What Is Birthright-Style Play?
Heirs of Empire is not built around a single adventuring party meeting every week to explore dungeons. Instead, each player takes the role of a regent: a ruler, prince, duke, high priest, guildmaster, wizard, noble claimant, or other power broker with influence over the world.
Your character matters, but your domain matters just as much. You are responsible for lands, people, holdings, armies, alliances, rivals, public reputation, and the long-term survival of your power.
What Does PBEM Mean?
PBEM stands for Play by Email. In Heirs of Empire, the spirit is the same, but the campaign uses a website instead of scattered email threads. Players log in, read campaign updates, manage private domain information, communicate with the DM, and submit turn orders through the portal.
The game is asynchronous. You do not need to be online at the same time as the DM or other players. You can read, plan, negotiate, and submit orders during the turn window when your schedule allows.
What Do Players Control?
Different players may control very different kinds of power. A landed ruler governs provinces and commands armies. A temple leader spreads faith and guides public morality. A guildmaster controls trade, wealth, smuggling, or information. A wizard regent protects rare sources of magical power. Some domains are broad and public; others are quiet, secretive, or indirect.
Landed Realms
Kingdoms, duchies, baronies, counties, and frontier realms that rule provinces and command armies.
Temple Domains
Faiths and priestly hierarchies that guide the people, shape legitimacy, and compete for souls.
Guild Domains
Merchant houses, shipping leagues, smugglers, financiers, and trade powers that turn gold into influence.
Source Domains
Wizard regencies that control magical sources, ley lines, secrets, and the hidden power of the land.
What Happens During a Turn?
Each turn represents a meaningful period of rulership. During that time, your domain collects income, reacts to events, communicates with allies and enemies, and chooses actions that may change the political map.
Read the public chronicle and private domain briefing.
Review your treasury, regency, holdings, armies, and current problems.
Negotiate with other players through public or private diplomacy.
Choose domain actions, military orders, secret plans, and public statements.
Submit your turn orders before the deadline.
The DM adjudicates the turn and publishes public and private results.
Your choices create new opportunities, enemies, rumors, crises, and consequences.
Public and Private Play
Some actions are public. If your regent declares war, announces a treaty, condemns a rival, claims a title, or issues a royal decree, the world may hear about it.
Other actions are private. Espionage, secret diplomacy, hidden payments, covert troop movement, and private negotiations may remain unknown unless discovered. The tension between public reputation and private ambition is part of the game.
Do I Need to Know Birthright?
No. Knowing the original setting helps, but it is not required. The campaign will provide public summaries, domain descriptions, player guidance, and private briefings. The most important skills are communication, planning, curiosity, and a willingness to deal with consequences.
You do not need to master every rule before joining. You should understand the basic idea: you are a regent making domain-level decisions in a living political world.
At a Glance
Good Player Fit
This campaign is a strong fit if you enjoy:
Political decision-making
Long-term planning
Diplomacy and negotiation
Strategic risk-taking
Realm management
Public declarations and private schemes
A slower campaign with meaningful consequences