Step 3: Ruling your Realm

Here you are required to use your Realm Sheet to keep track of the various numbers and mechanics of Project Forge: Realms.
The Realms sheet has three key areas, the Realm's Resources and Population table and the Realm's Settlements. This step will guide you on using these numbers.
The primary function of Project Forge Realms is the system works in a loop. Therefore, in this step, you are to repeat in the form of Turns/Rounds, known as Years. Each record in the World Log represents these years.

Starting Resources

At the beginning of ruling your Realm. Your Realm’s Resources begin with: 5 Food; 5 Materials; 5 Gold; and 5 Pops who are settled in your Realm’s Capital. Write these down on your Realm Sheet, and make sure to use the Settlements Table in the During the Year page and update your Capitals Resource Production.

Winning & Losing

The aim is to rule as long as possible while building the world around them and tell stories as you go. Your realm needs to survive, and there are three conditions in which you can lose your realm.
0 Population – If your Realm loses its population, your realm is lost. No people means no realm to rule.
Lost Capital – If your Realm loses its Capital, it is game over for your realm.
Bankruptcy – If your realm has negative Gold at the End of the Year phase, then the realm is considered Bankrupt and is lost.

Lost Realms

Losing in Realms is not entirely game over. So it is for the realm; however, your world can continue. Therefore, you can create and rule a new Realm in the same world.

Rounds & Years

Managing your realm is broken down into rounds. Each round represents roughly a year in your world. However, you can scale this to any amount you like; for example, 5, 10 even 100 years is allowed.
Each year in Realms is separated into 2 phases:

During the Year – Here, you are to perform Actions to manage and grow your realm. Make sure to log your actions using the World Log Sheet, as larger realms may require more actions to take place.

End of the Year – Once you have taken any actions you want and any changes they cause are also complete, you progress to this phase. This phase updates your Realm's Resources and Population for the following year.

You are to repeat these phases in a sequence of each other. The first action of the year is the beginning of a new year.

Resources & Population

Your realm gathers three types of resources; Food, Materials and Gold. In Project Forge Realms, Resources measure the balance between growth/decline rather than accumulation.

Realm’s Resources

At the top of your Realm sheet, under Resources, is where you keep note of the metric of resources in your realm. The Realm's Resources are different from the Resources columns of the Settlements on the Realm sheet, as it is the Realm's Resources are where to make the deductions for paying the price of Actions.

Food (F)

Food is the lifeblood of your realm. Without it, your population will starve. The End of the Year section will guide you on how food affects your population.

Materials (M)

These are the various items used to construct the necessary buildings to house your population and give them a workplace. Without materials, your realm cannot expand, and Settlements will decay.

Gold (G)

Gold is the standard of finance and commerce. Gold is the measurement of your wealth. Therefore, the more Gold your Realm gains, the wealthier and more prosperous realm you have.

Population (Pops)

Pops are the people of your realm. Therefore, every Pop must be settled or allocated to an Action, like the Explore action.