction; the hexes are easy to quantify and allow the GM to categorize a large area as one terrain type without having to worry about precise borders of forests and other terrain features.
Claiming Hexes
You'll need to explore the hex before you can add it to your kingdom. Exploring a hex can be a lengthy process, and the time required can vary based on terrain and movement speed. The hex must also be cleared of monsters and dangerous hazards, which is usually done by completing adventures in the hex to ally with, slay, or drive off potential threats. Once the hex has been explored and cleared, it may be claimed by spending 1 BP in order to set up very basic infrastructure such as clearing paths, hiring patrols, setting up a tent city, and so on. This establishes the hex as part of your kingdom (or the beginning of your kingdom).
| Exploration Time (at 30' speed) |
| Terrain | Days Needed |
|---|
| Plains | 2 |
| Desert or Hill | 6 |
| Forest, Mountain, or Swamp | 12 |
| Jungle or Underground | 24 |
Claiming Water and Islands
When you claim a hex that contains part of an ocean or lake, your claim includes the water portion of that hex. In effect, your kingdom automatically controls a small portion of the waters adjacent to its coastline. Because any new hex you claim must be adjacent to an existing hex in your kingdom, if you want to claim land beyond that water (such as an island), you must first explore and claim the intervening deep water hexes. Your exploration only applies to the water's surface—you are searching for uncharted islands, dangerous reefs, and so on. The GM may want to treat the underwater portion of a hex as a separate hex, much like a network of large caves under a hex may count as its own hex, allowing a village of merfolk or sahuagin to thrive in your kingdom without your knowledge.
| Population |
|---|
| A kingdom's population base is rooted in all hexes it claims, with its rural populations forming a foundation for the advancement of its cities. The base population is doubled if the hex contains a river or a coastline and tripled if it contains both a river and a coastline. This population does not include the inhabitants of any cities. |
Special Terrain
Some hexes contain features or resources that impact a kingdom's Economy, Loyalty, Stability, and other game statistics. These terrain resources are placed by the GM—not by player characters—for you to discover while exploring or adventuring, and may modify terrain improvements or cities.
Bridge: The hex contains an existing Bridge over a waterway. If you build a Road in this hex, you do not have to double the cost of the Road.
| Terrain | Population |
|---|
| Cavern* | 25 |
| Cold | 25 |
| Desert | 25 |
| Forest | 50 |
| Jungle | 25 |
| Hills | 50 |
| Mountains | 25 |
| Plains | 100 |
| Swamp | 25 |
| River | x2 |
| Coastline | x2 |
| Deep Water | - |
| Cities & Improvements | See other sections |
| *A cavern is a large system of caves and underground passages and can be found in any terrain except Swamp. It functions as an additional hex that exists underground, below the hex on the surface. |
Building: The hex contains an abandoned building in good repair (type determined by the GM). If you establish a settlement at the building's location in the hex, you can incorporate the building into the settlement at no cost (this does not count toward your building limit for that turn).
Free City: A Free City is a settlement that is not part of any established kingdom. Claiming a hex with a Free City is an excellent way to add a fully functional settlement to your kingdom. In order to claim a Free City hex peacefully, you must succeed at a Stability check. Failure indicates radicals and upstarts in the settlement and Unrest increases by 1d4.
Lair: A Lair is usually a cave or defensible shelter that can be used as a defensive fallback point, a storage location, or even a guardpost or prison. If you claim a hex with a Lair, Stability increases by 1. If you construct a Fort or Watchtower over a Lair, its Defense increases by 1. At the GM's option, a Lair may allow access to an underground cavern hex (see the Terrain and Terrain Improvements table).
Landmark: A Landmark is a site of great pride, mystery, and wonder, such as an outcropping in the shape of a human face, a smoking volcano, or a lake with an unusual color or unique properties. The Landmark bolsters your kingdom's morale. If you claim a hex with a Landmark, Loyalty increases by 1. If the hex also has a Road or Highway, Loyalty increases by an additional 1.
Resource: A Resource is a ready supply of some kind of valuable commodity that offers a great economic boon to your kingdom, such as exotic lumber, precious metal, gems, rare herbs, incense, silk, ivory, furs, salt, dyes, and the like. If you claim a hex with a Resource, Economy increases by 1. If you construct Foresters, a Mine, or a Quarry in a hex with a Resource, all of its benefits increase by 1. If you construct a Farm or Fishery in a hex with a Resource, those improvements decrease Consumption by an additional 1 BP.
River: A River allows water travel through your kingdom, facilitating trade and allowing irrigation. Economy increases by 1 for every 4 River hexes claimed, and Stability increases by 1 for every 8 such hexes claimed.
Ruin: A Ruin is a partially destroyed building. If you claim a hex containing a Ruin and build a settlement at the Ruin's location, you can use the Ruin as the basis of an appropriate type of building (as determined by the GM), reducing the cost of that building by half. Alternatively, you can salvage building materials from the Ruin, reducing the cost of 1 building in that hex by 1d4 BP.
