94 S ta rt i n g D o m a i n s While this might seem like a lot of room, each House should already have one or more domains that have already taken up a lot of that space. This space should be recorded first as it is already established. @ Each primary domain the House controls requires 25 spaces to manage. @ Each secondary domain requires 10 spaces to manage. It is important to note that just growing a domain to either 10 or 25 spaces does not make it a secondary or primary domain in its own right. Along with the space required to manage and produce materials, such domains also have a long history of clever business decisions and savvy market planning to create their position in the trading empire of the Imperium. Gaining holdings just ensures a decent supply of the produce in question. It takes advertising, trade, and a lot of favors to gain the galaxy-wide recognition that turns such production into a primary or secondary domain. This process is one of many ventures a House can undertake (see p.104 for more on ventures). R e c o r d i n g D o m a i n s An easier method of handing this is to simply mark off the spaces required for any domains the House controls, without additional bookkeeping. But ideally, the players should detail a little more about the nature of facilities and holdings their domains require. This helps create a picture of the planet they are on and the lifestyle of the people on it. The sort of holdings required for any domain are usually the following: @ Machinery is the easiest to imagine as it often requires factories and production facilities. This is usually an industrial domain and, in some cases, might be highly polluting. @ Produce depends on the type of items being produced. Farms are the most obvious example, but not all produce is so organic. Kanly and Science produce might require laboratories for drugs and poisons, Espionage produce might require secret interrogation facilities, etc. @ Expertise generally requires training and academic institutions. The House needs space to teach its skills to others and for them to practice and train as well. While a poetry school might not need much space, a tactical training facility needs a lot of land for wargames. @ Workers are a mixture of produce and expertise. As such, they require both training facilities and somewhere to live until they are ready to be sent to a new position in the Imperium. While some tasks don’t take long to learn, a House famed for the quality and treatment of its workers should put the right effort in. Such workers might be either highly trained in multiple skills, or even conditioned to perform them with exceptional loyalty and dedication. @ Understanding is a purely academic domain, but it may still require a lot of space. The most obvious holdings are research or academic facilities to study the domain in question. But they may also need specialist equipment or even produce to conduct new experiments. A drug research facility might need vast fields of a particular plant so it has the raw materials for experimentation. When deciding what sort of facilities each of a House’s domains require, the players can detail which spaces contain what facilities on the planet. This can be as creative a process as desired. Artistic produce of poems and plays might not seem to need space. But if it is the rolling hills of the planet or the way sunrise hits its great canyons that inspires these works of art, they are very much a part of the domain. A worksheet for tracking House domain facilities is provided on p.118. The contents of each space can be simply listed, with the total amount of spaces for the specific planet or moon. However, if using graph paper or a hex grid, the players can take time to map out the planet artistically in more detail, with each hex representing a space. Example: House Molay has 35 spaces on the planet controlled by the House Major they serve. Their primary domain of poetry (Artistic/Produce) takes 25 of those spaces and their secondary domain of assassin training (Kanly/Workers) takes another 10. They have no spaces left to expand upon, so they must claim another holding or convince their Major House to give them more land to cultivate.
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 95 H o u s e R o l e s As detailed in the Dune Core Rulebook, there are several different roles within a House that keep it running. If a player character is fulfilling one of these roles, they can easily influence the direction of the House. It gives them a seat at the table at the very highest level of their House’s operations. But the presence of such roles can also grant bonuses in House management. A player character may step into a role if the gamemaster agrees they have the right skills and experience to impress the ruler of their House. The player characters’ House may have a Ruler and Heir(s) at creation. In addition to this, the players may also pick a number of other roles to be filled during House creation, depending on their House type (Dune Core Rulebook, p. 86–87). More roles than this require additional upkeep. Remember that some roles (like Advisor) can be picked multiple times. @ Nascent House: 2 additional roles @ Minor House: 4 additional roles @ Major House: 6 additional roles @ Great House: 8 additional roles It is important to note that not having a role filled does not mean the position is entirely empty. If a House does not have a Spymaster, it doesn’t mean there is no intelligence-gathering being done. Instead, it means the person in charge of that operation is not especially noteworthy and is performing only adequately, not exceptionally. The House is not getting a bonus for their skills. Obtaining the services of a trained expert makes a difference, and that grants the bonus for the role. Filled roles grant the following benefits in House management and offer the following powers should a player character find themselves in that position: @ Ruler: The Ruler calls the shots for the entire House, and their word is law in the Imperium. Without a Ruler the House is directionless and unable to make clear decisions. All House skill tests increase their Difficulty by one step if no Ruler is present. @ Consort: A Consort may take over if the Ruler is incapacitated, but only if they are the spouse of the Ruler. A Consort may also inspire the Ruler or the Heir, granting 2 additional Momentum to use on House skill tests during House management. @ Advisor: Each Advisor should pick a skill and a focus. They may add 1 extra d20 to any House skill test using that skill (even if they do not make the test). If their focus also applies to a House action it may be applied to the roll. @ Chief Physician: The Chief Physician is considered to have the trait ‘Trusted’ for any member of the House. All troops are at +1 Quality (maximum 4) when defending in a contested action, as they are generally fitter and in better physical shape. @ Councilor: If a Councilor is present in the House, any House skill test using Discipline can be assumed to have a focus applied to it, as the Councilor makes sure the people support the action. @ Envoy: An Envoy may reduce the Difficulty of any single Communicate test made with another House or faction during House management by one step. This represents their skill at smoothing ruffled diplomatic feathers. @ Heir: An Heir can instantly take control of a House as its Ruler if the Ruler is incapacitated or killed, offering no power vacuum. @ Marshal: A Marshal reduces crime and makes the people feel safer and therefore more productive. The House gains an extra resource point for every Marshal it employs. @ Scholar: A Scholar reduces the Difficulty of any academic or scientific research projects by one step. If they are present, any test of a scientific or academic nature using the House skill of Understand adds an extra d20. @ Spymaster: With a Spymaster present, all espionage attempts against the House increase their Difficulty by one step. @ Swordmaster: The Swordmaster should pick two weapons they have been training the House soldiers with. All of them are considered to have a focus in both those weapons. If not otherwise occupied or unable to move freely, a Swordmaster is always close enough to the House’s Ruler and/or Heir to provide protection as a bodyguard so long as they are on the same planet. If the Ruler and Heir are in different areas, the Swordmaster must choose which to protect. @ Treasurer: A Treasurer adds +10 Wealth to the House at each House management session due to their shrewd investments. Up to five Treasurers can be employed by the House to manage a truly extensive portfolio of investment. @ Warmaster: A House with a Warmaster commanding an attack or defense begins the conflict with a Momentum pool of 4. Example: House Molay has a Ruler, Kara’s father, and one of her brothers is the Heir (a situation Kara is hoping to change). As a Minor House, the players may pick four other roles. So, they pick an Advisor skilled in poetry, a Spymaster to keep their secrets, another Advisor skilled in the ways of kanly, and a Treasurer to build their finances.
96 R u n n i n g H o u s e Ma n a g e m e n t Now that it is established what the House begins the game with, a House management session should be run to expand and build on the starting values and generate new story seeds. 1 – N e w s f ro m t h e I m p e r i u m The first part of House management is an opportunity to develop the political landscape of the Imperium. The gamemaster should take a moment to detail any major events that may have come to the player characters’ attention about the Imperium at large. Some examples are: @ Births – Has a rival or allied House just gained a new heir? Has a recent birth shifted an important line of succession? Might the birth be proof of an illicit affair? @ Marriages – Marriage means an alliance, and the joining of two Houses might have a powerful effect on local politics. Should a Ruler marry a concubine, they might be snubbing potential alliances for love, which may upset their allies. @ Deaths – The death of a Ruler creates a clear power vacuum and may leave their Heirs squabbling and their House weak. Any change in leadership can shift the general attitude of the House. But deaths of noted Advisors, Warmasters, and Mentats may also weaken a Ruler who relied on their council of skills. @ Random Events – The Gamemaster’s Toolkit offers a multitude of tables to generate events that can be used as Imperial news. @ Timeline – The Dune timeline (Dune Core Rulebook, p. 26–27) offers many events that might be noted across the Imperium at particular times, depending on when the campaign is set. While this is an opportunity for the gamemaster to seed clues and hints about the upcoming adventures, it is also an opportunity for the players to get involved in the setting. If they wish, each player may declare their character has heard a rumor, which they can then share with the group. The rumor can be anything they like, involving known non-player characters, or even inventing a few new ones. It can be about the internal workings of the House or about distant allies or enemies. It might even be about one of the factions of the Imperial Court. The player can also share with the group the source and circumstances of how their character came across this rumor. What is important is that this information is just a rumor, although it is one that is being talked about in the Imperium. It is up to the gamemaster to decide whether it is true, false, or misleading — that is, partially true but with missing or incorrect information. However, the player characters can decide to follow up on any of these rumors to discover if they are true or not. In this way, the gossip of the Imperium circulates amongst the players, and they can effectively suggest new story and adventure hooks to the gamemaster that they would like to pursue. Each player is free to create any rumor they like, even quite outlandish ones, as only the gamemaster knows the truth of them. Some suggestions are these: @ The Bene Tleilax have sent a Master to Arrakis for some purpose, probably to do with spice. Doubtless they will also bring more Face Dancers with them. @ One of the ladies of House Hagal is having an affair with one of her servants. They were about to run away together until word got out, so now they are being more circumspect. @ A joke about the Harkonnens having developed an invisible weapon is going around the court, who laugh that ‘no one has seen it to confirm’. @ House Ecaz is planning a major offensive against House Moritani, their old enemy. House Ecaz recently paid a vast amount of money to the Guild, no doubt to transport a huge fleet. @ Spice harvests have been dropping steadily over the last few months. Is this bad management, or could a shortage be on the way? The Events tables on p.99 from the Events phase may also be used by the players or gamemaster as sources of rumors. As with all rumors, the gamemaster is the ultimate arbiter whether the rumor is true, misleading, or false. Example: House Molay, a Minor House, is beginning a session of House management. The gamemaster tells the group that the main news from the Imperium is that the leader of the House Major they owe fealty to has died after a long illness. His children are competing for the title and a period of instability is on the way. This will set off a series of events that form the campaign, but the players are not aware how important it is yet. When the gamemaster asks about rumors, Kara Molay’s player suggests that one of the sons of their enemy House Acturi has been caught having an affair. But no one is quite sure of the identity of the paramour. The player characters are keen to investigate. It will potentially hurt their enemy, but only the gamemaster decides that the rumor is true. The player characters must investigate to find out.
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 97 2 – I n c o m e Noble Houses do not farm, produce goods, or trade just because they enjoy doing so. Domains make money, pure and simple, and with wealth comes power. Each primary and secondary domain generates a certain amount of Wealth and Resources for the House. A lot of this will be needed to maintain the military, household staff, fortifications, and good favor with other Houses. But anything spare can be used in ventures to expand the holdings of the House. As mentioned above, Wealth is a measure of the financial power of the House and the spare funds it has available. Resources are a measure of the raw materials and trade goods the House has. Different types of domains generate different amounts of these two assets. A primary domain generates the following: @ Machinery: Resources 12, Wealth 32 @ Produce: Resources 10, Wealth 30 @ Expertise: Resources 6, Wealth 44 @ Workers: Resources 8, Wealth 40 @ Understanding: Resources 6, Wealth 42 A secondary domain generates the following: @ Machinery: Resources 6, Wealth 16 @ Produce: Resources 5, Wealth 18 @ Expertise: Resources 3, Wealth 22 @ Workers: Resources 4, Wealth 20 @ Understanding:Resources 3, Wealth 22 Optionally, this may be modified by the type of domain: @ Artistic, Espionage, Political, and Religious domains produce fewer Resources and more Wealth. A secondary domain produces –1 Resources/+4 Wealth and a Primary one produces –3 Resources/+8 Wealth. @ Farming, Industrial, Kanly, Military, and Scientific domains produce more Resources. A secondary domain produces +1 Resources/–4 Wealth and a primary one produces +3 Resources/–6 Wealth. @ No domain can produce less than 2 Resources and 10 Wealth. Regardless of modifiers, these are the minimums. Example: House Molay has two domains: a primary and a secondary. Their primary domain is Artistic Produce (Poetry) which grants them an income of 8 Resources and 30 Wealth. As an artistic domain this is modified to 5 Resources and 38 Wealth. Their secondary domain is Kanly Workers (Assassins) which provides 4 Resources and 20 Wealth (modified for being Kanly to 5 Resources and 16 Wealth). They also have a Treasurer, which adds another 10 Wealth from shrewd investments. Their total income is 10 Resources and 64 Wealth. CONVERTING WEALTH AND RESOURCES A House can spend some time selling their resources to generate Wealth or importing Resources at great expense. Doing so requires the House to use up one of its ventures for that round of House management, but only for either converting Wealth to Resources, or vice versa. To do both costs two ventures (although this is rarely necessary).With trade, each 3 Wealth spent gains1 Resource, or each 1 Resource spent gains 3 Wealth. No more than a third of the House’s current Wealth or Resources can be traded in this way (unless the House has a spaceport). Example: A House needs more Resources but has 30 Wealth. It may use one venture to spend up to 10 Wealth to gain Resources. At 3 Wealth for each point of Resource, a spend of 9 Wealth gains 3 Resources, but 12 would need to be spent to buy more, which is above the maximum.
98 � – E v e n t s During any session of House management, the unexpected might occur. It might be good or bad, but whatever it is will often grant a new hook for an adventure. To see what fate has in store, the gamemaster should roll 1d20 on the Events table, consulting the column that applies to the House’s current status level. The more powerful a House is, the more fate has in store for it. An Opportunity is a positive event, which creates the potential for the House to gain something. A Crisis is a negative event, which threatens to take something away from the House. If an event occurs, roll a d20 on the appropriate event table, or the gamemaster may determine the event. For each event, the gamemaster may reward or penalize the player characters’ House in terms of Wealth or Resources, or simply use the event as the springboard for an adventure. The gamemaster may also use these tables to determine events transpiring with other Houses as needed, or as sources of gossip, detailing them as needed and selecting whether they are true, misleading, or false. This is especially useful during the News of the Imperium phase of House management (p.96). Note that House management is designed to model a gradual improvement for the House. If the group feels the House should have a tougher time growing or suffer more setbacks they might adjust the table to make crisis results more commonplace. Example: House Molay is ‘Respected’ and the players roll a 17 on the Events table, meaning a crisis befalls House Molay. A further roll of 9 on the Crisis table reveals that the House uncovers evidence there is a spy in their midst. They clearly must root out the traitor, but the gamemaster decides that this would be a good adventure to play through and the players decide to investigate as a priority once House management is complete. As the spy is leaking important documents rather than trying to damage the Wealth or Resources of the House, the gamemaster rules it has no effect on the rest of the House management system ... at least not yet.
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 99 ROLL FEEBLE/WEAK RESPECTED STRONG PROBLEMATIC DANGEROUS 1 or less Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity 2 Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity 3 Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity 4 Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity 5 Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity 6 Opportunity Opportunity Opportunity 7 Opportunity Opportunity 8 Opportunity 9–12 13 Crisis 14 Crisis Crisis 15 Crisis Crisis Crisis 16 Crisis Crisis Crisis Crisis 17 Crisis Crisis Crisis Crisis Crisis 18 Crisis Crisis Crisis Crisis Crisis 19 Crisis Crisis Crisis Crisis Crisis 20 Crisis Crisis Crisis Crisis Crisis ROLL OPPORTUNITY 1–2 Archaeological Find: Some ruin or relic of the distant past is discovered in the House’s territory, drawing attention (and potentially notoriety or prosperity) to the House. 3–4 Diplomatic Overture: Another House — one on the same world, or on a nearby world with aligned interests — sends an ambassador to negotiate a treaty or alliance or some other agreement that could be beneficial. 5–6 Discovery: Something new is found. This may be rare ores in one of the House’s mines; a potential route through previously impassible territory; or the fruits of a scholar’s research, an engineer’s artifice, or a spiritual revelation. This discovery may draw attention from afar, or it may be a potential windfall that takes planning and effort to claim. 7–8 Economic Boom: There is an economic boom, and every House and faction is scrambling to take advantage of this upswing to fill their treasuries. The House happens to be well-placed to reap the benefits, but it will take cunning and skill to take advantage of it before the inevitable downturn that follows. 9–10 Festive Invitation: The leaders of another House have invited the player characters’ House to a festival, celebration, or other social gathering. If it is an allied House, how can they curry the favor of the hosts or other guests? If it is an enemy House, what are they planning, and how can the player characters turn this to their advantage? 11–12 Justice Prevails: A major criminal or espionage operation in the House’s territory has been discovered. But how deep does this go, and what secrets are yet to be uncovered?
100 ROLL CRISIS 1–2 Assassination Attempt: One of the player characters is the target of an assassination attempt. Who was targeted, who is behind the assassin, and how will the House respond to this affront? 3–4 Bandit Activity: Outlaws prey upon the borders and frontiers of the House’s territory, threatening the House’s businesses and success. Are they merely criminals seeking wealth, are they dissidents or rebels seeking to undermine the House, or are they the agents of a rival being used to weaken the House by proxy? And how will they deal with this threat? 5–6 Kanly: Tensions with a rival or enemy House reach a peak, and a formal vendetta commences. The scale of this conflict depends on how the player characters’ House responds. This feud may have ramifications for years or even generations to come. 7–8 Food Shortage: Reports come in that this season’s harvest and food imports will be significantly lower than usual. What caused the shortage? How will the House deal with the unrest of a hungry population? 9–10 Espionage: The House discovers their decisions and activities are meeting interference that suggests a mole or a traitor in its ranks, leaking information to the House’s rivals. Who is the informant? Who sent them? And what will the House do if or when the informant is revealed? 11–12 Disaster: Fire, storm, earthquake, flood, volcanic eruption, or some similar disaster strikes, severely damaging the House’s infrastructure and threatening their future prosperity. What can the House do to repair the damage or minimize the effects? What will it cost to keep the House’s businesses running smoothly? 13–14 Plague: A virulent sickness is spreading through the region, debilitating or decimating the population. If not dealt with quickly, the House will end up with a lot of dead subjects, a lot of unrest, or both. 15–16 Public Scandal: Unrest rises as one of the leaders of the House (one of the player characters) is implicated in a crime or other scandal. Scurrilous rumor fills the gaps where public knowledge is incomplete, and the public trust in their leaders is shaken. How can the House quiet this unrest, and what can it do about the scandal that started all this? 17–18 Smugglers: Unscrupulous merchants undermine the House’s businesses, siphoning off produce and goods to the black markets. How can the House combat these smugglers, and what will they do to them when they are caught? 19–20 Inconvenient Fortune: Roll on the Opportunity table. The rolled opportunity happens to a rival House. ROLL OPPORTUNITY 13–14 Land Rush: Land near to the House’s territories is up for grabs. Maybe a neighboring House has had to withdraw, or maybe it was once inaccessible but now the player characters’ House has the means to claim it. But they’re not the only potential claimant ... 15–16 New Subjects: A large group of people from a distant land arrive in the House’s territory — another House on the same world or arriving by ship from another planet. They seek to settle. While a population surge can be advantageous, it can also cause problems. Is there more to this sudden immigration? 17–18 Political Calm: A sudden absence of political machinations presents an opportunity to press ahead with existing agendas without disturbance … but what are the House’s rivals up to during this time of relative tranquility? 19–20 Convenient Misfortune: Roll on the Crisis table. The rolled crisis happens to a rival House.
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 101 � – Up k e e p While Wealth and Resources sound good, running a House is also very expensive. It is assumed that the costs of productions are already accounted for in the output of any domain. But there are plenty of other things a House must spend money on to maintain their position. With different upkeep options, a House can decide on whether it might save money for ventures or maintain its lifestyle and popularity. There are five options to spend Wealth on during the Upkeep phase: Military Power, Population Loyalty, Lifestyle, and maintaining House skills and House roles. Mi l i ta ry P ow e r Military Power represents the military assets under a House’s control. It is separate from the Battle skill, which represents the skill of its commanders. This value is divided into six levels, and if an enemy House attacks, the base difficulty of all Warfare conflicts is defined by the size of the defense force. Note that assembling an invasion force is less about the assets the House has than what it can afford to pay the Guild for transport. @ None (Difficulty 0, Wealth Upkeep 0): There is no defensive force beyond a few militia and ceremonial guards. @ Militia (Difficulty 1, Wealth Upkeep 5): A mostly ceremonial army with good personal weapons and training but few vehicles and large ordinance. Cannot defend the planet but can mount a resistance against enemy troops and see to the safe escape of the noble family in an invasion. @ Ground Defense (Difficulty 2, Wealth Upkeep 10): A solid and well-equipped army capable of planetwide defense. They are mostly ground troops, making the planet’s surface a battlefield in the event of invasion. @ Planetary Defense (Difficulty 3, Wealth Upkeep 20): A large army and moderate space fleet that can defend the planet in orbit. Such a force can ensure any invasion is repelled with both defensive satellites and battleships. @ Assault Force (Difficulty 4, Wealth Upkeep 30): A vast and well-equipped army and space fleet capable of sending a decent-sized assault force to another planet and still leaving a Planetary Defense force (as above) to defend the homeworld. @ Invasion Fleet (Difficulty 5, Wealth Upkeep 50): A gigantic fleet capable of protecting several planets and holdings and mounting a large-scale invasion against its neighbors. Comparable to the Corrinos’ Imperial fleet. P o p u l at i o n L oya lt y The Imperium allows each noble House to rule its worlds as it sees fit. It cares little how the population is treated so long as Imperium law is not broken. But the better the nobles treat the common folk, the easier it is for them to rule. Making the lives of a whole planetary population comfortable is very expensive, though. While it is generally better to be loved than feared, fear is a lot cheaper and easier to maintain as long as one has the power to maintain a state of fear. This may seem the same as the Discipline House skill, but it is subtly different. It represents how the people actually feel about the House, whereas the skill determines how well they obey. Both House Atreides and House Harkonnen have similar Discipline skills, but very different Population Loyalty levels. Each level of population loyalty offers a loyalty modifier. This is applied as a bonus or penalty (+ or –) to the base Difficulty of any action requiring the support of the population, such as most construction ventures. A happy population works harder for a benevolent ruler, so in such a case this modifier is a bonus. A hungry population ignored by their ruler only does the minimum for them, making this a penalty. However, this modifier is also applied in the opposite way for enemy Houses making espionage actions against the House. It is a lot easier to find spies, informants, and even assassins among a people who hate their ruler. Those who love their ruler, though, often root out such insurgents themselves on the House’s behalf. @ Hatred (Wealth Upkeep 0): The population is treated like dirt and despises their rulers. Rebellion must be crushed on a daily basis. The House’s military is considered one step lower, because most of its force must be used to keep the population in line. The loyalty modifier is ±2. @ Loathing (Wealth Upkeep 5): The population dislikes the nobles but accepts life as the way it is, for the most part. The loyalty modifier is ±1. @ Acceptance (Wealth Upkeep 10): This level is a perfect model of the success of the Faufreluches caste system. Life is as the population expects it to be, and they believe they are treated reasonably fairly. There is no loyalty modifier. @ Appreciation (Wealth Upkeep 20): The people believe the nobility actually has their best interests at heart, and that the House is working to look after them. The loyalty modifier is ±1.
102 @ Love (Wealth Upkeep 40): The nobles are actively supported by the population. The nobles are actively invited to their people’s festivals and can walk the crowds without fear of assassination. The loyalty modifier is ±2. If the populace Hate their ruler, the Difficulty of any actions they ask the people to do for them is modified by +2, but enemy spies will find allies here and so their espionage action Difficulties are modified by –2. A House whose population appreciates them finds Difficulties for actions using their people modified by –1. Enemy agents find the Difficulty for their espionage actions are modified by +1. Li f e s t y l e There is no point in being rich if one can’t have nice things. This value determines the general standard of living for the nobility and the sort of items and assets their agents can expect to get hold of. While a high lifestyle makes everything much more comfortable for the nobility, it also helps the reputation of their House. If a House can’t impress its peers, those peers will think less of the House. Thus, looking rich is almost more important than actually being rich. Most levels of lifestyle add a specific trait to the House (see the Dune Core Rulebook, p. 91). Note that in some cases it might be a penalty as much as a bonus. For example, a poor House that lives like their common folk might get on better with their subjects as much as they might be vilified by their peers. @ Of the People (Wealth Upkeep 0): The House lives like their common folk. It may possess the equivalent of a castle but that is the only difference in how they live. The House cannot afford any personal equipment for their agents. The House gains the ‘Commoners’ trait. @ Poor (Wealth Upkeep 5): The House’s nobles have a decidedly middle-class existence. They are above their people but not by much. They can provide small personal weapons and items for their agents but no advanced technology. The House gains the ‘Poor’ trait. @ Noble (Wealth Upkeep 10): The nobles live in luxury but cannot have quite everything they want. While they will be able to put on a show of wealth, their daily lives are quite average. Their agents can have most personal items upon request. The House gains no trait.
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 103 @ Wealthy (Wealth Upkeep 30): Those in this House and their servants live in the lap of luxury. Not only can they have almost everything they want, they can also afford to have the best quality. Agents are provided with anything up to and including vehicles, and the gamemaster may allow any of these items to be Quality 1. The House gains the ‘Impressive’ trait. @ Imperial (Wealth Upkeep 60): This House rivals the Emperor for luxury and spectacle. The nobility regularly hosts lavish parties, and their clothes and style make them fashion leaders. Most of the House’s peers seethe with jealousy over that display of luxury. Their agents are often mistaken for nobles themselves and may in fact be lesser nobles. The House gains the ‘Envied’ trait. H o u s e S k i ll s It costs money to maintain what a House has worked so hard to attain. In this case, the House statistics must be maintained with a financial investment. The higher the skill, the more expensive it is to maintain. This covers not only the maintenance of equipment but the salaries of experts and managers who expect more, the greater their skill. Skills cost the following to maintain, based on their value: @ Skill 0–4: No upkeep cost @ Skill 5–6: 2 Wealth @ Skill 7: 4 Wealth @ Skill 8: 8 Wealth @ Skill 9: 12 Wealth @ Skill 10: 24 Wealth* *No House skill may be rated above 10. The House may choose not to (or be unable to) spend the wealth to upkeep any particular skill. If they fail to spend the upkeep for any skill, the value of that skill drops by one point permanently. The skill may be improved as usual, but without any bonus for having previously been at a higher level. The House also loses status equal to half the Wealth cost of the upkeep for that skill. H o u s e R o l e s Each House can maintain a certain amount and type of roles as noted in the starting roles (see p.95). These ‘starting roles’ are what the House can generally afford. If a House acquires more roles than the quota for their type of House, it must pay an additional upkeep. Not every role requires any extra expense, but experts, veterans, and experienced professionals command high salaries and the House must maintain an investment in their area of expertise. If the House does not pay the upkeep cost, it must reduce the amount of roles employed by the House until it is at the correct maximum. It is up to the players which roles they maintain and which are dismissed (quit, neglected, abandoned, etc.). Neither the Ruler nor the Heir may be removed by choice through this method, however. If any role is being fulfilled by a player character (such as Suk Doctor) it is up to the player whether the upkeep needs to be paid. Their character may decide their loyalty to the House is worth more than a salary. If the upkeep is paid, the character in that role gains a Wealth asset until the next House management session. This may be used to make purchases, pay bribes, etc., as the player character likes. @ Advisor: 5 Wealth @ Chief Physician: 5 Wealth (15 if Suk Doctor) @ Scholar: 5 Wealth @ Spymaster: 5 Wealth @ Swordmaster: 5 Wealth (15 if Ginaz) @ Treasurer: 5 Wealth (+1 per Treasurer already employed) @ Warmaster: 5 Wealth @ Bene Gesserit-trained: +5 Wealth to normal cost @ Any Other Role: 2 Wealth Example: House Molay can’t afford to be extravagant. Perhaps the player characters all unwisely want a life of luxury and spend 10 Wealth to maintain a Noble lifestyle. They also decide they can’t afford to lose the loyalty of their people and so spend 10 more Wealth on Acceptance for Population Loyalty. They decide to spend nothing on Military Power and rely on their patron House Major to protect them against any planetary invasion. They have several assassins at their beck and call anyway. This leaves them with 44 of their 64 Wealth. Their spread of House skills is still at the starting allotment of 7, 6, 6, 5, 4, and thus they can afford the upkeep of 10 Wealth. As they have no more than the starting quota of roles there is no further upkeep for them. So after upkeep, they have 10 Resources and 34 Wealth left for ventures.
104 � – Ve n t u r e s Apart from spending their Wealth on personal comfort, most nobles also want to see their House grow and prosper. They can do this with ventures, special projects to upgrade and improve their domains, alliances, and planetary holdings. A House begins each session with two ventures. Additional ventures can be bought for 10 Wealth per venture. Any unused ventures can be ‘traded in’ for +3 Wealth at the end of the session, as that frees up a few finances. If a Ruler wants to get more work out of their people, they can introduce forced labor. After calculating their total ventures for this session, they may reduce their Population Loyalty by 1 to gain one extra venture. This may only be done twice and cannot reduce the Population Loyalty lower than 0. Unfortunately, the love of the people takes time to return. If any forced labor has been used, Population Loyalty costs +5 Wealth next session, +10 if it was reduced to 0. Each venture is an opportunity for a roleplaying scene and a group narration to generate more of the story of the player characters’ House. If the House makes an alliance with the Bene Gesserit, they might be visited by a Reverend Mother to finalize the deal. An action against an enemy might lead to a scene where the player characters break into a facility. If possible, avoid simply picking an option and rolling some dice. Rather, the gamemaster can use each venture as an opportunity to build on the House’s narrative and generate new and exciting plots and subplots. Generally, the players are assumed to be able to work together to determine what ventures their characters’ House embarks upon each House management period, but if they cannot come to an equitable agreement, the gamemaster should assume that the player whose character has the most highly ranked role within the House is able to decide, beginning with the Ruler, the Consort (if married) or the Heir(s) (in order of birthright), etc. MANAGING VENTURES A venture will not always be successful or necessarily completed in a single session. Some can run into problems and take far longer than expected. Each venture has a cost in Wealth or Resources and requires a test to complete. If the test fails, the venture has not been completed, but it can be attempted again next House management session for an additional cost of half its prior cost (in Wealth or Resources), rounded up. Essentially, the venture is running over budget, more bribes need to be paid, some setback or additional expense has occurred, or it requires more work to complete than was estimated. If the venture is not continued, in the following House management session, the bonus to cost is lost, as the project has been abandoned or redesigned and must be started again. The test to complete a venture is made using 2d20, but up to three more d20s can be purchased for the test at a cost of 5, 10, and 15 Wealth, the same way that Momentum is spent for extra dice. This represents putting additional funds into the project to increase its speed, or hiring the best (or vastly more) people. The cost of each venture must be paid before any dice are rolled and the Wealth is spent, whether the test is successful or not. The target number for the test is made up of the appropriate House skill (as listed for each venture) and the most appropriate drive of the player character taking the lead on the project. It is up to the players which character leads any project, but each player character can only lead one venture each House management session. Each venture requires a certain number of successes to be gained on the test to be successful. If the test is unsuccessful but did at least attain one success, the number of successes required is reduced by one (not cumulative) for the remainder of the project, so long as it is attempted on the next session. No matter how many successes are earned, an unfinished venture must be started anew if it is not continued during the immediate next House management session. Two (or more) of the same type of venture may be worked on at the same time, but multiple attempts cannot be made to attempt exactly the same venture. So, a House might use two ventures to try and gain favor with two different Houses but not with the same House twice. However, some boons and favors can be stockpiled. For example, a House might only be able to try and gain favor with the Bene Gesserit once per House management session, but it can try every session, regardless of whether or not the House has already called in the favor. However, the Bene Gesserit (like every other faction) are no fools and are unlikely to allow themselves to get too heavily in debt to any one House. Thus, the gamemaster might declare no further favors can be gained until some have been called in, and no faction will offer to repay more than a single favor at a time.
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 105 L o s i n g a D o m a i n It is often worth having a few more domain facilities than a House needs for its domains, as a reduction in productivity quickly loses customers. If customers can’t buy the House’s products,they turn to other Houses to supply their needs. If a House is lucky, it can supply its most important customers with a reduced production output, so the tipping point is not the stame as the amount required to turn a group of facilities into a domain. But a House that cannot restore production is in danger of losing its market share. If a primary domain is reduced to 20 facilities, it becomes a secondary domain. If a secondary domain drops to 8 facilities it loses its status as a secondary domain. Once these facilities are rebuilt, the House can attempt to upgrade the area of expertise to domain status again, but it is no easier than starting again, as trade in the Imperium is unforgiving. For this reason, many Houses build more domain facilities than they need, to maintain a bulwark against losing a domain. However, a primary domain cannot drop to anything less than a secondary domain in a single House management session. If the facilities can be rebuilt to maintain secondary domain status during the next House management session, it will not drop any further. In terms of timing, domains lose their status only at the very end of a House management session. E x pa n d i n g D o m a i n s If a House has unused spaces in its planetary holdings, the House can build there directly. But if not, the House can still find ways to make space. The House can use its wealth and profits to change the land into something usable. As each planet has a variety of environments, this represents terraforming the deserts, building artificial islands, creating satellite bases, or reclaiming waste sites. Each planet is assumed to have an extra 20 spaces (a moon has 10) that require some sort of environmental management to suit either exploitation or housing. Clearing new space is a venture (Expand Land or Orbital Facility) but it is costly and time-consuming. If the House is running out of space it can appeal to the Emperor to take control of more territory. A Minor House might be able to request more territory to control from their House Major. This has its own risk, as most Houses Major are very wary of their vassals gaining too much power, and other Minor Houses serving under that House Major might become jealous. Spaces can be converted as well as reclaimed if the House wants to build a new holding somewhere that would be inhospitable. For an ice planet, a House wanting to create a tropical plant laboratory, first the House must convert some space to make that facility possible. The system is the same, but instead of gaining extra spaces, the House just makes a currently empty space suitable for the unusual facility. Given that most planets have a variety of climates, it is likely at least one space will be suitable for even the strangest facility. A House with no space or one that does not want to work to clear space can over-industrialize currently held spaces. Doing this assumes the House is either relocating population to smaller accommodation or destroying green or open spaces to build more factories, facilities, or farms. Whenever this is done, it makes the whole area much more unpleasant to live in. Potentially, up to half the spaces on a planet can be industrialized, allowing two holdings to be built on them instead of one. They don’t cost any more but make the population more unhappy and prone to unrest. This is exactly what House Harkonnen has done with their homeworld of Giedi Prime, turning vast portions of its surface into dense industrial spaces, with the population forced inexorably into overcrowded slums, tenements, and soulless labor dormitories.
106 C o n s t ru c t i o n Ve n t u r e s To expand its power and influence, a House must build new military installations, factories, farms, academies, and all manner of facilities to expand their domains. These ventures all use Resources as they require raw materials. CLAIM DOMAIN Secondary: Resources: 12 Skill: Communicate Successes: 5 Primary: Resources: 24 Skill: Understanding Successes: 5 When a House has built an area of expertise up to a production level where it can supply the Imperium at large with a product, the House can attempt to make it a primary or secondary domain. Until this is done, these facilities don’t generate enough Wealth or Resources to make a difference, as they are only being traded domestically, or the scale is not profitable. Only a secondary domain can be turned into a primary domain, and both types of domain must have a minimum number of the correct domain facilities dedicated to only that area of expertise. If a House has 10 spaces of factories to produce engine parts, it can’t also turn them into a new domain producing spacecraft parts. The House needs a new set of factories for that. A primary domain requires 25 dedicated domain facilities, a secondary domain requires 10. Given the cost of upgrading a domain, this is usually a venture that should require several attempts, or at least several consecutive House management sessions to save up the resources. DOMAIN FACILITY Resources: 5 Skill: Variable Successes: 1 Domains need facilities to produce their goods. Each type of domain requires a certain type of facility. For example, a factory that makes machine parts might not also be able to make weapons. Each domain facility is designed and built to generate a particular area of expertise. Each type of facility requires a different skill to build. The gamemaster may adjust the suggestions below, depending on the type of domain (such as Battle for anything Military or Communicate for Artistic institutions). These facilities alone do not make a domain; that requires marketing and trade off-planet to build the produce into a business (see Claim Domain). Domain facilities might be: @ Farms (Discipline) – These areas of land might serve as fields for crops or pasture for animals. They are good for most farming areas of expertise
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 107 @ Factory (Discipline) – Industrial areas that can produce a variety of goods. Working conditions within each vary, depending on the items being made. Usually used for creating Machinery or for Industrial produce. @ University (Understand) – Often situated in garden and parkland, these academic institutions can produce expertise or Understanding on almost any subject. Expertise training offered is more like that from a large university. Understanding is more akin to a research lab but for academics. While each has a different style, Artistic, Political, Religious, and Scientific domains often require universities for most of their areas of expertise. @ Laboratory (Understand) – These places usually produce scientific areas of expertise. But it is possible for Military or Assassin organizations to also test new weapons and poisons. @ Training Camp (Discipline) – As workers usually require large-scale mass training in specialized areas, these training camps are dedicated to just that. They house the potential workers for the duration of their training in a barracks and might include study as well as training exercises. If a House has enough domain facilities, it may begin to produce profit without becoming a domain. A House must have six domain facilities producing the same area of expertise to gain the following bonus: @ Artistic, Espionage, Political, and Religious facilities produce +2 Wealth between them. @ Farming, Industrial, Kanly, Military, and Scientific facilities domains produce +1 Resources between them. EXPAND ESTATE Resources: Variable Skill: Understanding Successes: Variable This holding is the mansion, palace, or castle of the House itself, and thus every House has one. It is assumed to be situated in one of the planetary spaces occupied by the main domain of the House. This is where the House’s rulers and most important advisors live and work. The estate is normally surrounded by a supporting settlement and provides billets for the House guards, which form the core of any standing army. Every House begins with an expansive estate suitable to accommodate the noble family and their servants. This estate takes one full space that may not contain any other facility or part of a domain. But it has no real defenses or fortifications unless it is upgraded. The estate can be fortified like any space for the same costs (see Fortification). Estate expansions do not use up additional spaces on the planet. The estate may also be developed in the following ways: @ Stylish Appointment Resources: 12 Successes: 2 At great expense, the noble family ensures the estate interior and facilities are in line with Imperial fashion to impress their guests. The estate is not suitable to entertain other nobles in the comfort they expect. @ Luxurious Appointment Resources: 16 Successes: 3 Requires Stylish Appointment as a prerequisite. The estate’s interiors are so impressive, all diplomatic tests made by the hosts will have the Difficulty reduced by one step. @ Palatial Appointment Resources: 20 Successes: 4 Requires Luxurious Appointment as a prerequisite. The estate’s interiors are of a standard fit for the Emperor to visit. All diplomatic tests made by the hosts with have the Difficulty reduced by two steps. @ Escape System Resources: 20 Successes: 4 The estate has a series of tunnels, secret doors, or panic rooms that reduce the Difficulty of any escape actions by two steps in the event of a siege or invasion. EXPAND LAND Resources: 6 Skill: Discipline Successes: 1 Land is the untamed wilderness of a House’s domain, which can be built upon and developed later. More-powerful Houses claim much larger territories than their less-influential counterparts. Land does not generate any resources by itself, nor does it cost anything to maintain. But clearing land gains 1 additional space for the planet/moon up to its maximums as set by the gamemaster (usually 80 for a planet and 30 for a moon). This venture can also be used to clear already occupied land to demolish the previous holding, which is removed to gain the space. FESTIVAL Resources: 2 Skill: Communicate Successes: 0 The House funds a civic festival of some form. It might be a parade, a harvest festival, an academic open day, a bullfight, a gladiatorial contest, or whatever the people of the House might find entertaining. Usually, it celebrates what the House does best and so it is often linked to their
108 domains. It makes the people feel listened to and looked after and may help reveal spies in their midst. At the end of House management, the player character can ask the gamemaster a question about the state of the people and any current enemy espionage activity in their territory as if they have spent Momentum to Obtain Information. The gamemaster may increase the Resource cost for the first of these festivals, because setting one up is more expensive. FORTIFICATIONS Resources: Variable Skill: Discipline Successes: Variable Any facility can be granted additional protection with fortification. This is usually applied to military buildings but can be done to factories and other civilian facilities. Standard Fortifications (Resources: 4, Successes: 1): The area gains one fortifications asset. Enhanced Fortifications (Resources: 8, Successes:1): The area must already have standard fortifications. It may now use two fortifications assets. GREAT MONUMENT Resources: 8 Skill: Discipline Successes: 3 This large construction honors past victories or noted heroes of the House. It might be a statue, memorial, or even a museum. Great Monuments are generally built to serve the vanity of the House nobles rather than for a functional reason. Each carries the ‘Impressive’ trait. HIDDEN AREA Resources: 10 Skill: Understanding Successes: 4 This area has been disguised or hidden to avoid the detection of the facility. While it can be done to military facilities, it is most commonly done to create secret spice stores. The area in question gains the trait ‘Hidden’ which can be applied to any facility that does not have Standard or Enhanced Fortifications. Once fortified, any area is too large to hide effectively. As a storage area it can contain up to 20 Resources. INDUSTRIALIZE Resources: 2 Skill: Discipline Successes: 2 After undertaking this venture, a House can build a second holding on an occupied space by cramming the population or facilities together or even on top of each other. The Population Loyalty in such an area (and all adjoining areas) is considered 1 level lower. MILITARY BASE Resources: 2 Skill: Battle Successes: 0 A military base is a standardized facility that can be adapted and expanded for several different uses. They can be built in spaces already used for a domain, but not in more than a third of the domain’s total allotment of planetary spaces. They also cannot be built in any space already over industrialized. Bases grant no specific bonus but can be developed with several of the Military Development options. MILITARY DEVELOPMENT Resources: Variable Skill: Battle Successes: Variable This holding represents a series of military options that allow the House’s standing army to defend the territory more easily. These developments can be added to any estate or military base, and as such do not take up extra spaces. Some developments can be added to a facility multiple times, but it is perfectly fine to have the maximum of all such developments in a single facility. @ Develop: A House may develop defenses in the following ways: @ Command Bunker (Resources: 6, Successes: 2): This Holding now has one ‘Command Bunker’ asset during Warfare scenes. @ Garrison (Resources: 8, Successes: 1): The space/ holding now has an ‘Infantry’ asset attached to it. Up to four garrisons can be added to a single facility. @ Landing Pad (Resources: 8, Successes: 1): This option purchases two ornithopters and grants them space to land and be stored inside the complex, where they will be protected by its fortifications. As many as four landing pads may be added to a facility. @ Sentry Posts (Resources: 6, Successes: 2): Add +1 to the Difficulty of any attempt to move covertly in this space/holding. @ Shield(Resources: 10, Successes: 3): Add one ‘Shield’ asset during Warfare scenes. Shields cannot be moved or attacked through while active. @ Shuttle Platform (Resources 4, Successes 3): A spacecraft the size of a shuttle can land at the facility and can be protected by the fortifications. No shuttle is provided with this development. Any larger ship (such as a frigate) must land at a full spaceport. @ Vehicle Bay (Resources: 10, Successes: 1): The space/holding now has a ‘Tank Unit’ asset attached to it. Up to four vehicle bays can be added to a single facility.
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 109 MINE Resources: 10 Skill: Discipline Successes: 2 Mines produce a raw material, but they are not renewable, and the materials being mined will eventually be expended. Each mine generates 2 extra Resources each House management session. Roll 1d20 every time the mine produces materials; if the roll is lower than the number of years the mine has been active, the mine is now exhausted and will no longer produce. Once a mine has ‘tapped out’ it is considered an uncleared space for all other purposes, but no mine can ever be built on that space again. ORBITAL FACILITY Resources: 10 Skill: Understanding Successes: 3 Instead of clearing space on a planet, the House can construct a space facility that can accept holdings like any other space. Each successful use of this venture grants another space, in orbital or outer space, that can be used like any other. Further spaces can be added to the facility, or they can be considered new space stations. The gamemaster may rule that certain facilities cannot be built in space (like a coal mine, for example) although many Houses have orbital laboratories and processing plants. PLANETARY FEATURE Resources: 4 Skill: Discipline Successes: 1 These constructions are minor statues, facilities, and landscaping projects that grant no benefit but add to the setting of the player characters’ House. One such holding can be built in any space that has not been overindustrialized or overpopulated. The nature of these holdings is up to the players. One might be a summer retreat, statue, managed park, air racetrack, or anything else the players can think of to add something unique to their House’s homeworld. PLEASURE DISTRICT Resources: 10 Skill: Understanding Successes: 2 A pleasure district provides entertainment for the local people. Each pleasure district on the planet reduces the cost of Population Loyalty by 1 Wealth. SPACEPORT Resources: 10 Skill: Understanding Successes: 3 While spaceships can land on any large-enough open space, a properly equipped port allows them to refuel efficiently and for their goods to be disseminated more efficiently. Having a spaceport means up to half of the House’s Wealth or Resources can be converted by trade (instead of only a third). TRANSIT SYSTEM Resources: 4 Skill: Move Successes: 1 This system links areas by way of rail, road, or even air. When installed, pick four specific spaces on the planet. These areas are now considered linked for purposes of movement. Multiple Transit Systems can be built to create a transport network across the planet. Any single space may be linked into up to five Transit Systems. STORAGE FACILITY Resources: 2 Skill: Discipline Successes: 0 This large silo stores 10 Resources. Additional silos can be constructed to hold more. This allows a House to store more of its Resources at the end of House management. Example: House Molay has two ventures and decides that two is enough for now. They choose to use one for an ambitious project to build a space station to gain more spaces for further holdings. After playing out a scene where they gain permission from their House, they are ready to attempt the venture. It costs all their 10 Resources, and as Understanding is their lowest House skill, they spend 15 Wealth to buy another 2d20, for a final dice pool of 4d20. Kara leads the project and the gamemaster allows her to use her Duty drive of 7, as this is clearly an attempt on her part to prove herself a worthy House Heir. The target number is therefore 11, but Kara does not have a focus that applies. Thankfully, she rolls three successes, and the project is a success. House Molay now operates a small space station they can expand, with one space they can further develop. But they now have no Resources and only 19 Wealth.
110 B o o n Ve n t u r e s Boons are ventures in just the same ways as construction ventures. However, they use Wealth rather than Resources and grant a much less tangible benefit. Boons represent favors and alliances that can be called upon by the player characters on behalf of their House in later adventures. As such they are a form of one-shot talent or a trait. Boons also generate status. Each successful attempt to gain a boon grants a bonus of +1 status to the House. Each failure removes 1 status. This applies in addition to any other status losses or gains as noted for each boon. Developing holdings does not adjust status except for gaining domains. Gaining a new secondary domain adds 5 status; gaining a new primary domain adds 10 status. Example: With no remaining resources, House Molay decides to use their second venture to gain a boon – the Favor of the Bene Gesserit. While as a member of the Sisterhood herself, Kara would be well-suited to this task, she has already led a project and doesn’t have the time. So instead, her ambitious younger sister Ella (another player character) makes the test. This costs the House another 10 Wealth, and Ella is successful with her roll of 2d20 (no extra d20s were purchased). Note that Kara’s trait of Bene Gesserit might have offered her an advantage, or it might have imposed a penalty if she had sought to confound her sister’s project. BALK ENEMY Wealth: 5 Skill: Battle Successes: 1 The House takes time to stymie the actions of their enemy Houses and curtail their activities. Until the next House management session, it costs the gamemaster 3 Threat rather than 1 to bring an enemy House into a scene. BENE GESSERIT ALLIANCE Wealth: 10 Skill: Discipline Successes: 4 The House has discovered its goals line up with those of the Sisterhood … for the moment. All Difficulties to tests made against a Bene Gesserit agent are reduced by one step, until the next House management session. CHOAM AGREEMENT Wealth: 5 Skill: Communicate Successes: 2 The House has made a trade deal with CHOAM for a better market price on their goods. Pick one of the House’s domains — it grants an extra 10 Wealth next House management session. Majo r a n d Gr e at Ho u s e s Major and Great Houses have been established longer than Minor Houses and so begin with a few additional holdings. The gamemaster may modify these as they see fit, depending on the nature of the House. Major House Estate: Stylish Appointment, Standard Fortification, Shield @ Standard fortification to four other areas @ Hidden area (storage of up to 10 Resources) Great House Estate: Luxurious appointment, Enhanced fortification, Shield, Landing Pad @ Standard fortification to eight other areas @ Hidden area (storage of up to 20 Resources) @ Spaceport
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 111 CHOAM INFLUENCE Wealth: 10 Skill: Communicate Successes: 3 The House has worked to gain an influential position within CHOAM, perhaps some executive posting or a minor directorship granted by the Emperor or a powerful Major House. The player characters can use this influence to gain an additional success on any trade negotiation with another House. This bonus can only be used once. CULTIVATE INITIATIVE Wealth: 10 Skill: Understand Successes: 2 The House’s staff and personnel are encouraged to speak their mind and take initiative, for their successes reflect well upon their betters. All minor supporting characters created in the next adventure who serve the House have the Bold talent, affecting one skill chosen when the supporting character is created. CULTIVATE OBEDIENCE Wealth: 10 Skill: Understand Successes: 2 The House’s staff and personnel are loyal and respond quickly and efficiently to commands. All minor supporting characters created in the next adventure who serve the House have the Cautious talent, affecting one skill chosen when the supporting character is created. CULTIVATE UNITY Wealth: 10 Skill: Understand Successes: 3 The House spends time and resources on training their agents to work well together. At the beginning of the next adventure, the Momentum pool starts at a minimum of 3. ENLIST ALLY Wealth: 20 Skill: Communicate Successes: 3 The House makes new alliances and promises of assistance with another House of equal power and status. Until the next House management session, the players can spend 1 Momentum to bring this allied House into a scene in the same way the gamemaster can spend Threat to do the same with an enemy House. The allied House can be reasonably trusted and sides with or helps the player characters as much as it can without damaging its own interests. ESTABLISH REPUTATION Wealth: 20 Skill: Communicate Successes: 3 The House works to ensure a certain reputation they have built (see Gain Reputation, p.112) becomes permanent. This can only be applied to a specific House trait that has been maintained at least three House management sessions concurrently. The gamemaster may also insist the House performs some act that epitomizes this reputation to fix it in the minds of the Landsraad, such as a brutal act to gain the ‘Brutal’ trait, etc. Once successful, this trait becomes a permanent House trait. FAVOR OF THE BENE GESSERIT Wealth: 10 Skill: Discipline Successes: 1 The House has managed to curry the favor of the Sisterhood. When dealing with any Bene Gesserit agent or Sister, the player characters may call in this favor and gain one additional success on any test. Once used, this boon is gone. FAVOR OF THE SPACING GUILD Wealth: 15 Skill: Discipline Successes: 1 The House has a lucrative trade contract with the Spacing Guild, enhancing their ability to trade goods between worlds. The player characters can spend this influence to add an additional success to any test made with a Guild agent of any form. Once used this boon is gone. FILL A HOUSE ROLE Wealth: 25 Skill: Understand Successes: 1 The House employs an expert to perform one of the House roles that is currently unoccupied. This role may require upkeep in further House management sessions. If the role is to be filled with a Mentat, there is an additional 10 Wealth charge for this venture. FUND DISCOVERY Wealth: 30 Skill: Move Successes: 4 The House assists the Guild in locating new planets worth colonizing or exploiting in the galaxy. The funds are useful for the Guild’s exploratory actions but are really a bribe for the Guild to give this information to the House first. With a new discovery, the House can petition the Emperor to allow it to expand its territory.
112 GAIN REPUTATION Wealth: 20 Skill: Communicate Successes: 4 The House spends some time and resources trying to spread rumors about its reputation and goals to build its name. Until the next House management session, the House gains a new House trait to reflect the reputation they are trying to project. The trait is removed on the next House management session, but if it is maintained three times in succession, it might be made permanent with another venture (see Establish Reputation, p.111). If the House takes an action directly opposing this trait (such as leading a sneak attack after gaining the Honorable trait) the gamemaster may instantly remove the trait. GAIN TERRITORY Wealth: 50 Skill: Communicate Successes: 5 If a new planet is discovered, the Houses of the Landsraad fight hard to be the one to claim the new prize. Who it is awarded to is entirely at the discretion of the Emperor. So only a House in the favor of the throne and in possession of the news of the discovery has a chance of such an award. Sometimes it is given to a House Major to manage; in other times it might be granted to a group of Houses Minor to see if a House Major arises from among them. The House must therefore be considered in the Emperor’s favor (gamemaster’s discretion) and have successfully helped the Guild discover a new planet this House management session. If the House is successful in their attempt, they gain control of a new planet with an amount of empty spaces determined by the gamemaster (see p.92). In general, such an acquisition should ideally be a full adventure, both as a political endeavor and as a colonization or exploitation effort. However, if the players want to expand their House through the House management system alone, this grants them that option. GUILD ALLIANCE Wealth: 10 Skill: Move Successes: 4 The House has discovered its goals line up with those of the Spacing Guild ... for the moment. All Difficulties to tests made against a Guild agent of any form reduced by one step, until the next House management session. HEIGHLINER CHARTER Wealth: 40 Skill: Move Successes: 2 At great expense, the House has paid to divert a Guild Heighliner on a direct route of their choice. The House may move any nonmilitary assets to any other planet instantly, establishing them before the start of any new adventure. Military assets may be moved at additional cost by combining this with another venture (see Warfare, p.116). HUMANITARIAN AID Wealth: 20 Skill: Move Successes: 3 The House provides food and aid to another beleaguered House in need. This gains them support for their charitable efforts, adding +2 to their status. The House also gains the temporary trait ‘Charitable’ until the next House management session. To pursue this venture the House must have some sort of farming domain. IMPROVE SKILLS Wealth: See table Skill: Variable Successes: See table The House invests in equipment and personnel to increase one of the House’s skills. If the test is successful, the skill increases by +1, to a maximum of ten. The skill used must be the skill being increased. The cost in Wealth and the Difficulty of the roll are determined by the table below: CURRENT SKILL LEVEL WEALTH COST DIFFICULTY 4 20 2 5 30 3 6 40 4 7 50 5 8 60 5 9 80 5 10 Max. Skill Level MOUNT INVASION Wealth: Varies Skill: Battle Successes: 1 This venture is used to send an invasion fleet against another planet. Details for doing so are found at the end of the chapter (see Warfare, p.116). This venture is exceptionally expensive, costing 10 Wealth per unit.
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 113 PREPARE FOR WAR Wealth: 30 Skill: Battle Successes: 2 The House spends some time either developing better defensive strategies and fortifying, or planning an invasion. On a successful test, for the next warfare conflict the House engages in the Momentum pool begins at maximum (6 Momentum). Each House management session that passes without a warfare conflict reduces this bonus by 1 Momentum. REDUCE STATUS Wealth: 20 Skill: Discipline Successes: 3 To appease the other Houses of the Landsraad and make themselves look less threatening, the House takes a back seat in Landsraad politics to reduce their status. When the test for this venture is made, the House’s status is modified by –1 for every success on the test, to a maximum of –5. However, if the test is a failure, the House gains 3 status, and it also gains 1 status for every complication rolled on the test. In this case the House has been so quiet and kept out of everyone’s way that other Houses are wondering what the player character House is up to and are paying close attention to its activities (even if it is not doing anything particularly noteworthy)! SABER RATTLING Wealth: 10 Skill: Battle Successes: 3 The House flexes its military power with a show of strength, although it stops short of an outright attack. This intimidates their peers, adding 2 to their status. The House also gains the temporary trait ‘Aggressive’ until the next House management session. To pursue this venture the House must have some sort of military domain. SECRET STORE Wealth: 10 Skill: Discipline Successes: 4 The House agrees to store something secretly on behalf of another House. It might be spice, atomics, maybe even a spy or criminal(s). Whatever it is, the other House is willing to pay handsomely to get it out of their territory while others are looking for it. If the test is successful, the item is hidden until the next House management session, where the player character’s House is remunerated with either 10 extra Wealth or 5 extra Resources. If the test fails, the item is discovered, and the House gains the trait ‘Criminal’ until the next House management session and loses 1 status point. They will also suffer a Difficulty penalty of one step in all dealings with the House they have failed.
114 6 – E n d o f Ye a r a n d D ow n t i m e At the end of the year the House can take stock of its holdings and funds. Only 10 Resources can be kept stockpiled at the end of House management, unless the House has Storage Facilities. Wealth is more ephemeral and doesn’t need to be stored. There is no limit to the amount of Wealth a House can hold at the end of House management. However, if the House has 20 or more Wealth it may become a target for thieves, crooked investors, and envious rivals. The gamemaster may choose to roll 1d20 at the start of the next session and apply the following result to any stored wealth: ROLL WEALTH LOST 1–7 None 8–12 5 13–17 10 18–19 15 20 20 Example: After two ventures, House Molay has 0 Resource and 9 Wealth left, which is easily enough to stockpile safely for next session, even without storage facilities. P e r s o n a l Ve n t u r e s At the end of House management, it is time to ask the individual player characters what they have been getting up to in their ‘off hours’, either for themselves or their House. Each player character has the option to perform a personal venture, such as the ones listed below. There is only time for one venture apiece, although it does not necessarily represent the sum total of all the player character has been up to. This simply epitomizes the main project the player character has been working on. Players are free to detail more of their characters’ activities and ventures each session, but they can only get a benefit from one venture. Personal ventures work like House ventures in that they require a skill test against a certain Difficulty. However, these tests use only the player character’s skills and drives. If there was no Momentum left over from the previous adventure, the player group may have 1 Momentum per player character in the pool (to the usual maximum of 6 Momentum). It is up to the player characters as a group to decide who gets to spend this Momentum and on what, though. If a personal venture fails it may just be taking longer than expected, so it may be attempted again next House management session with the Difficulty reduced by one step (minimum of 1). Personal ventures are used in addition to any advancement options the player characters may take. Players should take time to detail and create a narrative for their characters’ experiences in their personal venture, whether successful or not. They can also create new options with different bonuses with the consent of the gamemaster. Example: After her success with the space station project, Kara attempts to Seek House Favor. As it is a personal venture, she uses her own Discipline of 5 (coupled with her Duty of 7). But it is a tough roll and she fails to make three successes. Clearly her motives are transparent to her elders, who believe her ambition may even be a threat. AFFIRM ALLEGIANCE Skill: Communicate Difficulty: 2 The player character spends time with an allied House or faction to maintain the good relationship they have with their House. They gain the trait ‘Friend of X’ where X is the House or faction they have spent time with. The trait is removed at the next House management period, or if the character openly acts against their ‘friend’s’ interests. COMBAT TRAINING Skill: Battle Difficulty: 2 The player character may pick a weapon they have been training with. When fighting with that weapon they may consider its Quality 1 point higher (maximum 4). The benefit of this extra training fades by the next House management session. CRAFT ITEM Skill: Understand Difficulty: 2–4 (gamemaster discretion) The player character takes on a mechanical project to craft or repair a new asset. If they make at least two successes, they gain a new asset of a particular type of machine of their choice. If they achieve four successes, the asset has a Quality of 1. For higher Difficulties, the gamemaster might allow characters to create new pieces of technology. However, they must be careful to describe what such an asset will be capable of and that it does not break Butlerian proscriptions. The Difficulty is 4 for such items and they cannot have a Quality greater than 0, given they are prototypes.
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 115 CREATE COMPOSITION Skill: Communicate Difficulty: Various The player character attempts to create an artistic composition of some form. It might be a statue, a song, a poem, a stylish outfit, or anything else they are moved to create. If the character gets at least one success, they create something worthwhile, and it may be considered a new asset. For every additional success the character gains beyond the first, the work of art gains 1 level of Quality. If they create a statue, they probably don’t carry it around with them, but its reputation might still grant them a bonus, for example. DEVELOP CONTACT Skill: Communicate Difficulty: 2 The player character takes time to build up a new contact in an area of their choice. The player should give the contact a name and specify either what planet they can be found on and what House or faction they are a part of. The contact can be considered a new contact asset for the character. A failed test means the contact still does not trust the player character. HEAL COMPLICATION Skill: Move Difficulty: 1 The player character undertakes a physical or mental fitness regime to remove a problematic complication. If they are successful, the complication is removed. SKILL TRAINING Skill: As specified Difficulty: 1–3 (gamemaster discretion) The player character spends some time honing a particular skill (which will also be the active one for the skill test). If they gain at least one success, once in the next adventure they may choose to add an extra d20 to any skill check using this particular skill. If they gain three or more successes in the test, they may add an extra d20 on two such tests (but not on the same skill test). If unused, the bonus is lost at the next House management session. MONITOR ENEMIES Skill: Move Difficulty: 3 The player character makes a point of spying on an enemy House or faction. If they are successful, they may either add a single d20 to the next test they make against that enemy or may ask the gamemaster one question about their plans. Complications gained from the test alert the enemy to the infiltration and possibly put the character in great danger. ROMANTIC CONNECTION Skill: Communicate Difficulty: 3 The player character takes some time to build a romantic relationship with someone. They may be doing so simply to gain an asset, although their feelings could be genuine! The player should detail a little about this new romantic partner, who becomes both a contact and an ally for them. The relationship ends if the player character does not continue to pursue it next House management or chooses to make it permanent with marriage (using the Seek Consort venture, following). SEEK CONSORT Skill: Communicate or Discipline Difficulty: 4 The player character offers a proposal to a romantic partner in the hope of forming a marriage or at least making the relationship a more permanent one such as that with a concubine or spouse. The attempt can only be made with a romantic partner that has been maintained successfully for three House management sessions. If the test is successful, the character and their partner enter into a long-term affair. The partner can be considered an ally and contact with a Quality of 2, and someone the character can trust (if desired). Hopefully the character will see them as more than an asset, but this is not necessarily the case, especially in morganatic marriages or those solely to incur House loyalty and forge alliances. When it comes to Heirs, the House may step in to disallow any marriage. But otherwise, any player character marriage gains the House +1 bonus status as well, because everyone loves a wedding. SEEK HOUSE FAVOR Skill: Discipline Difficulty: 3 The player character makes a point of proving their worth, dedication, loyalty, and use to their House. If successful in the test, they reduce the Difficulty of all interactions with their superiors in the House by one step until the next House management session. TRAIN SUBORDINATES Skill: Understand Difficulty: 2 The player character undertakes a training regime with a human asset under their control (such as soldiers). The asset gains +1 Quality. The Quality of any asset may only be improved as much as +2 by this method.
116 Wa r fa r e Major conflicts in Dune are generally best handled as full warfare conflicts. They might even be full adventures, usually with the player characters fighting several small skirmishes against a background of a larger battle. If your group wants to manage a large-scale planetary conflict, the spaces on the planet can be used as zones. This allows an attacking force to target and destroy facilities by successfully ‘using’ assets in these zones. The usual rules of any warfare conflict still apply (see Dune Core Rulebook, p. 180–183). So the following notes detail some of the additional logistical concerns of such a huge conflict and detail how aspects of House management can be merged with the conflict rules. For an attacker, the problem is getting a large military force to the planet they are looking to attack. For ease, the assets making up the planetary assault force should be divided into three types of assets: ground, sea, and air units. A ground unit consists of tanks and soldiers, a sea unit comprises armed battleships, and air units are fighter and bomber ornithopters and attack craft. The attacking House is considered to own as many of these as they like, but the limit of what they can bring depends on what they can afford. No House can afford to transport its entire military force via the Guild, unless their force is relatively small. Taking an invasion force to another planet is a venture, where the House moves as many assets as they are able to via Guild transport. Each single unit of any type costs 5 Wealth to move to another planet. For this reason, many House conflicts of this type tend to be hit-and-run attacks to ‘teach their enemies a lesson’ or to achieve a specific strategic goal that overwhelms their target enough to neutralize them before they can respond. So just as usual, the stakes and purpose of the conflict should be defined before the conflict begins. It is also advised the attacker charters a Heighliner for their attack (another venture). While they can place their forces on a standard route, this increases the chance of other agents and spies learning of their plans and warning their enemies. Discovering the invasion plan might be another whole espionage conflict on the part of the defending House. When the forces arrive, the battleground is the defending House’s homeworld. As such, each space on the planet is considered a zone for the warfare conflict. Attacking forces all arrive in any group of five connected zones, at least ten zones away (or as far as possible) from the defender’s estate. Planetary defenses usually make arriving any nearer impossible or suicidal (gamemaster discretion as to penalties for this). For the first two turns of the conflict, any ground or sea forces are considered in free fall, as they are landing and cannot move or attack. They can be attacked by any of the defender’s air forces. The defender then needs to discover how many of their forces they can bring to bear against the attack. The defender should roll a dice pool of d20s equal to the Difficulty of their Military level. The defender gains three assets of any type, plus one more for each success, and may place each asset on any zone. These are not the defender’s total assets, but are instead the forces available to move to protect any area. If the defender knows the attack is coming, they may double their result. How they discover the attack is on the way depends on the narrative of the adventure and their actions during House management. It may easily be a rumor or information gained from the Monitor Enemies boon (or an espionage conflict, as noted above). On the attacker’s turn, they may move an asset, subtly or boldly as usual. They may also raze a zone/space where they have an attacking asset (by ‘using’ the asset in that zone). Ground and sea forces move to any adjacent zone as usual, but air assets can move up to three adjacent zones. Any move requires a Move skill test, and any attempt to raze a zone requires a Battle skill test. The base Difficulty is the Military Power of the defender. If a Move test fails, the unit is stuck and pinned down, unable to move this turn. If the attacker successfully razes a zone, that space is destroyed, as is anything in it. It becomes an empty space, and no test is required to pass through it. If any attacking asset fails to raze a zone three times, it is destroyed. It has taken too much damage from defending fire to carry on. Defenders may move their assets without having to make a test unless they pass through a zone with an enemy asset. Attackers and defenders may also destroy enemy assets as usual (see Dune Core Rulebook, p. 183). Note that where the defender has military facilities in certain spaces, they can be used as units that cannot move. Although they are razed along with a zone, until then they can attack any enemy assets. Any defensive assets in a zone increase the Difficulty to raze it (but not move through it) by one step, as a defensive trait. The conflict carries on until the attackers are destroyed or they decide to withdraw (depending on the purpose of the conflict). A withdrawal takes two turns, and in this period all attacker assets are considered in flight, meaning ground and sea units can no longer attack or move. Either side might surrender; the terms of such would be up to the participants to roleplay out.
HOUSES OF THE LANDSRAAD 117 F ro m Mi n o r t o Ma j o r Just as with epic battles, the ascension of a House to greater status is something that should really be done as part of an adventure and the House’s continuing narrative. Following, however, is just a light framework to help guide storytelling this momentous event. FROM NASCENT TO ESTABLISHED MINOR This is the easiest transition to make. A nascent House is simply new and has much the same status as any other Minor House. In terms of the status chart (see p.90) the two House types are identical. However, to be truly accepted as an established Minor House, the House will need to increase the number and status of its domains. When it has one primary domain as well as its starting secondary domain, it can claim to be fully established. Whether it chooses to upgrade the original domain or try to develop a primary domain from scratch is up to the House Ruler(s). FROM MINOR TO MAJOR This is without doubt the most complex and difficult transition to make. Not only is it difficult to achieve in terms of prerequisites, if not managed carefully it can make the House a lot of enemies. Before a House can even appeal for Major status, it must have achieved the following: @ Expanded Its Domains. It must have one primary and two secondary domains as a minimum to claim the territory of a House Major. @ Control a Planet. While it can be small, the House must be the undisputed leading power on the planet it calls home. Other resident Houses may or may not owe it fealty, but the House must be able to claim dominion over their entire planet. @ Owe Allegiance to None but the Emperor. The House must have successfully claimed independence from all other Houses Major. This last one is the hardest part. Expanding its domains and power may just make other Houses nervous, but changing allegiance can upset plenty of the wrong people. If the patron House Major is kind and noble, they may happily see the emergent House blossom and welcome them as a peer and ally in the Landsraad. Unfortunately, even with the best relationship, the House Minor is usually claiming territory and power that belongs or belonged to their patron House. So, the best chance a House has for a smooth transition is if it controls a small planet already or can earn control of a new world with some service to the Imperial throne. But the Emperor is not in the habit of handing out planets to Minor Houses very easily, and the jealousy of the other Major Houses makes that a problematic venture as well. Once these three above prerequisites are complete, the House must have a minimum status of 50 to even dare approach the Emperor for recognition. At least one House Major will be required to sponsor the request, vouching for them as loyal to the throne. After several meetings and days of politicking (a major intrigue conflict and many Communicate tests) the House ruler might formally approach the Emperor and ask for permission to join the Landsraad. Even at this point some Houses have been refused. Either way, they will leave Kaitain owing a lot of favors to a lot of powerful people. FROM MAJOR TO GREAT This is a simpler process than it looks as Great House is a title of respect rather than an official category. To become Great, the House just needs the audacity to claim the title and start using it. As with any other House ascension, they should control what is expected of a Great House (2 primary and 3 secondary domains). They should also have a status of at least 75, making a lot of people very nervous. Then they just start referring to themselves as a Great House, and bribe/convince a few courtiers and allies to do the same. This is a venture using Communicate, costing 50 Wealth and with a Difficulty of 5 that must be succeeded three times in a row on separate and contiguous House management sessions. If any of the tests fail, the House loses 10 status for their arrogance and presumption. They remain a Major House. But there is nothing stopping them trying again. If they succeed, they claim Great House status and drop to a status of 65 but on the Great House track.
PLANET RECORD SHEET Dune © 2023 Legendary. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium is an oficially sub-licensed property from Gale Force Nine, a Battlefront Group Company. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. PLANET NAME PRIMARY ENVIRONMENT RULING HOUSE FACILITIES FACILITIES
FACILITIES FACILITIES Dune © 2023 Legendary. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium is an oficially sub-licensed property from Gale Force Nine, a Battlefront Group Company. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. MOON RECORD SHEETPRIMARY ENVIRONMENT MOON NAME RULING HOUSE HOUSE NAME HOUSE MANAGEMENT RECORD SHEET Dune © 2023 Legendary. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium is an oficially sub-licensed property from Gale Force Nine, a Battlefront Group Company. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. NEWS FROM THE IMPERIUM EVENTS VENTURES DEVELOPED TOTAL WEALTH TOTAL RESOURCES TOTAL UPKEEP SESSION
BACKGROUND TRAITS HOUSE TYPE HOMEWORLD HOUSE NAME OVERVIEW LIFESTYLE POPULATION LOYALTY MILITARY POWER STATUS ACTIVE HOUSE ROLES ROLES UPKEEP HOUSE RECORD SHEET COMPLETED VENTURES Dune © 2023 Legendary. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium is an oficially sub-licensed property from Gale Force Nine, a Battlefront Group Company. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. BATTLE: COMMUNICATE: DISCIPLINE: MOVE: UNDERSTAND: SKILL SKILL UPKEEP: MODIFIER UPKEEP DOMAIN INCOME DOMAIN NAME DOMAIN NAME DOMAIN NAME DOMAIN NAME DOMAIN NAME RESOURCES WEALTH
WHAT IF YOU RAN ARRAKIS? What if your family was transported light years from their home, and had to call the desert planet theirs? Would you fall into the traps and befall the same fate as House Atreides? Or would you forge a new path for your family and fief? The Agents of Dune campaign box set provides a complete introduction to the world of Dune and teaches you to play the Dune: Adventures in the Imperium roleplaying game. Everything you need to play can be found in this box, and you can begin playing with no preparation from the moment you open the box. Available from hobby retailers, modiphius.net, and modiphus.us Dune TM & © 2023 Legendary. All Rights Reserved. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium is an officially sub-licensed property from Gale Force Nine, a Battlefront Group Company. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd.
ARRAKIS. SOURCE OF THE SPICE. Available from hobby retailers, modiphius.net, and modiphus.us The Sand and Dust book includes: • A host of new options for Fremen player characters, including new archetypes, talents, and rules for riding the great sandworms. • The secrets of spice revealed, including new spice related talents and abilities. • Guidance on creating your own campaigns on Arrakis, with a host of new NPCs, scenario hooks, and story seeds. Dune TM & © 2023 Legendary. All Rights Reserved. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium is an officially sub-licensed property from Gale Force Nine, a Battlefront Group Company. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. S E T F O O T O N T H E M O S T I M P O R T A N T P L A N E T I N T H E KNOWN UNIVERSE. This 156-page sourcebook for the Dune: Adventures in the Imperium roleplaying game takes you to the desert world of Arrakis and explores the secrets of the spice. Visit the hidden Fremen sietches, see one of the incredible sandworms, and trade secrets with spies and agents in Arrakeen and Carthag.
The Landsraad is the great council of the Houses that decides the fate of the Imperium under the will of the Emperor. Meeting on Kaitain, the Imperial homeworld, this chorus of powerful voices meet to make deals, craft alliances, crush enemies, and take vengeance in the halls of power. Here, whole worlds can be laid waste at the stroke of a pen and riches beyond your wildest dreams can be bestowed for nothing more than a promise of support. The Great Game: Houses of the Landsraad is a complete 128-page supplement that expands your campaign away from Arrakis into the vast and deadly Imperium. It offers the opportunity for your House to vie for power among its peers. Politic with your rivals, bring power and wealth to your House, and challenge your position among the most deadly powerbrokers of the Landsraad. The Great Game: Houses of the Landsraad includes: @ Comprehensive detail on the nature and politics of the Landsraad council and the complex relationships between the Houses that keeps the Imperium turning. @ Secrets of the art of kanly, the rules that govern assassination by blade or poison, and how to manage a deadly war of assassins. @ Expanded notes on CHOAM, with options and new talents for CHOAM agent player characters. Full dossiers on an array of the most important Houses of the Landsraad, such as the fallen House Richese, the aggressive House Moritani, the noble House Taligari, and the devious House Wydras. @ A Navigator’s guide to the mysterious Spacing Guild and their place in the Imperium, with new talents and focuses for Guild Agent player characters. @ Cross space in a moment in a Guild Heighliner, with detail on space travel and managing journeys across the Imperium, with or without the Guild. @ New rules for building any of the ‘million worlds’ that can be found in the Known Universe or beyond. Create the homeworld of your House, your enemy’s domain, or a new planet ripe for exploitation. @ A complete system for House management, allowing you to craft and build your domains, construct new planetary facilities, manage downtime, and gain leverage and favor from your peers as the power of your House grows. The Imperium is waiting for you, and your House, to take your place among the powers of the Landsraad. Will it be only a step from the throne or under the heel of your enemies? Dune TM & © 2023 Legendary. All Rights Reserved. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium is an officially sub-licensed property from Gale Force Nine, a Battlefront Group Company. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. Stock Code: MUH060190-PDF ISBN: 978-1-80281-020-2 Printed in Lithuania Dedicated to Frank Herbert, author and creator of the Dune Universe, whose singular vision and imagination have inspired us all. B E YO N D A R R A K I S L I E A M I L L I O N WO R L D S , A N D A M I L L I O N E N E M I E S