Initial Orders

Starting points.

Winter is both the end of one campaign year and the beginning of the new one. Excalibur starts in the Winter ending 509 and beginning 510AD. Some Realms are very seriously short of cash, and for that reason, we are assuming that for the year ending in this Winter Rulers have met all their expenses for the previous year and not as yet collected any tax for the coming year. They have paid their soldiers and rewarded their followers appropriately. Since this is always done in arrears, they have no more worries until the next Winter. If you wish, you may pay your soldiers a Donative, or give your Household troops additional gifts, but there is no absolute requirement to do either.

Make Appointments

Players will need to appoint people from their family or households to fulfill certain roles, see Appointments. Once they are in place, the Office holders will be responsible for particular tasks, rather than the ruler himself. If any posts are left unfilled, the Gamemaster will assign retainers to them.

Set Tax.

It is assumed that there were no major hostilities during 509AD, so you may therefore collect a tax from some or each of your Counties, if you so wish. To set an Ordinary tax, set a rate per Hundred, upto the Prosperity rating of the County in question. There are no bonuses for setting a rate lower than the Prosperity Level. See Tax. Different rates may be set for different Counties. As this is the expected way of things it will not cause any problems for the Ruler. Yes, the good people of Cheshire will hate the men of Flint even more than they do already but so... If a tax rate is not set, it will be assumed that no tax is to be collected for 510.

Set Military Policy.

Players need to adopt a Military Policy from the list on the Military Options Page. You may set a policy and simply let it run, or you may assign an amount of money to support the policy. This would generally be in the form of hiring experts, or craftsmen in the indicated area and giving appropriate gifts to important supporters. The policy will have an effect on the values indicated in the Policy table by the end of the year. These effects will be increased proportionately if the policy is supported. If no policy is chosen, it will be assumed that no particular policy is being followed.

Set Economic Policy.

Players need to choose an Economic Policy from the Economic Options Page. You may set a policy and simply let it run, or you may assign an amount of money to support the policy. This would generally be in the form of patronising craftsmen in the indicated area and by framing appropriate laws and supporting the policy whilst dispensing justice. A Social Trend will be running in the background and the chosen policy will interact with it to have an effect on the values indicated in the Policy table by the end of the year. These effects will be increased proportionately if the policy is supported. If no policy is chosen, it will be assumed that no particular policy is being followed.

Engage in Diplomacy.

Players may, indeed many have already, indulge in diplomacy with other players. All it needs to make a diplomatic agreement Formal is for both players involved to send a copy of the agreement to the GM. For one to forward a mail he has received, will not be sufficient. I need to receive an independent copy from each player. You also need to let me know whether the agreement is to be made public, or kept in private. For various reasons, where one player swears Fielty to another, this must be made public. From time to time, I will be publishing copies of the Anglo-Celtic Chronicle as a means of keeping you abreast of the times. Any player may contribute to the Chronicle and I will generally publish what you write. However, I vouchsafe the voracity only of what I write, not what others contribute.

You may now approach the non-player characters too via the Gamemaster.

Order or Lead Raid.

Players announce whether they intend to lead a raid or instruct one of their retainers to lead a raid. If they do initiate a raid they must state how many of their household will take part and who will lead the foray. They must state whether this is to be a Public (the target is announced and volunteers are called for to join the household on the raid) or Private raid, (the target is initially kept secret and only the household may take part). They must also state the target county, the specific location, if any and the aim of the raid. Raids can be for Cattle, Slaves, Ransom, General Plunder, or Destruction. Raiding in Winter carries an increased Attrition rate, and is likely to attract less general support than in warmer seasons.

Players may also issue general instructions to their counties to mount minor raids against a particular adjacent county or not to raid.

Make War.

During 510AD players may not make war. Diplomacy is allowed, raiding is allowed, but no player may make war on another. This is to give the campaign some life before it all dissolves into general warfare. This way, there may well be some context for the wars that develop in 511AD and thereafter. Don't worry, this moratorium will only last the year. In the next campaign year you may certainly let slip the dogs of war !

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