Downtime & Kingdom Building Rules

For the most part, the rules for Downtime Activities and Kingdom Building are as presented in Ultimate Campaign and Ultimate Rulership (by Legendary Games, see here). However, there are a handful of alterations that uniquely Eberron.

Downtime Rules

The rules for Downtime Activities presented in Ultimate Campaign are the same for Eberron with one important differences. A character that has ties with a Dragonmarked House, either via one of the true dragonmarked feats or the Favored in House feat, has the option to have his Dragonmarked House sponsor any building of rooms or recruiting for organizations, provided that the Dragonmarked House approves the final goal of the building or organization. Doing so means the Dragonmarked House pays for one half of the capital, rounded down, on behalf of the character, but with the requirement that one week out of every month, any sponsored building or organization is earning capital for the Dragonmarked House.

Second, the Dragonmarked Augmentation (see below) can only be purchased by those with ties to a Dragonmarked House and only if the final goal of the building is something that the appropriate Dragonmarked House would approve of.

Kingdom Building Rules

Kingdom building rules for Eberron use the rules presented in Ultimate Rulership and Ultimate Campaign, with the following alterations.

Kingdoms & Regions

Given how large many of the countries in Eberron, almost all of the countries are actually collections of Regions. Each country has a Main Region from which all decisions are made and is ran like a normal kingdom. Secondary Regions are handled like their own kingdom, similar to vassalages, except that secondary regions must share a border with the main region or another secondary region, they cannot be targeted individually for Diplomacy Edicts and only the main region can issue edicts. Expansion, Holiday, Recruitment and Taxation edicts that the main region issues applies to all secondary regions.

For ease of reference, all NPC regions are assumed to have the exact individual same kingdom stats as the primary region to which they owe fealty.

Diplomatic Edict Changes

Given how large the kingdoms of Eberron are, the size modifier a kingdom is calculated differently.

The Special Size Modifier of a kingdom is the square root of the kingdom's Size, rounded down.

In keeping with an easier to read format, the DC for Diplomacy Edicts is calculated the same, but organized differently.

DC = 10 + Your Kingdom's Diplomacy Modifier + Target Kingdom's Diplomacy Modifier + Relationship Modifiers - BP on Gifts / Bribes

Your Kingdom's Diplomacy Modifier = Your Infamy - Your Fame - Your Special Size Modifier

Target Kingdom's Diplomacy Modifier = Target's Alignment Difference Modifier + Target's Attitude Modifier + Target 's Special Size Modifier

Any modifiers from Diplomacy Edicts apply to equally to all regions of a kingdom.

Espionage Edict Changes

By default, when an Espionage Edict (See Ultimate Rulership, pg. 5) is issued against a kingdom with multiple regions, it is resolved against only the main region for the target kingdom. You can, however, target individual secondary regions if desired. The following Espionage Edict options must be applied to all regions of a kingdom equally, which multiplies the BP cost of the option by the number of regions the target kingdom has. Resolving these options uses the the stats for the main region.

• • Foment Unrest

  • Organize Crime Spree

  • Spread Rumor and Scandal

Elemental Trade Routes

Given the rise of elemental ships and increased speed in which people travel in Eberron, there are a couple of alterations to the rules for trade routes provided primarily by elemental vehicles.

Airship Trade Routes

Trade routes using airships require an airship dock at both the source and destination settlements. However, an airship trade route can go through any hex and all hexes count as half for determining the TRL of the trade route or as one quarter if the source settlement has a dragonmarked airship dock. Airship trade routes do not expire normally over time, but if your settlement looses the airship dock or if you do not maintain at least an embassy with House Lyrandar, any benefits of the airship trade route are lost until both prerequisites are met again.

Lightning Rail Trade Routes

Trade routes between two locations that have lightning rail stations and are connected by a lightning rail line (see above). count as one-quarter the distance, rounded down, when determining the Trade Route Length (TRL) or one-eighth the distance, rounded down, if you have a dragonmarked lightning rail station. A lightning rail trade route can count as as all four types of trade routes (food, goods, luxuries and raw materials) or any combination of them simultaneously. In order to establish a lightning rail trade you, you must have an embassy with House Orien and your settlement must have a lightning rail station. Lightning rail trade routes are do not expire normally over time, but if your settlement looses the lightning rail station or if you do not maintain at least an embassy with House Orien, any benefits of the lightning rail trade route are lost until both prerequisites are met again.

Dragonmarked Houses

While not technically countries themselves, the Dragonmarked Houses are powerful enough to maintain diplomatic relationships with countries and act much in the same way as kingdoms do, with the following exceptions.

Size, Hexes and Regions

Dragonmarked Houses do not require and do not suffer from a lack of adjacent hexes, or even adjacent districts, while in Khorvaire. All such territory in Khorvaire counts as a single region. Anywhere else, Dragonmarked House territory must act as vassalages, following the normal kingdom building rules.

Related Buildings

Each Dragonmarked House has a list of buildings that are appropriate to their house, as listed for each house. A Dragonmarked House can construct or upgrade related buildings at 75% the normal BP cost, rounded up. This discount does not apply to any additional costs that might be added to the building, with the exception of the Dragonmarked Augmentation (see New Buildings below). This discount on related buildings applies to all territory that a Dragonmarked House has (in Khorvaire or elsewhere).

Diplomacy Edicts

All Dragonmarked Houses have certain limitations concerning Diplomatic Edicts, listed as follows.

• • Dragonmarked Houses automatically have embassies with each other, but can never improve Diplomatic Edicts with other Dragonmarked Houses.

  • Dragonmarked Houses currently have Balanced treaties with all of the kingdoms of Khorvaire, with the exception of Cyre and Droaam. These treaties can be renegotiated.

  • With the exception of House Deneith, Dragonmarked Houses cannot have alliances with any kingdom of Khorviare.

  • House Deneith currently has Balanced alliances with all of the kingdoms of Khorvaire, with the exception of Cyre and Droaam. These alliances can be renegotiated.

  • With the following exception, all Dragonmarked Houses are currently Indifferent to each other

  • House Cannith (South) vs. House Cannith (West) - Currently Hostile

  • House Lyrandar vs. House Orien - Currently Unfriendly

  • House Phiarlan vs. House Thuranni - Currently Unfriendly

When another kingdom establishes a Diplomatic edict with a Dragonmarked House, the standard benefits for the diplomatic edict are replaced with a number of specific benefits, unique to each Dragonmarked House. Dragonmarked Houses get the standard benefits of such Diplomatic Edicts themselves.

Embassy Edicts: Instead of having the opportunity to purchase a Mansion or a Noble Villa, a kingdom that gets an embassy edict with a Dragonmarked House gets a free building at the beginning of its next Edict phase, specific to that Dragonmarked House, in the kingdom's capital city. If a kingdom has multiple regions, they get the same free building in each region's capital city. The kingdom modifiers of this building apply to both the hosting kingdom or region and the Dragonmarked House, but the settlement modifiers only apply for the hosting kingdom's settlement. The hosting kingdom or region is free to place this building anywhere appropriate within their capital, but once placed, the kingdom or region must make a Loyalty check if they want to move it. This building counts as the embassy for the Dragonmarked House to that kingdom and does not count against the maximum number of new buildings available to the kingdom that turn.

Treaty Edicts: Instead of the standard bonus to Economy, a kingdom that gets a treaty edict with a Dragonmarked House gets a bonus based on if the treaty is balanced or not. The Dragonmarked House still gets the normal bonus its Economy, however. Treaties with Dragonmarked Houses do not count toward the reduction of any Economy bonus for having treaties with multiple kingdoms. Likewise, Dragonmarked houses do not suffer the standard -1 to Economy for each additional treaty beyond the first.

If the Dragonmarked House provides free buildings as part of their Treaty Edict, these buildings are placed at the beginning of the next Edict phase and do not count against the maximum number of new buildings available to the kingdom that turn. The hosting kingdom is free to place these buildings as desired, but once placed, the kingdom or region must make a Loyalty check if they want to move it. If a settlement changes or grows enough to qualify for a benefit from a Dragonmarked House (i.e. growing from a small city to a large city), any benefits of the treaty are applied at the beginning of the next Edict phase. A single settlement can only get the benefit of a particular Treaty Edict once, regardless of any changes to the settlement. Thus a settlement can benefit from treaties with House Cannith West, House Deneith and House Ghallandra simultaneously, but if it already has a free Garrison from House Deneith, it does not get another one regardless of how large the settlement gets.

Alliance Edicts: With the exception of House Deneith, Dragonmarked Houses cannot have alliance edicts. The benefit for an alliance with House Deneith is detailed on their page here.

Diplomatic Benefits and Free Buildings: If a kingdom looses a Diplomatic Edict with a dragonmarked house, or a settlement no longer qualifies for a benefit from a Treaty Edict, any free buildings gained are abandoned and no longer count for either kingdom or settlement modifiers. Any other benefits from the edict are likewise lost. If the Diplomatic Edict is regained, or a settlement qualifies for a benefit from a Treaty Edict again, any free buildings and benefits are restored at the beginning at the next Edict phase. Moving or removing an abandoned building provided by a Dragonmarked House is handling just like a normal building.

Other Edicts

Dragonmarked Houses cannot claim new hexes in Khorvaire without the express permission of the local ruler, usually a steep cost per hex. With the exception of House Deneith, no Dragonmarked House can issue a Recruitment Edict above Normal. If a Dragonmarked House declares open war on any kingdom of Khorvaire, not including other Dragonmarked Houses, all Diplomatic Edicts with all kingdoms of Khorvaire are lost.

Other Countries

Dragonmarked Houses operate freely in Stormreach and through the rest of Xen'Drik, but none currently have a large enough presence to be considered more a single district. Dragonmarked Houses do not operate in Argonessen and their ability to operate in Reidra, Adar and Aerenal is severely limited by local laws. This only leaves isolated islands, forsaken lands and territory that have not been formally claimed, like the Mournland, left to expand into.

The House Tarkanan Exception

House Tarkanan, also known as the Aberrant House, is not considered a dragonmarked house for the purposes of kingdom building. It is treated as a large organization as per the Downtime Rules from Ultimate Campaign and thus cannot give or receive any benefit toward kingdom building. However, all of the other dragonmarked houses consider House Tarkanan their enemy and react appropriately during Diplomatic Edicts if a kingdom has any significant interaction with the Aberrant House.

New Buildings & Rooms

New Terrain Improvements

Listed below are some types of terrain improvements that distinctly Eberron.

Lightning Rail Line

Kingdom Building Rules:

Terrain: Any land

Cost: 16 times the cost of the road BP for the terrain type

Kingdom Modifiers: Economy +1 for every 2 hexes of Lightning Rail; Stability +1 for every 4 hexes of Lightning Rail

Population: 50

Special: Land movement on a lightning rail is always based on a movement rate of 150'. Travel can be continued indefinitely without any effects of fatigue, exhaustion or forced march. Lightning Rail Lines are required for Lightning Rail trade routes. Only House Orien and kingdoms that have embassies with House Orien can build lightning rail lines. Lightning rail lines must begin at a settlement that has a lightning rail station.

The signature method of long-distance transportation of House Orien.

Kingdom Template

Listed below is the template for the kingdoms and dragonmarked houses listed on the site.

Related Buildings

Any buildings that receive a discount appropriate to a specific Dragonmarked House are listed here.

Embassy Benefit

If your kingdom has an embassy with a Dragonmarked House, your kingdom gains a specific benefit, based on the specific Dragonmarked House.

Treaty Benefit

If your kingdom has a treaty with a Dragonmarked House, your kingdom gains a benefit, based on if the treaty is balanced or unbalanced and on the specific

dragonmarked house.

Alliance Benefit

With the exception of House Deneith, Dragonmarked Houses cannot have alliances. The benefits of an alliance with House Deneith are detailed on their page.