三国演义 · 全模组玩家手册 · 版本 0.1.2
三国演义
十五家诸侯、四个开局、一条从黄巾之乱走到天下归一的章回主线。这本手册讲清这个 mod 的每一套系统怎么玩：怎么选国、剧情怎么推进、仗怎么打、内政怎么理，以及最重要的——天命怎么把你送上帝位。
卷一 · 世界与开局
全球地图重绘为公元 184 年的世界：汉地五十州是主战场（汉室直辖 35 州、十三路诸侯各 1 州、太平道 2 州），域外有罗马、安息、贵霜、鲜卑、南蛮等同时代势力（不可选、也不会来干涉）。本作以年号纪事，顶栏西历只是刻度。
| 开局 | 日期 | 可玩 | 一句话 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 184 中平元年·黄巾起义 | 184.1.1 | 15 家 | 默认开局。三十六方揭竿，桃园结义，乱世开幕——内容最全 |
| 200 建安五年·衣带诏 | 200.6.1 | 9 家 | 曹公奉天子，本初踞河北，官渡在即 |
| 208 建安十三年·荆州风云 | 208.5.1 | 8 家 | 卧龙出庐，北军南下，荆州一年必易主 |
| 220 建安二十五年·魏武之殇 | 220.3.1 | 4 家 | 魏王病笃，受禅台木料已备——汉家最后一岁 |
十五家速览（184 口径：流派 · 难度）：
| 曹操 | 新手首选 · 低。内容最全的历史主线：讨黄巾、奉天子、官渡、赤壁，一路演到三家归晋 |
| 刘备 | 主角成长线 · 中高。开局全场最弱，让徐州、三顾、入蜀先弱后强；兵败失地也不灭 |
| 孙坚 | 三代传承 · 中。坚死策继、策死权立，凭长江立国，战和之辩可改赤壁 |
| 汉室朝廷 | 政治流 · 中(184)→极高(220)。最大版图最虚权柄，在废立/衣带诏漩涡中续命；翻盘轴心=中兴线洗桓灵之弊 |
| 太平道 | 军事流 · 难。开局即与汉全面开战，「教众蜂起」不断拉黄巾力士；仅 184 可玩 |
| 袁绍 | 大国体验 · 低中。班底工坊冠绝群雄；官渡前稳守/速战是真抉择 |
| 董卓 | 短线暴风 · 开局易善终难。全场最强常备军，入京废立迁都，连环计刀光在侧 |
| 吕布 | 武力天下第一 · 中。机会窗口短，白门楼可改命 |
| 袁术 | 作死美学 · 高。终将手握玉玺——僭号享国还是稳扎稳打，你选 |
| 公孙瓒 | 边军强袭 · 中。白马义从，界桥对袁绍；杀不杀刘虞是天命抉择 |
| 陶谦 | 守成托付 · 难。老病无雄、徐土殷实，在屠徐与夺城之前替徐州找归宿 |
| 刘表 | 守成短线 · 低。坐断荆襄观时变，终局降曹或死守二选一 |
| 刘璋 | 守成挑战 · 高。天府难自守：北有张鲁世仇，后有刘备入蜀 |
| 张鲁 | 种田慢热 · 低。政教合一，义舍经济独树一帜，近处无强敌 |
| 马腾 | 复仇线 · 中高。西凉铁骑，与董卓残部的边境战争贯穿开局，潼关定存亡 |
卷二 · 章回
主线是一台「章回推进器」：三国故事分 9 回 37 幕，名场面不按公历硬演——世界成了那个样子，下一幕才开演。你改写了历史，剧情就承认新历史。
| 节奏档 | 开门条件 | 适合谁 |
|---|---|---|
| 演义史线 | 世界条件 ＋ 史实时间窗（官渡不早于 200.8、赤壁 208.11、夷陵 221.7…） | 想按史书节拍走的人 |
| 章回快进（默认） | 世界条件 ＋ 距上一幕满 1–6 个月（各幕不同）。只加速章回，建造研发战争全部原速 | 多数玩家 |
| 群雄自由 | 只看距上一幕的月数——打出什么天下都不卡幕 | 纯沙盒党 |
在哪看：决议栏「史官案头」——每幕一张免费卡，写着本幕已演几月、下一幕开门二则的勾/叉；每进新回弹一张全屏章回卡（第 1 回引语：「话说天下大势，分久必合，合久必分。」）。
三条硬规则：① 双路门——名场面国策多为「公历日期 或 章回已演到那一幕」二选一开门（少数节点只认事件节拍或日期），只多不少；② 24 个月逃生阀（只放行「世界条件」门；史线档的史实日期窗不受它绕过）——把历史改得面目全非也最多卡两年，本幕停满 24 个月自动放行；③ 只进不退——史册永不倒翻。名场面国策的开门日期腿止于 230 年前（之后全凭章回）；史线档的史实时间窗、史官兜底钉点与人物到任年份仍按史实年份。开局起点随书签：184 从第 1 回起，200 直接进官渡回，208 进赤壁回，220 进北伐鼎革回。水战（赤壁等）由章回与事件代演——本作不设舰队/海军系统；「楼船水师」是以陆军海兵编制存在的师，不是海战单位。
| 开局 | 起始回 | 头一幕在等什么 |
|---|---|---|
| 184 | 第 1 回 · 苍天将倾 | 开场→黄巾主战（快进档 1 个月） |
| 200 | 第 5 回 · 官渡决胜 | 官渡三幕各 3 个月节奏 |
| 208 | 第 6 回 · 赤壁鏖兵 | 孙刘联盟→赤壁火攻各 2 个月 |
| 220 | 第 8 回 · 北伐鼎革 | 篡汉→称帝→夷陵逐幕 3 个月 |
卷三 · 军争与内政
军事的骨架是一条三国化的克制链：甲克步、破甲克甲；内政的骨架是政治点——月入约 60、被天命档位乘出 42~79 的区间，花在哪里都是取舍。
军争 · 装备三线（全部吃钢）
| 线 | 代际 | 要点 |
|---|---|---|
| 步兵装备 | 原版线 | 软攻 3→12、穿甲 1→10 随科技递增；但甲胄装甲 10/14/18，直到最末代（穿甲 10，约 210 年后）步兵才勉强追平最老札甲——整局大半时间步兵克不动甲 |
| 甲胄 | 三代 | 札甲(184)→明光铠(200)→筒袖铠(215)：装甲 10→14→18，硬度 0.3；解锁挂「百炼钢刃/镔铁精甲/百炼锋刃」科技 |
| 破甲兵械 | 两代 | 破甲锥(184)→洞甲重弩(208)：穿甲 55→72、硬攻 18→22——专职打甲，打无甲亏本 |
| 营 | 吃什么 | 定位 |
|---|---|---|
| 乡勇 | 步装70 | 便宜（训 50 天），全属性打折——凑数与守土 |
| 拒马长枪 | 步装100 | 防御 +35%、土工 +0.5，突破 −40%——纯盾 |
| 甲士 | 甲胄100 | 防御 +15%、组织 55——中坚主力（挂百炼钢刃） |
| 强弩手 | 步装110 | 软攻 +40%，防御 −25%——输出位 |
| 陷阵破甲士 | 步装60+破甲20 | 硬攻/穿甲 +35%——专拆甲士（挂破甲强弩） |
| 甲骑具装 | 甲胄 | 重骑冲阵（挂镔铁精甲） |
| 霹雳发石车 / 床弩 | 发石/床弩装备 | 攻坚与远程支援（床弩发石之基 / 连发床弩炮） |
除公孙瓒外全员开局已研「百炼钢刃」，札甲开产线即可造。克制速记：甲士墙挡步兵海，陷阵/床弩拆甲士，强弩手补输出。
内政 · 决议面板一览
| 类别 | 核心条目 |
|---|---|
| 天命气运 | 察天命 / 祭天祈禳 / 屠城立威 / 假道于汉 / 输财助祭——全在卷四详解 |
| 兴师问罪 | 传檄问罪（50 政·檄 21 天·冷却 180）：对邻邦造吞并级战争借口；发起方须完全和平；资格三选一——天下已乱 / 对方天命<30 / 对方已僭号称帝而你未登基；通用檄文双方各 +5% 战支（专文以剧情为主）。纯玩家工具，AI 永不用 |
| 罢兵议和（战时） | 罢兵休战（75 政·遣使 30 天·冷却 365）：我方或对方受挫（投降>15%）、或真僵持（双方<5% 且战期皆≥3 月）可提；期满问对方允不允——AI 几乎必允（除非它正打崩你），玩家弹窗自选；允则连同盟一起白和＋双向停战 180 天。割地息兵（50 政·冷却 90）：对方投降>20% 且我实控其州——实控州全部归我＋白和停战 |
| 史官案头 | 37 张免费章回进度卡（见卷二） |
| 问鼎之期 | 「登基之路」「共主之路」两张免费看板：实时显示天命数、已执座城 /15、未臣诸侯数 |
| 内政要务 | 招贤纳士（50 政）· 屯田积谷（40 政，白得一座民厂）· 编户齐民（把打下的汉家州上核心：75 政，天命≥60 只需 90 天，<60 要 180 天） |
| 征伐 / 马政 | 讨伐贼寇（25 政）；牧马凉并→市马西域两级骑兵 buff（解七家「无马之困」——汉/董卓/公孙瓒/吕布/袁术/陶谦/太平道的骑兵 −15% 攻防、−10% 速度） |
| 各家专属 | 魏·霸府施政 6 条 / 蜀·蜀政要务 5 条 / 吴·镇抚山越 3 条 / 太平道·教众蜂起（25 政+2000 人力召黄巾力士师）… |
政点账本：顾问一律 150 政；法令换档 150；年度诏令是常驻开销（休息 −15/月 · 教化 −30 · 昭融 −50，见卷四）；「长期国政」六条各 1 政/天（点完第一个国策即解锁）：屯田（建造+10%/消费品−5%）· 整军（组织+5%/训练−10%）· 举才（政点+10%）· 安民（稳定+10%）· 缮城（核心防御+10%）· 漕运（补给消耗−10%）。
外交 · 这个世界的规矩
① 184 开局十三路诸侯与汉室互有不可侵犯条约（名义汉臣）；AI 另受两档「汉室护盾」压制——天命<60 时两档同时压制 AI 的宣战意愿（合计约 −1200，不动战力），做到 60+ 两档一齐解除、AI 才敢对汉动兵（前提：天子还在汉手里）。② 域外永不干涉：罗马安息鲜卑们对舞台十五家不宣战不结盟不派志愿军。③ AI 不花政点改善关系；AI 的战争全部来自剧情脚本——沙盒工具（传檄）握在玩家手里。④ 蜀吴双 AI 开战约一个月必白和，此后复盟共抗曹魏（史实 223 年后格局）。⑤ 世界紧张度整局冻结为 0。
卷四 · 天命
本卷是天命系统的完整规则书——它决定你能不能登基，是这个 mod 的通关轴。以下章节编号（壹—捌）为本卷内部编号；柒后另有「柒·补」机制三则。
① 所有区间含下界、不含上界：90 分属「天命所归」，30 分属「举棋不定」。
② 档位给的都是乘算修正：稳定度 50% 吃 −30% 后是 35%（50×0.7），不是 20%。「征兵」指可征兵役人口比例的乘算加成。
③ 天命、德泽、状态项都在每月月初结算一次；点「察天命」或输财助祭会立刻重算总分与档位；「一方之望」等即读项同时现判，但「四海宾服」「天子在握」走月度缓存，要等月初重数。都不推进德泽 ±3。
④ 称帝与登基是两件事：称帝是名分动作（+12 分，见叁节）；登基是通关大典（见柒节）。
⑤ 本页假定你会玩原版 HOI4——稳定度、战争支持、政治点、国策、精神（idea）都是原版概念，不再解释。
⑥ 「功业」＝总分里除德泽外的全部加减项；单说「天命」指总分——全册出现的天命阈值（30/60/90…）都看总分，档位问题会点名档位。
壹这把尺怎么读
天命可以是负数，也能冲过一百 —— 分九档。除中间的「举棋不定」外，每一档都在实打实地改你的稳定度、战争支持度、政治点产出；60 分以上的四档另给征兵加成。
| 档位 | 分数区间 | 效果与德泽门 |
|---|---|---|
| 神器蒙尘 | 分 < 0 | 稳定 −30% · 战支 −25% · 政点 −30% |
| 众叛亲离 | 0 ≤ 分 < 15 | 稳定 −25% · 战支 −20% · 政点 −25% |
| 众心疑虑 | 15 ≤ 分 < 30 | 稳定 −15% · 战支 −12% · 政点 −15% |
| 举棋不定 | 30 ≤ 分 < 45 | 无加成也无惩罚 |
| 稍孚人望 | 45 ≤ 分 < 60 | 稳定 +8% · 战支 +6% · 政点 +8% |
| 众望所归 | 60 ≤ 分 < 75 | 稳定 +14% · 战支 +11% · 政点 +14% · 征兵 +2% |
| 名动四海 | 75 ≤ 分 < 90 | 稳定 +18% · 战支 +15% · 政点 +18% · 征兵 +5% ·另需德泽 ≥ 5 |
| 天命所归 | 90 ≤ 分 < 110 | 稳定 +22% · 战支 +18% · 政点 +22% · 征兵 +7.5% ·另需德泽 ≥ 15 |
| 受命于天 | 分 ≥ 110 | 稳定 +32% · 战支 +26% · 政点 +32% · 征兵 +10% ·另需德泽 ≥ 30 |
跨档会有通告。每月结算后档位和上月不同（不论升降、含恰好压线进档），太史令都会弹报「天命日隆」或「天命日衰」并给出当前数（察天命/输财引发的即时跨档同样弹报）。注意表中区间只是分数条件——实际生效档＝分数档与德泽允许档里较低的那个。
贰你的起点
起点 = 开局那天的功业分（德泽一律从 0 开始，谁都一样）。基准人人 30，再叠出身与该剧本开局前已发生的事（本 mod 四个开局：184 黄巾 / 200 官渡 / 208 赤壁 / 220 三分）——同一家在不同剧本年的分不一样。已知组合每行给全算式。总分公式很简单：总分 = 30 基准 + 表内全部加分 − 全部扣分 + 德泽。
| 势力 · 剧本 | 起点 | 算式 |
|---|---|---|
| 曹魏 · 208 年 | 87 | 30 基准 +35 天子在握 +12 讨逆之功 +10 一方之望（控 12 州） |
| 曹魏 · 200 年 | 77 | 30 +35 +12——官渡前夜只控 5 州，一方之望还挂不上 |
| 太平道 · 184 年 | 70 | 30 +40 黄天在上 |
| 曹魏 · 220 年 | 47 | 30 +35 +12 +10 −40 屠城之名（徐州旧账，220 起背）——比 208 掉两档到「稍孚人望」，硬开局 |
| 蜀 · 220 年 | 62 | 30 +20 汉室宗亲 +12 讨逆之功 |
| 吴 · 220 年 | 60 | 30 +20 江东世业 +10 一方之望 |
| 宗亲三家 · 184 年 | 50 | 30 +20 汉室宗亲（刘备、刘表、刘璋；出身项可与后天项叠加） |
| 其余诸侯 · 184 年 | 30 | 孙坚、袁绍、董卓、吕布、袁术、公孙瓒、张鲁、马腾、陶谦等——只有基准，一切靠挣 |
| 其余 200/208/220 组合 | 察天命验 | 未列组合＝各自 184 行基数加届时已发生的事，开局点「察天命」即见全账 |
| 汉室朝廷 · 184 年 | −5 | 30 +35 天子在握 +10 一方之望（35 州） −80 桓灵之弊。名分你有，人心你没有——最低档「神器蒙尘」起步。翻盘轴心：中兴线「天命维系」格洗掉 −80，−5 变 +75，再养德泽即可摸 90——全 mod 最难也最完整的救赎线 |
注意：表中是分数；开局德泽一律 0，所以名动四海（≥5）及以上的德泽门开局全都不满足——比如 208 曹魏 87 分，开局实际按「众望所归」生效，养起德泽才上档。
叁分数从哪来
游戏里随时点「察天命」（免费，冷却 30 天），太史令逐项报账，那是权威读数。下表每条标了性质：永久＝拿到不掉；状态＝条件在才算、每月重判；持续＝坏况持续期间扣着。
| 项目 | 分值 | 性质 · 谁能拿 · 怎么拿 |
|---|---|---|
| 黄天在上 | +40 | 出身自带 · 但守得住才算：张角死亡链里没走「黄天立主/续命」的分支就永久失去——「苍天已死，黄天当立」只是计分项的文学说法，不是第二套系统 |
| 天子在握 | +35 | 状态 · 谁手里握着天子谁算，同一时刻只有一家。每月判给「控制雒阳（607）且汉室已不成政体/为傀儡」的登记势力——夺下雒阳，下月天子归你；丢城即易手。184 在汉室，200/208/220 在曹操 |
| 河北之望 | +22 | 永久 · 袁绍专属：国策树「冠绝北方」格（统一河北段的收官格） |
| 汉室宗亲 | +20 | 永久 · 出身自带（刘备、刘表、刘璋）。表内分类可叠加：刘璋既是宗亲又是六小家，两项都拿 |
| 江东世业 | +20 | 永久 · 孙吴专属：「江东稳固」国策；220 开局已持 |
| 四海宾服 | +20 | 状态 · 同时军事控制十五座「座州」中的 12 座（座州名单见柒节，战时占领即算） |
| 假节开府 | +15 | 永久 · 六小家各自国策树上有：吕布、公孙瓒、张鲁、陶谦、马腾、刘璋 |
| 已正大位 | +12 | 永久 · 称帝旗落地后，下次重算（或手点察天命）计入 +12。预先称帝线只有五家：魏（禅让）、蜀、吴、袁术、太平道（另有魏/蜀史官事件），其余家由登基大典补上此分。称帝＝宣布帝号的名分动作，和柒节的「登基」不是一回事 |
| 教纲立国 | +12 | 永久 · 太平道建政线国策「太平清领书」 |
| 民夷咸服 | +12 | 永久 · 边地势力专属国策（马腾、公孙瓒、张鲁各自树上） |
| 讨逆之功 | +12 | 永久 · 参与会剿黄巾（184 年曹操/袁绍/公孙瓒/刘备的开局国策）或讨董联军。两样都做也只算一份 |
| 一方之望 | +10 | 状态 · 同时满足「军事控制 8 个州及以上」且「稳定度高于 40%（恰好 40% 不算）」。每月重判：丢地或失稳即掉，条件回来自动恢复。档位加成本身会动稳定度——贴着 40% 线会来回横跳，留点余量 |
| 玉玺在手 | +10 | 永久 · 袁术专属线：藏匿传国玺 |
| 桓灵之弊 | −80 | 永久* · 汉室出身的债。唯一的例外：汉室自家中兴线走到「天命维系」格可将其洗掉——别家没有这条路 |
| 弑君夺位 | −25 | 永久 · 董卓、曹魏、公孙瓒三条线各有一处弑君抉择，选「杀」才背上；只背一次，不叠加 |
| 屠城之名 | −40 | 永久 · 任何屠城抉择（含伍节「屠城立威」决议）坐实即背；只背一次不叠加——之后再屠只拿资源不再多扣分。220 曹操开局自带（徐州旧账） |
| 僭越无实 | −20 | 状态 · 每月重判：已称帝，且三样全缺：天子、宗亲、实土功业。实土功业＝同时满足『一方之望』和『假节开府/讨逆之功至少一个』。缺口补上任何一样，下次月结（或手点察天命）这 −20 即消 |
| 失土于外 | −15 | 持续 · 你拥有的任一州被十五家名单之外的势力（鲜卑、羌胡、南蛮等）军事控制期间固定扣 15、无论那家与你是敌是友（不按州数叠），收复后下次月结即消 |
| 连年征战 | −10 | 持续 · 战月计数 ≥ 6 且稳定度低于 40% 时扣。战月：交战每月 +1、和平每月 −1（下限 0）——打半年歇一阵就洗掉了 |
| 假兵于人 | −10 | 永久 · 袁术专属：走了「借兵孙策」抉择后背上 |
肆德泽 —— 用政治点养出来的那部分天命
功业挣到就不掉（标「状态/持续」的项与黄天在上的失守例外除外）；德泽（0–45，开局一律 0）则要拿政治点持续养。德泽的每一分都直接加进天命总分、也算进 90 登基线——它不是钥匙，是真分。不养，高出底线的部分就往回掉。
① 年度诏令每 12 个月弹一次三选一，岁首以开局那个月为准（开局后第一次月结即弹；13 天不选默认「与民休息」，未选定期间德泽按原底线继续走），选定的底线当年不能改。
② 德泽低于底线：每月 +3（选定诏令的下一次月结才开始爬——首月是 +0），爬到底线停住，不会冲过。
③ 德泽高于底线：每月 −3，落到底线停住，不会跌穿。
「输财助祭」是瞬间 +10（超过 45 的部分截断浪费），加完照 ②③ 走。
结算时序（全系统唯一权威表）：每月月初依次执行——
1 月度开算先重算一次天命（上月状态快照）
2 岁首月弹年度诏令（13 天窗口；没选完按原底线；开局首弹底线 0）
3 德泽 ±3（向当前底线靠拢）
4 重数座州与天子归属（四海宾服/天子在握在此刷新）
5 再重算总分＋挂档、跨档通告（一方之望等即读项此刻判）
6 登基巡检（武统齐→当场大典；共主齐→发劝进）
插队规则：点「察天命」或「输财助祭」＝立刻执行一次第 5 步（不推进 3，不触发 4 的缓存刷新，也不提前 6 的巡检）；称帝、弑君这类永久旗落地后，等下次第 5 步重算或手点察天命即计入；输财的 +10 德泽在它自己触发的那次重算之前先记入。
贴线算例（稳定 40% 边界怎么咬人）：吴，稳定 41%、控 8 州，「一方之望 +10」在账。某日点输财：基础稳定一次性 −2 个百分点 → 39%，紧跟着的立即重算（步骤 3）当场判掉一方之望 −10——德泽 +10 与状态 −10 相抵，这一手净赚 0 分，还背上 90 日民怨。教训：贴着 40% 线时，先回稳再输财。
| 与民休息 | 底线 10 | 政点产出每日 −0.5（月约 15）。省钱档：10 点德泽高于「名动四海」的门（5），留 5 点缓冲——躺平能守住的德泽门到名动四海为止（分数那条腿还得自己够 75） |
| 敦崇教化 | 底线 30 | 政点产出每日 −1（月约 30）。底线 30 同时够到「天命所归 ≥15」与「受命于天 ≥30」两道门，且不吃稳定罚——功业 80 以上者上顶档的主路 |
| 汉德昭融 | 底线 40 | 政点产出每日 −1.65（月约 50），且选着期间稳定度持续 −3%（乘算，次年改选后即消）。给功业 70–79 者的加价票：这段人教化只到 100–109 不够 110，昭融的 40 才补得齐总分 |
费用是「产出直接变少」，不存在月底扣款或欠费。参考量级：本作未改引擎基础政点（每日 +2 ≈ 每月 60），实际再乘天命档位与精神修正，约 42~79 浮动。
算例（回落，即「买窗口」）：你选的是休息（底线 10）、德泽已停在 10。开战前点输财 → 瞬间 20 → 之后每月 17、14、11、10 停。高出底线的 10 点分四次月结耗完（第四次月结落回底线）——够打一场决战；要长期留住只能换更高档诏令。
算例（208 年曹操 · 功业 87——内含一方之望这类状态分，丢地失稳会变）：选休息 → 德泽养到 10，总分 97 但天命所归的门要 15，只按名动四海计；选教化 → 养满后总分 117、德泽 30 两门皆过，约一年后进「受命于天」；选昭融 → 底线更高但多花钱又扣稳定（爬速一样，都是 +3/月）。220 年曹操（47 起，屠城 −40 在账）路径不同：教化养满 → 77，德泽 30 只压「名动四海」的门；走完禅让线称帝 +12 → 89，还差 1 分登基——岁首换昭融，德泽爬到 31 那月总分 90 压线过关；想坐进「天命所归」得靠输财续窗口，或直接昭融养满（59+40=99）；110 顶档本剧本走不到。
伍你能对它做什么
天命面板（决议栏的天命分类，全部势力可见）下共五条决议，外加一个每年自动弹的年度诏令事件。
察天命
太史令以玑衡察天之历数，逐条报出你每一项加减、德泽现值与总数，并当场重算总分与档位（四海宾服/天子在握两缓存项除外；不推进德泽 ±3）。
年度诏令（事件）
不在决议栏里，但属于同一套系统——三选一定当年德泽底线，规则见肆节。
输财助祭
输财于宗庙，旦夕买民心。年内第一次 60、第二次 100、第三次起一律 150；每到岁首价目与次数归零（冷却照走，不清）。
祭天祈禳
筑坛南郊，斋戒三日，修德省刑。天命低于 30 才可点——这是低谷自救钮，不直接加天命分。
假道于汉
遣使入朝请借道。天命不足 30 者朝廷不予；愈高愈便宜（按实际生效档计价，单位都是政点）：举棋不定 60 → 稍孚 50 → 众望 40 → 名动 30 → 天命所归 20 → 受命于天 10。
屠城立威
前提：正在交战且军事控制着至少一个非你所有的州。纵兵尽掠，得 20000 人力（直接入池）、政点 40，全国稳定 −5 个百分点。
陆220 剧本：蜀·吴·魏怎么摸到 90
登基线 90 看的是总分（功业＋德泽），德泽是主动通道。以下「第 N 个月」都指第 N 次月结。
| 蜀 · 62 起 | 主路·文治：首月教化＋第 3 个月一次输财，第 7 个月 62+28=90 压线。后手·名分：称帝格有两道门（曹丕篡汉的章回节拍，或 220.12/221.4 的日期腿）——默认模式最早约第 10~14 个月才 +12 到手，是加固不是替代。三道诏令爬速相同（+3/月），差别在停点：休息 10、教化 30、昭融 40。后手：蜀开局 5 州，南征南中三州（七擒线给核心）凑 8 州拿「一方之望 +10」（稳定度还得守在 40% 以上）。月入约 60 政、教化净余 30，输财付得起。 |
| 吴 · 60 起 | 称帝格挂在樊夷章回线深处（先打完夷陵防御那段），首年别指望。主路：首月教化+第 3 个月一次输财——约第 8 个月 60+30=90；不输财则第 11 个月。⚠ 你的 60 里含「一方之望 +10」状态分——全国军事控制州总数跌到 7 个及以下、或稳定度跌到 40% 及以下，下次月结 −10。 |
| 魏 · 47 起 | 硬开局（屠城 −40 在账，比 208 掉两档到「稍孚人望」）。主路：教化养满（约十一个月）→ 77，德泽 30 只压「名动四海」的门；走完禅让线称帝 +12 → 89——还差 1 分登基，岁首换昭融，德泽爬到 31 那月总分 90 压线过关（约第 14 个月）。提速：教化到 30 后点一次输财，德泽瞬冲 40 → 总分 99，可提前四个月登基（付 −2% 稳＋90 日民怨）。坐稳「天命所归」：得直接选昭融养满（59+40=99），或输财续窗口——110 顶档本剧本走不到。 |
柒它通向哪里 —— 登基
登基＝这个 mod 的通关大典。武统凑齐自动登基；共主凑齐则每月弹「诸侯劝进」——可受禅也可「固辞不受」（+50 政 +2% 稳，240 天后再劝）。登基即触发你家专属登基超级事件（改国号、行大典）——游戏继续，没有胜利结算画面，此后照常打。大典除补发「已正大位 +12」（若你此前未称帝）外不另发数值奖励：真正的奖励是你此刻的档位与天下归属。两条路，都要求天命总分 ≥ 90：
武统
同时军事控制全部十五座「座州」——即十五座「座州」——十五家的开局都城州，一家一座，以开局都城为准，后来迁都不改名单。战时占领就算，不必等和约吞并。四个剧本共用同一张名单、以 184 年起家地为准——所以刘备家的座州是涿郡而不是成都。完整名单：汉室·雒阳 / 曹魏·鄄城 / 刘备·涿郡 / 孙坚·长沙 / 袁绍·邺城 / 董卓·酒泉 / 吕布·五原 / 袁术·汝南 / 刘表·襄阳 / 刘璋·成都 / 公孙瓒·右北平 / 张鲁·汉中 / 马腾·武威 / 太平道·临淄 / 陶谦·下邳。
共主受禅
十五家名单里还存在的势力（除你自己）全部是你的从属国（傀儡等级不限）。已灭亡者不计；把人打成藩属靠和约傀儡、事件或国策——极端情况下把其余十四家全部打灭，此路也自动成立（有意如此）。两路同时成立时走武统大典（结算相同，仪式文案不同）。
柒 · 补机制三则
三件手册里反复被问的事，单独说清。
天子怎么换手
「天子在握 +35」是国家状态：184 在汉室，200/208/220 都在曹操手里。规则一句话：每月判给「控制雒阳（州 607）且汉室已不成政体/为傀儡」者并弹「迎奉天子」——夺下雒阳，下月天子归你；挟持者丢城即易手。不能索要、不能赠送。曹操另有「奉天子」国策线不用打仗。
传檄问罪
十五家彼此可用的舆论武器。施放条件：发起方须完全和平（不与任何国家交战）、目标是邻国，且目标满足三者之一——天命不足 30 / 已称帝但未登基 / 天下大乱期间（此时对谁都可发）。结果：檄满 21 天必得对其吞并级战争目标（无时限）；被问罪方按身份吃一场专属事件（天子持有者、称帝者、陈琳骂曹等各有专场），通用檄文双方各 +5% 战支——开战前的名分铺垫。
称帝 · 禅让 · 登基——三个词三件事
称帝＝名分动作：走到你家称帝国策/事件即可宣布帝号，+12 分（没凭据会背僭越 −20）——蜀吴各有称帝格，魏的入口叫「禅让线」（曹丕受汉禅，是魏专属剧情线，不是柒节的受禅路）。登基＝通关大典：天命 ≥90 加武统或共主条件，由每月结算的第 6 步巡检自动触发——不要求先称帝，大典本身自带帝号（「已正大位 +12」随之入账）。先后无所谓：可以先称帝再攒登基条件，也可以从不称帝、靠共主受禅直接登基。
捌几个容易踩的坑
地图打得大，天命就高？
不必然。天命量的是名分与人心：征服路线能拿的是四海宾服 +20、一方之望 +10 两个状态项；曹操的挟天子国策线、称帝 +12、养德泽（一年最多 +33——首月是 +0，输财可临时补到 45）都不用多打一寸土——但别家想要天子，夺下雒阳即可——下月天子归你。
称帝就是登基？
不是。称帝是名分动作——五家（魏/蜀/吴/袁术/太平道）有预先称帝线，其余家由登基大典补上，+12 分（无凭称帝会背僭越 −20）；登基是柒节那个通关大典，要 90 分加领土或外交条件。
低天命只是没 buff？
不止。低于 30 的三档实打实扣稳定/战支/政点（最低档 −30%/−25%/−30%），天命不足 30 时汉室不借道；而且任何邻国和平时可对你发「传檄问罪」（50 政的问罪檄文——对天命不足 30 者、称帝未登基者或天下大乱时可发），被问罪就是一场舆论围攻。
德泽冲上去能留住？
留不住。高于当年底线的部分每月 −3 回落——输财买的是一段窗口（休息底线下约四次月结）。想长住高档，等下一个岁首把诏令换到高档，把底线本身抬上去（当年不能改）。
卷五 · 名场面与通关
名场面普遍有史实版 / 条件偏离版 / 合理跳过版三件套——世界走到哪一步，就演哪一版；关键人物的命门处，玩家多有 AI 拿不到的「逆命」选项（220 书签种子补演的节点如曹操之死不提供）（花政点稳定改写天数）。
| 线 | 看点 |
|---|---|
| 黄巾之乱 | 开局即全面战争；汉室有八州糜烂压力链；会剿有战功结算；张角死亡链玩家可续命（黄天已立） |
| 讨董 | 刘备四幕链（温酒斩华雄→三英战吕布）；董卓侧连环计三种结局由离心之数裁决 |
| 官渡 | 袁绍二选一是真抉择：稳守 +8%战支，冒进 −18%——事件当下只给小甜头，后果在国策链兑现 |
| 赤壁 | 群英会蒋干盗书是前置命数，改写火烧赤壁结算；黄盖诈降受不受由你 |
| 荆州易手 | 白衣渡江（吴）对关羽命门（蜀）：史实支关羽陨麦城，玩家可选「麦城突围」逆命 |
| 夷陵→白帝 | 刘备称帝后可点夷陵；托孤开启相父线——政体切「霸府摄政」诸葛亮执国，五丈原可禳星续命，身后自动归政刘禅 |
| 禅让线 | 魏「曹丕代汉」与汉「禅让终局」两端对演；220 开局就在禅让前夜 |
| 弑君三处 | 董卓废立 / 公孙瓒鸩刘虞 / 魏甘露之变——选「杀」各得厚利、各背 −25 天命，全 mod 仅此三处 |
| 七擒孟获 | 擒放循环计数，藤甲兵插曲，七擒得「南人不复反」；也可纯武力兵威定南 |
| 孙氏三代 | 岘山（坚）→丹徒（策）→孙权继统，逆命可禅位长子；周瑜命数是白衣渡江前置 |
| 迎驾（通用） | 挟天子不专属曹操：谁控雒阳且汉室已不成政体，天子月检即归谁（+35 天命） |
| 史官笔 | 16 条新闻贯穿全局，为天下大事盖章（官渡/赤壁/汉祚终焉/三分归一…） |
附·账全起点账本
生成器直接从交付产物计算，交付链随版本重算校验；每个开局只列该剧本实际可选的势力（晚开局里已灭亡的诸侯不再列出）。表内旗分＋一方之望＝总分，其余动态项以游戏内察天命为准；德泽一律 0。晚开局汉室为负是史实使然：天子已被曹操迎走。
184 · 黄巾（可玩 15 家）
| 势力 | 旗分 | 一方之望 | 总分 | 生效档 ｜ 由来 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 太平道 | 70 | — | 70 | 众望所归 ｜ 黄天在上 |
| 刘备/蜀 | 50 | — | 50 | 稍孚人望 ｜ 汉室宗亲 |
| 刘表 | 50 | — | 50 | 稍孚人望 ｜ 汉室宗亲 |
| 刘璋 | 50 | — | 50 | 稍孚人望 ｜ 汉室宗亲 |
| 曹操/魏 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 孙家/吴 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 袁绍 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 董卓 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 吕布 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 袁术 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 公孙瓒 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 张鲁 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 马腾 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 陶谦 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 汉室朝廷 | -15 | +10 | -5 | 神器蒙尘 ｜ 天子在握、桓灵之弊 |
200 · 官渡（可玩 9 家）
| 势力 | 旗分 | 一方之望 | 总分 | 生效档 ｜ 由来 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 曹操/魏 | 77 | — | 77 | 众望所归 ｜ 天子在握、讨逆之功 |
| 刘备/蜀 | 62 | — | 62 | 众望所归 ｜ 汉室宗亲、讨逆之功 |
| 袁绍 | 52 | — | 52 | 稍孚人望 ｜ 河北之望 |
| 刘表 | 50 | — | 50 | 稍孚人望 ｜ 汉室宗亲 |
| 刘璋 | 50 | — | 50 | 稍孚人望 ｜ 汉室宗亲 |
| 孙家/吴 | 30 | +10 | 40 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 张鲁 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 马腾 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 汉室朝廷 | -50 | +10 | -40 | 神器蒙尘 ｜ 桓灵之弊 |
208 · 赤壁（可玩 8 家）
| 势力 | 旗分 | 一方之望 | 总分 | 生效档 ｜ 由来 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 曹操/魏 | 77 | +10 | 87 | 众望所归 ｜ 天子在握、讨逆之功 |
| 刘备/蜀 | 62 | — | 62 | 众望所归 ｜ 汉室宗亲、讨逆之功 |
| 刘表 | 50 | — | 50 | 稍孚人望 ｜ 汉室宗亲 |
| 刘璋 | 50 | — | 50 | 稍孚人望 ｜ 汉室宗亲 |
| 孙家/吴 | 30 | +10 | 40 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 张鲁 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 马腾 | 30 | — | 30 | 举棋不定 ｜ — |
| 汉室朝廷 | -50 | +10 | -40 | 神器蒙尘 ｜ 桓灵之弊 |
220 · 三分（可玩 4 家）
| 势力 | 旗分 | 一方之望 | 总分 | 生效档 ｜ 由来 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 曹操/魏 | 37 | +10 | 47 | 稍孚人望 ｜ 天子在握、讨逆之功、屠城之名 |
| 刘备/蜀 | 62 | — | 62 | 众望所归 ｜ 汉室宗亲、讨逆之功 |
| 孙家/吴 | 50 | +10 | 60 | 众望所归 ｜ 江东世业 |
| 汉室朝廷 | -50 | +10 | -40 | 神器蒙尘 ｜ 桓灵之弊 |
附名词速查
| 词 | 指什么 |
|---|---|
| 曹魏 / 曹操 / 魏 | 同一家，按剧本年份换叫法；蜀＝刘备家（184 起家涿郡），吴＝孙坚→孙策→孙权 |
| 汉室朝廷 ≠ 汉室宗亲 | 朝廷是雒阳的中央政权（可玩，−15 起）；宗亲是刘备/刘表/刘璋（+20 出身） |
| 六小家 | 吕布、公孙瓒、张鲁、陶谦、马腾、刘璋——各有「假节开府 +15」国策 |
| 边地势力 | 马腾、公孙瓒、张鲁——各有「民夷咸服 +12」国策 |
| 南蛮 | 孟获，不在十五家名单里：无座州、不参与受禅判定，占你的州按「失土于外」算 |
| 座州 | 十五家各自 184 年起家的都城州（名单见柒节），四剧本共用、迁都不变 |
| 迎驾 | 天子持有者亡国时，把「天子在握 +35」转给征服者的事件 |
| 天下大乱 | 十五家中任意两家一开战即永久点亮的全局状态；期间传檄问罪不再看资格门槛 |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms · Full Mod Player Handbook · Version 0.1.2
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Fifteen playable factions, four start dates, and one chapter-driven main campaign running from the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the reunification of the realm. This handbook explains every system in the mod: how to pick a faction, how the story advances, how wars are fought, how the state is run — and, above all, how Heaven's Mandate carries you onto the throne.
Volume I · The World & Start Dates
The world map has been redrawn to the year 184 AD. The fifty provinces of the Han lands are the main theater (35 provinces under direct Han control, one each for the thirteen warlords, and 2 for the Way of Peace), while contemporary powers beyond the frontier — Rome, Parthia, Kushan, the Xianbei, the Nanman — exist in parallel (not playable, and they never intervene). The game dates events by reign era; the Western calendar in the top bar is only a scale.
| Start | Date | Playable | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 184 · Yellow Turban Rebellion | 184.1.1 | 15 | The default start. The Thirty-Six Regions rise in revolt, the Peach Garden Oath is sworn, and the age of chaos opens — the most complete content. |
| 200 · The Girdle Edict | 200.6.1 | 9 | Cao Cao holds the Emperor, Yuan Shao sits astride Hebei — Guandu is imminent. |
| 208 · Jingzhou in the Balance | 208.5.1 | 8 | The Sleeping Dragon leaves his hut and the northern armies march south — Jingzhou will change hands within the year. |
| 220 · The Death of King Wei | 220.3.1 | 4 | The King of Wei lies dying and the timber for the Abdication Terrace is already cut — the last year of the Han house. |
The fifteen at a glance (184 baseline: playstyle · difficulty):
| Cao Cao | Best for beginners · Low. The most complete historical main line: Yellow Turbans, holding the Emperor, Guandu, Red Cliffs — all the way to the Three Houses yielding to Jin. |
| Liu Bei | The protagonist's growth arc · Medium-High. Starts as the weakest of all: yielding Xuzhou, the Three Visits, entering Shu — weak first, strong later; losing battles and land does not destroy him. |
| Sun Jian | A three-generation legacy · Medium. Jian dies and Ce succeeds; Ce dies and Quan takes over. Found a state upon the Yangtze — the war-or-peace debate can change Red Cliffs. |
| Han Imperial Court | Political playstyle · Medium (184) → Extreme (220). The largest map, the hollowness of real power; survive the vortex of deposition and the Girdle Edict. The pivot of a comeback: the Restoration line washing away the Sins of Huan and Ling. |
| Way of Peace | Military playstyle · Hard. At total war with the Han from day one; "The Faithful Rise" keeps raising Yellow Turban zealot divisions; playable only in 184. |
| Yuan Shao | The great-power experience · Low-Medium. A roster of talent unmatched among the warlords; before Guandu, hold steady or strike fast is a real choice. |
| Dong Zhuo | A short-lived tempest · Easy start, hard ending. The strongest standing army in the game; enter the capital, depose and enthrone, move the court — the blade of the Chain Stratagem gleams at your side. |
| Lü Bu | Might unmatched under heaven · Medium. The window of opportunity is short; at White Gate Tower he can rewrite his fate. |
| Yuan Shu | The aesthetics of self-destruction · High. He will end up holding the Imperial Seal — usurp the title and enjoy the state, or build steadily: you choose. |
| Gongsun Zan | Frontier shock troops · Medium. The White Horse Volunteers; Jieqiao against Yuan Shao. Whether to kill Liu Yu is a Mandate choice. |
| Tao Qian | A custodian's trust · Hard. Old, sick, and no hero — yet Xuzhou is rich. Before the massacre and the seizure of the city, find Xuzhou a rightful heir. |
| Liu Biao | Holding the line, short arc · Low. Sit astride Jing and Xiang and watch the world turn; in the endgame, surrender to Cao or defend to the death. |
| Liu Zhang | A custodian's challenge · High. The Land of Abundance is hard to hold alone: Zhang Lu, the hereditary enemy, to the north; Liu Bei's entry into Shu from within. |
| Zhang Lu | Slow-burn statecraft · Low. A theocracy with a granary-ward economy unlike any other, and no strong enemy nearby. |
| Ma Teng | The vengeance arc · Medium-High. The Xiliang cavalry; border war with Dong Zhuo's remnants runs through the opening — Tong Pass decides survival. |
Volume II · The Chapters
The main line is a "chapter engine": the Three Kingdoms story is divided into 9 chapters and 37 scenes, and set pieces do not fire on calendar dates — the next scene begins only once the world actually looks that way. Rewrite history, and the story accepts the new history.
| Pacing mode | Gate to the next scene | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Historical Line | World conditions ＋ historical time windows (Guandu no earlier than 200.8, Red Cliffs 208.11, Yiling 221.7…) | Those who want to follow the beat of the histories |
| Chapter Fast-Forward (default) | World conditions ＋ 1–6 months since the last scene (varies by scene). Only the chapters accelerate — construction, research and war all run at normal speed | Most players |
| Free Warlords | Only the months since the last scene matter — whatever realm you carve out, no scene is ever blocked | Pure sandbox players |
Where to watch: the "Historian's Desk" in the decisions tab — one free card per scene, showing how many months this scene has run and a check/cross for each of the two gates to the next scene; each new chapter opens with a full-screen chapter card (the Chapter 1 quote: "The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide.")
Three hard rules: ① Dual gates — most set-piece focuses open on "calendar date or the chapter has reached that scene", either one suffices (a few nodes accept only an event beat or a date); never fewer, only more. ② The 24-month escape valve (bypasses only "world condition" gates; historical date windows in the Historical Line mode are not bypassed) — even if you have rewritten history beyond recognition, you are stuck at most two years: sit in the current scene for 24 months and it passes automatically. ③ No going back — the chronicle never flips backwards. The opening dates of set-piece focuses end before 230 AD (afterwards it is all chapters); in the Historical Line mode, historical time windows, the historian's fallback pins, and characters' arrival years still follow historical years. Starting chapter follows the bookmark: 184 begins at Chapter 1, 200 goes straight to the Guandu chapter, 208 to Red Cliffs, 220 to the Northern Expeditions & Dynastic Change chapter. Naval battles (Red Cliffs etc.) are represented by chapters and events — the mod has no fleet/navy system; "Tower-Ship Marines" are army divisions organized as marines, not naval units.
| Start | Starting chapter | What the first scene is waiting for |
|---|---|---|
| 184 | Chapter 1 · The Azure Heaven Shall Fall | Opening → Yellow Turban main war (1 month on Fast-Forward) |
| 200 | Chapter 5 · Guandu Decided | Three Guandu scenes, 3 months each |
| 208 | Chapter 6 · Red Cliffs Ablaze | Sun–Liu alliance → fire attack at Red Cliffs, 2 months each |
| 220 | Chapter 8 · Expeditions & Dynastic Change | Usurpation → proclaiming emperor → Yiling, 3 months scene by scene |
Volume III · War & Statecraft
The skeleton of warfare is a Three-Kingdoms-style counter chain: armored beats infantry, armor-piercing beats armored. The skeleton of statecraft is Political Power — roughly 60 per month of income, multiplied by your Mandate tier into a range of 42–79; wherever you spend it is a trade-off.
Warfare · the three equipment lines (all consume steel)
| Line | Generations | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Infantry equipment | Vanilla line | Soft attack 3→12, armor-piercing 1→10 as tech advances; but with armor values of 10/14/18, not until the very last generation (piercing 10, roughly after 210 AD) does infantry barely catch up with the oldest lamellar — for most of the campaign, infantry simply cannot beat armor |
| Armor | Three generations | Lamellar (184) → "Bright Light" cuirass (200) → sleeved tube armor (215): armor 10→14→18, hardness 0.3; unlocked by the "Hundred-Folded Blades / Fine Iron Armor / Hundred-Folded Points" technologies |
| Armor-piercing weapons | Two generations | Piercing awls (184) → armor-boring heavy crossbows (208): piercing 55→72, hard attack 18→22 — built to kill armored troops, a bad trade against unarmored ones |
| Division type | Eats | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Militia | Inf. eq. 70 | Cheap (50 days training), all stats discounted — filler and home defense |
| Pike wall | Inf. eq. 100 | Defense +35%, entrenchment +0.5, breakthrough −40% — a pure shield |
| Armored troops | Armor 100 | Defense +15%, organization 55 — the mainstay (attach Hundred-Folded Blades) |
| Crossbowmen | Inf. eq. 110 | Soft attack +40%, defense −25% — the damage dealers |
| Armor-breakers | Inf. eq. 60 + piercing 20 | Hard attack / piercing +35% — built to dismantle armored troops (attach armor-boring crossbows) |
| Cataphract cavalry | Armor | Heavy cavalry shock (attach Fine Iron Armor) |
| Trebuchets / bed crossbows | Siege / bed-crossbow equipment | Siege work and long-range support (the base of "bed crossbows and trebuchets" / repeating bed-crossbow artillery) |
Except for Gongsun Zan, every faction starts having researched "Hundred-Folded Blades"; lamellar armor can go into production lines immediately. Counter cheat-sheet: a wall of armored troops stops a sea of infantry; armor-breakers and bed crossbows dismantle armored troops; crossbowmen fill in the damage.
Statecraft · the decisions panel at a glance
| Category | Core entries |
|---|---|
| Mandate & Fortune | Read the Mandate / Sacrifice to Heaven / Sack a City / Passage through the Han / Donate for the Sacrifice — all detailed in Volume IV |
| Punitive Expeditions | Denunciation Manifesto (50 PP · 21-day manifesto · 180-day cooldown): forge an annexation-level casus belli against a neighbor; the issuer must be completely at peace; one of three qualifications — the realm is already in chaos / the target's Mandate < 30 / the target has proclaimed himself emperor while you have not; the generic manifesto gives both sides +5% war support (special texts are mostly story). A pure player tool — the AI never uses it |
| Truce & Peace (in wartime) | Cease hostilities (75 PP · 30-day envoy · 365-day cooldown): usable when we or they are losing (capitulation > 15%), or in a true stalemate (both < 5% and the war has lasted ≥ 3 months); at the end the other side is asked whether they accept — the AI nearly always accepts (unless it is winning crushingly), players get a popup to choose; if accepted, a white peace including allies ＋ a mutual 180-day truce. Cede land for peace (50 PP · 90-day cooldown): the enemy's capitulation > 20% and we occupy their provinces — all occupied provinces are ours ＋ white peace and truce |
| Historian's Desk | 37 free chapter-progress cards (see Volume II) |
| Time to Contest the Realm | Two free dashboards — "The Road to the Throne" and "The Road to Overlordship": live display of Mandate score, Seat Provinces held /15, number of un-submitted warlords |
| Domestic Priorities | Recruit the Worthy (50 PP) · Military Colonies (40 PP, a free civilian factory) · Registering the People (core the conquered Han provinces: 75 PP; 90 days with Mandate ≥ 60, 180 days below 60) |
| Campaigns / Horse Administration | Suppress Bandits (25 PP); breed horses in Liang and Bing → buy horses from the Western Regions, a two-tier cavalry buff (solving seven factions' "horseless plight" — Han / Dong Zhuo / Gongsun Zan / Lü Bu / Yuan Shu / Tao Qian / the Way of Peace suffer −15% cavalry attack and defense, −10% speed) |
| Faction-specific | Wei · Hegemon's Government, 6 measures / Shu · Shu Priorities, 5 measures / Wu · Pacifying the Shanyue, 3 measures / Way of Peace · The Faithful Rise (25 PP + 2000 manpower summons a Yellow Turban zealot division)… |
The PP ledger: advisors all cost 150 PP; switching laws costs 150; the Annual Edict is a standing expense (Rest −15/month · Learning −30 · Radiant Virtue −50, see Volume IV); the six "Long-Term State Policies" each cost 1 PP/day (unlocked once the first national focus is taken): Colonies (construction +10% / consumer goods −5%) · Drill (organization +5% / training time −10%) · Talent (PP gain +10%) · Calm the People (stability +10%) · Walls (core defense +10%) · Grain Transport (supply consumption −10%).
Diplomacy · the rules of this world
① In the 184 start, the thirteen warlords and the Han court hold non-aggression pacts with one another (nominal Han subjects); the AI is also suppressed by two tiers of "Han Shield" — while Mandate < 60 both tiers suppress AI willingness to declare war (about −1200 total, combat strength untouched); reach 60+ and both lift at once, and only then does the AI dare attack the Han (provided the Emperor is still in Han hands). ② The powers beyond the frontier never intervene: Rome, Parthia and the Xianbei declare no wars, form no alliances, send no volunteers against the fifteen on stage. ③ The AI never spends PP to improve relations; all AI wars come from scripted storylines — the sandbox tool (the Denunciation) is in the players' hands. ④ When Shu and Wu are both AI, about a month into their war they will always make a white peace, then re-ally against Cao Wei (the post-223 historical layout). ⑤ World tension is frozen at 0 for the whole campaign.
Volume IV · Heaven's Mandate
This volume is the complete rulebook of the Mandate system — it decides whether you can ascend the throne, and it is this mod's victory axis. The section numbers below (I–VIII) are internal to this volume; after VII there is an extra "VII · Supplement" of three mechanics.
① All ranges are inclusive of the lower bound, exclusive of the upper: 90 belongs to "Mandated by Heaven", 30 belongs to "Undecided".
② The values each tier gives are multiplicative modifiers: stability 50% taking −30% becomes 35% (50×0.7), not 20%. "Conscription" means a multiplicative bonus to the recruitable population ratio.
③ Mandate, Virtue, and status items all settle once at the start of each month; clicking "Read the Mandate" or donating for the sacrifice immediately recalculates the total and the tier; instantly-read items like "Regional Hope" are judged on the spot, but "All Within the Seas Submit" and "Holding the Emperor" use the monthly cache and must wait for the month's recompute. None of these advance Virtue ±3.
④ Proclaiming emperor and enthronement are two different things: proclaiming is an act of titles (+12 points, see Section III); enthronement is the victory ceremony (see Section VII).
⑤ This page assumes you can play vanilla HOI4 — stability, war support, political power, national focuses, and ideas are vanilla concepts and are not re-explained.
⑥ "Merit" = every modifier in the total except Virtue; when we say "Mandate" alone we mean the total score — every Mandate threshold in this book (30/60/90…) reads the total, and tier questions name the tier explicitly.
IHow to read the scale
Mandate can be negative, and it can break a hundred — nine tiers in all. Except for the middle "Undecided", every tier tangibly changes your stability, war support, and political power output; the four tiers above 60 additionally give conscription bonuses.
| Tier | Score range | Effects & Virtue gate |
|---|---|---|
| Sacred Vessels in the Dust | < 0 | Stability −30% · War support −25% · PP −30% |
| Beset by Traitors | 0 ≤ s < 15 | Stability −25% · War support −20% · PP −25% |
| Hearts in Doubt | 15 ≤ s < 30 | Stability −15% · War support −12% · PP −15% |
| Undecided | 30 ≤ s < 45 | Neither bonus nor penalty |
| Some Regard | 45 ≤ s < 60 | Stability +8% · War support +6% · PP +8% |
| Hope of the Multitude | 60 ≤ s < 75 | Stability +14% · War support +11% · PP +14% · Conscription +2% |
| Fame Across the Seas | 75 ≤ s < 90 | Stability +18% · War support +15% · PP +18% · Conscription +5% · also requires Virtue ≥ 5 |
| Mandated by Heaven | 90 ≤ s < 110 | Stability +22% · War support +18% · PP +22% · Conscription +7.5% · also requires Virtue ≥ 15 |
| Commissioned by Heaven | ≥ 110 | Stability +32% · War support +26% · PP +32% · Conscription +10% · also requires Virtue ≥ 30 |
Crossing tiers triggers an announcement. Whenever the monthly settlement lands on a different tier than last month (up or down, including landing exactly on a threshold), the Grand Historian pops a report of "Mandate rising" or "Mandate waning" with the current figure (instant crossings from Read the Mandate / donations are reported too). Note the table gives score conditions only — the tier actually in effect is the lower of the score tier and the tier your Virtue permits.
IIYour starting point
Starting point = your Merit score on day one (Virtue starts at 0 for everyone, without exception). The base is 30 for all, then add birthright and whatever has already happened before that scenario's start (this mod's four starts: 184 Yellow Turbans / 200 Guandu / 208 Red Cliffs / 220 the Three Kingdoms) — the same faction scores differently in different scenario years. Every known combination below gives the full formula. The total formula is simple: total = base 30 + all additions in the tables − all deductions + Virtue.
| Faction · scenario | Start | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Cao Wei · 208 | 87 | 30 base +35 Holding the Emperor +12 Merit of Punishing the Traitor +10 Regional Hope (12 provinces held) |
| Cao Wei · 200 | 77 | 30 +35 +12 — on the eve of Guandu only 5 provinces are held, Regional Hope does not yet qualify |
| Way of Peace · 184 | 70 | 30 +40 The Yellow Heaven Stands Above |
| Cao Wei · 220 | 67 | 30 +35 +12 +10 −20 Infamy of Massacres (the old Xuzhou debt, carried from the 220 start) |
| Shu · 220 | 62 | 30 +20 Han Imperial Kinsman +12 Merit of Punishing the Traitor |
| Wu · 220 | 60 | 30 +20 Jiangdong Family Enterprise +10 Regional Hope |
| The three kinsmen houses · 184 | 50 | 30 +20 Han Imperial Kinsman (Liu Bei, Liu Biao, Liu Zhang; birthright items can stack with earned ones) |
| The other warlords · 184 | 30 | Sun Jian, Yuan Shao, Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu, Yuan Shu, Gongsun Zan, Zhang Lu, Ma Teng, Tao Qian etc. — base only, everything must be earned |
| Other 200/208/220 combinations | Read the Mandate | Unlisted combinations = their 184-line base plus whatever had happened by then; click "Read the Mandate" at the start to see the full ledger |
| Han Imperial Court · 184 | −5 | 30 +35 Holding the Emperor +10 Regional Hope (35 provinces) −80 The Sins of Huan and Ling. You have the titles, but not the hearts of men — starting in the lowest tier, "Sacred Vessels in the Dust". The pivot of the comeback: the Restoration line's "Sustained by the Mandate" focus washes off the −80, turning −5 into +75; then raise Virtue to reach 90 — the hardest and most complete redemption arc in the whole mod |
Note: the table gives scores; Virtue starts at 0 for everyone, so every Virtue gate from "Fame Across the Seas" (≥5) upward is unmet at the start — e.g. Cao Wei 208 scores 87 but actually runs as "Hope of the Multitude" until Virtue is raised.
IIIWhere the points come from
In-game you can click "Read the Mandate" at any time (free, 30-day cooldown); the Grand Historian reports every item line by line — that is the authoritative reading. Each row below is tagged by nature: Permanent = once gained, never lost; Status = counts only while its condition holds, re-judged monthly; Sustained = deducted for as long as the bad situation lasts.
| Item | Value | Nature · who can get it · how |
|---|---|---|
| The Yellow Heaven Stands Above | +40 | Birthright · but it counts only if kept: if Zhang Jiao's death chain never takes the "Yellow Heaven enthroned / life extended" branches, it is lost permanently — "The Azure Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise" is only the literary name of this scoring item, not a second system |
| Holding the Emperor | +35 | Status · whoever holds the Emperor counts, and only one house can at any moment. Each month it is awarded to the registered power that "controls Luoyang (607) while the Han court no longer exists as a government / is a puppet" — take Luoyang, and next month the Emperor is yours; lose the city and it changes hands. In 184 it is the Han court's; in 200/208/220 it is Cao Cao's |
| Hope of Hebei | +22 | Permanent · Yuan Shao exclusive: the "Unrivaled in the North" focus (the endgame focus of the Hebei unification branch) |
| Han Imperial Kinsman | +20 | Permanent · birthright (Liu Bei, Liu Biao, Liu Zhang). Categories can stack: Liu Zhang is both a kinsman and one of the Six Lesser Houses, and takes both |
| Jiangdong Family Enterprise | +20 | Permanent · Sun Wu exclusive: the "Jiangdong Secured" focus; held from the start in the 220 scenario |
| All Within the Seas Submit | +20 | Status · simultaneously military-control 12 of the fifteen "Seat Provinces" (the list is in Section VII; wartime occupation counts) |
| Staff & Prefecture | +15 | Permanent · on each of the Six Lesser Houses' focus trees: Lü Bu, Gongsun Zan, Zhang Lu, Tao Qian, Ma Teng, Liu Zhang |
| The Throne Rectified | +12 | Permanent · once the emperor-proclaiming banner lands, the next recompute (or a manual Read the Mandate) adds +12. Only five houses have a pre-enthronement proclaim line: Wei (abdication), Shu, Wu, Yuan Shu, the Way of Peace (plus Wei/Shu historian events); other houses get this point from the enthronement ceremony itself. Proclaiming emperor = declaring the imperial title, an act of name — not the same as the "enthronement" of Section VII |
| State Founded on Doctrine | +12 | Permanent · the Way of Peace's state-building focus "The Pure Book of Great Peace" |
| Han and Barbarians Alike Submit | +12 | Permanent · frontier-power exclusive focuses (on the trees of Ma Teng, Gongsun Zan, Zhang Lu respectively) |
| Merit of Punishing the Traitor | +12 | Permanent · join the joint suppression of the Yellow Turbans (the 184 starting focuses of Cao Cao / Yuan Shao / Gongsun Zan / Liu Bei) or the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition. Doing both still counts once |
| Regional Hope | +10 | Status · simultaneously "military-control 8 or more provinces" and "stability above 40% (exactly 40% does not count)". Re-judged monthly: lose land or stability and it drops off; meet the conditions again and it returns automatically. The tier bonuses themselves move stability — hovering near the 40% line will bounce it back and forth; keep some margin |
| Imperial Seal in Hand | +10 | Permanent · Yuan Shu exclusive line: hide the Imperial Seal |
| The Sins of Huan and Ling | −80 | Permanent* · the debt of the Han court's birthright. The sole exception: the Han court's own Restoration line can wash it off at the "Sustained by the Mandate" focus — no other house has this path |
| Regicide & Usurpation | −25 | Permanent · the Dong Zhuo, Cao Wei, and Gongsun Zan lines each have one regicide choice; only choosing "kill" earns it; applied once, never stacks |
| Infamy of Massacres | −20 | Permanent · confirmed by any massacre choice (including Section V's "Sack a City" decision); applied once, never stacks — further sacks yield resources but no further deduction. Cao Cao carries it from the start in 220 |
| Usurpation Without Substance | −20 | Status · re-judged monthly: having proclaimed emperor while lacking all three of: the Emperor, kinsman birthright, substantive achievement. Substantive achievement = meeting "Regional Hope" and at least one of "Staff & Prefecture / Merit of Punishing the Traitor" simultaneously. Fill any one gap and this −20 disappears at the next monthly settlement (or a manual Read the Mandate) |
| Lost Territory to Outsiders | −15 | Sustained · while any province you own is military-controlled by a power outside the fifteen (Xianbei, Qiang, Nanman etc.), a flat −15 regardless of that power's stance toward you (does not stack per province); recovered, it disappears at the next monthly settlement |
| Years of Endless War | −10 | Sustained · applies when the war-month counter ≥ 6 and stability is below 40%. War months: +1 for each month at war, −1 for each month at peace (floor 0) — half a year of war then a rest washes it off |
| Borrowing Troops from Others | −10 | Permanent · Yuan Shu exclusive: taken after the "borrow troops from Sun Ce" choice |
IVVirtue — the part of Mandate you feed with Political Power
Merit, once earned, does not drop (except for items tagged "Status/Sustained" and the loss case of the Yellow Heaven); Virtue (0–45, starting at 0 for everyone) must be continuously fed with Political Power. Every point of Virtue goes directly into the Mandate total and counts toward the 90-point enthronement line — it is not a key, it is real score. Starve it, and whatever sits above the floor decays back down.
① The Annual Edict pops every 12 months as a three-way choice; the year starts on the month the campaign began (the first popup comes at the first monthly settlement after the start; if unchosen for 13 days it defaults to "Rest for the People", and while unchosen Virtue continues on its old floor); the chosen floor cannot be changed for that year.
② Virtue below the floor: +3 per month (climbing begins at the first monthly settlement after an edict is chosen — the first month is +0), stopping at the floor, never overshooting.
③ Virtue above the floor: −3 per month, stopping at the floor, never falling through.
"Donate for the Sacrifice" is an instant +10 (anything beyond 45 is clipped and wasted), after which rules ②③ resume as normal.
Settlement sequence (the single authoritative table for the whole system): at the start of each month, in order —
1 Recompute Mandate once as the month opens (last month's status snapshot)
2 On the year's first month, pop the Annual Edict (13-day window; unchosen keeps the old floor; the first popup after the start has floor 0)
3 Virtue ±3 (drift toward the current floor)
4 Recount the Seat Provinces and the Emperor's holder (All Within the Seas Submit / Holding the Emperor refresh here)
5 Recompute the total, apply the tier, announce any tier crossing (instantly-read items like Regional Hope are judged now)
6 Enthronement check (by-arms conditions met → ceremony on the spot; overlord conditions met → petition to ascend is issued)
Queue-jumping rules: clicking "Read the Mandate" or "Donate for the Sacrifice" = executing step 5 immediately (does not advance step 3, does not trigger step 4's cache refresh, does not bring step 6's check forward); permanent banners like proclaiming emperor or regicide, once landed, count at the next step-5 recompute or a manual Read the Mandate; the donation's +10 Virtue is booked before the recompute it triggers itself.
A threshold worked example (how the 40% stability line bites): Wu, stability 41%, 8 provinces held, "Regional Hope +10" on the books. One day you donate: base stability instantly −2 points → 39%, and the immediate recompute (step 3) judges Regional Hope away on the spot −10 — Virtue +10 and status −10 cancel, this move nets 0 points, and you carry 90 days of "popular resentment" besides. Lesson: when hugging the 40% line, recover stability first, donate later.
| Rest for the People | Floor 10 | Daily PP output −0.5 (about 15/month). The economy tier: 10 Virtue clears the "Fame Across the Seas" gate (5), leaving a 5-point buffer — idling holds a Virtue gate up to Fame Across the Seas at best (the score leg must still reach 75 on its own) |
| Promote Learning | Floor 30 | Daily PP output −1 (about 30/month). Floor 30 clears both the "Mandated by Heaven ≥15" and "Commissioned by Heaven ≥30" gates, with no stability penalty — the main road to the top tier for anyone with Merit above 80 |
| Radiant Han Virtue | Floor 40 | Daily PP output −1.65 (about 50/month), and while chosen, stability is continuously −3% (multiplicative; ends once next year's choice is different). The up-bid for those with Merit 70–79: Learning takes this band only to 100–109, short of 110; only Radiance's floor of 40 completes the total |
The cost is "output simply becomes less" — there is no end-of-month billing or debt. For scale: this mod does not change the engine's base PP (daily +2 ≈ 60/month), which is then multiplied by the Mandate tier and idea modifiers, floating roughly between 42 and 79.
Worked example (the fall-back, i.e. "buying a window"): you chose Rest (floor 10) and Virtue has settled at 10. Before a war, donate → instantly 20 → then 17, 14, 11, 10 each month, stopping at the floor. The 10 points above the floor are spent over four monthly settlements (back at the floor on the fourth) — enough for one decisive battle; keeping it long-term requires switching to a higher edict.
Worked example (Cao Cao 208 · Merit 87 — which includes status points like Regional Hope that change with land and stability): choose Rest → Virtue climbs to 10, total 97, but the Mandated-by-Heaven gate needs 15, so count only as Fame Across the Seas; choose Learning → fully raised, total 117, Virtue 30 clearing both gates, entering "Commissioned by Heaven" about a year later; choose Radiance → a higher floor, but more expensive and with a stability penalty (the climb speed is identical at +3/month). Cao Cao 220 (starting 67): fully raised Learning → 97, Virtue 30 — straight into "Mandated by Heaven"; then the abdication line's +12 brings 109, and switching to Radiance at the year's turn finally reaches the 110 top tier.
VWhat you can do with it
Under the Mandate panel (the Mandate category in decisions, visible to all factions) there are five decisions in total, plus one Annual Edict event that pops automatically each year.
Read the Mandate
The Grand Historian reads the heavens with his armillary sphere and reports, item by item, every addition and deduction, your current Virtue, and the total — recomputing the total and tier on the spot (except for the two cached items All Within the Seas Submit / Holding the Emperor; does not advance Virtue ±3).
Annual Edict (event)
Not in the decisions tab, but part of the same system — a three-way choice that sets this year's Virtue floor; rules in Section IV.
Donate for the Sacrifice
Give wealth to the ancestral temple and buy the people's hearts overnight. First donation of the year costs 60, second 100, every one after 150; at each year's start the price ladder and count reset (the cooldown keeps running, not cleared).
Sacrifice to Heaven
Raise an altar in the southern suburbs, fast for three days, cultivate virtue and temper the law. Only clickable when Mandate is below 30 — this is the self-rescue button of the trough; it adds no Mandate points directly.
Passage through the Han
Send an envoy to the court to ask passage. To those below 30 Mandate the court refuses; the higher you are, the cheaper it gets (priced by the tier actually in effect, all in PP): Undecided 60 → Some Regard 50 → Hope of the Multitude 40 → Fame Across the Seas 30 → Mandated by Heaven 20 → Commissioned by Heaven 10.
Sack a City to Strike Fear
Requires: being at war and military-controlling at least one province that is not yours. Let the troops plunder freely: gain 20,000 manpower (straight into the pool) and 40 PP, at the cost of national stability −5 points.
VIThe 220 scenario: how Shu, Wu and Wei reach 90
The 90-point enthronement line reads the total (Merit + Virtue), and Virtue is the active channel. "Month N" below means the Nth monthly settlement.
| Shu · starts at 62 | Main road · civil rule: Learning in the first month ＋ one donation in month 3; month 7 reaches 62+28=90 on the line. Backup · titles: the proclaim-emperor focus has two gates (the chapter beat of Cao Pi's usurpation, or the date legs 220.12 / 221.4) — on the default mode the +12 arrives earliest around months 10–14; it is reinforcement, not a substitute. The three edicts climb at the same speed (+3/month); they differ in stopping point: Rest 10, Learning 30, Radiance 40. Backup: Shu starts with 5 provinces; the southern campaign takes the three Nanzhong provinces (the Seven Captures line grants cores), making 8 for "Regional Hope +10" (stability must stay above 40%). Monthly income is about 60 PP; after Learning nets 30 — donations are affordable. |
| Wu · starts at 60 | The proclaim-emperor focus hangs deep in the Fanyi chapter line (after the Yiling-defense segment), so do not count on it in year one. Main road: Learning in the first month ＋ one donation in month 3 — around month 8, 60+30=90; without the donation, month 11. ⚠ Your 60 includes "Regional Hope +10" as status points — if your nationwide military control drops to 7 provinces or fewer, or stability falls to 40% or below, the next monthly settlement takes −10. |
| Wei · starts at 67 | Raise Learning fully (about eleven months) → 97; Virtue 30 already clears the "Mandated by Heaven" gate — securely Mandated by Heaven. Finish the abdication line and the proclamation's +12 → 109; to challenge the 110 top tier: switch to Radiance at the year's turn — Virtue steps +3 at a time, and the month it reaches 33 the total is 112, entering the top tier (the Virtue gate of 30 already cleared); fully raised to 40 it is 119. |
VIIWhere it leads — Enthronement
Enthronement = this mod's victory ceremony. Meeting the by-arms conditions enthrones you automatically; meeting the overlord conditions pops "The Warlords Petition You to Ascend" monthly — you may accept the abdication or "decline firmly" (+50 PP, +2% stability, they petition again in 240 days). Enthronement triggers your house's exclusive super-event (changing the state name, performing the great ceremony) — the game continues, there is no victory screen, and you play on as usual. Besides back-paying "The Throne Rectified +12" (if you had not yet proclaimed emperor), the ceremony grants no further numerical reward: the real reward is the tier you hold and whose the realm now is. Both roads require a Mandate total ≥ 90:
Unification by Arms
Military-control all fifteen Seat Provinces simultaneously — the starting capital province of each of the fifteen houses, one apiece, fixed by the opening capital; later capital moves do not change the list. Wartime occupation counts; you need not wait for annexation by treaty. All four scenarios share one list, fixed at the 184 homelands — so Liu Bei's Seat Province is Zhuo commandery, not Chengdu. The full list: Han Court · Luoyang / Cao Wei · Juancheng / Liu Bei · Zhuo commandery / Sun Jian · Changsha / Yuan Shao · Ye / Dong Zhuo · Jiuquan / Lü Bu · Wuyuan / Yuan Shu · Runan / Liu Biao · Xiangyang / Liu Zhang · Chengdu / Gongsun Zan · Youbeiping / Zhang Lu · Hanzhong / Ma Teng · Wuwei / Way of Peace · Linzi / Tao Qian · Xiapi.
Overlord by Abdication
Every still-existing power on the fifteen-house list (other than yourself) is your subject state (any puppet tier). The already-destroyed do not count; make them vassals via puppet peace deals, events, or focuses — in the extreme case of destroying all fourteen others yourself, this road also stands automatically (by design). When both roads are met at once, the by-arms ceremony plays (the settlement is identical; only the ceremonial text differs).
VII · SupplementThree mechanics
Three things asked about again and again, explained on their own.
How the Emperor changes hands
"Holding the Emperor +35" is a national status: in 184 it is the Han court's; in 200/208/220 it is in Cao Cao's hands. The rule in one sentence: each month it is awarded to whoever "controls Luoyang (province 607) while the Han court no longer exists as a government / is a puppet", popping "Receiving the Emperor" — take Luoyang, and next month the Emperor is yours; lose the city and the holder changes. It cannot be demanded or gifted. Cao Cao has a separate "Supporting the Emperor" focus line that needs no war.
Denunciation Manifesto
A weapon of rhetoric available among the fifteen. Casting conditions: the issuer must be completely at peace (at war with no one), the target must be a neighbor, and the target must meet one of three — Mandate below 30 / has proclaimed emperor but not been enthroned / the realm is in chaos (in which case it can be issued against anyone). Result: after 21 days the manifesto guarantees an annexation-level war goal against them (no expiry); the denounced party eats a dedicated event by status (Emperor-holder, self-proclaimed emperor, Chen Lin cursing Cao Cao, each gets its own stage), and the generic manifesto gives both sides +5% war support — laying the groundwork of legitimacy before the war.
Proclaiming, Abdication, Enthronement — three words, three things
Proclaiming emperor = an act of titles: reach your house's proclaim focus/event and you may declare the imperial title, +12 points (proclaiming without basis earns Usurpation −20) — Shu and Wu each have a proclaim focus; Wei's entrance is called the "abdication line" (Cao Pi receiving the Han abdication; a Wei-exclusive storyline, not the overlord road of Section VII). Enthronement = the victory ceremony: Mandate ≥ 90 plus the by-arms or overlord conditions, triggered automatically by step 6 of the monthly settlement check — it does not require having proclaimed first; the ceremony itself confers the imperial title ("The Throne Rectified +12" is booked with it). Order does not matter: you may proclaim first and then accumulate the enthronement conditions, or never proclaim and ascend straight by overlord abdication.
VIIIA few traps easy to fall into
Bigger map, higher Mandate?
Not necessarily. The Mandate measures titles and the hearts of men: the conquest route can take only two status items — All Within the Seas Submit +20 and Regional Hope +10; Cao Cao's Emperor-holding focus line, proclaiming +12, and raising Virtue (at most +33 a year — the first month is +0, donations can temporarily top it up to 45) require conquering not one more inch of land — but if another house wants the Emperor, taking Luoyang will do it: next month the Emperor is theirs.
Proclaiming emperor is enthronement?
No. Proclaiming is an act of titles — five houses (Wei / Shu / Wu / Yuan Shu / the Way of Peace) have pre-enthronement proclaim lines; other houses get it from the enthronement ceremony itself, +12 points (proclaiming without basis earns Usurpation −20). Enthronement is the victory ceremony of Section VII: 90 points plus territorial or diplomatic conditions.
Low Mandate just means no buffs?
More than that. The three tiers below 30 tangibly deduct stability / war support / PP (the lowest tier −30% / −25% / −30%), and below 30 the Han court grants no passage; moreover any neighbor at peace can issue a "Denunciation Manifesto" against you (a 50-PP denunciation — issuable against those below 30 Mandate, those who proclaimed without enthroning, or whenever the realm is in chaos), and being denounced is a siege in the court of public opinion.
Can Virtue spiked upward be kept?
No. Whatever sits above the year's floor falls back −3 per month — a donation buys a window (about four monthly settlements above the Rest floor). To stay high long-term, wait for the next year's start and switch the edict to a higher tier, raising the floor itself (unchangeable within the year).
Volume V · Set Pieces & Victory
Set pieces generally come in a historical version / conditionally-diverged version / legitimately-skipped version trio — whichever step the world has actually reached is the version that plays. At key characters' fatal junctures, players often get "defy fate" options the AI never does (nodes retro-acted by the 220 bookmark seed, such as Cao Cao's death, do not offer them) (spending PP to rewrite fate on stable terms).
| Line | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Yellow Turban Rebellion | Total war from day one; the Han court faces an eight-province-collapse pressure chain; the joint suppression settles war merit; in Zhang Jiao's death chain the player can extend his life (once the Yellow Heaven is enthroned) |
| Anti-Dong Zhuo coalition | Liu Bei's four-act chain (warm wine, Hua Xiong slain → the three heroes fight Lü Bu); on Dong Zhuo's side, the Chain Stratagem's three endings are adjudicated by the number of hearts turned |
| Guandu | Yuan Shao's choice is a real dilemma: hold steady +8% war support, advance rashly −18% — the event hands only small sweets up front; the consequences cash out along the focus chain |
| Red Cliffs | Jiang Gan stealing the letter at the banquet is the preceding fate; it settles the fire attack at Red Cliffs; whether to trust Huang Gai's feigned surrender is up to you |
| Jingzhou changing hands | Crossing the Yangtze in white (Wu) against Guan Yu's fatal juncture (Shu): the historical version has Guan Yu fall at Mai Castle; players may choose "Breakout from Mai Castle" to defy fate |
| Yiling → Baidi | After Liu Bei proclaims emperor, Yiling becomes clickable; the entrustment of the orphan opens the Minister-Father line — the regime switches to "Regency of the Hegemon", Zhuge Liang runs the state, the stars may be prayed for life at Wuzhang Plains, and power returns to Liu Shan automatically after his death |
| The Abdication line | Wei's "Cao Pi replaces the Han" and the Han's "abdication endgame" play as mirror images from both ends; the 220 start opens on the eve of the abdication |
| The three regicides | Dong Zhuo's deposition / Gongsun Zan poisoning Liu Yu / Wei's Ganlu Incident — choosing "kill" earns each thick rewards and each −25 Mandate; these three are all there are in the whole mod |
| The Seven Captures of Meng Huo | The capture-and-release counter, the rattan-armored interlude, seven captures earns "the southerners will rebel no more"; or settle the south by pure force of arms |
| The three generations of Sun | Mount Xian (Jian) → Dantu (Ce) → Sun Quan's succession; defying fate may yield the throne to the eldest son; Zhou Yu's fate is the precondition of the crossing in white |
| Receiving the Emperor (generic) | Holding the Emperor is not Cao Cao's monopoly: whoever controls Luoyang while the Han court no longer governs gets the Emperor at the monthly check (+35 Mandate) |
| The Historian's brush | 16 news events run through everything, stamping the great affairs of the realm (Guandu / Red Cliffs / the end of the Han / the Three Kingdoms reunited…) |
Appendix · LedgerThe start-score ledger
The generator computes straight from delivered artifacts, and the delivery chain is re-verified each version; each start lists only the factions actually playable in that scenario (warlords already destroyed in later starts are omitted). In the table, banner score ＋ Regional Hope = total; other dynamic items defer to the in-game Read the Mandate; Virtue is 0 across the board. That the Han court is negative in later starts is history's doing: the Emperor has already been received by Cao Cao.
184 · Yellow Turbans (15 playable)
| Faction | Banner | Regional Hope | Total | Effective tier ｜ Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Way of Peace | 70 | — | 70 | Hope of the Multitude ｜ The Yellow Heaven Stands Above |
| Liu Bei / Shu | 50 | — | 50 | Some Regard ｜ Han Imperial Kinsman |
| Liu Biao | 50 | — | 50 | Some Regard ｜ Han Imperial Kinsman |
| Liu Zhang | 50 | — | 50 | Some Regard ｜ Han Imperial Kinsman |
| Cao Cao / Wei | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Sun house / Wu | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Yuan Shao | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Dong Zhuo | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Lü Bu | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Yuan Shu | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Gongsun Zan | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Zhang Lu | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Ma Teng | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Tao Qian | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Han Imperial Court | -15 | +10 | -5 | Sacred Vessels in the Dust ｜ Holding the Emperor, The Sins of Huan and Ling |
200 · Guandu (9 playable)
| Faction | Banner | Regional Hope | Total | Effective tier ｜ Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cao Cao / Wei | 77 | — | 77 | Hope of the Multitude ｜ Holding the Emperor, Merit of Punishing the Traitor |
| Liu Bei / Shu | 62 | — | 62 | Hope of the Multitude ｜ Han Imperial Kinsman, Merit of Punishing the Traitor |
| Yuan Shao | 52 | — | 52 | Some Regard ｜ Hope of Hebei |
| Liu Biao | 50 | — | 50 | Some Regard ｜ Han Imperial Kinsman |
| Liu Zhang | 50 | — | 50 | Some Regard ｜ Han Imperial Kinsman |
| Sun house / Wu | 30 | +10 | 40 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Zhang Lu | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Ma Teng | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Han Imperial Court | -50 | +10 | -40 | Sacred Vessels in the Dust ｜ The Sins of Huan and Ling |
208 · Red Cliffs (8 playable)
| Faction | Banner | Regional Hope | Total | Effective tier ｜ Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cao Cao / Wei | 77 | +10 | 87 | Hope of the Multitude ｜ Holding the Emperor, Merit of Punishing the Traitor |
| Liu Bei / Shu | 62 | — | 62 | Hope of the Multitude ｜ Han Imperial Kinsman, Merit of Punishing the Traitor |
| Liu Biao | 50 | — | 50 | Some Regard ｜ Han Imperial Kinsman |
| Liu Zhang | 50 | — | 50 | Some Regard ｜ Han Imperial Kinsman |
| Sun house / Wu | 30 | +10 | 40 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Zhang Lu | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Ma Teng | 30 | — | 30 | Undecided ｜ — |
| Han Imperial Court | -50 | +10 | -40 | Sacred Vessels in the Dust ｜ The Sins of Huan and Ling |
220 · The Three Kingdoms (4 playable)
| Faction | Banner | Regional Hope | Total | Effective tier ｜ Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cao Cao / Wei | 57 | +10 | 67 | Hope of the Multitude ｜ Holding the Emperor, Merit of Punishing the Traitor, Infamy of Massacres |
| Liu Bei / Shu | 62 | — | 62 | Hope of the Multitude ｜ Han Imperial Kinsman, Merit of Punishing the Traitor |
| Sun house / Wu | 50 | +10 | 60 | Hope of the Multitude ｜ Jiangdong Family Enterprise |
| Han Imperial Court | -50 | +10 | -40 | Sacred Vessels in the Dust ｜ The Sins of Huan and Ling |
AppendixGlossary
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Cao Wei / Cao Cao / Wei | The same house, named by the scenario year; Shu = Liu Bei's house (founded 184 at Zhuo commandery); Wu = Sun Jian → Sun Ce → Sun Quan |
| Han Imperial Court ≠ Han Imperial Kinsman | The court is the central regime at Luoyang (playable, starts at −15); the kinsmen are Liu Bei / Liu Biao / Liu Zhang (+20 birthright) |
| The Six Lesser Houses | Lü Bu, Gongsun Zan, Zhang Lu, Tao Qian, Ma Teng, Liu Zhang — each has a "Staff & Prefecture +15" focus |
| Frontier powers | Ma Teng, Gongsun Zan, Zhang Lu — each has a "Han and Barbarians Alike Submit +12" focus |
| The Nanman | Meng Huo, not on the fifteen-house list: no Seat Province, does not count toward the abdication judgment; if he occupies your provinces it counts as "Lost Territory to Outsiders" |
| Seat Provinces | Each house's 184-home capital province (list in Section VII); shared by all four scenarios, unchanged by capital moves |
| Receiving the Emperor | The event that transfers "Holding the Emperor +35" to the conqueror when the Emperor's holder is destroyed |
| The Realm in Chaos | A global state lit permanently the moment any two of the fifteen go to war; while it holds, Denunciation Manifestos need no qualification |