Espionage plays an important role in Dragon Lords. Your opponent may have stronger stacks. But you can bring his armies and cities to their knees through strategic spy gameplay. How do spies work?
Hiring Spies in Enemy Cities:
When an enemy city is visible, friendly player may hire a spy within that enemy city. Each spy hired cost 300 gold. You may hire any number of spies (assuming you have the available gold).
Once recruited, spies may attempt a variety of actions within a city.
If you have at least one spy in an enemy city, then the city is visible and the top unit of each stack within the city is visible (any stacks within the city are visible just as if they would be if you have a unit on the map giving vision to the city – the top of the stack but not the content of the units within the stack)
Spies cannot attempt an action on the turn they are hired (they must wait one turn). Each spy may only attempt one action per turn.
All spy actions are attempts based on a d100 role. If, upon attempt, spy rolls at or below the action value (listed in the spy actions below), the action is successful. If a spy fails to complete an action, that spy rolls a d8 for outcome.
Spy failure d8 outcomes:
1. No outcome, spy survives, enemy is informed of spy surviving
2. No outcome, spy survives, enemy is informed of spy surviving
3. No outcome, spy survives, enemy is informed of spy surviving
4. Not outcome, spy survives, enemy is not informed of spy surviving
5. Spy is killed. Enemy is informed spy was killed.
6. Spy is killed. Enemy is informed spy was killed.
7. Spy is killed. Enemy is informed spy was killed.
8. Spy is killed. Enemy is informed spy was killed.
Hiring Spies in Friendly Cities:
Of course, protecting your cities from enemy spies is important. To do so, players may hire any number of friendly spies in friendly cities. Each friendly spy hired in a friendly city costs 150 gold.
Friendly spies automatically attempt to eliminate enemy spies each turn. At the beginning of each turn, every friendly spy within a friendly city automatically rolls a d100. If a friendly spy rolls 35 or less, player is notified if friendly city has any enemy spies present. If a friendly spy rolls a 30 or less, player is notified how many spies are present in friendly city. If a friendly spy rolls 25 or less, one enemy spy within that city is killed. If a friendly spy rolls 5 or less, two enemy spies within that city are killed.
Player may transfer a friendly spy from one friendly city to another friendly city. Transferring a friendly spy to another friendly city costs 50 gold and takes 3 turns.
So, What can spies do in enemy cities? Short answer: A lot.
Arson:
Succeeds on role of 35 or less.
Spy reveals all buildings within city and spy destroys target building within enemy city.
Augury:
Succeeds on role of 60 or less.
Reveal enemy player’s deity.
Bribe:
Succeeds on role of 30 or less.
Spy reveals all enemy units in city. Spy may choose to pay target unit’s production cost to move that unit to a hex adjacent to city and take possession of that unit. Spy may choose to pay ½ target units production cost to destroy that unit instead of take possession.
Execute:
Succeeds on role of 10 or less.
Spy kills enemy governor.
False Orders:
Succeeds on role of 10 or less.
Target enemy stack moves to target adjacent hex outside of city.
Infiltrate:
Succeeds on role of 50 or less.
Spy reveals location of nearest location unknown enemy city and may choose to initiate move to that city this turn (if spy wants to initiate move to that city in future turns, spy must role another infiltrate role). Move to that city takes 3 turns.
Interrogate:
Succeeds on role of 10 or less.
Spy reveals all current governors hired by enemy player.
Network:
Succeeds on role of 50 or less.
Spy reveals enemy city count, enemy total army count, and enemy gold count.
Poison:
Succeeds on role of 20 or less.
Spy permanently reduces the defend combat value of all enemy armies within the city by -5.
Revolt:
Succeeds on role of 1 or less.
City is razed. Each enemy unit has a 35% to be destroyed by fire. Surviving enemy units move to hexes adjacent to city. Enemy heroes cannot be destroyed by revolt.
Smuggle:
Succeeds on role of 40 or less.
Spy reduces enemy income of this city by 50% for one turn. Spy owner gains that 50% gold at the beginning of friendly player's next turn.
Surveillance:
Succeeds on role of 80 or less.
Spy reveals all enemy units within city. Spy reveals army production capabilities at this city. Spy reveals enemy governor within city. Spy reveals enemy city buildings.
Assassinate:
Succeeds on role of 15 or less.
Spy reveals all units within city. Spy kills target unit within city. Does not work against enemy heroes.
Blackmail:
Succeeds on role of 40 or less.
Spy reduces enemy prestige by a roll of 10d4.
Desecration:
Succeeds on role of 80 or less.
Spy reduces enemy prestige by -5.
Expose:
Succeeds on role of 20 or less.
Spy reveals the location, level, and stack size of the nearest enemy hero (but not stack contents or hero items).
Incite:
Succeeds on role of 85 or less.
City does not produce any gold income next turn.
Intercept Orders:
Succeeds on role of 30 or less.
Spy prohibits enemy units from leaving the city on their next turn.
Leak:
Succeeds on role of 70 or less.
Spy reveals the location of three random, not currently visible enemy stacks.
Neutralize:
Succeeds on role of 60 or less.
Spy eliminates one defending enemy spy from this city.
Relocate:
Succeeds on role of 80 or less.
Spy moves to another enemy city whose location is known. Relocation takes 3 turns.
Sabotage:
Succeeds on role of 20 or less.
Spy reduces enemy walls by -5.
Steal:
Succeeds on role of 60 or less.
Spy steals 5d10 gold pieces from enemy city player’s treasury, adding it to friendly player’s treasury.