Questions

[TH - The Hunt]

There's two major limits on raiding: You can only raid an adjacent province by land, and you must use ships to raid by sea. The number of units involved is also important, so small fleets can't stage worthwhile raids, and low level provinces aren't worthwhile targets.

Having a large army or a well-defended province isn't a great defense against raids, but having a large and well-defended frontier is. If two high-level enemy provinces are next to each other, they'll make a mess, but if there's one level 1 province between, controlling the province is a prerequisite for the raids to be successful.

In the case of naval raids, controlling the requisite sea zone or river mouth is more significant. Once the raiders are next to the target province and free to start raiding, there's no way to stop them entirely--it's asymmetrical warfare, after all--though there's many ways to reduce their odds of success.

[HW - Halmond Westerly]

I've got wood for sheep!

An under appreciated quote I'd ever I heard one.

[DK - Duergan King]

I've got wood for sheep!

An under appreciated quote I'd ever I heard one.

It takes on a whole new meaning when you take into account his talk of crossbreeding.

Might we see a woolly bully in the future

[HW - Halmond Westerly]

Heh. Definitely puts a different concept on woolly bandits coming to raid you.

[AaH - Avicerra al Hamam]

The problem with raiding trade routes is that if the trade route gets destroyed the rogue needs to use an action and GP+RP to rebuild it. The RP are in shortage in the begining. If you sit on your island and just build ships and raid sea trade routs you will gain a lot of cash from the raiding to build more ships.

You only see trade routes in the turn report that go to your provinces or that you own. How should I know where to raid other trade routes?

I think the raiding of sea trade will give to much power to the ship based regents.

[TH - The Hunt]

Trade routes are an RP source for thief regents, in the original rules. Maybe we could restore that, if they're going to be vulnerable.

[TH - The Hunt]

I don't see how it's a bad thing to be unable to find the best targets for raids without looking for them. Espionage, spying, information brokerage, and hidden holdings are all ways to obtain information, so that a regent can look before they leap. This is only important for coastal raids, though, and a coastal raider could just seek targets by trial and error instead. That might even be more efficient than using espionage actions, though also more risky. Overland raids have so few targets available that the one undertaking them should already know all about them.

[AaH - Avicerra al Hamam]

I like the idea to restore RP from trade routes but it does not solve the initial problem. Usually its blood strength that limits the amount of RP you have. I dont like the idea that raids which cost no RP take away RP from rogues. So far raids take away GP.

I also feel that if you can destroy trade routes with raids the niche that the guilders have is taken away. If we allow raids everyone can now attack a guilder and ruin him if all his trade routes are kept down. No presence in the province is needed. Clerics and wizards have realm spells and Warriors are good in raising troops and comanding armies. Take away the trade routes from the rogues and they dont have much left. It will be very difficult to play a none landed Guilder.

[DCT - Destiny Corben-Talas]

To cut trade, usually requires only a decree by the ruler of the lands. So not real than raid is so abusive. Although removing RP from rogues that is bad. GB or resources shall be the raid's purpose (or slaves, if its reimplemented), but nothing worse.
Take in count than trade routes shall be capable of being raided, its one of the most logical ways to handle war. U attack a land and cant block the trade by any way?. Too powerful feature

[AaH - Avicerra al Hamam]

In theory I agree that it is good to be able to raid trade routes but how do you do it without a huge burden of keeping track of it and without taking away the niche of the rogue. Loosing GP is one thing but loosing actions and RP is another. If we allow raids on trade routes I think the only effect the raid should have is partial loss of the GP the trade route generates and gain of resources that can be used the same round. No loss of resources for the defending side. No Trade routes destroyed. And we need to balance the DC needed for raids so it is no automatic GP generator.

In order to target a certain trade route you need to have unformation about that province through enspionage. I am not sure if we should allow blind random raids.

Atm we have written rules about raids over land. How should this work for raids by ships? How can you defend sea trade routes?

Trade routes are done usually with the agreement of the province ruler to provide resources. If he does not want you anymore he can of course make a decree.