How do you tell which provinces have castles? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

How do you tell which provinces have castles?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Feb 12, 2006 17:16:08 I've been looking through the Birthright rulebooks to figure out which provinces for each country have castles but have been unable to find anything definitive.

On page 36 of 'Rulebook' for the BRCS it uses Medoere as a sample domain and shows that the province of Alamier is guarded by a castle and states that is a castle(4). The map on this page also has a symbol in the province to show that there is a castle. However, in 'Ruins of Empire' there is nothing in Medoere's description(p.15) or any of the other countries' descriptions to show that any of the countries have castles. I was unable to find any castle symbols on the main map or on the map portions of 'Ruins of Empire.'

Can anyone clear this up?

thanks,
Jamie
#2
ozbirthrightfan
Feb 12, 2006 17:26:56 Some of the "Player's Guide to XXXXXXX" (eg. Roesone, Endier, etc.) described castles in some of the Domains.

I think this detail is largely left up to the DM to decide. Most of the Domains would have at least one castle in their capital, with others at key strategic points.

If there is a strategic or historic reason for a castle to exist and the regent in question has enough resources, just assume that there is a castle... make it up!
#3
green_knight
Feb 14, 2006 11:24:38 Certain products (like Cities of the Sun) have small square symbols in those province that have castles. Earlier products, like the BR boxed set, did not. In addition, there are referrences to castles in some of the Player's Secrets books and the region books as well.

Overall, it is a mess
#4
ltlconf
Mar 10, 2006 17:51:35 Hello Folks,

Been gone a long time, but found this question interesting. Here's my take: As "Birthright" is a fairly realistic (is that a contradiction?) setting for D&D, relatively speaking, I would figure that every province would have a castle or stronghold (depending on the culture present). Many would have one large and fairly old castle that is the ancestorial seat of power (many castles were real messes of styles added atop of each other over centuries). Scattered about would be smaller castles and fortified manors of retainers and knights (not to mention various religious intstitutions) that have sworn fealty to the Provincial Ruler (Blooded of course). The size and condition of these structures would depend on the priorities, wealth or age of the castle and it's lord (and/or various combinations of all these factors). Of course there will be scattered about ruins of earlier structures whose inhabitants were unluckly or just died out (most noble lines last less than two centuries as male heirs cease to be born. No one can really explain why this happens, but it does. The phenomena of today's special forces and Marine types having a 20% greater number of daughters has been noted (and mentioned in the new series "The Unit") and likely a similar thing happened to noble families in the Middle Ages who's primary profession was arms and war).
Are there mechanics for all this? No and I personally think that the DM should control this. Any strategic site will have some fortification, every landlord of some means a fortified manor (no matter if noble or not), and any noble will have the biggest and best designed castle he (or she) can afford (even if it means going into debt). Every lord will add on and rebuild every chance he gets and as new techniques appear. Well. There it is.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Feb 12, 2006 17:16:08	I've been looking through the Birthright rulebooks to figure out which provinces for each country have castles but have been unable to find anything definitive. On page 36 of 'Rulebook' for the BRCS it uses Medoere as a sample domain and shows that the province of Alamier is guarded by a castle and states that is a castle(4). The map on this page also has a symbol in the province to show that there is a castle. However, in 'Ruins of Empire' there is nothing in Medoere's description(p.15) or any of the other countries' descriptions to show that any of the countries have castles. I was unable to find any castle symbols on the main map or on the map portions of 'Ruins of Empire.' Can anyone clear this up? thanks, Jamie
#2 ozbirthrightfan Feb 12, 2006 17:26:56	Some of the "Player's Guide to XXXXXXX" (eg. Roesone, Endier, etc.) described castles in some of the Domains. I think this detail is largely left up to the DM to decide. Most of the Domains would have at least one castle in their capital, with others at key strategic points. If there is a strategic or historic reason for a castle to exist and the regent in question has enough resources, just assume that there is a castle... make it up!
#3 green_knight Feb 14, 2006 11:24:38	Certain products (like Cities of the Sun) have small square symbols in those province that have castles. Earlier products, like the BR boxed set, did not. In addition, there are referrences to castles in some of the Player's Secrets books and the region books as well. Overall, it is a mess
#4 ltlconf Mar 10, 2006 17:51:35	Hello Folks, Been gone a long time, but found this question interesting. Here's my take: As "Birthright" is a fairly realistic (is that a contradiction?) setting for D&D, relatively speaking, I would figure that every province would have a castle or stronghold (depending on the culture present). Many would have one large and fairly old castle that is the ancestorial seat of power (many castles were real messes of styles added atop of each other over centuries). Scattered about would be smaller castles and fortified manors of retainers and knights (not to mention various religious intstitutions) that have sworn fealty to the Provincial Ruler (Blooded of course). The size and condition of these structures would depend on the priorities, wealth or age of the castle and it's lord (and/or various combinations of all these factors). Of course there will be scattered about ruins of earlier structures whose inhabitants were unluckly or just died out (most noble lines last less than two centuries as male heirs cease to be born. No one can really explain why this happens, but it does. The phenomena of today's special forces and Marine types having a 20% greater number of daughters has been noted (and mentioned in the new series "The Unit") and likely a similar thing happened to noble families in the Middle Ages who's primary profession was arms and war). Are there mechanics for all this? No and I personally think that the DM should control this. Any strategic site will have some fortification, every landlord of some means a fortified manor (no matter if noble or not), and any noble will have the biggest and best designed castle he (or she) can afford (even if it means going into debt). Every lord will add on and rebuild every chance he gets and as new techniques appear. Well. There it is.