Medieval Royale

Medieval Royale Home Page

Rules for Medieval Royale * [note / CCR] As amended by Tommy Larsson as follows:

This page includes except of the basic rules which are used in all Royale Games also:

• The Clergy rules which were used in games Inlaws and Wasa.
• The additions to the basic and clergy rules which are used in game Wasa are written in green.
• The additions made for game Heir are written in red. Heir also used the green Wasa rules, but did not have clergy.
• The additions made for game Crusades are written in blue. Crusades uses Wasa rules, but doesn't use Heir rules.

[sic - excepted the default link color, there are no text written in blue in this file / CCR]

[the rules which Tommy Larsson discussed in an Errata are written in grey. / CCR]

Introduction

Royale is a variant of Diplomacy. The general mechanics of Diplomacy are largely unchanged, and thus it may be played as an addition to Diplomacy or many of the Diplomacy variants. The goal remains: to gain dominance of Europe by gaining over half of the supply centers.

The fundamental change in Royale is the existence of dynasites for each of the starting powers. These dynasties exist as off-board entities, although they do have some effect on on-board play. These 'characters'will age marry, bear children and eventually die. They may also enter ill-thought out marriages, lead troops in battle with varying degrees of competence, and demand more autonomy from their parents.

These dynasties affect the rules in three ways:

1. Treaties may be made which are binding, and enforced by the GM. These treaties are associated with marriages amongst the families of the powers. The binding treaties are in force only as long as the couple remains married.
2. New provinces may be made the locations of builds. These building-strengths associated with the granting of Titles to members of the dyansty. The Titles may be inherited, and both the build-site and the armies created there may be passed on to successors, who may or may not be members of the original dynasty.
3. Military units now have variable strengths. These strengths are associated with the assignment of leaders to the military units in question. Elite units act with double strength, while weak units cannot attack, and can only support.

The addition of phases to permit the negotiation of marriages, granting of Titles and assignment to military units is necessary. Also, to make the aging of characters relevant to game play, each movement phase represents five years and builds are permitted every ten years only. Thus, the turn phases are slightly different than those of Diplomacy:

• Winter Builds, Births, Aging and Deaths (w16X0b)
• Winter Titles, Marriage and Treaties (w1605t)
• Spring Moves (s16X0m)
• Spring Retreats (s16X0r)
• Summer Births, Aging and Deaths (u16X5b)
• Summer Titles, Marriage and Treaties (u16X5t)
• Fall Moves (f16X5m)
• Fall Retreats (f16X5r)

Thus, in 'normal' diplomacy terms, there are two additional phases before each movement phase. Players will age 5 years after each turn.

Dynasties

It is the family, and how it is run that will determine the flow and ebb of alliances. Balance must be attained by the new powers a family allows, and the contingency plans for untimely deaths.

Each dynasty begins with a number of characters. This number is determined in advance and may be varied. Each of these characters has two properties: Constitution and Leadership (males) or Guile (females). Each also has a unique name which you assign. These characters will age, marry, produce children, arrange marriages to each other and eventually die.

To compensate for the variation in quality of the dynasty members, the players are permitted to bid on the inital powers and their dynasties. The list of royal families is published and each player submits a list of preferences. Using the normal algorithm, the powers are assigned. A player receiving his first choice gets no bonus points. A player receiving his 2nd or 3rd choice would receive 1 point, 4th and 5th:2 points, 6th and 7th: 3 points. These points would then be used by the players to increase the characteristics of the characters in that dynasty.

Birth

The beginning of life. New princes and princesses to carry on the name of your dynasty. All are not created equal. And all will develop needs of their own.

Birth Rolls

Each married couple (see Marriage, Section 5.0) has a possibility of producing children each birth phase. This ability is conditional on both potential parents not being held prisoner and the mother being aged 50 or less. The probability of having a single child is 50%. There is an equal probability of a boy or girl. A dynasty may try for additional children, but this will exact a toll on the wife's constitution for the upcoming survival phase (one point per attempt beyond one) and thus will increase the probability that she will not survive the year (see Death, Section 4.0). There is no penalty for atempting to produce the first child and the opportunity cannot be declined.