From: daveb@harlqn.co.uk (Dave Berry) Description: RoR: The definitive house rules :-) I was invited to play of Republic Of Rome recently, which rekindled my interest in the game. I bought it when it first came out, found the rules inpenetrable, played a game or two in which Rome lost horribly, after which my fellow players lost interest. By contrast, the recent game was great fun. It definitely helps to have someone who knows how the game works. I've gone through a load of Usenet articles on the game, in an attempt to catch as many rules problems as possible before playing again. So here it the "definitive" house rules - in the sense of The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy. They may not always be accurate, but where they're inaccurate, they're *definitively* inaccurate :-). All I'm attempting to do is to sort out ambiguous or conflicting rules. I'm not tweaking the play balance or adding optional rules. I'm assuming the AH rule about delaying matching wars. Comments welcome. In fact they're probably inevitable :-). Dave. Sources: AH1 = AH official errata, dated Jan 29th, 1993 (incomplete). AH2 = Response by AH to questions from Chris Farrell. m.n = another part of the rules. unlabelled = various usenet posters; what seems sensible. RULES. 3.III A player may not appoint a Faction Leader and sponsor Games in the same initiative. [AH2] 3.III If the Second Punic War or Gladiator Slave Revolt are active, the HRAO rolls to see which Tax Farmer Concessions are destroyed at the same time as rolling for concessions, senators and leaders. If a concession is destroyed by this roll, he may immediately roll for its revival, as for other concessions/senators destroyed/killed in this turn. 5.2 If a statesman dies, any family card with him is handled in the usual way for a dead senator. [7.312A] 5.3 If a faction is eliminated, any cards held in hand are returned to the deck and the deck is reshuffled. [AH2] The player takes the first senator in the deck that does not match a played statesman. 6.1 Income may not be transferred to rebel senators. [11.4] Other than that, personal revenue may be freely assigned to different senators at the time of collection. It may not be given to other players until the end of the revenue phase. So personal income may be redistributed before any contributions are made, for example. [AH2] It may not be transferred to the faction treasury until rebel senators have maintained their troops. Money may be transferred to or form senators who are not in Rome. 6.14 Rebel governors do not roll for province improvement. [AH1] Vacant provinces may not be developed. 6.141 Bithnynia-Pontus may be improved in the normal way, and will revert to its undeveloped state if overrun by barbarians, or if conquered by a war card and reconquered by Rome, in the usual way. [AH2] 6.22 Wars cost the senate 20T while active, even if not printed on the card. You cannot disband forces just by not paying maintenance. [AH1] Contributions may be made before the state pays all its expenses. 7.21 If nobody bids for an initiative, the HRAO takes it. 7.31 Popularity may not go above 9 or below -9. [Contradicts AH2] 7.311 Add "and repopulating Rome (9.5)" after "(see 7.5)". [AH1] Replace "may change ... unaligned" with "goes to the bottom of the Curia". [5.2, 7.312A] 7.312 Statemen take over any prior consul status from their family. [AH1] If two statesmen with the same number are in play (25A/B or 29A/B) and the family card then appears, the family card is placed under the A statesman of the pair. [AH2] A player may not play one of these statesmen if the family card is in play with a different faction, unless the other faction of the pair is already in play (with the family card). If one of the pair dies, and the family card is with the other, the family card is moved to the surviving statesman, even if the dead statesman was the faction leader. 7.32 A senator may not choose not to collect income from a concession. [AH2] 7.331 Errata - add "or Fleet" after "Army" in the third line. [AH1] 7.332 Delete "(those with matching illustrations)". [AH2] 7.34 Statesmen with "voids D/S" ability only void the D/S associated with the Wars, not those of associated leaders. [AH1 - not sure I agree]. If all the visible matching wars of a leader have been defeated, but matching wars remain in the deck, the leader remains in the Curia, and is subject to an aging roll each turn as usual. [AH2] 7.341 The Cleopatra card may be played only once, but then remains in effect until the Alexandrine War ends. [AH2] 7.354 Draw a maximum of six chits for foreign epidemics, as for the first epidemic, but stop after the first death. 7.355 Evil Omens does not affect rolls on the events table. 7.372 Agreements to rebel or to remain loyal are not enforceable. 7.4 A senator need not be in Rome to sponser games. [AH1] 7.511 Opposed statesmen do get the +7 for being aligned. Some statesman oppose others who do not oppose them back. [AH1] If a player voluntarily abandons a statesman, all his influence, popularity, concessions, etc. and the family card if present, go with him. 7.513 Other players may not spend money to aid a persuasion attempt. [AH2 says otherwise, but this is the most sensible interpretation.] 9.34 The senator stepping down retains his office, but is not available to be the Presiding Magistrate at any further point in the turn. [AH2] Therefore any references to the HRAO do not include this senator. 9.35(new rule number) If the Presiding Magistrate dies as a result of an assassination or prosecution, the next HRAO becomes Presiding Magistrate. 9.4 The Censor may not be a prosecutor also. [AH1] During prosecutions, the Censor becomes the Presiding Magistrate. If he suffers a unanimous defeat, he may either lose the required influence, or hand control of the meeting back to the HRAO and become unavailable to be Presiding Magistrate for the rest of the turn. The temporary Rome Consul may be prosecuted in the first turn (this can only happen if he is elected to Pontifex Maximus). Only those senators in Rome may be prosecuted. If the Censor dies as a result of an assassination while the prosections are ongoing, all unresolved prosecutions fail and control of the meeting returns to the HRAO. 9.421 An exiled senator does not lose negative popularity. [AH1] 9.423 A faction that gets the free unopposed persuasion attempt against a Statesmen recalled from Exile gets the family card, even if part of another faction, and even if the leader of that faction. [AH1] The faction concerned must wait until the next revenue phase to assign a new faction leader. 9.44 If the accused is killed by popular appeal, the prosecutor gains his Prior Consul marker (if any) and half his influence, as usual. 9.611A Rolls for destroyed tax farmer concessions are made at the end of the Forum phase. 9.62 A senator may be proposed as governor of the same province more than once, but only as part of a different package. [AH2] 9.624 Vacant provinces may not be developed. 9.64 A legion/fleet cannot be disbanded and rebuilt in the same senate phase. [AH1] 9.66 The Senate may recall part of a force to Rome, leaving the rest with its commander in the field. [9.642,10.72] 9.67 Nominations for "Consul For Life" may only be made by the HRAO or using a tribune, as normal. The restriction to one such vote a turn is in total, not per player. 9.8 A faction may not attempt to assassinate one of its own senators. [AH1] 9.84 The HRAO remains Presiding Magistrate for an assassination prosecution. If the caught assassin was the faction leader, the prosecution always succeeds. If the faction leader is away from Rome, he may not be prosecuted, but Mortality chits are drawn as if he were found guilty. [Contradicts AH2] If the caught assassin was the HRAO, he remains Presiding Magistrate. Alternative: an absent faction leader is recalled for the prosecution. 9.91 Tribunes may not be used to veto the consuls' appointment of a dictator, though they may be used to veto a vote for dictator. A senator may not refuse to be Master of Horse. [AH1] I assume, therefore, that a dictator may not refuse his appointment, and tribunes may not veto the appointment of the MoH. Only senators in Rome are eligible to become Dictator and Master Of Horse. The naval strengths of wars are not counted when determining whether a Dictator may be appointed. 10.12 If Rome sends a Naval force with no land forces, the Commander returns to Rome immediately if victorious. [AH1] 10.4 When a Naval Battle is won, the victorious senator increases his influence and popularity by half the naval strength of the war. [AH2] 10.51 A loyal senator may choose whether or not his veteran legions in the rebel army desert to the Senate army before combat. [11.51] 10.7 The Dictator becomes a Proconsul if he ends the turn away from Rome, but the Master of Horse returns to Rome. If the Dictator rebels and the MOH chooses to join his rebellion, they add their military ratings in the civil war. [AH2] 10.71 If there is no vote for recall or reinforcement of a Proconsul in this position, he and his forces return to Rome at the end of the Senate phase. 10.72 The Unrest Level is increased by one for each unprosecuted war at the *start* of every *Population* phase. [AH1] A war is not considered to be unprosecuted in the population phase of the turn in which it is drawn. [AH2] 10.82 Ransom may be paid at any time prior to defeat of the war, or prior to the next forum phase in the case of Barbarian Raids. [AH1] Captives may not receive income, and their personal treasuries are frozen. 10.9 Roll a die to determine in what order Multiple Commanders attack their common war. [AH1] ... unless they agree amongst themselves. 12.32 The rebel's revolt is "still ongoing" if he has not defeated the Senate army, i.e. if he won through bankruptcy or a people's revolt. [AH2] ADVANCED RULES. 13.21 The Pontifex Maximus may not assign himself a priesthood. [AH1] If a senator with a priesthood is elected to be Pontifex Maximus, he immediately loses the priesthood, and gains only four influence instread of 5. 14.4 All bracketed provinces lose all taxes, despite the War attacking only one. [AH1] Governors in revolt do not have to attack wars; the war attacks the next loyal province. [AH2] Rebel provinces do not lose income from active wars. 14.41 Provincial fleets do not take losses at double the normal rate. [AH1] 14.411 Provincial armies added to a war card cease to be provincial armies and are just treated as an extra strength factor, i.e., always count full and take losses 1:1. They are not subject to the multipliers for matching wars. [AH1] 14.413 Governors that win a provincial war receive the usual influence and popularity gains. [AH2] 14.5 Provincial armies and fleets are always loyal to their governor. [AH1] SOLITAIRE/TWO-PLAYER VERSION 16.52 Rome recalls all forces before making a new military plan. BOARD. Table V.4: Type I land bills may not be repealed. [9.631] CARDS. Flamininus (18A) should oppose Cato the Elder (22a), and suffer the drop in influence to 0 when appropriate. [AH1] Scipio Aemilianus Africanus (1B) nullifies disasters and stand-offs from the 3rd Punic War and the Spanish *Revolts*. Crassus: Crassus doubles only Personal Revenue (6.1) plus concession income. [AH2] Pompey: Pompey's military rating is rolled before each combat. When determining minimum force during the Senate Phase, his military is considered to be the minimum of 2. [AH2] An alternative: Roll once when he is first played. His military is then considered that dr+1 for minimum force; after that point, his military is considered whatever it was most recently. Vatinian Law: A senator who is governing a province by legate may return to the province any time during the senate phase. He must then remain there until the start of the next senate phase or until recalled. He is subject to prosecution/fining for taking personal income both when he is in Rome and when his term has expired. [AH2] Once fined, a governor may not be fined again until he next takes personal income. Vatinian Law (advanced game): If the province is attacked when its governor is in Rome, no military rating is used? If a senator rebels, he must choose a single province to rebel with him. Any provinces that he is governing by legate are returned to the forum. [AH2] Calpurnian Law: Fines are paid to the bank. [AH1] If a senator does not have enough money in his personal treasury to pay the fine, then his faction treasury must pay. If the faction treasury is unable to, his Popularity and Inluence are reduced by an amount equal to the shortfall. [AH2] Alternatively: other senators in the faction must pay if there are insufficient funds in the faction treasury. If the fine still can't be paid in full, the factions loses all its money. Julian Law: This eliminates "No Recruitment" as well as "Manpower Shortage". Manilian Law: The victorious commander does not attack the war in the revolution phase; nor does the war count as being prosecuted. Viriathus: Viriathus adds his strength to the Spanish Revolts, the Numantine War, and the Sertorian Revolts. New alliance event: when a war is discarded by multiple "New Alliance" events, provinces are not created. The war loses any "fleet victorious" status. Rhodian Maritime Alliance event: If there is no war requiring fleets, nothing happens. The counter limit of 25 fleets does include any granted by this event. Proscription: Any player may play this card, not just the HRAO. -- Dave Berry, Harlequin Ltd., Barrington Hall, Cambridge, CB2 5RG, UK. From: pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White) Date: 5-MAY-1994 13:31:45 Description: Re: RoR: The definitive house rules :-) daveb@harlqn.co.uk (Dave Berry) writes: > Comments welcome. In fact they're probably inevitable :-). > 10.7 The Dictator becomes a Proconsul if he ends the turn away from > Rome, but the Master of Horse returns to Rome. If the Dictator > rebels and the MOH chooses to join his rebellion, they add their > military ratings in the civil war. [AH2] > 10.71 If there is no vote for recall or reinforcement of a Proconsul > in this position, he and his forces return to Rome at the end of the > Senate phase. This one confuses me. I had thought that Proconsul is an involuntary, both good and bad, position. Why would a Was-Dictator/Proconsul get an automatic recall when the RC and FC do not? IMHO, this one is quite wrong. Am I missing something? > 10.9 Roll a die to determine in what order Multiple Commanders attack > their common war. [AH1] ... unless they agree amongst themselves. The other logical choice, which is neither supported nor contradicted by the rules to my knowledge, is to let them fight in the order they were sent out. So, a Proconsul, being already in the field, gets first dibs on the war over the just sent FC, although perhaps the P might voluntarily step aside. Also, the FC may get priority over the RC, although this still begs the question of what happens when the RC and FC are sent simultaneously, which is answered well here. --Peter p-white@uiuc.edu From: peters@physics.ubc.ca (Dan Peters) Date: 5-MAY-1994 22:06:59 Description: Re: RoR: The definitive house rules :-) Dave Berry writes: > 3.III If the Second Punic War or Gladiator Slave Revolt are active, > the HRAO rolls to see which Tax Farmer Concessions are destroyed at > the same time as rolling for concessions, senators and leaders. If a > concession is destroyed by this roll, he may immediately roll for its > revival, as for other concessions/senators destroyed/killed in this > turn. [AH2] says that the Tax Farmer destruction rolls are made during the Senate Phase. (It doesn't say what part of the Senate Phase, however.) > 5.3 If a faction is eliminated, any cards held in hand are returned > to the deck and the deck is reshuffled. [AH2] The player takes the > first senator in the deck that does not match a played statesman. The cards are returned to the deck only in the case where a faction is _entirely_ eliminated, i.e. by badly flubbing an assassination (etc.). The player is out of the game, and does not draw another senator. If the player loses his/her last senator under any other circumstances, he/she would draw a senator (from the Curia first, if I remember right). > 7.355 Evil Omens does not affect rolls on the events table. OTOH, since the events that are good for Rome tend to be in the high rolls and the bad ones tend to be in the low or middle numbers, it isn't too unreasonable to let E-O affect this as well. > 7.372 Agreements to rebel or to remain loyal are not enforceable. I would like to add that agreements not to initiate a CFL vote are not enforceable. > 10.71 If there is no vote for recall or reinforcement of a Proconsul > in this position, he and his forces return to Rome at the end of the > Senate phase. No, a Proconsul remains in the field until recalled by the Senate or killed. > Viriathus: Viriathus adds his strength to the Spanish Revolts, the > Numantine War, and the Sertorian Revolts. ...even though those three cards don't "match" each other. Hmmm. > New alliance event: when a war is discarded by multiple "New > Alliance" events, provinces are not created. The war loses any > "fleet victorious" status. I disagree. The province(s) should be created, since the war is treated in all other ways as if it has been finally defeated. (Otherwise, you have no way for those provinces to appear.) And the "fleet victorious" stuff is irrelevant when the card is discarded. But when a war is shuffled back into the deck due to a _single_ New Alliance event, of course the province shouldn't be created. IMHO the "fleet victorious" status shouldn't be lost in that case, but I don't have an argument for that. Drin -- | Dan Peters | My idleness expands to fill | | peters@physics.ubc.ca | all available time. |