So far we have 15 players and a lot of interest. Check below for the rules.
1000 changes Improving Fourth Age Version 2 Updated 22/11/04
Over the years we have had a lot of suggestions for changes and amendments
to the rules for SNAs and set-ups for 1000. In particular Agents are
perceived to be a bigger part of the game than most (not all) players would
like and a large number of the players are not particularly a big fan of
being on the receiving end of the Agents with +20% Kidnap/Assassinate, with
Agents @40 or Double Scout.
We originally modified the game so that there were a few different set-ups
available; Normal, where one nation per allegiance is allowed to have the
+20% Kidnap/Assassinate ability (now no Neutral nation is allowed it); NKA -
No Kidnap or Assassination allowed at all; Variants (determined by a group
of players joining together and getting 25 players) and by far the most
popular LAS - Limited Assassination - no Double Scout, Stealth Bonus nor
Kidnap/Assassinate SNAs allowed.
Unfortunately 1000 games are the slowest to fill of all the modules
available; the last took over 4 months to fill. The following suggestions
are what I hope would help to fix both problems; by limiting the set-up to
ONE type (Variants would always be available of course) to Standard 1000 so
that all players would join this format and to correct some of the SNAs
costs as shown below. This should bring back some of the original design
concepts of getting nations of varied abilities more to the fore rather than
what seems to be occurring that players choose a pretty much standard
template for each type of nation.
SPECIAL NATION ABILITIES LIST: (The abilities listed below are NOT
considered cumulative)
Hidden Population Centre (#1-4) Old Cost: 10,000 gold; New cost: 6,000 Gold
Artefacts Old Cost: 4,000 gold each; New cost: 3,000 Gold
Armies - now cost � cost so you can buy twice as much starting troops if you
want.
Old Cost/ New Cost # Description
7000/9000 1 Scout/recon at double normal skill rank.
3000/4000 2 Scout/recon at +20 to normal skill rank.
4000/3000 3 Scout/recon at minimum 50 (all characters) - Dwarves only.
2000/Same 4 Challenge rank bonus (a character special ability) more likely
for new
characters.
7000/8000 5 Stealth rank bonus (a character special ability) more likely for
new
characters.
2000/1000 6 Armies lose no morale for force march.
2000/1000 7 Armies w/o food gain 1-2 morale while stationary, lose 1-2 moral
while
traveling; troops lose 1-2 moral while force marching, lose 2-5 morale
while force marching w/o food.
6000/8000 8 Buy/sell orders receive 20% market adjustment.
6000/7000 9 New emissaries start at rank up to 40 (Order #734).
4000/Same 10 New mages start at rank up to 40 (Order #737).
6000/8000 11 New agents start at rank up to 40 (Order #731).
3000/Same 12 New commanders start at rank up to 40 (Order #728).
2000/1000 13 All new troop recruits start at training 20.
3000/1000 14 All new troop recruits start at training 25 - Elves only.
2000/1000 15 All new HI recruits start at training 30 - Dwarves only.
1000/100 16 All new MA recruits start at training 25.
2000/1000 17 Build ships at 1/2 timber cost.
2000/Same 18 Build ships at 1/3 timber cost - Elves only.
4000/3000 19 Build fortifications at 1/2 timber cost.
3000/2000 20 New armies start at morale 40.
7000/8000 21 New armies hired at no cost.
2000/100 22 Uncover secrets at minimum 40 (all characters).
4000/Same 23 Can learn lost "weakness" spell.
4000/8000 24 Can learn lost "conjure mounts" spell.
4000/2000 25 Can learn lost "conjure food" spell.
4000/3000 26 Can learn lost "conjure hordes" spell - Dark Servants only.
3000/100 27 Can learn lost "fearful hearts" spell - Dark Servants only.
3000/100 28 Can learn lost "fanaticism" spell - Dark Servants only.
4000/2000 29 Can learn lost "summon storms" spell - Dark Servants only.
6000/4000 30 Can learn lost "teleport" spell.
12000/20000 31 Kidnappings/assassinations at +20. - Only available for
non-Neutrals
3000/100 32 Navies can travel open seas w/o fear of storms or becoming lost.
2000/1000 33 Navy warship strength at 4.
3000/2000 34 Navy warship strength at 5.
CHARACTERS Old Rules cost for each Skill Rank listed below:
60 1500 Dwarvish races can create 60 rank Commanders at the 50 rank cost.
50 1000 Non-human races can create 60 rank Agents at the 50 rank cost.
40 600 Human races can create 60 rank Emissaries at the 50 rank cost.
30 400 Elvish races can create 60 rank Mages at the 50 rank cost.
20* 300 (*minimum total rank of each character must be 30)
New rule for character creation:
Step 1) The racial bonus for reduced cost for 60 rank characters is now
modified. For characters that gain a Racial bonus; the first 60 rank
character costs 1000 gold, the second 60 rank character costs 1300; all
subsequent 60 rank characters cost 1500. Eg As an Elf you used to be able
to get Mages @60 for 1000 gold. Instead this new set-up rule would allow
you to get one Mage at rank 60 for 1000 gold, one for 1300 gold and a third
(and additional Mages @60) for 1500 gold.
60 Rank characters should be rare characters. Some games of Middle-earth
end with 10 or more Emissaries with 100 Rank which, considering that
Galadriel herself might be hard put to achieve, seems somewhat against the
feel of the game.
Step 2) Royalty:
Characters 1 and 2 are now designated as King and Prince character (Queen or
Princess) respectively. You get an additional 1000 Gold to spend on your
King character and 600 Gold to spend on your Prince character. This gold
must be spent on a skill that they don't presently have.
Step 3) Racial Skill Modifiers:
After completing all the above, you can SELECT a single character to
receive an additional skill bonus.
Good
Dwarf - One character without Command rank gains 10 Command.
Human - One character without Command rank to gain 10 Command.
Elven - One character without Mage rank to gain 30 Mage and 3 spells as per
normal.
Evil
Human - One character without Emissary rank to gain 20 Emissary.
Non-Humans - One character without Agent rank to gain 20 Agent.
Neutral
Human - One character without Emissary rank to gain 20 Emissary.
Population Centre
Each nation gets an ADDITIONAL Major Town as part of their set-up. In
addition, to encourage placement of PCs in a more "realistic" manner we're
the following additions apply:
� If all your Townsized or bigger pcs are placed on a road you gain a
Village as part of your set-up.
� If all your Townsized or bigger pcs are placed on a on a non-Mountain hex
you gain a Village as part of your set-up.
In addition, if your set-up is placed in the following regions you gain a pc
of the appropriate size to your set-up.
� Angmar, Northern Wastes, Eregion: 1 Major Town
� Mirkwood, Rhovanion, Rhun: 1 Town
� Lindon, Lorien, Rohan, Dunland: 1Village
� North Mordor, South Mordor, North Harad, North Khand, South Khand, South
Harad: No change
Eg, if you started in Rhovanion and placed all your starting Towns, Major
Towns and Cities on roads in the plains, forest and hills and rough, you
would start with : 2 Major Towns, 2 Towns, 3 Villages and 1 Camp (this is
before you purchase any extra PCs with your 8000 gold).
Regional Set-up
Each player MUST chooses at least 3 regions from the following regions
(unless you are choosing Any (1,2,3); a first choice, a second choice and a
third choice (if no choices are given then you are assumed to desire Any
region):
Lindon, Angmar, Mirkwood, Northern Wastes, Lorien, Eregion, Dunland, Rohan,
Rhovanion, Rhun, North Mordor, South Mordor, North Harad, North Khand, South
Khand, South Harad plus Any (1,2,3). A total of 17 regions. Arnor and
Gondor are out of bounds for all except the Kingdoms at game start.
Regions
Map courtesy of Mike Mulka
http://middle-earth.darkfortress.us , the regional map is at the bottom of
the page.
Capital insurance is no longer a part of the game. All nations (ie
non-Kingdom) start with 35,000 gold in their treasuries. Choosing regional
placement "Any (1,2 & 3)" indicates that you are happy to be placed in any
region and gain 10,000 additional gold to your treasury. Note there is a
maximum of one player of each allegiance in any region. (Neutral Team count
as separate to Neutral, and have the same rules for placement as Aligned
nations). You cannot choose regions that members of your team have chosen
(ie people that you have discussed the game with and/or joined up with).
� If you get your 1st choice, you lose 3000 gold from your starting
treasury.
� If you get your 2nd choice, you don't gain or lose any gold.
� If you get your 3rd choice, you gain 3000 gold.
� If you get your "4th choice", (The GMs have contacted you because all
three of your choices are invalid), then you gain 6000 gold.
� This money is added to your initial gold that start in your treasury.
Eg: I send in a FP set-up. I stipulate Rohan, South Harad and South Mordor
as my 3 starting locations. Rohan is over-subscribed as FP so I then get
bumped to South Harad. As it's my second choice I don't gain or lose any
gold from my treasury. The GM then would get in touch with me and I'd then
send in my set-up PCs in that region.
Eg2: I send in Any (1,2,3) as my choices. This gains me 10,000 gold (added
to my treasury) and after the GM has allocated regions he gets back to me
informing me that my set-up is to be placed in the Rhun area and so I send
in my set-up PCs for that region.
Fortification
Each capital gets a Fort for free. You are still able to add to a PC's
fortifications as shown below with the New Cost (taken from your PC set-up
as norma).
A capital upgrading from a Fort to Castle or Keep gains no discount.
···
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