Opportunity

Overview

An opportunity represents a chance to do something that players could not normally do themselves. Opportunities are seeded into the game by our plot team. An opportunity often brings with it the ability to do something at a reduced cost, or in a way that could not normally be achieved.

For example, a group of talented armour smiths might offer to outfit several military units with light-weight armour, effectively upgrading them at a reduced cost in mithril - but only a handful of units can benefit from this opportunity.

Purpose

Opportunities are intended to present the players with choices that they can make - or ignore. For example, the armour smiths above might also suggest that they could instead turn their attention to making a single suit of runeplate every Summer to presented to a specific general on the Imperial Military Council, in return for a supply of mithril they can use to improve their forges. It would be up to the Imperial Senate which option they choose to exploit.

Opportunities generally present options or chances - they will usually not be framed in terms of things the players must do. In the example above, the players could decline the offer if they wanted to or considered the cost to be too great. Depending on the nature of the opportunity they might be able to take advantage of it at a later date, or it might be a one-time offer.

The parameters of the opportunity are often carefully set and while the players have some leeway in how to respond it is not usually possible to spread or increase the benefit being offered. In the example above, they could not, however, try to get the armour smiths to equip four armies at a reduced cost even if they had the mithril.

The Heliopticon

The Urizen Heliopticon networks are powerful fortifications that use incredibly fast communication over distance to co-ordinate the defence of the nation. Each network has a central tower, constructed with a powerful magical light-source and a specially calibrated mirror. While these networks are very expensive to produce, the fallen tower of Spiral offers an opportunity. If the light source and mirror were recovered, they could be installed in a new central tower, either reconnecting Spiral to the Urizen network or allowing a territory outside the nation to be tied into the network.

In game terms, this might allow the creation of a rank one fortification in a year at the cost of 25 wains of white granite, 25 wains of weirwood and 10 wains of mithril (rather than the usual 100 wains of white granite a fortification would require). This cost reduction presented by the opportunity reflects the chance to spend different resources constructing the outlying towers that make the heliopticon network function.

Synod Opportunities

One common form of opportunity is a chance for the assemblies of the Imperial Synod to try and influence the hearts and minds of Imperial citizens. Examples of these opportunities include the Vigilance crusade against the Vyig; the institution of the Hearth Tithe or the Dawnish call to arms in the Barrens. In each of these cases, the opportunity was explained in a Wind of Fortune, but similar opportunities might arise from interactions with specific plots, or described in letters from foreign powers.

In each case, a Synod opportunity is resolved in the same way. An appropriate assembly makes a judgement (often, but not exclusively, a Statement of Principle). The wording of the judgement is crucial, and should as clearly as possible reflect what the assembly wishes to achieve.

Some opportunities require only the judgement, but many also require that a single character be named as taking responsibility for resolving the opportunity. This priest is usually required to collect an amount of liao to help with creating virtuous auras and the like. The named priest should hand the liao in GOD, so that it goes into their inventory. Ideally, they should also send an e-mail to empire.plot@profounddecisions.co.uk after the event confirming that they have the liao and that they are using it for the opportunity in conjunction with the appropriate judgement.

If a Synod plot opportunities links one or more game effects to an expenditure of liao and the passage of a judgement stating a specific idea or statement - then it is not possible to substitute a different idea of statement for the one required to achieve the game effect. The expenditure of liao is insufficient by itself - it must be coupled with an appropriately worded judgement. If you wish to attempt to use a different judgement to affect the plot opportunity, then given a day's notice then the Civil Service may be able to advise a member of the Synod of the possible implications of any judgement proposed by them.

If multiple judgements are passed as part of a Synod opportunity that are at cross purposes, the one which has the highest amount of liao assigned to it will usually take precedence - this is usually the only reason the priest may want to assign more liao than the minimum listed in the opportunity. If a priest fails in their attempt to use liao to achieve an outcome (because they have insufficient liao, are outbid by another priest, or use the wrong wording in their judgement) then the liao is not wasted - it will be returned to the player in their pack at the next event.

If an opportunity fails for some reason, some or all of the liao may still be expended.

The Synod cannot "create" opportunities out of whole cloth - although the plot team reviews Synod judgements after every event and may create opportunities based on judgements in the same way they might look at Senate motions or Conclave declarations for inspiration.

If a priest is unsure on the effect the wording of a judgement may have, or wishes to respond to an opportunity in an unexpected fashion, they can ask the Imperial Civil Servants who work with the Synod for advice.