So, the PCs claim a single-hex wilderness domain and build it to 125 families. In order to increase the hex to borderlands, I'm not sure whether they can just increase that single hex or if they have to expand their domain all the way out to the full 16 hexes before such an increase can occur.
The way it's written definitely suggests the latter as the intention, but I wanted to verify with an Autarch (or even just someone knowledgeable on the topic) before my PCs get to that point so I don't force them in a direction due to my lack of understanding.
Or, if this has been answered before, would someone kindly direct me to the thread?
Note that the newer simplified domain rules posted ( http://autarch.co/forums/general-forums/general-discussion/strongholds-and-domains-revised-approach ) have a different and simpler method for this than the core rules. (In the revised rules, a wilderness domain with a total of 1,000 peasant families and 250 urban families upgrades; its size is irrelevant as long as it’s big enough to actually reach that size.)
For the core rules, my reading of ACKS Core page 129 says that a domain must be 16 hexes in size to upgrade. (I am not an Autarch, so I may be wrong, but it does seem like it is explicitly calling out being 16 hexes in size as well as having max population in each of those hexes.)
[quote="Aryxymaraki"]
For the core rules, my reading of ACKS Core page 129 says that a domain must be 16 hexes in size to upgrade. (I am not an Autarch, so I may be wrong, but it does seem like it is explicitly calling out being 16 hexes in size as well as having max population in each of those hexes.)
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That was sort of my take upon reading that section, too. But it seemed just vague enough to make me question whether that was an example using a 16-hex domain or a stricture on requiring a 16-hex domain.
The rules in ACKS do require that you reach 16 hexes before becoming a borderland. I wasn't entirely happy with that, nor am I entirely happy with the alternative found in my new rules.
The problem, so as to speak, is that I combined population density and garrison requirements into one mechanic. In most cases that makes sense. But sometimes you have a situation arise where a domain has no place to go, so it ought to be able to get more densely populated, even if it's still out in the wilderness.
In my campaign, I let the civilising effect of class IV cities apply to any existing domain swhen a city reaches class IV. This let my players set up in the wildnerness then grow up a city in one of their domains until ti wa slarge enough to upgrade them to civilised.
I'm not enitrely happy with how this worked either.
Perhaps ti would help if I had a better understnading of what you were trying to do with the Wilderness - Borderlands - Cilvilsed distinction. If you have a brand new domain in the middle fo nowhere, why must it have a low population density? What process allows it to become more densely populated?
The rules in ACKS do require that you reach 16 hexes before becoming a borderland. I wasn't entirely happy with that, nor am I entirely happy with the alternative found in my new rules.
The problem, so as to speak, is that I combined population density and garrison requirements into one mechanic. In most cases that makes sense. But sometimes you have a situation arise where a domain has no place to go, so it ought to be able to get more densely populated, even if it's still out in the wilderness.
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it seems like, if there's nowhere for a domain to grow, unless it's lots of tiny domains, then somebody is eventually going to grow a city big enough to convert to borderlands.
here's another possible alternate: Imagine a given hex in the center of your prototypical 16 hex domain that, under the old rules, was about to upgrade from wilderness to borderlands. It's surrounded on all sides by at least 3 hexes of inhabited wilderness hexes or better.
So: any inhabited wilderness hex in your domain that is surrounded in all directions by at least 3 inhabited wilderness or better hexes and that is at population cap can upgrade to borderlands.
similarly: any hex surrounded in all directions by 3 hexes of borderlands or better can upgrade to civilized.
Overall though, I would suggest just reserving this rule for the corner case of domains too stacked to expand, and let players carving domains out the untamed wilds use the rules described in the updated domains rules.
Makes sense. In other words, GM-ruling on an as-needed basis. :) That's why we exist, right?
As an addendum, what if the party is trying to keep one or more hexes at a low-population (in this case to maintain an accord with some Treants living in those hexes), but still want to build the rest of their domain up? I'm thinking this would probably fall into that "GM-ruling" grey area as well, and I'll probably just let them build up other hexes as usual and just "cap" the population in the requisite hexes (and likely retain higher garrison and stronghold expenses for those hexes as well, as a result).
It's basically a rule that's just meant to avoid situations where the PCs "game" their domain to avoid paying garrison costs by building up in one hex in the middle of nowhere.
It's basically a rule that's just meant to avoid situations where the PCs "game" their domain to avoid paying garrison costs by building up in one hex in the middle of nowhere.
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*pushes up nerd glasses* garrison costs seem to scale per family, did you mean stronghold costs?
