The Hidden Elegance of ACKS...A Little TOO Hidden

Yeah, I use one of those myself. I actually prefer game-specific cardstock screens from an aesthetic point-of-view, but in terms of practicality, these customizable screens are great.

They’re especially helpful for small publishers that may not have the wherewithal to do a full production of a screen, but could manage to publish a 6-page (or even a 3-page) pdf.

I’m waiting for the Auran Empire book so I can have an all-ACKS-covers timeline screen on the backside.

Player’s Companion (beginning) → ACKS (conquering) → D@W (early domain) → Auran Empire (late domain).

Buy a colour laser printer → Google Michael C. Hayes → Profit?

Dude. Duuuuuuuude.

(EDIT: Overly vague. Just thought that was an awesome idea.)

Dude?

I claimed I bought the colour laser printer for productive purposes, but who am I kidding? It was originally for printing out colour images of monsters for RPG sessions.

I created a screen, too. I love having so many tables in one place so I don’t have to go looking them up over and over again.

I’m not the only economist! Huzzah!

I never realized we had so many actual economists in the community! That’s very cool, albeit intimidating.

I’m finishing up a double-major in creative writing and statistics this year, and then onward to a PHD in Stats eventually.

ACKS: The High IQ OSR game.

I was thinking ACKS: Economist-Tested, Statistician-Approved.

With branding like this, it’s no wonder we’re outselling D&D 5E 6 to 1*!

*According to a survey conduct among members of my weekly gaming group.

Well, that certainly begs the question: what am I doing here?

Wow…I have a new reason to want a chance to actually run or play ACKS…my IQ might rise!

People used to laugh at my undeveloped campaign world. I was ashamed to reveal my lack of economic coherency and demographics. Then I sent in the mail for Alex Macris’ Adventurer Conqueror King System. It made me such a complete specimen of a Judge that guys and gals can’t help but notice my perfectly trimmed hex maps and fully developed custom classes.

Mail for your own copy of the Adventurer Conqueror King System, and take you and your players from zeros to heroes!

I posted an article on my blog, in part with this thread in mind. I’d appreciate any feedback.
Http://free-strife.blogspot.com/2014/09/conquerors-and-kings.html

Most of the article is trying to rationalize a discrepancy that I don’t see. If the minimum domain size is 1 square mile, then there can obviously be multiple baronies in a single hex, regardless of whether 1 hex is the average domain size - about half of domains will be smaller than average. (Assuming that “average” means “median”. If it’s the mean domain size, then the majority of domains will be less than the “average” size to balance out the domains that are up closer to the 16-hex upper limit - a single 16-hex domain plus 32 half-hex domains work out to a mean domain size of 0.97 hexes.)

Regarding your final thoughts on building a stronghold and claiming a domain prior to 9th level, ACKS core explicitly covers that on page 134, under the heading “Establishing Strongholds Before 9th Level”. Also note that one of the examples on page 147 mentions the possibility of a 0-level son of a petty noble inheriting his father’s domain and how long it would take him to reach 1st level from the domain XP alone. There is no level limit on when you can rule a domain (other than your ability to hold on to it). As you theorized, the 9th level benefit is that, if you have a stronghold/tower/hideout/etc., you then gain followers. It’s not the ability to build a stronghold/tower/hideout/etc. in the first place.

The discrepancy I am trying to rationalize is the transition from domain to realm. A minimum domain size of 1 sq. mile implies nothing regarding the minimum size of a barony or how many baronies might exist in a 6 mile hex. A barony is a realm, so by definition has vassal domains as well as the personal domain of the baron. But the Titles of Nobility table says a barony has one domain and the various Realms tables in chapter 10 say a barony is a realm yet Realms and Vassals on page 130 defines a realm as multiple domains under one ruler. The wurm is eating its own tale.

Personal domains close to the 16 hex limit are the playgrounds of Dukes and Princes; if you compare the population limits of a realm that size against the personal domain population column on the Revenue by Realm table on 230. A large dukedom will have 200 or so baronies and a small principality will have more than 250. Those average to .57 and .501 hexes respectively. That will climb some with the personal domains of counts and marches but not enough to get to a 1 hex average.

The resolution that I will be staggering towards in follow up posts are some guidelines for domains smaller than baronies, modeled after the hundreds of Anglo-Saxon England or manors post Norman Conquest.

I did manage to jump back and forth from chapter 7 to chapter 10 and miss the section on page 134. Thanks for pointing that out to me. I’ll go back and revise the post to take that in to account.