The Estates System

            In NERO, your character can manage an Estate or purchase, lease or manage parts of an Estate.  Since NERO is a medieval fantasy world, owning lands is something that only the highest ruling nobility have the ability to do.  However, this does not mean that they can manage all of those lands themselves.  The Feudal society permits Liege-lords to assign an administrator of an estate within their lands. Lieges often assign the management of their lands to oath-sworn vassals, most notably those who follow the code of chivalry.

In general, titles and lands are considered as rewards for honorable, courageous, and selfless acts, as well as loyalty to a noble of a particular land.  Estates and other titles and honors may be given out to those who are not nobility, though giving the rights to full Estates is very rare in these cases.

    For example, King Mykel of Evendarr rules all of Evendarr.  Within his Kingdom, there are many Duchies.  A Duke or Duchess rules each Duchy.  A Duchy is approximately 600 square miles (409,000 acres) of territory and can sustain about <X> people.  Each Duchy is divided into several parts.  The first is the Ducal Barony, which is often the largest Barony in terms of land area.  The Duke or Duchess lives and maintains troops in the capital city of his Duchy in the Ducal Barony. The smaller aspects of managing this Barony are often left to an appointed Baron who has shown outstanding loyalty to the Duke or Duchess.  

    The rest of the Duchy is divided into two Counties, which are further divided into two Baronies each for a total of 5 Baronies including the Ducal. Some larger Duchies may have more Counties and Barons, but this example shows numbers for an average size Duchy. In general, the Ducal Barony will be about 150 sq miles, while each County is about 225, making each Barony within about 112.5 sq miles.  Not all Baronies are of equal size, but they are often very close so that rivalries do not occur. 

    Each Baron or Baroness controls a maximum of 26 Estates, most of which he "gives" to his knights and Lords to manage.  An Estate has an area of roughly 4.25 square miles, or 2700 acres.  It is important to note that not all Baronies have 26 Estates, nor do all of the Estates have the same land area.  How a Baron chooses to assign lands is arbitrary, though these are commonly accepted guidelines in many Kingdoms.  Each Baron must be careful to be fair and to know the limits of himself, his people, his lands and his lieges. 

    In most cases, a Baron will hold 3 to 5 Estates for support of the baronial holdings and assign one Estate to each of his knights.  Some knights may hold more than one, depending on their experience but no knight should hold more than his or her liege.  Others who may be chosen to hold lands are Lords, Ladies, Honorary Lords and Ladies and others chosen by the Baron or Baroness to hold lands.  Those who hold lands may choose to allow others to manage it in their name, but those individuals should be trustworthy and loyal, as well as knowledgeable in the management of those lands or trades that they hold.

    In some cases, a Squire or other commoner may be given lands to manage as a training experience or because of their proven merit or good deeds.  An adventurer or commoner may petition a noble for use of lands for a specific purpose as well.  A blacksmith might wish to open a smithy in a town without one, which will provide a needed service.  A merchant might offer to open a trade route with a neighboring Estate to increase the quality of life in both Estates, so that both Estates can prosper for the Trade Items that each area has to offer. 

    Management of these businesses will often be granted, assuming that the person has a viable trade, as it allows the noble in charge of those lands to concentrate more of their resources on protection of the lands or expansion of those lands.  However, it is important to remember that in times of war or need, those who manage businesses may be called upon to give items, services and aid to the cause of their liege.  This is considered to be fair in exchange for the protection that the liege provides his or her people.  In this way, the people support their liege and the liege supports his or her people.

     Estate resources and other resources are considered "Off Board" resources.  Off Board means that you may not call upon your resources against other players or against adversaries in-game.  For example, in a fight against other players, you may not call upon your army to bring in NPCs to fight your enemy.  However, should your adversary have armies, you may be able to use those armies to fight each other under the direction of those who control the armies, be they PC or NPC.  If you hold a smithy, you may be able to make weapons at cost to supply your people or troops.  If you have a farm, you may be able to donate food to starving refugees, or be able to feed troops who are going to war.  Trade routes can be used to look for specific items over the course of an event or between gatherings, but you may not assume that because you are a merchant you can go to NPC camp and get an item immediately by asking. You may not collect any monthly revenues in coin unless you attend an event at the chapter where you own the resources. When the revenues are not collected they are returned to the Estate Treasury to be drawn upon when in time of need. A local chapter determines the value of their product and for structures. It is quite possible that one chapters economy may be 1/10th as large as another chapters in-game economy. Please do not ruin our economies, they are being added for more enjoyment of our players.

The Estate System is meant to allow players to have resources that would otherwise be hard to portray in-game.  It is an out-of-game way to show that your character holds an Estate, a Barony, or even a business, such as a smithy, farm, stable, apothecary, guild or other medieval resource that fits into the NERO fantasy world.  The Estate System does not guarantee that your character will have these resources.  The Estate System does not require that your character must have a specific skill in order to participate, though having relevant Craftsman skills will increase your character's chances for success.

Craftsman Skills and the Estate System

            Craftsman skills are purchased with Build Points. They represent basic knowledge that your character might know or have access to otherwise - that those whom did not study would not know, and outline your character's interests and hobbies.

A Warrior will often have a weapon skill and related skills that allow him or her to hit harder, parry others weapon blows, or to use different weapon styles.  A Caster has skills that allow him or her to cast spells.  Likewise, A character that wishes to run an Estate or a Guild would have skills that indicate his or her knowledge relevant to that endeavor. And a character that wishes to have a successful Trade should have skills to manage it.

When creating a character history, choose several craftsmen skills for your character that match your history, so that your local plot group can use this to include you in plot lines that you would be interested in.

It is not required that your character have Craftsmen Skills related to what you will role-play, but having those craftsmen skill provides benefits, including the possibility of getting some information pertaining to it at the beginning of an event.

For nobles, having a craftsmen skill for each business and trade on your estate allows you to understand the practices used in that trade or business, indicating dedication to the people, as well as the country.

            Since it is easier to categorize skills that are used constantly in-game, such as Earth spells, Celestial Spells, Weapon Skills and other combat useable skills than it is to detail every role-playing skill a character may choose, Craftsman skills are subjective and can be unique to each character. 

            Relevant Craftsman skills may allow you to change the outcome of certain aspects of the Estate System.  This does not mean that your character personally must have the relevant skills, though it is recommended that your character know a bare minimum to avoid being cheated by those that may have been hired to manage a business or Estate.  Additionally, your character may manage a business or Estate without relevant Craftsman skills, though the chances of success are diminished by the lack of knowledge.        

Specifics of the Estate System

            The Economy of NERO is simplified to follow these rules, as a real world economy can be the subject of a lifetime of study, and NERO is a game, not real life.  You may choose to go into more specific information, and even be rewarded for it, but you are not required to. All Items that follow the Estate System and gathers Yield must be approved by the Staff of the Chapter in which the Item, Business, or Structure is proposed.  Rules for a Proposal are listed below. Also see the Estate System Structure Costs detail.

Terms and Definitions

Agriculture

Items, Structures, and Businesses are reviewed every month, and a Rating established. This Rating directly impacts the overall quality of life of your people, for if agriculture has a high rating then people will have adequate food.

(The Agriculture Rating is the average of all the Quality Ratings of the farms on an Estate and the Education, and the Economic.)

Base Cost

            The Base Cost of any Item is the price or value for that Item at the lowest Quality Rating (1).
            The Base Cost of any Item is the Base Price multiplied by the desired Quality Rating.

Business

            A Business is the term used for any endeavor that may make money or other goods and that will be tracked as one of the character's resources.  Buying a horse is not a business, while running a Stable would be.

City: The term City implies that all of the necessary components for a large settlement exist in some form.  The quality of these components comprises the Quality Rating of the overall City. Cities may have certain Structures that are not available without a large supporting population. A City is a serious of Manors, Roads, and Businesses that developed around multiple settlements that consists of more than 5,000 people.

Defensive Rating

How Does Your Estate Hold Up to an Event such as an Attack by a group of Monsters, Rogues, or undead.

            The Defensive Rating of a Structure is the average of the Quality Rating of that Structure and the Settlement in which it is built. For a settlement without a Military Structure, the Defensive Rating is half of the Quality Rating.

            For purposes of calculating possible conflicts, the Defensive Rating is compared to the Offensive Rating of the invading force.  See the section on Conflicts for more information on Invading and Defending.

            The Defensive Rating of any Settlement or Structure cannot be below 1, nor above 10. 

Dismantling: A Structure, Settlement or Business may be Dismantled to gain a portion of its value. This may only be done once per year, and it will lower the Quality Rating of the Item by 1.  Dismantling will give a Yield of 50% of the difference between the Current Rating and the Rating below the Current Rating. 

Economic:        How are you doing with the Economic Structures, Business, and Items?

There are X Structures that are Economy Connected, each with a business, that can bring your Rating higher or lower, depending on how many you have, and what there rating is.

Education: The Education Rating is reflective of how much is being done for the people of the estate. This too, has bearing on the Quality of Life rating.

Estate: An Estate is approximately 2700 square acres or 4 square miles of land, the use of which is granted by the noble who controls the area.  An Estate is owned by no one but the highest ranking noble of the lands, such as a King or Emperor.  Even a Lord does not own his land, and must prove that he or she can manage the land effectively and in the interests of his or her liege in return for the use of the land.

Events: Events are a circumstance that may happen to a Structure, Settlement, Business, Estate, Barony, etc.  Weather, war, good and bad harvests, attacks, and even luck can be considered an Event.  Events affect the Yield percentage of the Item that is affected.  Rarely, an Event may cause a loss or gain in Quality of an Item.

Fortress: A Fortress is a type of Military Structure.  A Fortress may only be built in a City of 5,000 people or more, and an estate can only support one Fortress per 10,000 people.  In essence, a Fortress is a city within a city.  It may regularly hold up to 30% of the population of the City, but in times of need may hold up to an additional amount, to a maximum of 25% more per Quality Rating.  The cost for a Fortress is based on the number of people it regularly houses and the Initial Defensive Rating is the average of the Quality Rating of the Fortress and the City in which it is built. 

Gold in Reserve: This is how many Gold pieces the Estate or Business has in a treasury, that is available for spending purposes. When players who would ordinarily generate revenue from their Businesses, Structures, or Estates does not attend an event at the chapter they own the resources in during a single month, the money goes back into the Treasury, and is Gold in Reserve.

Improvement: As the value of an Item is improved, its Quality Rating is raised.  Particularly for large Items, improvements do not need to be made at once.  Instead, smaller portions of gold or other resources may be added to the Item over time until the value of the next Quality Rating is reached.  The extra value that has been put towards the advancement of the item does not count towards its current value and Yield directly, but can be used towards Repair should an Item need it.   This added value should be tracked by receipt until the new Quality Rating is attained.

Item: Item refers to anything that can be bought within the Estate System, regardless of whether the Item has a Yield. Not All Items have Yields.

Quality of Life: This is the Total Rating of Life that individuals living on a particular Estate enjoy. It is derived from the averages of all of the other Ratings.

Keep: A Keep is a smaller form of a Fortress, and may hold up to 200 people. These are usually part of a Town of 1,000 people or more.  It is also a Military Structure.  The value of a Keep is based on the number of people regularly housed within, and a Keep may only house up to 20% of the population (maximum 400 people).  As with a Fortress, the Defensive Rating of a Keep is the average of the Quality Rating of the Keep and the Settlement in which it is housed.  One Keep may be built per 1,000 people.

Manor: A Manor is a Structure that may be built in any location.  It is not specifically a Military Structure, unless there are no other Military Structures in that area.  It will regularly house about 3 families, or 20 people, but may be used to house up to 10 extra people per Quality Rating for up to a month at a time.

Military Structure: A Military Structure is any Structure that can have a Defensive Rating.  A Mobile Force with an Offensive Rating is not considered to be a Structure as it is Mobile by definition.  Some Military Structures may be built without a supporting settlement, but may not exist for more than 6 months without a support system or settlement of some form growing during that time.  More information about building Military Structures without a Settlement can be found under the section on Conflicts.

Mobile Forces: Armies, Naval forces, Cavalry and other mobile troops fall under this category of Item.  These Items all have an Offensive Rating and a Defensive Rating.  Instead of purchasing these outright, Upkeep must be paid for these forces as described in the section on Conflicts.

Offensive Rating

How Does Your Estate, Business, Militia, and Mercenaries do with Repelling and/or Defeating Adversaries?

            Any force with an Offensive Rating can be used to attack another force, structure, or Item. Mobile Forces have Offensive Ratings and Defensive Ratings.

Population

            The average number of people living in a community or area is the Population of that area.  Any area with a stable population of 100 or more may be considered to be a Settlement.  Military Structures may be considered to be part of a Settlement or they may be considered to be stand-alone.

Proposal

            Anyone who wishes to build, take over or use the Estate System must send a formal Proposal to the local Plot Committee.  This Proposal should include why, how, who, where and when the Item or Structure is to be bought or built and should explain why the idea is feasible.  Applicable Craftsman skills should be listed as well as any components that will be required for the Item.  The Proposal should be clear and concise and include your character's goals in the endeavor.  Keep in mind that some Items, such as Settlements, require a Population to be built, as a City cannot exist without people.

Quality Rating

            Every Item in the Estate System has a Quality Rating.  The rating system starts at 1 for the poorest quality and has a maximum of 10 for the highest quality of Item.  A rating of 5 is considered to be an Average Quality, while 1 is Poor, and 10 is Outstanding.  The price or value of an Item is directly related to the Quality Rating and can be calculated by multiplying the Base Cost by the Quality Rating of the Item.

Rating: Every Item, Structure, Business, Estate, Barony, County, and Duchy is Rated in the categories that apply to them. Every Rating ranges from 1-10, a rating of 5 is considered to be an Average Rating, while 1 is Poor, and 10 is Outstanding.

Repair:  In some cases, you may be required to Repair an Item in order to maintain its Quality Rating.  If the Yield of an Item is negative for a month, the difference must be paid or the Quality of that Item will fall by one, devaluing the Item. Most often there is sufficient Gold in Reserves to maintain the upkeep of those that fail to yield or break even.

Settlement:  A Settlement is an area (Village, Town, City) with a stable population of 100 or more.  A Settlement is considered to include the basic necessities for life and civilization, such as water and a stable food source.  Settlements require a population, and cannot be built overnight.  Many are built up over time, changing status as they change population.  Settlements may have a number of Trade Items dependent on the population and conditions of the area in which they are located.  Settlements may have a Yield that can be affected by Events, such as weather and attacks by hostile forces.

Structure

            A Structure is any Item that is immobile, such as a Fort, Keep, Manor, Forge, Stables, Barracks, Pier or other building.  Structures have a Quality Rating and a Defensive Rating. They may have a Yield.

Total Dismantling

            Any Business, Structure or even Settlement may be completely dismantled. Complete dismantling will Yield the current value minus the value of the Item at two Quality Rating points below it. Total Dismantlement of a Business, Structure and particularly a Settlement may cause people to lose homes or work, and thus, may have Roleplaying repercussions. In general, it may be more prudent to find another person to purchase rights to an Item, rather than to destroy it through Dismantling.

Town

            A Town is a Settlement of more than 1000 people but less than 5000 people.  The term Town implies that all of the necessary components for a sizable settlement are existent in some form.  The quality of these components depends on the Quality Rating of the overall Town.  Towns may have certain Structures that are not available without a certain supporting population.

Trade Item

            A Trade Item is something that a town or village is known for, such as its fine Apples, Cattle, Weaving, or Weapons.  It is an asset of a settlement, and something that can be considered to be a main product of an area. Surplus is used to fill demand in other areas through trade.   

Upkeep

            In some cases, a town, business or other Item may not produce all it needs to stay at the same level of quality.  This can occur because of bad fortune, war or for any number of other reasons.  When this happens, the normal Yield of the Item is less than 0%, and the negative Yield must be paid in order to keep the Item at its current Quality Rating, or the Item will lose value commensurate with the lose of Quality Rating.  If extra has been paid in order to improve the Item, the extra may go towards the Upkeep of an Item to keep it from losing value.

Village

A Village is a Settlement of more than 100 people but less than 1000 people.  The term Village implies that all of the necessary components for a small settlement are existent in some form.  The quality of these components depends on the Quality Rating of the overall Village.  Villages may have certain Structures that are not available without a supporting population.

Yield   

            The Yield of an Item is measured as a monthly percent of the Item's full value.  On average, the Yield of an Item is about 5%, with minor and temporary fluctuations being common, both good and bad.  Skilled management of an Item (i.e. the knowledge of appropriate Craftsman skills) may change the Yield of an Item, even after normal fluctuations.  Not all Items have Yield, but Settlements and Businesses are the most common Items with Yield.