Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 198
Some heroes found kingdoms, driving out hostile monsters to make room for peaceful settlers. Others lead soldiers into battle, waging great and terrible wars. This chapter presents rules for building a kingdom and waging war that focus on the larger tactics of city planning and troop strategy rather than managing details of individual settlers and soldiers.
This chapter uses “kingdom” as a universal term to represent all kinds of domains, regardless of size, form of government, and gender of the ruler. Most of the decisions are in the hands of the players, and these rules are written with that assumption, using terms like “your kingdom” and “your army.” However, the GM is still in charge of the campaign, and is expected to make judgments about the repercussions of player decisions. While players running a kingdom should be allowed to read these rules (having them do so makes much of the kingdom building easier for the GM), the players shouldn’t think they can abuse these rules to exploit weird corner cases. For example, players may decide to construct a city full of graveyards because of the bonuses they provide to the city, but if the GM believes that is unreasonable, he could decide that the city is prone to frequent undead attacks. Likewise, a settlement with more magic shops than houses and businesses may slowly become a ghost town as all the normal citizens move elsewhere out of superstitious fear. As with a normal campaign, the GM is the final arbiter of the rules, and can make adjustments to events as necessary for the campaign.
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Ruling a kingdom is a complex and difficult task, one undertaken only by the very ambitious. Many PCs are content to live as mercenaries or treasure hunters, no interest in being responsible for the health and well-being of subjects; for these characters, a kingdom is simply a place they pass through on the way to the next adventure. However, characters who are keen to spread their wings and forge a place of power and influence in the world can use this chapter to create a different sort of campaign. If the PCs are interested in ruling only a single town or castle and the small region around it, kingdom building can focus primarily on the settlement and the PCs’ personal demesne. If the PCs have larger goals, such as carving out a new, independent kingdom, these rules allow them to build cities and engage in trade, diplomacy, and war.
These rules assume that all of the kingdom’s leaders are focused on making the kingdom prosperous and stable, rather than oppressing the citizens and stealing from the treasury. Likewise, the rules assume that the leaders are working together, not competing with each other or working at odds. If the campaign begins to step into those areas, the GM is free to introduce new rules to deal with these activities.
Like the exploration system, the kingdom-building rules measure terrain in hexes. Each hex is 12 miles from corner to corner, representing an area of just less than 95 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.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 198
The key parts of the kingdom-building rules that you’ll be referencing are as follows: - Explanation of the kingdom terminology used throughout this chapter.
- Step-by-step instructions for founding a kingdom.
- The turn sequence for an established kingdom.
- The game statistics for terrain improvements.
- Step-by-step instructions on how to found your first settlement.
- The game statistics for the types of buildings.
- The settlement District Grid.
- The kingdom sheet (page 227).
Following the main rules and the types of buildings are several optional rules for kingdom building, such as modifying the effect of religious buildings based on alignment or deity portfolio, tracking Fame and Infamy scores for your kingdom, rules for different types of government, and special edicts you can declare during the turn sequence.
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Kingdoms have attributes that describe and define them. These are tracked on a kingdom sheet (see page 227), like a character’s statistics are on a character sheet.
Alignment: Like a PC, your kingdom has an alignment, which you decide when you form the kingdom. The kingdom’s alignment represents the majority outlook and behavior of the people within that kingdom when they’re considered as a group. (Individual citizens and even some leaders may be of different alignments.)
When you decide on your kingdom’s alignment, apply the following adjustments to the kingdom’s statistics: Chaotic: +2 Loyalty; Evil: +2 Economy; Good: +2 Loyalty; Lawful: +2 Economy; Neutral: Stability +2 (apply this twice if the kingdom’s alignment is simply Neutral, not Chaotic Neutral or Lawful Neutral).
A kingdom’s alignment rarely changes, though at the GM’s option, it can shift through the actions of its rulers or its people.
Build Points: Build points (or BP for short) are the measure of your kingdom’s resources—equipment, labor, money, and so on. They’re used to acquire new hexes and develop additional buildings, settlements, and terrain improvements. Your kingdom also consumes BP to maintain itself.
Consumption: Consumption indicates how many BP are required to keep the kingdom functioning each month. Your kingdom’s Consumption is equal to its Size, modified by settlements and terrain improvements (such as Farms and Fisheries). Consumption can never go below 0.
Control DC: Some kingdom actions require a check (1d20 + modifiers) to succeed—this is known as a control check. The base DC for a control check is equal to 20 + the kingdom’s Size in hexes + the total number of districts in all your settlements + any other modifiers from special circumstances or effects. Unless otherwise stated, the DC of a kingdom check is the Control DC.
Economy: This attribute measures the productivity of your kingdom’s workers and the vibrancy of its trade, both in terms of money and in terms of information, innovation, and technology. Your kingdom’s initial Economy is 0 plus your kingdom’s alignment and leadership modifiers.
Kingdom Check: A kingdom has three attributes: Economy, Loyalty, and Stability. Your kingdom’s initial scores in each of these attributes is 0, plus modifiers for kingdom alignment, bonuses provided by the leaders, and any other modifiers.
Many kingdom actions and events require you to attempt a kingdom check, either using your Economy, Loyalty, or Stability attribute (1d20 + the appropriate attribute + other modifiers). You cannot take 10 or take 20 on a kingdom check. Kingdom checks automatically fail on a natural 1 and automatically succeed on a natural 20.
Loyalty: Loyalty refers to the sense of goodwill among your people, their ability to live peaceably together even in times of crisis, and to fight for one another when needed. Your kingdom’s initial Loyalty is 0 plus your kingdom’s alignment and any modifiers from your kingdom’s leadership role.
Population: Actual population numbers don’t factor into your kingdom’s statistics, but can be fun to track anyway. The population of each settlement is described in Settlements and Districts on page 211.
Size: This is how many hexes the kingdom claims. A new kingdom’s Size is 1.
Stability: Stability refers to the physical and social well-being of the kingdom, from the health and security of its citizenry to the vitality of its natural resources and its ability to maximize their use. Your kingdom’s initial Stability is 0 plus your kingdom’s alignment and leadership modifiers.
Treasury: The Treasury is the amount of BP your kingdom has saved and can spend on activities (much in the same way that your character has gold and other valuables you can spend on gear). Your Treasury can fall below 0 (meaning your kingdom’s costs exceed its savings and it is operating in debt), but this increases Unrest (see Kingdom Upkeep Phase on page 205).
Turn: A kingdom turn spans 1 month of game time. You make your kingdom checks and other decisions about running your kingdom at the end of each month. Unrest: Your kingdom’s Unrest indicates how rebellious your citizens are. Your kingdom’s initial Unrest is 0. Unrest can never fall below 0 (anything that would modify it to less than 0 is wasted). Subtract your kingdom’s Unrest from all Economy, Loyalty, and Stability checks.
If your kingdom’s Unrest is 11 or higher, the kingdom begins to lose control of hexes it has claimed.
If your kingdom’s Unrest ever reaches 20, the kingdom falls into anarchy (see Kingdom Upkeep Phase).
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With building a kingdom, you begin by founding a small settlement—such as a village or town—and expand your territory outward, claiming nearby hexes, founding additional settlements, and constructing buildings within those settlements. What you build in a hex or a settlement affects the economy of your kingdom, the loyalty of your citizens, the stability of the government, and the likeliness that kingdom will fall into chaos when citizens worry about monster attacks and other threats.
Use the kingdom sheet (see page 227) to track the statistics of your kingdom, just as you use a character sheet to track the statistics of your character. The terms on the kingdom sheet are described in Kingdom Terminology.
You and the other PCs take specific roles in leading your kingdom, such as Ruler, High Priest, General, and so on. The leaders provide bonuses on rolls you make to manage the kingdom’s economy and other important issues. For example, having a High Priest makes your kingdom more stable and your citizens more loyal, and having a Treasurer makes your kingdom more profitable.
Instead of using gold pieces, a kingdom uses a type of currency called build points (BP), which represent actual cash, labor, expertise, and raw materials. While it is possible to convert gp into BP and back again, for the most part you’ll just be spending BP to run your kingdom.
Running a kingdom takes place over a series of turns, similar to how combat takes place over a series of rounds. A kingdom turn takes 1 month of game time. Each turn has four phases which you resolve in order: the Upkeep phase, where you pay the kingdom’s bills; the Edict phase, where you levy taxes and build improvements; the Income phase, where you collect taxes; and the Events phase, where you see if something especially good or bad happens to your kingdom.
If this is your first time reading these rules, start with the section on Founding a Settlement and read the rest of the kingdom-building rules in order. If you find a term you’re not familiar with, check the Kingdom Terminology section or refer to the Kingdom Building Overview for a better idea of where you can find that information.
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Once you have your first settlement, you have the start of a kingdom. You’ll need to make some initial decisions that affect your kingdom’s statistics, and record them on the kingdom sheet (see page 227).
Choose Your Kingdom’s Alignment. Your kingdom’s alignment helps determine how loyal, prosperous, and stable your kingdom is. Your kingdom may be a lawful good bastion against a nearby land of devil worshipers, or a chaotic neutral territory of cutthroat traders whose government does very little to interfere with the rights of its citizens.
Choose Leadership Roles. Assign the leadership roles for all PCs and NPCs involved in running the kingdom, such as Ruler, General, and High Priest. The leadership roles provide bonuses on checks made to collect taxes, deal with rioting citizens, and resolve similar issues.
Start Your Treasury. The build points you have left over from starting your first settlement make up your initial Treasury.
Determine Your Kingdom’s Attributes. Your initial Economy, Loyalty, and Stability scores are based on the kingdom’s alignment and the buildings your settlement has. (If you start with more than one settlement, include all the settlements in this reckoning.)
Once you’ve completed these steps, move on to Kingdom Turn Sequence.
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A stable kingdom has leaders that fill different roles— tending to the economy, defense, and health of its citizens. PCs and NPCs can fill these roles; your fighter may be the kingdom’s Warden, the party cleric its High Priest, and so on. Each role grants the kingdom different benefits.
A character can only fill one leadership role at a time. For example, your character can’t be both the Ruler and the High Priest. Even if you want the Ruler to be the head of the kingdom’s religion, she’s too busy ruling to also do the work of a High Priest; she’ll have to appoint someone else to do that work.
The kingdom must have someone in the Ruler role to function; without a Ruler, the kingdom cannot perform basic actions and gains Unrest every turn. All other roles are optional, though leaving certain roles vacant gives your kingdom penalties.
These leadership roles can be a part of any form of government; in some kingdoms they take the form of a formal ruling council, while in others they may be advisors, ministers, relatives of the leader, or simply powerful nobles, merchants, or bureaucrats with access to the seat of power. The names of these roles are game terms and need not correspond to the titles of those roles in the kingdom—the Ruler of your kingdom may be called king, queen, chosen one, padishah, overlord, sultan, and so on.
Responsibilities of Leadership: In order to gain the benefits of leadership, you must spend at least 7 days per month attending to your duties; these days need not be consecutive. This can be roleplayed or can be assumed to run in the background without needing to be defined or actively played out. Time spent ruling cannot be used for adventuring, crafting magic items, or completing other downtime activities that require your full attention and participation. Failure to complete your duties during a turn means treating the role as thought it’s vacant.
For most campaigns, it’s best to have the PCs pick the same days of the month for these administrative duties, so everyone is available for adventuring at the same time.
PCs and NPCs as Leaders: These rules include enough important leadership roles that a small group of PCs can’t fill them all. You may have to recruit NPCs to fill out the remaining necessary roles for your kingdom. Cohorts, followers, and even intelligent familiars or similar companions can fill leadership roles, and you may want to consider inviting allied NPCs to become rulers, such as asking a friendly ranger you rescued to become the kingdom’s Marshal.
Abdicating a Role: If you want to step down from a leadership position, you must find a replacement to avoid incurring the appropriate vacancy penalty for your position. Abdicating a position increases Unrest by 1 and requires a Loyalty check; if the check fails, the vacancy penalty applies for 1 turn while the new leader transitions into that role. If you are the Ruler, abdicating increases Unrest by 2 instead of 1, and you take a –4 penalty on the Loyalty check to avoid the vacancy penalty.
If you are not the Ruler and are leaving one leadership role to take a different one in the kingdom, the Unrest increase does not occur and you gain a +4 bonus on the Loyalty check to avoid the vacancy penalty.
Leader Statistics: The statistics for the different roles are presented as follows.
Benefit: This explains the benefit to your kingdom if you have a character in this role. If you have the Leadership feat, increase this benefit by 1. If this section gives you a choice of two ability scores, use whichever is highest.
Most benefits are constant and last as long as there is a character in that role, but don’t stack with themselves. For example, a General increases Loyalty by 2, so the General provides a constant +2 to the kingdom’s Loyalty (not a stacking +2 increase every turn), which goes away if she dies or resigns. If a benefit mentions a particular phase in kingdom building, that benefit applies every turn during that phase. For example, the Royal Enforcer decreases Unrest by 1 at every Upkeep phase.
Vacancy Penalty: This line explains the penalty to your kingdom if no character fills this role, or if the leader fails to spend the necessary time fulfilling his responsibilities. Some roles have no vacancy penalty. If a character in a role is killed or permanently incapacitated during a turn and not restored to health by the start of the next kingdom turn, that role counts as vacant for that next turn, after which a replacement can be appointed to the role.
Like benefits, most vacancy penalties are constant, last as long as that role is vacant, and don’t stack with themselves. If a vacant role lists an increase to Unrest, however, that increase does not go away when the role is filled. For example, if the kingdom doesn’t have a ruler for a turn, Unrest increases by 4 and doesn’t automatically return to its previous level when you eventually fill the vacant Ruler role.
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The Ruler is the highest-ranking person in the kingdom, above even the other kingdom leaders, and is expected to embody the values of the kingdom. The Ruler performs the kingdom’s most important ceremonies (such as knighting royals and signing treaties), is the kingdom’s chief diplomatic officer (though most of these duties are handled by the Grand Diplomat), is the signatory for all laws affecting the entire kingdom, pardons criminals when appropriate, and is responsible for appointing characters to all other high positions in the government (such as other leadership roles, mayors of settlements, and judges).
Benefit: Choose one kingdom attribute (Economy, Loyalty, or Stability). Add your Charisma modifier to this attribute. If your kingdom’s Size is 26–100, choose a second kingdom attribute and add your Charisma modifier to it as well. If your kingdom’s Size is 101 or more, choose a third kingdom attribute and add your Charisma modifier to it too.
If you have the Leadership feat, the bonus from the feat applies to all kingdom attributes you affect (one, two, or three attributes, depending on the kingdom’s Size).
If you marry someone of equal station, you both can act as Ruler. You both add your Charisma modifiers to the kingdom attribute (or attributes, if the kingdom is large enough). As long as one of you is present for 1 week per month, you avoid the vacancy penalty.
In a typical campaign where the kingdom leaders have no ties to actual nobility, “someone of equal station” is irrelevant and your marriage is between two Rulers. In a campaign where the leaders are nobles or royals, marrying someone of lesser station means the spouse becomes a Consort rather than a Ruler.
Vacancy Penalty: A kingdom without a ruler cannot claim new hexes, create Farms, build Roads, or purchase settlement districts. Unrest increases by 4 during the kingdom’s Upkeep phase.
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The Consort is usually the spouse of the Ruler, and spends time attending court, speaking with and advising nobles, touring the kingdom to lift the spirits of the people, and so on. In most kingdoms, you cannot have two married Rulers and a Consort at the same time.
The Consort represents the Ruler when the Ruler is occupied or otherwise unable to act. With the Ruler’s permission, the Consort may perform any of the Ruler’s duties, allowing the Ruler to effectively act in two places at once. If the Ruler dies, the Consort may act as Ruler until the Heir comes of age and can take over as Ruler.
Benefit: Add half your Charisma modifier to Loyalty. If the ruler is unavailable during a turn, you may act as the Ruler for that turn, negating the vacancy penalty for having no Ruler, though you do not gain the Ruler benefit. If you act as the Ruler for the turn, you must succeed at a Loyalty check during the kingdom’s Upkeep phase or Unrest increases by 1.
Vacancy Penalty: None.
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The Councilor acts as a liaison between the citizenry and the other kingdom leaders, parsing requests from the commonwealth and presenting the leaders’ proclamations to the people in understandable ways. It is the Councilor’s responsibility to make sure the Ruler is making decisions that benefit the kingdom’s communities and its citizens.
Benefit: Add your Charisma modifier or Wisdom modifier to Loyalty.
Vacancy Penalty: Loyalty decreases by 2. The kingdom gains no benefits from the Holiday edict. During the Upkeep phase, Unrest increases by 1.
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The General is the highest-ranking member of the kingdom’s military. If the kingdom has an army and a navy, the heads of those organizations report to the kingdom’s General. The General is responsible for looking after the needs of the military and directing the kingdom’s armies in times of war. Most citizens see the General as a protector and patriot.
Benefit: Add your Charisma modifier or Strength modifier to Stability.
Vacancy Penalty: Loyalty decreases by 4.
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The Grand Diplomat is in charge of the kingdom’s foreign policy—how it interacts with other kingdoms and similar political organizations such as tribes of intelligent monsters. The Grand Diplomat is the head of all of the kingdom’s diplomats, envoys, and ambassadors. It is the Grand Diplomat’s responsibility to represent and protect the interests of the kingdom with regard to foreign powers.
Benefit: Add your Charisma modifier or Intelligence modifier to Stability.
Vacancy Penalty: Stability decreases by 2. The kingdom cannot issue Diplomatic or Exploration edicts.
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The Heir is usually the Ruler’s eldest son or daughter, though some kingdoms may designate a significant advisor (such as a seneschal) as Heir. The Heir’s time is mostly spent learning to become a ruler—pursuing academic and martial training, touring the kingdom to get to the know the land and its people, experiencing the intrigues of courtly life, and so on.
Because the Heir carries the potential of being the next Ruler, the Heir’s role is similar to the Consort in that the Heir may act on behalf of the Ruler.
Benefit: Add half your Charisma modifier to Loyalty. You may act as the Ruler for a turn, negating the vacancy penalty for the kingdom having no Ruler, though you do not gain the Ruler benefit. Whenever you act as the Ruler for the turn, you must succeed at a Loyalty check during the kingdom’s Upkeep phase or Unrest increases by 1.
Vacancy Penalty: None.
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The High Priest tends to the kingdom’s religious needs and guides its growth. If the kingdom has an official religion, the High Priest may also be the highest-ranking member of that religion in the kingdom, and has similar responsibilities over the lesser priests of that faith to those the Grand Diplomat has over the kingdom’s ambassadors and diplomats. If the kingdom has no official religion, the High Priest may be a representative of the most popular religion in the kingdom or a neutral party representing the interests of all religions allowed by the kingdom.
Benefit: Add your Charisma modifier or Wisdom modifier to Stability.
Vacancy Penalty: Stability and Loyalty decrease by 2. During the Upkeep phase, Unrest increases by 1.
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The Magister guides the kingdom’s higher learning and magic, promoting education and knowledge among the citizens and representing the interests of magic, science, and academia. In most kingdoms, the Magister is a sage, a wizard, or a priest of a deity of knowledge, and oversees the governmental bureaucracy except regarding finance.
Benefit: Add your Charisma modifier or Intelligence modifier to Economy.
Vacancy Penalty: Economy decreases by 4.
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The Marshal ensures that the kingdom’s laws are being enforced in the remote parts of the kingdom as well as in the vicinity of the capital. The Marshal is also responsible for securing the kingdom’s borders. He organizes regular patrols and works with the General to respond to threats that militias and adventurers can’t deal with alone.
Benefit: Add your Dexterity modifier or Wisdom modifier to Economy.
Vacancy Penalty: Economy decreases by 4.
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The Royal Enforcer deals with punishing criminals, working with the Councilor to make sure the citizens feel the government is adequately dealing with wrongdoers, and working with the Marshal to capture fugitives from the law. The Royal Enforcer may grant civilians the authority to kill in the name of the law.
Benefit: Add your Dexterity modifier or Strength modifier to Loyalty. During the Upkeep phase, you may decrease Unrest by 1 (this is not affected by having the Leadership feat); if you do so, you must succeed at a Loyalty check or Loyalty decreases by 1.
Vacancy Penalty: None.
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The Spymaster observes the kingdom’s criminal elements and underworld and spies on other kingdoms. The Spymaster always has a finger on the pulse of the kingdom’s underbelly, and uses acquired information to protect the interests of the kingdom at home and elsewhere through a network of spies and informants.
Benefit: During the Edict phase, choose one kingdom attribute (Economy, Loyalty or Stability). Add your Dexterity modifier or Intelligence modifier to this attribute.
Vacancy Penalty: Economy decreases by 4. During the Upkeep phase, Unrest increases by 1.
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The Treasurer monitors the state of the kingdom’s Treasury and citizens’ confidence in the value of their money and investigates whether any businesses are taking unfair advantage of the system. The Treasurer is in charge of the tax collectors and tracks debts and credits with guilds and other governments.
Benefit: Add your Intelligence modifier or Wisdom modifier to Economy.
Vacancy Penalty: Economy decreases by 4. The kingdom cannot collect taxes—during the Edict phase, when you would normally collect taxes, the kingdom does not collect taxes at all and the taxation level is considered “none.”
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The Viceroy represents the Ruler’s interests on an ongoing basis in a specific location such as a colony or vassal state (see the optional Vassalage edict). The Viceroy is in effect the Ruler for that territory; her orders are superceded only by direct commands from the Ruler.
Benefit: Add half your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier to Economy. You may assume any leadership role (including Ruler) for your colony or vassal state, but any benefit you provide in this role is 1 less than normal; if you do so, you must spend 7 days that month performing duties appropriate to that leadership role in addition to the 7 days spent for Viceroy duties.
Vacancy Penalty: If you have no Viceroy for your vassal state, treat it as if it had the Ruler vacancy penalty.
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The Warden is responsible for enforcing laws in larger settlements, as well as ensuring the safety of the kingdom leaders. The Warden also works with the General to deploy forces to protect settlements and react to internal threats.
Benefit: Add your Constitution modifier or Strength modifier to Loyalty.
Vacancy Penalty: Loyalty and Stability decrease by 2.
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Running a kingdom is more fun if all the players are involved and each is responsible for making some of the kingdom checks. Who makes each roll depends on the players in your group and what roles they want to play. Some players may not want to make any of these rolls. You may want to start with the following die roll responsibilities and modify them to suit your kingdom and the other players. Anything marked as an optional rule is described in the optional kingdom-building rules.
Ruler: Loyalty checks, any checks or edicts not covered by other rulers
Consort: As Ruler when Ruler is unavailable
Councilor: Holiday edicts
General: Kingdom checks for events requiring combat
Grand Diplomat: Diplomatic edicts (optional rule)
Heir: Kingdom event rolls
High Priest: Holiday edicts, rolls to generate magic items from Cathedrals, Shrines, and Temples
Magister: Rolls to generate magic items not rolled by the High Priest
Marshal: Exploration edicts (optional rule)
Royal Enforcer: Loyalty checks to reduce Unrest or prevent Unrest increases
Spymaster: Kingdom checks involving crime and foreigners
Treasurer: Economy checks, Taxation edicts,
Trade edicts (optional rule)
Viceroy: Vassalage edicts (optional rule)
Warden: Stability checks
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The units of a kingdom’s wealth and productivity are build points (BP). Build points are an abstraction representing the kingdom’s expendable assets, not just gold in the treasury. Build points include raw materials (such as livestock, lumber, land, seed, and ore), tangible goods (such as wagons, weapons, and candles), and people (artisans, laborers, and colonists). Together, these assets represent the labor and productive output of your citizens.
You spend BP on tasks necessary to develop and protect your kingdom—planting farms, creating roads, constructing buildings, raising armies, and so on. These things are made at your command, but they are not yours. The cities, roads, farms, and buildings belong to the citizens who build them and use them to live and work every day, and those acts of living and working create more BP for the kingdom. As the leaders, you use your power and influence to direct the economic and constructive activity of your kingdom, deciding what gets built, when, and where.
Build points don’t have a precise exchange rate to gold pieces because they don’t represent exact amounts of specific resources. For example, you can’t really equate the productivity of a blacksmith with that of a stable, as their goods are used for different things and aren’t produced at the same rate, but both of them contribute to a kingdom’s overall economy. In general, 1 BP is worth approximately 4,000 gp; use this value to get a sense of how costly various kingdom expenditures are. In practice, it is not a simple matter to convert one currency to the other, but there are certain ways for your PC to spend gp to increase the kingdom’s BP or withdraw BP and turn them into gold for your character to spend.
Providing a seed amount of BP at the start of kingdom building means your kingdom isn’t starving for resources in the initial months. Whether you acquire these funds on your own or with the help of an influential NPC is decided by the GM, and sets the tone for much of the campaign.
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In many cases, a kingdom’s initial BP come from a source outside your party. A wealthy queen may want to tame some of the wilderness on her kingdom’s borders, or a merchant’s guild may want to construct a trading post to increase trade with distant lands. Regardless of the intent, the work involved to create a new settlement costs thousands of gold pieces—more than most adventurers would want to spend on mundane things like jails, mills, and piers.
It is an easy matter for the GM to provide these funds in the form of a quest reward. A wealthy queen may grant you minor titles and BP for your treasury if you kill a notorious bandit and turn his ruined castle into a town, or a guild may provide you with a ship full of goods and workers and enough BP to start a small colony on a newly discovered, resource-rich continent. In exchange for this investment, the sponsor expects you to be a vassal or close ally; in some cases, you may be required to pay back these BP (such as at a rate of 1 BP per turn) or provide tribute to the patron on an ongoing basis (such as at a rate of 10% of your income per turn, minimum 1 BP).
An appropriate starting amount is 50 BP. This amount is enough to keep a new kingdom active for a few turns while it establishes its own economy, but it is still at risk of collapse from mismanagement or bad luck.
As the initial citizens represented by this BP investment are probably loyal to the sponsor, taking action against the sponsor may anger those people and cause trouble. For example, if you rebuff the queen’s envoy, your citizens may see this as a snub against the queen and rebel.
Your responsibility to the sponsor usually falls into one of the following categories, based on the loan arrangement.
Charter: The sponsor expects you to explore, clear, and settle a wilderness area along the sponsor’s border—an area where the sponsor has some territorial claims. You may have to fend off other challengers for the land.
Conquest: The sponsor’s soldiers clashed with the army of an existing kingdom and the kingdom’s old leaders have fled, surrendered, or been killed. The sponsor has placed you in command of this territory and the soldiers.
Fief: The sponsor places you in charge of an existing domain within his own already-settled lands. If it includes already improved terrain and cities, you’re expected to govern and further improve them. (While you’ll start with land and settlements, you’ll still need around 50 BP to handle your kingdom’s Consumption and development needs.)
Grant: The sponsor places you in charge of settling and improving an area already claimed by the liege but not significantly touched by civilization. You may have to expand the borders of the land or defend it against hostile creatures.
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It’s not easy to start a kingdom—probably the reason everyone doesn’t have one. If you are founding a kingdom on your own, without an external sponsor or a fantastic windfall of resources, the initial financial costs can be crippling to PCs. Even building a new town with just a House and an Inn costs 13 BP—worth over 50,000 gp in terms of stone, timber, labor, food, and so on. To compensate for this (and encourage you to adventure in search of more gold that you can convert into BP), if you’re running a small, self-starting kingdom, the GM may allow you to turn your gold into BP at a better rate. You may only take advantage of this if you don’t have a sponsor; it represents your people seeing the hard work you’re directly putting in and being inspired to do the same to get the kingdom off the ground.
This improved rate depends on the Size of your kingdom, as shown in the following table.
| Kingdom Size | Price of 1 BP | Withdrawal Rate* |
| 01-25 | 1,000 gp | 500 gp |
| 26-50 | 2,000 gp | 1,000 gp |
| 51-100 | 3,000 gp | 1,500 gp |
| 101+ | 4,000 gp | 2,000 gp |
* If you make a withdrawal from the Treasury during the Income phase, use this withdrawal rate to determine how much gp you gain per BP withdrawn.
The GM may also allow you to discover a cache of goods worth BP (instead of gp) as a reward for adventuring, giving you the seed money to found or support your kingdom.
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A kingdom’s growth occurs during four phases, which together make up 1 kingdom turn (1 month of game time). The four phases are as follows:
Phase 1—Upkeep: Check your kingdom’s stability, pay costs, and deal with Unrest.
If your kingdom controls 0 hexes, skip the Upkeep phase and proceed to the Edict phase.
Phase 2—Edict: Declare official proclamations about taxes, diplomacy, and other kingdom-wide decisions.
Phase 3—Income: Add to your Treasury by collecting taxes and converting gp into BP, or withdraw BP from your kingdom for your personal use.
Phase 4—Event: Check whether any unusual events occur that require attention. Some are beneficial, such as an economic boom, good weather, or the discovery of remarkable treasure. Others are detrimental, such as foul weather, a plague, or a rampaging monster.
These phases are always undertaken in the above order. Many steps allow you to perform an action once per kingdom turn; this means once for the entire kingdom, not once per leader.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 206
During the Upkeep phase, you adjust your kingdom’s scores based on what’s happened in the past month, how happy the people are, how much they’ve consumed and are taxed, and so on.
Step 1—Determine Kingdom Stability: Attempt a Stability check. If you succeed, Unrest decreases by 1 (if this would reduce Unrest below 0, add 1 BP to your Treasury instead). If you fail by 4 or less, Unrest increases by 1; if you fail by 5 or more, Unrest increases by 1d4.
Step 2—Pay Consumption: Subtract your kingdom’s Consumption from the kingdom’s Treasury. If your Treasury is negative after paying Consumption, Unrest increases by 2.
Step 3—Fill Vacant Magic Item Slots: If any of your settlement districts have buildings that produce magic items (such as a Caster’s Tower or Herbalist) with vacant magic item slots, there is a chance of those slots filling with new items (see the Magic Items in Settlements section).
Step 4—Modify Unrest: Unrest increases by 1 for each kingdom attribute (Economy, Loyalty, or Stability) that is a negative number.
The Royal Enforcer may attempt to reduce Unrest during this step.
If the kingdom’s Unrest is 11 or higher, it loses 1 hex (the leaders choose which hex). See Losing Hexes for more information.
If your kingdom’s Unrest ever reaches 20, the kingdom falls into anarchy. While in anarchy, your kingdom can take no action and treats all Economy, Loyalty, and Stability check results as 0. Restoring order once a kingdom falls into anarchy typically requires a number of quests and lengthy adventures by you and the other would-be leaders to restore the people’s faith in you.
Example: Jessica is the Ruler of a kingdom with a Size of 30 and a Control DC of 60. Based on leadership role bonuses, kingdom alignment bonuses, and buildings in her settlements, the kingdom’s Economy is 52, its Loyalty is 45, and its Stability is 56. Its Unrest is currently 5, its Consumption is 5, and the Treasury has 12 BP. In Step 1 of the Upkeep phase, Adam, the Warden, attempts a Stability check to determine the kingdom’s stability. Adam rolls a 19, adds the kingdom’s Stability (56), and subtracts its Unrest (5), for a total of 70; that’s a success, so Unrest decreases by 1. In Step 2, the kingdom pays 5 BP for Consumption. None of the kingdom’s magic item slots are empty, so they skip Step 3. In Step 4, none of the attributes are negative, so Unrest doesn’t increase. Mark, the Royal Enforcer, doesn’t want to risk reducing the kingdom’s Loyalty, so he doesn’t use his leadership role to reduce Unrest. At the end of this phase, the kingdom has Economy 52, Loyalty 45, Stability 56, Unrest 4, Consumption 5, and Treasury 7 BP.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 206
The Edict phase is when you make proclamations on expansion, improvements, taxation, holidays, and so on.
Step 1—Assign Leadership: Assign PCs or NPCs to any vacant leadership roles or change the roles being filled by particular PCs or closely allied NPCs (see Leadership Roles).
Step 2—Claim and Abandon Hexes: For your kingdom to grow, you must claim additional hexes. You can only claim a hex that is adjacent to at least 1 other hex in your kingdom. Before you can claim it, the hex must first be explored, then cleared of monsters and dangerous hazards (see Steps 2 and 3 of Founding a Settlement for more details). Then, to claim the hex, spend 1 BP; this establishes the hex as part of your kingdom and increases your kingdom’s Size by 1. Table 4–4: Improvement Edicts tells you the maximum number of hexes you can claim per turn.
You may abandon any number of hexes to reduce your kingdom’s Size (which you may wish to do to manage Consumption). Doing so increases Unrest by 1 for each hex abandoned (or by 4 if the hex contained a settlement). This otherwise functions like losing a hex due to unrest (see Step 4 of the Upkeep phase).
Step 4—Build Terrain Improvements: You may spend BP to build terrain improvements like Farms, Forts, Roads, Mines, and Quarries (see Terrain Improvements).
You may also prepare a hex for constructing a settlement. Depending on the site, this may involve clearing trees, moving boulders, digging sanitation trenches, and so on. See the Preparation Cost column on Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements to determine how many BP this requires.
Table 4–4: Improvement Edicts tells you the maximum number of terrain improvements you can make per turn.
Step 5—Create and Improve Settlements: You may create a settlement in a claimed hex (see Founding a Settlement). Table 4–4: Improvement Edicts tells you the maximum number of settlements you can establish per turn.
You may construct a building in any settlement in your kingdom. The list of available building types can be found here. When a building is completed, apply its modifiers to your kingdom sheet. Table 4–4: Improvement Edicts tells you the maximum number of buildings you can construct in your kingdom per turn. The first House, Mansion, Noble Villa, or Tenement your kingdom builds each turn does not count against that limit.
Step 6—Create Army Units: You may create, expand, equip, or repair army units (see Mass Combat on page 234).
Step 7—Issue Edicts: Select or adjust your edict levels (see Edicts).
Example: Jessica’s kingdom has no vacant leadership roles, so nothing happens in Step 1. The leaders don’t want to spend BP and increase Size right now, so in Step 2 they don’t claim any hexes. In Step 3, the leaders construct a Farm in one of the kingdom’s prepared hexes (Consumption –2, Treasury –2 BP). In Steps 5 and 6, the leaders continue to be frugal and do not construct settlement improvements or create armies. In Step 7, the leaders issue a Holiday edict of one national holiday (Loyalty +1, Consumption +1) and set the Promotion edict level to “none” (Stability –1, Consumption +0). Looking ahead to the Income phase, Jessica realizes that an average roll for her Economy check would be a failure (10 on the 1d20 + 52 Economy – 4 Unrest = 58, less than the Control DC of 60), which means there’s a good chance the kingdom won’t generate any BP this turn. She decides to set the Taxation edict to “heavy” (Economy +3, Loyalty –4). At the end of this phase, the kingdom has Economy 55, Loyalty 42, Stability 55, Unrest 4, Consumption 4, and Treasury 5 BP.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 207
During the Income phase, you may add to or withdraw from the Treasury as well as collect taxes.
Step 1—Make Withdrawals from the Treasury: The kingdom-building rules allow you to expend BP on things related to running the kingdom. If you want to spend some of the kingdom’s resources on something for your own personal benefit (such as a new magic item), you may withdraw BP from the Treasury and convert it into gp once per turn, but there is a penalty for doing so.
Each time you withdraw BP for your personal use, Unrest increases by the number of BP withdrawn. Each BP you withdraw this way converts to 2,000 gp of personal funds.
Step 2—Make Deposits to the Treasury: You can add funds to a kingdom’s Treasury by donating your personal wealth to the kingdom—coins, gems, jewelry, weapons, armor, magic items, and other valuables you find while adventuring, as long as they are individually worth 4,000 gp or less. For every full 4,000 gp in value of the deposit, increase your kingdom’s BP by 1.
If you want to donate an item that is worth more than 4,000 gp, refer to Step 3 instead.
Step 3—Sell Expensive Items for BP: You can attempt to sell expensive personal items (that is, items worth more than 4,000 gp each) through your kingdom’s markets to add to your Treasury. You may sell one item per settlement district per turn. You must choose the settlement where you want to sell the item, and the item cannot be worth more than the base value of that settlement (see page 212). To sell an item, divide its price by half (as if selling it to an NPC for gp), divide the result by 4,000 (rounded down), and add that many BP to your Treasury.
You cannot use this step to sell magic items held or created by buildings in your settlements; those items are the property of the owners of those businesses. (See Magic Items in Settlements for more information on this topic.)
Step 4—Collect Taxes: Attempt an Economy check, divide the result by 3 (round down), and add a number of BP to your Treasury equal to the result.
Example: Jessica and the other leaders need to keep BP in the kingdom for future plans, so they skip Step 1 of the Income phase. They are worried that they won’t collect enough taxes this turn, so just in case, in Step 2 they deposit 8,000 gp worth of coins, gems, and small magic items (Treasury +2 BP). The leaders aren’t selling any expensive items, so nothing happens in Step 3. In Step 4, Rob, the Treasurer, rolls the Economy check to collect taxes. Rob rolls a 9 on the 1d20, adds the kingdom’s Economy score (55), and subtracts Unrest (4) for a total of 60, which means the kingdom adds 20 BP (the Economy check result of 60, divided by 3) to the Treasury. At the end of this phase, the kingdom has Economy 55, Loyalty 42, Stability 55, Unrest 4, Consumption 4, and Treasury 27 BP.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 208
In the Event phase, a random event may affect your kingdom as a whole or a single settlement or hex.
There is a 25% chance of an event occurring (see Events). If no event occurred during the last turn, this chance increases to 75%. Some events can be negated, ended, or compensated for with some kind of kingdom check. Others, such as a rampaging monster, require you to complete an adventure or deal with a problem in a way not covered by the kingdom-building rules.
In addition, the GM may have an adventure- or campaign-specific event take place. Other events may also happen during this phase, such as independence or unification.
Example: The GM rolls on one of the event tables and determines that a monster is attacking one of the kingdom’s hexes. Instead of attempting a Stability check to deal with the monster (risking increasing Unrest if it fails), Jessica and the other leaders go on a quest to deal with the monster personally. They defeat the monster, so the event does not generate any Unrest. At the end of this phase, the kingdom’s scores are unchanged: Economy 55, Loyalty 42, Stability 55, Unrest 4, Consumption 4, and Treasury 27 BP.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 208
Edicts are the official pronouncements by your government about how you are running the kingdom that turn. For example, you may decide to have low or high taxes, to have more or fewer holidays, and how much effort to put into improving the kingdom’s infrastructure. Edicts fall into four types: Holiday, Improvement, Promotion, and Taxation.
In the Edict phase of the kingdom turn, you may set the Holiday, Promotion, and Taxation edict categories to whatever level you want, as well as decide how much of your allowed improvement from the Improvement edict you’ll use. For example, you may decide that this turn holidays are quarterly, promotions are aggressive, taxation is minimal, and you won’t build any improvements.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 208
Holidays are general celebrations or observances that take place across the kingdom. The BP expenditure includes lost revenue from citizens not working during the holidays, preparations and logistical arrangements that occur year-round, and the cost of the actual celebrations (these annual costs are averaged over the year and included in the listed Consumption modifier that you pay each turn).
The number of holidays per year is the number you promise to uphold and the number that the common folk expect to enjoy over the next months. The Loyalty and Consumption modifiers change as soon as you change the number of holidays per year. The listed number assumes that you are fulfilling your promise—if you announce 12 holidays in the coming year but don’t actually hold and pay for them, the GM should increase your kingdom’s Unrest to reflect public disappointment and outrage.
Example: Logan is the Ruler of a kingdom with some Loyalty issues. He issues a Holiday edict that there will be 24 kingdom-wide official holidays in the next year (Loyalty +4, Consumption +8). In the second turn, he worries about the increased Consumption’s effect on the Treasury, so he issues a new Holiday edict decreeing that until further notice, there will be no kingdom-wide holidays. He loses the previous +4 Loyalty bonus and incurs a –1 Loyalty penalty for the new Holiday edict, but no longer has to pay the 8 Consumption each turn for his previous edict. If he frequently changes Holiday edicts from high to low levels, the GM may decide that his citizens no longer believe such promises and he won’t gain any benefits from having a high level of Holiday edict until he becomes consistent.
Table 4-1: Holiday Edicts
| Per Year | Loyalty | Consumption |
| None | -1 | +0 |
| 1 | +1 | +1 |
| 6 | +2 | +2 |
| 12 | +3 | +4 |
| 24 | +4 | +8 |
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 208
Improvements are physical improvements you can make to your kingdom: founding new settlements, adding buildings to a settlement, building roads, creating facilities such as mines to tap natural resources, and claiming more hexes for your kingdom. Your kingdom’s Size limits how many improvements you can make each turn; see Table 4–4: Improvement Edicts below. You can make all of the improvements listed on the appropriate row of the table. For example, if your kingdom’s Size is 5, on each turn you can create 1 new settlement, 1 new building, 2 terrain improvements, and claim 1 more hex.
Table 4-4: Improvement Edicts
| Kingdom Size | New Settlements1 | New Buildings2 | Terrain Improvements | Hex Claims |
| 01-10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 11-25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 26-50 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| 51-100 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 4 |
| 101-200 | 3 | 20 | 9 | 8 |
| 201+ | 4 | No limit | 12 | 12 |
1 Instead of creating a new settlement, your kingdom may create a new army unit (see Mass Combat, starting on page 234), expand or equip an existing army unit, or bring an existing army unit back to full strength.
2 Upgrading a building (for example, from a Shrine to a Temple) or destroying a building counts toward this limit. The first House, Mansion, Noble Villa, or Tenement your kingdom builds each turn does not count against this number.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 209
Promotion edicts are events and actions the kingdom uses to attract new citizens and increase the well-being of the kingdom, such as recruitment campaigns, advertisements about services and goods, and propaganda to improve the perception of your kingdom at home and abroad. Promotions increase Consumption, but also increase Stability.
Table 4-2: Promotion Edicts
| Promotion Level | Stability | Consumption |
| None | -1 | +0 |
| Token | +1 | +1 |
| Standard | +2 | +2 |
| Aggressive | +3 | +4 |
| Expansionist | +4 | +8 |
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 209
Setting the tax level determines how much revenue you collect from taxes in the Income phase. Higher taxes increase your kingdom’s Economy (making it easier for you to succeed at Economy checks to generate revenue) but make your citizens unhappy (reducing Loyalty).
Table 4-3: Taxation Edicts
| Tax Level | Economy | Loyalty |
| None | +0 | +1 |
| Light | +1 | -1 |
| Normal | +2 | -2 |
| Heavy | +3 | -4 |
| Overwhelming | +4 | -8 |
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 209
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 (see Free City on page 211). 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.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 207
A kingdom should have a capital city—the seat of your power. Your first settlement is your capital. If you want to designate a different settlement as the capital, you may do so in Step 7 of the Edict phase. Your capital city primarily comes into play if your kingdom loses hexes. If you change the capital city, attempt a Stability check. Success means Unrest increases by 1; failure means Unrest increases by 1d6.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 210
Terrain improvements are changes to a hex that improve the land for your kingdom’s use, such as cultivating fields, digging mines, and clearing forests for lumber. The following list describes common improvements. An improvement marked with an asterisk (*) can share the same hex as other improvements.
Some terrain improvements affect a settlement’s Defense, which is used in the mass combat rules (see page 237).
Terrain: This indicates what kind of hex you can build this terrain improvement in.
Effect: This line states the effect the terrain improvement has on that hex (or in some cases, your entire kingdom).
If an improvement says you can upgrade it into another improvement, you can do so by paying the cost difference between the two improvements. When the upgrade is complete, you lose the benefit of the old improvement but gain the benefit of the new improvement.
Cost: This line gives the cost in BP to build the terrain improvement.
Table 4-6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements
| Terrain | Exploration Time1 | Preparation Time2 | Preparation Cost3 | Farm Cost4 | Road Cost5, 6 |
| Cavern7 | 3 days | 3 months | 8 BP | — | 4 BP |
| Coastline8 | Special | Special | Special | Special | Special |
| Desert | 2 days | 1 month | 4 BP | 8 BP | 4 BP |
| Forest | 2 days | 2 months | 4 BP | — | 2 BP |
| Hills | 1 day | 1 month | 2 BP | 4 BP | 3 BP |
| Jungle | 2 days | 4 months | 12 BP | — | 4 BP |
| Marsh | 3 days | 3 months | 8 BP | — | 4 BP |
| Mountains | 3 days | 4 months | 12 BP | — | 4 BP |
| Plains | 1 day | Immediate | 1 BP | 2 BP | 1 BP |
| Water | 2 days | — | — | — | — |
1 Exploration time represents how many days a typical scouting party requires to explore a hex of this type. These times assume a party speed of 30 feet. For parties with different speeds, see Table 3–3: Exploration Time (1 Hex). Treat Cavern as Mountain and Jungle as Marsh for exploration time. Do not adjust the speed for Water hexes; it’s assumed that the party is already using a boat or other watercraft to explore.
2 Preparation time represents the months of labor (beginning with the current turn) required to prepare the hex for settlement. Construction of buildings can begin in the current month for settlements built on plains.
3 Preparation cost represents the BP cost to clear a hex of this type in preparation for founding a settlement.
4 Farm cost represents the BP cost to cultivate a hex for farming. A Farm must be within or adjacent to a hex containing a river, lake, swamp, or Canal, or adjacent to at least 2 hexes that already contain Farms.
5 Road cost represents the BP cost to establish a Road that crosses a hex and connects to all adjacent hexes. The cost to build a Road doubles if the hex contains rivers. A kingdom with a Size of 26 or greater can build a Highway (or upgrade a Road to a Highway).
6 If the hex contains any rivers, double the listed cost to reflect the need to build bridges.
7 This is a large system of caves and underground passages and can be found in any terrain type except Marsh. It functions as an additional hex that exists underground, below the surface hex.
8 Treat this as the adjacent land terrain type for all purposes.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 210
An Aqueduct brings water from alpine lakes and rivers to lowland cities where water is scarce or insufficient for the local populace. A finished series of Aqueduct hexes must connect to a hill or mountain hex (with a river or lake) on one end and a settlement on the other end; otherwise, you do not gain its benefit.
Terrain: One end must be hill or mountain hex; can pass through any type of hex.
Effect: Loyalty +1, Stability +1, allows settlement to build water-dependent buildings.
Cost: As a Road, except the cost is not doubled for hexes with rivers (see Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements).
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 210
A Bridge allows your Road hexes to cross rivers.
Cost: When you build a Road in a hex that contains a river, the doubled coast of the Road includes the cost of bridges needed to cross the river. You don’t need to build a Bridge as a separate unit; it’s listed here for reference only.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 210
A Canal is an artificial waterway that allows barge traffic to haul heavy commodities.
Terrain: Desert, hill, or plain.
Effect: Settlements in a hex with a Canal treat the hex as if it had a river.
Cost: Twice the cost of a Road (see Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements).
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 210
A Farm helps feed your kingdom.
Terrain: Desert (requires canal, coastline, or river), hill, or plain.
Effect: Consumption decreases by 2 BP.
Cost: See Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 210
A Fishery is like a Farm, except it provides abundant fish rather than planted crops.
Terrain: Coastline, water, river, or marsh.
Effect: Consumption decreases by 1 BP.
Cost: 4 BP.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 210
A Fort is a walled encampment for military forces outside a settlement. You can upgrade a Watchtower to a Fort (Unrest decreases when you do so, just as if you had built the Fort from scratch).
Terrain: Any land.
Effect: Stability +2, Defense +4, increase Consumption by 1 BP; Unrest decreases by 1 when completed. If this hex becomes a settlement, this improvement counts as one Barracks and one Stables building.
Cost: 24 BP.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 210
A highway is a paved and well-maintained version of a Road. You may upgrade a Road into a Highway. You must have a kingdom of Size 26 or greater to build a Highway.
Terrain: Any hex with a Road.
Effect: Economy +1 for every 4 hexes of Highway, Stability +1 for every 8 hexes of Highway; improves overland travel speed.
Cost: Twice the cost of a Road (see Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements).
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 211
A Mine extracts metal, coal, salt, or other useful materials from the earth.
Terrain: Cavern, desert, hill, or mountain.
Effect: Economy +1, earn +1 BP per turn when collecting taxes during the Income phase.
Cost: 6 BP.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 211
A Quarry extracts workable stone from the ground.
Terrain: Cavern, hill, or mountain.
Effect: Stability +1, earn +1 BP per turn when collecting taxes during the Income phase.
Cost: 6 BP.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 211
A Road speeds travel through your kingdom and promotes trade. You can upgrade a Road to a Highway.
Terrain: Any land.
Effect: Economy +1 for every 4 hexes of Road, Stability +1 for every 8 hexes of Road; improves overland travel speed.
Cost: See the Road column of Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 211
A sawmill centralizes the activities of loggers and turns trees into lumber for use in building and crafting.
Terrain: Forest or jungle.
Effect: Stability +1, earn +1 BP per turn when collecting taxes during the Income phase.
Cost: 3 BP.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 211
A Watchtower flies your flag, is a safe place for your patrols, and establishes your power on the frontier. A Watchtower cannot share a hex with a Fort or another Watchtower.
Terrain: Any land.
Effect: Stability +1, Defense +2; Unrest decreases by 1 when completed. If this hex becomes a settlement, this improvement counts as a Watchtower building.
Cost: 12 BP.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 211
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.
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 Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements).
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 a Mine, Quarry, or Sawmill 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.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 211
The greatest assets of your kingdom are its settlements. Most settlements start as simple villages, and some grow over time into bustling cities. You can use the District Grid on page 226 to create the initial design for your settlement and decide where to place additional buildings as it grows. You may want to photocopy the District Grid so you can build multiple settlements in your kingdom.
The District Grid is divided into 9 large blocks separated by streets. Each block consists of 4 smaller lots separated by alleys. Treat each lot as approximately 750 feet per side, so overall the district takes up about 1 square mile. On each lot you may construct a building, and each building affects your kingdom’s Economy, Loyalty, and so on. Descriptions of these buildings, as well as the bonuses they provide once they’re added to a settlement, are listed here.
Most settlements only have 1 district. If your District Grid is full and you want to add another district (for example, if you run out of available lots in that settlement and want to construct additional buildings), you can create an additional district for that settlement by paying the preparation cost for the settlement’s terrain as listed on Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements). Remember that your kingdom’s Control DC is based on the number of districts in your settlement.
Icons representing each of the building types are shown on pages 224 and 225; you may want to print multiple copies of the icons so you can cut them out and attach them to your District Grid as your settlement grows.
The placement of buildings in your district is up to you— you can start in the center of the district and build outward, or start at the edge and build toward the center. Some buildings (such as the Guildhall) take up more than 1 lot on the grid. You can’t divide up these larger structures, though you can place them so they cover a street. (Streets do not count as lots.)
Construction: Construction is completed in the same turn you spend BP for the building, no matter what its size is. A building’s benefits apply to your kingdom immediately. At the GM’s discretion, construction magic (such as lyre of building, fabricate, or wall of stone) can reduce a single building’s BP cost by 2 (minimum 0). This is a one-time reduction per turn, regardless of the amount of magic used.
Population: A settlement’s population is approximately equal to the number of completed lots within its districts × 250. A grid that has all 36 lots filled with buildings has a population of approximately 9,000.
Base Value: The base value of a settlement is used to determine what magic items may easily be purchased there. There is a 75% chance that any item of that value or lower can be found for sale in the settlement with little effort. The base value of a new settlement is 0 gp. Certain buildings (such as a Market or Tavern) increase a settlement’s base value. A settlement’s base value can never increase above the values listed in Table 4–5: Settlement Size and Base Value (except under special circumstances decided by the GM).
Defense: A settlement’s Defense is used with the mass combat rules. It otherwise has no effect unless the settlement is attacked. You can increase a settlement’s Defense by building certain structures (such as City Walls).
Table 4-5: Settlement Size and Base Value
| Population | Settlement Size | Value |
| Fewer than 21 | Thorp | 50 gp |
| 21-60 | Hamlet | 200 gp |
| 61-200 | Village | 500 gp |
| 201-2,000 | Small town | 1,000 gp |
| 2,001-5,000 | Large town | 2,000 gp |
| 5,001-10,000 | Small city | 4,000 gp |
| 10,001-25,000 | Large city | 8,000 gp |
| More than 25,000 | Metropolis | 16,000 gp |
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 212
Before you can start your own kingdom, you first need a base of operations—a fort, village, or other settlement—where you can rest between adventures and where your citizens know they can find you if they need help or want to pay their taxes. Once you have a kingdom, you’ll want to create more settlements in order for the kingdom to grow and prosper. To found a settlement, you must perform the following steps. (These steps assume you’re building a new settlement from scratch; if you’re attempting to incorporate an existing settlement into your kingdom, see Free City under Special Terrain)
Step 1—Acquire funds. You’ll need money and resources in the form of build points.
Step 2—Explore and clear a hex. You’ll need to explore the hex where you want to put the settlement. See the Exploration Time column on Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements to see how long this takes. Once you have explored the hex, clear it of monsters and dangerous hazards. The time needed to clear it depends on the nature of the threats; this step is usually handled by you completing adventures there to kill or drive out monsters.
Step 3—Claim the hex as yours. Once you have BP and have explored and cleared the hex, you can claim it. Spend 1 BP to do so; this represents setting 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).
Step 4—Prepare the site for construction. To put a settlement on a claimed hex, you’ll need to prepare it. Depending on the site, this process may involve clearing trees, moving boulders, digging sanitation trenches, and so on. See the Preparation Cost column on Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements for the BP cost.
If your settlement is in a hex containing a canal, lake, ocean, river, or similar large body of water, you must decide which of your settlement’s borders are water (riverbanks, lakeshores, or seashores) or land. Some types of buildings, such as Mills, Piers, and Waterfronts, must be adjacent to water.
A new settlement consists of 1 district, represented by the District Grid map on page 226. Mark the four borders on the District Grid as land or water, as appropriate.
Step 5—Construct your first buildings. Construct 1 building in your settlement and pay its BP cost. See Building Descriptions for building types. If this is your kingdom’s first settlement, you should start with an Inn, Shrine, Monastery, or Watchtower. In addition, you may also purchase and construct 1 House, Mansion, Noble Villa, or Tenement. If your first building is an Inn, you must construct a House or Tenement next to it, as building an Inn requires an adjacent House or Tenement.
When you complete these steps, you’ve founded your settlement! If this is your first settlement, it’s considered your kingdom’s capital city.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 213
In addition to the commonly available items in a settlement as determined by its base value, some buildings increase the likelihood of having specific or unusual magic items available for purchase.
Gaining Item Slots: When you construct one of these buildings, mark the appropriate boxes in the Magic Items section of the settlement’s District Grid; this indicates that the settlement has gained a slot for an item of that type.
Filling Item Slots: In Step 3 of the Upkeep phase, you roll to fill vacant magic item slots in each district. Roll d% once for each district that has an open magic item slot (if the district has more than one, select one randomly). There is a 50% chance (51–100) that an appropriate magic item becomes available in that slot. This item’s price cannot exceed the base value for the settlement (reroll if the item’s price exceeds the settlement’s base value).
Example: Jessica’s settlement has a base value of 200 gp. She built an Herbalist last turn, giving the settlement 1 minor potion slot. In the Upkeep phase this turn, she rolls d% and gets a result of 62, meaning she can roll a random minor potion to fill the settlement’s empty slot. She rolls on Table 15–12: Potions and gets a result of 45, indicating a potion of a 1st-level spell. If she had rolled anything more valuable than the 200 gp base value for her settlement, she would have to reroll until she got an acceptable result. Once a magic item is rolled for a settlement in this way, it remains on the market until someone purchases it.
Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Equipment includes extensive random magic item tables for specific slots and price increments. These tables may be more convenient than using the magic item tables in the Core Rulebook.
Emptying Item Slots: If you are unsatisfied with a magic item generated by a settlement, there are three ways to purge an undesirable item and make its slot vacant. The first is to purchase it with your own gp, which makes it your personal property and means you may do with it what you please (use it, sell it at half price for gold, deposit it in the kingdom’s Treasury during the next Income phase, use it as a reward for a local general, and so on).
The second method is to manipulate your kingdom’s economy to encourage an NPC to purchase the item (such as a random adventurer passing through the settlement). During Step 3 of the Income phase, you may attempt one Economy check for each filled slot you want to empty. For every such check after the first one in a turn, your Economy decreases by 1, since these manipulations are harmful to your kingdom’s economy and typically only serve to get rid of an item you consider undesirable. If the check fails, nothing happens. If the check succeeds, erase the item from that slot; you may attempt to fill the empty slot as normal in the next Upkeep phase. You do not gain any gp or BP from this sale; the money goes to the building’s owner, who uses it to acquire or craft the next item.
The third way is to spend BP (1 BP = 2,000 gp) to purchase the item. If you take the item for your own use, this counts as withdrawing BP from the Treasury for your personal use (see Make Withdrawals from the Treasury on page 207). If you use the item in a way that doesn’t directly benefit you or the other PCs (such as giving it to a hero of your army or donating it to a settlement as a religious or historical artifact), then purchasing it is essentially like other kingdom expenditures and does not increase Unrest or decrease Loyalty.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 213
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.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 213
You improve settlements by constructing buildings, which provide bonuses to the kingdom in general and the settlement in particular. Pages 224 and 225 present icons for these buildings, and the building descriptions and effects begin on page 214. Some buildings also intersect with the mass combat rules, notably with fortifications and reserve armies.
Demolition: If a lot has a building, you can clear it for new construction. Doing so costs 1 BP. You may construct a building on a lot the same turn you demolish the old building there. You do not regain BP for a demolished building (but see Rebuilding, below).
Destroyed Lots: If an event or a pillaging army destroys 1 or more lots, the devastation causes Unrest to increase by 1 per lot destroyed.
Rebuilding: If you rebuild the same type of building on a destroyed lot, the cost is halved, as you can reuse some of the materials for the same purpose. If you rebuild a different type of building on that lot, reduce the cost of the new building by 1/4 the cost of the old building (minimum 1 BP). If you build smaller buildings on top of a site that held a multi-lot building, split the discount evenly over the new buildings. For example, if you demolish an Academy and construct a Mansion and a Luxury Store on top of those lots, each building gets a 6 BP discount (1/4 of 52 BP is 13, divided evenly between the two).
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 214
Buildings are described in the following format.
Building Name: The type of buildings contained in this lot. In most cases, each lot represents numerous buildings of that type, rather than a single edifice.
Cost: The cost in BP to construct the building.
Lots: How many lots the building fills.
Kingdom: Building modifiers to Economy, Loyalty, and Stability stack, affect your entire kingdom, and are ongoing from turn to turn. Modifiers to Unrest occur once when the building is completed. This category also lists any bonuses to Fame (see Fame and Infamy) from having the building.
Discount: Some buildings halve the cost of constructing a related type of building in the same settlement. This cost reduction applies only to the first constructed building of the types listed in this line. For example, an Academy halves the cost of your next Library in that settlement; if you build a second Library in that settlement, you pay the normal cost for it. If 2 buildings give the same discount, only one discount applies per new building, but you may construct 2 buildings at the discounted cost. For example, Market and Theater both halve the cost of an Inn; if your settlement has a Market and a Theater, you may construct 2 Inns at half cost (the Market discounts one, and the Theater discounts the other).
Limit: This lists limitations on the number of buildings of this type, special requirements for adjacent buildings, or prohibitions against certain buildings being adjacent.
For most buildings, you can construct as many of them as you want in a settlement, but some are limited in the number that can be built per settlement or district. For example, you can only construct 1 Arena per settlement.
Some buildings require that you construct them adjacent to at least 1 or 2 of a specific kind of building or feature of the settlement. For example, a Shop or Tavern must be adjacent to a House or Mansion. The required adjacent building can only count toward 1 building that requires it. For example, if you have a House and a Shop, that House can't be used to meet the requirement for another Shop or a Tavern; you have to construct a new House and use it to meet the requirement of the new Shop or Tavern.
For example, you can't construct a Tannery next to a House, Mansion, Noble Villa, or Tenement. If you want to use a lot for this type of building, you must demolish all prohibited adjacent structures first (see Demolition).
If you get overzealous in constructing a particular type of building in a settlement, the GM should feel free to add events to discourage this practice. For example, a settlement with too many Dumps is prone to otyugh and wererat attacks, and a settlement with too many Graveyards tends to have frequent undead attacks. This should not occur, however, if you build too many Houses, Parks, Tenements, or Waterways.
Upgrade To/From: Some buildings can be converted into a more advanced form of the existing building, such as converting a Shrine into a Temple. To upgrade a building, pay the BP cost difference between the current building and the new building. Remove the modifiers from the old building and apply the modifiers from the new building. Upgrading counts as constructing a building for the purpose of the maximum number of buildings you can construct on your turn. You can't upgrade a building to a larger one if there isn't space in the District Grid for the building's new size.
Special: This lists any other effect the building has, such as increasing Defense, the settlement's base value, or the output of a nearby Mine.
Magic Items: This lists any magic item slot the building creates, which may be filled in the Upkeep phase (see Magic Items in Settlements on page 213). If a building lists multiple options within a category (such as “1 minor potion or wondrous item”), it has an equal chance for each option.
Settlement: This lists settlement modifiers that affect specific skills within the settlement. These modifiers are ongoing from turn to turn, but apply only to skill checks within that settlement (not other settlements in the hex or anywhere else in your kingdom). Note that the GameMastery Guide also uses a settlement statistic called Economy; to avoid confusion with the Economy kingdom score, this book renames the Economy settlement statistic “Productivity.”
Academy (52 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +2, Loyalty +2
Discount Caster's Tower, Library, Magic Shop
Upgrade From Library; Upgrade To University
Magic Items 3 minor scrolls or wondrous items, 2 medium scrolls or wondrous items
Settlement Lore +2, Productivity +1, Society +2; increase Lore bonus by 2 for questions relating to one Knowledge or Profession skill
An institution of higher learning.
Alchemist (18 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
Special Base value +1,000 gp
Magic Items 1 minor potion or wondrous item
The laboratory and home of a crafter of poisons, potions, or alchemical items.
Arena (40 BP, 4 Lots)
Kingdom Stability +4; Fame +1
Discount Brothel, Garrison, Inn, Stable, Theater
Limit 1 per settlement
Upgrade From Theater
Settlement Crime +1
A large public structure for competitions and team sports.
Bank (28 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +4
Special Base value +2,000 gp
A secure building for storing valuables and granting loans.
Bardic College (40 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +3, Stability +1; Fame +1
Discount Library, Museum, Theater
Magic Items 2 minor scrolls or wondrous items
A center for artistic learning. Education in a Bardic College also includes research into a wide-range of historical topics.
Barracks (6 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Unrest –1
Upgrade To Garrison
Special Defense +2
Settlement Law +1
A building to house conscripts, guards, militia, soldiers, or similar military forces.
Black Market (50 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +2, Stability +1, Unrest +1
Discount Brothel
Limit Adjacent to 2 Houses
Special Base value +2,000 gp
Magic Items 2 minor items, 1 medium item, 1 major item
Settlement Corruption +2, Crime +2
A number of shops with secret and usually illegal wares.
Brewery (6 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Stability +1
A building for beer brewing, winemaking, or some similar use.
Bridge (6 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1
Special Shares the space with a river or Waterway lot
Allows travel across a river or Waterway, easing transportation.
Bureau (10 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty –1, Stability +1
Settlement Corruption +1, Law +1
A large warren of offices for clerks and record-keepers working for a guild or government.
Caster's Tower (30 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1
Magic Items 3 minor items, 2 medium items
The home and laboratory for a spellcaster.
Castle (54 BP, 4 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +2, Loyalty +2, Stability +2, Unrest –4; Fame +1
Discount Noble Villa, Town Hall
Limit 1 per settlement
Special Defense +8
The home of the settlement's leader or the heart of its defenses.
Cathedral (58 BP, 4 Lots)
Kingdom Loyalty +4, Stability +4, Unrest –4; Fame +1
Discount Academy, Temple
Limit 1 per settlement
Special Halves Consumption increase for Promotion edicts
Magic Items 3 minor potions or wondrous items, 2 medium potions or wondrous items
Settlement Law +2
The focal point of the settlement's spiritual leadership.
Cistern (6 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Stability +1
Limit Cannot be adjacent to a Dump, Graveyard, Stable, Stockyard, or Tannery
Special Can share lot with another building Contains a safe supply of fresh water for the settlement.
City Wall (2 BP)
Kingdom Unrest –2 (once per settlement)
Limit Land district border
Special Defense +1
A fortification of one side of a district with a sturdy wall. The GM may allow for cliffs and other natural features to function as a City Wall for one or more sides of a district. You may construct gates through your own city wall at no cost.
Dance Hall (4 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +2, Unrest +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
Settlement Corruption +1, Crime +1
An establishment for dancing, drinking, carousing, and holding celebrations.
Dump (4 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Stability +1
Limit Cannot be adjacent to House, Mansion, or Noble Villa
A centralized place to dispose of refuse.
Everflowing Spring (5 BP)
Limit
Settlement must have a building that can create medium magic items
Special Can share lot with Castle, Cathedral, Market, Monument, Park, or Town Hall
A fountain built around several decanters of endless water that provides an inexhaustible supply of fresh water.
Exotic Artisan (10 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
Magic Items 1 minor ring, wand, or wondrous item
The shop and home of a jeweler, tinker, glassblower, or the like.
Foreign Quarter (30 BP, 4 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +3, Stability –1
Special Increase the value of trade routes (see Trade Edicts by 5% (maximum 100%)
Settlement Crime +1, Lore +1, Society +2
An area with many foreigners, as well as shops and services catering to them.
Foundry (16 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1, Unrest +1
Discount Smithy
Limit Adjacent to water district border
Special Increase the Economy and BP earned per turn by 1 for 1 Mine connected to this settlement by a river or Road
Settlement Productivity +1
Processes ore and refines it into finished metal.
Garrison (28 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Loyalty +2, Stability +2, Unrest –2
Discount City Wall, Granary, Jail
Upgrade From Barracks
A large building to house armies, train guards, and recruit militia.
Granary (12 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Stability +1
Special If Farms reduce Consumption below 0, store up to 5 BP of excess production for use on a later turn when Consumption exceeds the Treasury
A place to store grain and food.
Graveyard (4 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Loyalty +1
A plot of land to honor and bury the dead.
Guildhall (34 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +2, Loyalty +2
Discount Pier, Stable, Trade Shop
Upgrade From Trade Shop
Special Base value +1,000 gp
Settlement Law +1, Productivity +2
The headquarters for a guild or similar organization.
Herbalist (10 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Stability +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
Magic Items 1 minor potion or wondrous item
The workshop and home of a gardener, healer, or poisoner.
Hospital (30 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Stability +2
Special Increase Stability by 2 during plague events
Settlement Lore +1, Productivity +2
A building devoted to healing the sick.
House (3 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Unrest –1
Upgrade From Tenement
Special The first House you build during the Improvement phase does not count against the total number of buildings you can build during the phase
A number of mid-sized houses for citizens.
Inn (10 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
Special Base value +500 gp
Settlement Society +1
A place for visitors to rest.
Jail (14 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Loyalty +2, Stability +2, Unrest –2
Settlement Crime –1, Law +1
A fortified structure for confining criminals or dangerous monsters.
Library (6 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1
Upgrade To Academy
Settlement Lore +1
A large building containing an archive of books.
Luxury Store (28 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
Upgrade To Magic Shop; Upgrade From Shop
Special Base value +2,000 gp
Magic Items 2 minor rings, wands, or wondrous items
A shop that specializes in expensive comforts for the wealthy.
Magic Shop (68 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1
Limit Adjacent to 2 Houses
Upgrade From Luxury Store
Special Base value +2,000 gp
Magic Items 4 minor wondrous items, 2 medium wondrous items, 1 major wondrous item
A shop that specializes in magic items and spells.
Magical Academy (58 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +2; Fame +1
Discount Caster's Tower, Library, Magic Shop
Magic Items 3 minor potions, scrolls, or wondrous items; 1 medium potion, scroll, or wondrous item
Settlement Lore +2, Society +1; increase Lore bonus by 2 for questions relating to Knowledge (arcana)
An institution for training students in spellcasting, magic item crafting, and various arcane arts.
Magical Streetlamps (5 BP)
Limit
Settlement must have a Cathedral, Magic Shop, Magical Academy, or Temple
Special Can share a lot with any building or improvement
Settlement Crime –1
Continual flame lamps that illuminate the lot.
Mansion (10 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Stability +1
Upgrade To Noble Villa
Settlement Law +1, Society +1
A single huge manor housing a rich family and its servants.
Market (48 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +2, Stability +2
Discount Black Market, Inn, Shop
Limit Adjacent to 2 Houses
Upgrade From Shop
Special Base value +2,000 gp
Magic Items 2 minor wondrous items
An open area for traveling merchants and bargain hunters.
Menagerie (16 BP, 4 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty (special); Fame +1
Special Increase Loyalty by 1/4 the CR of the highest-CR creature in the Menagerie
A large park stocked with exotic creatures for public viewing.
Military Academy (36 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Loyalty +2, Stability +1; Fame +1
Discount Barracks
Limit 1 per settlement
Special Armies and commanders recruited at the settlement gain one bonus tactic (see Army Tactics)
Magic Items 1 minor armor, shield, or weapon; 1 medium armor, shield, or weapon
Settlement Law +1, Lore +1
An institution dedicated to the study of war and the training of elite soldiers and officers.
Mill (6 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
Limit Adjacent to water district border
Special With GM approval, you can construct a windmill at the same cost without the water district border requirement
Settlement Productivity +1
A building used to cut lumber or grind grain.
Mint (30 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +3, Loyalty +3, Stability +1; Fame +1
A secure building where the kingdom's coinage is minted and standard weights and measures are kept.
Moat (2 BP)
Kingdom Unrest –1 (once per settlement)
Limit Land district border
Special Defense +1; cannot be damaged by siege engines
A fortification of one side of a district with an open or water-filled ditch, often backed by a low dike or embankment. The GM may allow a river or similar natural feature to function as a moat for one or more sides of a district.
Monastery (16 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Stability +1
Settlement Law +1, Lore +1
A cloister for meditation, study, and the pursuit of various other scholarly paths.
Monument (6 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Unrest –1
A local memorial such as a bell tower, a statue of a settlement founder, a large tomb, or a public display of art.
Museum (30 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1; Fame +1
Settlement Lore +2, Society +1; increase Lore bonus by 2 for questions relating to Knowledge (history); apply Lore bonus on Appraise checks regarding art objects
A place to display art and artifacts both modern and historical. The GM may allow the kingdom leaders to display a valuable item (such as a magic item or bejeweled statue) in the museum, increasing Fame during this display by 1 for every 10,000 gp of the item's price (maximum +5 Fame), and by an additional 1 if the item is significant to the kingdom's history.
Noble Villa (24 BP, 2 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1, Stability +1; Fame +1
Discount Exotic Artisan, Luxury Store, Mansion
Upgrade From Mansion
Settlement Society +1
A sprawling manor with luxurious grounds that houses a noble's family and staff.
Observatory (12 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Stability +1
Magic Items 1 minor scroll or wondrous item
Settlement Lore +2
A dome or tower with optical devices for viewing the heavens.
Orphanage (6 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Stability +1, Unrest –1
A place for housing and taking care of large numbers of orphans.
Palace (108 BP, 4 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +2, Loyalty +6, Stability +2; Fame +1
Discount Mansion, Mint, Noble Villa
Special Base value +1,000 gp; you may make two special edicts per turn, but take a –2 penalty on kingdom checks associated with each special edict
Settlement Law +2
A grand edifice and walled grounds demonstrating one's wealth, power, and authority to the world.
Park (4 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Unrest –1
A plot of land set aside for its serene beauty.
Paved Streets (24 BP)
Kingdom Economy +2, Stability +1
Limit 1 per district
Settlement Productivity +2
Brick or stone pavement that speeds transportation.
Pier (16 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
Limit Adjacent to water district border
Upgrade To Waterfront
Special Base value +1,000 gp
Settlement Crime +1
Warehouses and workshops for docking ships and handling cargo and passengers.
Sewer System (24 BP)
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Stability +2
Discount Cistern, Dump
Limit 1 per district
Settlement Crime +1, Productivity +1
An underground sanitation system that keeps the settlement clean, though it may become home to criminals and monsters.
Shop (8 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House or Mansion
Upgrade To Luxury Store, Market
Special Base value +500 gp
Settlement Productivity +1
A general store.
Shrine (8 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Unrest –1
Upgrade To Temple
Magic Items 1 minor potion, scroll, or wondrous item
A shrine, idol, sacred grove, or similar holy site designed for worship by pious individuals.
Smithy (6 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
The workshop of an armorsmith, blacksmith, weaponsmith, or other craftsman who works with metal.
Stable (10 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House, Mansion, or Noble Villa
Special Base value +500 gp
A structure for housing or selling horses and other mounts.
Stockyard (20 BP, 4 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability –1
Discount Stable, Tannery
Special Farms in this hex or adjacent hexes reduce Consumption by 3 instead of 2
Settlement Productivity +1
Barns and pens that store herd animals and prepare them for nearby slaughterhouses.
Tannery (6 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
Limit Cannot be adjacent to House, Mansion, Noble Villa, or Tenement
Settlement Society –1
A structure that prepares hides and leather.
Tavern (12 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House or Mansion
Special Base value +500 gp
Settlement Corruption +1
An eating or drinking establishment.
Temple (32 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Loyalty +2, Stability +2, Unrest –2
Discount Graveyard, Monument, Shrine
Upgrade From Shrine
Magic Items 2 minor items
A large place of worship dedicated to a deity.
Tenement (1 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Unrest +2
Upgrade To House
Special Counts as House for buildings that must be adjacent to a House
A staggering number of low-rent housing units.
Theater (24 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +2, Stability +2
Discount Brothel, Exotic Artisan, Inn, Park, Tavern
Upgrade To Arena
A venue for entertainments such as plays, operas, and concerts.
Town Hall (22 BP, 2 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1, Stability +1
Discount Barracks, Cistern, Dump, Jail, Watchtower
Settlement Law +1
A public venue for town meetings, repository for town records, and offices for minor bureaucrats.
Trade Shop (10 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
Upgrade To Guildhall
Special Base value +500 gp
Settlement Productivity +1
A shop front for a tradesperson, such as a baker, butcher, candle maker, cobbler, rope maker, or wainwright.
University (78 BP, 4 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +3, Loyalty +3; Fame +1
Discount Academy, Bardic College, Library, Magical Academy, Military Academy, Museum
Upgrade From Academy
Magic Items 4 minor scrolls or wondrous items, 2 medium scrolls or wondrous items
Settlement Lore +4, Society +3; increase Lore bonus by 4 for questions relating to one Knowledge or Profession skill
An institution of higher learning, focusing mainly on mundane subjects but dabbling in magical theory.
Watchtower (12 BP, 1 Lot)
Kingdom Stability +1, Unrest –1
Special Defense +2
A tall structure that serves as a guard post.
Watergate (2 BP)
Special Shares City Wall
A gate in a City Wall that allows water (such as a river, Aqueduct, or Waterway) to enter the settlement. A Watergate has underwater defenses to block unwanted access. If you construct a Watergate when you construct a City Wall, the Watergate does not count toward the limit of the number of buildings you can construct per turn.
Waterfront (90 BP, 4 Lots)
Kingdom Economy +4
Discount Black Market, Guildhall, Market, Pier
Limit Adjacent to water district border, 1 per settlement
Upgrade From Pier
Special Base value +4,000 gp; halves Loyalty penalty for Taxation edicts
Magic Items 2 minor wondrous items, 1 medium wondrous item, 1 major wondrous item
Settlement Productivity +2
A port for waterborne arrival and departure, with facilities for shipping and shipbuilding.
Waterway (3 BP, 1–2 Lots)
Special Counts as water district border for adjacent buildings
A river or canal occupying part of the District Grid. At the GM's option, a natural Waterway may already exist on the grid, requiring no action or BP to build. If you construct a City Wall that touches or crosses the Waterway, you must also build Watergates on the same turn.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 220
Listed below are unusual events that can happen during a kingdom’s Event phase. Most events occur immediately and are instantaneous or terminate at the end of the Event phase.
Some events impact the whole kingdom, while others are centered on a specific settlement or hex. Roll on Table 4–7: Event Type and Danger Level to determine the type of event and whether it is beneficial or harmful. Then roll on the appropriate beneficial or dangerous settlement or kingdom event table. If this results in an invalid event (such as a pilgrimage when there are no Cathedrals, Shrines, or Temples in the kingdom), roll again.
Continuous Events: A continuous event’s effects continue each turn during the Event phase until you resolve the event (as explained in the event description, usually by succeeding at a kingdom check).
Localized Events: Some events are listed as “settlement” or “hex.” The effect of these events are localized to a single settlement or hex. Randomly select a settlement or hex for the location of that event. Some events (such as a feud) could be confined to a settlement or start in one settlement and spread to affect the entire kingdom, depending on whether they’re rolled on one of the Kingdom Events tables or one of the Settlement Events tables.
Settlement Modifiers: Some events adjust settlement modifiers (Crime, Lore, etc.). If an event is localized to 1 settlement, its settlement modifier adjustments apply only to that settlement; if it’s localized to a hex, it affects only settlements in that hex. If the GM is using settlement modifiers for the entire kingdom (see Expanding Settlement Modifiers on page 230) and the event is not localized, its adjustments apply to the final modifier for the entire kingdom. For example, the new subjects event increases Society and Stability for the entire kingdom by 1.
Hiring Adventurers: Once per Event phase, you can hire NPC adventurers to help deal with an event, gaining a bonus on one Economy, Loyalty, or Stability check made as part of that event. Adventurers of levels 1–2 grant a +2 bonus on the check and cost 4 BP; adventurers of levels 3–5 grant a +5 bonus on the check and cost 8 BP; adventurers of level 6+ (but never higher than your APL) grant a +10 bonus on the check and cost 16 BP.
Table 4-7: Event Type and Danger Level
| d% | Event |
| 01-02 | Natural blessing and roll again1 |
| 03-04 | Good weather and roll again1 |
| 05-25 | Beneficial kingdom event (Table 4–8) |
| 26-50 | Dangerous kingdom event (Table 4–9) |
| 51-75 | Beneficial settlement event (Table 4–10) |
| 76-96 | Dangerous settlement event (Table 4–11) |
| 97 | Bandit activity and roll again2 |
| 98 | Squatters and roll again2 |
| 99 | Monster attack and roll again2 |
| 100 | Vandals and roll again2 |
1 If the reroll indicates the same event, ignore the duplicate event and do not reroll again.
2 If the reroll indicates the same event, the second event occurs elsewhere in the kingdom.
Table 4-8: Beneficial Kingdom Events
| d% | Event |
| 01-07 | Archaeological find |
| 08-12 | Diplomatic overture |
| 13-20 | Discovery |
| 21-31 | Economic boom |
| 32-39 | Festive invitation |
| 40-53 | Food surplus |
| 54-66 | Good weather |
| 67-75 | Land rush |
| 76-85 | Natural blessing |
| 86-90 | New subjects |
| 91-100 | Political calm |
Table 4-9: Dangerous Kingdom Events
| d% | Event |
| 01-05 | Assassination attempt |
| 06-18 | Bandit activity |
| 19-28 | Feud |
| 29-41 | Food shortage |
| 42-51 | Improvement demand |
| 52-59 | Inquisition |
| 60-64 | Large disaster |
| 65-76 | Monster attack |
| 77-84 | Plague |
| 85-92 | Public scandal |
| 93-100 | Smugglers |
Table 4-10: Beneficial Settlement Events
| d% | Event |
| 01-14 | Boomtown |
| 15-26 | Discovery |
| 27-40 | Justice prevails |
| 41-46 | Noblesse oblige |
| 47-58 | Outstanding success |
| 59-66 | Pilgrimage |
| 67-72 | Remarkable treasure |
| 73-81 | Unexpected find |
| 82-93 | Visiting celebrity |
| 94-100 | Wealthy immigrant |
Table 4-11: Dangerous Settlement Events
| d% | Event |
| 01-10 | Building demand |
| 11-17 | Crop failure |
| 18-25 | Cult activity |
| 26-33 | Drug den |
| 34-41 | Feud |
| 42-49 | Inquisition |
| 50-54 | Localized disaster |
| 55-61 | Monster attack |
| 62-66 | Plague |
| 67-74 | Sensational crime |
| 75-80 | Slavers |
| 81-90 | Squatters |
| 91-100 | Vandals |
Archaeological Find: A well-preserved ruin is found in your kingdom, with historical artifacts connected to the people who lived in your land long ago. Effect: Lore +1. If you have a Museum, the discoverers donate 10,000 gp worth of historical artifacts to its collection (if you have multiple Museums, choose one as the recipient).
Assassination Attempt: One of your leaders (determined randomly) is the target of an assassination attempt. If the target is a PC, the GM should run the attempt as an encounter, using an assassin of a CR equal to the targeted PC’s level. If the target is an NPC, you must succeed at a Stability check to prevent the assassination. If the assassination occurs, Unrest increases by 1d6 and the kingdom immediately incurs the penalties for not having a leader in that role.
Bandit Activity: Bandits are preying upon those who travel through your kingdom. Attempt a Stability check. If you succeed, your kingdom’s defenses stop the bandits before they cause any harm. If you fail, the bandits reduce your kingdom’s Treasury by 1d6 BP (each time you roll a 6, add the result to the total and roll again).
Boomtown (Settlement): Randomly select one settlement. Commerce booms among that settlement. Until the next Event phase, Economy increases by the number of buildings in the settlement that grant an Economy bonus, and Corruption increases by 1d4 in that settlement.
Building Demand (Settlement, Continuous): The citizens demand a particular building be built (01–75) or demolished (76–100). Select the building type randomly from those available for the settlement. If the demand is not met by the next Event phase, Unrest increases by 1. Alternatively, you can suppress the citizens’ demands and negate the event by succeeding at a Loyalty check, but this reduces Loyalty by 2 and increases Unrest by 1.
Crop Failure (Settlement): Pests, blight, and weather ruin the harvest in the settlement’s hex and all adjacent hexes. Attempt two Stability checks. If both succeed, the problem is fixed before your kingdom takes any penalties from the event. If only one succeeds, affected farms reduce Consumption by 1 (instead of the normal reduction) in the next Upkeep phase. If neither succeeds, affected farms do not reduce Consumption at all in the next Upkeep phase.
Cult Activity (Settlement, Continuous): A religious cult of an alignment opposed to the kingdom’s alignment begins kidnapping, converting, or even publicly sacrificing citizens. Attempt a Loyalty check and a Stability check. If both succeed, the cult is disbanded before your kingdom takes any penalties from the event. For each of these checks you fail, Unrest increases by 1 and Productivity, Society, and Stability decrease by 1. If both checks fail, the event continues in the next Event phase.
Diplomatic Overture: A nearby kingdom sends an ambassador to you to negotiate an embassy (01–60), treaty (61–90), or alliance (91–100), as if using a <%RULES$Diplomatic Edict&Category=Special Edicts">diplomatic edict. If the GM doesn’t have an appropriate kingdom in mind when this event occurs, determine the kingdom’s alignment randomly; it may be hostile or friendly. The ambassador bears 1d4 BP worth of gifts for your kingdom.
Discovery (Settlement): Scholars unearth a bit of ancient lore or devise important new research of their own. Fame increases by 1 and Lore increases by 1d4. Drug Den (Settlement, Continuous): One of your Houses or Tenements becomes a hive of illicit drug trade. Attempt a Loyalty check and a Stability check, with a penalty equal to the number of Brothels, Tenements, Waterfronts, and lots with squatters in the settlement. If you succeed at both checks, you eliminate the drug den before your kingdom takes any penalties from the event. If you fail at one check, Crime and Unrest increase by 1. If you fail at both checks, Crime and Unrest increase by 1; Economy, Loyalty, and Stability decrease by 1; and on the next Event phase, a second drug den event occurs in the same settlement (01– 50) or the nearest settlement (51–100).
Economic Boom: Trade is booming in your kingdom! Your Treasury increases by 1d6 BP (each time you roll a 6, add the result to the total and roll again).
Festive Invitation: Your kingdom’s leaders are invited to a festival in a neighboring kingdom. If you attend and bring 1d4 BP worth of gifts, for 1 year Society increases by 1, Fame increases by 1 for any check relating to that kingdom, and you gain a +2 bonus on edict checks relating to that kingdom.
Feud (Settlement, Continuous): Nobles (or other influential rival groups) are bickering. Attempt a Loyalty check. If you succeed, you end the event but Unrest increases by 1. If you fail, Corruption increases by 1, Unrest increases by 1d6, and the event is continuous.
Food Shortage: Spoilage, treachery, or bad luck has caused a food shortage this turn. Attempt a Stability check. If you succeed, Consumption in the next Upkeep phase increases by 50%. If you fail, Consumption in the next Upkeep phase increases by 100%.
Food Surplus: Farmers produce an unexpected windfall! In the next Upkeep phase, the kingdom’s Consumption is halved (but returns to normal on the next turn). Good Weather: Good weather raises spirits and productivity. Economy, Loyalty, and Productivity increase by 2 until the next Event phase.
Improvement Demand (hex): This event is identical to the building demand event, but the citizens want the construction or destruction of a terrain improvement in the hex.
Inquisition (settlement, continuous): Zealots mobilize public opinion against a particular race, religion, kingdom, behavior, or kingdom leader. Attempt a Loyalty check. If you fail, the zealots run rampant; Infamy and Law increase by 1 and Lore, Loyalty, Productivity, and Stability decrease by 2. If you succeed, the zealots are somewhat suppressed; Lore, Loyalty, Productivity, and Stability decrease by 1. Two successful checks in a row end the event (if a check ends the event, no penalties from it occur that turn).
Justice Prevails (settlement): Authorities shut down a major criminal operation or thwart a plot against the settlement. Law and Loyalty increase by 1 and Crime and Unrest decreases by 1.
Land Rush: Overeager settlers claim an unclaimed hex and construct a Farm, Mine, Quarry, or Sawmill at their own expense, but are fighting over ownership. This hex is not part of your kingdom, so you gain no benefits from it. Productivity, Society, and Stability decrease by 1. Attempt a Loyalty check. If you succeed, Unrest increases by 1. If you fail, Unrest increases by 1d4. If you construct an identical improvement in an adjacent hex during your next Edict phase, remove this event’s changes to Productivity, Society, and Stability.
Large Disaster (Hex): A fire, storm, earthquake, flood, massive sabotage, or other disaster strikes! Roll 1d6; on a result of 1–5, the disaster threatens only 1 improved hex. On a result of 6, the disaster is widespread and threatens 1d6 additional improved hexes adjacent to the target hex. Attempt a Stability check for each threatened hex; failure means the disaster destroys one terrain improvement in the hex and Unrest increases by 1. (This Stability check represents your kingdom’s ability to prepare for or react to the disaster as well as the structure’s ability to withstand damage.)
Localized Disaster (Settlement): A fire, a flood, a storm, an earthquake, massive sabotage, or another disaster strikes the settlement! Roll 1d6 to determine how many lots are threatened by the disaster. On a result of 6, the disaster is widespread and affects 1d6 additional adjacent lots. Attempt a Stability check for each threatened lot; failure means the disaster destroys the building in that lot and Unrest increases by 1. (This Stability check represents your kingdom’s ability to prepare for or react to the disaster as well as the structure’s ability to withstand damage.)
Monster Attack (Settlement, Continuous): A monster (or group of monsters) attacks the kingdom. The GM picks a claimed hex in the kingdom in which the monster is active. The CR of the monster encounter is equal to the party’s APL + 1d4 – 1. You can personally deal with the monster (earning XP and treasure normally for your efforts) or succeed at a Stability check to eliminate it (which doesn’t affect you or the kingdom’s statistics). If the monster is not defeated this turn, Unrest increases by 4. If the kingdom’s Unrest is 5 or higher, the monster’s hex becomes unclaimed—this is in addition to losing control of hexes in the Upkeep phase because of the kingdom’s high Unrest score.
Natural Blessing: A natural event, such as a bloom of rare and beautiful wildflowers or a good omen in the stars, raises your kingdom’s morale. You gain a +4 bonus on Stability checks until the next Event phase.
New Subjects: A small group of indigenous intelligent creatures joins your kingdom and submits to your rule. Society and Stability increase by 1, Unrest decreases by 1, and your Treasury increases by 1d6 BP (each time you roll a 6, add the result to the total and roll again).
Noblesse Oblige (Settlement): A noble family offers to construct a Monument (01–50) or Park (51–100) in your settlement at the family’s own expense. The nobles pay all costs and Consumption for this purpose.
Outstanding Success (Settlement): One of your kingdom’s citizens creates an artistic masterpiece, constructs a particularly impressive building, or otherwise brings glory to your kingdom. Fame increases by 1, your Treasury increases by 1d6 BP, and Unrest decreases by 2. You gain a +4 bonus on Economy checks until the next Event phase.
Pilgrimage (settlement): Randomly select one settlement with a Cathedral, Shrine, or Temple. Pious religious folk journey to your settlement, holding a religious festival in that settlement at no BP cost to you.
Plague (Hex or Settlement, Continuous): A deadly sickness strikes the target hex or settlement. You cannot construct terrain improvements or buildings there while plague persists. Attempt two Stability checks, each with a penalty equal to the number of Brothels, Foreign Quarters, Highways, Inns, Piers, Roads, Stables, Stockyards, Tenements, and Waterfronts in the hex, and a bonus equal to the number of Alchemists, Cathedrals, Herbalists, Hospitals, and Temples in the hex. If you succeed at both checks, the event ends, but Stability decreases by 2 and Treasury by 1d3 BP. If you fail at one check, Stability decreases by 4, Treasury decreases by 1d6 BP, and Unrest increases by 1d3. If you fail at both, Stability decreases by 4, Treasury decreases by 1d6 BP, Unrest increases by 1d6, and in the next Event phase the plague spreads to an adjacent hex.
Political Calm: A sudden absence of political machinations coincides with an increase in public approval. Unrest decreases by 1d6. Until the next Event phase, you gain a +2 bonus on checks to resolve continuous events. If your kingdom has no Unrest and no continuous events, both Loyalty and Stability increase by 1. If you are using Law settlement modifiers for the kingdom (see Expanding Settlement Modifiers), this also increases Law by 1 for the entire kingdom.
Public Scandal: One of your leaders is implicated in a crime or an embarrassing situation, such as an affair with another leader’s spouse. Infamy increases by 1. Attempt a Loyalty check. If you fail, Unrest increases by 2 and you take a –4 penalty on all Loyalty checks until the next Event phase.
Remarkable Treasure (Settlement): The settlement immediately fills one of its open magic item slots (selected randomly) with a better than normal item (medium if a minor slot, major if a medium slot). Treat the settlement’s base value as 50% higher than normal for determining the item’s maximum price. If the settlement doesn’t have any open magic item slots, treat this event as Unexpected Find.
Sensational Crime (Settlement, Continuous): A serial killer, arsonist, or daring bandit plagues your kingdom. Attempt two Stability checks, adding the settlement’s Law and subtracting its Crime. If you succeed at both checks, the criminal is caught before your kingdom takes any penalties from the event. If you fail at one, the criminal escapes, Unrest increases by 1, and the event is continuous. If you fail at both, the criminal makes a fool of the authorities; Law and Loyalty decrease by 1, Treasury decreases by 1d4 BP, Unrest increases by 2, and the event is continuous.
Slavers (Settlement, Continuous): Criminals begin kidnapping citizens and selling them into slavery. Attempt a Loyalty check and a Stability check, each with a penalty equal to the number of Brothels, Tenements, Waterfronts, and lots with squatters in the settlement. If you succeed at both checks, the slavers are caught before your kingdom takes any penalties from the event. If you fail at one of the checks, Loyalty, Stability, and Unrest decrease by 1, but the event is not continuous. If you fail at both checks, Loyalty, Stability, and Unrest decrease by 2, and the event is continuous.
Smugglers (Continuous): Unscrupulous merchants are subverting legitimate businesses. Attempt a Loyalty check and a Stability check, each with a penalty equal to the number of Piers, Waterfronts, and trade routes in the kingdom. If you succeed at both checks, the smugglers are stopped before your kingdom takes any penalties from the event. If you fail at one of the checks, Corruption increases by 1d2 in each settlement, Crime increases by 1 for the kingdom, Productivity for the kingdom decreases by 1d3, Treasury decreases by 1d3 BP, and the event is not continuous. If you fail at both of the checks, Corruption increases by 1d4, Crime for the kingdom increases by 1, Productivity for the kingdom decreases by 1d6, Treasury decreases by 1d6 BP, and the event is continuous.
Squatters (Settlement, Continuous): An empty settlement lot is taken over by beggars, troublemakers, and people unable to find adequate work or housing; they camp there with tents, wagons, and shanties. You cannot use the lot for anything until the squatters are dispersed. Fame and Stability decrease by 1, and Unrest increases by 2. You may try to disperse the squatters with a Stability check. Success means the squatters are dispersed and the event is not continuous, but if a House or Tenement is not built in that lot on the next turn, Infamy increases by 1 and Unrest by 2. Failing the Stability check means the event is continuous, and you may not build on that lot until the event is resolved.
Unexpected Find (Settlement): Local citizens discover a forgotten magical item. The settlement gains one temporary minor (01–70) or medium (71–100) magic item slot that is automatically filled in the next Upkeep phase. This slot and the item go away if the item is purchased or in the next Event phase, whichever comes first.
Vandals (Settlement): Thugs and dissidents riot and destroy property. Attempt a Loyalty check and a Stability check. If you succeed at both, the vandals are stopped before your kingdom takes any penalties. If you fail at one check, Society decreases by 1 and one random building in the settlement is damaged. If you fail at both, one random building is destroyed (Unrest increases by 1 for each lot of the destroyed building), and 1d3 other random buildings are damaged. A damaged building provides no benefits until half its cost is spent repairing it.
Visiting Celebrity (Settlement): A celebrity from another kingdom visits one of your settlements, causing a sudden influx of other visitors and spending. Fame increases by 1 and Treasury increases by 1d6 BP (each time you roll a 6, add the result to the total and roll again).
Wealthy Immigrant (Settlement): A rich merchant or a noble from another land is impressed with your kingdom and asks to construct a Mansion (01–75) or Noble Villa (76–100) in the settlement at no cost to you. If you allow it, the building provides its normal benefits to your kingdom.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 215
As the kingdom grows, the party gains experience points the first time it reaches each of the following milestones.
Found a Kingdom: 2,400 XP
Establish a Capital City: 1,200 XP
Reach a Kingdom Size of 11: 2,400 XP
Reach a Kingdom Size of 26: 4,800 XP
Reach a Kingdom Size of 51: 9,600 XP
Reach a Kingdom Size of 101: 12,800 XP
Reach a Kingdom Size of 151: 25,600 XP
Reach a Kingdom Size of 201: 76,800 XP
Fill a Settlement with 4 Lots of Buildings: 1,600 XP
Fill a Settlement with 16 Lots of Buildings: 4,800 XP
Fill a Settlement with 36 Lots of Buildings: 12,800 XP
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 228
The following sections are optional rules for the kingdom-building system. These rules are modular; if the group prefers a simpler version of the kingdom rules, the GM can ignore the options and only use the standard kingdom-building rules. Many of these optional rules introduce more math into kingdom-building and use complex formulas to derive additional effects to be placed on the kingdom. The GM decides whether to use any of these optional rules in the campaign, and whether to keep or discard them if they interfere with the campaign’s intended style of play.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 228
If a building requires another to be adjacent (such as how a Tavern must be adjacent to a House or Mansion), and that required building is demolished or destroyed, the GM may decide that the associated building goes out of business or otherwise shuts down 1d3 turns later because of lack of customers or support. If this occurs, you lose the building’s benefit and Unrest increases by 1.
If you build a replacement for the abandoned building, on the next Upkeep phase you may attempt an Economy check to activate the abandoned building; success means the abandoned building is occupied and provides its bonuses. If you fail, you may keep trying on the next turn.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 228
Instead of Cathedrals, Shrines, and Temples providing the same bonuses to Economy, Loyalty, and Stability regardless of that building’s religious affiliation, they can instead provide a bonus to an attribute related to the alignment of the god worshiped.
A Temple increases attributes as follows: Chaotic: Loyalty +2; Evil: Economy +2; Good: Loyalty +2; Lawful: Economy +2; Neutral: Stability +2 (apply this twice if the god’s alignment is simply Neutral, not Chaotic Neutral or Lawful Neutral). A Cathedral increases these attributes by 4 instead of 2. A Shrine increases one attribute, and only by 1; for example, a lawful good Shrine increases Economy by 1 or Loyalty by 1).
Instead of granting alignment-based bonuses, a religious building may grant bonuses based on the portfolio of its chosen god. For example, a Temple of the goddess of wine may increase Economy and Loyalty (the same attributes as a Tavern) each by 2, and a Temple of the god of greed may increase Economy and Stability (the same attributes as a Black Market) each by 2. These values replace the building’s normal modifiers to Economy, Loyalty, and Stability, and should never provide bonuses greater than the building’s normal bonuses (+1 for a Shrine, +4 for a Temple, +8 for a Cathedral).
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 230
As explained in the Buildings section, the Settlement entry for a building lists modifiers that affect skill checks in the settlement. If the GM wants these modifiers to influence the kingdom as a whole, add up the Settlement modifiers for all settlements in your kingdom, divide them by 10, and apply the following adjustments according to your kingdom’s alignment: Chaotic: +1 Crime; Evil: +1 Corruption; Good: +1 Society; Lawful +1 Law; Neutral: +1 Lore (apply this twice if the kingdom’s alignment is simply Neutral, not Chaotic Neutral or Lawful Neutral). Use these total modifiers everywhere in your kingdom. If a settlement has its own settlement modifier, use the higher of the two modifiers for rolls relating to that settlement.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 230
Kingdoms gain notoriety for the actions of their leaders and citizens, as well as for constructing certain types of buildings. This leads to the development of Fame or Infamy. Fame represents a positive perception of a kingdom—it’s seen as a place of culture, learning, peace, and honor—as well as reflecting its measure of success in diplomacy, trade, and battle. Infamy represents a negative perception of a kingdom—it’s perceived as treacherous, corrupt, prejudiced, ruthlessly warmongering, and villainous.
As a kingdom grows, it can gain and lose both Fame and Infamy, but these are not opposite statistics—an increase in Fame does not mean an equal decrease in Infamy. For example, a kingdom may be famous for culture and learning as well as infamous for treachery and corruption.
These Fame and Infamy values are not associated with the Reputation and Fame campaign system.
Starting Values: When you found a kingdom, it starts with Fame 1 or Infamy 1 (Ruler’s choice). The other value starts at 0. Fame and Infamy cannot go below 0. Certain buildings (such as Arenas and Castles) increase Fame. Some events (such as Squatters or Visiting Celebrity) can increase or reduce Fame or Infamy.
Settlement Modifiers: Add all the Lore and Society modifiers from all your settlements and divide by 10; add this amount to your Fame. Add all the Corruption and Crime modifiers from all your settlements and divide by 10; add this amount to your Infamy.
Size Increases: When your kingdom’s Size increases to 11, 26, 51, 101, and 201, Fame or Infamy (Ruler’s choice) increases by 1.
Using Fame and Infamy: Fame and Infamy affect skill checks relating to other kingdoms. For every 10 points of your kingdom’s Fame, your citizens gain a +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks to influence government officials of other kingdoms. For every 10 points of your kingdom’s Infamy, your citizens gain a +1 bonus on Intimidate checks to influence government officials of other kingdoms.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 231
The kingdom-building rules presume your government is a feudal monarchy; the leaders are appointed for life (either by themselves or an outside agency such as a nearby monarch), and pass their titles to their heirs. The form of government you choose can help establish the flavor and feel of the kingdom and also adjust its settlements’ modifiers. You may choose one of the following as the kingdom’s government.
Autocracy: A single person rules the kingdom by popular acclaim. This person may be elected by the people, a popular hero asked to lead, or even a hereditary monarch who rules with a light hand. Modifiers: None.
Magocracy: An individual or group with potent magical power leads the kingdom and promotes the spread of magical and mundane knowledge and education. Those with magical abilities often enjoy favored status in the kingdom. Modifiers: Lore +2, Productivity –1, Society –1.
Oligarchy: A group of councilors, guild masters, aristocrats, and other wealthy and powerful individuals meet in council to lead the kingdom and direct its policies. Modifiers: Corruption +1, Law –1, Lore –1, Society +1.
Overlord: The kingdom’s ruler is a single individual who either seized control or inherited command of the settlement and maintains a tight grasp on power. Modifiers: Corruption +1, Crime –1, Law +1, Society –1.
Republic: The kingdom is ruled by a parliament of elected or appointed officials who represent the various geographic areas and cultural constituents of the kingdom, making decisions for the whole through voting, bureaucratic procedures, and coalition-building. Modifiers: Crime –1, Law –1, Productivity +1, Society +1.
Secret Syndicate: An unofficial or illegal group like a thieves’ guild rules the kingdom—the group may use a puppet leader to maintain secrecy, but the group pulls the strings. Modifiers: Corruption +1, Crime +1, Law –3, Productivity +1.
Theocracy: The kingdom is ruled by the leader of its most popular religion, and the ideas and members of that religion often enjoy favored status in government and the kingdom. Modifiers: Corruption –1, Law +1, Lore +1, Society –1.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 231
Sometimes, breaking a kingdom into multiple pieces or joining with another kingdom is the best option for longterm survival.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 231
Though many kingdoms break apart due to military, racial, or religious conflicts, you can divide up your kingdom amiably if all leaders agree. During the Event phase, follow these steps.
Step 1: Decide how many kingdoms you’ll make out of the old one.
Step 2: Split up the kingdom. Determine which hexes belong to each daughter kingdom. Divide the treasury in a fair manner (such as proportionate to population or Size), and divide any other mobile assets (such as armies).
Step 3: Determine how much Unrest in the parent kingdom does not result from leadership and building modifiers. Divide this by the number of daughter kingdoms being made from the parent kingdom (minimum 1 Unrest).
Step 4: Each daughter kingdom should follow the steps for founding a kingdom (see page 200). Treat leaders moving from the parent kingdom to a daughter kingdom as abdicating their posts in the parent kingdom. Loyalty increases by 1 for each daughter kingdom for the next 6 months. Add the Unrest from Step 3 to the Unrest for the daughter kingdoms.
The GM may influence any of these steps as appropriate to the situation, such as by giving one kingdom an Economy penalty and a Loyalty bonus, or dividing the Unrest in Step 4 unequally between the kingdoms.
If independence occurs as a result of creating a secondary territory by losing control of a connecting hex (see Losing Hexes), the additional Unrest penalty from having a kingdom leader act as the Ruler ends.
Independence and Diplomatic Edicts: If you’re using Diplomatic edicts, you may wish to use such an edict to declare independence. Treat this act as a Diplomatic edict to form an alliance, but the sponsor’s initial attitude toward your kingdom is 2 steps worse. If successful, the negotiation emancipates your kingdom and ends any treaty or alliance with your former patron; you retain an embassy with that kingdom and can try to negotiate a new treaty or alliance. If the negotiation fails, it worsens the patron’s attitude by 1 additional step. If this changes the patron’s attitude to hostile, it leads to war against your rebellious kingdom.
The paragraph above describes an optimal, peaceful situation where part of the kingdom wants to split away from the rest or the rulers want to divide the kingdom into smaller kingdoms. Splitting a country because of invasion, revolution, or a similar conflict usually involves unique circumstances and is beyond the scope of these rules; the GM should use the above steps as guidelines for when the kingdom leaders reach an agreement with others about how to split the kingdom.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 232
Just as a kingdom can divide into separate pieces, kingdoms may want to unite to become a more powerful political entity. If the leaders in each kingdom agree to the union, the process is relatively smooth. During the Event phase, follow these steps.
First, combine the Treasuries and any other mobile assets (such as armies) of the kingdoms. Next, determine how much Unrest in each kingdom is not from leadership and building modifiers. Average these numbers together (minimum 1 Unrest).
Then follow the steps for founding a kingdom. Treat leaders who change roles as changing roles within the same kingdom.
Once you’ve got your new, combined kingdom, add the Unrest from earlier to the Unrest for the new kingdom.
The GM may influence any of these steps as appropriate to the situation, such as giving hexes in the smaller kingdom a temporary Loyalty penalty for 1 year, or giving the entire kingdom a 1d4–2 Stability modifier each turn for 6 months.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 232
Each leadership role provides bonuses to kingdom statistics based on one of the leader’s ability scores. The GM may want to allow a leader’s ranks in a relevant skill (such as Diplomacy or Intimidate) to also affect the kingdom statistics. For every 5 full ranks in a relevant skill, the leader may increase the leadership modifier by an additional 1. These skill-based additional bonuses modify the standard leadership role bonuses in the same way that the Leadership feat grants additional bonuses.
The relevant skills for each leadership role are as follows.
Ambassador: Diplomacy
Consort: Knowledge (nobility)
Councilor: Knowledge (local)
General: Profession (soldier)
Grand Diplomat: Diplomacy
Heir: Knowledge (nobility)
High Priest: Knowledge (religion)
Magister: Knowledge (arcana)
Marshal: Survival
Royal Enforcer: Intimidate
Ruler: Knowledge (nobility)
Spymaster: Sense Motive
Treasurer: Profession (merchant)
Viceroy: Knowledge (geography)
Warden: Knowledge (engineering)
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 232
The GM may want to adjust settlement modifiers based on the kingdom’s Size and how that corresponds to the standard settlement size categories in the Core Rulebook.
Table 4-14: Settlement Sizes and Modifiers
| Lots | Category | Modifiers | Danger |
| 1 | Village | -4 | -10 |
| 2-8 | Small Town | -2 | -5 |
| 9-20 | Large Town | 0 | 0 |
| 21-40 | Small City | +1 | +5 |
| 41-100 | Large City | +1* | +5* |
| 101+ | Metropolis | +1* | +5* |
* Per district.
Modifiers: Add the listed number to the settlement’s Corruption, Crime, Law, Lore, Productivity, and Society.
Danger: Add the listed number to the settlement’s Danger value.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 229
There are four types of optional special edicts: Diplomatic, Exploration, Trade, and Vassalage. Each turn in the Edict phase, after you have issued your Holiday, Improvement, Promotion, and Taxation edicts, you may issue one of these special edicts.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 228
Diplomatic edicts are special edicts that allow you to establish an embassy, treaty, or alliance with another kingdom. You must have an official representative of your kingdom, such as an ambassador or leader, present in the other kingdom to make this edict (though the GM may allow magical communication to handle most of the edict’s details and bypass this requirement). Using this edict costs 1d4 BP in travel and other expenses.
Your representative must attempt a Diplomacy check. The DC is determined using the following formula: DC = 10 + your kingdom’s Infamy + the target kingdom’s special Size modifier + your kingdom’s special Size modifier + alignment difference modifier + relationship modifier + the target kingdom’s attitude – your kingdom’s Fame – BP you spend on bribes or gifts
Special Size Modifier: This is equal to the kingdom’s Size divided by 5.
Alignment Difference Modifier: This is based on how close your kingdom’s alignment is to the target kingdom’s alignment, according to the following table.
Table 4-12: Diplomatic Alignment Difference Modifier
| Alignment Difference* | DC Modifier |
| Same | +0 |
| 1 step | +5 |
| 2 steps | +15 |
*Per alignment axis.
Relationship Modifier: This takes into account your treaties, alliances, and conflicts with the target kingdom’s allies and enemies. If you are friendly with the same kingdoms, the target is more interested in diplomacy with you. If you are friendly with the target kingdom’s enemies, the target is less interested in negotiating with you. Modify the DC as follows for each third party you have in common.
Table 4-13: Diplomatic Relationship Modifier
| Relationship | DC Modifier |
| You and the target kingdom both have an alliance with a third party | -8 |
| You have a treaty with the target kingdom’s ally | -4 |
| You and the target kingdom both have a treaty with a third party | -2 |
| You have an embassy with the target kingdom’s enemy | +2 |
| You have a treaty with the target kingdom’s enemy | +5 |
| You have an alliance with the target kingdom’s enemy | +10 |
Attitude: Much like the starting attitude of an NPC, the target kingdom’s initial attitude toward you is indifferent, though the GM may modify this based on alignment differences, your shared history, culture, warfare, espionage, racial tensions, and other factors in the campaign world. These factors may also influence the Diplomacy DC for using this edict (generally increasing the DC by 5 for every attitude step worse than helpful).
The act of making this Diplomacy check takes place over several days, with the emissary socializing with representatives of the target kingdom, discussing common interests and the benefits and goals of entering a diplomatic agreement with your kingdom. Because this check is not a singular event, abilities and spells that modify a single roll have no effect on this check unless they last at least 24 hours (for example, glibness does not affect this check).
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 229
You use Diplomatic edicts to establish an embassy, treaty, or alliance; each is a closer relation than the previous one.
Embassy: You attempt to establish mutual recognition of authority and territory with the target kingdom, represented by granting dominion over embassies in each other’s settlements. Attempt a Diplomacy check using the Diplomatic edict DC. If the Diplomacy check fails, the other kingdom rejects your diplomatic efforts and you cannot attempt to establish an embassy with it again for 1 year; if the check fails by 5 or more, your kingdom’s Fame decreases by 1 and the other kingdom’s attitude toward your kingdom worsens by 1 step.
If you succeed at the Diplomacy check, you create an embassy agreement with the target kingdom; if you succeed at the check by 5 or more, the target kingdom’s attitude toward your kingdom improves by 1 step and your kingdom’s Fame increases by 1. You may purchase or build a Mansion or Noble Villa in one of the other kingdom’s settlements to use as an embassy (if so, your ambassador uses it as a residence). The target kingdom’s leaders may do the same in one of your settlements. Your embassy is considered your territory (and vice versa). Your embassy grants your kingdom the normal bonuses for a building of its type (they apply to your kingdom’s totals but not to any specific settlement in your kingdom) and increases Consumption by 1, Economy by 2, and Society by 2. If the target kingdom builds an embassy in one of your settlements, that kingdom gains these bonuses.
If you founded your kingdom with the support of a wealthy sponsor from another kingdom, your kingdom automatically has an embassy agreement with your sponsor’s, and you can use Diplomatic edicts to establish a treaty or an alliance.
Alternatively, your envoy may attempt to threaten rather than befriend the other kingdom. In this case, your envoy attempts an Intimidate check, applying your kingdom’s Infamy as a bonus. You also gain a +1 bonus for every active army your kingdom has. This check’s DC is the same as the Diplomatic edict DC above, except your Fame and Infamy do not modify it. You may spend BP on bribes or gifts to modify the DC. Your Infamy increases by 1 whether you succeed or fail at the check. If you succeed at the check, you create an embassy agreement with the target kingdom. If you fail, the target kingdom’s attitude toward you worsens by 1 step, Infamy increases by an additional 1 and you cannot make this threat again for 1 year. If it fails by 5 or more, the kingdom’s attitude toward you worsens by 2 steps and Infamy increases by an additional 1; if the kingdom’s attitude becomes or is already hostile, it declares war on you.
An embassy is considered a permanent agreement. Replacing your ambassador does not affect the edict or the embassy. If you want to close your embassy and break the embassy agreement, attempt a Loyalty check. Success means you close the embassy. Failure means your citizens reject the idea of severing ties with the other kingdom and continue to staff the embassy; you may try again next turn.
If you attack a kingdom with which you have an embassy, attempt a Loyalty check. If you succeed, your Infamy increases by 1. If you fail, Infamy and Unrest both increase by 1.
Treaty: If you have an embassy agreement with another kingdom, you can approach that kingdom’s leaders to establish a treaty that formalizes your economic and social cooperation and understanding. Doing so requires a new Diplomatic edict and requires your envoy to attempt three Diplomacy checks using the Diplomatic edict DC. These checks must be attempted in order (as an extreme success or failure can change the target kingdom’s attitude and the difficulty of the later checks). If two or more of the checks fail, the attempt to create a treaty fails; your kingdom’s Fame decreases by 1 and you cannot attempt to establish a treaty with the other kingdom for 1 year.
If two or more of the checks succeed, your envoy and one of the target kingdom’s leaders (typically the Ruler or Grand Diplomat) attempt opposed checks with the following skills, rerolling ties: Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), and Sense Motive. Either or both parties may substitute Intimidate for Diplomacy (even if this means one party is making a Diplomacy check opposed by the other’s Intimidate check). As with Diplomatic edicts, abilities or spells that modify skill checks do not apply unless they last at least 24 hours. Whichever party wins most of these opposed checks has the advantage in the negotiations and decides whether the treaty is balanced or unbalanced.
For a balanced treaty, increase each kingdom’s Economy by 10% of the other country’s Economy. The Fame of the party with the advantage in the negotiations by 1.
For an unbalanced treaty, the advantaged kingdom’s Economy increases by 15% of the disadvantaged kingdom’s Economy, and the disadvantaged kingdom’s Economy increases by 5% of the advantaged kingdom’s Economy. The advantaged kingdom’s Infamy increases by 1. You may use a Diplomatic edict to change an unbalanced treaty in your favor to a balanced treaty; doing so does not require a check.
If one kingdom is an NPC kingdom and the GM doesn’t want to calculate its exact Economy modifier, estimate its Economy as 2d6 + its Size.
A treaty is considered a permanent agreement. If you want to renegotiate it, attempt a Loyalty check. If you succeed, your envoy and one of the target kingdom’s leaders attempt opposed checks as described for embassies above (this doesn’t guarantee you end up with a more favorable treaty). If you fail, the existing treaty remains in effect and your Unrest increases by 1.
If you withdraw from the treaty, attempt a Loyalty check. Success means Unrest increases by 1; failure means Unrest increases by 2.
If you attack a kingdom with which you have a treaty, attempt a Loyalty check. If you succeed, Infamy and Unrest increase by 1d2 each. If you fail, Infamy and Unrest increase by 1d4 each.
Alliance: If you have a treaty with another kingdom, you can use a Diplomatic edict to form an alliance—a military agreement of mutual defense and support. This works like the negotiations for a treaty, except it requires six Diplomacy or Intimidate checks. Four of these must succeed for the alliance to form.
If successful, negotiations proceed as for a treaty, with three opposed Diplomacy or Intimidate checks to determine who has the advantage in negotiations. The party with the advantage may decide whether the alliance is balanced or unbalanced, but the bonuses apply to each kingdom’s Stability instead of Economy.
Kingdoms in an alliance can move their armies through each others’ territories and station them in each others’ territories or in unoccupied Forts and Watchtowers, though not inside allied settlements. If an allied kingdom stations an army inside your territory, you must succeed at a Loyalty check or gain 1d2 Unrest; this does not apply if your kingdom has been attacked and you have requested aid from the ally.
If you are attacked by another kingdom, you can call for aid from your allies. Failure to send aid increases an ally’s Infamy by 1d4; the precise nature and amount of aid sent is at the discretion of the rulers of each kingdom, and the GM decides whether this Infamy increase happens.
If you attack a kingdom with which you have an alliance, attempt a Loyalty check. If you succeed, Infamy and Unrest increase by 1d4 each. If you fail, Infamy and Unrest increase by 2d4 each. An attacked ally may end an alliance, treaty, or embassy agreement with the aggressor without penalty.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 230
A kingdom may have embassies with any number of kingdoms. For each treaty or alliance after the first, the bonus to Economy or Stability is reduced by 1 (minimum +0).
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 230
Exploration edicts are special edicts that allow you to commission explorers to map unclaimed hexes and prepare them for your kingdom. You may choose to accompany the explorers or let them explore on their own.
When commissioning an expedition, you must determine the length of time and plan the route in advance. Financing explorers costs 1d4 BP per month of the expedition, paid in advance. The explorers start at your capital, and spend the agreed-on time traveling to, exploring, and mapping unclaimed hexes. At the end of the contracted period, they return to your capital. Table 4–6: Terrain and Terrain Improvements for travel and exploration times. Each expedition requires a separate Exploration edict.
Explorers note obvious terrain features and resources on the first day in a hex. Each day spent in the hex allows Knowledge (geography) and/or Survival checks to locate hidden landmarks, lairs, or resources, with a DC ranging from 15 for things that are relatively easy to find or well known in local lore to DC 30 for those that are well hidden or generally unknown.
Explorers have the same chances for random encounters and other dangers that you would if you traveled through or explored the hex yourself. If you are not traveling with the explorers and they have a hostile encounter, you may have the expedition attempt a Stealth check (DC 10 + twice the encounter’s CR), using the worst Stealth modifier among the expedition members. If the check fails, you may attempt a Stability check (DC = Control DC + twice the encounter’s CR). If you succeed at the Stability check, the explorers escape and survive but are temporarily scattered and make no more progress that month. If you fail the Stability check, the explorers are killed; Unrest increases by 1, and the remainder of your BP investment in the expedition is lost.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 232
Trade edicts are special edicts that allow you to create a trade route with another kingdom, increasing the BP you gain every month, as well as possibly increasing your Fame and other kingdom statistics.
To plan a trade route, select another kingdom as your trade partner and determine the distance in hexes from a settlement in your kingdom to a settlement in the target kingdom, tracing the path of the trade route rather than a direct line. A trade route can pass through grassland, desert, or any terrain that has a road or highway. If your settlement contains a Pier, the trade route can pass along rivers and coastal hexes. If your settlement contains a Waterfront, your trade route can pass through water hexes.
Longer trade routes are harder to maintain than short ones. To determine the effective length of your trade route, hexes with roads or rivers count normally. Grassland and desert hexes count double. Water hexes and hexes with highways count as half. This total distance is the Trade Route Length (TRL). Divide the Trade Route Length by 10 to get the Route Modifier (RM). Subtract the TRL from your kingdom’s Size to get the Length Modifier (LM), with a minimum LM of 0.
Establishing a trade route takes 1 hex per day along Roads and Rivers (upstream), 2 along coastlines, and 4 along water or Rivers (downstream). If the journey requires 1 turn or more, you gain no benefits from it until the turn the traders arrive at their destination. You must invest at least 5 BP into the initial trade expedition using this trade route. The first time your traders reach the destination settlement, attempt an Economy check, a Loyalty check, and a Stability check. Determine the DC as follows: DC = Control DC + your settlement’s Corruption + the RM + the LM – your settlement’s Productivity
If all three checks fail, the trade route is a total loss; Fame decreases by 1 and Unrest increases by 1. If one check succeeds, the expedition fails to reach its destination but sells its goods elsewhere for 1d4 BP per every 5 BP invested.
If two checks succeed, the trade route is established; Economy increases by 1 and Treasury increases by the RM + 2d4 BP per 5 BP invested in the initial trade expedition. For example, if you invested 5 BP in a trade route with an RM of 2, Treasury increases by 2 + 2d4 BP.
If all three checks succeed, the trade route is established and is a great success; Economy increases by 2, Fame increases by 1, and Treasury increases by the RM + 2d4 BP per 5 BP invested in the initial trade expedition.
An established trade route provides its benefits for 1 year. A kingdom can have one of each of the following types of trade route. Each type requires certain buildings in your settlement, and each increases the Economy bonus from a successful trade route.
Food: If your kingdom has surplus production from farms and fisheries that reduces its Consumption to below 0, you may export food. A successful food trade route increases Economy by 1 for every 10 Farms and Fisheries in the kingdom; this benefit is lost in any month that Farms and Fisheries do not reduce Consumption below 0. You must have at least 1 Granary and 1 Stockyard in your settlement.
Goods: The trade route transports goods such as weapons and textiles. Count all Guildhalls, Smithies, Shops, Trade Shops, and Tanneries in the starting settlement and divide by 10; a successful goods trade route increases Economy by this amount. You must have at least 1 Guildhall in your settlement.
Luxuries: This trade route carries exotic goods such as art, musical instruments, books, spices, dyes, and magic items. Count all Alchemists, Caster’s Towers, Exotic Artisans, Herbalists, Luxury Stores, and Magic Shops in the starting settlement and divide by 10; a successful luxuries trade route increases Economy by that amount. You must have at least 1 Luxury Store in your settlement.
Raw Materials: This trade route carries common raw materials such as lumber, stone, ore, or metal. A successful raw materials trade route increases Economy by 1 for every 10 Mines, Quarries, and Sawmills in the kingdom. You must have at least 1 Foundry in the starting settlement to count Mines.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 233
Vassalage edicts are special edicts that allow you to cede a portion of your lands (or unclaimed lands you deem yours to take) to a subordinate leader, sponsoring that leader’s rulership in exchange for fealty. You can also use a Vassalage edict to found a colony beholden to your kingdom. You may also use a Vassalage edict to subjugate an existing kingdom you have conquered without having to absorb the entire kingdom hex by hex. When you issue a Vassalage edict, you must select a person to take the Viceroy leadership role.
Issuing a Vassalage edict requires you to spend 1d4 BP and give additional BP to the Viceroy as a starting Treasury for the vassal kingdom (just as a wealthy sponsor may have granted to your initial Treasury). You may give up to 1/4 of your kingdom’s Treasury to your new vassal as a grant to help found the kingdom.
When you issue a Vassalage edict, you are creating a new kingdom or attaching an existing kingdom to your own. Your vassal functions in most respects as a separate entity with its own kingdom scores. You decide how it is governed; you may give its leaders full autonomy, or give occasional suggestions or commands about buildings and improvements, or control it directly by giving orders to the Viceroy.
New Vassal or Colony: When you issue a Vassalage edict to create a new colony or kingdom, you may immediately establish an embassy, treaty, or alliance (your choice) with your new vassal (see Diplomatic edicts on page 228). You may decide that the treaty and alliance are balanced or unbalanced. These decisions are automatically successful and do not require rolls.
Subjugation: When you issue this edict to subjugate another kingdom, you may immediately establish an embassy, but you must follow the normal rules if you wish to establish a treaty or alliance. If you spend BP on bribes or gifts to reduce the DC and you succeed at forming the treaty or alliance, you may count half of this amount as going toward new improvements or buildings built in the vassal kingdom that turn.
The starting attitude of the vassal kingdom is based on alignment compatibility (as per Diplomatic edicts) and modified by the circumstances under which you deposed the prior leadership per GM discretion—for example, improving if you removed a hated tyrant or worsening if you unseated a popular ruler.
Subjugation may cause friction between your established citizens and the newly conquered. You must attempt a Loyalty check each turn (when you issue the edict, and on future turns during the Upkeep phase), increasing the DC by the subjugated kingdom’s Size divided by 5. Failure means Unrest increases by 1d4. If you succeed at this check three turns in a row, you establish a peaceful equilibrium and no longer need to attempt these checks.
Vacancy Penalty: If the vassal kingdom take a vacancy penalty for not having a Viceroy or a Viceroy not doing his duties, that kingdom also takes the Ruler vacancy penalty. A Consort or Heir from your kingdom may mitigate this penalty if she is touring the vassal state; however, she cannot also mitigate the Ruler vacancy penalty in your kingdom.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 234
Sooner or later, even the most peaceable kingdom will find itself faced with the prospect of war. While some kingdoms at odds with your own might be willing to compromise, others are not amenable to negotiation, or respond to overtures of appeasement with ever-increasing aggression. When diplomacy fails, the clash of steel is close behind.
This section contains rules for you as a kingdom leader to create armies, assign their commanders, and prepare them for battle on land, at sea, or in the skies. This includes rules for equipping and maintaining conventional armies, utilizing PCs as part of mass combat, converting groups of monsters into military forces, and going beyond the battlefield to deal with the aftermath of combat.
These rules provide an abstract, narrative mass combat system that will let you rapidly play out a complex battle scenario without getting bogged down in excessive detail, while still retaining fidelity to strategy, tactics, and the realities of the battlefield. These rules are not intended to accurately represent complex wars, provide a highly tactical simulation, or accurately model a tactical warfare miniatures game. Instead, they are intended to incorporate warfare into a campaign while still staying primarily focused on traditional, small-scale adventuring and roleplaying.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 234
The key parts of the mass combat rules that you’ll reference often are:- Explanations of the army stat block and terminology used throughout this chapter.
- Step-by-step instructions on how to run the battle phases of a combat between armies.
- Battlefield modifiers for terrain and similar factors.
- Different tactics that armies can learn.
- What happens at the end of a battle, once an army wins, loses, or flees.
- How to use special commanders or kingdom leaders to modify army statistics.
- Resources to upgrade and improve armies.
- Special abilities for unusual armies, such as spellcasting or poison.
- A list of sample armies.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 235
These mass combat rules treat armies as if they were individual creatures. Instead of making 100 attack rolls for each side of a battle between elves and orcs, you treat the elf army as one unit and the orc army as another unit, and they battle each other with just one roll each. Instead of the armies taking turns attacking each other, they roll simultaneously. Smaller armies have fewer individual creatures (units), larger armies have more units, and the number of units directly relates to how dangerous an army is.
Use the Mass Combat Army Sheet on page 251 to track the stats of your armies, just as you use a character sheet to track the stats of your character.
Every army has a commander, typically a seasoned veteran, who directs the army’s actions. You can lead an army yourself, making you its commander and providing bonuses depending on your kingdom leadership role.
Armies can learn different tactics, such as using reserve archers, forming a defensive wall, or using dirty tricks. An army can use strategies like attacking recklessly and aggressively (much like a creature using the Power Attack feat) or being cautious and defensive (like using Combat Expertise). The army’s commander decides the tactics and strategy used in battle.
Conditions on the battlefield affect the process and outcome of the battle. For example, muddy terrain slows walking armies but has no effect on flying armies; night combat hinders human armies but not orc armies.
Resolving the battle consists of three phases in which the commanders decide on tactics, the armies make ranged attacks (if any), and the armies then close to melee range. They then remain in melee until one side flees or is destroyed.
The following summarizes the key rolls you’ll make when using mass combat:
Offense Check: d20 + Offense Modifier (OM)
Damage Dealt: Offense check result – the defending army’s Defense Value (DV)
Morale Check: d20 + the commander’s modifiers + the army’s Morale score
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 236
The mass combat rules often refer to aspects of the kingdom building rules, such as Loyalty checks and a kingdom’s Control DC. If you aren’t running a kingdom, substitute a Will save for a Loyalty check. Instead of a kingdom’s Control DC, use the primary ability DC of a monster with a CR equal to the party’s APL (see Monster Statistics By CR, Bestiary 291). For example, if the party’s APL is 12, the Will save DC is 21. Instead of a kingdom turn or kingdom phase, use 1 month. Instead of BP, multiply the BP cost by 500 gp.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 237
Since an army’s strength is represented by an ACR score, the GM can balance armies against each other using the guidelines for CR on page 398 of the Core Rulebook. For example, two ACR 9 armies should make for a relatively even battle, but so would an ACR 9 army against three ACR 6 armies. This applies mostly to typical humanoid armies, as monsters with powerful abilities might be significantly more formidable.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 241
If you are a leader of a kingdom, that fact is sufficient for you to recruit armies from your citizens. If you are not the leader of a kingdom, the GM may decide that you need to achieve some sort of in-game accomplishment to earn the respect and renown needed to raise an army.
Being able to recruit a monster army usually requires a special quest or adventure; you can’t simply recruit an army of goblins to serve you because you’ve found a tribe of goblins or know they live in your kingdom.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 234
The description of each army is presented in a standard format. Each category of information is explained and defined on the following pages.
Name: This is the name of the army. This could be a mercenary company's name, such as “Thokk's Bloodragers,” a formal regiment number such as “7th Royal Cavalry,” or an informal name such as “militia from Redstone.”
XP: This is the XP awarded to the PCs if their army defeats this army, and is the same as an XP award for an encounter with a CR equal to the army's ACR (see below).
Alignment: An army's alignment has no effect on its statistics, and is just a convenient way to summarize its attitude with two letters. It is usually the same alignment as a typical unit in that army.
Size: The army's size determines not only how many individual units exist in the army, but also the army's ACR. Table 4–15: Army Sizes
Table 4-15: Army Size
| Army Size | Number of Units | ACR |
| Fine | 1 | CR of individual creature -8 |
| Diminutive | 10 | CR of individual creature -6 |
| Tiny | 25 | CR of individual creature -4 |
| Small | 50 | CR of individual creature -2 |
| Medium | 100 | CR of individual creature |
| Large | 200 | CR of individual creature +2 |
| Huge | 500 | CR of individual creature +4 |
| Gargantuan | 1,000 | CR of individual creature +6 |
| Colossal | 2,000 | CR of individual creature +8 |
Type: This lists the nature of the army's individual units, such as “orcs (warrior 1)” or “trolls.” These rules assume all units in an army are essentially the same; if an army of 100 orc warriors 1 (meaning 1st-level warriors) actually has a few half-orc warriors or some orc barbarians, their presence has no effect on the army's statistics. If an army has a large number of units that are different than the typical unit in that army, and these differences are enough to change the army's stat block, it is generally best to treat the group as two separate armies with different stat blocks.
hp: An army's hit points equal its ACR × the average hp value of 1 HD of the army's units (3.5 for d6 HD, 4.5 for d8 HD, 5.5 for d10 HD, and 6.5 for d12 HD). For example, warriors have d10 HD, so an ACR 1 army of warriors has 5.5 × 1 = 5.5 hp, rounded down to 5 hp. Note that only damage from other armies can reduce an army's hp; a non-army attacking an army is mostly ineffective, though you can treat the attacker as a Fine army if you want to determine the outcome of the attack. As with standard game effects that affect hit points, abilities that reduce hp damage or healing by half (or any other fraction) have a minimum of 1 rather than 0.
Army Challenge Rating (ACR): This is based on the CR of an individual unit from the army and the army's size, and scales like CRs for monsters. To determine ACR, see Table 4–15: Army Sizes and apply the modifier for the army's size to the CR of an individual unit in the army. If an army is cavalry, use the mount's CR or the rider's CR, whichever is higher. For example, an individual orc warrior 1 is CR 1/3, so an army of 100 orc warriors 1 is ACR 1/3; an army of 500 orc warriors 1 is ACR 3 (4 steps greater than the standard 100-unit army). If a group's ACR would be lower than 1/8, it doesn't count as an army— add more troops until you reach an ACR of 1/8 or higher.
Defense Value (DV): This is a static number the army uses to resist attacks, much like an individual creature's AC. The army's DV is equal to ACR + 10 + any bonuses from fortifications or a settlement's Defense score (see page 212).
Offense Modifier (OM): This is a modifier added to a d20 roll to determine the army's chance of success, much like an individual creature's attack bonus. The army's OM is equal to its ACR. If the army has the ability to make ranged attacks, that's mentioned here. Melee attacks and ranged attacks use the same OM unless an ability says otherwise.
Tactics: These are any army tactics (page 237) the army has at its disposal.
Resources: These are any army resources the army has at its disposal.
Special: This section lists any special abilities the army has.
Speed: This number indicates how many 12-mile hexes the army traverses in a day's march. Marching through difficult terrain halves the army's speed. Use Table 7–6: Movement and Distance to determine the army's speed based on the speed of its individual units.
Morale: This number represents how confident the army is. Morale is used to determine changing battle tactics, whether or not an army routs as a result of a devastating attack, and similar effects. Morale is a modifier from –4 (worst) to +4 (best). A new army's starting morale is +0. Morale can be further modified by the army's commander and other factors. If an army's Morale is ever reduced to –5 or lower, the army disbands or deserts and you no longer control it.
Consumption: This is how many Build Points (BP) an army consumes each week (unlike most kingdom expenses, this cost is per week, not per month), representing the cost to feed, hydrate, arm, train, care for, and pay the units. An army's base Consumption is equal to its ACR divided by 2 (minimum 1). If you fall behind on paying the army's Consumption, reduce its Morale by 2; this penalty ends when you catch up on the army's pay.
Commander: This entry lists the army's commander and the commander's Charisma modifier, ranks in Profession (soldier), and Leadership score. The commander must be able to communicate with the army (possibly using message spells and similar magical forms of communication) in order to give orders or provide a bonus on the army's rolls.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 236
Mass combat takes place over the course of three battle phases: the Tactics Phase, the Ranged Phase, and the Melee Phase. A phase doesn’t denote a specific passage of time, leaving the GM latitude to determine how long a mass combat takes to resolve. For example, a battle in a muddy field after a rain could take place over hours and involve several short breaks to remove the dead from the battlefield, but still counts as one battle for the purposes of these rules. If there is an extended break (such as stopping at nightfall to resume combat in the morning) or the battle conditions change significantly (such as the assassination of a commander, the arrival of another army, and so on), the GM should treat each period of combat between armies as one battle. The battle phases are as follows.
1. Tactics Phase: The GM decides what battlefield modifiers apply to the battle. The commanders each select a tactic their respective armies will use during the battle.
2. Ranged Phase: Any army with the ability to make ranged attacks may make one attack against an enemy army. This phase typically lasts for 1 round (one attack) as the two armies use ranged attacks while they advance to melee range, and then use melee attacks thereafter. The battlefield’s shape and other conditions can extend this duration. If both armies have ranged attacks, they may choose to stay at range and never approach each other for melee (at least until they run out of ammunition, though the Consumption cost of maintaining an army generally means the army is capable of many shots before this happens). Armies without ranged capability can’t attack during this phase, but may still rush forward.
3. Melee Phase: The armies finally clash with melee attacks. Each commander selects a strategy using the Strategy Track, then each army makes an attack against another army. Repeat the Melee phase until one army is defeated or routs, or some other event ends the battle.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 236
In mass combat, the hundreds of individual attacks that take place in one battle phase overlap each other enough that who actually attacks first is irrelevant.
When armies attack, each army attempts an Offense check (1d20 + the attacking army’s OM) and compares the result to the target army’s DV.
If the Offense check is equal to or less than the target army’s DV, the army deals no damage that phase. If the Offense check is greater than defender’s DV, the defending army takes damage equal to the result of the attacker’s Offense check minus the defender’s DV. For example, if the attacker’s Offense check is 11 and the defender’s DV is 7, the defending army takes 4 points of damage. Because these attacks are resolved simultaneously, it is possible that both armies may damage or even destroy each other in the same phase.
If the Offense check is a natural 20, but that check is lower than the enemy army’s DV, the attacking army still deals 1 point of damage. If the Offense check is a natural 1, that army can’t attempt an Offense Check in the next phase, due to some setback: a misheard order, getting stuck in mud, and so on.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 237
These rules can also serve in battles where more than two armies clash. In such battles, when your army attempts an Offense check, you choose which enemy army (or armies, if you have multiple armies in the field) it is attacking and apply damage appropriately. On each phase, you may change which army you are targeting. If your kingdom fields multiple armies in a battle, you may want to divide responsibility for these armies among the other players to speed up play.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 237
In some mass combats, the specifics of a battlefield won’t impact either army, but sometimes the battlefield will itself decide the outcome. The modifiers listed below apply only for the duration of the battle. Naturally, the GM should exercise judgment regarding any conditions that don’t seem to apply to one of the armies (such as darkness and an army with darkvision, or fog and an army with scent).
At the GM’s discretion, large-area spells such as move earth might allow armies or commanders to manipulate the battlefield conditions before a conflict. For these spells to have any effect, they must last at least 1 hour and affect at least a 500-foot square. Likewise, magic items such as an instant fortress (+2 Defense) and spells such as wall of stone (+1 Defense) can create simple fortifications for an army to use in a battle.
Advantageous Terrain: Generally, if one army occupies a position of superiority (such as being atop a hill, wedged in a narrow canyon, or protected by a deep river along one flank), the defending army increases its DV by 2.
Ambush: In order to attempt to ambush an army, the entire ambushing army must have concealment. The ambusher attempts an Offense check against the target army’s DV. If successful, the battle begins but the target army doesn’t get to act during the Tactics phase. Otherwise, the battle proceeds normally.
Battlefield Advantage: If an army is particularly familiar with a battlefield, it’s OM and DV increase by 2.
Darkness: Darkness reduces all armies’ OM by 2 and DV by 3.
Dim Light: Dim light reduces all armies’ OM by 1.
Fog: Fog reduces damage by half and gives the armies a +2 bonus on Morale checks to use the withdraw tactic.
Fortifications: An army located in a fortification adds the fortification’s Defense to its DV. A settlement’s Defense is determined by the types of buildings it contains, as detailed in the kingdom-building rules. If the game isn’t using the kingdom-building rules, a typical fortification increases DV by 8.
Rain: Rain affects modifiers to OM in the Ranged phase as if it were severe wind; see Table 13–10: Wind Effects.
Sandstorm: A sandstorm counts as fog and deals 1 hp of damage to all armies during each Ranged and Melee phase.
Snow: Snow affects ranged attacks like rain, and affects damage like fog.
Wind: The wind modifiers to ranged attacks apply to OM in the Ranged phase; see Table 13–10: Wind Effects.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 237
Tactics are options an army can use to influence aspects of a battle. A newly recruited army doesn’t know any of these tactics unless specified by the GM. An army learns new tactics by being victorious in battle (see Victory, Rout, or Defeat). An army can know a number of tactics equal to half its ACR, minimum 0.
When a battle begins, the commander selects one tactic to use for that battle (if the army doesn’t know any tactics, the army uses the standard tactic). At the start of each Ranged or Melee phase, the commander may try to change tactics by attempting a DC 15 Morale check. Success means the army uses the new tactic for that phase (and the modifiers from the old tactic cease); failure means the army continues to use its current tactic. The effects of tactics end when the battle does.
As with battlefield conditions, gaining benefits from a tactic is subject to GM discretion. (For example, you may not get the expert flankers benefit if you cannot actually flank your enemy).
Tactics marked with an asterisk (*) are default tactics all armies know; these do not count toward the number of tactics an army knows.
Cautious Combat: Your army fights cautiously in order to maintain morale. Decrease its OM by 2, and add 2 to all its Morale checks.
Cavalry Experts: Your army’s OM increases by 2 against armies that aren’t mounted. The army must have the mount resource to use this tactic.
Defensive Wall: Your army fights defensively, taking actions to protect fellow units as needed. Decrease its OM by 2, and increase its DV by 2.
Dirty Fighters: Your army uses trickery and unfair tactics to gain an advantage at the start of a battle. For one Melee phase this battle, its OM increases by 6. (After that Melee phase, the opposing army knows to be ready for such tricks.)
Expert Flankers: Your army is skilled at surrounding the foe and distracting them, at the cost of spreading out too much and being more vulnerable. Increase its OM by 2, and decrease its DV by 2.
False Retreat: Once per battle, your army can make a false retreat, luring a target enemy army deeper into your territory. On the phase your army makes a false retreat, it doesn’t attempt an Offense check. On the phase after it uses this tactic, increase its OM and DV by 6 against the target army.
Full Defense: Your army focuses on total defense of the battlefield. Increase its DV by 4, and decrease its OM by 4.
Relentless Brutality: Your army throws caution to the wind and attacks with savage and gory vigor. Increase its OM by 4, and decrease its DV by 4.
Siegebreaker: Your army targets another army’s siege engines in an attempt to destroy them. If your army damages the target army, your army attempts a second Offense check; if successful, destroy one of the target’s siege engines. This tactic has no effect on enemy armies without siege engines.
Sniper Support: Your army holds some ranged units in reserve to attack a target enemy army during the Melee phase. If your army damages the target army in the Melee phase, it deals 2 additional points of damage from these ranged attacks. The army must have ranged attacks to use this tactic.
Spellbreaker: Your army has specialists who can disrupt enemy spellcasting. Increase its DV by 4 against armies with the spellcasting ability.
Standard*: Your army’s attacks have no additional modifiers to its OM, DV, or damage.
Taunt: Your army is skilled at taunting its opponents, provoking stupid mistakes and overconfidence in battle. The target army must attempt a Morale check (DC = 10 + your army’s ACR) at the start of each Melee or Ranged phase; failure means it reduces its OM and DV against your army by 2 for that phase. If the target army succeeds at two of these Morale checks, it’s immune to this tactic for the remainder of the battle.
Withdraw*: Your army tries to escape from all armies attacking it. The army attempts an opposed Morale check against each army attacking it to maintain discipline (any army may voluntarily fail this check), but doesn’t need to attempt the usual Morale check to change tactics when switching to withdraw. If all of these checks are successful, your army may withdraw from the battlefield or treat the phase as a Ranged phase. If only some are successful, you may withdraw or treat the phase as a Ranged phase, but enemy armies in the battle may attack you as if you were in Melee. Whether or not the checks are successful, reduce your army’s OM and DV by 2 for the rest of this phase.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 239
On the first Melee phase, the commander selects a strategy from one of five options on the strategy track. Strategies adjust the army’s DV, OM, and damage modifier.
Once each Melee phase after the first, the commander can alter the army’s strategy. Adjusting the strategy 1 step up or down does is automatically successful and doesn’t require a check. If the commander wants to adjust strategy more than 1 step, the army attempts a DC 20 Morale check. Success means the strategy changes to the desired level. Otherwise, the army’s current strategy doesn’t change.
| Strategy | DV | OM | Damage |
| Defensive | +4 | -4 | -6 |
| Cautious | +2 | -2 | -3 |
| Standard | +0 | +0 | +0 |
| Aggressive | -2 | +2 | +3 |
| Reckless | -4 | +4 | +6 |
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 239
A rout is a chaotic and disorderly retreat of a defeated army from a battlefield, usually from fear or when overwhelmed by a superior opponent. If an army’s hit points are reduced to equal or less than its ACR, its commander must attempt a DC 15 Morale check. If the check fails, the army scatters and retreats from battle. If it cannot retreat, it surrenders and is captured. When an army routs, all armies in the battle can attempt one final Offense check at the fleeing army as a parting shot before it escapes. (Normally, only enemy armies do so, but an aggressive or evil army might strike at a fleeing allied army out of anger or frustration.)
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 239
An army is victorious if all of its enemy armies flee the battlefield or are defeated. The aftermath of the battle can be different for each army, and depends on whether it was defeated, routed, or victorious.
Defeated: If an army’s hit points are reduced to 0, it is defeated. A defeated army may have a few survivors, but they are so demoralized and wounded (and probably captured by the enemy) that the army no longer exists as a cohesive unit and can’t be used again in mass combat. If your army is defeated, reduce your kingdom’s Economy, Loyalty, and Stability according to the size of the army.
| Army Size | Economy | Loyalty | Stability |
| Fine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Diminutive | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| Tiny | -1 | -1 | 0 |
| Small | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| Medium | -2 | -2 | -2 |
| Large | -3 | -2 | -2 |
| Huge | -4 | -2 | -2 |
| Gargantuan | -4 | -2 | -3 |
| Colossal | -4 | -3 | -3 |
Routed: If the army routs, reduce its Morale by 1. If the army’s current hp are lower than the army’s ACR, increase its hit points to its ACR. A routed army refuses to fight until you succeed at a Loyalty check during your kingdom’s Upkeep phase (you may attempt this check once per turn). Note that a routed army can still be attacked by enemy armies, and can attempt Offense checks in battles—it just can’t initiate a battle.
Victorious: If your army is the last one left on the battlefield (not counting other friendly armies), it is victorious. Each time an army wins a battle, you can attempt a Loyalty check against your kingdom’s Control DC. If you succeed at this check, your army learns a new tactic and its Morale increases by 1 (maximum of Morale +4). If the army’s current hit points are lower than the army’s ACR, increase its hit points to its ACR. You may attempt a second Loyalty check; if you succeed, the army’s commander learns a new boon.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 239
Each day that an army spends at rest (no movement and no battle), it heals a number of hit points equal to its ACR. Once per day, you may attempt a Loyalty Check against your kingdom’s Control DC. If you succeed, your army heals a number of additional hit points equal to its ACR. An inactive army heals back to its full hit points after a single month, no matter how many hit points it lost.
The mass combat rules assume that this healing is a combination of actual wound healing and gaining new units to replace those who were killed (meaning you don’t have to track individual losses and resize armies). These units can be recruited from sympathetic locals, replacements from your own settlements, or forced conscripts from conquered lands. If circumstances make these replacement options unavailable or unlikely, the GM is free to limit how much an army can heal, generally to half the army’s normal hit points. For other possibilities when dealing with wounded armies, see the optional Reforming an Army rule.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 239
An army’s commander helps maximize its effectiveness and can provide special bonuses to an army. The commander can be a PC or NPC. Unless you decide to command an army personally or the GM allows you to recruit an exceptional commander through adventuring and roleplaying, a new army’s commander is an unexceptional leader who provides no bonuses to the army.
The Mass Combat Army Sheet has a space to record information about the commander of each of your armies. In addition, there’s also a space to record information for a general—a general is a character (often you) assigned to administrate your armies, but is primarily a figurehead and grants no bonuses herself unless actively leading a particular army. The relevant information is as follows (assume a value of 0 unless otherwise specified).
Name: This lists the commander’s name (and class and level, if notable).
Charisma Modifier: This lists the commander’s Charisma modifier. It is added to the army’s Morale checks.
Profession (soldier): This is the commander’s ranks in Profession (soldier). Divide the number of ranks by 5 (minimum 0) and add that number to the army’s Morale checks.
Leadership: The commander’s character level + Charisma modifier. If the commander is a monster, use HD instead of character level. If the commander has the Leadership feat, increase this value by 3. This number is a prerequisite for some boons.
Boons: This lists the boons the commander knows (see below). A commander’s maximum number of boons known is 1, plus 1 for every 5 ranks in Profession (soldier). A new or unexceptional commander might know no boons at first, but can gain them from victories in battle. If you’re a kingdom leader acting as a commander, you automatically have one boon appropriate to your leadership role (see below).
The commander must be active with the army to grant a bonus on Morale checks or a boon to the army. Being active requires spending at least 3 days per week with the army. An army without a commander (whether because the commander is dead or because she isn’t spending enough time with the army) loses 1 Morale per week. You may offset this loss by doubling the army’s Consumption that week.
If you have an army without a commander and you have no commanders available to fill that role, you may promote a unit from the army to be an unexceptional commander. This commander has a +0 Charisma modifier, 0 ranks in Profession (soldier), and a Leadership score based on the level or HD of a typical unit in that army.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 240
Boons are special abilities a commander grants to an army. Most of these boons affect the rolls and statistics for battles, and the commander must be present at the battle to provide their benefit. A commander grants the army all the boons she knows (she doesn’t have to select just one).
Bloodied but Unbroken: The commander inspires the army to be at its greatest in the most desperate times. When an army’s hit points are at half its full normal hit points or fewer, it gains a +1 bonus on Offense checks. A commander must have Leadership 4 or higher to select this boon. At Leadership 10 or higher, this bonus increases to +2.
Bonus Tactic: Choose one tactic. The commander always knows this tactic, and the commander’s army can use this tactic even if it doesn’t know that tactic on its own. You can select this boon multiple times; each time you select it, choose a new tactic.
Defensive Tactics: The commander is especially good at defensive tactics. Increase the army’s DV by 2. A commander must have Leadership 5 or higher to select this boon.
Flexible Tactics: The commander trains the army to be receptive to multiple orders during a battle. The army gains a +5 bonus on Morale checks to change tactics during a battle. A commander must have Leadership 6 or higher to select this boon. At Leadership 12 or higher, this bonus increases to +10.
Hit and Run: The commander drills the army in quick attacks followed by a fast retreat. After attacks are resolved in the Ranged phase or the first Melee phase, the army may use the withdraw tactic with a +2 bonus on its opposed Morale checks. A commander must have Leadership 5 or higher to select this boon. At Leadership 10 or higher, this bonus increases to +4.
Hold the Line: The commander is skilled at convincing the army to maintain morale against dangerous opponents. If the army fails a Morale check to avoid a rout, it may reroll that check. It must accept the results of the second check, even if it is worse.
Live off the Land: The commander makes the army trap game, hunt, and fish to augment its food supplies. Reduce the army’s Consumption and speed by half for any week this boon is used. The GM may rule that Huge and larger armies deplete the available resources from a hex over 1d3 weeks, requiring the army to move if it wants to maintain the reduced Consumption level.
Loyalty: The commander inspires great loyalty in the army. The army gains a +2 bonus on all Morale checks. A commander must have Leadership 6 or higher to select this boon. At Leadership 12 or higher, this bonus increases to +4.
Merciless: The commander encourages the army to be ruthless in its tactics and spare no wounded enemies. The army gains a +1 bonus on opposed Morale checks to prevent another army from withdrawing and on the last Offense check against a routed army or one using the withdraw tactic.
Sharpshooter: The commander drills the army in precision ranged attacks. The army gains a +2 bonus on Offense checks against armies using fortifications. This boon has no effect if the army can’t make ranged attacks.
Triage: Whether using magic, alchemy, herbalism, or folk knowledge, the commander drills the army in using emergency methods to treat wounds. Once per battle, the army may take a –4 penalty on its Offense check during the Ranged or Melee phase and heal damage equal to half its ACR. If the army has the healing potions resource, it also gains the healing from this boon (without the Offense check penalty) when it uses healing potions.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 240
If you have a kingdom leadership role (Ruler, High Priest, Grand Diplomat, and so on), you may take the role of an army commander. To determine your bonus on Morale checks and the maximum number of boons you can know, use either one-fifth your ranks in Profession (soldier) or one-sixth your character level, whichever is higher (minimum 1). As with other commanders, you must remain active with the army to grant your commander bonus on Morale checks, and must be at the battle to provide tactics and bonuses.
Your leadership role determines what boons you automatically know (even if you don’t meet the Leadership requirements for those boons). If a role lists multiple boons, you must choose one when you become a commander. (Others may be gained in the normal manner).
Ruler: Bloodied but Unbroken, Loyalty
Consort: Loyalty
Councilor: Loyalty
General: Bonus Tactic, Flexible Tactics, Merciless, Sharpshooter
Grand Diplomat: Defensive Tactics, Merciless
Heir: Loyalty
High Priest: Hold the Line, Live off the Land, Triage
Magister: Flexible Tactics, Loyalty
Marshal: Live off the Land, Hit and Run, Sharpshooter, Triage
Royal Enforcer: Bonus Tactic, Merciless, Sharpshooter
Spymaster: Hit and Run, Merciless, Sharpshooter
Treasurer: Loyalty
Viceroy: Loyalty
Warden: Defensive Tactics, Hold the Line, Loyalty
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 241
If an army is destroyed and the commander is an NPC, the commander is killed (01–20), captured (21–70), or escapes (71–00). An army of mindless creatures kills all captured NPC commanders. You may ransom a captured commander by paying BP equal to the commander’s army’s Consumption (if captured by another kingdom, this goes to that kingdom’s Treasury). A commander with a history of losing battles, being captured, and being ransomed gains an unlucky reputation among your troops and reduces the Morale of any army under her by 1.
If you are the commander and your army is destroyed, the GM should present you with an opportunity to escape with serious injuries (at 25% hp or lower), otherwise you are captured and held for ransom. The other PCs may pay BP, gold, or other treasures to ransom you, or the GM may allow the other PCs to have an adventure where they attempt to rescue you instead of simply buying your freedom.
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Resources are physical assets the army can use to improve its abilities. You must spend the BP for a resource before you can apply it to the army. Some armies can’t use certain resources—an army of wolves can’t use healing potions or improved weapons, mindless creatures can’t use siege engines, and so on.
The cost of a resource doesn’t end when you purchase it. Units must be trained to use new equipment, elite units demand higher pay, expensive items are more costly to maintain and repair, and so on. Each resource added to an army increases the army’s weekly Consumption by the listed amount.
The costs listed are for a Medium army. Resources for a smaller or larger army cost proportionately less or more than this amount, as per Table 4–16: Resource Scaling.
Table 4-16: Resource Scaling
| Army Size | Multiplier |
| Fine | x1/8 |
| Diminutive | x1/6 |
| Tiny | x1/4 |
| Small | x1/2 |
| Medium | x1 |
| Large | x2 |
| Huge | x4 |
| Gargantuan | x10 |
| Colossal | x20 |
The multiplier affects the resource’s initial cost and the increase to Consumption. The multiplier can’t reduce the cost of a resource below 1 BP
Healing Potions (10 BP): Each unit is equipped with several healing potions. At any point during a battle (but no more than twice per battle), the commander can order her units to drink their potions. The army doesn’t attempt an Offense check that phase, but heals a number of hit points equal to twice its ACR. Each time an army uses its healing potions, increase its Consumption that week by 3. To purchase this resource, a settlement in your kingdom must have an Alchemist, Caster’s Tower, Cathedral, Herbalist, Magic Shop, Magical Academy, or Temple.
Improved Armor (3 BP): The army is armed with masterwork armor, increasing DV and Consumption by 1. For 15 BP, you can outfit the army with magic armor, increasing DV and Consumption by 2 instead. To purchase this, a settlement in your kingdom must have a Foreign Quarter, Military Academy, or Smithy.
Improved Weapons (5 BP): The army is armed with masterwork weapons, increasing OM and Consumption by 1. For 50 BP, you can outfit the army with magic weapons, increasing OM and Consumption by 2 instead. To purchase this resource, a settlement in your kingdom must have a Foreign Quarter, Military Academy, or Smithy.
Mounts (BP = Mount’s ACR): The army is mounted on horses or other war-trained animals. Increase its OM and DV by 2, and increase its Consumption by 1. If your army uses mounts that are more powerful than the units themselves, your army’s ACR and derived scores might increase (see ACR). To purchase this resource, a settlement in your kingdom must have a Foreign Quarter, Stable, or Stockyard.
Ranged Weapons (2 BP): The army is equipped with ranged weapons (such as crossbows, slings, or bows), gaining ranged attack capability. Increase its Consumption by 1.
Siege Engines (15 BP per engine): Your army includes catapults, rams, trebuchets, ballistae, and other siege engines designed to break down fortifications. Increase OM by 2 (regardless of the total number of siege engines in the army) and Consumption by 3 per siege engine. Each Melee phase, reduce the enemy’s bonus to DV from fortifications by 1d4 per siege engine in your army. Unlike other resources, the cost of a siege engine doesn’t scale with the army’s size. To purchase this resource, a settlement in your kingdom must have an Academy, Foreign Quarter, Military Academy, or University.
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You may take a purchased resource from one army and give it to an army of equal or smaller size so long as the creatures in the recipient armies can use the resource (for example, improved weapons for a hill giant army are of little use to an army of human zombies). Doing so doesn’t cost BP, but reduces the Morale of the donating army by 1.
At the GM’s discretion, you may divide a resource among several smaller armies, so long as the total number of units in the smaller armies doesn’t exceed the number of units in the donating army.
If you disband an army with a resource, you can give that resource to another suitable army, store it for later (such as an army you recruit next year), or sell it for half its BP value.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 242
Part of the fun of playing out a war in a fantasy game is the fact that you aren’t limited to real-world troops. Though most recruited units are warriors or fighters, you may be able to recruit an army of paladins, clerics, or other characters with abilities useful in mass combat.
You might even be able to recruit monsters, whether humanoids such as goblins, trolls, and orcs, or exotic creatures such as centaurs and worgs. These creatures could have monster special abilities useful in mass combat. A typical kingdom doesn’t have access to monster armies unless it has formed alliances with such creatures, either through formal Diplomatic edicts or befriending them during adventures.
Modifiers for these abilities apply only if most of the units in an army have the listed ability. For a class ability, a parenthetical note after the ability name indicates the class and the level the units of the army must be to confer that ability. This listing doesn’t include class abilities acquired after 5th level, as it’s unlikely you’ll be able to recruit enough units of that class level to form an army. If a class ability listed here presents two alternative options, you must choose one of these options when the army is formed, and it can’t ever be changed.
You can use the following special abilities as inspiration to generate additional army abilities of your own. Unless otherwise stated, the effects of these special abilities (other than hp damage) end when a battle ends. Note that you count as your own ally for abilities that effect allied armies.
Ability Damage/Drain: This ability functions as bleed.
Alchemy (Alchemist 1): Once per battle, the army can heal itself as if it had the healing potions resource. This doesn’t cost BP.
Amphibious: The army can move in or across bodies of water and ignore Defense from water barriers.
Animal Companion (Druid 1, Ranger 4): The army’s animal companions increase the army’s OM by 1.
Aquatic: The army increases its OM and DV by 1 against armies in the water or on ships. The army decreases its OM by 2 against armies on land (unless the army also has the amphibious special ability, in which case it doesn’t have this OM penalty).
Aura of Courage (Paladin 3): The army is immune to fear effects and automatically succeeds at Morale checks to avoid a rout.
Armor Training (Fighter 3): This class feature adjusts the base speed of units in medium armor; adjust the army’s speed accordingly.
Bleed: When this army deals damage in melee, the target army takes an automatic 1d6 points of damage at the start of the next phase.
Blindsense: The army reduces its OM and DV penalties by half from darkness, invisibility, and weather.
Blindsight: The army takes no penalties to its OM and DV from darkness, invisibility, or weather.
Bomb (Alchemist 1): This ability functions as the breath weapon ability.
Bravery (Fighter 2): Apply the unit’s bravery bonus on Morale checks against fear and routs.
Breath Weapon: The army can make ranged attacks. In the Ranged and Melee phases, it deals +1d4 points of damage.
Brew Potion (Alchemist 1): The army can create healing potions for itself or another army without needing any of the building requirements described in the healing potion resource. You must pay the BP cost for these potions as normal.
Burn: This ability functions as bleed.
Burrow: The army can dig under one fortification (or City Walls) by spending a Ranged or Melee phase moving. In later phases, it ignores that fortification’s Defense. During the phase the army uses burrow, it can attack or be attacked only by armies using burrow or earth glide.
Cannibalize: Reduce Consumption by 1 (minimum 0) for any week in which the army wins a battle and is allowed to feed on fallen corpses.
Challenge (Cavalier 1): Once per battle, the army may increase its OM by 2 against a target army, but it also reduces its DV by 1 against attacks from any army that is not the target army. These effects last for the rest of the battle.
Channel Negative Energy (Cleric 1): In the Melee phase, the army deals +1d4 points of damage against a living target army. If the army with this ability is undead, instead of dealing extra damage to an enemy army, it can use this ability to heal itself; if it takes an OM penalty equal to half its ACR for one Ranged or Melee phase, it heals a number of hit points equal to its ACR.
Channel Positive Energy (Cleric 1, Paladin 4): In the Melee phase, the army deals +1d4 points of damage against an undead target army. Instead of dealing extra damage to an enemy army, the army can use this ability to heal itself; if it takes an OM penalty equal to half its ACR for one Ranged or Melee phase, it heals a number of hit points equal to its ACR.
Climb: The army treats the Defense of fortifications as 25% lower than normal. This benefit doesn’t apply if the fortification can’t reasonably be climbed (such as a moat or wall of force).
Combat Style (Ranger 2): Once per battle, increase the army’s OM for either ranged attacks or melee attacks by 1 for the rest of the battle.
Construct: The army is immune to disease, fear, paralysis, and poison.
Create Sandstorm: Once per battle, the army can affect the field of battle with the sandstorm battlefield condition. The sandstorm lasts for the rest of the battle.
Create Spawn: If the army destroys a living army of equal or greater size, it may immediately recover a number of hit points equal to twice its ACR or create a new army of its type but two sizes smaller than itself.
Damage Reduction: See the entry for significant defense.
Darkvision: The army takes no OM or DV penalties in dim light or darkness.
Discovery (Alchemist 2): This ability functions as bleed.
Disease: If the army damages an enemy, the enemy becomes diseased and takes a cumulative –1 penalty to its OM and DV each day after the battle. Curing the disease requires a successful Stability check modified by this penalty, and allows the army to reduce this penalty by 1 each day thereafter until the penalty is gone.
Divine Health (Paladin 3): The army is immune to disease.
Earth Glide: The army ignores fortifications made of earth or stone and can burrow under other fortifications as if using the burrow special ability.
Eidolon (Summoner 1): This ability functions as the animal companion ability.
Energy Drain: If the army damages an enemy, it reduces the enemy’s OM and DV by 1 for 24 hours.
Evasion (Monk 2, Rogue 2): An army that attacks this army halves its OM bonus from the spellcasting ability and halves the extra damage from the breath weapon ability.
Fast Healing: Each Ranged or Melee phase, this army regains a number of hit points equal to half its fast healing value. Outside of battle, each hour the army regains a number of hit points equal to its fast healing value.
Favored Enemy (Ranger 1): The army increases its OM by 1 against an army of a type of creature chosen from the ranger favored enemy list.
Favored Terrain (Ranger 3): Reduce an enemy’s bonuses from advantageous terrain and battlefield advantage by half.
Fear: If the army damages an enemy army, that army must attempt a Morale check (DC = 10 + your army’s ACR). Failure means the enemy army is afraid and can’t attempt an Offense check to attack during the next phase. If an army fails a Morale check during a phase in which it is already afraid, it routs.
Ferocity: The army continues to fight even if demoralized or nearly dead. If the army is defeated or routed, it may continue to act for one more Melee phase, and its OM and DV are reduced by 4 for that phase.
Flight: If the army doesn’t attack in the Melee phase, it can’t be attacked with melee attacks except by an army with flight. The army ignores Defense bonuses from City Walls, but not other fortifications.
Flurry of Blows (Monk 1): In the first Melee phase, increase the army’s OM by 1. In the second and subsequent Melee phases, increase it by 2 instead.
Grab: The army’s units latch onto their opponents, making it difficult to escape. The target army takes a –2 penalty on Morale checks to resist a rout or use the withdraw tactic.
Hex (Witch 1): When you create an army with this ability, choose either healing or cauldron.
Healing: Once per battle, the army can heal a number of hit points equal to half its ACR.
Cauldron: The army can create healing potions for itself or another army without needing any of the building requirements described in the healing potion resource. You must pay the BP cost for these potions as normal.
Hunter’s Bond (Ranger 4): When you create an army with this ability, choose either companions or animal.
Companions: Once per battle, the army may increase its OM or an allied army’s OM by 1 for the rest of the battle.
Animal: This ability functions as animal companion.
Immunity: If an army is immune to a particular special ability (such as poison), an enemy army with that ability doesn’t gain those benefits against this army. For an army with many immunities, also see significant defense.
Incorporeal: The army takes no damage from nonmagical attacks, and only half damage from magical attacks. It ignores enemy DV bonuses from armor resources. It automatically succeeds at checks to withdraw. It has a mobility advantage in all kinds of terrain.
Inspire Courage (Bard 1): The army increases its OM by 1 and gains a +2 bonus on Morale checks against fear and routs. Alternatively, the army may apply these bonuses to an allied army in the same battle.
Invisibility: Any army attacking this army takes a –2 penalty to its OM for that attack. Any army attacked by this army takes a –2 penalty to its DV against its attacks. Armies that can’t see invisible creatures can’t prevent this army from withdrawing.
Judgment (Inquisitor 1): Once each Ranged or Melee phase, the army may choose to increase its damage by 1, increase its DV by 1, heal a number of hit points equal to half its ACR, or treat its attacks as magic weapons. This ability is suspended for any phase in which the army is unable to attack because of fear, and ends immediately if the army routs.
Ki Pool (Monk 4): The army’s attacks count as magic weapons.
Lay on Hands (Paladin 2): This ability functions as channel positive energy.
Light Blindness: The army decreases its OM and RV by 2 in bright light.
Light Sensitivity: The army decreases its OM and RV by 1 in bright light.
Low-Light Vision: The army takes no penalties for dim light.
Mercy (Paladin 3): At the end of a battle, the army can cure a disease on one allied army.
Mindless: The army never fails Morale checks, but must always use standard tactics and strategy.
Mobility: If the units have a form of mobility that gives them an advantage in the battlefield’s terrain (such as boggards in a swamp), increase the army’s OM by 1 for that battle against armies without such mobility.
Mount (Cavalier 1): The army’s mounts increase the army’s OM and DV by 1.
Order (Cavalier 1): When using the challenge ability, increase the army’s DV by 1 against the challenged army.
Paralysis: Each time the army damages an enemy army, reduce the enemy army’s DV by 1.
Petrification: This ability functions as paralysis.
Plant: The army is immune to fear, paralysis, and poison.
Poison Resistance (Alchemist 2): If the army takes poison damage, reduce the damage by half of the unit’s poison resistance bonus.
Poison: This ability functions as bleed.
Pounce: The army increases its OM by 1.
Powerful Charge: The army increases its OM by 1.
Rage (Barbarian 1): Once per battle, the commander may order the army to rage. Increase the army’s OM by 2, decrease its DV by 1, and add a +1 bonus on its Morale checks against fear and routing. While this is in effect, the army can’t use the tactics cautious combat, defensive wall, expert flankers, hold the line, sniper support, or withdraw; nor can it use the defensive or cautious strategies. If using such a tactic or strategy, you immediately switch to the standard tactic or strategy.
Rake: The army increases the damage it deals by 1.
Regeneration: The army regains a number of hit points equal to half its regeneration value each Ranged or Melee phase. When an army with regeneration is reduced to 0 hp, it is defeated only if at least one enemy army survives at the end of that phase to finish off the regenerating creatures. Outside of battle, the army regains a number of hit points equal to half its regeneration value each hour.
Rend: The army increases the damage it deals by 1.
Resistance: See the entry for significant defense.
Rock Catching: The army increases its DV by 1 against ranged attacks. This increases by an additional 1 if the army is attacked with siege weapons or thrown rocks.
Rock Throwing: The army can make ranged attacks. In the Ranged phase, it deals +4 points of damage.
Rogue Talent (Rogue 2): The army gains the bleed ability.
Scent: The army reduces its OM and DV penalties from darkness, invisibility, and weather by half.
Shield Ally (Summoner 4): Increase the army’s DV by 1.
Significant Defense: The army has a significant defense such as powerful damage reduction or numerous immunities and/or resistances. Increase its DV by 10, but only against armies that can’t overcome those defenses. In some cases, the GM might rule that an army is simply undefeatable by an enemy army because of its defenses (though the GM should never pit the PCs against such an army unless the PCs initiate a foolish battle).
Smite Evil (Paladin 1): In one Melee phase per battle, the army may increase its OM by 2 against an evil army. If the target army is undead or evil outsiders, the OM increases by 4 instead.
Sneak Attack (Rogue 1): The army increases its OM by 1 when making an ambush, when using the expert flankers tactic, or on the phase after using the false retreat tactic.
Spell Resistance: The army increases its DV by 6 against armies with the spellcasting ability.
Spellcasting: If an army’s units can use magic (from either spell-like abilities or actual spellcasting), increase its OM and DV by the spell level of the highest-level spell the individual unit can cast. If any of the army’s offensive spells has a range greater than touch, the army can make ranged attacks.
Stunning Fist (Monk 1): This ability functions as paralysis.
Swarm: The army takes half damage from nonmagical attacks, but 1-1/2 times as much damage from magical attacks. It ignores DV bonuses from armor resources. It can’t harm an army with the incorporeal or significant defense ability. It automatically succeeds at checks to withdraw.
Tactician (Cavalier 1): The army automatically learns one tactic (usually the cavalry experts tactic); this doesn’t count toward an army’s maximum number of known tactics.
Teleportation: The army ignores the Defense of fortifications. It automatically succeeds at checks to withdraw. Ethereal travel and similar effects also grant this ability. An army with teleportation can travel to any hex on the same day (its speed is irrelevant and not hampered by difficult terrain).
Track (Inquisitor 2, Ranger 1): The army adds its ACR to Morale checks to prevent an army from using the withdraw tactic and to its DV to prevent ambushes. It reduces the damage it deals in fog by one quarter instead of one half.
Trample: The army increases its OM by 1.
Trap Sense (Rogue 3): When using the siegebreaker tactic, the army adds half its ACR to the Offense check to determine if a siege engine is destroyed.
Tremorsense: The army reduces its OM and DV penalties from darkness, invisibility, and weather by half.
Trip: Each Melee phase, the target enemy army reduces its DV by 1 until the end of the phase.
Undead: The army is immune to disease, fear, paralysis, and poison. Its DV increases by 2.
Unnatural Aura: This ability functions as fear, but applies only to animals (including animal mounts).
Vortex: This ability functions as paralysis, but only against targets on or in the water.
Weapon Specialization (Fighter 4): Once per battle, increase the army’s OM for either ranged or melee attacks by 2.
Whirlwind: This ability functions as paralysis.
Wild Shape (Druid 4): Once per battle, the army may gain the aquatic, amphibious, climb, darkvision, flight, low-light vision, or scent special abilities, but loses the spellcasting ability while this is in effect. The army can end this ability in any later phase.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 245
In addition to the option of your PCs being commanders in your armies, the GM may have you fight smaller groups of enemies before or even during a battle in which your armies clash with the enemy. For example, your PCs might attack an evil necromancer and fight your way through his tower to confront him directly and defeat him while your army battles the undead horde outside the tower. Alternatively, your PCs could use potent spells (such as cloudkill, control water, or earthquake) to alter battlefield conditions in your favor. These possibilities let you use your characters to directly affect the outcome of a battle without forcing you to sit out on an adventure opportunity by personally commanding an army.
If your PCs win the small-scale combat or dramatically affect the battlefield with magic, the GM could opt to increase your army’s DV and OM by +4 for that battle, or penalize your armies by –4 if you lose. At the GM’s discretion, your PCs’ failure or victory might have other effects on your armies as well, such as temporarily granting an additional tactic, altering the hit points of one or more armies, or granting or negating a special ability.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 246
The following sections describe ways armies can be altered or assigned that come up less frequently than the other rules in the mass combat system. They’re optional, and the GM can bring them into the game only if necessary.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 246
If you have two armies of the same type and of equal size, at any time outside of combat you can combine them into a single army that is one size larger than the original armies.
Choose one of the two commanders to command this combined army. The other commander may be assigned to a different army; otherwise, her boons are lost.
Calculate the new army’s statistics based on its new size. If both smaller armies had a boon, resource, or tactic, the new army has it as well; otherwise the boon, resource, or tactic is lost. The new army’s Morale is equal to the average of the Morale of the two smaller armies. If one army has an affliction (such as a disease), the new army now has it.
Determine what percentage of its full normal hit points each smaller army had. The new army’s hit points is the average of these percentages. For example, if one army is at 50% and the other is at 100%, the new army is at 75% of the full hit points for its size.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 246
Reformation converts a wounded army into a smaller, healthy army. The army hit point rules are abstract and represent wounded units, incapacitated units, and dead units. For an army with a very low hit point total, the number of active units in the army can even be equal to or fewer than those of an army of a smaller size. For example, a Large army normally has 200 units, but if that army is very wounded, it could have only 100 or fewer units able to fight—the same number as a Medium army. Because an army’s Consumption is based on its ACR (which is based on its size), you might be able to reduce your Consumption costs if you reform an army into a smaller size.
At any time outside of combat, you can reform a wounded army (at half hit points or fewer) into an army one size smaller with full hit points. This act represents you choosing only the healthiest units to continue fighting. The wounded survivors disperse, typically heading home to recuperate.
Calculate the smaller army’s statistics based on its new size. The smaller army retains all of the larger army’s statistics and effects (including tactics, boons, resources, commander, and so on) except those based on its size (such as ACR and statistics based on ACR). The army reduces its Morale by 1 (as reforming is a blunt indication of misfortune).
There is no limit to how many times you can reform an army. Even a Colossal army can be whittled away and reformed several times until the CR of its individual units is too small to actually count as an army.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 246
The costs in this section assume an active, deployed army. You may instead convert an army into a reserve army, placing it in a settlement. This reduces the Consumption cost for the army to once per month (or kingdom turn) instead of once per week. A commander has to spend only 3 days per month with a reserve army to remain active with it. The Morale penalty for an absent commander happens every month instead of every week.
The size of an army you can put in reserve depends on the buildings you have available in the settlement. A Watchtower can hold a Small or smaller reserve army, a Barracks can hold Medium or smaller, a Castle can hold Large or smaller, and a Garrison Huge or smaller. A Gargantuan or Colossal army can’t be put in reserve— it must remain deployed (though it can be indefinitely deployed in one of your own hexes). A Temple counts as a Watchtower for the purpose of holding special religious troops (clerics, druids, inquisitors, or paladins), and a Cathedral counts as a Barracks in those cases. You may split an army (see Splitting an Army) to allow you to divide its units among several buildings.
If you move the army outside the settlement, it immediately counts as an active army and the costs must be paid per week as normal.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 246
You can divide an army into smaller armies. At any time outside of combat, you may split an army into two armies that are each one size category smaller. One of these armies retains the larger army’s commander; you must assign a commander to the other army.
Calculate each smaller army’s statistics based on its new size. The smaller armies retain all of the larger army’s statistics and effects (including tactics, boons, resources, commander, and so on) except those based on size (such as ACR and statistics based on ACR). Each smaller army reduces its Morale by 1.
Determine what percentage of its full normal hit points the larger army had. Each smaller army has this proportion of hit points for its new size. For example, if the large army was at 70% (28 hp out of 40), each smaller army is at 70% of the full hit points for its size.
There is no limit to how many times you can split an army. Even a Colossal army can split several times until the CR of its individual units is too small to actually count as an army.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 247
This section details sample armies of various humanoid and monster types. The GM can allow players to recruit some of these armies, or might reserve most of them as unusual foes for mass battles. None of these armies has a starting Morale listed, because starting Morale starts at 0, modified by the commander.
Most of these armies are Medium, showing a player or GM what tactics, resources, and special abilities a typical army of that type has, yet still keeping it easy to scale the army to a larger or smaller size. If an army has a resource, the listed Consumption is for an army of the listed size; if you change the size of the army, remember to subtract the Consumption cost for its original size, scale that cost to the new size (see Table 4–16: Resource Scaling), then add the scaled cost to the army’s base Consumption cost. If the army lists an additional cost for recruiting the army, this recruitment cost scales in the same way.
The special abilities listed for monster armies are approximations to model the unit monster’s special abilities. For example, an individual troglodyte’s stench nauseates opponents, but there is no army special ability that does that, so the troglodyte army has paralysis instead, which has a comparable effect. Likewise, the astral deva army has the alchemy ability, which is a reasonable approximation of an individual astral deva’s ability to use heal once per day; the one-unit army doesn’t actually carry alchemist extracts.
If a special ability provides a constant bonus (such as the bonus from charge or pounce), that bonus is automatically included in the army’s stat block. If the bonus is conditional (like the DV bonus from rock catching or the ranged damage bonus from rock throwing), you need to account for that bonus when the conditions are right.
Some armies have custom bonuses built into their DV or OM. This represents the unit’s special defenses (such as damage reduction) and high damage output against single targets, which should affect an opposing army in a greater way than the standard monster-to-army conversion rules would indicate. Determining army stat block values for small numbers of powerful monsters is more of an art than a science.
Source Ultimate Campaign pg. 247
Army (Colossal) (XP 6,400)
N Colossal army of humans (fighter 2)
hp 49; ACR 9
DV 19; OM +9
Special bravery +1
Speed 1; Consumption 4
Army (Gargantuan) (XP 3,200)
N Gargantuan army of humans (fighter 2)
hp 38; ACR 7
DV 17; OM +7
Special bravery +1
Speed 1; Consumption 3
Army (Huge) (XP 1,600)
N Huge army of humans (fighter 2)
hp 27; ACR 5
DV 15; OM +5
Special bravery +1
Speed 1; Consumption 2
Army (Large) (XP 800)
N Large army of humans (fighter 2)
hp 16; ACR 3
DV 13; OM +3
Special bravery +1
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Army (Medium) (XP 400)
N Medium army of humans (fighter 2)
hp 5; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1
Special bravery +1
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Boggard Army (XP 600)
CE Medium army of boggards
hp 9; ACR 2
DV 12; OM +2
Special darkvision, low-light vision, mobility advantage (swamps)
Speed 1 (speed unaffected by swamps); Consumption 1
Centaur Army (XP 800)
N Medium army of centaurs
hp 16; ACR 3
DV 13; OM +3, ranged
Tactics cavalry experts
Special always treated as if they have the mounts resource, darkvision
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Dwarven Defenders (XP 400)
LN Medium army of dwarves (fighter 2)
hp 5; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1
Tactics defensive wall
Special bravery +1, darkvision
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Duergar Army (XP 400)
LE Medium army of duergar (warrior 3)
hp 5; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +2, ranged
Special darkvision, immune to paralysis and poison, light sensitivity
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Note +1 OM due to spell-like abilities
Drow Army (XP 400)
CE Medium army of drow (warrior 3)
hp 3; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +3, ranged
Tactics dirty fighters, false retreat, sniper support, spellbreaker
Special darkvision, light sensitivity, poison, spell resistance
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Note +2 OM due to spell-like abilities
Elite Army Commandos (XP 800)
N Medium army of humans (fighter 4)
hp 16; ACR 3
DV 13; OM +3, ranged
Tactics expert flankers, siegebreaker
Resources healing potions, improved armor, improved weapons, ranged weapons
Special armor training, bravery +1, weapon specialization
Speed 2; Consumption 1 (recruitment cost 20 BP)
Elite Mounted Knights (XP 600)
N Medium army of humans (fighter 3)
hp 11; ACR 2
DV 15; OM +5
Resources improved armor, improved weapons, mounts
Speed 1; Consumption 4 (recruitment cost 9 BP)
Elven Wardens (XP 400)
N Medium army of elves (ranger 2)
hp 5; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1
Tactics sniper support
Special combat style, favored enemy (orc), track
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Ghoul Army (XP 400)
CE Medium army of ghouls
hp 4; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1
Special cannibalize, darkvision, disease, paralysis, undead
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Gnoll Army (XP 400)
CE Medium army of gnolls
hp 4; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1
Special darkvision
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Gnome Stalkers (XP 400)
N Medium army of gnomes (fighter 2)
hp 5; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +2
Tactics taunt
Special bravery +1
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Note +1 OM due to spell-like abilities
Goblin Army (XP 200)
CE Medium army of goblins (warrior 2)
hp 2; ACR 1/2
DV 10; OM +0, ranged
Special darkvision
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Goblin Horde (XP 800)
CE Huge army of goblins (warrior 1)
hp 16; ACR 3
DV 13; OM +3, ranged
Special darkvision
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Half-Orc Berserkers (XP 400)
CN Medium army of half-orcs (barbarian 2)
hp 6; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1
Tactics relentless brutality
Special rage
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Halfling Scouts (XP 400)
LN Medium army of halflings (rogue 2)
hp 4; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1
Tactics withdraw
Special evasion, rogue talent (bleed), sneak attack
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Hobgoblin Army (XP 400)
LE Medium army of hobgoblins (fighter 2)
hp 5; ACR 1
DV 12; OM +2, ranged
Tactics siegebreaker
Resources improved armor, improved weapons, ranged weapons
Special armor training, bravery +1, darkvision
Speed 2; Consumption 2 (recruitment cost 8 BP)
Kobold Army (XP 600)
LE Huge army of kobolds (warrior 1)
hp 11; ACR 2
DV 12; OM +2
Tactics dirty fighters
Special darkvision, light sensitivity
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Lizardfolk Army (XP 400)
N Medium army of lizardfolk
hp 4; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1, ranged
Special amphibious, aquatic, cannibalize
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Militia (Colossal) (XP 3,200)
N Colossal army of humans (warrior 1)
hp 38; ACR 7
DV 17; OM +7
Speed 2; Consumption 3
Militia (Gargantuan) (XP 1,600)
N Gargantuan army of humans (warrior 1)
hp 27; ACR 5
DV 15; OM +5
Speed 2; Consumption 2
Militia (Huge) (XP 800)
N Huge army of humans (warrior 1)
hp 16; ACR 3
DV 13; OM +3
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Militia (Large) (XP 400)
N Large army of humans (warrior 1)
hp 5; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Orc Army (XP 600)
CE Medium army of orcs (fighter 3)
hp 11; ACR 2
DV 13; OM +2, ranged
Resources improved armor
Special armor training, bravery +1, cannibalize, ferocity, light sensitivity
Speed 2; Consumption 2 (recruitment cost 3 BP)
Orc Horde (XP 400)
CE Medium army of orcs (warrior 3)
hp 5; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1, ranged
Special cannibalize, ferocity, light sensitivity
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Skeleton Horde (Colossal) (XP 3,200)
NE Colossal army of human skeletons
hp 31; ACR 7
DV 19; OM +7
Special darkvision, mindless, undead
Speed 2; Consumption 3
Skeleton Horde (Gargantuan) (XP 1,600)
NE Gargantuan army of human skeletons
hp 22; ACR 5
DV 17; OM +5
Special darkvision, mindless, undead
Speed 2; Consumption 2
Skeleton Horde (Huge) (XP 800)
NE Huge army of human skeletons
hp 13; ACR 3
DV 15; OM +3
Special darkvision, mindless, undead
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Skeleton Horde (Large) (XP 400)
NE Large army of human skeletons
hp 4; ACR 1
DV 13; OM +1
Special darkvision, mindless, undead
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Skeleton Horde (Medium) (XP 135)
NE Medium army of human skeletons
hp 1; ACR 1/3
DV 12; OM +0
Special darkvision, mindless, undead
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Svirfneblin Army (XP 400)
N Medium army of svirfneblin (ranger 1)
hp 5; ACR 1
DV 13; OM +2, ranged
Special darkvision, favored enemy (dwarf), low-light vision, spellcasting, spell resistance, track
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Tarrasque (XP 102,400)
N Fine army of one tarrasque
hp 93; ACR 17
DV 27; OM +21, ranged
Tactics defensive wall, relentless brutality, siegebreaker, spellbreaker, withdraw
Special cannibalize; fear; grab; immune to ability damage, bleed, disease, energy drain, fear, paralysis, petrification, and poison; low-light vision; regeneration 40; scent; significant defense; spell resistance
Speed 2; Consumption 8
Note +4 OM due to feats and monster special abilities
Tengu Army (XP 600)
N Medium army of tengus (rogue 3)
hp 9; ACR 2
DV 12; OM +2, ranged
Tactics expert flankers
Special evasion, low-light vision, rogue talent (bleed), sneak attack
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Troglodyte Army (XP 400)
CE Medium army of troglodytes
hp 4; ACR 1
DV 11; OM +1, ranged
Special darkvision, paralysis
Speed 2; Consumption 1
Worg Army (XP 600)
NE Medium army of worgs
hp 11; ACR 2
DV 12; OM +2
Special darkvision, low-light vision, scent, trip
Speed 3; Consumption 1
Yeti Pack (XP 1,200)
N Medium army of yetis
hp 22; ACR 4
DV 14; OM +4
Special burn, climb, darkvision, fear, scent
Speed 2; Consumption 2
Zombie Horde (Colossal) (XP 4,800)
NE Colossal army of human zombies
hp 36; ACR 8
DV 20; OM +8
Special darkvision, mindless, undead
Speed 1; Consumption 4
Zombie Horde (Gargantuan) (XP 2,400)
NE Gargantuan army of human zombies
hp 27; ACR 6
DV 18; OM +6
Special darkvision, mindless, undead
Speed 1; Consumption 3
Zombie Horde (Huge) (XP 1,200)
NE Huge army of human zombies
hp 18; ACR 4
DV 16; OM +4
Special darkvision, mindless, undead
Speed 1; Consumption 2
Zombie Horde (Large) (XP 600)
NE Large army of human zombies
hp 9; ACR 2
DV 14; OM +2
Special darkvision, mindless, undead
Speed 1; Consumption 1
Zombie Horde (Medium) (XP 200)
NE Medium army of human zombies
hp 2; ACR 1/2
DV 12; OM +0
Special darkvision, mindless, undead
Speed 1; Consumption 1