Sunday, August 19, 2018

The Rules of Governance (Neue Böhnstadt Colony)




The game is turn-based. Each turn represents multiple weeks' time, but nothing is set in stone.

Turn order:
1. Resource management
2. Investment
3. Difficulty
4. Population changes
5. Exploration

1. Characters
Each figure represents a character in the colony's life. Some may die of old age, incidents or battles. The large majority of them will have a fixed abode - one house should fit four to eight or nine people depending on its size and facilities.
Some characters who have spent more time in the colonies may become Proficient at one or two skills, which may be broader aspects of life (such as Good Governance or Exploration), or minor but useful tasks (like Masonry or Carpentry).
A town militia may be maintained by the inhabitants, but don't forget that men sent on fighting duty stay out of the everyday work and have to be provided for.


2. Resource management
During this phase, the colony's income is calculated based on invested labor and infrastructure available at the beginning of the turn. (In a broader sense, this means that each investment starts producing its bonus effect in the next turn after it is completed.)

Three types of resources may be gathered: lumber, food and ore. All remaining resources may be brought over subsequent turns.
Taxes are an income of the colony's treasury. This income may be used to better living conditions or supply materials for major investments. The colony's tax policy is decided by the Governor, so tax income is not available until a Governor's house is built and a representative is elected. Tax is gathered in the homeland currency, Böhnstadt Thalers.

Lumber - includes building materials and firewood. 
Each resident sent on lumberjacking duty gathers 2 units of lumber per turn (can be increased by proficiency to 3). Gathering branches for firewood yields 1 lumber per turn. 

Food - one unit of food maintains a family for one turn. Don't forget to stock up for the winter months. 
Each character sent on agricultural labor will gather 1 Food per turn. Two characters with proficiency may gather 3 per turn together.
Each character sent hunting rolls 1d6: 1-2 no Food increase, 3-4 1 extra Food, 5-6 2 extra Food (the result may be increased by Proficiency either to always yield 1 Food or to increase the last increment to 3).

Ore - may be acquired by trade from the natives or mined if a deposit is found during the Exploration phase. Each character sent on mining duty procures 1 Ore every second turn (or one each turn with proficiency).


3. Investment
During the Investment phase, the town may be expanded by adding new buildings or features. A few characters shall be redirected to do the work, during this time they cannot produce other materials (except if they have a proficiency in construction skills and thus may finish sooner).

Simple log / plank house - 3 Lumber
Houses a large family.

Fancy house - 5 Lumber
House for people with higher status.

Shed - 1 Lumber
A useful storage facility not to be mistaken with an outhouse.

Wheat field - 2 Food
A single wheat field may yield a maximum of 4 Food per turn, after that, a new field must be ploughed and planted.

Vineyard, Orchard - 3 Food 1 Lumber
Another source of food production.
Upgrade to Winery: 5 Food 1 Ore - increases Tax income by 1 Thaler per turn.

Thick fence - 2 Lumber (about 4" in length)
To protect the town borders. Existing fences may be brought down and set up elsewhere free of charge.

Church - 5 Lumber
For the spiritual well-being of the people.

Roads - 2 Food (about 4" length)
A section of good road leading to town increases trade and is a pre-requisite of some buildings. As it would be unfair to require tax income to build roads, the basic cost is the feeding of the workforce and the relocation of human resources.

School - 8 Lumber
To educate the children.

Public Building - 8 Lumber
Such as a revenue office, barracks etc.

Governor's House - 10 Lumber
The number one building in the town. Once a Governor's House is erected, public officials may be chosen.

Smithy - 2 Lumber, 2 Ore
Used to create metal tools and other useful objects. Increases Tax income by 1 Thaler per turn.
Upgrade to Weaponsmith: +4 Ore and 5 Thalers - further increases Tax by 1 Thaler per turn.

Inn - 10 Lumber - requires Roads
Fun for the inhabitants and increases the flow of trade. +1 Thaler per turn.

Marketplace - 6 Lumber 1 Ore - requires Roads
Increases tax income by 1 Thaler per turn.
Upgrade to Regular Market - 10 Lumber 2 Ore - increases tax income by a further Thaler per turn.

Log cabin - 20 Lumber
For added protection. May be built outside of the town.

Ore mine - 10 Lumber
Before starting to extract an ore deposit in the mountains, a mine must be built.

Chicken coop, pigsty - 4 Lumber
Provides 1 food per turn without a character's attendance.

Non-infrastructure spendings
Keeping a house warm during the winter months - 1 lumber per turn
Hiring mercenaries for guard duty or exploration - 1 Thaler per three fighters

Trade
Before a Marketplace is established, the colony may trade with the natives, giving trinkets or firearms for food and ore. Lumber is readily available, so it is not valuable for the natives or the colonists.
In the Marketplace, Food/Lumber exchange is 1/1, Food/Ore is 3/1 and Lumber/Ore is 2/1. One Thaler may be used to purchase a bundle of new tools, firearms, 2 Ore, 4 Lumber or 6 Food, upgrade the militia etc.


4. Difficulty
Roll 1d6 for each turn: 1-2 small difficulty, 3-4 medium difficulty, 5-6 large difficulty. A large difficulty has a diminishing return: if one occurs, another may not occur from the second following turn to the third following turn. If there are large difficulties in two consecutive turns, one may not occur for five turns after the second one.

Roll another d6 and consult the table below:

Small difficulties
1-2 - Threat on the harvest. Birds, locusts or other invasive animals must be kept off the fields. Delegate at least two colonists for the task.
3-4 - Drought. Halve the food income for the current turn. Food gained from hunting is an exception.
5-6 - Military Campaign. The Schultze-Böhnstadt government has military plans for the colony which must be supplied in every way possible, including building shelter and providing food for the troops, sending the militia to aid them, or warn friendly natives of the coming campaign, which results in the ceasing of all trade.

Medium difficulties
1-2 - Storms. No new colonists will arrive and exploration will be impossible for the turn.
3-4 - Hostile Tribes Invade. They set up camp in one of the explored areas and have to be expelled, otherwise they will raid the trade and mining routes.
5-6 - Disease. 2d6 members of the town will not be able to work. In any consecutive turn with this result, roll 1d6 only.

Large difficulties
1-2 - Pirate Raid. Commerce with the home country becomes impossible unless the S-B Navy intervenes. The pirates will attack the town itself as well.
3-4 - A Shed Burns Down. Half of the stored and gathered Lumber or Food is lost. A fire brigade may be able to mitigate the loss and only one quarter would be gone.
5-6 - Internal Strife. Families may become hostile or people would kill each other in a duel.


5. Population changes
In each turn when the colony prospers, 1d6 inhabitants arrive. Prosperity in this case means steady tax income, all threats would be dealt with and there is an adequate reserve of  food and building material.
On the other hand, people may die of old age, illness or combat, and some may migrate to other colonies if hardships are too much for them - use common sense 


6. Exploration
During the exploration phase, expeditions are sent out to find valuable land and materials in the surrounding areas. This is a good way to fill the map with features. An expedition must consist of at least two characters.

Once an area is explored, roll on the Terrain features table and subsequent tables.

Terrain features
1-2 - Plains
3-4 - Woods
5-6 Mountains

Terrain hindrance
Plains and woods:
1-2 None
3-4 Rocky outcrops
5-6 River or stream
Mountains:
1-2 None
3-4 Steep hills
5-6 Impassable hills

Terrain resources
Plains and woods:
1-5 None
6 - Ore (add +1 to the roll if a river flows through the area)
Mountains:
1-4 None
5-6 Ore

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