Stupidish question

[Alzreborn]

I am searching for a hidden capital and using one hex by one hex agent recons, am i just unlucky or is there a better way?

[Ruingurth]

I am searching for a hidden capital and using one hex by one hex agent recons, am i just unlucky or is there a better way?

Hi,

Agt needs to be level 4 or higher. You can also use a black owl totem or, move a patrol thru a region searching one hex at a time. You can also cast revelation if you get the spell.

If you are on one of your enemy's groups and pursue them you can follow them back to their capital. Intercept tho does not work.

There is also another way but is considered "gamie" by some. Move an emissary into an empty hex, you will be told that there is no pop center if the location if empty.



R

[davekuyk]

I am searching for a hidden capital and using one hex by one hex agent recons, am i just unlucky or is there a better way?

Hi,

Agt needs to be level 4 or higher. You can also use a black owl totem or, move a patrol thru a region searching one hex at a time. You can also cast revelation if you get the spell.

If you are on one of your enemy's groups and pursue them you can follow them back to their capital. Intercept tho does not work.

There is also another way but is considered "gamie" by some. Move an emissary into an empty hex, you will be told that there is no pop center if the location if empty.



R

Not a stupid question at all. The rule book is not entirely clear in this area.

My understanding (including the ones listed by Ruin above):

• The Revelation spell
  
• A level 4+ recon
  
• A recon via the Black Owl Totem (but not other artifacts)
  
• A Ranger falcon recon (either level 2 or 3; not sure)
  
• A group ending movement at the location
  
• You can pursue a group to the hidden location, but not intercept (the rulebook isn't clear here)
  
• Attempt to move an agent or emissary to an empty hex
  
• I don't recommend it, but you can attempt to establish a Sanctuary in an empty hex, and it will fail if a hidden PC is there
  
• Similarly, attempting to create a Dragon's Lair or other similar structure on top of a hidden PC will fail (this is NOT common)
  
• In a Pagan game only, if a key artifact is in a hidden PC and you investigate the Quest encounter, you will be provided with the hidden PC's location (again, not common)
  
• If you perform an agent mission versus a group that is at a hidden PC, you will get the location of the group (it will not indicate the PC, but with some deduction skills...)
  

The most common way I have located a hidden PC in the past is through some detective work and making some assumptions.

Using the Ancient Ones as an example - did they take a major city early?

If yes, then there are several reasonable assumptions one can make:

• The hidden capital must be within seven squares of the city
  
• The hidden capital will be in the starting region
  
• The hidden capital will not be any of the visible PCs
  
• The hidden capital will not be where any artifact is located
  

This alone can narrow down the possibilities. Other things one can take into consideration to narrow the search: 

• Did the AN perform an agent action? If so, it is reasonable to assume the agent was based at the capital
  
• Take into consideration the location of AN groups, especially around reinforcement time (as they come in at the capital)
  
• Did the AN move emissaries into other locations? If so, they may have been based at the capital
  

I am sure there are more. I have used this approach in the past to narrow the possibilities down to a reasonable number, which can then be checked "manually".

Hope this helps!

[Alzreborn]

Thank you for both answers!  I have been super unlucky but the agent 4 is something i did not understand.  I have used the emissary trick before but to find starting pop centers at the start of the game, I should have extrapolated.  In the old game starting pop centers were in like 1 of 3 spots (I think I remember that now).  Is it more random in the zone now?