What Is a Domain Action?
A domain action is a major decision taken by a regent during a campaign turn. These are not small personal errands. They represent the use of authority, wealth, influence, agents, soldiers, priests, guild factors, magistrates, spies, or magical power.
In Heirs of Empire, domain actions are submitted through the player portal as turn orders. The DM reviews the order, considers the current political situation, applies costs and risks, and then resolves the result as part of the turn.
Action Categories
Most actions fall into one of the following broad categories.
Rule and Province Actions
Actions used to govern land, improve stability, expand authority, and shape the public life of a province.
Rule Province
PublicAttempt to increase the level, prosperity, organization, or administrative strength of a province.
Commonly involves: Gold Bars, Regency, local support, stability, and timeAgitate
Public or SecretInfluence public opinion, loyalty, unrest, legitimacy, support for a cause, or opposition to a rival.
Commonly involves: Regency, agents, priests, heralds, guild contacts, or public speechesDecree
PublicIssue a public order, law, proclamation, demand, reform, tax policy, religious edict, or formal declaration.
Commonly involves: Political authority, reputation, legal power, and consequencesStabilize Province
PublicAddress unrest, famine, disorder, corruption, banditry, religious tension, or a recent crisis.
Commonly involves: Gold Bars, Regency, officials, soldiers, priests, or guild supportHolding Actions
Actions used to create, strengthen, challenge, destroy, or defend law, temple, guild, and source holdings.
Create Holding
Public or SecretEstablish a new holding in a province where your domain has room to grow.
Commonly involves: Gold Bars, Regency, local contacts, and opportunityRule Holding
Public or SecretIncrease the strength of an existing holding, expanding your influence in that province.
Commonly involves: Gold Bars, Regency, agents, clergy, merchants, magistrates, or magical powerContest Holding
Public or SecretChallenge a rival holding and attempt to reduce, disrupt, or remove their influence.
Commonly involves: Regency, leverage, claims, spies, pressure, and political riskFortify Holding
PublicProtect a holding through walls, guards, secure vaults, loyal officers, magical wards, or defensive infrastructure.
Commonly involves: Gold Bars, time, specialists, and visible commitmentDiplomacy and Court Actions
Actions used to build alliances, negotiate treaties, settle conflicts, make claims, or influence other powers.
Diplomacy
Public or SecretNegotiate with another regent, domain, noble, temple, guild, realm, foreign court, or faction.
Commonly involves: Messages, gifts, promises, Regency, Gold Bars, concessions, or threatsCreate Treaty
Usually PublicFormalize an alliance, trade agreement, peace settlement, vassal arrangement, marriage pact, or mutual defense agreement.
Commonly involves: Consent of involved parties, public terms, witnesses, and political trustClaim Title
PublicAssert a claim to a throne, province, inheritance, office, regency, temple authority, guild right, or ancient privilege.
Commonly involves: Legitimacy, documents, bloodline, support, diplomacy, and riskSend Embassy
Public or SecretDispatch envoys, priests, merchants, agents, scholars, or heralds to open or improve relations.
Commonly involves: Gold Bars, reputation, travel, gifts, and clear instructionsMilitary and War Actions
Actions used to raise forces, move armies, defend territory, declare war, or resolve military pressure.
Muster Troops
PublicRaise new military units, mercenaries, levies, ships, scouts, guards, or specialized forces.
Commonly involves: Gold Bars, province capacity, training time, loyalty, and logisticsMove Troops
Public or SecretMove military units between provinces, toward borders, into defensive positions, or onto campaign routes.
Commonly involves: Roads, ships, terrain, scouts, secrecy, and supplyDeclare War
PublicFormally begin open hostilities against another domain or power.
Commonly involves: Political justification, readiness, allies, armies, treasury, and consequencesOccupy or Defend Province
PublicUse military force to control, protect, contest, or pressure a province.
Commonly involves: Units, commanders, fortifications, morale, supply, and local reactionTrade and Wealth Actions
Actions used to generate income, expand trade, invest in infrastructure, fund projects, or manipulate markets.
Create Trade Route
Public or SecretOpen a commercial route between provinces or markets to generate wealth and political leverage.
Commonly involves: Guild influence, Gold Bars, safe roads or ships, partners, and stabilityInvest in Province
PublicFund roads, ports, courts, markets, shrines, defenses, granaries, or administrative improvements.
Commonly involves: Gold Bars, time, workers, skilled labor, and local cooperationFinance Project
Public or SecretProvide funding for another domain, mercenary force, temple mission, construction effort, or covert objective.
Commonly involves: Gold Bars, written terms, trust, and consequences if exposedEmergency Tax or Relief
PublicRaise emergency funds or spend money to relieve a crisis, famine, war burden, plague, or public hardship.
Commonly involves: Gold Bars, loyalty, reputation, and short-term political pressureIntrigue and Secret Actions
Actions used for espionage, investigation, sabotage, covert diplomacy, misinformation, or hidden preparations.
Espionage
SecretGather information, uncover plots, identify troop movements, read political intentions, or expose hidden threats.
Commonly involves: Spies, agents, bribes, contacts, time, and risk of discoverySabotage
SecretDisrupt a rival's holding, army, project, road, fleet, court, treasury, reputation, or supply line.
Commonly involves: Agents, access, secrecy, opportunity, and serious retaliation if discoveredCounter-Espionage
SecretProtect your domain from spies, informants, assassins, saboteurs, smugglers, and hostile agents.
Commonly involves: Loyal officers, money, informants, law holdings, and careful reviewSecret Diplomacy
SecretNegotiate privately with another regent, rival, rebel, pretender, foreign power, or enemy faction.
Commonly involves: Secure messengers, trust, leverage, and plausible deniabilityWriting a Good Domain Order
A strong order tells the DM what you are trying to accomplish, where it happens, who is involved, what resources you are committing, and what result you hope to create. The more politically complicated the action is, the more useful your explanation becomes.
Name the action clearly
Use a specific action label such as Diplomacy, Rule Holding, Agitate, Espionage, Muster Troops, or Decree.
Identify the target
Name the province, holding, ruler, domain, faction, army, title, route, or public audience affected by the action.
State your intent
Explain what you want the action to accomplish, not just what mechanics you hope to trigger.
Commit resources
List any Gold Bars, Regency, troops, agents, favors, promises, public speeches, or other support you are using.
Describe the approach
Tell the DM how your regent is attempting the action: persuasion, intimidation, bribery, faith, law, trade, secrecy, force, or compromise.
Define success
Say what outcome you are hoping for so the DM can adjudicate partial success, complications, or failure more fairly.
Example Order Format
Turn Order Checklist
Does the action have a clear name?
Did you identify the target?
Did you say whether it is public or secret?
Did you list GB, RP, troops, or other resources?
Did you explain your political approach?
Did you include your desired result?
Did you consider possible consequences?
Public vs. Secret
Public actions may appear in chronicles, rumors, court gossip, diplomatic notices, or regional news. Secret actions are hidden unless discovered, betrayed, investigated, or exposed by events.