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Able Assistance . .66 Lieutenants . .66 Acquiring Lieutenants . .71 Advisers . .73 Creating Advisers . .75 Paying Advisers . .76 Promoting an Adviser to Lieutenant .76 Introduction . .3 Henchmen . .76 Types of Henchmen . .76 The Head that Bears the Crown . .4 Acquiring Henchmen . .78 Humans . .4 Paying Henchmen . .78 Elves . .10 Using Henchmen in the Campaign . .78 Dwarves . .11 Player Characters as Henchmen . .79 Halflings . .13 Humanoids . .13 Dynasties . .80 A Final Note on Government . .15 Building a Dynasty . .80 The Heir . .80 The Blood of Kings . .16 Establishing the Heir . .81 Passing Bloodlines . .16 Role-Playing the Heir . .81 Increasing Bloodline Strength . .16 DM Tips Regarding Heirs . .82 Re p e r cussions of Increasing a Bloodline17 The Heir as Full-Time PC . .82 Blood Ability Tables (Tables 1–7) . .17 The Branches of Dynasty . .83 New Blood Abilities . .21 A Final Word on Dynasties . .83 Signature Abilities . .23 Extending the Branches . .84 Becoming an Awnshegh . .24 The Foundation of Empire . .84 The Short Road . .24 The Path of Evil . .26 Military Matters . .85 The Call of the Ehrshegh . .27 Training an Army . .85 New Domain Action: Improve Unit .85 Anatomy of a Law Holding . .29 A Sample Improved Unit . .86 The Influence of the Law Holding . .29 Improving Units as a Realm Action . .88 Law (0) Holdings . .29 Named and Renowned Units . .88 Law (1) to (3) Holdings . .30 Creating New War Cards . .89 The Power of the Law . .31 Paying the Price of Success . .89 Law (4) and Higher Holdings . .32 Table 8: Military Statistics . .90 Character of the Law Holding . .33 Blank War Cards . .92 Law Holdings and Alignment . .33 The Character Class Influence . .36 Regent Kits . .93 Law Regents vs. Province Ruler . .37 Regent Character Kits . .93 The Power of Law . .38 King Errant . .94 The Provincial Power . .38 Merchant Prince . .95 A Final Word . .38 Warrior-King . .96 Additional Rules . .98 Domain Actions . .39 Employing Specific Actions . .39 Magical Items and Artifacts . .99 New Domain Actions . .47 Regents and Starting Magical Items . .99 Strategic Planning . .52 Selection Guidelines . .99 A Final Word on Domain Actions . .54 Specific Items and Suggestions . .100 Acquiring Magical Items Without Adventuring 102 Strategies of Empire . .55 Unforeseen Benefits . .103 Regal Models . .55 Unforeseen Drawbacks . .103 Gavin Tael, Baron of Ghoere . .55 Encouraging Magical Tithes . .103 Uldviik, King of Hjolvar . .57 Heirlooms and Artifacts of Today . .104 Richard Talbehr, Count of Müden . .59 Armor . .104 Alnor, King of Jankaping . .61 Weapons . .106 SampleBeysim ibn Faroud el-Duatim, Rings . .file . .109 Emir of Sendoure . .63 Miscellaneous Magic . .110 Creating New Magical Items . .112 2 The Cerilian map shows borders criss-cro s s i n g & DR A G O N S® game: the DU N G E O N MA S T E R® the continent’s surface and strange names identi- Guide (DMG) the Player’s Handbook(PHB). fying its regions. Even the nearly unexplore d The Book of Regencypresents new options for lands to the north have been divided into realms, Dungeon Masters and players of the BIRTHRIGHT and those realms into provinces. The bord e r s setting, but all rules found within its pages re p resent centuries of war and diplomacy, should be considered optional. The DM and the treaties and intrigue. players should decide for themselves which parts But they represent so much more as well. to use, which parts to consider, and which to set Every border defines a realm, but each realm is aside. also defined by its ruler—or lack thereof. These realm regents,as they can be called, rule the land of Cerilia—not just a guild holding or a magical source, not only a holy temple or enforcers of the law—but the l a n d itself. Tied to Cerilia by their b i rthrights and their bloodlines, they govern the continent’s realms and people. This, then, is a book for them—a tome of infor- Cerilia holds as many different types of rulers as mation directed at realm regents, the men and it does domains to rule. However, rulers can be women who govern the land. They might be war- classified into several general categories. riors, priests, wizards, or thieves, but they influ- A regent rules at least one province or holding ence the events of Cerilia and draw its ever- ( l a w, temple, guild, or magical source). He may changing map boundaries. rule multiple holdings, diff e rent types of hold- A realm regent probably has at least one law ings, or both holdings and provinces, but he must holding to his name, or he likely won’t be a realm rule at least one thing. regent for long. Because of this fact, The Book of A landless r eg e n t rules o n l y holdings; he has Regencyalso discusses law domains and issues re- no land under his rule, no place he can point to lated to their rulership. on the continental map and say “That’s mine.” A landed r e g e n t , or realm r e g e n t , rules at least one province. He may rule more, and he may rule other types of holdings as well, but the fact that he has subjects and land under his con- trol is what sets him apart. Throughout this book, references are made to province and holding levels. For a full discussion The Book of Regencyisn’t just directed at players of provinces and holdings, refer to the i n t e rested in realm or law regent characters. BI RT H R I G H T R u l e b o o k. However, a quick re v i e w Much of this book can be used by the Dungeon of notations associated with holdings is in order. Master (DM) as well. The BI RT H R I G H T® s e t t i n g , The relative strength of holdings is denoted by in which player characters can become rulers of levels; the higher the level, the stronger the hold- realms or even emperors of whole regions, em- ing. Holding levels are noted in parentheses: a phasizes the regent character, and any player or law (2), for example. Province levels and magic DM interested in exploring the concept of re- potential are also noted in parentheses following gency (in this or other settings) can find useful the province name. Thus the notation “Allesrecht information in these pages. (6/1)” indicates that Allesrecht’s province level (a This book holds compiled information fro m measure of the amount of civilization in the prov- some other sources, including the Rjurik High - ince, its population, and the maximum level for a lands, Tribes of the Heartless Wastes, Havens of the law, guild, or temple holding) is 6, while its magic Great Bay, and Cities of the Suncampaign expan- potential (the maximum possible level for a sions. It also collects and expands upon some source) is 1. vital information from the BIRTHRIGHT Rulebook. However,Sample readers of this text need to be familiar file with only the BI RT H R I G H T campaign setting and the basic rulebooks of the ADVANCED DUNGEONS 3 species, some blending of governments, soci- eties, and philosophies was bound to occur. Today, Cerilia’s people divide the land and them- selves along cultural, racial, and political lines. But they learn from each other and adapt, some- times unknowingly, to the forces of history. The cultures of Cerilia have changed since hu- mans first emigrated from Aduria over two thou- sand years ago. The Masetians are no more . Their civilization and style of government de- ◆ p a rted this world in the wake of the Battle of Deismaar, though many of their customs and be- “Many different cultures live and thrive on the con- liefs live on in the Khinasi. The Brechts and the tinent of Cerilia. Five human races and at least five Rjuven (now Rjurik), dominated for centuries by nonhuman species maintain communities, laws, cus- the Anuireans, learned lessons of empire fro m toms, and traditions. All have leaders. All have their their masters. And the Vos, who once worshiped own methods of governance. the god of moon and magic, have become the “Diversity of society, government, and culture -ex most barbaric of Cerilia’s human races. ists even within these surface divisions.