Post by rustic313 on Nov 15, 2019 0:59:34 GMT -6
Once a Barony has been carved out and the hexes cleared, how often should encounter occur for the occupants of the stronghold?
It appears that U&WA is silent on this issue. However, because the NPCs put out patrols, we can infer that they are indeed worried about various incursions. The outdoor encounter tables do make it clear that difficult terrain is more likely to be populated by pretty aggressive monsters, so theoretically strongholds near such terrain are probably at greater risk of incursions.
Next, looking at the outdoor survival map, we note there are about three rural strongholds per urban town. I'd estimate that at least a dozen (probably more) large grain caravans need to flow into each town every year, which means that each rural stronghold is getting visited by at least 4 merchant caravans annually to collect food alone... plus more for all the other goods that would flow from a rural area to the city (wool, raw materials, wood, stone, etc). The odds of a trade caravan visiting a stronghold any given month seem quite good (probably at least 2/6 for food, and likely 3/6 or higher). Caravans should be streaming into cities every month.
AD&D's DMG states:
Historical examples are tough to calculate. The best examples I can think of off the top of my head are raids against frontier communities (for example, during wars in the Americas between European settlers and natives), or during uprisings and insurgencies. As one data point, during the "Forage War" in 1776, there were at least 58 separate encounters over three months with sizable numbers of raiders, with "stronghold" (British) forces being about 10K regulars. I'd expect a Baron to command about 150 regulars, so if we scale it all down by 98.5% that's about one hostile encounter by a sizable raiding party in a three month period, during a period of active hostilities with a well organized insurgent population (probably close to worst case, even for active and aggressive monstrous neighbors!). At least the example gives an order of magnitude estimate that conforms pretty well to our AD&D example (one hostile check per month -- probably resulting in one actual hostile encounter every few months).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forage_War
Am I missing any other OD&D source material rules for the frequency of "encounters" for a typical stronghold owner? Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing a gem in the source material before starting to work off AD&D and historical baselines.
It appears that U&WA is silent on this issue. However, because the NPCs put out patrols, we can infer that they are indeed worried about various incursions. The outdoor encounter tables do make it clear that difficult terrain is more likely to be populated by pretty aggressive monsters, so theoretically strongholds near such terrain are probably at greater risk of incursions.
Next, looking at the outdoor survival map, we note there are about three rural strongholds per urban town. I'd estimate that at least a dozen (probably more) large grain caravans need to flow into each town every year, which means that each rural stronghold is getting visited by at least 4 merchant caravans annually to collect food alone... plus more for all the other goods that would flow from a rural area to the city (wool, raw materials, wood, stone, etc). The odds of a trade caravan visiting a stronghold any given month seem quite good (probably at least 2/6 for food, and likely 3/6 or higher). Caravans should be streaming into cities every month.
AD&D's DMG states:
By patrolling the territory regularly - about once per week on a
sweep basis, or daily forays to various parts of the area, the character will
need only check once each week for incursions of wandering monsters
(see APPENDIX C: RANDOM MONSTER ENCOUNTERS) on the Uninhabited/Wildernerr table. Checks must also be made on the Inhabited
table. If no road goes through the territory, then but one such check per
week is necessary. If a road goes through, then three checks per week
must be made on the Inhabited table. (This can be profitable if the encounters are with merchants and pilgrims, less sa with certain other
types . . . .)...
At such time as a territory has more than 30 miles of inhabited/patrolled
land from center to border, then only the second type of monster checks
are made, and all unfavorable ones, save one per month, are ignored....
Because this is a fantasy adventure game, it is not desirable to have any
player character's territory become tame and staid. There must always be
a chance for some monster to enter the area and threaten the well-being
of its inhabitants.
sweep basis, or daily forays to various parts of the area, the character will
need only check once each week for incursions of wandering monsters
(see APPENDIX C: RANDOM MONSTER ENCOUNTERS) on the Uninhabited/Wildernerr table. Checks must also be made on the Inhabited
table. If no road goes through the territory, then but one such check per
week is necessary. If a road goes through, then three checks per week
must be made on the Inhabited table. (This can be profitable if the encounters are with merchants and pilgrims, less sa with certain other
types . . . .)...
At such time as a territory has more than 30 miles of inhabited/patrolled
land from center to border, then only the second type of monster checks
are made, and all unfavorable ones, save one per month, are ignored....
Because this is a fantasy adventure game, it is not desirable to have any
player character's territory become tame and staid. There must always be
a chance for some monster to enter the area and threaten the well-being
of its inhabitants.
Historical examples are tough to calculate. The best examples I can think of off the top of my head are raids against frontier communities (for example, during wars in the Americas between European settlers and natives), or during uprisings and insurgencies. As one data point, during the "Forage War" in 1776, there were at least 58 separate encounters over three months with sizable numbers of raiders, with "stronghold" (British) forces being about 10K regulars. I'd expect a Baron to command about 150 regulars, so if we scale it all down by 98.5% that's about one hostile encounter by a sizable raiding party in a three month period, during a period of active hostilities with a well organized insurgent population (probably close to worst case, even for active and aggressive monstrous neighbors!). At least the example gives an order of magnitude estimate that conforms pretty well to our AD&D example (one hostile check per month -- probably resulting in one actual hostile encounter every few months).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forage_War
Am I missing any other OD&D source material rules for the frequency of "encounters" for a typical stronghold owner? Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing a gem in the source material before starting to work off AD&D and historical baselines.
