In Deus Vult! Secret Orders are a combination of two traditional LOTE positions: The Secret Empire and the Religious Fighting Order. Each Secret Order begins the game with a specific religious enemy. Their ultimate goal is the destruction of that enemy. Four Secret Orders begin in play: Three Catholic and one Muslim. Like Fighting Orders, these positions deal with status in their host nations in a give-and-take relationship. Like Secret Empires, their income is drawn from underneath Open Nations and their movements shrouded in an air of mystery.

 

Available Actions

The following actions are available to Secret Orders:

Religious Fighting Order Actions
IOS	Increase Order Status
DOS	Decrease Order Status
EQ	Embark on Quest
Secret Empire Actions
FCC	Form Cultic Cell
CCL	Create Cultic Lodge
CCT	Consecrate Cultic Temple
RCS	Raise Cultic Stronghold
IL	Investigate Location
SCC	Subvert Cultic Cell
ML	Move Cultic Location (Cell or Lodge)
New and Modified Actions
DL	Destroy Location
EXT	Exact Tithe
RT	Renegotiate Tithe
SOA	Summon Order Aid

Destroy Location
Type: Leader Action
Stat: Charisma
Code: DL
Cost: 2APs

Allows a national or mercenary Leader, accompanied by at least one point of troops (infantry or cavalry) to destroy a designated Location – a site belonging to a Secret Order or Religious Primacy. This is, of course, assuming that the location is not defended by troops or fortifications. Attacking a religious site belonging to the same religion may have dire consequences. When performed by one Secret Order upon a site belonging to another; Secret Cells, Lodges, Temples and Strongholds in the same region or city add a bonus to the attack. Note: Since this is not a Combat Action, Casus Belli is not needed for it. Casus Points will be generated.

Attacking an Order Location requires you to have found it previously with the IL Action or by learning of a second player's IL Action. Players who share this information need to do so through their turn orders. And, like all transfers, it does not occur until the end of the turn. When sending another position location information, please reference on what turn you original performed the IL investigation.

 

Exact Tithe
Type: Leader Action
Stat: Diplomacy
Code: EXT
Cost: 5 APs

One of the powers of the Order is the ability to levy a tithe upon the nations of its Religion to further finance the operations of the Order. The tithe can be as high as (Status)% of the nation’s revenue. Exacting a Tithe is not always successful and depends on the Leader’s Diplomacy, the Order's Status, the Target Nation’s Religion Strength and of course, the percentage of tithe desired. Each successful use of this action increases the Tithe by 1%.

At whatever level of tithe the Secret Order has successfully exacted on any or all nations at any particular turn, that amount is then deducted from the target nation or nation’s National Revenue the following turn. The national tax rate is reduced 1% for every percentage point tithed to the Order.

Note, however, that the abuse of this power is a good way of turning the nobility, and, through them, the local clergy of the nation, against the Order. A critical failure can even cause the loss of Status within the nation. The Tithe is set and then automatically collected on a per turn basis. Once a Tithe has been set and successfully exacted, it will continue for following turns until a successful Renegotiate Tithe action is performed. The GP from Tithing appears in the Order’s Saved Gold each turn. The action must be undertaken in the capital of the target nation.

 

Renegotiate Tithe
Type: Leader Action
Stat: Diplomacy
Code: RNT
Cost: 5 APs

Open Nations: This action may be undertaken in an attempt to lower a tithe placed upon the nation by a Secret Order. If successful, the tithe is lowered by 1% per use of this action. Higher tithes are easier to renegotiate than lower. A nation with a low Religious Strength has an easier time renegotiating than one with a High Religious Strength. The action must be undertaken in the capital.

Secret Orders: Secret Orders may also use this to lower a tithe levied on a host nation. When undertaken by the Order directly, there are no negative modifiers for level of the tithe or the target's Religious Strength. Each successful use lowers the Tithe by 1%. This version of the action must be undertaken in the nation's capital.

Additionally, however, this action can be used to actually lower the Tithe a target nation has toward the Vatican. The Order speaks to the Pope on behalf of the Nation, and if successful, the Papal Tithe is lowered by 1%. What the Order receives from the nation for speaking on its behalf is left to the players. Only Tithes which have been in effect for at least four turns with the Papacy are eligible to be renegotiated. This use of the action must be undertaken in Rome itself.

 

Summon Order Aid
Type: Leader Action
Stat: Diplomacy
Code: SOA
Cost: 5 APs

This ability is used by the Secret Order to levy troops from Open Nations directly. NFP can be difficult to get for Secret Orders, so this action may be utilized to offset that disadvantage. The acting leader targets a specific region or city. If successful, some number of troops are drawn into service from the local population. This number is determined by the level of success, but may not exceed the GP Value of the region or city in question for the turn. The Secret Order must specify what type of troops are being recruited with each action: Infantry, Cavalry or Engineers. These troops weigh in above and beyond the normal heavy, elite versions that can be built. The number of troops summoned is deducted from the target nation's NFP income for the following turn. In addition to the GPV limit, a per turn cap equal to the Order Status held in the nation also exists.

 

Order Enemies

Secret Orders exist outside the normal bounds of Casus Belli. Each Order has a distinct Order Enemy that they must focus their efforts on defeating. To pursue this goal, the Secret Order has automatic Casus Belli towards the Order Enemy, as well as against any nation of a religion related to the Order Enemy. On the flipside, Secret Orders never gain Casus Belli against nations of religions that are not related to their Order Enemy. Further, until an Order settles, all Open Status Control counts as Tenuous.

Orders which do not progress toward conflict with their Order Enemy will begin to see disadvantages crop up. These disadvantages will start lightly, but will increase the longer the position goes without successful conflict. This process is tracked in the stats sheet by a 'Conflict Timer' which ranges from 1 to 10.

Timer	Disadvantage
1	None.
2	Penalty to Site Construction.
3	Penalty to Intel and Assassin Operations.
4	Penalty to Religious Operations
5	Penalty to Leader Loyalty Checks.
6	Penalty to Leader Actions.
7	Penalty to New Leader Statistics.
8	Status Loss in Host Nations.
9	Random Site Degradation
10	Immediate Roll for Dynastic Failure.

The Order begins play with the Timer set to one. Each turn, the timer changes according to the following list:

Increase by One
The Secret Order undertakes no successful conflict against the Order Enemy.

Hold at Current Level
The Secret Order undertakes a successful Intel, Assassin or Religious Operation against the Order Enemy.
The Secret Order undertakes an unsuccessful Combat Action against the Order Enemy.

Decrease by One
The Secret Order undertakes a successful Combat Action against the Order Enemy.

Reset to One
The Secret Order conquers (P or PT) an Order Enemy Location.
The Secret Order suffers a Dynastic Failure due to the Level 10 Disadvantage.

Disadvantages are cumulative and persistent. So, a Secret Order with a Conflict Timer set to 10 suffers all the disadvantages on the list. The Order also makes the Dynastic Failure roll, loses Status, and sees a Random Site degrade every turn until the Timer decreases or is reset.

 

Destruction of the Enemy

When an Order Enemy is destroyed (Has no remaining land holdings), the player of the order has three choices on the direction of his position.

Colonization: In this case, the Order becomes a Crusader State over the remains of the fallen Enemy. The Temples of the Order are disbanded, turning into some number of tribal points. The Stronghold of the Order may be disbanded to revert one region of the fallen enemy into a new homeland region for the Crusader State. Play then continues with the Order becoming an Open Nation in all respects.

Redirection: In this case, the Order chooses not to colonize over the fallen enemy. Instead, they appeal to the Leaders of their Religion to determine a new enemy. The single nation with the mast Casus Points accrued towards the Order's Co-Religionists is chosen as the new target. However, each site in the order must undergo a Revolt Check. A failure causing the site in question to degrade one level as the Knights and Soldiers in service retire with the original goal being met. Status in each nation for the Order is also halved.

Disbandment: The Order retires from service. The Orders Sites and troops are completely disbanded, and that total is distributed proportionally to the nations holding Order Status.

 

Other Powers

Government Loans: Orders may loan Bureaucracy Levels and Infrastructure to Nations as per Religious Fighting Order Rules.

Trade: Secret Orders may not conduct Trade. Though they may assign Internal Trade and Fishing Fleets to their Port Cities.

Marriage: Secret Orders are not eligible for Royal Marriage bonuses.

Prince Leaders: Open Nations may send male Royal Children to join the service of a specific Secret Order. These leaders are transferred to the Order's Royal Family list and may be appointed as P Leaders by the Order once they reach the age of 15. Orders may also gain starting Princes with a Free-Start Bonus.

 

Creating New Secret Orders

Certain events and triggers can allow a religion the opportunity to create a new Secret Order. The first requirement is that there must be three founding nations, each with a Religious Strength of 8 or more, to undertake the foundation. In addition, a player must have been recruited by the founding nations to take up the new Secret Order. A successful Found Religious Order (FRO) action must be completed by one of the Kings of the founding nations. And finally, a Male Royal of age must be chosen from one of the founding nations to be the new Order Leader.

Once successful, the region or city chosen in the FRO action becomes the new Stronghold for the order. The Order receives an Enemy based on whichever nation has the highest Casus Points accrued toward members of the Order's Religion. The order starts with no government statistics, but does receive Quality Ratings equal to the average of the founding nations. The Order Receives One Status in Each Founding Nation, and an additional Status in the Nation from which the new Order Leader comes from. Then, the Order may choose five bonuses from the Free Start Customization List to augment the position.

These new Secret Orders are precarious, and if left without a player for three turns in a row will be automatically disbanded.

Possible Secret Order Foundations
Religion	Order Enemy	Goal
Eastern Orthodox	Rum Seljuk Sultanate	Expansion into Asia Minor
Roman Catholic	Kingdom of Leon	Destruction of the Pozo de la Sangre
Sunni Islam	The Emirate of Yemen	Reclaimation of Mecca and Madina

 

Supporting Cultic Sites

When constructing new sites or expanding existing ones, a leader, in addition to paying the normal foundation costs, must indicate from what existing site the new site will be drawing its support from. Remember, all Cells must be within Action Range [AR] of a Lodge, Temple or Stronghold; all Lodges and Temples must be within AR of a Temple or Stronghold. Locations which lose their Support (Due to a site being destroyed or moved) have one turn to reassert support. The Nation need only list a new eligible site within AR to be the new support. Nations may also change existing sites to different support sites by noting the change in the orders. If an orphaned Site is unable to connect to a new support site, it will degrade one level per turn until it disappears or finds eligible support.

 

Open Nations vs. Secret Orders

Open Nations who start on the Enemy List, or become the enemy of a Secret Order through play have to be careful when striking back. Launching a full-scale invasion of another nation can be costly, even more so if you don't have Casus Belli against your neighbor. Investigate Location is the method used to find Order Sites. Leaders may sneak into opposing territories and try to ferret out the location of Order Sites. Gratuitous use of Secret Movement, or Conceal Fact actions is recommended so your searching leader doesn't wind up a captive of the nation you are searching. Once an Order Location is found, the Destroy Location action is used to destroy it. Destroy Location is not affected by the Casus Belli penalty. Troops are needed for this action, unless the Order happens to have no garrison present, so there is a danger that an excursion will trigger a Reactionary force of the nation it is sneaking through.

 

Joining the Orders

Deus Vult! is focusing directly on the times of the first crusades. Normal LOTE rules don't quite do justice to the system of Kings and Princes uniting in an effort to crush religious adversaries and free their Holy Cities from the yoke of their enemies. Deus Vult! seeks to simulate this effect by instituting the following new action:

Undertake Crusade or Jihad
Type: Leader Action
Stat: Special
Code: CRU
Cost: 20 APs
Requirement: Must be undertaken in the capital. Must be directed toward a Secret Order which holds at least 1 Status in your nation.

The leader in question returns to the capital, where he takes supply and embarks on a journey to fight the enemy of the Secret Order. This action succeeds automatically if all APs are spent. The following turn, the leader undertaking the action is available for use by the Secret Order as a special Battle Assistance Operation. These Crusading Leaders may be assigned to assist any one of the Secret Order Leaders. If assigned, the Crusading Leader makes a special Combat check If successful, the Leader adds to the outcome of any actions the Secret Order leader undertakes, just as if benefiting from a Battle Assistance INTEL Operation. If unsuccessful in the special Combat check, the Secret Order Leader instead suffers a penalty, as from a failed Battle Assistance INTEL Operation.

While on Crusade, the Leader is no longer under the control of the original player. However, the leader is also not subject to the normal CCR restrictions. The Crusading Leader will follow the Secret Order Leader he is assigned to, becoming part of an entourage. The only orders that the player may issue the Crusading Leader is whether to Stay on Crusade or Return to the Nation. Crusaders which stay are again available to the Secret Order on the following turn. Leaders which are ordered to Return spend the following turn on Movement back to the nation's capital and are then free for normal orders.

King Leaders who return from Crusade and who's Secret Order Leader succeeds at least once in combat against a Declared Enemy are eligible for an Oath or Vow. [See: Oaths and Vows]

Any Leader who succeeds in a Major Victory against the Secret Order's Declared Enemy may increase one of their statistics one point -or- may increase one of that leader's son's statistics by one point.

Major Victories include:

Raiding Five or more locations of the Enemy's Faith
Defeating Three or more small Enemy Armies
Capturing Two or More locations from the Enemy
Defeating Two or more Medium Enemy Armies
Defeating a Large Enemy Army
Capturing Jerusalem

The Secret Order will have a listing of all Crusading Leaders available to him in the turn. As specific Leaders spend more time on Crusade, the Secret Order will receive more information on the Leader's Statistics. Of course, leaders which fail their Special Combat Checks will be written up as making mistakes in the newsfax, while leaders who succeed will be written up as helping.

 

Oaths and Vows

Crusader Kings and Jihadist Sultans hold a special place in the hearts of their people. King Leaders who return from Crusade/Jihad and who's Secret Order Leader succeeds at least once in combat against a Declared Enemy may take an Oath or Vow.

Wise leaders can capitalize on their return from Crusade/Jihad by playing up their piety and divine favor by taking an Oath or Vow to uphold one of the Seven Virtues of Christianity or one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Once taken, the Nation is subject to a penalty (depending on which Virtue or Pillar is being upheld). However, at the end of the King's life, the nation receives a bonus to its chance to avoid Dynastic Failure. Taking a Vow costs no APs, it is simply noted in the Leaders orders. Most Oaths also require a specific number as denoted by boldface below. So, if making an oath of Charity, the player must indicate a specific percentage of deduction to the tax rate. If making a Vow of Prayer, the player must designate how many APs the King will spend every turn on a generic 'Prayer' action.

Virtue	Requirement
Chastity	K01 Leader lowers his percentage chance of childbirth.
Moderation	K01 Leader spends APs doing good deeds every turn.
Generosity	The nation lowers the effectiveness of Action and Operation Bribery.
Zeal	K01 Leader must spend APs on Preach (Diplomatic Conversion) actions or Espionage (Missionary Ops or Bonus) actions.
Meekness	The nation lowers the effectiveness of QR investments.
Charity	The nation lowers its tax rate.
Humility	K, H, and P leaders must undertake a Pilgrimage to Rome or Jerusalem. Male royal family members must be taken by a leader on Pilgrimage once they reach 15 years of age.
Pillar
Belief	K01 Leader must spend APs on Preach (Diplomatic Conversion) actions or Espionage (Missionary Ops or Bonus) actions.
Prayer	K01 Leader spends APs in prayer every turn.
Charity	The nation lowers its tax rate.
Fasting	The nation lowers its harvest rate.
Pilgrimage	K, H, and P leaders must undertake a Pilgrimage to Mecca or Jerusalem. Male royal family members must be taken by a leader on Pilgrimage once they reach 15 years of age.

The Dynastic Failure relief is directly tied to the effect of the Oath or Vow. Meaning a King who spends many turns on an Oath of Zeal will receive a better benefit than a King who makes an Oath of Meekness but never invests in Quality Rating; and better than a Sultan who makes a Vow of Fasting with only one turn to live.

Once taken, a Vow or Oath must be upheld. If a player forgets to assign APs for a Vow of Belief, for example, those APs will be randomly assigned amongst the written orders. This could wreck havoc with a player's desired outcomes.