Deus Vult! - Relics and Ruins

[ index | archive | maps | rules | nations ]

Relics and Ruins

Relics

Relics are special items that grant some sort of bonus to the leader possessing them. Most often this occurs in the form of an Ability Bonus. Relics will be listed as a special unit on the stat sheet, and can be carried and transferred just like any other unit. Some Relics will only grant their bonuses to leaders of a specific religion or language, while some are universal.

The most common way that Relics enter the game is through the Vatican. Every ten turns or so the Vatican will make a traditional relic (The True Cross, Shroud of Turin, etc.) available for bid. Roman Catholic nations can compete for influence to gain access to the Relic. Relics can also be made by the beautification of a saint, a token or bone associated with the pious individual then assumes holy powers. Finally, some relics can be discovered via random event or by searching ancient ruins.

Dangers

Relics are not immune from harm, and whenever a leader possessing a Relic suffers from Leader Fate, the Relic is also subject to Fate. Different than leaders, however, Relics are subject to the following Effects:

D100 Roll	Result	Effect
01-05	Destroyed	The Relic is broken beyond all hopes of repair. It is removed from the game entirely.
06-15	Captured	The Relic is captured by the nearest enemy or opposing force. It transfers to their stat sheet.
16-45	Lost	The Relic disappears, winding up 0-5 APs away from the last known location. Nations may attempt the Relic Research [RRS] action to divine the new location (or simply guess). A successful IL in the lost location will retrieve the Relic.
46-85	Damaged	The Relic is damaged and stops granting its special bonus. It may be restored to service by using the Repair Relic [RPR] Religious Operation.
86-00	Morale	The leader possessing the Relic convinces himself he is unworthy to wield the Relic, or that the Relic itself is cursed. He sends the Relic back to the National Capital.

Relics whose possessors are killed are automatically Lost unless a backup leader is on hand. Relics whose leaders are captured, are automatically Captured as well. Relics may be stolen via the Steal Object Operation, and may be damaged via the Terrorist Attack operation.

Ruins

Occasionally ancient cities or temples will arise through random event. These sites will initially act as a Trade Center (Type A) as treasure-hunters, adventure-seekers and pilgrims seek out the ancient or holy site. In addition to the trade bonus, these sites may be directly searched by leaders via an Investigate Location action. On a successful IL action, the leader is subject to a test of skill:

D6 Roll	Skill	Effect
1-2	Combat	The leader faces a test of strength: angry tribesmen, physical traps, abusive weather.
3-4	Charisma	The leader faces a test of guile: suspicious guardians, secret passageways.
5	Diplomacy	The leader faces a test of knowledge: riddles, deciphering ancient languages, excavations.
6	Loyalty	The leader faces a test of morale: ancient curses, bribery, places where the dead rest.

If the leader fails the skill test, he suffers Leader Fate - facing the possibility of death, wounds, capture or flight. If the leader passes the skill check, then he makes some sort of discovery:

D100 Roll	Discovery	Effect
01-50	Wealth	The nation gains some number of Gold Points.
51-80	Knowledge	The nation gains some number of Tech Points.
81-95	Maps	The nation gains access to new Rutters.
96-00	Relic	The nation discovers an ancient Relic.

Each site will only reveal a limited number of Discoveries (1D6) before being depleted. Once a site is depleted, it is removed from the map and stops acting as a Trade Center.