Lists and References ("the Rules": the other part)

[Ravana]

This thread will host those things that are too detailed to be dealt with in a single-category post on the "Care and Feeding" thread, and which are still more akin to "rules" than the background and setting threads are, but which are more likely to be important to your characters' lives—and possibly your own interest—than what's going to be left in the "Information" thread (which will probably turn into nothing but long reference lists of short, dry entries). The biggest categories are going to be Resources/Products and Improvements. Other things will make their appearances here eventually; the next will probably be a somewhat greater explanation of Fief Stats than is presently available.

•••

CONTENTS (by Post Number):

IMPROVEMENTS
(2) General Information
• How to Read Entries; Construction; Maintenance and Operating Costs; Water Supply; List of Improvements
(3) Production
(4) Commerce
(5) Urban
(6) Military
(7) Cultural
(8) Land
(9) Expanding Settlements and Recruiting Population

RESOURCES and PRODUCTS
(10) Explanation of Listings; List of Resources by Type
(11) Resources • Agricultural, Industrial/Craft
(12) Products • Agricultural, Industrial/Craft
(13) Exotic Resources and Products

(14) Calendar

 

[Ravana]

IMPROVEMENTS: General Information

This section is rather lengthy; as a result, it required breaking up, into the following categories:
• Production
• Commerce
• Urban
• Military
• Cultural
• Land

•••

How to Read Entries:

After the name is a brief description of what the improvement does. Following that are any notes on operating the improvement; in particular, if the improvement requires craftsmen (or if it requires any labor at all).

After that come construction costs. If a category is not listed, it is not required for construction.
Labor: This is given in “unit-months†(U/mo), which is the amount of work one peasant unit can do in one month. Thus, an improvement requiring 6 U/mo will take one unit six months to finish, or two units three months, or three units two months. Unless specified, no more than three units can work on one improvement at a time. Note that labor is figured into the “cash cost†of an improvement; if you provide your own, the difference gets backed out of the total cost. Basic labor costs 400 th/U/month.
Skilled Labor: This doesn’t show up very often; when it does, you need the listed professional or specialist in order to build it. Unless you’re lucky enough to have started with the right ones, you’ll have to hire them in. Most construction will also be aided by an architect or an engineer, even if one isn’t required.
Costs: The combined total of all resources needed to build it, chop it down or carry it away; the most common ones are for plaster, stone and timber. Also includes carts, furniture and tools necessary to build or outfit the improvement, as well as any minor components, and the cost of labor. It is possible to pay entirely in cash, and let your contractor worry about finding the labor and resources; you may partially defray some of these costs if you can provide some of your own resources.

Following construction costs are Maintenance/Operation costs; see below for details.

Note that the costs listed are only approximate: they can go up or down based on the prices of the resources required to build and operate them.

A few improvements still make reference to tracts—something I've been trying to avoid—especially the ones used to improve the tracts themselves. If you aren’t sure how these will work, ask.

•••

CONSTRUCTION

Many improvements—buildings, mostly—allow a variety of material types. Basic assumptions are that buildings are timber-framed, with plaster walls and thatch roofs. Using better than minimum materials can increase the value of the building, as well as provide some side benefits… such as being much less prone to fires. Some buildings require better than minimum materials (castles with plaster walls aren’t worth much).

Construction costs are given as thaler values for minimal material requirements. Substituting better materials increases the cost—of course. Optional materials include:
• roofing: copper, lead, stone (slate), tile, or timber;
• walls: brick, marble, stone, or timber.
Walls of brick or stone will still require a small amount of plaster (mortaring and interior finishing). Using better roofing materials will increase the amount of timber needed slightly (to hold up the greater weight). Where better materials are already required, this is factored into the costs.

Nearly any construction can be increased in value by fancying it up: adding marble or decorative stone facing, adding glazed windows, laying tile floors, hiring artists to paint the interiors, et cetera. See the “Care and Feeding†thread for why you might want to go to the added expense.

•••

MAINTENANCE and OPERATING COSTS

Maintenance reflects needed upkeep, what it takes to keep the improvement in working condition—generally a small annual cost for minor repairs. Operating costs are the expenses of keeping the improvement working on month-to-month basis, and include any materials not involved in production (a laundry, for instance, requires soap; forges require fuel) and salaries not related to labor. These are handled automatically as part of your monthly expenses. If you want to cut corners, you can stop paying maintenance; if you do, there’s a small chance each month that the improvement will stop working, and require a much larger investment to return it to working condition. If you stop paying operating costs, the improvement simply does nothing until you start again.

No improvement has both maintenance and operating costs: if there is required maintenance for something that has an operating cost, this is figured into the latter. If an improvement requires neither, maintenance/operating cost is not listed. A cost listed as “N th/mo†is an operating cost; one listed as “N th/y†is annual maintenance.

•••

WATER SUPPLY

All settlements require water. If your land has a stream rating of 6 or better, or a lake/pond rating of 8 or better, new settlements (hamlets) can be built without worrying about basic water supply: they simply build along a stream or by a lake. River ratings don’t help: it’s assumed that any available areas along a river have already been used by the settlments you started with.

If you don’t have these requirements, you must provide water to the new settlement by (1) building an aqueduct; (2) building a well; or (3) building a canal (of any size). Additional aqueducts and wells will further improve existing water supply (which can aid Health); so will cisterns. Canals are limited to one per tract, so you can’t increase water supply to a given settlement by building more (you can never have more than one settlement per tract). Note that a single water source is enough for a settlement of any size… however, extra sources help offset the Health penalties that arise from settlement size, so it’s well [sic] worth considering building these as the settlements grow.

Irrigation also requires a water source. The same stream and lake/pond ratings that can provide water to a settlement can also provide water to an irrigation system; also, if your realm has a river rating of 4 or better, you can use that. If you have none of these, you will need to provide a water source for each crop you want irrigated.

Mills require running water: a stream rating of 6+ or a river rating of 4+ will allow any number of mills to be built. If you don’t have this, you will need to build a special (small) canal, which cannot be used for any other purpose; one such canal can serve any number of mills.

Some other improvements also require water sources. Normally, these will simply draw on the same source(s) your settlements do, so you won’t have to worry about them; however, some events may cause them to be temporarily unable to do so, and thus unable to function.

•••

LIST OF IMPROVEMENTS by Type (repeated from "Care and Feeding")

Production:
armorer, beehives, brewery, craft hall, creamery, dairy, distillery, factory, fishing fleet, fishing wharf, forge/smithy, granary, irrigation, kiln, mill, mine, orchard, ore smelter, quarry, salt refinery, shipyard, slaughterhouse, smokehouse, stables, sugar refinery, tannery, timber lodge, vineyard, whaling ship

Commerce:
bazaar, bridge, canal (barge), caravanserai, ferry, guildhall, lighthouse, marketplace, pier, road (highway), roads (basic, good, paved), road network, ship, shipping yard, town square, trading post, warehouse

Urban:
aqueduct, baths, cistern, city, cobbled streets, gutters, hamlet, housing, laundry, meeting hall, orphanage, paved streets, poorhouse/workshop, sewers, sidewalk, town, village, well, widen streets, woodlot

Military:
bailey, barracks, castle, city/town wall, fortification (upgrade), keep, moat, palisade, watchtower

Cultural:
artwork, benefice, chapel, chateau, church/temple (small, large), embassy, fountain, garden, library, manor, monument, posts, school, scriptorium, shrine, theater, tomb

Land:
canal (small), clear land (rocky→uncleared→cleared), common land, convert plot type (cropland/horticulture/pasture), enlarge estate, expand tract, exploratory shaft, revitalize land (spent→distressed→normal), spread resource

•••

 

[Ravana]

PRODUCTION IMPROVEMENTS

Most improvements where goods are made have a capacity of 5 units/month production; these are marked “Cap5†in the listing. (Some have a different number.) You can build multiples of these for greater production. Many also require craftsmen to staff them—you can’t put your peasants to work there. Not all things that require craftsmen require improvements; conversely, some products derive no benefit from mass production.

Improvements that increase production of a resource usually apply to the entire barony. Some don’t even require labor: their mere existence provides the bonus. Unless specified, more than one of each gives no additional bonus.

•••

beehives
• Allows production of honey and wax, 1 unit of either per labor unit (so capacity is five units total, not each). Requires berries, flowers, or fruit in fief.
• Craftsmen; Cap5
• Labor: 1 U/mo
• Cost: 3,230 th

brewery
• Turns grain into beer/ale.
• Craftsmen; Cap5
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 8,866 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 578 th/m o

craft hall
• Craftsman version of factory: concentrated labor taking advantage of economy of scale. Increases production by +0.1.
• Can benefit the following: carts, clothing, fine clothing, fine furniture, furniture, lacquer, shoes, tableware, trinkets. A shoe factory can also produce light armor.
• Craftsmen; Cap5
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 8,650 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 254 th/mo

creamery
• Turns dairy into cheese.
• Craftsmen; Cap5
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 6,001 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 119 th/mo

dairy
• Increases dairy production by +0.2. Does not require labor to operate.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 6,001 th

distillery
• Makes 1 unit spirits from 2 units beer, or 1.5 units sugar or wine.
• Craftsmen; Cap5
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 10,731 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 578 th/mo

factory
• Allows concentration of labor and resources to produce one of a variety of goods. Each factory can employ up to 5 peasant units, increasing their production by +0.2.
• None of these goods requires a factory for production.
• Factories also allow craftsmen, merchants or professionals to “lead†production, for greater bonuses. (If a craftsman unit is used this way, it does not produce anything itself: it only provides the bonus.) This becomes especially significant if multiple factories of the same type are built: they’re assumed to be expansions of the existing one—and therefore still only require a single leader unit, no matter how big it gets. Bonuses for different leaders are cumulative.
• Can benefit production of: canvas, dyed cloth, glue, oil (olive), pickle, plain cloth, preserves, rope, rugs, soap, vinegar.
• Labor: 6 U/mo
• Cost: 17,812 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 263 th/mo

fishing fleet
• Increases collection maximum for fish in barony by 50% (round up), up to a maximum of +10; if barony is on a seashore, the increase is automatically +10. Labor must still be assigned to collect the extra. Can only be built on seashores or in baronies with a river rating of 9+ or a lake rating of 7+.
• This is a bunch of small boats, and does not require a shipyard for construction.
• Labor: 6 U/mo
• Cost: 8,980 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 156 th/mo

fishing wharf
• Increases fish production by 0.2 for entire barony. Can only be built on seashores or in baronies with a river rating of 7+, a lake rating of 5+, or a combined water rating of 20+. Does not require labor to operate.
• Labor: 1 U/mo
• Cost: 4,538 th

forge/smithy
• Allows production of various metal products. Each smithy is specific to the metal it works with (brass, bronze, wrought iron), but can make any product. Can be “attached†to an ore smelter (at half construction cost) to allow direct production of finished goods; each step still requires separate labor.
• Craftsmen; Cap5
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 13,059 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 363 th/mo

granary
• Special case of warehouse. Stores up to 50 units grain; also increases production 0.1 per unit.
• See Warehouse (under “Commerceâ€) for construction cost.

irrigation
• Distributes water to crops; build separately for each resource. Increases production by +0.2 per unit. Particularly handy when you get bad weather. Does not require labor to operate.
• Can be applied to dyestuff, flax/hemp, grain, herbs, spices, vegetables; can be applied to berries, fruit if being grown in an Orchard.
• If linked to a canal (any type), increase is doubled.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 2,649 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 200 th/y

kiln
• A special case of factory with different construction requirements.
• Required for ceramics, glass, plaster and tile production; Cap5.
• Will increase brick production by 0.5 per unit (otherwise, they get sun-dried, which takes longer).
• Ceramics, glass and tile require Craftsmen; plaster and brick do not.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 10,033 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 363 th/mo

mill (water)
• All require 1 craftsman unit to provide bonus for whole barony. Also requires a source of flowing water; low stream/river ratings may prevent construction (building a dedicated canal or aqueduct can compensate for this).
• fulling: increases wool production by 0.2.
• grist: increases grain production by 0.2.
• saw: increases timber, marble or stone, production by 0.2. Must be built separately for each.
• stamp (ore crushing): increases copper, gold, iron ore, lead, silver, tin, or zinc production by 0.2. Must be built separately for each.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Skilled Labor: engineer
• Cost: 13,648 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 144 th/mo

mine
• Allows access to mineral deposits that are below the surface (shallow or deep); must be built separately for each deposit. (All subsurface development is called “mine†here, even if it’s for stone.)
• A maximum of 3 units can work in a deep mine at one time—construction and collection combined. Each expansion of a deep mine allows 1 additional unit to work after it’s finished. However, ease of use falls off with each additional unit after the third (so, for instance, with four units, each only collects 0.9 units of product; with five, each can only collect 0.8 units, etc.).
• Labor: 6 U/mo (shallow); 12 U/mo (deep); 6 U/mo (expand deep mine)
• Cost: 10,394 th (shallow); 19,559 th (deep); 10,894 th (expand deep mine)
• Operation/Maintenance: 338 th/mo (all)

orchard
• Organized farming of bushes and trees. Required for some products (berries and olives, for instance) in order to farm them; each allows production up to Cap5. For fruit, boosts production by 0.2 for entire barony; this version does not require labor to operate.
• Labor: 6 U/mo
• Cost: 7,798 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 400 th/y

ore smelter
• Converts raw materials into metal; specific to each type (brass, bronze, pewter, wrought iron). No capacity limit. A forge/smithy can be “attached†to an ore smelter (at half construction cost) to allow direct production of finished goods; each step still requires its own labor (and the forge/smithy still has production Cap5).
• Craftsmen (except pewter)
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 13,490 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 363 th/mo

quarry
• Increases production from surface deposits of minerals by +0.3. Must be built separately for each deposit. Deposits below the surface require a mine instead. Gold, silver and gems cannot be quarried, even if surface deposits. (“Quarry†is used for all surface deposits, even though normally it would be called a “mine†if metal was being extracted.)
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 4,378 th

salt refinery
• Allows production of salt from seawater. One unit of peasants required to produce up to Cap3.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Resources: 2.0 timber, 2.0 roofing, 2.0 walls; 2.0 carts, 1.0 furniture
• Cost: 6,001 th

shipyard
• Allows you to build a ship. Yes, one ship. At a time. They’re big.
• Labor: 6 U/mo
• Skilled Labor: shipbuilder or engineer
• Cost: 17,688 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 144 th/mo

slaughterhouse
• Increases production of livestock by 0.2 for entire barony. Requires 1 peasant unit to operate.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 3,730 th

smokehouse
• Allows preservation of meat without salt/vinegar. Requires 1 unit of peasants to produce up to Cap5.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 3,730 th

stables
• Increases production of draft animals, horses, or livestock by 0.2 for entire barony; requires a separate stable for each. Does not require labor to operate.
• This is not where your cavalry keeps their horses: that’s covered by barracks.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 6,451 th

sugar refinery
• Allows production of sugar from honey/syrup.
• Craftsmen; Cap5
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 6,001 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 100 th/mo

tannery
• Allows production of leather and parchment.
• Craftsmen; Cap5
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 8,866 th

timber lodge
• Increases production of timber by 0.1 for entire barony. Does not require labor to operate.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 7,729 th

vineyard
• Allows production of wine from fruit.
• Craftsmen; Cap5
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 8,866 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 478 th/mo

whaling ship
• Allows lonange collection without needing resource “in†area.
• Each trip takes 3-5 months, and has a 50% per month of harvesting 1 “unit†of whale (which yields multiple resources: 3.0 meat, 3.0 oil, 1.0 wax, 1.0 ivory); max. 20 units combined meat/oil/wax before full lading (meat will be dumped in favor of more valuable products if ship gets full; ivory takes up no “spaceâ€).
• Must spend at least one month in port between voyages (unlading, repairing, getting drunk).
• Cost: 22,259 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 644 th/mo (200 th/mo while in port)

•••

 

[Ravana]

COMMERCE IMPROVEMENTS

bazaar
• A step up from town square. A permanently enclosed space for merchants. Improves local and transit commerce, as well as the value of each.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 6,892 th

bridge
• Assuming you have a nontrivial place to put one, this can increase your transit commerce; you can also charge tolls for some pocket change. Does no good for river ratings of 3 or less; not possible under current technology for river ratings of 7 or more. Note also that bridges block sailboat traffic using the river.
• Labor: 6 U/mo for wooden bridge; 12 U/mo for stone
• Skilled Labor: an engineer
• Cost: 11,132 th (wood); 17,585 (stone)
• Operation/Maintenance: 200 th/y (both)

canal (barge)
• Allows transport of goods by water where rivers don’t run. Increases both local and transit commerce somewhat, and reduces usability penalties (if any—except for mountains, where it cannot reach). Will also provide water as with a small canal. Must be connected to a river or lake of rating 5 or better. Building once is assumed to connect all important sites in your fief; if neighboring baronies also have these (or large enough rivers), can be built additional times to further increase benefits. (You may want to try to split the cost with the neighbor, since effectively half of the canal is in each fief. Note that this is also how you can access a required water source if your own fief doesn’t have one with a high enough rating.)
• Other: providing draft animals (to tow barges) increases benefits.
• Labor: 9 U/mo
• Skilled Labor: an engineer
• Cost: 11,630 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 400 th/y; or 117 th/mo with draft animals

caravanserai
• A place for weary caravan drivers to stop for the night… as well as park their wagons, corral their draft animals (and any livestock they might be bringing to sell), etc. Increases transit commerce +1.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 5,487 th

ferry
• If it’s too wide to bridge or you’re too cheap to build one. There are probably plenty of small ferries scattered around in your lands. The difference is that you get to charge for this one; it’s also larger, so it may attract some transit commerce that would otherwise have to go around.
• Labor: —
• Cost: 900 th

guildhall
• Increases income of guild members; does not increase production, just what you get to tax. Implies the existence of a guild. (Generally, the guild will build this itself.)
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 10,217 th

lighthouse
• A special case of watchtower. Improves transit commerce at a sea port (only) by 2 levels… as well as possibly lowering insurance rates. Might also provide some warning of seaborne invasion if you’re lucky.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 11,263 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 132 th/mo

marketplace
• A designated place for merchants to sell their wares. Increases local commerce, as well as the value of each rating point. Can be upgraded to town square.
• Labor: 1 U/mo
• Cost: 1,405 th

pier
• Basic facility for loading and unloading deeper-draft ships; required before any additional port improvements are made. Only useful in locations with high river ratings (8+) or on seacoast. Increases transit commerce +2.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 6,744 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 200 th/y

road, highway
• A single quality road crossing the barony. Improves transit commerce. Additional ones can be added at half cost to link to each adjoining barony (beyond the first two), if any. If you later upgrade your roads to good or paved, the cost of the highway is deducted from that cost.
• Labor: 2 U/mo (good); 6 U/mo (paved)
• Skilled Labor: road builder required for paved
• Cost: 4,689 th (good); 17,811 th (paved)
• Operation/Maintenance: 400 th/y (good); paved roads never require maintenance

roads, basic
• Essentially, dirt trails. Or mud trails, if it’s been raining. All the roads in the barony converge upon a central location (the main town), with no significant interconnection between them. Baronies are assumed to start with this, but undeveloped (frontier) regions will require building. Upgrades to good or paved roads; also to road network.
• Labor: 1 U/mo per tract being linked.
• Cost: 865 th/tract, plus 100 th/ease rating of tract
• Operation/Maintenance: 400 th/y per tract

roads, good
• Straighter, better packed, maybe corduroy, gravel or cobbled in some places. Improves ease of use. Requires basic roads, which are assumed as part of the cost; entire fief is upgraded at once. If a good highway exists, its cost is deducted from this. Upgrades to paved roads.
• Labor: 6 U/mo
• Cost: 10,188 th, plus 200 th/ease rating (of all tracts combined)
• Operation/Maintenance: 200 th/y per tract

roads, paved
• As with good road; also reduces any winter penalties by 0.2. If roads are not already “good,†labor requirement is increased 25% (transporting the materials is that much harder). As with good roads, entire fief upgrades at once, and the cost of a paved highway, if one exists, is deducted. Paved roads never require maintenance.
• Labor: 18 U/mo
• Skilled Labor: road builder (we’re talking the top-end Roman via munita—you know, the ones still perfectly usable two thousand years later?)
• Cost: 61,673 th, plus 200 th/ease rating (of all tracts combined)

road network
• Extends and links roads from the basic hub pattern. Improves communication and local commerce. Upgrades to better road types.
• Costs: equal to the cost of building roads of the same quality. Must be upgraded if the other roads are.
• Operation/Maintenance: doubles the annual maintenance cost for the road type.

ship
• A boat of your very own. Helps cut down on transport costs (up to 20 units/month can be transported “freeâ€); also increases transit commerce if used for long range trade. Or you can build them to sell, if you have a shipyard.
• Whaling ship is a special case: see under “Production.â€
• Labor: 6 U/mo
• Cost: 17,960 th
• The addition of 2.0 lead sheathing (+1,782 th) reduces maintenance costs. (For those wondering, this pays for itself in 80 months.)
• Operation/Maintenance: 256 th/mo (233 th/mo with lead sheathing)

shipping yard
• Similar to warehouse: a place where goods can be collected for transshipping, some facilities (e.g. cranes). Increases local commerce slightly, transit commerce more.
• Requires 1 peasant unit to operate.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 10,838 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 119 th/mo

town square
• A bigger version of marketplace: more commerce, more income. Also allows larger fairs to be held. Requires a market (which it replaces). And a town.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 4,243 th

trading post
• Either one you build on your lands to attract external business, or one you fund somewhere else to carry out commerce on your behalf. The first increases transit commerce by 1 level. The second… will depend on a lot of things. Both types can lead to improved diplomatic relations over the long term. Both also require someone interested in doing long-term trading with you.
• Both types: +1 local commerce, access to some goods at lower costs.
• Your own fief: +1 transit commerce, taxable revenue source
• Away: local price discount, if any
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 6,892 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 200 th/mo (paid by whoever’s operating it)

warehouse
• Stores a product in relative safety, with minimal danger ofinfestation, spoilage or theft; holds up to 50 units of whatever. Does not require labor to operate. “General-purpose†warehouses improve transit commerce slightly.
• Your keep automatically comes with storage equal to one warehouse; this does not provide any other benefits.
• See also granary.
• Labor: 2 U/mo.
• Cost: 4,162 th

•••

 

[Ravana]

URBAN IMPROVEMENTS

aqueduct
• Improves water supply to a settlement by 2 levels.
• Labor: 9 U/mo
• Skilled Labor: engineer
• Cost: 19,943 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 200 th/y

baths
• Improves Health by +1. Can be made fancier in various ways. Requires a water source.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 7,894 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 300 th/y

cistern
• Improves water supply in a settlement by 1 level. Does not count as a basic water supply: it can only be added to a settlement that already has a water source. However, it can function as a basic water supply if other supply is cut off (e.g. by siege), for up to 3 months before being exhausted.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 6,166 th

city
• The fourth and largest settlement size. Once a town has 5,000 peasants and at least 160 craftsmen in it, you must expand it to a city before it can grow further.
• Some other improvements may require expanding as well to remain functional.
• Labor: 12 U/mo
• Cost: 32,839 th

cobbled streets
• Makes it considerably easier to get around in your settlements; +1 to local commerce, may encourage transit commerce. Also allows gutter improvement to be built. Can be replaced by paved streets. Costs are for a town; halve for village, double for city.
• If settlement is expanded, these must be as well (pay only the difference from one size to the next).
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 5,214 th

gutters
• The kind along the side of roads, not the ones on houses. Compensates for 1 level of Health penalty arising from settlement size. Requires cobbled streets; or comes free with paved streets. Note that if the street stops functioning (is in need of maintenance), these stop functioning as well. Expands automatically with settlement.
• Labor: 1 U/mo
• Cost: 1,895 th

hamlet
• Start a new settlement with 100 peasants. (You need to provide the peasants: they don’t come free.) Cannot grow beyond 500 peasants and 40 craftsmen; must be upgraded to a village at that point. Requires a water source.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 10,920 th

housing
• This provides living quarters for your peasants or craftsmen. Normally, you will buy this at the same time you bring in new population, but there may be times when you want to build some extra, rebuild after fire or disaster, or upgrade existing housing. You must build housing for new population entering from outside your fief before they become available for other labor; you do not need to build it for natural population increases due to good Health.
• It takes 10 of these to house a full unit of peasants, or 5 to house a full unit of craftsmen. (They aren’t as willing to endure cramped conditions.)
• The quality of housing can be upgraded in many ways, in addition to using better building materials: adding brick hearths, glazed windows, etc.
• Labor: 1 U/mo per 10 units of housing (minimum 1 U/mo)
• Cost: 1,011 th

laundry
• +1 Health in barony. Requires a water source. Requires 1.0 soap per month (this is the operating cost); does not require labor. More than one laundry provides no extra benefits.
• Labor: 1 U/mo
• Cost: 2,205 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 534 th/m o

meeting hall
• A place to hold assemblies; also where your civil administration works, if you have one. Benefits vary with the mood of your populace.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 7,811 th

orphanage
• Improves Health in a town or city by +1 and increases civic happiness. If you’re really lucky, it will improve your reputation as well. Does not provide an additional labor unit.
• See Poorhouse for all other details.

paved streets
• The via munita brought inside your walls. Improves nearly every aspect of urban life. Automatically includes gutter and sidewalk improvements, even if you didn’t have them already; requires widened streets (this can be done at same time). Cobbled streets will be replaced, not upgraded; however, you can salvage some stone to reduce the costs of building these. Costs are for a town; halve for village, double for city.
• If settlement is expanded, these must be as well (pay only the difference from one size to the next).
• Labor: 4 U/mo
• Skilled labor: someone who knows how to build them
• Cost: 14,966 th

poorhouse/workshop
• Creates 1 additional “effective†unit of peasants. This is not an actual population increase; you’re just gathering up beggars and such, and putting them to good use. Can only be built in a town or city; no more than 1 per town or 1 per 5,000 peasants in a city.
• See also Orphanage.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 5,487 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 300 th/mo

sewers
• Compensates for 2 levels of Health penalties from settlement size. Cumulative with gutters. Costs are for a town; halve for village, double for city.
• If settlement is expanded, these must be as well (pay only the difference from one size to the next).
• Labor: 6 U/mo
• Skilled Labor: engineer
• Cost: 15,014 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 400 th/y (yuck)

sidewalks
• Improved walkways along the sides of streets; may be corduroy (timber), brick or stone. Can be added even if streets haven’t been upgraded—in fact, that’s usually where corduroy walks are used; does require widened streets, however. (You don’t have to widen them twice, just once.) Benefits local commerce and Health. Comes free with paved streets. Expands automatically with settlement.
• Labor: 1 U/mo
• Cost: 2,385 th

town
• The third settlement size. Once a village has 1,000 peasants and at least 60 craftsmen in it, you must expand it to a town before it can grow any further. Cannot grow beyond 5,000 peasants and 200 craftsmen; must be upgraded to a city at that point.
• Some other improvements may require expanding as well to remain functional.
• Labor: 9 U/mo
• Cost: 18,351 th

village
• The second settlement size. Once a hamlet has 500 peasants and at least 20 craftsmen in it, you must expand it to a village before it can grow any further. Cannot grow beyond 1,000 peasants and 100 craftsmen; must be upgraded to town at that point.
• Some other improvements may require expanding as well to remain functional.
• Labor: 6 U/mo
• Cost: 13,974 th

well
• A special case of Exploratory Shaft; improves water supply in that settlement or tract by 1 level. Basically an exploratory shaft looking for water, but with a much greater chance of success. Note that exploratory shafts always have a chance of hitting water, even if that wasn’t what you were after.…
• Labor: 1 U/mo
• Cost: 905 th

widen streets
• What it says; usually also involves some straightening. Necessary to build sidewalks or paved streets. Expands automatically with settlement. Costs are for a town; halve for village, double for city.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 3,243 th

woodlot
• A cheapie version of warehouse to hold winter fuel for your peasants; improves Health.
• Labor: 1 U/mo
• Cost: 1,305 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 300 th/y

•••

 

[Ravana]

MILITARY IMPROVEMENTS

bailey
Quick and dirty defenses, graduate version: palisade, plus ditch and wooden watchtower. (If a palisade already exists, subtract its cost from this.) Can only be added to hamlet or village. Replaced by city wall.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 11,878 th

barracks
• Houses one unit of infantry or cavalry.
• Units housed in a barracks (or fortified structure) cost 7.5 th/mo/person less to maintain (-375 th/mo infantry, -150 th/mo cavalry)
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 6,076 th
• Operation/Maintenance: handled as part of troop pay

castle
• Upgrade of keep. Raises defensive value, allows the housing of 2 military units, and can have up to five expansions added on (including any added when it was a keep); also, the variety of expansions allowed is greater. Upgrades to citadel.
• If upgrading from a keep, subtract half the keep’s cost in construction materials.
• Labor: 15 U/mo
• Cost: 64,900 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 1,000 th/mo (staff cost)

city/town wall
• Increases defensive value of towns and cities. Replaces palisade if there is one.
• If settlement is expanded, these must be as well (pay only the difference from one size to the next).
• Labor: 6 U/mo (town) or 12 U/mo (city)
• Cost: 22,294 th (town) or 44,588 th (city)
• Operation/Maintenance: 200 th/y (town) or 400 th/y (city)

fortification
• Improves defensive value of an existing structure (keep, castle, citadel or town/city wall). How many times this can be done will depend on the size of the structure and available technology. Note that there is a diminishing return, in terms of cost, for continuing to improve the same structure. Costs are variable; some improvements may cost considerably more than the minimum.
• A chateau can have a single level of fortification added to it.
• Labor: 2 U/mo (or more)
• Skilled labor: may require architect or military engineer, depending on type
• Cost: 6,181 th (or more)

keep
• Your basic baronial fortified pad. Allows the housing of your family, your staff, and one military unit. Barracks, forges, warehouses and chapels can be added directly to your keep, up to a combined total of 3 such additions; these will be considered to be “inside” your walls if so built. (Beginning keeps come with one extra barracks already built; you can knock this down later if you decide you need the space for something else. Any new keeps you build does not start with this.) It includes free storage space equal to one warehouse (50 units), but this does not provide any other bonus. Fortification improvements can increase its defenses, if you have access to the necessary technologies; these do not count against the number of expansions you can add on. Can be upgraded to a castle… eventually.
• Other: a watchtower can be upgraded to a keep, but this only reduces keep cost slightly.
• Labor: 9 U/mo
• Cost: 36,142 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 1,000 th/mo (staff)

moat
• A small canal surrounding a fortified structure or settlement. Improves defenses.
• Cost: 1,838 (for fortification) or 4,082 th (for settlement)
• Operation/Maintenance: 100 th/y (fortification) or 200 th/y (settlement)

palisade
• Improves defense of settlements; without one, hamlets and villages are defenseless, towns nearly so. Also, there aren’t any gates to control movement and collect tolls at. Can be upgraded to bailey. Replaced by city wall.
• Labor: 1 U/mo
• Cost: 4,905 th

watchtower
• Provides a 1 point bonus to defense values of all units when fighting in the barony, thanks to early warning and extra fortifications. It is possible, though rarely economical, to upgrade a watchtower to a keep.
• Lighthouse is a special case of watchtower. It does not provide defensive bonuses against land attacks (it might be of some help against seaborne invasion).
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 9,116 th

•••

 

[Ravana]

CULTURAL IMPROVEMENTS

Many of the following improvements are the sort which people like to pretty up in various ways. Therefore, the resource requirements listed should be considered minimums. Replace stone with marble, add some decorative stone facing, tile, or some nice brass trim, and you get a much more impressive effect. Adding glass windows to many structures is a nice extra, too.

•••

artwork
• Skilled Labor: artist (3 months)
• Cost: not even remotely predictable.

benefice
• Want to make your priest happy? Provide him with a living. This “improvement” doesn’t require you to build anything… just cross one plot off your estate (or if you’re feeling nasty or cheap, off someone else’s). If you want to make him really happy, you can always give him more than one.… Note, however, that this turns the priest into landed gentry—which means he’s also going to need some labor for it to do him any good; you may want to provide this as well. (Note: you can use this to reward other vassals, as well.)

chapel
• Minimalist place of worship. Adequate to serve a hamlet or village; not large enough to provide any benefits to a town or city. Can also be added to a keep or larger, if you want. Upgrades to small church/temple.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 9,417 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 155 th (if priest has a living, no cost; see "Benefice" above)

chateau
• The bigger, fancier and more defensible version of a manor. Can house up to 1 unit of troops, but only when it has to. Gives you something to levy even higher taxes on. Costs include stone walls, tile roof. If built in an urban area, cost is +500 th due to clearing space for it.
• Labor: 4 U/mo
• Cost: 17,662 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 200 th/y

church/temple (small)
• Standard place of worship for towns. Can be upgraded from chapel. Can upgrade to large version.
• Labor: 6 U/mo
• Cost: 16,898 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 155 th (if priest has a living, no cost; see "Benefice" above)

church/temple (large)
• Standard place of worship for cities. Can be upgraded from small church/temple. Cannot be upgraded to cathedral, as that has a different floor plan and requires an architect.
• Labor: 12 U/mo
• Cost: 36,997 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 205 th (if priest has a living, no cost; see "Benefice" above)

embassy
• A good place to store diplomats from faraway places. The only problem is, each diplomat will want a separate one. Big boost to diplomatic relations. You can also build your own embassies elsewhere—unless you can convince them to do so as a favor.
• Cost: as manor (or chateau, if you really want to make friends) +1,000 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 350 th/mo (usually the mission’s responsibility)

fountain
• A monument, but with water. Much more impressive; also somewhat more difficult to build. Must be connected to a source of flowing water. As with all forms of artwork, costs are highly variable.
• Skilled Labor: engineer, or artist who knows engineering (3 months)

garden
• Your basic run-of-the-mill park: some nice, well-kept green space, with maybe a few trees and shrubs thrown in. Not much point in building in anything smaller than a town. Very impressive if you add one to an estate, though.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 2,744 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 200 th/y

library
• A place where you keep stuff people have written. An outstanding way to increase your Fame; may also benefit education level in barony (no, this is not a public library). Operating costs reflect only the salary of a couple librarians/scribes; more scholars can increase benefits.
• Costs do not include book collection. You’re on your own to gather those. Without them, the library is of no particular benefit.
• Roofing and wall materials had better be better than minimal, if you plan on keeping your manuscripts around for any length of time (this is already built into cost). A library can be added to an existing scriptorium for 75% of the cost of construction materials.
• Labor: 4 U/mo
• Cost: 12,199 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 100 th/mo

manor (aka mansion, villa)
• Your basic—okay, fancy—unfortified pad. Can house up to half a unit of troops… at need. Can be upgraded to chateau. Gives you with something extra to levy taxes on. Costs include tile roof, but still minimum walls (plaster). If built in an urban area, cost is +500 th due to clearing space for it.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 9,099 th
• Operation/Maintenance:100 th/y

monument
• Tell everybody how special you are. Or your mother was. Or your barony is. Or whatever. Increases your Fame rating… probably. As with all forms of artwork, costs are highly variable.
• Skilled Labor: artist (3 months)

posts
• Increases the efficiency of communication within your lands. Will be more important once you expand beyond a single barony. Also links you into the imperial post system, which may have additional benefits.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 4,427 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 100 th/y

school
• A place where people go to be educated. Specifically, people who can afford it and for whom education seems like it might be useful. Requires a professional to operate.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 7,092 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 195 th/mo

scriptorium
• A place where people sit around and write. Requires people who know how to write.
• A scriptorium can be added to an existing library for 75% of the cost of construction materials.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 11,589 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 535 th/mo

shrine established
• Unusual in that you cannot simply build one and reap the benefits: you also have to get a religion to agree that it qualifies as a “holy place.” On the other hand, if it does, you may see pilgrimages start to come visit. An attached worship building (any size) increases benefits.
• Labor: 2 U/mo
• Cost: 4,662 th

theater
• Site for indoor entertainment; or amphitheater for outdoor. Works best if there are also people around to present entertainment in it (not included in cost).
• Labor: 4 U/mo
• Cost: 11,973 th
• Operation/Maintenance: 100 th/y

tomb (mausoleum, sepulcher)
• Unless you have a famous dead person to inter, will probably not be good for much other than eye candy. Then again, putting one up might make the dead person famous. If you’re really lucky, maybe you can get someone to agree he was a saint, in which case you can add a shrine as well.…
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 7,427 th

•••

 

[Ravana]

LAND IMPROVEMENTS

canal (small)
• Allows you to spread water from a place that has it to one that doesn’t; good mostly for irrigation purposes. If added to a resource that is already irrigated, doubles the effect of irrigation; must be built separately for each resource. (Once a number equal to non-mountain tracts in fief are built, no more are needed; all remaining irrigated resources receive benefit.) Must be connected to a river or lake of rating 3 or higher. Also of some small use for flood control. Cannot be built in mountains.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 4,081 th

clear land (uncleared to cleared; rocky to uncleared)
• Changes an uncleared tract to arable or heath (based on a subtype generated during creation; you do not get to choose which), or changes rocky to uncleared (which may then be further cleared). Eats labor like crazy. Also, unlike most improvements, the amount of effort it takes to finish the job is variable.
• Gives 50% chance of improving tract’s usability rating once labor/cost requirements met; if unsuccessful, each additional U/mo thereafter increases chance by 5% until successful.
• Labor: 18 U/mo (from uncleared); 24 U/mo (from rocky)
• The addition of 1.0 draft animals reduces time of either by 3 U/mo (once only).
• Cost: 15,520 th (uncleared); 26,176 th (rocky); +1,000 th per ease rating of tract (apart from effects of what’s being cleared away)
• Additional month: 505 th/mo (uncleared); 605 th/mo (rocky)

common land
• Designate a plot on your lands that you allow the peasants to work in their spare time. They decide what they produce and keep the product. Does not require labor. Build as many as you like; your peasants will love you for it. And of course you’ll still be reaping the benefits indirectly in taxes. Maximum 1 per 500 population; you can build more, but there won’t be anyone to work it.

convert plot type
• Allows you to change a plot between the cropland, horticulture and pasture subtypes. A somewhat more expensive process is required to convert a plot from berries, fruit or olives to anything else, even another horticulture resource. A similar process can be used to change a forest plot into one of the others. Changing back to an orchard crop or forest requires a couple decades’ patience, so think hard before doing this.
• Labor: 2 U/mo (3 U/mo if removing berries, fruit or olives; 4 U/mo if removing forest)
• Cost: 3,108 th (4,013 th if removing berries, fruit, or olives; 5,283 th if removing forest)

enlarge estate
• A cheap version of clearing land: this clears a little bit of land for your personal use—or maybe to sell to someone for their use. (Or to give as a benefice or as common land.) Each time adds one plot (which is always treated as “cleared”).
• Labor: 4 U/mo
• Cost: 6,716 th

expand tract
• Increases the maximum collectible for a single resource class (cropland, forest, horticulture, pasture) by 1; cannot be used for resources that are mined/quarried or fished. Requires basic roads.
• Labor: 3 U/mo
• Cost: 5,294 th

exploratory shaft
• Think there’s gold in them thar hills? Here’s how you find out. Sinking a random shaft requires 1 peasant labor/month, and gives you a very small chance of hitting… something. This can be improved significantly if you also have the right specialist, or, for that matter, if you know what you’re looking for. (The barony next door has copper: why shouldn’t you?)
• One of the things you might hit is water—not good for mining, but plenty of other uses.
• Labor: 1 U/mo
• Cost: 905 th

revitalize land (distressed to normal, spent to distressed)
• Gives a chance of improving the fertility rating of some of your lands (from distressed to normal, or from spent to distressed). Pay particular attention to the word “chance.” Gives 50% chance of improving tract’s fertility rating one step once U/mo requirement is met; if unsuccessful, each additional U/mo thereafter increases chance by 5% until successful.
• Labor: 15 U/mo (from distressed); 18 U/mo (from spent)
• Costs: 15,851 th (distressed); 17,838 th (spent); plus 1,000 th per ease rating of tract
• Additional month: 505 th/mo (distressed); 605 th/mo (spent)

spread resource
Gives you a chance of bringing a non-mining resource to lack to your fief… but of course you need to find someplace to buy large quantities of those to get them established. A couple handfuls of seed isn’t going to do it. Some resources (grain, vegetables) are easier to spread than others (timber). Fur and game cannot be spread; fish can be spread only under special conditions. (For instance, having a large body of water to put them in.…) As you can probably guess, terrain type and fertility have a large effect on the odds of success.
• Labor: 6 U/mo
• Other: good luck bringing in exotics.
• Cost: 11,933 th, plus 5.0 U resource being spread.

•••

 

[Ravana]

EXPANDING SETTLEMENTS

When you build a hamlet, the housing you construct is the housing the peasants will live in: you don’t have to build once for the hamlet and once for the peasant unit. This is not true when expanding settlements from one level to the next: these costs are based on on housing costs, but do not provide it. The costs for each expansion are an abstraction that covers not only some new housing construction, but also reconstruction, tearing down obsolete buildings, clearing new streets and public areas, straightening or rerouting existing ones, and so on. Note also that as long as your population has at least average Health, it will expand naturally over time, and you don’t pay housing construction costs when this happens, so in the long run you’re probably going to be coming out ahead… well ahead once a settlement reaches city size, since you will never have to pay to expand it again, and will only pay for housing construction when you bring population in from outside your borders. Several other improvements also require “rebuilding” (extension) when a settlement increases in size, in particular improved streets, sewers, and defensive walls; here again, you only have to pay this cost when the level of the settlement changes—they then expand automatically until you switch to the next level.

Note that the requirements for upgrading from one size to the next are stated as “X peasants and at least Y craftsmen.” Additional housing can be built prior to reaching the population maximum, but the settlement will not count as the next level up until the number of peasants is met (though this can include ones you’re bringing in from elsewhere, or possibly even resettling from other parts of your realm); on the other hand, once it hits that number, it must be expanded before more peasants can move in. The settlement also requires a certain minimum number of craftsmen; these can continue to increase even after the peasant maximum is hit—possibly, you may need to increase it before you can upgrade. There is a maximum to the number of craftsmen each type of settlement can hold as well; if this is reached before the peasant requirements are, no more craftsmen will be able to join the settlement until it is upgraded.

•••

POPULATION INCREASE: RECRUITMENT COSTS

This is a variable amount, depending on how far you are willing to “send out for” new populace—and how good a chance you want to have to get them, because it’s not guaranteed you can find any. Keep in mind that the closer you are recruiting, the more likely you are to offend a neighbor by attracting his people away.

For peasants:
• same Viscounty: 1,000 th; 30% chance
• same County: 1,500 th; 40% chance
• same Duchy: 2,000 th; 50% chance
• global: 2,500 th for 50% chance, + 500 th/+10%, up to 100%.
• labor paradigm is better than serfs: +5% to +10% (even if no different from surrounding areas, since “better” paradigms allow greater mobility).
• labor paradigm is worse than recruiting area: -10% to -30%.
• Additional units of peasants may also “arrive” from time to time due to events or as a consequence of having a high Health rating for your barony (reflecting an increase in birth/survival rate).

For craftsmen: as above, except chances of success are only half as good, unless you’ve already built any improvement they need to perform their work. On the other hand, you do get to choose what occupations you are attempting to attract.
• Additional units of craftsmen may also “arrive” from time to time due to events or as a consequence of having a high Health rating for your barony (reflecting an increase in birth/survival rate); these, you do not get to choose, though you may be able to influence which ones you get through certain actions.

•••

 

[Ravana]

RESOURCES and PRODUCTS

EXPLANATION OF LISTINGS:

Name: Pretty self-explanatory. In some cases, lists variations on the product as well (this is background information, and has no effect in the game).

Requires: Anything listed here is necessary to make the good. If a “—“ appears, that means the product is a resource: it is collected rather than made. If a number follows a requirement, this is the number of units of that good needed to create 1 unit of the product. If amounts are not specified, 1 unit of the requirement yields 1 unit of the product.

Many products require more than a single resource, while others can be made out of any of various different resources. Most listings are straightforward; for those that are not, look for:
• “requires: [product]; plus one ofâ€: the first product is required, along with one product from the list that follows.
• “at least one ofâ€: any of the listed products can be used; if more than one is used, the outcome is a superior (§) product.

To abbreviate a bit, the requirement “metal†is sometimes used in industrial products: this can be met with brass, bronze, or wrought iron.

Used for: The uses this good can be put to. Note that the ability to use a given good to make another superior does not get listed under that good itself, only under the product being made.
¶: may be consumed directly (all foods, for instance).

Improvements: Any improvement you can build that will benefit production of this item. If an improvement is required, it will be marked with a *.

Metal and mineral deposits occur at one of three depths: surface, shallow, or deep. All shallow or deep deposits require a mine. Surface deposits do not require any improvement, but most can benefit from a quarry. Therefore, all deposit resources will show “mine*/quarry†(except for gold, silver and gems, which cannot be quarried: these show “mine*/—, since surface deposits of these still don’t require an improvement).

Many products can only be made by craftsmen; these will be marked “C*†following any improvements. Some products also require a skilled member of the mercantile class to make them: these are marked “CM*†(craftsmen still make them, but they need the skilled leadership).

Other Notes: Limits on production, things permitted by this product, etc.
• If (§: [item]) is listed, then this product can be made superior by including the resource/product named in parenthesis.

•••

LIST OF RESOURCES and PRODUCTS
(repeated from “Care and Feedingâ€)

RESOURCES, by Subtype
Agricultural
• Cropland: dyestuff, flax/hemp, grain, vegetables
• Horticulture: berries, flowers, fruit, herbs, olives, spices
• Pasture: draft animals, horses, livestock, wool
• Other (no subtype): fish, fur, honey, wax

Industrial
• Deposits: alum, clay, copper, decorative stone, gold, iron ore, lead, lime, marble, precious gems, salt, sand, semiprecious gems, silver, stone, tin, zinc
• Forest: resin/tar, syrup, timber


PRODUCTS
"Intermediate" products are those that are not consumed as end products but rather are made into them; "Finished" products are consumed as end products; "Both" are products that may be consumed directly or be used to make end products.

Agricultural
• Intermediate: dyed cloth, lacquer, leather, pigment, plain cloth
• Finished: canvas, cheese, clothing, cosmetics, fine clothing, fine spirits, meat, medicine, parchment, perfume, pickle, preserves, rope, rugs, shoes, soap
• Both: beer/ale, lace/hosiery, oil, spirits, sugar, vinegar, wine

Industrial
• Intermediate: brass, bronze, glass/enamel, glue, pewter, wrought iron
• Finished: armor (heavy, light), brick, carts, ceramics, fine furniture, furniture, jewelry, metalware, plaster, tableware, tile, tools, trinkets, weapons

••• 
 

 

[Ravana]

RESOURCES

AGRICULTURAL:

berries: What it says. Also includes nuts.
• requires: —
• used for: “produce†(¶); dyed cloth, preserves
• improvements: orchard (required to “farmâ€; otherwise, only limited collection in the wild is possible); irrigation (if in orchard)

dairy: Includes eggs.
• requires: —
• used for: “flesh†(¶); cheese
• improvements: dairy

draft animals
• requires: —
• used for: improves cropland; required for or aids some land improvements
• improvements: stables

dyestuff
• requires: —
• used for: dyed cloth, pigment
• improvements: irrigation

fish
• requires: —
• used for: “flesh†(¶); meat
• improvements: fishing wharf

flax/hemp
• requires: —
• used for: canvas, dyed cloth, plain cloth, rope
• improvements: irrigation

flowers
• requires: —
• used for: ¶; medicine, perfume, fine spirits
• improvements: —

fruit
• requires: —
• used for: “produce†(¶); preserves, vinegar, wine
• improvements: orchard; irrigation (if in orchard)

fur
• requires: —
• used for: ¶; fine clothing, shoes
• improvements: —

grain
• requires: —
• used for: ¶; beer, vinegar
• improvements: granary, gristmill, irrigation

herbs
• requires: —
• used for: ¶; medicine, perfume, fine spirits
• improvements: irrigation

honey/syrup
• requires: —
• used for: ¶; medicine, sugar
• improvements: beehive,* C* (for honey)

horses
• requires: —
• used for: —
• improvements: stables

livestock
• requires: —
• used for: “flesh†(¶); leather, meat, parchment
• improvements: slaughterhouse, stable

olives
• requires: —
• used for: “produce†(¶); oil, pickle
• improvements: orchard*

spices
• requires: —
• used for: ¶; medicine, perfume, fine spirits,
• improvements: irrigation

vegetables
• requires: —
• used for: “produce†(¶); pickle
• improvements: irrigation

wax
• requires: see improvements
• used for: ¶; cosmetics
• improvements: beehives*, C*; or whaling ship*

wool
• requires: —
• used for: plain cloth, dyed cloth
• improvements: fulling mill

•••

NON-AGRICULTURAL (INDUSTRIAL/CRAFT):

alum
• requires: —
• used for: pickle, in dyeing/tanning
• improvements: mine*/quarry

clay
• requires: —
• used for: brick, ceramics, plaster, soap, tile
• improvements: mine*/quarry

copper
• requires: —
• used for: brass, bronze, coinage, jewelry
• improvements: mine*/quarry

decorative stone
• requires: —
• used for: jewelry, trinkets
• improvements: mine*/quarry

gold
• requires: —
• used for: coinage, jewelry
• improvements: mine*/—

iron ore
• requires: —
• used for: wrought iron
• improvements: mine*/quarry

lead
• requires: —
• used for: pewter, pigment
• improvements: mine*/quarry

lime
• requires: —
• used for: glass, plaster; in tanning
• improvements: mine*/quarry

marble
• requires: —
• used for: ¶ (construction)
• improvements: mine*/quarry; sawmill

precious gems
• requires: —
• used for: jewelry
• improvements: mine*/—

resin/tar: Includes bark.
• requires: —
• used for: ¶ (shipbuilding); canvas, glue, lacquer, leather
• improvements: —

salt
• requires: —
• used for: meat, pickle; in dyeing/tanning
• improvements: mine*/quarry; or salt refinery* if from sea

sand
• requires: —
• used for: brick, glass, plaster
• improvements: —

semiprecious gems
• requires: —
• used for: jewelry
• improvements: mine*/—

silver
• requires: —
• used for: coinage, jewelry
• improvements: mine*/—

stone
• requires: —
• used for: ¶ (construction)
• improvements: mine*/quarry; sawmill

timber
• requires: —
• used for: ¶ (construction, ships); carts, furniture, fine furniture
• improvements: sawmill, timber lodge

tin
• requires: —
• used for: bronze, pewter
• improvements: mine*/quarry

zinc
• requires: —
• used for: brass, medicine, pigment
• improvements: mine*/quarry

•••

 

[Ravana]

PRODUCTS

AGRICULTURAL:

beer/ale
• requires: grain
• used for: ¶; spirits, vinegar
• improvements: brewery*; C*
• availability of beer/wine can improve health

canvas
• requires: 1.0 flax/hemp and 0.2 resin/tar
• used for: ¶ (shipbuilding)
• improvements: factory

cheese
• requires: dairy
• used for: “flesh†(¶) (§: herbs)
• improvements: creamery*; C*

clothing
• requires: plain cloth
• used for: ¶
• improvements: craft hall; C*

cosmetics
• requires: oil or wax; plus at least one of: 0.5 dyestuff or 0.2 pigment, lead, zinc
• used for: ¶
• improvements: — CM*

dyed cloth
• requires: 1.0 berries or dyestuff; plus one of: 1.0 flax/hemp or wool (or 1.0 plain cloth); plus 0.2 alum or salt, or 0.5 vinegar
• used for: fine clothing, rugs
• improvements: factory

fine clothing
• requires: dyed cloth
• used for: ¶ (§: fur, lace/hosiery)
• improvements: craft hall; CM*

fine spirits
• requires: spirits; plus at least one of: 0.1 flowers, herbs, spices
• used for: ¶
• improvements: — (distillery can also produce directly); CM*
• (§: more than one of requirements, any number of exotic ingredients)

lace/hosiery
• requires: 0.5 plain cloth
• used for: ¶; fine clothing
• improvements: — CM*
• §: fine clothing

lacquer
• requires: resin
• used for: fine furniture
• improvements: craft hall; C*

leather
• requires: 1.0 livestock; plus: 0.1 lime, 0.1 alum, and 0.2 resin (bark, in this case)
• used for: armor, shoes
• improvements: tannery*; C*

meat
• requires: 1.0 fish or livestock; plus 0.1 salt or 0.3 vinegar
• used for: “flesh†(¶) (§: herbs, spices)
• improvements: smokehouse, slaughterhouse
• if from smokehouse, salt/vinegar not required
• also produced directly by whaling ships

medicine
• requires: 0.5 oil, honey/syrup, or spirits; plus one or more: 0.1 flowers, herbs, spices, zinc
• used for: ¶ (improves health… usually)
• improvements: — CM*
• (§: more than one of requirements, any number of exotic ingredients)

oil
• requires: 0.5 olive
• used for: ¶; cosmetics, medicine, perfume, pigment
• improvements: factory
• also produced directly by whaling ships
• availability of oil can improve health

parchment
• requires: 1.0 livestock; plus 0.1 salt and 0.1 lime
• used for: ¶
• improvements: tannery*; C*

perfume
• requires: 0.5 oil; plus one or more: 0.1 flowers, herbs, spices
• used for: ¶
• improvements: — CM*
• (§: more than one of requirements, any number of exotic ingredients)

pickle
• requires: 1.0 olives or vegetables; plus 0.2 alum, 0.1 salt, or 0.3 vinegar
• used for: “produce†(¶)
• improvements: factory
• (§: herbs, spices)

pigment
• requires: 0.5 oil; plus 0.1 dyestuff, lead, or zinc
• used for: ceramics, cosmetics; in artwork
• improvements: —; C*
• (§: various exotic ingredients)

plain cloth
• requires one: flax/hemp, wool
• used for: clothing, rugs
• improvements: factory

preserves
• requires: 1.0 berries or fruit; plus 0.2 sugar
• used for: “produce†(¶)
• improvements: factory

rope
• requires: flax/hemp
• used for: ¶ (ship, construction)
• improvements: factory

rugs
• requires: 1.0 plain cloth; plus at least 1.0 any cloth
• used for: ¶
• improvements: factory
• quality depends on elements used—and labor put in: each labor/month beyond first increases value
• includes curtains
• availability of rugs can improve health

shoes: Includes most goods made from tanned hides.
• requires: fur or leather
• used for: ¶
• improvements: craft hall; C*
• availability of shoes can improve health

soap
• requires: 0.5 clay and/or oil
• used for: ¶ (improves health)
• improvements: factory

spirits
• requires: 2.0 beer or 1.5 wine or 1.0 sugar
• used for: ¶; fine spirits
• improvements: distillery*; C*

sugar
• requires: honey/syrup
• used for: ¶; preserves, spirits
• improvements: sugar refinery*; C*
• sugar provides a +1 health bonus when available (note that raw honey/syrup does not)

vinegar
• requires: fruit, grain, beer/ale, or wine
• used for: ¶; meat, pickle, in dyeing
• improvements: factory
• availability of vinegar can improve health

wine
• requires: 1.5 fruit
• used for: ¶ (can be used to make vinegar if you really need it)
• improvements: vineyard*; C*
• availability of beer/wine can improve health

•••

NON-AGRICULTURAL:

armor, heavy
• requires: 5.0 metal
• used for: ¶
• improvements: forge*; C*
• barding: double material requirements

armor, light
• requires: 1.0 leather
• used for: ¶
• improvements: craft hall; C*
• barding: double material requirements

brass
• requires: 0.8 copper, 0.2 zinc
• used for: coinage, metal, jewelry
• improvements: ore smelter*; C*

brick
• requires: 0.8 clay, 0.2 sand
• used for: ¶ (construction)
• improvements: kiln (increases production by 0.5/unit)

bronze
• requires: 0.8 copper, 0.2 tin
• used for: coinage, metal
• improvements: ore smelter*; C*

carts: Actually, any large items other than furniture made mostly of wood.
• requires: 1.0 timber, 0.1 metal
• used for: ¶
• improvements: craft hall; C*

ceramics
• requires: 1.0 clay
• used for: ¶
• improvements: kiln*; C*
• (§: glass/enamel, pigment)

fine furniture
• requires: 1.0 timber, 0.2 glue, 0.2 any cloth, 1.0 lacquer
• used for: ¶
• improvements: craft hall; CM*

furniture
• requires: 1.0 timber, 0.2 glue
• used for: ¶
• improvements: craft hall; C*
• (§: lacquer)

glass/enamel
• requires: 0.8 sand, 0.2 lime
• used for: ¶; jewelry
• improvements: kiln*; C*
• (§: pigment)

glue
• requires: resin
• used for: furniture (all)
• improvements: factory

jewelry
• requires: brass, copper, silver or gold; optional: decorative stone, enamel, precious gems, semiprecious gems
• used for: ¶
• improvements: — C*; CM* when using precious gems

metalware: Pots, pans, hinges, knobs, lamps, locks, needles and pins, etc.
• requires: 1.0 metal
• used for: ¶
• improvements: forge*; C*

pewter
• requires: 0.9 tin, 0.1 lead
• used for: tableware
• improvements: ore smelter*

plaster: Includes mortar, stucco, whitewash, and similar lime-based construction uses.
• requires: 0.8 lime, 0.2 clay and/or sand
• used for: ¶ (construction)
• improvements: kiln*

tableware
• requires: pewter
• used for: ¶ [§: silver, gold]
• improvements: craft hall; C*

tile
• requires: 1.0 clay
• used for: ¶ (construction)
• improvements: kiln*; C*
• (§: glass/enamel)

tools
• requires: 1.0 metal
• used for: ¶
• improvements: forge*; C*

trinkets
• requires: 1.0 exotic wood plus 1.0 lacquer/enamel; or 1.0 decorative stone
• used for: ¶
• improvements: craft hall; C*
• (§: add decorative stone to wood; silver, gold and/or semiprecious gems to either)

weapons
• requires: 1.0 metal
• used for: ¶
• improvements: forge*; C*

wrought iron
• requires: 1.0 iron ore
• used for: metal
• improvements: ore smelter*; C*

•••

 

[Ravana]

EXOTIC RESOURCES and PRODUCTS

These are not presently a part of the Empire's economy in a large way—mostly because they are "exotic": they either exist in small, scattered supply or else come only from outside it. In some cases, it may prove possible to cultivate one of these in your barony (or even discover a previously unknown source within it!), but usually there are only two ways to get them: (1) import them; (2) go conquer someplace that has them. A few of these resemble existing products, and will be only slightly more valuable than those they're comparable to: coral and ivory can both be thought of as variations on decorative "stone," amber a form of semiprecious gem. On the other hand, for the noble who has to have one of everything (and which noble doesn't?), that variation can mean a great deal. (See "OStentation" in the "Care and Feeding" thread. Yes, I capitalized it that way on purpose.)

This list includes only those products you've actually heard of… which means that someone, somewhere is bringing them into the Empire. And probably selling them at an immense profit. There may be many others waiting out there to be discovered; there's almost certainly good money to be made in acquiring a share of whatever trade does exist.

List of Exotic Resources:
• amber, ambergris, coral, incense, indigo, ivory, mercury, musk, pearls, sandalwood, silk, tea; plus various (other) dyes, herbs, spices and woods [which will be added by name as distinctions between them become relevant]


Exotic Products:
These include any product made with at least one exotic resource as an ingredient: so, for instance, cloth becomes exotic if it's made of silk; fine clothing becomes exotic if it includes silk cloth—or at least silk lace, or which is dyed with indigo. (As you can probably guess, if all three are true, the product will be that much more valuable.) It also includes products made within the Empire of non-exotic resources, but for which the market is so narrow or the manufacture so specialized that they aren't broadly traded, such as books or musical instruments.

List of Exotic Products:
• bells, books/scrolls, musical instruments, metalware (silver/gold), tableware (silver/gold); plus any product using an exotic component

 

[Ravana]

CALENDAR

Here is the “official” imperial calendar, complete with holidays and other observances, which months yield harvest bonuses (or penalties), and in some cases which months allow production at all.

The new year begins on the vernal equinox (the first day of spring); for rough equivalents to real months, you can consider “spring” to consist of April, May and June, then so on for the rest. Yes, this makes the last month of autumn roughly equivalent to December; the empire’s comparatively mild climate makes this month more productive; conversely, the last month of winter is perhaps a bit less mild than in the real world… depending on what you’re used to for March.

Each month consists of five weeks of six days each, with the last day of the week being a rest day. The solar holidays thus give two-day “weekends,” as they occur on the first day of the week; other holidays may have their observances shifted from their proper places in order to produce these as well. Note that even in the cases where a holiday is listed as “rarely observed,” priests will still conduct ceremonies—on the correct day, not the shifted one—though most of your populace won’t bother attending, and the ceremonies are held in such a way that they don’t interfere with normal labor. Much.

The names of the months are ancient and traditional, and do not necessarily reflect the language spoken in the empire today. The traditional “meanings” of each month are given, which are suggestive of the most prominent activity for the month—in most cases: in a few, they lead to interesting speculation as to what the original namers intended.…

•••

Spring:
• livestock, draft animal and horse production reduced this season (foaling time)

Arat—the Month of Plowing
• Vernal Equinox: first day of spring and the year. Official holiday.

Semanu—the Month of Sowing
• Midspring: third day of the third week. Observance usually shifted to fifth day to produce long weekend; commonly observed, as Planting Festival, which is a semi-official holiday (your people expect to get it).
• flower harvest x3 this month

Forlu—the Month of Flowering
• flower harvest may be doubled this month (event-based)


Summer:
• dyestuff harvest x2 this season
• flax/hemp harvest x2 this season

Atsantu—the Month of Dancing
• Summer Solstice: first day of summer. Official holiday.

Inghitsi—the Month of Drinking
• Midsummer Night: third day of the third week. Observance, if any, usually shifted to fifth day to produce long weekend; rarely observed.
• vegetable harvest x3 this month
• flower harvest may be doubled this month (event-based)

Ashteptu—the Month of Waiting
• fruit harvest x3 this month
• herb harvest x2 this month
• spice harvest x2 this month
• vegetable harvest x3 this month


Autumn:
• dyestuff harvest may be doubled this season (event-based, by month)
• flax/hemp harvest may be doubled this season (event-based, by month)
• olive harvest doubled this season

Coatsu—the Month of Ripening
• Autumnal Equinox: first day of fall. Official holiday.
• fruit harvest x3 this month
• grain harvest x3 this month
• herb harvest x2 this month
• spice harvest x2 this month

Secheri—the Month of Harvesting
• Midautumn: third day of the third week. Observance usually shifted to fifth day to produce long weekend; commonly observed, as Harvest Festival, which is a semi-official holiday (your people expect to get it).
• grain harvest x3 this month
• spice harvest may be doubled this month (event-based)

Socotsu—the Month of Counting


Winter:
• unless otherwise noted, all agricultural production is halved this season
• unless otherwise noted, non-agricultural production (including timber) reduced by 0.3 units this season
• mine production reduced by 0.1 this season
• freshwater fishing not possible this season
• flower production not possible this season
• honey/syrup production not possible this season
• resin production not possible this season
• wax production from beehives not possible this season
• olives may be normally collectible this season, rather than halved (event-based, by month)

Mers—the Month of Going
• Winter Solstice: first day of winter. Official holiday.
• annual taxes, rents, etc. are due on the first day of this month

Adomru—the Month of Sleeping
• Midwinter Court: third week. Attendance is, if not mandatory, at least expected, and highly recommended.
• Midwinter Night: third day of third week. Observed as high point of Midwinter Court with grand ball, etc.; rarely observed by anybody else, other than priests.

Veni—the Month of Coming
• Yearsend: final day of the month and year.

•••

You’ll note that winter is a lousy time for production. Well, it is. Most things aren’t growing, and even things that don’t grow will be more difficult to collect, or, at best, to transport, due to snow and mud. In reality, most winter production ought to be zero; in reality, most agricultural goods should only be collectible during a single month. Spreading it out makes it easier to balance, and helps track the labor involved in ground preparation, planting, weeding, watering, etc.