Monthly Domain Refresh¶
What this is¶
A faction with at least one controlled hex and 100 citizens is a domain. The Monthly Domain Refresh is the upkeep procedure that refreshes income, checks the food supply, and advances projects.
Invoked by: the Basic Game Loop at the end of each in-game month, or by Faction Turns for a DM-controlled faction that is also a domain, or by Ruling a Domain at the start of every month for a player-controlled domain.
Invokes: Encounter Escalation for any open reports that may compound or fade.
Returns to: the calling procedure.
Bookkeeping: DRS (updated in Step 5 from the month's Activity Log entries).
Who runs the refresh¶
- Player-controlled domains: every month.
- DM-controlled domains: when the DM is actively tracking the domain's resources for play (a rival domain, a war buildup, a long project the players will see, a heist target). For less prominent domains the DM can skip the refresh entirely.
Step 1: Refresh Citizen Output¶
A domain generates 1 gp per citizen per month as Citizen Output. This is the gold available for projects in the coming month. Citizen Output is distinct from the domain's treasury: it is not income for the domain leader, does not enter the treasury, and does not accumulate. Unused Citizen Output expires at month's end.
Step 2: Refresh resource units¶
For every hex the domain has tapped for a resource, the domain receives 1 unit of that resource for the month. Resource units do not accumulate; any unit not committed to a project this month is lost at month's end.
Step 3: Check food¶
A hex tapped for food sustains 10,000 citizens per month. Sum the food capacity from all tapped food hexes and compare to the domain's current population.
- Capacity meets or exceeds population: the domain is fed; proceed.
- Capacity falls short: the domain suffers a consequence — unrest, citizen loss, or another setback. The outcome depends on the size of the shortfall and the circumstances of the domain.
Step 4: Advance projects¶
If not already done through weekly tracking, resolve any project that finishes during the month.
| Scale | Duration |
|---|---|
| Tiny | immediate |
| Small | 1 week |
| Medium | 1 month |
| Large | 2 months |
A project only advances if its gold and resource requirements are met this month. If the domain cannot pay, the project pauses.
Step 5: Update the Domain Record Sheet¶
Roll up this month's Activity Log entries to the Domain Record Sheet (DRS):
- Population (if citizens were lost to famine or gained from external events).
- Active projects (advanced, completed, or paused).
- Treasury (if a completed project deposited or consumed stockpiled gold).
- Standing forces, trade routes, and resources, if changed.