Dominions 5 – The Pretender
Dominions 5 is about the struggle between pretenders to ascend to godhood. Thus, the pretender is the embodiment of the spirit of the nation. But there are many was to aspire to godhood, and you have a lot of leeway to shape exactly what kind of pretender will lead your nation. The pretender will determine how much dominion you can have in a province, how fast your dominion spreads, what type of scales rule the land, and what bless effects your sacred units will have. Pretenders also have the ability to research and cast spells, and even forge magic items and fight in battle. Pretenders are the most important single aspect of any Dominions game.
The important points to remember about pretenders are:
● A pretender is a commander unit, and moves on the strategic map and battlefield
● The magic paths chosen for the Pretender effect which spells he will be able to use
● Magic paths chosen also determine what Bless effects, if any, you can choose for your nation’s Sacred units
● The dominion scales you choose will determine what effects will be felt in provinces under your dominion
● The dominion strength you choose will determine how easily your dominion spreads
● When a pretender is killed, he or she can be brought back by priests of his nation using the Call God command. This may take some time. He or she will also lose some magic skill or a point of dominion.
CREATING A PRETENDER
Besides choosing a nation, creating a pretender is the most significant decision you’ll make in Dominions 5.
Each nation starts out with 425 points to create a pretender god. These points are spent on the three categories below: physical form, magic, and dominion. A fourth category, The Awakening, is a way in which you can trade the later appearance of your pretender for more build points at the outset.
