A swiftly falling empire: campaign rules for swordsmen & skeletons© third edition 2019 dragon trove llc

By jack vogel
Background: The noble North Eastern Empire of Great Velkar has fallen into decay. Armies of monsters and barbarians rage from the borderlands, sacking the Free Cities. A few
noble heroes must take the reins of the empire for themselves, and bring back order and stability, lest it fall to the dark forces of Nifleheim, and to Chaos forever.

WILDERNESS TRAVEL AND ENCOUNTERS: Shires (hexagons) are 50 miles across. PC parties travel 2 Shires per week over plains or sea (ship travel costs 20 GP/ person, per
hexagon, twice that for upper class passage, nothing for working passage) or 1 Shire per week over other terrain. Roll 3-6 on 1d6 each week to meet a random wilderness encounter.
Fortunes of war: Roll 1d20 each time the party leaves a Dungeon (this defines the campaign year, adventure is assumed to be uncommon: 1-9: Place a new Nifleheim Army at a
random Nifleheim Fortress. 10-12: Move each Nifleheim Army 1d6 Shires toward the nearest Velkarian Army or Free City. 13-15: Place a new Velkarian Army at the Free City nearest
a randomly determined Nifleheim Fortress. 16-18: Move each Velkarian Army 1d6 Shires toward the nearest Nifleheim Army or Nifleheim Fortress. 19-20: The War Intensifies; each
time this result is rolled, add 1d4 to the number of Armies either Great Velkar or Nifleheim adds to its forces whenever either side gains Armies from this turn forward. Future rolls of
19-20 are cumulative with prior rolls of 19-20. Also, on this roll, any married Princess Brides (see below) in play are automatically kidnapped, and taken to a random Nifleheim
Fortress. Map Symbols: City and village symbols are Free Cities, and are equal for all purposes. The Roman enumerated Shires with the skull castles are Nifleheim Fortresses; roll 1d6
to determine a random Nifleheim Fortress (from those still in play, reroll a destroyed result), when needed. Allied Armies starting in the same Shire act/move as a group. Dice to
determine a target location if two or more are equally close, or for movement order if it matters. Forces moving from land to sea and back again count as Fleets or Armies depending
on position, hiring ships as needed; this costs nothing extra.
MASS BATTLES (simple resolution): When opposing Armies or a Free City, Keep or Nifleheim Fortress and an opposing Army meet in the same Shire, each side rolls 1d6 per
Army, Free City, Keep or Nifleheim Fortress present. The force rolling more 6s destroys the enemy, without significant harm to itself. If total 6s are equal, roll 1d6 for each Army
present; it is destroyed on a 1-2. Any remaining forces must stay in place and fight again next year. Forces moving into the same Shire will get there before the battle is renewed. If a
battle involves a Free City, Keep or Nifleheim Fortress, and the side aligned with the City or Fortress loses, it is destroyed and is now a dungeon, in which the players can adventure;
all Armies ignore it. PCs can be anywhere on the map to fight a battle, and can fight in successive battles, in the same year but cannot rest to regain hit points or spells between battles.
This assumes hard riding to get from one conflict to another. However, Renown Points (see New Monsters & Monstrous Amulets©) are recovered between battles, they are an intended
exception to this rule, as they represent the stories circulating of the PC’s courage and fierceness in battle, regardless of his present condition.
Mass battles (Heroic stand resolution): If PCs are present at a mass battle, it can be fought as a Heroic Stand, if the majority wishes. Nifleheim forces get one Dark
Captain, rolled up as a single high level (7 th-9th) monster, and one Host (see New Monsters & Monstrous Amulets©) per each Nifleheim Army present, rolled up as low level (1 st -3rd)
monsters (reroll City encounters that are obviously civilian if using New Monsters and Monstrous Amulets©, such as urchins and alchemists). Great Velkar gets the PCs plus a 1d6
roll for a Host of troops for each Velkarian (or Mercenary) Army present: 1=Dwarf Guards F, HD:4, AC:16, Damage:1d8 MV:6; 2=Greenwood Archers HD:3, AC:14, Damage:1d6
Special: Ranged Attacks, MV:12; 3=Mounted Knights F, HD:5, AC:17, Damage:1d10, MV:15, 4=Men At Arms HD:3, AC:17, Damage:1d8, MV:6; 5=War Dogs (as wolves, plus the
F attribute); 6=Peasant Militia HD:1, AC:12, Damage:1d6, MV:12. Heroic Stands are fought as dungeon combats including doubled treasure modified as below:
• Facing and Movement: Hosts in a Heroic Stand can only move or change facing in a turn, not both, unless they are mounted cavalry such as Nomads, or Mounted Knights.
In this case they may move their full movement allowance and change facing freely. No Host can move nor change facing while in melee contact.
• Morale: Hosts check morale as per Swordsmen & Skeletons© and New Monsters & Monstrous Amulets© Dark Captains must check morale or flee if half their total
number (of Dark Captains, not Hosts) is destroyed, or if half hit points are lost by a lone, single Dark Captain. A PC does not check morale, but can flee at his discretion,
taking a single back attack (-4 AC penalty) from each adjacent foe, but escaping if he survives. If all PCs or all Dark Captains flee, their side loses.
Defeat and disgrace: The side losing at the Heroic Stand is destroyed. A fleeing PC must save (+INT) to avoid recognition, otherwise he is disgraced, and is subject to arrest
and execution by all servants of the Crown. He loses all Honors and Influence Points (but see below) received; the next Honor he receives has no effect other than to redeem him. Lost
Honors do not return. Exception: Boon Companions and Monster Sidekicks remain, and new ones can be gained while disgraced, as this is a matter of personal loyalty.
Discovering Honors: There is a 1% chance per level of the toughest monster defeated in any encounter (double for Army combat) of finding a random Honor: A captive the
monsters are preparing to eat. They must return the captive to the Free City nearest a random Nifleheim Fortress. Players decide who gets the Honor, by agreement or duel.
HONORS (1d12): All bonuses for Honors are cumulative. All Honors can be gained multiple times unless specifically stated otherwise.
1 Steel Bank Investor: Can invest any amount of money (once) immediately after a Fortunes of War roll is resolved. If the next mass battle is won, the investment will earn a bonus
1d10 x10%; if lost, the entire investment is lost. The money can be withdrawn before the battle begins, in which case, the investment loses 1d6x10%, but the rest is recovered.
2-3 Powerful Friends: Grants +4d6 Influence Points (IPs). Each IP can be spent once to modify a single Influence Roll; multiple IPs can be spent to modify the same roll, or spent to
modify other PC’s Influence rolls: Influence rolls can modify Imperial actions. Each PC publicly declares what he is trying to accomplish, but tells only the GM how many IPs he will
spend. Roll D20: 15+ grants access to forbidden areas of the palace (adventure; secret knowledge is the goal). 20+ PC changes the target of a moving Velkarian Army or stack of
Armies. 25+ PC orders a non-moving Velkarian Army or stack of Armies to move. 30+ PC rebuilds a destroyed City at no cost. 35+ PC places a new Velkarian Army at no cost. Each
PC can make or influence a maximum of 1(+CHA bonus) Influence rolls after each Fortunes of War roll. IPs are spent, and rolls implemented by the GM, after the Fortunes of War
roll is made, but before army movement and battles are resolved. IPs can be used in the Dungeon if the GM allows. See New Monsters & Monstrous Amulets© for Renown & politics.
4 Princess Bride: PC rescues a relative of the Emperor and is raised two ranks in the nobility. He can also SV, modified by CHA, to marry her; she comes with a dowry, roll 1d6:
1=Seeress-Niece: Starts the game as a wizardress or priestess, equal in level to the PC, and loyal if treated well. She adventures with him, gaining levels when he does.
2-4=Dowager Aunt: Gives the PC 8d6 IPs.
5-6=Younger Daughter: Gives the PC a random Velkarian city, where he rules and can raise troops.
Each character can have only one wife at a time, and, if kidnapped (see above) she must be rescued within the year or her husband is disgraced. Note: This assumes a patriarchal,
medieval society, but a ”Prince Husband” also works.
5-6 Boon Companion: Generate as a Velkarian Host at a Heroic Stand, but he is a single NPC. Add the Tremendous advantage (represents skill and courage, not giant size) once for
each four full levels of the PC. The PC saved his child’s life. He adventures with the PC, rolls no morale checks if treated honorably, and gains a hit die when the PC gains a level.
7 Privy Councilor: A seat on the Emperor’s advisory council grants +16d6 IPs. Future rolls of Privy Councilor count as Powerful Friends, above.
8 Defender of the Faith: The church grants 5 free total levels of priest spells per year at its temples; the PC gets +3 to persuasion rolls with priests and the faithful.
9 Monster Sidekick: Generate a random monster of the PC’s level or lower; it gets the sorcerous advantage (random spells each sunrise). The PC saved its littermate’s life. It converts
to Law and adventures with him. Not quite as brave or loyal as the Boon Companion, the Monster Sidekick checks morale normally, but, if it flees, will always return if it has been
honorably treated. It gains hit dice as a Boon Companion, but no additional spells. Boon Companions and Monster Sidekicks often quibble, but are gruff-yet-loyal friends.
10 Nobility: Raised to the noble rank of page or promoted to the next rank if already a noble. Each time received, he gains +2d6 IPs and +1d8 x 50,000 GP from noble holdings. Ranks
are, from lowest to highest: page, squire, knight, knight banneret, baronet, baron, marquis, viscount, count, earl, duke, prince, archduke, and grand prince (after grand prince rank is
reached, future rolls of Nobility count as Powerful Friends, above).
11 Velkarian General or Admiral (50% chance of each; A PC can be both general and admiral, of different ranks): Generals command Velkarian forces in a land battle, Admirals
command if the battle is at sea, an island, or a coastal City. If fought by Simple Resolution and lost, the commanding General/Admiral (highest rank, if two are tied, resolve by
agreement or duel) can SV modified by Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma (PC’s choice), to reroll the battle result; the second roll is final, even if worse than the first. If a Heroic stand
is fought, Velkarian (not Mercenary) Generals and Admirals present, in addition to any mercenaries they may command, get one free “Companion Guards” host, each for this battle
only. Roll for this as an ordinary Velkarian host, but roll once for each General/Admiral per his rank; he chooses which roll he wishes to take for his single Guards host. Each time this
honor is received, the his rank increases one level: General ranks are: Castellan, Master of Infantry, Master of Cavalry, Master of Both Services, Marshal and Constable. Admiral ranks
are: Rear Admiral Lower half, Rear Admiral Upper Half, Vice Admiral, Admiral, Fleet Admiral and Admiral of the Ocean Sea. Rolls of this honor after the sixth rank level of both
Admiral and General count as rolls of Powerful Friends, above. Mercenary generals command mercenaries only. Note: An inferior general/admiral can disobey the commanding
general’s / admiral’s orders regarding his own guards or mercenaries, but can be court martialed by his commander: SV (+CHA) or disgraced.
12 Priceless Heirloom: A dying man was on a quest for a legendary gem, worth 100,000 + (1d3 x 100,000 GP; if the die roll is 3, add 400,000 GP to the total and roll again; keep
rolling and adding until you do not roll a 3). He tells you where it is (1d6 rooms away; random direction, double monsters) if you swear to use it for the good of the Empire.
RAISING mercenary ARMIES And building keeps Mercenary Hosts cost 100,000 GP, Keeps cost 50,000 GP. These function as ordinary Free Cities and Velkarian Armies,
but the player who raised/built them controls them; they are rolled up before each battle, to see which units are available at the crucial moment of victory or defeat. Keeps can only be
built on an empty Shire that has no intact Keep, City or Nifleheim Fortress within 2 Shires. Armies can only be built on a PC’s own Keep, (or friendly, intact City). He must set aside
the money, remain in the Shire for one full year where the Army or Keep is built, then SV, modified by CHA. If he fails, he gets no Army/Keep, but still loses the money. A Mercenary
Army will move where the player orders it to, at the rate of 1d6 Shires after a Fortunes of War roll is resolved. A PC accompanying his own Mercenary Army or in his own Keep is
General/Admiral over it, though if both Velkarian Armies and Mercenary Armies are present, any Velkarian General/Admiral outranks a Mercenary General/Admiral.
Optional rule: outlaw pcs: A PC who is disgraced can still raise mercenary Armies and build Keeps. Such forces can be ordered to fight both Great Velkar and Nifleheim. If
the noble conquers Great Velkar (defeats any Imperial, not mercenary, forces in the capital city), he gets a sword-point pardon from the Emperor and can start getting honors anew.
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