Player Guide: Creating Your Noble House

This guide explains how players create their starting domain using the NHDS system.

1. Create Your House

Choose:

• House Name
• Lord or Lady
• Seat Name

Example:
House Palladini
Lord Nero Palladini
Seat: Masseria Palladini

2. Assign House Ability Scores

Each house has four domain abilities:

Instead of fixed values, players distribute ability points freely to represent the strengths of their house.

Starting Ability Points

Each player receives:
6 ability points
These points are distributed among the four abilities.

Minimum and Maximum

These values represent the inherent strengths of the house itself, before holdings and buildings are applied.

The Full Score for each ability is calculated as:

Full Score = Base Score + Holdings Bonuses + Seat Bonuses

3. Starting Holdings

Each player begins with five holdings representing the lands of their house.

Typical starting domains include:

• farms
• villages
• resource sites
• roads or watchtowers

Example starting domain:

Players are encouraged to name each holding and, if they want a cookie, give a short narrative description.

Additional Holdings may be constructed later by spending RP. You can find a list of available Holdings here: NHDS Holdings Table

4. Starting Seat

Each house begins with a basic seat settlement.
The seat includes:

• Castle (free starting building)

Additional buildings may be constructed later by spending RP. You can find a list of available buildings here: NHDS Building Table

5. Starting Treasury

Each house begins with:
20 Resource Points (RP)
These can be spent during domain actions.

6. Starting Military

Each house begins with a small household force.
Example starting unit:

Additional armies may be raised later. Types of Armies to raise can be found here: NHDS Army Table

7. Domain Identity

Note: This step is purely for flavour, but since this entire thing is about roleplay, flavour is king!
Players are encouraged to develop a theme for their house.

Examples:

Wine House
vineyards
trade connections
market villages

Mountain House
mines
watchtowers
stone villages

River Trade House

• docks
• toll bridges
• merchant villages

This helps create a distinct economic and political identity.

8. Final Step

Submit your domain sheet including:

• House name
• Lord/Lady
• Seat name
• Five holdings
• Starting military unit

The GM will review and approve the domain before play begins.