BLACK DRAGON

Dossier for:

The Dark Skies of the Black Dragons

Dawn of the 4th Cycle of Alamaze

The Dark Skies of the Black Dragon is a kingdom ruled by a select group of formidable black dragons, each commanding their own lair. Under the ultimate authority of the Great Khan, these mighty dragons hold sway over the land, while the rest of the kingdom comprises thralls forcibly taken from other races, serving as laborers and servants to their draconic overlords. In battle, the Black Dragons recognize that they may not possess the raw power of their Red Dragon counterparts. However, they make up for it with cunning strategies and swiftness. They carefully choose their engagements, avoiding direct confrontations when necessary, and instead, employing their political emissaries to gain advantages where brute force alone might fail. Nevertheless, their acid breath and massive claws make them formidable adversaries, especially when it comes to besieging their foes.

The Great Khan holds the ultimate authority in the kingdom, ensuring the dragons’ rule remains unchallenged. Their reign is marked by the subjugation of thralls and the relentless pursuit of power and dominion. Fear and awe surround the dragons’ rule, as they inspire terror with their dark scales, piercing gazes, and commanding presence. The Dark Skies of the Black Dragon epitomize the strength and cunning of these majestic creatures. Their ability to leverage both political influence and direct force in pursuit of their goals sets them apart. Few dare to challenge their authority, for the consequences are dire. The land is forever enveloped in the ominous shadow of the Black Dragon’s reign.

TO ARMS!

From Your Chief Thrall:

From Your Chief Thrall: Great Khan of The Black Dragons, lesser races dread your arrrival! Blessed with incredible mobility, a good political corps, and decent magic and agents, the Black Dragons are a balanced kingdom with wings. Your dragons are not a match for the Red Dragons one on one, or brigade for brigade vs. several kingdoms, but your flight ability lets you pick and choose your fights your strategy should be multi-dimensional, perhaps allowing your groups to locate population centers and having emissaries at the ready to move in and usurp control.

Specialized Traits For Our Kingdom:

The following traits provide special and unique bonuses for our kingdom. These effects are inherent and do not require specific action to enable unless otherwise specified in the section below.

Type	Name
Cultural	Acuity
Cultural	Evil
Cultural	Foreknowledge (Random)
Cultural	Foreknowledge (Random)
Cultural	Magic Resistance (Death)
Cultural	Magic Resistance (Sleep)
Cultural	Rich
Cultural	Ruthless
Cultural	Trackers
Magic	Standard

• Acuity: Groups are never surprised, acts as entrenched. Agents have a reduced -10 points from being captured during missions. Political emissaries get +5 to their rebel/usurp die roll. Characters of this kingdom that become prisoners get 15 points added to their chance of escape.
• Evil: Only Evil kingdoms may summon undead if in spell lists. Undead brigades cannot become Elite. Undead brigades have a floor morale of 80 and cannot raise above 120. Damned, Skeletons, and Zombies may be summoned from pop center areas (not in wild only). Only Evil kingdoms may recruit Trolls. Brigade maintenance is -25% for Evil kingdoms. Only Evil kingdoms may have Nazgul, Wraith, or Lich figures. Evil kingdoms gain a pop center’s full production value in food and gold (not reduced by seasonal effects) when conquered. Rule of Law has cost of 0 for Evil kingdoms. Evil kingdoms start Hostile in all regions except for capital and second town regions. When an Evil kingdom first controls a particular region, all non-Evil kingdoms have their regional reactions changed to Hostile. If an Evil kingdom has control in a region with Loyal reactions, non-Evil kingdoms cannot improve their regional reaction there. An Evil kingdom may not enamor a region that is Loyal to any non-Evil kingdom. Agent training is -1,000 gold to a minimum of 1,000. Maximum agent training is +2 levels.
• Foreknowledge: Kingdom has the short name of one or more artifacts on setup. Varies by kingdom as to number and which specific artifacts.
• Magic Resist Death: Kingdom is 33% resistant to magical death effects. This consists of the kill leader/wizard spell, death spell, and the summon imp/demon/high demon spells. If successful, no damage will be taken.
• Magic Resist Sleep: Kingdom is 33% resistant to sleep effects.
• Rich: Increases starting treasury by 30,000 gold, and increases starting capital gold production by 4,000.
• Ruthless: Cause Fear (-10% to morale of opposing groups or to popcenter defense). +2 points intrinsic status quo to controlled popcenters so about a Provincial Governor Maintaining Status Quo in a tolerant region. +10 points to Threaten (#180).
• Trackers: Provides an intrinsic (no order required) level 4 agent recon of each active group area. Detects groups in ambush but not invisible groups. Can locate hidden sites if ending movement on them.

Special Rules For The Dark Skies of the Black Dragons Kingdom:

• Terrain Adeptness: Flight, Disadvantage in Forest (combat only)
• Magical Prowess: Standard (Tier 4 of 7)
• Spells available earlier than prowess base: Cold Darkness
• Phoenix (Order #565 Recruit Companions) may be recruited at one of the volcano locations on the map (KH, KS, ZV). Phoenix are flying creatures that have regenerative powers. A group that contains a Phoenix brigade may issue their special regenerate order (#236 Regenerate) once per turn. This ability will heal up to 5% attrition (double during an Ice Age).
• Flanking Tactic (use TAC 4). Group vs. group attack (special exemption for our kingdom, others require the Riders trait), a Marshal or better in the group (not stunned), and can only be done in Plains or Desert terrain. Cannot be used against a group with flying or a kingdom with the Riders Trait (reverts to Standard Battle Plan). Cannot be used against an enemy group with a Warlord who is healthy (not stunned). Charge phase combat value for the flanking force is at 175%. Enemy losses in retreat is x3. Changes enemy’s Organized Withdrawal to Stand And Defend. Own group retreat as Standard Battle Plan. If Flanking group retreats, its own losses in retreat are 2x.
• Create Dragon’s Lair (Order #650), specified map area must be a Mountain location without a pop center (pillaged or a magic-destroyed pc frees the map area of a pc so the area is valid for a lair). May only have one Dragon’s Lair on the map. May only issue order on turn 4 or later. A Dragon’s Lair produces 20,000 gold each month (does not decrease due to seasonal effects).
• Black Dragons cannot use sea power or buy ships, and therefore cannot use Orders #710 and 715. Use the normal land movement order #720 to cross sea areas. Flying groups may land on water.
• Special Order: Equip Advanced Item (Poison Tail Stinger) (Order #607, 500 mithril), poison tail stinger is an advanced weapon group attachment similar to forged improved weapons and cannot be traded. The tail stinger provides an extra 20% leader/wizard death effect during group combat. Equip the stinger to group at kingdom-owned pc with forge. Group must have one or more brigades in group. Group must already be equipped with improved weapons or mithril weapons from forge (Order #605). Only able to equip improved weapons, mithril weapons, or advanced weapons to a group once on the same turn.
• Black Dragons capitals start with a significant boost to their defense and gold production than normal.

Your first group begins as your most powerful and important group. In addition, should you earn your Early Strategic Objective or qualify for an Appeal to the Gods (Epic Game only) there are possible awards that only go into your first group (see General Rules).

Early Strategic Objectives:

Enter your selections for the Early Strategic Objectives with your orders on turns 1 through 3. Use Order #991 and reference the instructions in the Official Rulebook. If you do not select any objectives, your kingdom will receive the default objectives listed below:

Control a region	worth 2 points
Have 3+ Dukes (not Demon Princes/Consuls/King/Queen/Regent)	worth 1 point

We are pursuing a MINOR ESO!

On turns 10 through 15, if our kingdom has achieved the above requirements to total 3 achievement points, we may claim awards worth 3 points!

Victory Conditions:

This campaign has NORMAL victory conditions.

Therefore a kingdom may win via Rex (control 5+ regions) or by Lion’s Share (most status points at end of the game).

Skeletons In The Closet:

The following skeletons, if revealed, will have detrimental impact on your influence and on regional reaction in some regions.

Type	Code
MAJOR	5717	The Queen Is Psychopathic.
MINOR	8274	The King Is A Shocking Sexual Deviant.
MINOR	4801	The King Has Thanataphobia: He Is Terrified Of Dying.

Magical Prowess:

Proficiency: Standard (Tier 4 of 7)

Maximum assured Power level attainable: 8 (includes +2 levels from Immortal)

(Spellcasters may attempt to research beyond the assured level, but may fail about 50% of the time, and the gold cost is still consumed)

Gold cost per research level: 10,000

(Plateau levels have additional cost. At 3rd level, +10,000 gold. At 5th level, +30,000 gold. At 7th level, +60,000 gold. For example, to increase a pwr-2 wizard to pwr-3, the cost is the gold-cost-per-research-level x level + plateau cost, or 40,000 gold. To reach 5th level, the cost is 80,000 gold. To reach 7th level, the cost is 130,000 gold.)

Spell List

Level 0: Rite Of The Magi, Self Invisible, Wizard Assist Encounter

Level 1: Create Food, Light Of The Evening Star, Magic Research, Protect Heroes and Wizards, Raven Familiar, Stun Leader

Level 2: Bridge Of Mist, Create Gold, Diplomacy, Fear, Light Of The Evening Star (Intrinsic), Lightning Attack, Reveal King’s Influence, Shield, Speed, Valor, Ward

Level 3: Bridge Of Mist (Intrinsic), Dispel Magic, Fertile Fields, Firestrike, Guarded Attack, Hidden Ore, Kill Leader/Wizard, Lesser Masking, Presence (Intrinsic), Ship of Mist, Sleep, Strengthen Walls, Teleport Self, Wind Storm

Level 4: Chaos, Conceal Emissary, Dire Wolf Familiar, Dispel Dome of Invulnerability, Dispel Storm at Sea, Flash Flood, Greater Masking, Instant Self Teleport, Invisible Patrol, Mirror Image, Raise Population Center Census, Teleport Patrol, Wall of Flame

Level 5: Cold Darkness (Regional Effect), Command Tornado, Create Magical Item, Destroy Undead, Dispel Regional Effect, Imp Familiar, Invisible Brigade, Protection from Regional Effect, Storm at Sea, Teleport Brigade, True Seeing, Ward Population Center

Level 6: Curse, Earthquake, Invisible Division, Project Image Of Group, Revelation, Sacrifice, Teleport Division, Unveil Group Locations, Unveil Population Centers

Level 7: Charm Region, Conjure Prestige, Conjure Scandal, Crack The Sky, Demonic Visions (Regional Effect), Dome of Invulnerability, Enhance King’s Aura, Ice Torrent, Infuriate Populace, Invisible Army, Meteor Strike, Plague (Regional Effect), Raise Regional Census (Regional Effect), Teleport Army, Transform to Nazgul, True Seeing (Intrinsic)

Level 8: Augment Title, Chain Lightning, Famine (Regional Effect), Summon Death, Summon Demon, Teleport Army Group, Wraith Form

Level 9: Prismatic Rays, Simulacrum

The Dark Skies of the Black Dragons Military Dossier

Kingdom Brigade Description:

Here there be dragons! A Black Dragon brigade has only perhaps a score of Black Dragons, but is more powerful than any other brigade. They spew acid in the missile phases, swoop down with huge claws in the charge phase, throwing victims into the air or crushing them, and then land and attack with jaws and tail in melee phases. Their flight gives them a good advantage attacking population centers as their walls do not provide the same advantages. While Black Dragons are a strong brigade type, they are not a match for the top kingdom brigades such as Red Dragons and the Sacred Order when brigades and other factors are about equal.

Kingdom Brigade Ratings:

LR Missile	SR Missile	Charge	1st Melee	2nd Melee	Combined	Storm (PC)	Defense
Above Average	Good	Excellent	Average	Above Average	Above Average	Good	Good

Recruit Troops (Order #560), Recruit Companions (Order #565), or magically summoned brigades fight at their respective values for all kingdoms. They move according to the kingdom’s movement table. They consume food and gold at their respective rates. Groups at sea fight according to the fleet quantity and quality in the given sea.

Special Note: Flyers may be available for your kingdom through the Recruit Companions (Order #565) or as a Wizard Summoning Spell. All flying groups, either as natural flyers like Dragons or groups enhanced with special brigades/artifacts that bestow flying capabilities, are considered flying at all times. When specifying the group’s movement, all terrain costs are calculated as normally in your movement order (including when flying over water areas). However, flying groups whether they are all-natural flyers (e.g., all brigades of Griffons) or non-natural flyers (ground-based troops that gain flying by acquiring an artifact or by recruiting Giant Eagles) are checked throughout the turn if their situation changes. Flying status may be lost if the group no longer meets certain criteria such as losing division-sized status required by certain artifacts due to transferring troops between groups, combining groups together, or gaining additional troops through battle as what may occur with special troops like Zombies that eat the dead and grow in number. Or Lycanthrope that spreads among the injured on the battlefield and the group acquires new Lycan brigades. Another possibility to consider is if the group will receive any troop reinforcements, which occurs at certain intervals throughout the game. So, even though a ground-based, non-natural flying group may start the turn as a flyer, its status may change throughout the course of the game. A flying group that flys over or lands upon a water area may be issued any movement order (e.g., 720 and not required a sea movement order like 710).

Natural flyers are: Black/Red Dragons, Great Bats, Phoenixes, Specters, and Wyverns, as well as the new troop types of Air Elementals, Beholders, Chimeras, Cockatrices, Fairy Folk, Gargoyles, Giant Eagles, Griffons, Manticores, Mephits, Pixies, Rocs, and Sprites. Giant Eagles and Rocs are the only natural flyers capable of bestowing flight to ground-based troops. Artifacts that are capable of bestowing flight to others are: Great Red Bats of the Lost Caves, Green Dragon Mates, and the Last Herd of Winged Stallions. If a group consists of only natural-flyers or ground-based troops that become capable of flying, the following flight bonuses apply: +20% attack bonus vs pop centers, immune to Earthquake, Flash Flood, and Wall of Flame spells, patrol-sized groups have 32 (rather than 20) movement points (only for patrols of the Black Dragon, Red Dragon, and Fairy Folk kingdoms), may fly over water without a naval fleet being involved (may finish movement upon a water area), automatically performs a reconnaissance of the group’s location as a level 1 agent, and the flying group may not be flanked in battle (a special attack maneuver that certain kingdoms may perform).

Kingdom and Recruitable Troop Types (Food/Gold Amount Is Cost To Recruit):

Type	ID	Food	Gold	Max Per Group	Notes
Black Dragons (Flyer)	BL	N/A	N/A	Unlimited	Kingdom brigade, not recruitable but receive as reinforcements
Companions (Order #565):
Great Bats (Flyer)	GR	4,000	4,000	10	Recruit in wild (no pop center) in Plains, Forest, Mountains terrain and requires Captain and 1 Veteran brigade
Phoenix (Flyer)	PH	10,000	15,000	1	Recruit at the one of the three volcano locations (Area KH, KS, ZV) and requires Marshal and 3 brigades
Wyverns (Flyer)	WY	4,000	8,000	5	Recruit in wild (no pop center) in Mountains terrain and requires Captain and 1 Veteran brigade

Resource Consumption per Brigade (Each Turn) [Being Evil Has -25% Incorporated]:

Type	Food	Gold
Black Dragons	1,725	1,725
Companions (Order #565):
Great Bats	600	450
Phoenix	2,100	2,250
Wyverns	1,275	1,275

Reinforcement Schedule (Receive As Kingdom Brigades):

Turn 5:	2
Turn 10:	1
Turn 15:	2
Turn 20:	1
Turn 25:	2
Turn 30:	1
Turn 35:	1
Turn 40:	1

Terrain Combat Adjustment:

Terrain Type	Movement Point Cost	Movement (Ice Age)	Black Dragon	Trait
Plains	2.5	3.13	0%	Flight
Forest	2.5	3.13	-10%	Flight, Disadvantage
Mountains	3.5	4.38	0%	Flight
Desert	2.5	3.13	0%	Flight
Marsh	2.5	3.13	0%	Flight
Sea	2.5	3.13	0%	Flight
vs PC’s	*	*	+20%	Flight

Intercept Radius:

Your intercept radius is 5 areas (for Order #732).