The Rites of Rulership
The monarch of Risur derives powers from his or her position, but must rule with the approval of the populace. Herein are described the narrative and mechanical nature of the office.
Becoming Monarch
The current king or queen typically appoints a successor, which can be done as simply as saying out loud to a person that they are next in line to the throne. Anyone can be named a successor, regardless of race, nationality, or family.
Succession and Acceptance
When the current monarch dies or abdicates, the successor must be approved by the House of Nobles. The House of Nobles includes the current holders of any Baron, Viscount, Count, Earl, Marquess, or Duke titles (or the equivalent) handed out by the current or a previous monarch. Such titles can be revoked by royal decree, with consent of a majority of other nobles.
This can be done procedurally in advance if the nobles know the successor, which prevents a discontinuity of the monarchy. A consequence of this is that if a king who has named a successor dies and remains dead for more than a few minutes, the powers of the crown will be passed on, and cannot be reclaimed even if he were brought back from the dead.
If the current monarch dies without naming a successor, the House of Nobles can name one, but they must have majority approval of all nobles living in the land the monarch will rule.
Formal acceptance by the nobles grants the new monarch the powers detailed below under
Lord of the Land. Once the people of Risur accept their new king or queen, he or she also gains the powers of
Monarch of the Masses.
Contesting Control
At any time the monarch’s authority can be challenged if a majority of the nobles issue their grievance to him or her. The monarch retains the powers of Monarch of the Masses, but loses those of Lord of the Land.
Similarly, if the monarch is not supported by his or her citizens, the powers of Monarch of the Masses will be weaker.
The nature of the Rites has trouble with planar travel, and if the monarch travels to another world his or her power can contested by a majority of nobles or citizens on that plane.
Powers of the Monarch
Of course the monarch has political power to direct the army and navy, and to make broad dictates which generally the nobility enact into law. Immense wealth is available for his or her use, though restraint must be shown to avoid weakening the country. But the most famous powers of Risur’s kings and queens are tied to their defense of the homeland. The rites of rulership grant the monarch sufficient might to fend off a fey titan.
Lord of the Land
The monarch gains a +5 bonus to saves against charm, fear, and poison. When the monarch falls to 0 HP or below, each of the monarch’s allies within three miles is dazed for one round. If the monarch would die from a failed death saving throw, he or she can choose instead to become stable.
While in Risur, the monarch can spend a minor action once per round to move up to four 5-ft. cube of earth, stone, or foliage up to five feet.
The monarch can name creatures to forbid them from entering Risur via teleportation or planar travel for one month, but must know the person’s actual name. Likewise, the king can spend ten minutes to open a pathway to the Dreaming, though the current state of the planes prevents such a transition.
The monarch also receives the Crown of Risur, which lets the wearer always know the names of those he or she can see. As a free action the crown’s wearer can say someone’s name to grant them a save against charm, fear, or poison; but a given creature can only be granted one bonus save in this way per day.
Monarch of the Masses
When the monarch is engaged in battle with a person or group actively contending for control of Risur’s territory, his power is elevated to match the strongest individual among his enemies. When facing a fey titan, this gives a mortal man incredible strength and stamina, but it is of little use against invading armies, since the monarch is likely already about as powerful as even the most dangerous of his or her enemies.
When the monarch is in an encounter with a hostile creature that creature is contesting control of Risuri lands (or if the monarch is trying to conquer lands controlled by his or her enemy), the monarch gains the following benefits.
- A bonus to attack rolls and defenses equal to the difference in levels.
- A bonus to Strength-, Dexterity-, and Constitution-based checks equal to 5+ half the difference in levels.
- Regeneration equal to 5 + the difference in levels. Double this regeneration if the enemy is an elite, and quintuple it if the enemy is a solo.
Effects that factor in the difference in levels only care if the enemy is higher level. Fighting a lower-level foe never weakens the monarch. And the monarch only gains bonuses from a single enemy, whichever is of the highest level. After all, the rites were designed to help a man fight a fey titan, not two fey titans.
For example, when King Dukain (level 20) fought the Voice of Rot (level 28), he benefited from a +8 bonus to attack rolls and defenses, +9 to physical ability checks, and regeneration 65.
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