KR Allegiance System

Hey Everyone!

We are very excited to announce that we are instituting a new system within the game of Knight Realms known as the “Allegiance System”. Below are the rules to this system and starting the weekend portion of the week in the life event we will be running the system and working out any kinks. Each month for the next few months it is possible tweaks will be made and summarily announced. For the next two events, the system will not require the presence of a banner and the standard bearers presence will be enough, however physical banners will be required three events from now. Enjoy and post questions below.

---

KR Allegiance System
In Knight Realms you are given the chance to pledge your characters allegiance to either a land or household. Lands are noble territory ruled by lords or ladies and households are large families or influential political factions who can choose to align with a land or stand-alone.

Swapping Allegiances
Changing your characters allegiance from one land or household to another is seen both in and out of game as a regular and acceptable practice. If you are not having a good of a time in one land as you feel you would in another you should not hesitate to change your allegiance and try out something different. This encourages the leaders to treat their vassals with respect and be mindful of their complacency or lack there of. Nobles however cannot change allegiances away from the lands that they are connected to, without first renouncing their status or by being shifted in assignment by the Count.

Lands
Lands are comprised of the provinces of Travance only. Lands receive two benefits. First is a Banner Benefit, its strength determined by the number of attendees for a given month who have sworn allegiance to the land. The Banner Benefit extends to all members of the land. The second benefit is a land card benefit. Each month the lord/lady of a land is given a certain number of these cards also based on the number of attendees for a given month for that land. These cards hold boons that the lord/lady may given them out as they deem fit. A land may only statistically benefit from the allegiance of one household per event.

Households
Households are groups or families that are large in numbers and represent either a political power or force of power in Travance. A minimum of ten players are needed to maintain a household and you must be certain of at least ten players attendance before adding the household to the allegiance chart. Past examples of Households would be Winterdark, The Darkhearts, The Yatzi’s, The Tellinghasts and The Arcanions. Households only gain banner benefits and do so using the same benefits chart as the lands. The creator/leader of a household may choose one of two actions each month. They may choose to “Fortify” their Household, thus bringing them up to the rank above their actual numbers, or they may “Align” their household with a land, lending their banner benefit to another land to stack upon the lands already existing banner benefit. A household may be aligned with only one land at a time, but may switch allegiances monthly.

Banner Benefits
Banner Benefits are based on the total number of attendees at a particular event. These benefits can be bestowed upon their people once per period as a latent buff. The benefits are gained upon invoking and last only till the end of the battle in which any unused benefits are lost.

Using Banners
To use a banner you must rally your people to one spot and the chosen standard bearer must invoke the banner benefits after giving a brief speech inspiring the people. The standard bearer is in charge of calculating the correct buff that everyone will receive, which includes knowing the current rank and in the case of a household if it is fortified or not and in the case of a land if it has the allegiance of a specific household or not. The standard bearer is in charge of writing the buff down on everyone’s cards as a latent, invokable buff which will expire at the end of a period if not used. Those in attendance but not present may still gain the benefits of the banner if they hunt down the standard bearer and ask them to add the buff to their card. In return for the responsibility the standard bearer holds, she will always earn twice the number of BP from the buff.

Determining Current Rank
At the beginning of each event, when signing in there will be an Allegiance sign-up sheet attached to a clipboard in Logistics. On the sign-up sheet will be a list of current Allegiances, and any single character number may be written upon the list under the correct heading. Any lords/leaders intending to use their allegiance benefits for the weekend must reference this list before being able to determine what rank they are at for that weekend. If you have multiple characters they may all sign up under different headings since they all have different character numbers. It is the responsibility of each player to sign their characters up on the list so that the land/household is given credit for their attendance. Because some players may sign in Saturday, it is possible that a land or households rank will change between Friday and Saturday.

Ranking Chart for Banner Benefits
Rank 1 / 10 – 25 / +5 BP, +5 CP, Courage x1
Rank 2 / 26 – 50 / +10 BP, +10 CP, Courage x2
Rank 3 / 51 – 75 / +20 BP, +20 CP, Courage x3
Rank 4 / 76+ / +30 BP, +30 CP, Willpower x1
If all lands have a min of 26 attendees add Dodge x1 to all lands and households
If all lands have a min of 51 attendees add Resist x1 to all lands and households

Land Cards
Land cards are dated cards that give a benefit to the person it is handed to. Lords or rulers of a land are given the cards in the beginning of an event, and they may choose who, when and how to distribute the cards. They receive 5 random cards for each rank they are declared at after lay-on. A single character may only benefit from one land card per weekend. These cards if not used do not carry over to future events.
“Well Fed” (Recipient gains +15 BP healable, all event)
“Well Armed” (Instant arms or armor repair card, 1 shot instantly replace any broken weapon, shield, or repair all AP, can be used during combat)
“Well Rested” (Recipient gains +5 Career Points refreshable, all event)
“Well Connected” (Train in any lower list skill by turning this card in to a marshal)
“Well Stocked” (This card replaces all commodity cards for one person for one event)


=========

Land Tasks
These tasks are given to those who rule lands. They may actively seek to have their vassals complete the tasks, or may assign another to do so. Each task is worth a certain number of influence points that compile and can be cashed in for certain favors from the Count. These tasks may only be completed for credit once per event. The lands rulers or appointed individuals will fill out this sheet and hand it in at the end of the event to the Director.

Land Name: ________________________________ Month: ______________________

List of Land Tasks
Value Task
Low Level Tasks
2 Send your 10th level and below vassals along with at least two new non aligned players to the new player zone when its active.
2 Send your 10th level and below vassals along with another lands 10th level and below vassals and have them work as a team in the new player zone.
2 Send your 10th level and below vassals to learn the weekend plot in as much detail as possible and report back to you.
1 Provide at least one full set of commodity cards to a vassal below 10th level.
1 Personally introduce your new vassals to the Count and or the Baron.

Social Tasks
1 Have one of your vassals train a non aligned new player in any skill or skills.
2 Strengthen an alliance and organize a gathering between your land and another.
2 Hold a meeting with your vassals to address any concerns they may have.
1 Give one of your vassals a sealed letter to deliver to another noble or person of note.
1 Present earned honors or commendations of any kind to at least two of your vassals. This may be in the form of a medal, pin, signed scroll or similar display item of favor.
2 Host a gathering or event for the game: Tournament or contest of some sort, luncheon, hunt

Land Pride Tasks
2 Send your vassals to fight together as a unit on Main Mod under your banner
2 For the previous event have won the Best Decorated Cabin award with help from your vassals
1 Fly the colors of your land on all buildings in your land and on the borders of your lands area
1 Have a battle standard planted in the ground near your statehouse
2 Have every one of your vassals be identifiable by your colors or sigil worn on them at all times

Service Tasks
1 Send some of your vassals on a scouting mission to patrol all the roads of Travance.
1 Send a vassal with Dissect out to return with an essence found out in the camp.
2 Have two or more of your vassals set up at least 2 separate shops at marketfaire
1 Have one or more of your vassals perform entertainment, serve, set up or clean up at Feast
2 Have one of your vassals write up a synopsis of the weekends plot or write an article for the travance chronicle.
1 Have one of your vassals hold a combat training class open to the public.
2 Collect at least 1 silver from every vassal as a token of commitment. Deposit this money into the bank of Travance, a minimum of 1 coin/gem of any denomination per vassal in attendance.
2 Have one of your vassals operate a forge in your lands to repair armor and weapons
1 Have one of your vassals cook feast for the Baronial Feast

Misc. Tasks
2 Locate a key to the inverted tower and explore as a group.
1 Have in attendance a vassal in each of the guilds: Adventurer's, Merchants, Mage's, Rogue's
1 Have in attendance at least one of each of the following: Scholar, Physician, Alchemist, Smith.
2 Find a person who has never had a magic item before and equip them with one.
2 Have your vassals find five fragments out in the woods and re-forge them into an item


Influence Point Chart
The following items may be purchased with Influence points. You may purchase multiple favors each month, but you may only purchase one instance of each favor per month.

25 Points Have a specific higher list teacher come to your lands to teach your vassals only. (1)
25 Points The Count has a special mission for your vassals and sends your vassals on an adventure (2)
10 Points Raise your land one spot up on the hierarchy (3)
100 Points Allow your land to move from having 2 knights to 3 knights (4)
15 Points Receive double the number of land cards this month (5)
10 Points One vassal of your choice is honored by the Barony at the Baronial Feast (6)
25 Points One vassal of your choice is given a private thirty minute meeting with the Count or Baron (7)
25 Points One Item with 20 Build worth of lower list skills in it (8)
50 Points One Item with 30 Build worth of lower list skills in it (9)
100 Points One Item with 50 Build worth of lower list skills in it (10)


Land Name: ______________________ Month: _____________

Purchases Being Made:

Number / Cost
________ / _________
________ / _________
________ / _________
________ / _________
________ / _________

Pre-emptive Questions and Answers for the Allegiance System

Q: Do I have to declare an allegiance?
A: No. You may declare un-aligned, in which case you really do not declare at all; simply do nothing. If a land or household has persuaded you to join them, then declare your allegiance with them by adding your character card number to the Allegiance sheet in logistics, so that the land or household benefits.

Q: How do guilds or the church factor in?
A: Guilds and the church do not factor into this system. Guild members of any guild, or religious characters can declare their allegiance to a land or household, and this does not prevent them from serving a guild or their god.

Q: How does the Barony factor in?
A: The five provinces make up the Barony, and therefore “Baronial” positions, such as the Barons knights and the barons small council, guardsmen etc, nobles included… all may declare their specific allegiances to any of the baronies provinces. Because the barony wishes to see all of its provinces flourish, a common tactic of the barony would be waiting to see if one of the lands in particular needed the baronies support, and then asking their officials to back a specific land for the moon to aid them.

Q: What are the benefits and detriments of Households as apposed to Lands?
A: Benefits of a household are first and foremost the freedom of Identity. It allows you to start your own thing as apposed to joining the establishment. Households also have the flexibility of being able to align with any land or choosing to fortify their household’s position. Households however can rise and fall in just months due to attendance and are not as guaranteed as the Lands are. Ten friends can get together and join the game already being a household but if only nine of them return the following month their household has no power within the system and cannot be added to the Allegiance sign up. Lands have a permanent presence, the backing of noble power and have the benefit of added features such as “Land Cards”, “Land Tasks” and the “Influence Chart”.

Q: What about the Land System?
A: The land system may exist independently of this system. The both of them should have the ability to work side by side, both focusing on different aspects of the game world and executed in a much different fashion.

Just for clarification, in this system Allegience is not necessarily synonymous with Vassal, or is it? I am just thinking that while swapping Allegience is being presented as something that can change frequently without it being scandalous, at the same time if someone agreed to take on some important position / duty in a land (General, Captain of the Guard, Minister or whatever kinds of things there are) you wouldn't normally expect that person to change Allegience rapidly?

Just trying to get a feel for the "culture

Here is the reason that it is important for us to express it as acceptable to switch lands/households
This system will encourage lands and households to take in new members for thier lands/households to grow in power. As an example, Bill Smith new player enters town and is immediately approached by a representative of a land encouraging them to join. In a whirlwind of passion the new player gets swept up into the land. A month or two passes and Bill Smith suddenly realizes that the land he just joined isn't that great for him and this other land over here is exactly what he needs to have fun at KR. We absolutely cannot put that new player in a position where he is going to be hated on because of the switch that will allow him to enjoy the game better, and so by adding this part into the system we let new players know that they can safely try out a land without feeling trapped if they find they will fit in better elsewhere. That is why it is important to allow changing your Allegiance to be acceptable both in and out of game. If you are a Knight of a land, thats a different story, but by then you know full well what you are getting into.

Now that may have not fully answered your specific question, but hopefully that allows you to understand more of what is going on here. To answer your specific question, Allegiance is most of the time synonymous with vassal, but not all of the time. For instance if a Knight of the Barony is lending thier Allegiance to a land to help them out, that does not then make them a vassal to that land. Going further in what you asked, a title given by a land is still not a noble position. Each of the lands have thier own titles made up for RP flavor, so just because one of the lands lure you in by saying that you are going to be the "captain of thier guard", dosnt mean that that player should then feel trapped in that land. If they find they would have more fun somewhere else then they should move and not be in fear for thier life and once more the reason that this is more important now then before is because this system will cause lands and households to aggressively recruit.

No. Influence points are for Lands only, they are a tool by the game to help lords give thier vassals things to do while being able to earn points and purchase things for thier lands that reward thier vassals or make their lands better.

- Yes the hierarchy of which lord is in charge in the event the count and the baron is not around. I will update the list monthly and have it in the Barons Manor.

- Multiple people I spoke to felt the land cards where balanced. However of course that dosnt mean they are. Like I said we will very likely make changes each month for the next six month until we feel it is as good as it can be. Feel free to e-mail me suggestions on the land cards.

For that matter ill go ahead and segway that one into the idea that I am in fact open to people sending in ideas to tweak, improve or build on the system. Keep in mind I might only truly like one out of ten suggestions brought to me, but hey thats how you get to good ideas.

- I don't know if it was documented somewhere, but Its two knights now and three if the favor is purchased.

Thanks for pointing that out! I will go edit that document right now to reflect the correct numbers
EDIT: I just removed the references to knights and lords... it said a count can have 10 lords and 30 knights... I think some of the info in that document was from 15 years ago and written from a historical standpoint or something...

While I appreciate the effort, I prefer suggestions please be sent to me through e-mail and not on these boards, as its not my intention to "hash out" details back and forth on this thread. I consider the system complete, but pending edits over the next few months. If anyone has interests in helping lend suggestions for alterations send me e-mails, or PMs, also perhaps watch the system for for a month or two to see it in action.

Ive removed the above post because I do not want this to set a precedent for this thread, but it seemed a decent suggestion and rest assured I will take all suggestions into consideration.

Please keep this thread for questions not suggestions.

I will have the sign-up during the week in the life, but all aspects of the system will not go live until the weekend portion of the week in the life.

No. I will explain why. I did not want this system to force PCs who choose a profession or religion to have to join something specific thus immediately disqualifying them from choosing a land or household.

- At the beginning of an event the leader of a household will go to the Alliance Sheet and write thier households name on the top. On the blank line underneath where they write the name they will write either the name of a land or the word "Fortified". You cannot add your households name to the list unless you are positive that ten of your members are going to attend the event and sign up. Know ahead of time before the event if you will make the minimum number for the event.

- Breaking an alliance is not an action. Declaring an alliance or fortifying the household are the only actions and you do so at the beginning of an event.

- Anytime you add a household to the list and have ten names underneath you qualify for creating a household.

Assuming that thier was a 10+ member household for both, then yes, a single character can only align with a single land or active household during an event. Basically your character has only one character card number, so decide which single heading you want to write that number under.

- You ally with either a household or a land. If you are allied with a household you likely trust the decisions of your households leader, otherwise the household won't hold onto its members long. At the moment you can change allegiances mid-event without restriction simply by crossing your number off the list and writing it again under the correct listing, but if it seems to become a problem over the first few months, I will consider changing that.

- If you have multiple characters and are paying for and planning to play them both at least a little bit,, you can write down an allegiance for both characters under the same land or household. So yes you get to give credit to the same land twice if you are paying for two characters.

- No. If a household is aligned with a land, than that land will gain the benefit of that household stacked upon the lands benefit. So if both the land and the household rank 1 which is +5,+5... than that land then becomes +10,+10, and the household stays +5,+5. The household is choosing to lend its strength to a land instead of increasing its own strength. Anyone can benefit from land cards, but only the lords of lands receive them to give out.

Soooo a rank 1 household chooses to "fortify" allowing them to have the strength of a rank two, giving them +10, +10... or they choose to align with a land instead strengthening the land by thier +5,+5. Why would a household choose to align instead of make themselves stronger? RP reasons, opportunity, good favor from nobles, noble backing, the natural benefit from having strong allies, political positioning, etc...

- The household must declare thier alliance with a land each month.

It refers to those who have not yet declared thier allegiance to a land or household.

As for the land tasks, they are not written to be loophole free, thus we are depending heavily on the lords/knights not abusing the spirit of the task. The spirit of the tasks is to improve the atmosphere, give players a little something extra to do and create fun and involvement. So yes if you look at some of the tasks you can think of clever ways to say that you completed them without actually doing any of the above. People who would do that are not the kind of people we should have put in place as lords and knights. As such I don't intend to close loopholes with wording on the tasks but rather trust that the people in charge of recording the completion of these tasks will do so with honesty and with the best intentions of the game in mind.