Now ... if you use the system above, something else is going to become frightfully apparent.
The question about Infiltration is: do I infiltrate a SINGLE jigsaw piece of my opponent's territory (a 5th of Furyondy, one of the 12 drow cities, northwest Aerdi, the Tilvanot Jungle, etc.) or do I infiltrate the ENTIRE power being played by that player?
I would recommend that Infiltration be of the ENTIRE power, and here's why:
If I must send a spy to each and every jigsaw piece of one of the player's powers on-map, isn't this unfair to those off-map?
After all, the off-map countries are single jigsaw pieces. If I infiltrate Orcreich, or Nippon, Erypt, the Celestium Imperium, etc., I get to infiltrate the whole country at once, because it is one jigsaw piece!
But if I try to infiltrate the powers on-map, I must infiltrate an endless number of little jigsaw pieces of their power, one at a time. Thus taking forever to do to them what I could do instantly to an off-map power.
Likewise, the numbers accounting will be a nightmare, if infiltration involves every one of those little jigsaw pieces. You, the Arbiter of the IR, must arbitrate what percentage of EACH and EVERY piece I have infiltrated (that little piece was worth 2 PL, and I get 10% of that, which is 0.2 PL ... and multiply this by a 100 as many different players infiltrate a hundred little jigsaw pieces of nations.) It's a nightmare!
But ...
If you infiltrate my ENTIRE power (including all conquests I have made) then accounting is made simple. You take my combined PL, and the infiltrator gets his cut of that.
This will DEFINITELY encourage infiltration! Nothing like sending in spies, and taking over an enemy power from within!!
And, needless to say, this will cause great consternation and alarm among all the powers, that it is so relatively EASY that an Infiltrator group can just walk in and take them over (witness the Scarlet Brotherhood's work in the Greyhawk Wars.)
- - -
I am still puzzling through the espionage rules. I am confused about them.
For some reason (don't ask why) I thought up the following rules, which I thought you might care to look at. Perhaps there is an idea or two in there that would help with the 5th IR. I don't know. (goes on puzzling through the espionage rules.)
Defender, First Turn
Each and every Turn, the Defender may allocate PL to detecting the Attacker's spy, enabling a dice roll to detect the spy. (1st Bidding War between the Attacker and the Defender.)
The Defender MUST detect the Attacker's spy to proceed to ejection/nullification of the Attacker's spy.
If the Defender discovered the Attacker's spy, he may spend PL to eject/nullify the Attacker's spy, enabling a dice roll to eject/nullify that spy (Second Bidding War between the Attacker and the Defender.) This applies to all discovered spies.
Defender, Second Turn:
As above, and:
If the Defender ejects/nullifies the Attacker's spy, any attempt at Corruption of the Defender's power by the Attacker is ruined, without need for a 3rd Bidding War. However, if the Attacker has ALREADY effected Corruption on the Defender, ejecting/nullifying the Attacker's spy does not negate or affect the Corruption in any way.
Defender, Third Turn:
As above, and:
The Defender may spend PL to lessen the Corruption of his power (levels of Corruption 1 through 5.) This assumes the Attacker has already Corrupted the Defender's power:
Level 1 Corruption gives the Attacker 10% of the Defender's PL.
Level 2 Corruption gives the Attacker 25% of the Defender's PL.
Level 3 Corruption gives the Attacker 50% of the Defender's PL.
Level 4 Corruption gives the Attacker 75% of the Defender's PL.
Level 5 Corruption gives the Attacker 90% of the Defender's PL.
Level 6 Corruption gives the Attacker 100% of the Defender's PL, and it cannot be broken (the Defending Power is now a possession of the Attacker.)
If the Defender succeeds in breaking the Corruption (levels 1 through 5, but not 6) then the Attacker loses 1 level of Corruption. If at level 1 Corruption, the Attacker loses all Corruptive influence and must start over.
This is resolved by dice. PL spent by the Attacker to Corrupt is countered by PL spent by the Defender to break the Corruption. This is known as the 3rd Bidding War between the Attacker and the Defender, and applies to all Corrupt/Break Corrupt attempts.
Defender, Fourth Turn:
As above. Etc.
-
Attacker, First Turn
Each and every Turn, the Attacker may spend PL on implanting spies in the Defender's power (in as many Defending powers as desired.)
Each and every Turn, the Attacker may allocate additional PL on protecting spies from detection by a Defending power, affecting the dice roll to detect the spy. (1st Bidding War between the Attacker and the Defender.)
Each and every Turn, the Attacker may allocate PL to prevent ejection/nullification of his spy, if the Defender has discovered that spy and is attempting to expel/nullify that spy, affecting the dice roll for expulsion/nullification (2nd Bidding War between the Attacker and the Defender.)
The Attacker must successfully have his spy implanted within the Defender's power for one full Turn before he can attempt a level 1 Corruption of the Defender's Power.
Attacker, Second Turn
As above, and:
The Attacker may spend PL to attempt a level 1 Corruption of the Defender's Power. (He may attempt to Corrupt as many Defending Powers as he pleases, as long as he had spies implanted therein for at least one full turn first prior to any Corruption attempts.) A dice roll resolves whether the Corruption effect is successful (3rd Bidding War between Attacker and Defender.)
If the Corruption was successful, the Attacker has achieved level 1 Corruption of the Defender. The Defender will know his power was corrupted, but there is nothing further he can do about it this turn. The actual level 1 Corruption will begin on the next turn.
If the Corruption was unsuccessful, the Attacker gains nothing, but may try again next turn.
Attacker, Third Turn
As above, and:
The Attacker may spend PL to attempt a level 2 Corruption of the Defender's Power. (He may attempt level 2 Corruption as many Defending Powers as he pleases, as long as he had previously Corrupted them to level 1) A dice roll resolves whether the Corruption effect is successful (3rd Bidding War between Attacker and Defender.)
If the Corruption was successful, the Attacker ups his level of Corruption of the Defender to level 2. The Defender knows this, but there is nothing further he can do about it this turn. The actual level 2 Corruption will begin on the next turn.
If the Corruption was unsuccessful, the Attacker loses one level of Corruption. If the Attacker was at level 2 Corruption, and striving for level 3, he falls to level 1. If the Attacker was at level 1 Corruption, and striving for level 2, he loses all his Corruption of the Defending power and must start his Corruption efforts over again.
Attacker, Fourth Turn
As above. Etc.
-
Interloper, Turn 1:
Each and every Turn, Interloper may spend PL on implanting spies in Defending powers (in as many Defending powers as desired.)
The Interloper is subject to having his spies detected and expelled/nullified, and he may expend PL to protect his spies (the 1st and 2nd Bidding Wars, except in this case between the Defender and the Interloper.)
- The Interloper must successfully have a spy implanted in the Defending Power, whether detected or not, full a full turn before he can Interfere.
- The Interloper must successfully have detected the Attacker's spy in order to Interfere (requiring a 1st Bidding War between the Interloper and the Attacker) although this requirement is voided if the Attacker freely tells the Interloper about the spy.
- There must be some manner of attack (placing a spy, attempting a Corruption) or defense (detecting a spy, expelling/nullifying a spy, lowering/breaking a Corruption) between Attacker and Defender for any Interference from the Interloper to be possible.
Interloper, Turn 2:
Each and every turn that he has a spy within a Defending Power, and otherwise meets all the above requirements, and all the other requirements above are met, the Interloper can do the following:
- He can Interfere with attempts to detect spies (the First Bidding War) either against or for the Defender.
- He can Interfere with attempts to expel/nullify spies (the Second Bidding War) either against or for the Defender.
- He can Interfere with attempts at Corruption (or raising the level of Corruption) of the Defender (the Third Bidding War) either against or for the Defender.
The Interloper must spend PL to do so. The more PL he spends, the more he can Interfere.
The Interloper can interfere with as many Attackers against one Defender, or as many Attackers and Defenders, as he wishes, so long as he has a spy within the Defender's (or each Defender's) territory and otherwise meets the requirements given above, and he is willing to spend the PL to do so.
Note that all powers are simultaneously Attackers, Defenders, and Interlopers, if they wish to be!
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
. My system involves one opposed roll with a couple of possible bonuses. Easy as pie, at least for me and I'm the one who'll do most of the work.
