Realms Of The Unknown Player's Manual

Dedications From Tim: To my mother for courage, to my father for inspiration, and to both for believing in my dream. From Gerry: To my mother, whose discipline when I was younger allowed for this game to be created. To my wife, whose understanding is a testimony to the wonderous benefits of a good marriage.

Very special thanks... An idea can start with one person but it cannot flourish alone. This idea started with Gerry, was refined by Tim, and has been expanded by a multitude of others. We tip our hats to Brian Bessey, Rod Drinnon, Pat Epley, Kay Evenwel, Jeff Gonion, Butch Kawalkawski, and Ron Robisch for all their advice and help. A very special thanks to Scott Stevens, who became our mediator, motivator, and organizer during the long writing process. The artists gave us their time and talent freely and in the end, surpassed our expectations. Special thanks to Jim Lasser and Heather Ancarrow for their work. Artist Brian Sago is featured on the cover and throughout the book. He not only gave this book a mood, he added invaluable advice to the end result. Finally, we thank all the people who play-tested this game over the past 10 years. To all the players who survived (or didn't) the original realms of Tar-su-lan and Gondalin, we salute you. You played this game without a manual, so enjoy this luxury! Electronic Version Created with Adobe PageMaker 6.5 on a PowerCenter 150, exported as a PDF with Adobe Distiller. Send comments to Tim Dohrer ([email protected])

Realms of the Unknown Player's Manual © 1991, 1997 Timothy A. Dohrer and Gerry J. Evenwel All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Product number: 100000

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Introduction

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n the world of gaming, Realms of the Unknown (ROTU) has set itself apart. It is a simulation game which is easy to understand, yet contains challenging components such as tactical conflicts, macroeconomics, social management, and cross-cultural ethics. As a simulation game it involves role-play*, however, ROTU is unique in its application. To begin, you need to realize that a realm is where all action takes place. It can be thought of as a habitable world where there is land, water, plants, animals, minerals, and people. There are many realms in ROTU, but it is customary that each individual game concern itself with only one of them. Secondly, you need to understand a few basic ideas about ROTU. It is not a tournament game to be played at one or more sittings, but rather it is designed to be played without stopping from its beginning to its end. Theoretically, the game never has to end until you want it. This feature allows the game to be played by many people in different places and at different times. Third, the major difference between ROTU and other role-playing games is that the player runs a Player Character(PC), who in turn runs a

population of men, women, and children. The PC and their population all live on the realm, as do other PCs and their populations. In most role-playing games, the focus is on an individual character while in ROTU, the focus is on the achievements of a large group of people. The realm you will be placed on begins during a time of early civilization. You will not own weapons, but you will have strength and knowledge. Bows and arrows will probably be your first weapons, because the production of these arms is common knowledge. Axes and swords may be your next step when metal is obtained. If fortune smiles upon you, you may even find some gold or the plans for building a warship. But be wary! The other players on the realm may get them first! The last thing you should know is that you will have a Realm Controller (RC). This will be the person who you will have the most contact with while playing ROTU. You will give orders to the RC, saying what you want to do with your people. The RC will give you details on the status of your people, what’s happening on the realm, and answer any appropriate questions you may have.

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This manual is designed to give guidelines to people who wish to play Realms of the Unknown. It will give examples of how to start your Player Character and how to keep your population alive and growing. This manual is split into two general sections. The first section is for beginners and the second will have more advanced rules. Many basic realms will incorporate a few advanced rules, while many advanced realms may not be using all of the advanced rules. Consult with your RC to find out what parts of the Manual you will need to review. Charts and representations of play are included within, as well as real game statistics as examples. Those who wish to run a realm of their own should consult the Realm Controller’s Manual after fully reading the Player’s Manual. But now, without further adieu, let us enter Realms of the Unknown...

* Role-play is when a person takes on the identity and gives personality to a fictional character. This is used in the parameters of an illusory situation.

The Basic Realm The first step in starting up a player character is to find a Realm Controller (RC). In most cases, the RC will find you in order to populate a realm. If you have a group of friends that want to play ROTU then one of you will have to be the RC (experienced players make better Realm Controllers). In the basic game a group of eight to twelve players is generally a good number. If there are

less than eight the realm may not have enough action to promote a good game. If there are more than twelve the RC may be too bogged down to get the game off the ground and keep it running. Running a game is a lot of work for an RC. After an RC establishes a realm, they will begin working with each player to create a population and a leader.

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In this manual, examples from the realm of Calmara will be used. The realm is run by the god Mara, which is the RC’s alias on the realm. A portion of the realm of Calmara is included here to help in understanding the material which will be presented. The realm is a basic realm using none of the advanced rules, at least for now.

Start-Up Sheet Names and Titles To give identity to your people and a little color to the game, begin by thinking up a name for your Player Character, who will be your people’s leader (example: William the Conqueror). Then decide what type of people you would like to lead. The RC will actually choose this for you so that it fits into the parameters of the realm, but make your preference known. Types of people fall into two basic categories: Town and Band. A town population is one that works from permanent locations. A band, on the other hand, moves about and doesn’t stay in any permanent settlements. There are various subtypes of these groups and each has its own way of doing things. With each type there will be bonuses received for performing various actions, which the group would naturally excel in (example: towns will excel in civil defense). Here is a brief description of the two major types: Town - Permanent dwellings, agriculturally based, protective of immediate surrounding territory, civil defense oriented, expands by establishing new settlements along its borders to create a support network of citystates.

Band - Mobile unit of people with no permanent dwellings, control territory by occupation of their declared areas, expand by inward divisions to create new bands with the loyalties being associated with a top tribal leader, which can call upon any member band to work in unison with the others. Next, you should think of a name for your people (example: Normans). You may also wish to give a name to your first town (if you have one) otherwise your RC will simply incorporate your population name into the name of your

first settlement (example: Normanville). Now, give yourself a title and be as creative as you wish (examples are: King of the Visigoths, Lord of Rome, Emperor of China, Garbage Man Supreme of East Gutterland). Once you have decided upon your PC name, PC title, population name, and your preference on the type of people you wish to lead, write it all down and give it to your RC along with your name, address, and phone number. This is referred to as your Start-Up Sheet. An example of a Start-Up Sheet has been provided by Thomas Williams, a player on the realm of Calmara.

Thomas Williams Address: 23 North Barton Street Anytown, USA 00000 Phone Number: 555-1967

Example of a Start-Up Sheet

Player Character Name: Lord Zachary Alden Title: Ruler of the Free City State of Bolson People Name: Bolsonites Type Preference of Population: Town Town Name: Bolson

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The Player Sheet Now that you have created your PC, your RC will give you people to lead. With considerations from your StartUp Sheet, the RC will give you your first Player Sheet, which may look like Thomas Williams', shown here.

Population At the top of the sheet you will see the information that you have given the RC in your Start-Up Sheet. The next section is your your population breakdown. Your people are represented by three numbers separated by slashes. The first number is the Total Population (TP), the second number is the Protected Population (PP), and the third is the number of Men. All of your Protected Population and Men add up to your Total Population. The Protected Population (PP) is made up of women and children. They are general laborers who do the everyday chores of society. Your population will increase based upon the number of protected population. They are noncombatants, thereby giving them the name “protected.” The Men is the number of healthy adult males in your population. This

Player: Thomas Williams Player Character: Lord Zachary Alden Title: Ruler of the Free City-State of Bolson People: Bolsonites - 4327/2561/1766

Example of a Player Sheet

Raw Materials: Produced Goods: Animals: Ships: Cattle - 1,200 Warships - 1 Horses - 300 Weapons: Metals: Arrows - 4,000 Copper - 12 Bows - 450 Iron - 29 Axes - 200 Silver - 5 Spears - 750 Natural Resources: General Goods: Wood - 257 Shovels - 100 Settlements: Bolson - 5,000 capacity - semi-fortified section is responsible for the heavy labor tasks (i.e. Blacksmiths, Shipbuilders, etc.) and make up your armed forces. Your player character will be dealing with the men for the majority of your orders, leaving the protected population to take care of all the basic needs of your people. At the beginning of each year, your

RC will calculate your population increase. This represents the births and deaths of your people and domesticated livestock. In many ways, it is like a census and indicates growth or, in some cases, shrinkage of your population.

A closer look at how time works in ROTU Simplified Realm Times Table Now that you have received your Player Sheet and understand its basic workings you are ready to start playing ROTU. One of the things that will be of concern to you will be the passage of time in the game. Time is an important aspect of the game, expecially since it functions differently on a realm. A seven day week passes on the Realm for every 24 hour day in the real world. This means that the realm is moving seven times faster than the real world. The result is that events will happen more rapidly than would normally occur. This is to promote more

One Year One Month One Week One Day

= = = =

12 months Four weeks Seven Days 24 Hours (12 light, 12 dark)

action on the realm and do away with long periods of time which would leave players idle and bored, waiting to proceed. Also, the realm’s months and years are simplified to promote easier calculating. A list of these simplifications has been given here. There are often situations when items

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will be dated. Realm Time will be referred to by the name of the realm and the word “time,” for example Mara uses CT, which stands for Calmara Time. Otherwise, items will have a real time date with an AD(Anno Domini ) after it.

Raw Materials When you receive your Player Sheet you will notice that you have been given basic resources along with your population. These basic resources are called Raw Materials and consist of: Animals, Metals, and Natural Resources. You have no control over the amount or type of resources you will receive to start off. Most resources will need to be collected by you and your people.

Animals Animals are usually abundant in ROTU and are important tools not to be wasted by any good leader. Animals in the basic game are Horses, Cattle, and Sheep. These animals are common and domesticated and will increase in number at the same time as your population increases. Horses are used for work and transportation. Cattle are used for food, milk, and leather production. Sheep are used for food and wool production. All can be turned into hides. Often new and unusual animals will be found on the realm; it is up to the player to domesticate and find uses for these new creatures.

Produced Goods The production of goods is essential for the prosperity of a population. Produced goods are all man-made products. These products are manufactured through orders using certain amounts of gathered resources. You will not always be able to make anything you want, but there are many items which are common knowledge. Your RC will be able to better define what can be made and what is beyond the knowledge and skills of your people. A list of a few commonly known items is given here.

Food Gathering Table Type of Gathering

Time Required

Units Gathered

Manpower needed

Farming Fishing Foraging Herding

4 months 1 month 1 month 1 month

900 40 50 varies

2 men or 1 man, 4 pp 1 man 4 pp 1 man

Metals The metals category contains all metals and alloys. They are used to produce metal goods or currency. A metal unit is measured as a one foot cube.

Natural Resources The natural resources category contains all raw materials which are not an Animal or a Metal. This may include wood, diamonds, marble, and the like. In the basic game, food and wood are the only natural resources which are

available when you begin play. A wood unit is one tree 20 foot tall and one foot in diameter(after being cut down and cleaned). A food unit is the amount of food which will feed one person for one week. If your population is 1000 people then you would need 48,000 food units to live through the year. A chart for gathering food has been included. All beginning players will need to tell their people to set-up a food gathering system, because your people won’t do it for themselves. This should be one of the first things you have them do.

Common Knowledge Produced Goods Table Description

Amount

Materials needed

Time required

Armor, leather Arrows* Bows Clubs* Knives Shields, wood Swords

1 100 10 10 10 5 5

1 hide unit 1 wood unit 1 wood unit 1 wood unit 1 metal unit 1 wood unit 1 metal unit

one week one week one week one week two weeks one week two weeks

* Protected population can produce these items in double the time required

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Writing Orders Now that you have received your Player Sheet and understand its basic workings, it is time to start playing ROTU. This is done by giving orders(i.e. telling your population what to do).

Writing Orders When giving orders to your population, simply write down what your people should be doing and give that information to your RC, who will then process the orders and give you the result(s). When giving orders it is important to remember the one RULE in ROTU: If the Realm Controller Doesn’t Know About It, It Doesn’t Exist!!! In other words, write down all orders and give them to the RC for them to go into effect. When writing orders, put your PC’s name and the type of order it is at the top. Types of orders for the basic game are: General, Exploration, and Production. When you submit your orders, the RC will look them over and point out anything which is unclear or impossible to do. When everything is acceptable the RC will date them and the orders will immediately go into effect. Orders are what run the game. Lord Alden has advised many new players by telling them, “Be specific. You’ll be better off for it.” The following are descriptions of each type of order in the basic game. Lord Alden has graciously donated some older orders of his to use as examples.

General Orders The General Order is the most commonly used. It includes training, mining, farming, general civil commands and laws, and other miscellaneous concerns for people. When in doubt, use

a general order. An example of a general order has been provided. Each bullet (•) indicates separate orders within the general order.

Lord Alden, Ruler of the Free City-State of Bolson General Order • Have 50 women from the protected population put in charge of civil defense in the city of Bolson. They will be referred to as civil officers during times of emergency. • Send 125 men and 500 protected population to clear the land around Bolson and plant crops. As soon as one crop comes in and is gathered, they are to plant another crop. This is their primary task and takes precedence over other duties which they may be assigned. If there is a conflict, report to Lord Alden. • Have 20 men begin to lay down the foundation for the temple of Mara. This temple will be built to the north of the city. Plans to the temple will be coming at a later date. • Have 150 men begin training in metal surveying and basic survival techniques. They will become Bolson's mining corp. Have them prepared to meet whatever obstacles they expect to encounter while being so far from Bolson. • Have all the men begin basic training with swords and bows. Have my administrators choose those men who will make good soldiers. Awards should be handed out for excelling in their combat training. Also, have my advisers watch for men who would make good officers and those who excel in the military arts and will benefit from more intensive training. • Report any encounters with other populations immediately.

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Writing Orders Exploration Orders An Exploration Order should be used whenever sending a group of people away from your direct supervision. These orders are separated from general orders in order to be handled more effectively by the RC. Exploration orders should contain information concerning number of people going(PP and men), the supplies(such as food) they are taking, the direction they are heading, the amount of time they are to be gone, the goals they are to achieve (example: map surroundings), and what they should do under certain situations(example: they run into an unknown town). Exploration orders can take a lot of time, but the time spent is worth the rewards gained through exploration. Being specific can be of great advantage. Many tough situations will need to be handled by your people while exploring, and your PC won’t be there to help out. To alleviate some of the problems associated with exploration

Lord Alden, Ruler of the Free City-State of Bolson Exploration Order • Send 10 men, each armed with a bow and 40 arrows, on horseback, to the east. They will carry enough food for a two-month journey. They will travel for four weeks and then return to Bolson with the information they have gathered. Their assignment is to map the area and look for any interesting resources(animals, metals, or natural). In particular, look for iron in the foothills. • A standing order for all exploration teams: If they encounter an unkown group of people, they are to have four members of the team head back to Bolson and report it immediately. The others are to observe from a distance and try to stay hidden. • A standing order for all exploration teams: BUG OUT fast if anything looks dangerous. If captured, do whatever possible to save their lives, except giving away vital secrets. Lie a lot! orders, a good idea is to make standing orders for all exploration groups to follow. These standing orders may include what should be done on all explorations and what to do in certain situations which may arise only every once

Production Orders The Production Order is the last type of order used in the basic game. The order is simple, but necessary. It is issued to have something manufactured. All you need to include is the product,

the amount to be produced, the raw materials to be used, and the manpower which is to be devoted to the project. Lord Alden is trying to equip his men with better weapons. He begins by writing this production order to his RC.

Lord Alden, Ruler of the Free City-State of Bolson Production Order • • • • • • • • •

100 swords, 20 iron units, 10 men, 4 weeks 300 axes, 15 iron units, 10 men, 4 weeks 300 shovels, 15 iron units and 5 wood units, 10 men, 4 weeks 300 picks, 15 iron units and 5 wood units, 10 men, 4 weeks 500 bows, 50 wood units, 20 men, 2 1/2 weeks 10,000 arrows, 100 wood units, 100 pp, 2 weeks 100 clubs, 10 wood units, 20 men, 1/2 week 200 shields, 40 wood units, 10 men, 4 weeks 150 knives, 15 iron units, 10 men, 1 1/2 weeks

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in a while. An example of an exploration order has been provided by Lord Alden. He also has some standing orders included.

Supplies & Combat Supplies, Storage, Trade, and Perishables Supplies are considered to be all resources and produced goods not allocated. They will be listed on your player sheet. They will grow and shrink as your people collect, produce, and use them. The actual location of these supplies can be established when they are ordered into storage. Items in storage are placed in a particular location and are given some kind of containing area (example: Horses in a fenced off range north of town). Storage areas are created only through a

general order to the RC. The supplies within the storage area can be added to and subtracted from at any time through an order. Trading supplies between populations is often needed to gain additional resources, as well as to alleviate excess inventory. Transportation of these supplies will need to be handled through general orders, as well as the specific numbers of the trade agreement. The RC needs to know only the physical transaction(i.e. what is moving to where,

Basic Combat The driving force behind ROTU is the interaction between people. Naturally, some of these interactions may not be of a positive nature. The ability to fight is an essential skill for all players to learn. This skill is most desirable when you are faced with unresolvable conflicts. Outlined below are a few basic points which you will need to understand about combat on the realms. First, a combat unit is comprised of men who have been specified by the PC using a general order. For example: “Establish 3 companies of 100 men

each as infantry.” The player will also need to specify what the men are armed with, i.e. shield, armor, weapon. Be sure you have produced these items already! Combat in ROTU is run by comparing the military power of the two opposing forces and determining the conflict result under the situation and circumstances therein. Your RC will calculate all conflicts. To give you a basic idea of how the military power of a unit is determined, here is an example.

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and how is it getting there). The rest of the negotiation does not need to be written down for the RC. There are many supplies that are perishables. The RC will not always notify the player of goods that have perished, so watch the player sheets carefully and keep good records. A very perishable resource is food, which Lord Alden has attributed to be a leading cause of many populations' downfall.

Basic Combat System: Example calculation 100 soldier = 100 pt. base Other factors(bonus) swords(x2) shields(x1.5) mounts(x2) Therefore, total unit military power = 600

General Labors People have basic functions which are common among all populations. These functions are listed as general labors. They include hunting, fishing, farming, ranching, lumbering, and mining. The following are short descriptions of each labor and what they involve. Hunting is one of the oldest forms of food gathering. A hunting party consists of ten men. Equipment needed for a hunting party are a bow, arrows, and traps for each member. Hunting parties can collect ten units per man per month. The hunting party is not an effective main source of food, but can be used as a supplement to other food gathering systems. A fishing group consists of ten men with nets and two fishing boats. These groups can gather forty food units per man per month from any neighboring river or bay. Fishing groups may be a good main source of food if there are enough of them. Otherwise, they can be used as a supplement of some of other gathering system. Farming is the most common source of food gathering. Ten men and 40 PP can produce 9000 units of food in four months. Needed for this system is a heavy plow for each man and seeds. Weather and agricultural techniques will affect this food production process.

General Labors: Animal Production Table Raw materials produced

Type of animal and amount of units

Milk units per month Wool units per month Food units per animal Hide units per animal Newborn % per year

Cow 10 0 10 3 10%

Populations with low technology levels may not be able to perform standard farming. Ranching produces food and certain natural resources, and promotes animal reproduction. Ten men make up a ranching team. Each team can handle up to 1000 animals (numbers may vary with type of animal). The products which can be gained from ranching include wool, hides, milk, food, and additional animals. The number of supplies gained are above, per one animal: Ranches can be fenced off areas or in wide open plains(more risk). Fences will of course need to be built(production order). Lumbering provides your supply of wood. A lumber camp needs to be set up in a wooded area with a method of

Basic Wrap-up With this basic information, you will be able to begin play on a basic level realm. These items are meant to be guidelines only since there are very few rules in ROTU. It is up to each individual RC and player to decide how these guidelines are to be applied on each realm. The result is a game that is flexible and therefore, open to creativity, customizing, and, hopefully, lots of fun. This information also forms the foundation for the Advanced version of ROTU, which begins with these guidelines but incorporates more detail. The

next section of this book describes the advanced game in detail and shows ways that both levels can be used to create realms of varying degrees of difficulty. Basic realms should not be viewed as a lower level game in terms of intensity and enjoyability. In fact, some of the most successful realms have been basic level realms. These type of realms pay less attention to fine details and more attention to creativity and fun. Even a detailed, intense Advanced level realm needs some Basic level ideas to make the realm enoyable and exciting.

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Goat 4 0 3 1 12%

Horse 0 0 7 2 8%

Pig 0 0 5 0 15%

Sheep 1 1 4 1 12%

shipping the wood to your storage locations. A lumber camp consists of 25 men, each with an axe, and can produce 150 units of wood per month. Mining provides your supply of minerals. Fifty men are required to set up a mining camp. A pick, shovel, and axe are the required tools for each man. The amount of materials gained from mining varies from month to month. Transportation from the camp must also be worked out. Mining is a risky business and many deaths may occur from mining accidents. Mining camps can be established in a variety of terrains. Surveying lands for their mineral wealth and mining potential is a talent which is not common knowledge.

Advanced Game

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s we have seen, the Basic game is very basic. Because of this it is fairly easy to learn and play but also limited in detail and creative options. The rest of this manual is devoted to the Advanced rules of ROTU. These rules can be used in full, creating a highly complex realm, or in part, adding more flavor to a basic level realm. A mixing of the Basic rules plus the Advanced rules results in an intermediate game which is recommended for most realms. These realms tend to include detail that players demand but not so much that an RC becomes over-loaded. The bottom line is that this manual presents two extremes in ROTU. It is totally the decision of the RC and players to decide which level to play, either Basic, Advanced, or some kind of Intermediate level.

Advanced Player Sheet In the Advanced game, the population breakdown gets a little more complicated. The basic three divisions are the same (i.e. Total Population/ Protected Population / Men), but added to this are categories concerning training and combat specialization. Also, in the Advanced game you may be leading more than one population which will be recorded separately. This will appear in parenthesis next to the basic population divisions. As you can see from this Advanced Player Sheet, Lord Alden controls his own people, the Bolsonites, and a conquered people, the Alusian.

Player: Thomas Williams Player Character: Lord Zachary Alden Title: Ruler of the Free City-State of Bolson People: Bolsonites - 9261/6390/2871(1352/101/8/2) Alusians - 4365/3317(291)/1048(309/7) Raw Materials: Animals: Cattle - 6234 Pigs - 245 Warhorses - 35 Metals: Brass - 43 Bronze - 30 Copper - 57 Gold - 22 Iron - 123 Silver - 45 Steel - 3 Natural Resources: Coal - 7 Rubies - 34

Example of an advanced player sheet

Horses - 712 Sheep - 212

12,000 copper coins in currency 7000 gold coins in currency 5300 silver coins in currency

Limestone - 23 Wood - 737

Produced Goods: Armor: Leather - 789 Shields, wooden - 1500 Ships: Merchant ships - 8 Warships - 5 - including the "Pride of Bolson" Weapons: Arrows - 15,000 Axes - 429 Bolts - 6500 Bows - 700 Crossbows - 125 Daggers - 300 Shovels - 900 Swords(iron) - 1200 Specialists: 2nd Ring Forger, 3rd Ring Scribe Settlements: Bolson - 9,000 capacity, semi-fortified, port(5), shipyard(2) New Alusia - 5,000 capacity, unfortified Miner's Town - 750 capacity, fortified

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Military Training Trained Troops Training your men to fight is a high priority with many Advanced game players. Trained troops make your people much more difficult to conquer since even the most basic training will double the effectiveness of your fighting forces. To train your troops, a military order is needed. State the number of men that will go through the training program and when they are to start. Basic training takes about three months followed by a drill session every two weeks. The drill sessions which come after basic training can be placed in a standing order. Basic training needs only to be done once. All new people gained through population increases will automatically go through basic training before they are added in. The three-month initial basic training will decide which men will become trained soldiers(Level A). The standard number of men who leave basic training with a Level A rating is about 1 out of 2 (50 percent). The rest will have to suffer through life as blacksmiths, shipbuilders, farmers, and the like. This does not mean the trained men cannot do general labor. They are often assigned to many construction tasks and other heavy labor chores. Keeping a unit together will help their combat ability when it comes to fighting, therefore assigning a company to a single large task is always best. Training does not stop at Level A. Leaders can request their trained troops to enter into a second training session to find the number of men able to achieve combat Level B. The standard amount of Level A troops able to achieve Level B is approximately 1 out of 10 (10 percent). A Level B soldier is a specialist at combat, and should be considered a “professional soldier.” Level B troops are good as Non-Commission Officers of Level A troops or as special patrol units. This specialized training requires the soldiers to have another two-month

training session. At the end of this training period, the number of soldiers achieving Level B status will appear on your Player Sheet. Some Level B soldiers may even achieve higher levels of combat training. Another two months of training is required to do this. Level C soldiers make excellent spies and scouts, as well as an elite unit of infantry or cavalry. Level D or higher should be considered the “perfect warriors.” There is seldom more than one or two of these in anyone’s initial population, but if one achieves this level, use them as freelance spies, personal bodyguards, and espionage assignments. These combat specializations are recorded on the Player Sheet by parenthesis after the number of men in a population. In Lord Alden’s Bolsonites, he has the numbers 9261/6390/ 2871(1352/101/8). The number of Level A soldiers is 1352, the number of Level B soldiers is 101, the number of Level C soldiers is 8, and the two Level D soldiers act as his personal guard. These numbers are not subtracted from the total number of men, but are simply a subclassification(i.e. 1463 of the 2871 of men have some kind of military training). Women within the Protected Population can also have combat training but with greater restrictions. Their training is much more extensive and, when trained, they will not be included as Protected Population during population increases, due to the amount of time it takes for them to keep up their training. Approximately one out of 20 (5 percent) of the Protected Population will complete basic training. Under restricted circumstances, additional training will allow one out of 10 (10 percent) Level A trained women may achieve Level B. The trained troops within the Protected Population will be recorded separately on the Player Sheet but will have the same abilities as their male counterparts. Lord Alden’s Alusians have some

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PP who are combat trained. They are recorded in parenthesis next to the Protected Population. There are 291 Level A trained women among the Alusians. Trained soldiers should be organized into military units to increase efficiency and receive additional military bonuses. These units will vary in size and assignments. The basic divisions are cavalry or infantry. The division between cavalry and infantry depends solely upon whether the troops have mounts or not. Within these two divisions, units will be classified as light, standard, medium, heavy, or extra heavy, depending upon how they are equipped. To achieve the different equipment divisions, refer to the table below to get a rough outline of what is required.

Unit Equipment Classifications Light - Level B training, leather armor, bow Standard - Level A training, sword or bow Medium - Level A training, sword or bow, shield, leather armor Heavy - Level A training, metal armor, two main weapons Extra Heavy - Level B training, all metal equipment, exceptional mount(if cavalry) Assigning officers to units will also help, if they are available. To understand more about officers and how they are assigned, consult your RC.

Population Status The Population Status(PS) is an indicator of the overall condition of your people. The PS can range from Excellent to Poor and is made up of three components: physical, loyalty, economic. The physical component deals with the overall health of your total population. This component will be affected by food production, public health, and physical fitness. The loyalty component deals with the overall trust your people have in their leaders. This will be affected by the outcome of major battles, the successful fulfillment of their needs, and good public relations. The economic component is the most erratic part of the Population Status. The economic component will reflect the status of the economy you are running under. There are two types of economies, barter and currency. Both systems can be successful and contribute positively toward your Population Status. The barter economy is the simplest of the two since it is trade without a medium of exchange(for example, trad-

Population Status Chart Poor

Fair

Good

ing six chickens for three swords). It is affected by the amount of trade which your people actively engage in. The best way of increasing a barter economy is by increasing your trade, thereby helping your Population Status. However, a barter system will weaken your Population Status when it is unable to attain specialized goods and compete with neighbors, because it lacks a medium of exchange. As your population grows economically, you may find it necessary to set up a currency based economic system. This has great advantages over the barter system because a medium of exchange allows people to trade more easily and accurately. It also allows governments to introduce loans, interest, taxes, and investments. However, a currency based economy can fall prey to the devalument of the coinage, de-

Great

Excellent

pending on the rarity of metals used to mint coins. Leaders should be aware of problems like inflation, recession, overtaxation, and tampering with the economy. When your Population Status is Excellent, your people are at the peak of their abilities. This is a time to try some new and creative projects because your people are behind you. However, maintaining an Excellent PS is difficult so it is imperative to take advantage of this status while it is available. A Poor PS indicates that your people are very dissatisfied with their situation. A Poor status is just as fleeting as an Excellent status but it brings with it the possibility of rebellion, which would terminate your leadership. Most populations will fall into the Fair, Good, or Great category.

Specialists Another part of your Player Sheet which you may find in the Advanced Game concerns Specialists within your population. These Specialists range from blacksmiths to administrators. Specialists have extraordinary abilities to perform particular tasks in the society. Specialists should be experimented with and utilized by every successful leader. A Specialist will come with a degree of ability within their field. These levels of degree will vary from one to ten. Those at the lowest levels can perform only the simplest of tasks while the higher level Specialists can perform more complex tasks. These levels are known as Rings, which correspond to actual rings worn on the hands of the Specialist. For example, a fifth level

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Scribe will have five rings, known thereafter as a Fifth Ring Scribe. The RC will assign the number of Specialists a population has and their ring levels. The Specialist classes in a non-fantasy environment are: Forgers, who handle metallurgy and blacksmithing; Engineers, such as architects and mathematicians; Theologians, who are teachers and priests; Military Science, who are officers of combat units; Scribes, who act as administrators, tax collectors, historians, and diplomats. These classes can do much more than just those stated here and oftentimes they will work together on projects. Other classes may also be created depending on the need in your society. Work with your RC to explore the possibilities with the Specialist.

Advanced Orders Distribution Orders The distribution order is a census of your population that your RC will request of you. It shows where every person in your population is located as well as the distribution of raw materials and produced goods. This order will also contain special projects currently in progress. Include the date that the distribution order is effective. Lord Alden has provided a distribution order here.

Development orders Here is your chance to be really creative as a player. A development order will allow you to invent NEW items(produced goods). These orders will contain a diagram and a description of the item in as much detail as possible. The RC will accept these plans and process them to your specifications according to the guidelines available in the Realm Controller’s Manual(RCM). Once processed, the RC will be able to

Lord Alden, Ruler of the Free City-State of Bolson Distribution Order Bolson: 9261/5830/1946(802/101/8/2) New Alusia: 4365/3317(271)/1048(309/7) Miner's Town: 350/50/300(50), 20 horses North Outpost: 125/0/125(125), 20 horses South Outpost: 125/0/125(125), 20 horses East Outpost:: 125/0/125(125), 20 horses West Outpost: 125/0/125(125), 20 horses Temple of Mara: 30/10/20 Bolson suburbs: 625/500/125 - Farming corps Effective date: 1/8/91 A.D. - 2/27/9 C.T. give you updates on the progress of your distribution order. After the item is developed for the first time, the player character will then use a production order to manufacture additional items. Often, you will receive one of the product as a prototype. There are limits to development in the game of ROTU. These limits are known to the RC and are designed to keep players within the framework of

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the realm. For example, there will be no nuclear warheads! If an item you are trying to develop goes over the limit, the RC will not allow its development. However, we encourage players to develop right up to this mysterious “limit.” Lord Alden was requested to give one of his development orders to us for this manual but he declined. However, he sent along this common development order for the bow & arrow.

Advanced Orders Military Orders When your people are involved in some sort of conflict or potential conflict, a military order must be submitted. It should include the amount of men used, their training, their equipment, and their individual and group assignments. A good leader must be detailed about military situations. Try to cover as many scenarios that you think may occur. Once the military order is submitted, the RC will use it to guide the actions of your people through the conflicts that arise. In the absence of clear orders, the RC will follow guidelines established in the RCM. Lord Alden, provided us with a small military order, which he claims he never actually put into action.

Special Orders These orders are used for certain specific individual events. Individual events would include assassinations, spying, espionage, and generally secret situations. Special orders can also be used to request special information from the RC. Basically, this type of order should be used with items that don’t fit into the other categories of orders. This report was recently uncovered but it is obviously old(Calmara Time) since the city mentioned was destroyed years ago.

Lord Alden, Ruler of the Free City-State of Bolson Military Order • Send 500 soldiers, equipped with any weapons they can find, to go and destroy the 50 man exploration party my scouts informed me of. They are coming from the west, therefore, I want to wait until dawn and attack from the east as the sun is rising. Take no prisoners, kill every man, take their supplies, and then return to Bolson. A response from Calmara might have been: Lord Alden, your men attacked the party at dawn and killed all 50 warriors. They spat curses at your troops and took many of your poorly equipped soldiers with them. 153 of your men were killed and 73 were seriously injured(transfer to protected population). You did, however, gain 35 steel breastplates, 48 steel longswords, and 18 horses. Nice first battle! Lord Alden, Ruler of the Free City-State of Bolson Special Order • I want to send four spies into the northern town of Cendex. They are to come from the west and establish themselves as residents. A scout from Bolson will be sent to the outskirts of Cendex once a month to get a report from the spies. The spies' assignment is to keep their eyes open and report current events in the city. Also, try to get in good with the government and discover some secrets. Steal all new ideas whenever possible. Keep a low profile and have limited contact with their fellow spies. Good luck!

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Produced Goods Produced goods are not limited to swords and bows. They also include mobile catapults, ships, exotic weapons, domestic products, transportation vehicles, and even food and clothing. The point is that in producing goods, you can show off some creativity and introduce many items into the realm. They not only help your population live better but they can also be sold to other groups, thus helping your economy. The major factor in producing new items is the technology level of your people. Their base technology level is established by the RC as you begin playing, depending on the design of the realm. Producing goods within your present technology level is far easier and less time consuming than producing goods of a higher technology level. However, you are not limited to the technology level that you start with. The more often you attempt to develop more sophisticated goods or spend time studying items from a higher technology, the better your chances of increasing your whole population’s technology level, even if many of your attempts end in failure. The technology level of your population puts limitations on what your people can produce. These limits may prevent your people from understanding products produced by a population at a higher technology level than your own. When you reach a new technology level, many items which were previously unproducable become available for your population to develop and build. For example, a group submits designs for a crossbow to the RC. The RC approves the plans, thereby raising the technology level of the group. Now, the group can not only build crossbows but are also capable of designing and building ballistas and other similar missile weapons.

Technology Levels Level 1 2 3

4 5

Weapons & Military spears, stone axe, stone toothsaw bows, slings, stone tipped arrows, wooden armor metal tipped spears and arrows, knives

Metalurgy none none

Naval none leather canoes

copper

sword, chariot, cavalry, militias metal armor wooden siege engines, phalanx, permanent armies

bronze

small reed and wooden sailing vessels large wooden barges(oars) war barges, ramships

iron

Currency

Settlements

The economic health of your population is an important factor of ROTU. The economic status of your population is based on the amount of trade, currency, and taxation. Trade involves such things as creating a trade list of items, placing prices on the items, and advertising this to other groups. Most trade details are handled by the RC with the player constructing the basic lists and prices. Most populations start off using basic bartering systems of natural resources or produced items. As the economy progresses, a player may want to introduce currency into the economy. Currency is under the direct control of the player. Metals such as gold, silver, platinum, copper, iron, and alloys, like steel and brass, are commonly used as currency. One unit of these metals and alloys equals 1,000 coins. The coins are then put into the market as a medium of exchange by a General Order from the PC. Removal of these coins from the economy is done through taxation. Starting up a currency based system will often be very difficult but in the long run will dramatically increase the economic health of your people.

Another large expenditure of raw materials is the construction of settlements. Settlements fall under two general categories: military and civil. Military settlements are fortresses, such as castles, forts, and border outposts. Civil settlements can be unfortified, semifortified, and fortified towns, palaces, educational institutions, and ports. When you begin playing, your population may begin as an unfortified town. As you begin to organize you may build walls around the city, create a castle for your leader, or build outposts to mark your territory. These can be upgraded and improved as your population grows. These projects will take time and resources to build. Each settlement will be constructed by using a production order.

Settlement Construction Costs Type Stone Unfortified 5 Semi-fortified 2 0 50 Fortified Fortress Ultra-fortress Castle

50 100 35

Wood 100 150 250

Metal 2 5 15

200 300 200

20 30 10

Note: All costs here per 100 person capacity

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Advanced Combat Combat in ROTU differs slightly from other games that involve military simulation. Since many parts of ROTU are meant to mirror reality, combat is handled in the same way. That is, combat is not something that happens every five minutes with the players always coming out on top. In fact, combat is one of the most random and dangerous things your people can face. When an RC is determining combat results, he will consider factors which include: training, equipment, terrain, random factors. The RC has the option of using some or all of the factors available in calculating combat situations. This might seem like you have no control over combat situations. However, there are several ways of preparing your soldiers and people for these “do or die” situations.

Training A crucial part of providing adequate military defense for your people is establishing rigid training guidelines. Training is a year-round project and should be a standing military order. Initially, your men will have to go through a mass basic training course. After which, they will need to go through periodic drills to maintain their training. The basic training program will continue to be used at the beginning of every year for new recruits, which you will gain through population increases. The better trained your troops are, the more effective they will be in combat. Not every man is cut out to be a soldier. Those who are not able to train will need to be assigned to other tasks in your population. Trained troops will need to be distributed into military units. A general order will assign these units to a certain duty or task. Lord Alden has given us an example of a military order, which specifies duties of Infantry Company D.

Lord Alden, Ruler of the Free City-State of Bolson Military Order - training • Have my men begin basic training to discover those who are able to effectivily fight in an organized military force. The training will take three months and is to consist of mount combat, hand-to-hand combat, archery, sword and armor training, basic formation drills, and extended campaign simulations. Commendations and promotions will be awarded for excellent achievements during basic training. • Standing Order: As population increases come every year I want the new men which are added to undergo basic training to discover who is able to join the armed forces. Equipment

Land Combat

Equipment in the ROTU combat system includes weapons, armors, mounts, war engines, and warships. The production of these items will need to be handled through development and production orders. Enough items must be available to equip your soldiers so you will need enough natural resources to produce them. Creating an army and equiping it is an excellent item to include in your first set of orders.

Land based troops must be trained in land combat in order to be effective in battle. Training should include hand to hand fighting, military formations, and physical fitness to endure the rigors of a prolonged military campaign. The more completely trained your troops are the better their chances of success. Advanced training should include fighting from mounts, missile warfare, and general field experience through military maneuvers. Good leadership among your military units will also have a big impact on the success or failure of a military campaign.

Terrain Military conflicts can take place in a variety of environments. Each environment requires a specific military approach that is tailored for that environment. For instance, land combat demands the use of hand to hand combat, mounted combat, and land based military formations. Naval warfare demands the use of ships, specialized war engines, and naval tactics. However, in a siege, army size and equipment matters very little while fortifications and siege engines matter a great deal. Good leaders must understand these situations and how to approach with them.

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Naval Combat Naval combat utilizes many different military factors than land based combat. Hand to hand weapons and armors play a very small role in naval combat. Instead, the ship itself and the experience of its crew will decide the outcome of a battle. Leaders who want to excel at naval combat need to concentrate on developing ships which are faster, stronger, and more maneuverable. They also need to train crews who excel in naval tactics and seamanship. Leadership and missile warfare may also play an important role in this type of combat.

Combat & Terrain Siege Combat

Weather and Terrain

Siege combat is a very unique form of land combat. It requires a great deal of planning and patience. Armies and generals matter very little in determining the outcome of a siege. The crucial elements of this type of combat involve the amount and sophistication of the siege engines attacking, along with the courage and skill of their operators, versus the walls and civil defenses of the besieged settlement. Innovation on both sides of the siege can be the determining element as to who will break the siege first, e.g. a Trojan horse or getting word out to a helpful ally.

Terrains on a realm are often simplified for easy understanding and play. Terrains fall into the categories listed below and have some restrictions on

Special Areas of Combat Just as there are men who make lousy soldiers there are also men who excel in it. These men, when properly trained and motivated, can become “super soldiers.” Your RC will indicate how many of these soldiers you have and what level they have achieved. The higher the level, the more deadly and effective they will be in combat. These soldiers should be placed into specialized units, which can better utilize their abilities. You may want to save these soldiers for special missions or assignments of great importance.

movement. Weather is also a factor but plays a relatively small role in day to day affairs, except in such major events as a natural disaster.

Terrain Movement Restriction Table Terrain Type Bay/Shore Desert Flatland(prairie) Forest Hills Impassable mountains Mountain Ocean River Swamp

Land movement none slow normal slow slow none very slow none slow very slow

Sea movement slow none none none none none none normal slow very slow

Alliances, Treaties, and Borders After you have sent out scouts, met other populations, and discovered your general location on the realm, you should try to stabilize yourself. Becoming friends with your neighbors can be useful. Written treaties and alliances come in handy during times of war. The RC

Fantasy Combat On fantasy realms, magic can become an added factor in combat. Spellcasters, magical animals, and magical equipment can increase your military strength significantly. Obviously, on these types of realms, your opponent will probably also have magic based items to counter yours. Also, gods tend to appear more during combat on fantasy realms to lend divine assistance to one side or the other.

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come in handy during times of war. The RC does not need to be aware of any alliances, treaties, or borders but if your people need to know it, then the RC needs to know it also. Alliances and treaties are not enforced by the RC, they are enforced by you and your people.

Population Background Population of the Realm Many players never fully understand that there are people everywhere. Most of the realms within ROTU are well populated. Only some of these people are under your control. When you control a town, realize that a town’s economy is dependent upon not only the folks that live there but also the travellers roaming around the realm. Not only are these folks good for business but they are also your principal source of information. People love to gossip.

Races and Racial Conflicts There are a variety of races in the many realms of ROTU. A race is a method of classification through which physical attributes reveal an individual’s place of origin. Race becomes important when two populations merge, often as a result of a conqueror trying to gain control over the defeated foe. Populations of radically different racial stocks will naturally resist merges, while folks of similar or identical races will merge easily.

Settlements Controlling a town is the most popular request of starting players. Even if your people don’t have one, chances are you will have dealings with one while playing the game. Listed here are the primary components of a town and how they will affect the game. The first component is town defense. Each town will have a physical fortification classification. The class can range from as high as ultra-fortified to as low as no fortification at all. Fortification classes can be increased by the player to a certain degree, but the cost of these improvements goes up very quickly. Construction of new fortifications is done through a production order.

The second component is the option of having a port. Obviously, you must be on a body of water, i.e. a river, bay, lake or ocean. To have a port added to your settlement, docks will need to be built through a production order. You may add battlements and war engines to the port facility to defend your town from sea attack. Port size, shown as a number in parenthesis next to “port” on your Player Sheet, is an indicator of the number of ocean going vessels which can be docked at one time. Initial building and any future increases of a port is done through a production order, because dock building is common knowledge. The third component available to a town is a shipyard. This is a primitive dry dock where the production of seagoing vessels takes place. The cost of building a shipyard is high and the knowledge for its production must be developed. Expanding a shipyard is done through a production order and the capacity is listed in the same way a port capacity is listed. Battlements for a shipyard may be added for protection. Having a shipyard does not mean that you are able to build a ship, but it does mean that you are able to give it a try, i.e. you can begin to develop ships.

Educational Institutions Many highly civilized populations will endeavor to promote higher education. A logical progression of these pursuits will produce the founding of educational institutions. When establishing an educational system, players should include the ages to be taught, the curriculum, and who will do the teaching. At the younger ages, a successful system will simply include details as to the curriculum and administration. Educational systems beyond this kind of “basic training” require additional attention.

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Successful colleges or universities are products of societies that promote intellectual and social freedom, where ideas can be discussed and exchanged freely. The society is also very active in the areas of exploration and technology, constantly discovering the world around them and inventing new items. Information, current and ancient, is the cornerstone of these institutions. The end result will be individuals with specialized expertise in a variety of disciplines. Guilds are a specialized extension of educational institutions and will play an important role on the realm. Guilds are groups of specialists in a particular area who have organized themselves for the exchange of ideas and information. Guilds interact heavily with colleges and universities, where their members are initially trained. Guilds are established by the RC, who will notify players of existing guild chapters among their people.

History of Populations Another way to become more involved with your people and make them more realistic is by creating a history for them. Be imaginative with this! It doesn’t necessarily have to be accurate. History may even be useful in the game as seen from the way Lord Alden used it in this section of the “History of the Noble Peoples of Bolson.” “... the deity Bolt, wise and faithful brother of Mara, did bless the people of the blue lands and gave them the name Bolson. And from that day forward, the Bolsonites strove to achieve greatness in knowledge and teaching, as to the call of their fief. Bolt smiled upon...” This section is often quoted by Lord Alden’s development teams as they work diligently on new technologies.

Beyond the Basics Theology

Creativity

Relics

Your RC plays the role of the main god of the realm. The RC may choose to create a theological system to go along with the realm, but otherwise the player should make up their own. Systems can be as extensive as the player and the RC wish to make them. For example, on Calmara, Mara is the only true god of the realm. There are also realms which are strictly atheistic and still others which have elaborate, polytheistic systems. A new player should ask the RC for a description of the theological system when they start the game. Political ties between a people and their leader are strong, but religious ties can be even stronger.

It is fun to discover mountains, oceans, lakes and other such things on your realm. When you find them, you have the honor of naming these landmarks, so be creative when doing so. The name you use may stick around. Being creative also includes thinking of new ways to add color to the game. For instance, building new and exciting facilities for your people, such as public parks, playhouses, and even a summer resort can improve their standard of living. Treat your people as if they are real. It is what a simulation game is all about. By being creative in this and other ways, you will get a better feeling for the game and be more successful.

Relics are unique items that people identify as symbols of power, beauty, and strength. A relic may be a sword, crown, septre, holy artifact, or any other unique, man-made item. Players can create a relic easily through a special order. When creating a relic, remember that the more rare and unique an item, the greater the social and spiritual significance will be attatched to it. A relic will be used primarily by the PC, with a few exceptions. Be creative. This will add a lot of color to the game. Lord Alden has the Emerald War Helm of Sythryl, which is rumored to give the Bolsonites victory whenever the ruler of Bolson wears it into battle. To date, he has never lost a battle while wearing it.

Magic on the Realm Unlike many role playing games, ROTU does not contain magic (the major exception to this is explained under the section “Fantasy ROTU”). Spells, wizards, and the like have no place in this simulation game. However, supernatural occurances can happen and a good leader will be prepared for anything. It also doesn’t hurt to keep up your everyday homage to your local gods, just in case.

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Beyond the Realm Inter-Realm Travel One of the more interesting aspects of ROTU is inter-realm travel. Realms are connected by Gateways, which can be traveled through. Gateways were created by the gods to protect safe travel through the chaotic substances between realms. Originally, only the gods and their minions used these specialized pathways but in time, mortals discovered the Gateways and have begun visiting other realms. A Realm Gate is a kind of portal, or door, that can be found on realms. These Gateways can take on many different shapes and sizes. Some are even invisible. Most are protected by riddles, monsters, or simply physical obstacles and all are dangerous to the ignorant and unwary. Upon entering a Gateway, the character will see a large, neon sign telling them that they are leaving the realm and wishing them well. As they travel through a Gateway, the pathway will often be a river or road which will wander through the chaotic substance of the Multiverse, which is called Astra. Gateways are the only way to safely travel through the Astra. Stepping off the gate would mean instant destruction. There are many adventures that travellers may encounter while in a Gateway. There are strange creatures who make their homes in these Gateways and await realm travellers. Characters should always be prepared for the unknown. Upon reaching the destination realm, another neon sign will tell travellers what realm they are approaching and welcome them to it. If this is the character’s first trip to the realm, he will not know where the Gateway is on the realm. Obviously, Gateways can be dangerous items. However, they can be of great advantage, too. New and rare resources can be obtained from neigh-

boring realms, new technological information can be brought back, and new economic arenas can be exploited. Time can also be different on another realm. For instance, building a ship on your home realm might take four weeks but only four days on another realm. The possibilities are endless! When characters travel to another realm which is run by a different RC, the characters are then run by that realm’s RC. Don’t be surprised if you change RC’s when changing realms.

Library of Ar The Library of Ar is probably the most unique item in the entire Multiverse. Most gods don’t even understand it. It appears on most realms in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some will be huge, ornate buildings while others may be a small wooden shacks in the middle of a forest. However, inside it will be filled with treasures of information.

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The Library of Ar is, in fact, a library. Each branch on the individual realms has one thing in common: it is run by a head librarian. This head librarian, a person of unknown origin, is anything but cooperative. The head librarian may run a huge staff of librarians or run the library alone. A character will be greeted immediately upon entering the library and will soon notice that this is no ordinary library. Inside, the library appears to be bigger than its outer shell. Experts theorize that the library is a realm unto itself but no one has ever been able to map any part of it. In fact, it is so large and labyrinth-like inside that unwary visitors, searching for a book, may find themselves lost and never return. Only with the help of an official Library of Ar librarian can a person get out safely. The character may not always find what he wants, either. There is never any assurance that the information he seeks will be available.

You and your RC The Library of Ar cannot be attacked. It is protected by an unknown force. Any kind of violence or vandalism cannot occur on Library grounds. No material can leave the Library of Ar. They can be copied by hand but they cannot be removed. Also, the information discovered is not assured to be valid. Since the Library collects every kind of information it can, some information may be only partially true or outdated. The Library of Ar is notorious for this. Finally, since each branch of the Library of Ar is somehow connected to the others, it is quite possible to exit onto a different realm than the one you entered from. This can be frustrating since it is almost impossible to find the route back to your realm. Many researchers have been lost due to this. Don’t be surprised when one of yours disappears, too. Use of the Library of Ar costs money. The assistant librarians and guide librarians must be paid a fee for leading you around the Library. The cost varies from branch to branch. See your local head librarian for a cost breakdown. The Library of Ar is politically neutral. It exists only for cataloguing information and nothing else. Even when a branch appears inside a city, it will remain totally neutral from the city politics. The advantages of this is that many warring cities or countries have used the Library for a neutral meeting place. Hundreds of treaties and agreements have been signed in Conference Room A, a room designed especially for this purpose.

Death of a Player Character If your PC is killed in the course of events, you are out of the game. Your RC will probably let you start over again with another group. However, it will mean starting from scratch. Most players are despondent over the prospect of having all their hard work destroyed just because their PC got killed. The makers of ROTU thought of this and have provided a possible solution. If you plan ahead of time and work with your RC, you can set up a list of heirs. By doing this, you can at least get a portion of your people back by re-entering the game as the heir of your former PC. This does not mean that the transfer will be easy. You may have to fight off some other contenders to the title and office of your ex-leader. The positive side is that you do have a chance of getting your people back without having to start from scratch. Many of Lord Alden’s enemies have had to do this more than once. “A few,” boasts Lord Alden, “simply choose to start over rather than take control of what was left.”

You and Your Realm Controller A special relationship should be developed with your RC. Always remember that they are having as much fun as you are with the game. Through the realm controller, you will talk to other group leaders, scouting parties, and gods. In a loose way, the RC is the god of your realm. He created the realm and your character along with it. Something else

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to remember is that the RC is a bundle of information. Press him(but not too hard) for details on your scouting reports, general rumors, and technological developments. Ask lots of questions and, of course, act on the answers with written orders. It is up to you to act. It is not the RC’s responsibility to keep you informed about current events. Remember also, that you play your PC but your RC plays everyone else, i.e. scouts, soldiers, general population, etc. Therefore, talk to your people. They may know things that you don’t. There are also RC run PCs and populations. You will be encountering these groups just as you would a player run group. These RC run populations will be used to get things moving and offer new challenges to you and your people. Treat them as you would any other unknown people. Remember that one of the RC’s responsibilities is to promote interaction and play. These RC run groups are excellent color for the game.

The RC Supplement When RCs design realms, they will often make decisions and interpretations of the guidelines governing the ROTU system. They will let you know about these interpretations in a RC Supplement. The supplement may include the history of the realm, legends of importance, and variations of the guidelines established in the Player’s Manual. On Calmara, the RC supplement contained this section, which we selected to use as an example of a guideline variation. “...On the realm of Calmara, there will be little attention paid to the amount of food units a people will have. Instead, the amount of food will be recorded as the number of weeks the supply will last at its present levels. This number may be increased or decreased according to the conditions of the realm...”

Fantasy Realms

A fantasy realm uses all the imagination and creativity which a realm controller and his players can muster. Fantasy realms can be compared to the worlds created by such people as J.R.R Tolkien, Piers Anthony, Michael Moorcock, Homer, Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis, Anne McCaffery, Isaac Asimov, and Frank Herbert, as well as worlds created in fantasy role playing games. Even though these realms go beyond the boundaries of reality and the structure of a typical “fiction” realm, the RC will follow certain guidelines to keep the game organized and enjoyable. This section will deal with different aspects of a fantasy realm that a successful leader will need to keep in mind.

Playing a Non-Human Race More often than not, a player will be the human leader of a human population. But on a fantasy realm, there is the chance that the RC will allow you to play a non-human race. There are advantages and disadvantages to running a non-human group. For example, an elven race will have a strong constitution, prolonged lifespan, and orientation toward the philosophical and intellectual. A disadvantage would be that elves are notoriously slow moving, independent, and egotistical. Players should be aware of the advantages/disadvantages to these races before choosing one. Consult your RC on this.

Fantasy Animals Animals on a fantasy realm range from the bizarre to the magical. Populations who encounter these animals should take great care in studying their behaviors and attributes in order to utilize them successfully as resources. It is not uncommon to find on a fantasy realm, the presence of winged horses and fire-breathing dragons, as well as cute little fish that can talk.

Fantasy Elements and Resources Although players will find the usual minerals on a fantasy realm, such as gold and iron, they will also encounter new minerals which contain magical properties. Extensive testing of these new minerals may yield some surprising, and possibly advantageous, results. These minerals should be studied and catalogued for possible use in the society. Your RC will have information concerning mineral descriptions and attributes.

Magical Specialists In order to deal with the ever-increasing complexity of a fantasy realm, your population may have Magical Specialists. Similar to their “fiction” counterparts, each has an individual area of expertise and levels of achievement(rings). The three major classes of Magical Specialists are:

Druids, who are animal, plant, and environment experts; Alchemists, who can identify and properly mix magical elements; Wizards, who are adept in spellcasting.

Producing Magical Goods Magical goods fall into two different categories. First, normal “fictional” items can have enchantments placed on them, thus giving them magical properties. The others are items molded from magical elements into a form which can give them power. Whenever producing these items you should utilize your magical specialists to handle the very delicate details of production.

Magical Realms The fantasy realms themselves also tend to be a bit bizarre. They can be riddled with strange terrains (example: the weeping sea, a sea which sounds like it is crying) or have certain attributes which will need to be addressed by an adapting, successful leader (example: The land is broken up into many small clumps of terrain which float around a huge blue beach ball, and all travel is done with the use of gigantic lighterthan-air floatwhales). Obviously, the possibilities are endless and a player should therefore keep in close contact with his/her RC.

Extra Creativity Needed The purpose of having a fantasy realm is to test the player’s creativity. Therefore, successful leaders will need to devote extra creativity toward their orders and projects. The demands on players of a fantasy realm are greater, but so are the opportunities for fun and excitement. This type of realm should only be attempted by players with some previous experience in ROTU.

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Back Cover

Realms of the Unknown Player's Manual You hold in your hands a gateway into a new realm. This manual includes important information for leading a population through the trials and tribulations of Realms of the Unknown. You will need strength, creativity, intelligence, organization, and even some luck to take your people from a society based upon sticks and stones and transform them into a thriving population advanced in technology and lifestyle. The guidelines inside are straightforward and easy to learn. They will establish your leader, begin your journey, and even give you tips on more advanced ideas. This manual is a must for players interested in joining a game that goes beyond typical board games and roleplaying games. ©1991, 1997 the walnut group All rights reserved Printed in U.S.A.

$ 8.00 US

the walnut group P.O. Box 631 Itasca, IL 60143

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