PHILADELPHlA DIPLOMACY RULES
(Third edition by Brad Wilson 1993. Earlier versions (1st 1990; 2nd, 1992.)
The year is 2007. A succession of inept, fumbling city governments, starting with Wilson Goode's from 1983-1991, has left the City of Brotherly Love in a state of chaos. The central city administration, broke and getting no assistance from the state government in Harrisburg (where a hard-line Bible Belter rules as governor) is helpless to prevent the city from crumbling into pieces ruled by local despots. Soon, these local groups coalesce into several major ones, and, attempting to fill the vacuum left by the collapse of the central city authority, try to expand beyond their local power bases to bring the city and surrounding regions under their control. All relatively evenly matched, the factions battle to control the once-great city that William Penn founded....
1. The Diplomacy Rulebook (1976) is the basis of play except where stated below.
2. The seven great powers are:
THE MOB -- Home centers POINT BREEZE. STADIUM, NAVY YARD.
THE 'BROOK -- Home centers OSAGE, WEST PHILADELPHIA, OVERBROOK
THE 'HOOD -- Home centers LA SALLE. NORTH PHILADELPHIA, STRAWBERRY MANSION
THE GENTRY -- Home centers CHESTNUT HILL, ROXBOROUGH, MANAYUNK
THE GREAT NORTHEAST -- Home centers RED LION. AIRPORT, FOX CHASE
THE RIVER WARDS -- Home centers TACONY, PORT RICHMOND, KENSINGTON
THE SOUTHWE5T -- Home centers PASSYUNK, ELMWOOD, EASTWICK
3. The game starts in January 2007, and is played in MONTHLY turns. The "build" (i.e., winter) turns are March, June, September, and December. "Fall" turns are, then, February, April, August, and November.
4. The Great Powers, in a special December 2006 pre-turn, may build units of their choosing in their home centers. For example, THE MOB may start with three fleets, three armies or any combination thereof. Play then proceeds DIRECTLY to January 2007; there is NO separation of seasons and players do not know others’ builds until they see the January 2007 moves. Later “build” turns may be separated by player request or GM decision as per usual in postal Dip play.
5. Powers MAY build in captured centers.
6. FLEETS operate unusually. The two rivers, the Schuylkill and the Delaware, are divided by zig-zag lines into eight “provinces” numbered as follows: 1. Flat Rock; 2. Falls; 3. Central; 4. Mouth of Schuylkill (these comprise the Schuylkill River); 5. Mifflin; 6. Ben Franklin; 7. Betsy Ross; 8. Upper Delaware (these four, the Delaware River). In these river spaces, up to THREE fleets of ANY powers (three of one, two of one and one of another, three separate power's fleets) may coexist. In coastal land areas, there is a limit of ONE fleet. Fleets may convoy, attack, or support just as in regular Dip.
7. There are 43 SC's on the map: 21 home, 22 neutral. 19 wins.
8. There are a number of direct passages over both rivers; at these points an army may cross without convoy or may offer support. Direct passages have NO effect on fleets.
DESIGNER'S NOTES and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The idea is to provide a fast-paced, close-quarters Dip variant. Though 19 Centers are required, Philadelphia Dip should not take as long as Diplomacy to conclude. The somewhat complex fleet rules are designed to keep the situation fluid and allow all the passage of the river areas. Sharp-eyed fans will note that, as college basketball nut and Philadelphia “Big 5” fan in particular, each of the “Big 5” has a space named after it: La Salle, St. Joseph's, Temple, Villanova, and University (of Pennsylvania).
My thanks to Fred C. Davis Jr. for his map drawing and suggestions; no one has done so much to make variants a viable and lively sector of the hobby as Fred has. Also thanks to Jack McHugh for suggesting the concept and to John Desmond's “Philadelphia Intrigue” as a concept that helped me.
Reprinting of the map and rules is cordially encouraged and invited. If you play the game, let me know how it turns out!
Back to Boris Home
Back to Index of Variant Rules
Last updated 11 Apr 09.