Winter Phase Rules:

The GM will prompt with a Winter Phase post.  In this, he will advance any solo plots or wrap up items from the year.  After, go down these steps:

1. Solo Adventures - First respond to any solo adventures, or complete an unfinished side plot
   
2. Roll for Experience - The PCs then make any rolls for experience checks they have acquired during the year.  Don't forget any buildings/holdings that give checks!
   
3. Check for Aging - This will be done by the GM (if applicable) and results posted.
   
4. Economic Circumstances - This step contains several factors
   
   • Calculate income - The base income for a manor is £6 per year.  Make a Stewardship roll and apply the following results:
     
     • Fumble: -£3 income
     • Failure: -£1 income
     • Success: +£2 income
     • Critical Success: +£4 income
     
     Then roll for each of your improvements' income.  (Typically, I just subtract an improvement's upkeep cost from its income for simplicity.)  Total it all up, and that is your income for the year (+/- anything from adventuring)
   • Knight's outfit level - (Impoverished -/Poor £3/Ordinary £6/Good £9/Superlative £13)  This is the general knightly upkeep and effects various things.  This is usually the first thing you want to take care of before anything else.  It includes your family and squire.  Below Ordinary things go downhill fast; above Ordinary you spend a lot for not a huge return.  The cost next to each level must be paid each year.
   • Followers and Retinue - Followers (usually military) and Retinue (skill-specific tradesmen you hire) are paid for next.  If you have any questions about availability or costs of these, ask the GM.  Also, Followers and Retinue can make for good RP opportunities.
   • Buy new manor improvements - The list is at http://www.gspendragon.com/manorimprovefinal.pdf.  Any purchases do not take effect this Winter Phase as they are built over the course of the next year (or years).  Not all improvements are available in every game period; ask the GM if you're not sure.
   • Random purchases - Horses, armor, weapons, etc. can also be purchased at this time, but usually only from within your county as weather precludes traveling great distances.
   
   
   
5. Stable Rolls - These will be made by the GM, if only because I don't want to have you cruelly roll for your own warhorse's demise.
   
6. Family Rolls - These will be done by the GM (if applicable).  If a knight is unmarried and wishes to find a random bride, post that in your winter post so the GM can accommodate.  As a house rule, I generally make it more advantageous to roleplay some kind of romance rather than just taking a random bride.  Since most family roll events are negative (disease, death, etc), they are most likely to occur during the winter months anyway and will be written into the story.
   
7. Training and Practice - Increase one of your squire's skills by 1.  Then choose one of the following options:
   
   • Add 1 to one ordinary skill, one courtly skill, one battle skill, and any one skill of your choice.  You cannot increase a skill that is currently at 0 or increase a skill to above 15.  Your freely chosen skill cannot be one of the ones you already increased this year.
   • Gain 1 point in a Skill, but cannot raise a skill above 20 in this way
   • Increase an Attribute, Trait or Passion by 1; no Attribute can be raised higher than its cultural value, no Trait can be raised above 19 and no Passion can be raised above 20 in this way.  Also, SIZ cannot be increased after age 21.
   
   
   
8. Compute Glory - I typically give Glory at the conclusion of an adventure or battle, but some sources of Glory take effect during the Winter Phase (remarkable traits, certain holdings, etc).  Add these to your Glory and make sure that you have added your Glory from adventures/battles/whatever from throughout the year.  Just post any sources of Glory and your new totals.
   
9. Glory bonus - For every 1,000 Glory you attain, you get a Glory bonus: you may add 1 to ANY stat.  This occurs for every 1,000 Glory, so at 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 and etc.  If you reach that milestone in the middle of a year (i.e. during adventuring or just after finishing a battle), the bonus ONLY takes effect during Winter Phase (when you have time to rest, recuperate, train, and put your experience/Glory to use).  If this occurs, post which stat you would like to increase.

As a side note, manor improvements are expensive.  This is done, IMO, so the PCs can't quickly build up vast stores of wealth.  Each manor improvement is expensive, often taking several years' income to fund, so it should be thought out and possibly even roleplayed a bit.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:41, Sun 09 Sept 2018.