Editing Kingdoms: Neutrals and Outsiders

[[Kingdoms: Main Page]] -> [[Kingdoms: Neutrals and Outsiders]]

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=The Neutral Player=

As an optional rule, a '''Neutral Player''' can be added to the game. This usually happens when you have one extra person who wants to join the game, for example, if you have the adjudicator, two players on each Kingdom, and one player spare.

=The Goals of the Neutral Player=

The ''Neutral Player'' is essentially uninterested in who wins the ''Game of Succession''... his sole motivation is '''Profit'''. 

By default the ''Neutral Player'' needs to have doubled his starting Glamour at the end of the ''Game''. If he manages this, he can consider himself to have won. If he doesn't he, has lost.

Note that the ''Neutral Player's'' victory conditions are entirely unrelated to the victory conditions of the two ''Kingdoms''. Whether he wins or loses doesn't effect which ''King'' wins the ''Game of Succession''.

To achieve these goals, he needs to establish ''Mercenary Contracts'' to the two ''Kingdoms''. Of course, to do this, he'll need ''Mercenaries'' as well!

=Set Up=
==The Mercenary Dreamform==
Everyone in the ''Neutral Faction'' adheres to the same ''Dreamform''. This ''Dreamform'' needs to be designed by the ''Neutral Player'', and is unrelated to the ''Dreamforms'' of the two ''Kingdoms''.

Note that a ''Neutral Faction Dreamform'' tends to describe a mercenary company rather than a realm or kingdom.

'''Example Dreamform:'''
''The '''Silver Skull Freebooters''' are ocean-going pirates with a mercenary attitude and a ruthless desire to plunder and pillage. They are a loose confederacy of pirate captains, each with their own unique style and modus operandi. Their trappings and personalities suggest that the Dreamform they originate from reflects 15th Century European sea pirates, especially with a Spanish feel.
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==Starting Glamour==
The Mercenary starts with a cache of between ''10 and 20 Glamour''. This is all he possesses though, and if he doesn't work with it, this is all he'll ever possess!

The ''Neutral Player's'' current ''Glamour'' total is kept secret from the two ''Kingdoms'', but is always known to the ''Adjudicator''.

Note that the ''Neutral Player'' decides his starting Glamour, but that the chosen total will also decide the amount he needs for victory.
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=Springtime=

In the Season of ''Springtime'', the ''Neutral Player'' goes through the following steps:
* Create new mercenaries
* Apportion boons.
* Offer contracts.
* Escape attempts.
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==Creating New Mercenaries==

A ''Mercenary Piece'' can be a ''Pawn, Knight, Rook'' or ''Bishop''.

The Neutral Player can make as many Neutral Pieces as he can afford, at the following Price List:

* Pawns - 2 Glamour.
* Knight, Bishop or Rook - 4 Glamour.

The ''Neutral Player'' writes a short paragraph describing the unit he is making (just as he would if he was a King Player building his Court) and then the ''Adjudicator'' assigns descriptors to them.

New ''Mercenaries'' are added to the ''Neutral Player's'' '''Mercenary Pool.'''

Mercenaries can be either ''Seelie'' or ''Unseelie'' in nature, at the ''Neutral Player's'' choice.
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==Apportioning Boons==

The ''Neutral Player'' can then apportion ''Boons'' to any ''Mercenaries'' in his ''Mercenary Pool.'' This works in the same way as a ''King'' apportioning boons. 
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==Offering Contracts==

The ''Neutral Player'' can then '''Offer Contracts'''. There are three ways he can choose to do this:

===Open Auction===
One or more Mercenaries is placed in a Group, along with a "term" defined by the ''Neutral Player''. This term is normally ''"till the end of Winter this year"'', but the Neutral Player can specify a longer or shorter term if he wishes. 

The ''Kings'' then have the opportunity to bid. The ''King'' with priority that year gets the privilege of making the first bid, though he can choose to pass that privilege to the enemy King on any given auction. Each ''King'' must then beat the previous bid, or concede. Once a King concedes, then the last bid wins.

If the ''Neutral Player'' wishes he can specify a minimum bid that he would accept, and bidding cannot start lower than this price.

The King with the last bid must then pay that much ''Glamour'' to the ''Neutral Player''. That King then takes control of the piece for the duration of the term.

Note that King's cannot bid more Glamour than they currently have, though their Dreaming attribute does not limit expenditures in auctions.
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===Secret Auction===
One or more Mercenaries is placed in a Group, along with a "term" defined by the ''Neutral Player''. 

The ''Kings'' then each make a ''Secret Bid'', which they tell to the ''Neutral Player''. The ''Neutral Player'' then decides which bid to accept, and the agreed price in Glamour is transferred from the ''King'' to the ''Neutral Player''.

Importantly, in a ''Secret Auction'', the price remains secret from the non-hiring ''King''.

Note that it is acceptable for the ''Neutral Player'' to go back to a ''King'' and ask him to change his bid (and he may well want to lie, claiming that the other King has outbid him). Also, the Neutral Player does not have to accept any bid at all in a ''Secret Auction''.

Once he accepts and takes the Glamour price, however, the hiring ''King'' then takes control of the piece for the duration of the term.
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===Private Deal===
One or more Mercenaries is placed in a Group, along with a "term" defined by the ''Neutral Player''. 

The ''Neutral Player'' then approaches one King, and negotiates a hire deal.

If a price is agreed the hiring ''King'' then takes control of the piece for the duration of the term.
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==Escape Attempts==

The ''Neutral Player'' rolls for '''Escape Attempts''' for any ''Mercenaries'' that have been ''Captured''.

''Mercenaries'' that escape are returned to the ''Mercenary Pool'', unless they are still under contract, in which case they return to the hiring ''King''.
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=Summer=

In the Season of ''Summer'', the ''Neutral Player'' cannot do anything. However, any ''Mercenaries'' are now under the control of the ''Kingdom'' that hired them, and can be used as normal by that Kingdom.

Note that ''Mercenaries'' are temporarily considered to be members of the ''Shadow Court'' or ''Dominant Court'' of the Kingdom, dependent on their ''Seelie/Unseelie'' nature. This determines whether the Queen-player or the King-player is their controlling player.
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=Autumn=

In the Season of ''Autumn'' the ''Neutral Player'' can negotiate ransoms for any mercenaries that have been captured.

A successfully ransomed ''Mercenary'' is returned to the ''Mercenary Pool'', unless they are still under contract, in which case they return to the hiring ''King''.

Note that even if under contract, the ransom for ''Mercenaries'' is always paid by the ''Neutral Player''.
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=Winter=

In the Season of ''Winter'', the ''Neutral Player'' cannot do anything. However, any ''Mercenaries'' are now under the control of the ''Kingdom'' that hired them, and can be used as normal by that Kingdom.

Note that ''Mercenaries'' are temporarily considered to be members of the ''Shadow Court'' or ''Dominant Court'' of the Kingdom, dependent on their ''Seelie/Unseelie'' nature. This determines whether the Queen-player or the King-player is their controlling player.

Contracts normally end at the end of Winter, and ''Mercenaries'' are returned to the ''Mercenary Pool'' at that time. However, any ''Mercenaries'' that are currently ''captured'' at the time of their contract expiring do not return to the ''Mercenary Pool'', and instead remain imprisoned till they escape or are ransomed.
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[[Category:Kingdoms|Neutrals and Outsiders]]