KoDP FAQ version 0.001 & Poll from Bruce Hollebone on 2000-02-17 (King of Dragon Pass)

From: Bruce Hollebone <hollebon_at_...>
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 10:20:13 -0500

Hello Lozenge.

Sorry for the delay. Real Life has a habit of getting in the way of my Gloranthan activities.

Several new additions to the FAQ (Food, cow depletion, raiding), edits to many questions.

I have some questions I would appreciate opinions on. If the honourable members would care to take their seats...

Do you like the BAUG (butt-ugly ASCII graphic) runes? So far 1 for, 1 against. Also, better versions of the runes I've got would be appreciated.
I've got the wrong rune for the first section, wyter. I'd like to use Fate not Luck, but I'll be darned if I can remember what it is. Help me please, I've fumbled my Lore roll.
Are there any questions I've missed? Remember, questions relating only to mechanics or basic game play. I don't want to cut off discussion here or reveal too much for a new player.
Comments [in brackets] are thoughts which will be remove from the final version. Comments on these subjects are particularly welcome.

Without further ado, here's the new FAQ:

****************************>8 snip'n save! 8<*************************

Archive-name: KoDP-list-faq
URL: [none yet]

[Last Modified: 17 February 2000, by bph]

+---+      List of Frequently Asked Questions for        ___
|   |                                                   / _ \
|   |              The King of Dragon Pass               / \ |
|   |                                                   |  / /
+---+                     Mailing List                   \__/

May Issaries ensure the Value of this FAQ and Lhankor Mhy vouch for its Truth.

The King of Dragon Pass is a computer game for Windows and Macintosh PC's of strategy and character set in the mystical world of Glorantha. It is published by A-Sharp L.L.C:

http://www.a-sharp.com/kodp/
A-Sharp also keep a Frequently Asked Question list for KoDP at:

http://www.a-sharp.com/kodp/faq.html

Updates for the game can be obtained from A-Sharp. As of this writing, the current version of the game is 1.3. Check your game's version number on the Game Controls [Save/Restore] screen. Download the current patch from:

http://www.a-sharp.com/kodp/update/

Glorantha is a fictional world created by Greg Stafford more than two decades ago. It is a rich fantasy of myth, tragedy and redemption, where mighty gods and heroes fight in ancient conflict. Glorantha has been the setting for several tabletop fantasy board and role-playing games. See the Glorantha website for further details.

Glorantha is the Trademark of Issaries, Inc., and is used with their permission. Issaries, Inc. is the Trademark of Issaries, Inc. For further information, see:

http://www.glorantha.com/
May Humakt take recourse for any breach of this Oath.

[Need to clear this with Issaries yet. Who else must I mention?
Is KoDP a trademark/service mark/use mark?]

[Am I missing anything else here?]

This FAQ was written by Bruce Hollebone (bones_at_...). Comments and criticisms are welcome.

Table of Contents:

Section 1: Following the Wyter

1.1 Help! I don't know how to form a tribe! What ever will I do?
1.2 [Short Game] How long do I have to hold the king/queenship to win?
1.3 [Long Game] I've done seven heroquests after forming a tribe, but

nothing new is happening! What's wrong? 1.4 [Long Game] I've been told that my king must meet someone. How do

I do this?
1.5 [Long Game] I've been told I must complete three tasks. What do I do?

Section 2: Clan and Family

2.1 Who is...
2.2 How do I get new nobles?
2.3 How do I get a noble of a particular deity?
2.4 The farmers/weponthanes hate me! Help!
2.5 Kids, don't have enough! The clan is dying!
2.6 Kids, got way too many! The tula is bursting at the seams!

Section 3: Herds and Agriculture
3.1 I'm running out of food! Where shall I go? Whatever shall I do? 3.2 I'm running out of cows! Without cattle we will scatter to the

seven winds! What must we do?
3.3 I'm running out of sheep! What to do? 3.4 On the picture of the tula (shown at sacred time), when moving the

mouse over the cows/sheep, the message that they are overcrowded and malnourished appeared. The herder on the ring said they have enough land. What's going on?

Section 4: Trade and Diplomacy

4.1 What are the exchange rates of commodities?
4.2 What is a small/average/enormous gift to another clan?
4.3 What is the base value for a treasure?
4.4 I'm running out of silver! 
4.5 How do I get more trade routes?
4.6 Clan X hates my guts! What can I do?
4.7 Everyone hates my guts! Help!

Section 5: War

5.1 Neighbours keep sneaking off with my cows. What can I do?
5.2 Raids always catch me unaware. How can I prepare?
5.3 Can I seize land from a clan that is not a neighbour?

Section 6: Exploration
6.1 I keep losing parties! Help!
6.2 What should I explore?

Section 7: Magic
7.1 What's a good size for a sacrifice?
7.2 I'm spending a lot on sacrifices but not getting any result. What's

wrong?

7.3 How do blessings work?
7.4 How does Maran Gor's blessing work?
7.5 I can't build a shrine to my favourite God! What's going on?
7.6 I can't build any more temples! I don't have enough worshippers.

How do I solve this?
7.7 I'm having trouble doing heroquests. What should I do? 7.8 One of my ring says that I've performed so many heroquests, but I

know I've done many more. What gives?

Section 8: The Path of Immanent Mastery

8.1 Which shrines should I build?
8.2 What effects do the various traditional enemies have?
8.3 OK, spoil me. Where should we explore first?
8.4 What does that crazy reptile want with its questions about what we

think is important?

Section 9: Extras

9.1 How can I see my tula's boundaries?
9.2 Easter Eggs?
9.3 How do I make a screen shot?

=====
 / \     Section 1: Following the Wyter

/ \

1.1: Help! I don't know how to form a tribe! What ever will I do?

There is something specific you must do. Seek the mandate of the gods. Read your manual.

1.2: [Short Game] How long do I have to hold the king/queenship to win?

Ten years. Consecutive years. Ten golden years. There are other conditions too. Read your manual.

1.3: [Long Game] I've done seven heroquests after forming a tribe, but nothing new is happening! What's wrong?

It does take several years for the plot to work out. Maybe you just need to wait a few seasons. Also, have you done seven different heroquests? Your magician will tell you. You also must complete the heroquest for your chief god/ess (Olanth and Aroka, Ernalda Feeds the Tribe or Elmal Guards the Stead). When you meet the blind seer prophesying a marriage to a feathered queen, you are on the right track. The plot takes decades to play out.

1.4: [Long Game] I've been told that my king must meet someone. How do I do this?

Don't worry. Everything will happen in the fullness of Time.

1.5: [Long Game] I've been told I must complete three tasks. What do I do?

Save your game. Other than that, just wait for events to unfold.

+
< >
X Section 2: Clan and Family
/ \
/ \

2.1: Who is...

A:
...my chief:The person in the left-most slot with the torc glyph. Duh. ...my warleader: The ring-member with the highest combat score.

          A particularly war-like ring member may usurp this position
          from a more qualified noble.

...my lawspeaker: Ditto, for custom. Lhankor Mhy worshippers may take this

role even if they are not the best suited. ...my best poet: The ring member with the highest average

leadership and custom.
...my king: The noble with the W glyph on their picture. You know,

		the clown you spent all those cows on at the last moot.
		Note that they don't have to be on your ring.

2.2: How do I get new nobles?

Wait for your old ones to die; youngsters will be along in a season or two. This usually only happens for deaths due to old age, but one particular Elder Race attack also has this effect (Bloody mostali). Also, if the omens say that children born in a year will have great destinies, the children of that year produce more nobles, so spend points on children during sacred time (this takes 15 to 18 years). There is a treasure that can help. Finally, an event can bring you a babe with Heroic potential.

2.3: How do I get a noble of a particular deity?

This seems to be entirely a matter of luck. The game start is entirely random. You can have a wide variety of (the wrong) worshippers. Nobles appearing during the game also appear to be chosen randomly.

[Despite comments to the contrary on this list, I'm pretty sure this is true,
working from all *Dave* has said on the matter. Sacrificing for Heroism, building temples, sacrificing to gods and HQing does not seem to influence matters at all. However, I for one, would appreciate clarification here.]

2.4: The farmers/weponthanes hate me! Help!

Solve the immediate problem by gifting or feasting. In the longer term, watch your play. Farmers like peace and cows, weaponthanes like to prove their valour. No one likes losing battles. Some ancient treasures might help. Never give up Hope. Long lasting rifts can be healed by appealing to the gods, but have awful consequences if you fail.

2.5: Kids, don't have enough! The clan is dying!

Your casualty rate is higher than your growth rate. Stop fighting if possible, or fight more defensively. Recruit more farmers, take in strays, as they come your way. Seek the blessings of Orlanth's mother and wife and of the gentle white lady. Sacrifice magic for children at sacred time. Add more mothers and healers to your ring.

2.6: Kids, got way too many! The tula is bursting at the seams!

You've just had a series of disasters that wiped out a lot of adults, right? Try to reduce any further casualties. Fight defensively for a few years. Make sure you can feed everyone. Barntar, Yinkin, Orlanth and Elmal can help, but Ernalda and Uralda are the most important. Wait for the kids to grow up.

_____              _____
\\ //                | 
 \|/     Herds and   |      Agriculture
  +                 \|/

3.1: I'm running out of food! Where shall I go? Whatever shall I do?

Speak with a silver tongue and ask for food. Trade for Spare Grain. Take it with a black sword.

Pray for the blessings of Ernalda and her helpmeets: Orlanth, Elmal Odayla and, of course, her son Barntar. Make sure that you have enough cropland to feed everyone. In bad years, grow more barley, in good, more wheat, in desperation, more rye, but remember that the Earth wants to see all of her children grow. Trinkets and gee-gaws can help, but to prosper, you must travel the Hidden Ways under the Earth and meet all of its faces. Follow this advice and you'll never go hungry again!

3.2: I'm running out of cows! Without cattle we will scatter to the seven winds! What must we do?

Orlanth bellows that violence is always an option. Your neighbours cows can be yours, if you are brave. Ernalda whispers that there is always another way. Buy cows, sacrifice for herd magic at sacred time, worship Uralda, beg favours, keep close a treasure or two. Elmal holds that a strong stead is always wise. Keep land clear, defences strong, the weponthanes on the boundaries and the fyrd large. If all else fails, walk the forbidding godpath of Uralda.

3.3: I'm running out of sheep! What to do?

You've got more temples than your clan can support. Reduce their number. Send your best traders out with large missions; they'll trade for sheep on the side. Cattle raids often get sheep, particularly if you're low. Spend magic on herds. Put a good Uraldan on the ring. Never, ever slaughter sheep for food.

3.4: On the picture of the tula (shown at sacred time), when moving the mouse over the cows/sheep, the message that they are overcrowded and malnourished appeared. The herder on the ring said they have enough land. What's going on?

It appears that your herder recommends only the bare minimum on which the herds can survive. For them to thrive, you need to have more pasturage. Many have found that at least half again what your herder tells you or even double the minimum pasture is necessary.

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=#=#=    Section4: Trade and Diplomacy
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4.1: What are the exchange rates of commodities?

The basic relationship appears to be:

	1 horse		= 4 cows
	1 good		= 1 cow (although cows seem to be more desirable)
	2 food		= 1 cow

Barganing skill greatly affects trading, as do several blessings. Heroquests can also make your cows more valuble or generally improve trade negotiations.

4.2: What is a small/average/enormous gift to another clan?

As a basic rue of thumb, 10 cows is miserly, 20 is customary, 30 cows is generous. Again, this is highly dependent on relative strengths of your clan and the other, your leader's skill, active blessings, treasures and heroquests. Treasures, even "worthless" ones, are highly thought of.

4.3: What is the base value for a treasure?

Your traders will tell you 50 cows, but in reality, whatever the market will bear. You might have to pay hundreds of cows for some and get thirty when trying to sell.

4.4: I'm running out of silver!

The most dependable souce of goods are your crafters and market. Emphasize Issaries, increase the number of your trade routes. Increase the number of crafters to the maximum and make sure they are using all the resources you've found on your tulA: Trade missions can help, but later in the game you do need to send a lot of them to make a difference. Horsetrading seems to be particularly lucrative, but consider who you are trading with before you make the deal. Exploring can help a lot at the beginning of the game.

Of course, goods can be had immediately from other tulas. Following the way of Orlanth, you might take from those with plenty in your times of want. Surely it is the duty of a Just and Generous king to make sure everyone shares equally!

4.5: How do I get more trade routes?

Have an Issaries Trader on your ring. Build temples for Issaries, the bigger the better. Be on good relations with the potential partners. Leaving unexploited resources on your tula also can result in trade, but this may be less profitable.

4.6: Clan X hates my guts! What can I do?

Well, that's what you get for raiding them last Storm. Several gifts may be necessary. Several blessings, particularly those of Issaries and Lhankor Mhy could help. The course of events often brings opportunities. Be generous in victory. If you are really desparate, remember that everyone listens to the Gods, especially, Issaries and Chalana Arroy.

A truly wicked clan would seize their land and force them to move.

4.7: Everyone hates my guts! Help!

There are several approaches to this, depending on your clan's orientation. You can dig in and trust in the powers of the terrible and grim or you can travel the path of the trader and the sage. In dire straits, remember the secret scar and the wisdom of the cows: even the angriest male will ever follow.

[I'm being deliberately obtuse here, because these last two effects are
almost obscene in their power. 'Peace bombs' if you will]

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  |      Section 5: War
  |
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5.1: Neighbours keep sneaking off with my cows. What can I do?

Build a watchtower. Clear more land. Make sure that your weaponthanes aren't slacking off. After missions, they will reduce their patrols, the lazy bums. Check the raid screen after every raid or mission to reset the patrol levels.

5.2: Raids always catch me unaware. How can I prepare?

Form alliances with clans between yourself and the raiders. Often your allies will give you enough warning to summon your thanes and the full fyrd. Tribe members will also warn each other.

5.3: Can I seize land from a clan that is not a neighbour?

No, but if you seize all of a neighbour's lands, you get new neighbours...

   _
  / \
  \_ Section 6: Exploration
\_/ \

6.1: I keep losing parties! Help!

The Lonely Lozenge's tips for Dragon Pass:
- Send a Vingan or an Issarian. They just stir up trouble during planting anyway. If you don't have any to spare, use an Odaylan.
- Travel during a nice time of year: Sea or Fire.
- Send a strong escort with your noble.
- Use Vinga's Pathfinder and Odayla's Tracker blessings.
- Travel slowly.
- Explore the map slowly. Don't go far into fields unknown.
- A couple of treasures can help.
- Don't explore when the omens for travel are bad.

Sometimes, even the biggest, most prepared parties go astray. I've lost a huge party exploring my own tula! Exploring is the second most dangerous thing a noble can do.

6.2: What should I explore?

Your Tula. Bit by bit, push back the boundaries of what you know. Your tula, again. The gods will sometimes demand that you travel to specific destinations. Also, your tula. Re-exploring areas, particularly named ones is often very fruitful. Finally, remember to explore your tula.

|\
| >
|/      Section7: Magic
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7.1: What's a good size for a sacrifice?

Listen to your ring! Your magician may have a suggestion or two.

7.2: I'm spending a lot on sacrifies but not getting any result. What's wrong?

It helps if you have a devotee of the god on your ring. Also, sacrifice for mysteries during sacred time, if that's what you're after. As always, a treasure or two can help.

All gods are not the same. Read their myths to know them. Bloodthirsty ones like, well, blood, but peaceful ones prefer shiny things. I'm personally convinced that the gray sage is a greedy old bugger too.

7.3: How do blessings work?

Blessings take effect immediately. If you've sacrificed directly, it lasts five seasons, a full year. Also, a little brasier icon appears next to the blessing on the sacrifice screen, if you have made an offering in the past year. A temple blessing lasts indefinitely. You can see if a blessing is active by looking at the clan rock on the appropriate screen. An active blessing glows blue. An active blessing is also grayed-out on the sacrifice screen.

7.4: How does Maran Gor's blessing work?

The terrible hag of the dark earth cares only about blood, not from who it comes. The greater the numbers of your tribe or your enemies that die on your fields, the better your crops will be the next Earth season, as long as Earthblood is active at the time of the battle. The blessing need not be active during the next Earth season.

7.5: I can't build a shrine to my favorite God! What's going on?

First, make sure that you have sacrificed for a blessing. You cannot build unless you have a blessing known for each level of temple, i.e., shrines need one blessing, temples, two, and great temples, three.

Next, check that you have enough trade goods. Shrines cost 10 goods, Temples 50, Great Temples, 100. If you don't have enough dosh, you won't get the build button.

Finally, some Gods are better than other Gods. That is, many Gods only can have a shrine, some a temple and some a great temple.

The list is:

Shrine: Ancestors, Barntar, Maran Gor, Vinga Temple: Chalana Arroy, Odayla, Uralda, Urox Great Temple: Elmal, Ernalda, Humakt, Issaries, Lhankor Mhy, Orlanth

Note that there are also some Gods and spirits which can be found during play. These entities can only have a shrine built for them.

7.6: I can't build any more temples! I don't have enough worshippers. How do I solve this?

Focus your worship. Choose the blessings you want and destroy or reduce the temples you don't need. Take in more clansfolk. Make more allies, friends, and trading partners. Form a tribe.

7.7: I'm having trouble doing heroquests. What should I do?

Learn HeroQuesting in just 21 Days! (by Lhaura Lhemay)
- Follow the footsteps of your God. The old paths are the best.
- Myths have secrets and deeper secrets. Learn them both. Heroquesting with partial knowledge is for the desperate or foolhardy.
- A careful quester can minimize risk, particulary in combat. Be warned that this may reduce the effectiveness of the quest.
- Wait a couple of years. Questing too soon after your last attempt greatly reduces your chances. Your ring will tell you when it's safe.
- Quest in the season of associated with the god. For most this is Storm, but for Elmal, it is Fire and Ernalda and Uralda, Earth.
- Choose your leader wisely. Match skills with activities in the quest. Magic is the most important skill, but others are often critical for sucess. The default noble is not always best.
- Ring members seem to have an advantage.
- Direct worshipers also have the best chance. Note that Vingans count as Orlanthi.
- Have lots of supporters. Questing with tribal support is much easier.
- Some treasures can help.

However, even the best prepared will often go astray. Heroquesting is the most dangerous thing a person can do. Even if the quest is sucessful, your hero may be scarred beyond all healing (i.e. lose abilities).

7.8: One of my ring says that I've performed so many heroquests, but I know I've done many more. What gives?

Your magician is counting the number of different heroquests you have done. Doing the same one over and over does not count for the victory conditions. Also, the count of heroquests resets to zero when you form a tribe and elect a king/queen.

W W
W W
W w W Section 8: The Path of Immanent Mastery W W W
WWWWW Read past this point at your own peril! Some secrets mortals are not meant to know, and Arachne Solara intends to keep it that way. Beware those who bring Gifts of knowledge.

8.1: Which shrines should I build?

This varies so widely with play style that it impossible to give one answer. However, most agree that building a Barntar shrine (with either of Vigour or Plowsong) is important. A shrine to Chalana Arroy is critical too, for both healing and curing, as the need arises. Finally, having at least a shrine to Uralda with Calf Blessing is also very important to long term survival.

Later in the game, the fell gods of war and death and the talking gods will become very important.

8.2: What effects do the various traditional enemies have?

A:
Trolls: There are several families of Dark Men in Dragon Pass,

which the game tracks just as it does the other clans. They are all your enemies. Also, there is one area of the map you should definitely avoid. Several treasures can greatly help you.

Elves: The Aldryami are phantoms, never coming to grips with

your forces. Guerillas in the mists that wreathing the Quivin. Be careful of your boundaries.

The Winter Tribe of Valind: Winter storms are fierce, but you can

win luck fighting them. You also can get tribal magic by raiding during Dark Season, but 'ware lest ye fail. This is possibly the easiest choice for a beginner.

Basmoli Beastmen: You will shortly find some unfriendly

neighbours with some very powerful friends. They may look comical, but beware, beware the Deadly Ducks of Death! There is an area of the map you should stay away from also.

Tada the Green: The nomads of eastern Prax will harry your

steads, much like the horsepeople of the west. You can take the fight to them, but they have strong magic which can scour your tula and kill ring members. Towards the end of the long game, great help can come from humble beginnings.

The Salty Sea: Floods, wiping out crops and drowning your people

and herds will be a constant problem.

8.3: OK, spoil me. Where should we explore first?

The Quivin mountains are quite nice, as are the Dragonewt wilds. A first visit to the utter west can also be very profitable but is extremely dangerous. Don't forget your own tula too.

8.4: What does that crazy reptile want with its questions about what we think is important?

What happens after he leaves? The gift will eventually lead to an important choice. Think well on your answer to its question and you will be mightily rewarded. The reptile is a magisaur by the way, not a 'newt.

#####
#   #
#####    Section 9: Extras

#
#####

9.1: How can I see my tula's bounaries?

On the exploration (map) screen, press 'm'.

9.2: Easter Eggs?

On the first screen of the game, press 'o' (for Opal, the game's code name during development). It does look like the tutorial, but in fact is different. A cartain game designer will show up as a young noble in a few years. To quote David Dunham, the producer: "All the starting advisors are from the development team, others are among the available leaders, and one other makes an appearance within a few seasons."

9.3: How do I make a screen shot? I'd like to frame a picture of my new King's Stead!

Yes, you can satisfy your royal decorating urges.
- On a PC, press the 'Print Screen' key. A bitmap of the current screen will be copied to your clipboard, which you can paste into the windows Paint accessory.
- On a Mac Command+Shift+Control+3 does the same thing, however, Command+Shift+3 (whole screen) or Command+Shift+4 (selected area) saves to a PICT file, which may be more useful.

[end of file]

Bruce Hollebone: hollebon (at) cyberus.ca