So I've been researching a boatload of different games for this little project-and I was actually surprised to see that their exists only a limited number of rules dealing with roleplaying a whole nation, faction or kingdom. What I did find was either tucked behind a paywall or grossly incomplete/overtly complex. So I decided to tackle this myself. The idea is to develop a foundation for a 'system' that could easily be adopted for any genre of nation roleplay-modern, historical, fantasy, sci-fi-whatever. I've written a bunch of different ideas down and I am sharing it with the community to see if anyone can look at it and maybe even help out. (You know how you stare at a problem for a long time and just get bloody stuck-well that's where I'm at with this, a fresh set of eyes would do me good) So come on in and have a read.
Basic Questions
At first I thought I could simply hack FUDGE or FATE as someone suggested. This doesn't work for me for a couple reasons: I've never used either system to any great extent and the dice concepts are kinda strange. I also thought about using D&D's tiers of difficulty and advancement, but then I realized my biggest mistake. Nations are not characters. In a standard roleplaying game, your character kills things, gets the gold and gains experience. Nations grow, but they also contract, even collapse. The standard formula of playing and gaining levels or experience doesn't apply that well to a nation game. Time to get creative.
What defines a nation?
How do they interact with each other and the world?
What else can I do in this game?
What is the difference between system and mechanics?
Defining a Nation
A big part of roleplaying is knowing exactly what your character is-this is far more complex when it comes to a Nation, as I've found. I've decided that a few basic concepts should cover a broad set of national aspects, and maybe a handful of concepts could deal with very specific things or ones that change more frequently.
Broad Concepts:
Culture - How influential your nations culture is on other nations. For instance, American culture (especially media and movies) influences even nations that are at odds with the USA.
Economy - How strong and stable your economic institutions are.
Production - How fast you can build units and structures.
Infrastructure - The physical and organizational institutions of your nation. Roads, bridges, walls, but also emergency services, clergy etc.
Technology - How technologically advanced your nation is.
Militarism - Not to be confused with actual military strength. How willing your nation is to go to war and how it conducts itself. A better name might be "Aggression".
Other Concepts:
Stability - Not sure about this one. Measures how likely your nation is to be thrown into anarchy or social collapse.
Wealth - Material wealth. For a fantasy game this might be gold or jewels, for a modern game this could be your nations Currency Worth.
Territory - How much land or area you have under your control. Pretty important in a military/conquest game.
Population - How many people under your rule.
Government - Type of government. Lot's of different kinds specific to the genre of game.
More to come. Number crunch. Defining difference between system and mechanics. Did I miss any concepts that might define a nation? Looking forward to discussion.
Murder Mayhem & Unicorns Plot An open-world RPG of Fantasy Politics by Polybius Simple d20 mechanics
The Masters of Veranth have been murdered. One by bloody one, members of the ruling council have met a grizzly end. In the wake of the murders, foreign powers have made bold moves against our fair city-state. The Holy League is once again conducting trials overseen by the Grand Inquisitors and fierce Adjudicators of the Holy Church of Karolath. The ageless rivals of Veranth, the Cypriot League are suspected of hiring mercenaries to disrupt our trade routes. Our sailors are turned into slaves, sold on the blood soaked sandy shores of Saeth Mar...
The young republic of Veranth needs leadership and sound governing. You have been selected (admittedly in haste) to preside over the High Council until such a time as elections can be held. In the wake of the turmoil of the fated former council, allegiances are challenged. Centuries old treaties between the great houses and the Twenty-Four Towers of the Guilds are at risk.
Your Character
You are a member of the High Council, a temporary position until such a time that elections might be conducted. You may be of the Nobility, with estates and retainers or a Knight, with a company of men-at-arms. Or you may play as a Merchant, trading and dealing with other nations. You may interpret these class restrictions however you wish. Regardless of your chosen class, you have risen sufficiently enough in the political and social circles to achieve a seat at the council. Work with your fellow council members or plot against them. The fate of Veranth is in your hands.
The Game
This is a game of intrigue and politics and trade and war. There is money to be made, people to kill and an empire to build. The game will be played in turns. Each turn update, you send me your orders (what your character is up to for that season) and I give an update for the events of that season. The IC is fair game for any roleplaying you may wish to do in between turns. You are free to create any NPC's necessary for your narrative stories. Collaboration is encouraged. It should be noted that if you introduce NPCs, I may commandeer them for story purposes.
Follow this list of steps and your ready to submit a character!
Read Classes & Features
Choose a class (Merchant, Noble, Knight)
Choose a Secondary Characteristic (Primary Characteristics are tied to class)
Choose a name. Make it fit with the setting. (Lore is located in the Character Tab)
Write a bit of history about your character or a description. Maximum 5 paragraphs.
PM me your character sheet.
Classes & Features
The Merchant You are a wealthy merchant, perhaps an age-old family of Veranth with coffers stuffed to the brim with gold and jewels. Maybe you only recently accumulated your fortune. Whatever the case, you have been found either influential or rich enough (most likely both) to be appointed to the council. Merchants have a Trading House with plenty of room to store goods and a vault. Merchants also have a Flagship. They are especially good at Trading
The Knight A strict code of honor may or may not guide your sword. A relic of ages past, carried over to Veranth from the mainland, the Knighthood has shifted to a more profit-driven profession in the last century. Knights have 25 men-at-arms that require no upkeep, and are loyal to the death. Knights also command the respect of the common people, who see them as valiant heroes (regardless of their actions). Although this may become corrupted with time. Knights are especially good at Fighting.
The Noble Whether you bought your title or simply inherited the name, a noble commands a court and has access to important figures throughout the lands. Nobles possess an Estate and may Command a Favor at anytime, with anyone. Nobles are particularly Cunning.
Characteristics The emboldened words in the descriptions above are not merely just that-they are part of the simple d20 system I'm using in this game. Whenever you wish to perform an action, I associate it with the appropriate characteristic (A knight leading an attack for instance, or a noblemen brokering a trade deal) and roll to see if your action succeeds and to what degree.
Cunning A silver-tongue. Spies in the shadows. Ulterior motives. Cunning is the wheeling and dealing that is so very necessary in the upper echelon of court politics.
Fighting Martial prowess. Strategy. The ability to lead men into the raging hell-gates of battle or to defend them, to train them, and to use them effectively. It is also the characteristic in single combat.
Trading A sound mind for economics. Understanding the market and how to use it to your advantage. Also the logistics and proper management of vast sums of money and goods.
Secondary Characteristics Secondary Characteristics are chosen by the player (unlike primary, which are tied to class) and encompass the more surreal and magical aspects of the game world.
Arcana The understanding of the forces unseen at work in the world. There is a thin veil between this one and an infinite number of others. Sorcerers often peak through this veil-and often do not like what they see.
Piety Devotion to a higher god and fellow man. Like Arcana, Piety bridges the gap between the mortal and immortal realms.
Luck The neglected characteristic. It is said at a child's birth his fate is already known.
Increasing Your Characteristics: You may increase your characteristics in a couple of ways the most important being to use them. When you send orders, you may insist that you use a specific characteristic rather than the assumed. For instance, if your negotiating terms for a trade deal, you might suggest that you use a characters cunning rather than his trade. It is up to you how you wish to interpret this course of action. So for the example given, you might suggest you use your characters cunning to blackmail the merchant. Again, you would have to invent the circumstances IC that led to this course of action.
Another way to increase your characteristics is by playing your character in character. For example, if you know a course of action would be detrimental to your character or the city, but your character would do it anyway, then that is playing to your character in character. Another way of putting it is 'Don't META-game'.
These are not the only ways to increase your characters characteristics...
Name: Sir Arlon Fontleroy Class: Knight , Fighting, Luck Summary: A knight of extraordinary skill and luck, Fontleroy finds himself in the right place at the right time more often than not. Bio:
Sir Arlon Fontleroy was born to a hedge-knight of ill reputation and his wench mother who abandoned father and son for a Cypriot Merchant. Despite his poor social standing, Fontleroy's father trained the boy and managed to have the boy taken on as a squire. In truth, it was to pay off his gambling debts-Fontleroy senior disappeared shortly thereafter.
Fontleroy's luck began to change as soon as his parents had removed themselves from his life. First, the young squire was spared a savage death at the hands of a Saeth Mar slaver when the boy managed to gut one of the men attacking him. The Saeth Mar were impressed and only beat him within inches of his life, and deposited him on Veranthian soil at Sterling Shore.
Second, the beaten and broken Fontleroy was discovered by Lady Gwenneth Arguile, while she was strolling along the Sterling Shore with her retainers. Young Fontleroy was nursed back to health and found himself soon squiring for one of the wealthiest families in all of Veranth, the Arguiles. In ten years, Fontleroy would marry into the family.
Third. The line of succession of Arguiles rapidly dwindled to one Peitro Arguile, and Arlon. Peitro, confounded by scandal and held accountable by the church of Karolath, threw himself from the Arguile Castle ramparts. Arlon Fontleroy suddenly found himself master of a minor castle and commander of several hundred knights. (These of course disbanded shortly thereafter to go fight in the Holy League Wars). Nonetheless, in the twenty three years Arlon Fontleroy had been alive, his station had increased considerably, and when the time came to appoint new masters of Veranth, Arlons name was upon that list.
Game Features:
Turn Based RPG set in a home-brewed pseudo Renaissance-Medieval world with dark and possibly lascivious undertones.
Depth of Lore and Worldbuilding.
Your actions will have consequences in the world.
You might die.
Mechanics for building industry, guilds, armies and establishing trade.
You get what you put into it. Having said that, I will never enforce a rule that detracts from the story.
Final Note:I will take up to 5 players, but it may slow the game down a bit. If enough interest is gathered I will post the extended lore of the world in the IC. The goal of this game is to create a vivid world with intriguing plot and depth of character that may be visited again and again. I am looking forward to writing with you all. Thanks for reading!
I'm assuming Fiona and Lorenzo are going to be the power duo after Leons death, taking control of the house. Is this pretty accurate?@Heap241@Big Dread I'm not sure how the succession works in this world-might be some infighting about who controls the family.
Appearance: Lucien takes after his grandfather, with dark, boding features and athletic stature. His hair is short and curly, often unkempt. Lucien dresses plainly after spending a considerable amount of time with common folk, especially the sailors and traders of his fathers merchant fleet.
Personality: Nostalgic at times, Lucien holds his family in somewhat mythic regard, and his personality is molded by his subconscious desire to impress. He is honorable, but has a furious temper when things do not go his way. Somewhat of a ladies man, although his romantic notions are set aside when family is concerned.
Biography: From an early age, Lucien was obsessed with the sailing vessels that regularly moored in Venara Harbor. He would insist that his father or older sister take him down to the docks to view the massive trading vessels and watch the sailors climb the masts to dizzying heights. He could not fathom at a young age, how the men could so carelessly balance on the ropes, where certain death was but a misstep away, all the while singing the joyful sounding songs to keep rhythm with their labor.
As a teenager Lucien would ditch his family bodyguards and creep aboard a vessel for a closer look. Once he climbed aboard the Inspired Maid and found himself at sea for several months where he was soon discovered. Lucien managed to conceal his identity and was put to work aboard the vessel. When a sailor serving Luciens father recognized the lad, the captain shit himself and headed for home immediately. Lord Delorano was displeased but not angry, and Lucien convinced Leon to allow him to sail on the Maid a few more times and learn to be a sailor.
On these precious few voyages, Lucien glimpsed other parts of the world, but was forbidden to leave the ship, never allowed to set foot on foreign soil. On the last voyage, the ship had a close call with a pirate sloop, and Lord Delorano forbid anymore excursions by his son. Lucien was sent to study economics and trade instead.
Lucien was in the dormitories at University when word came of his fathers death. Enraged Lucien returned home with his bodyguards seeking revenge.
Position In House Delorano: 2nd Son of Leon Delorano Equipment:Black Cloak and Cowl, Leather jerkin, boots and trousers, Silk Tunic, Small Dagger, Flintlock Pistol, Fine Dueling Rapier. Lock of Hair from his father. Skills:Human, +1 to choice skill (Gunnery) Gifted:Acumen +4 , Dueling +4 Above Average:Gunnery +3, Athletics +3, Reputation +3 Deficient:Brawling -2, Archery -2 Unlisted Skills: Athleticism Grace Soldiery Skullduggery
For several days the rangers Celamon and Kato tracked the brute through the wilderness. As the land transformed from river-forest to grassland, Celamon noticed that everything was larger. Rocks became boulders, grass soared above the tall elves and obscured their vision. Towering trees dwarfed the tiny rangers as they pressed on. Wary, and tired, the duo pressed on keeping a safe distance from the brute.
After a hard journey, senses dulled from days tracking the creature, the rangers came upon a village with a pallisade wall, campfires and the sound of civilization. The walls were enormous, perhaps felled trees from the behomeths they had passed on the trek inland.
And the smell...
Celamon shuddered. The overwhelming stench from the brutes settlement permeated his clothes and hair and clung to his nostrils. It was the smell of sweat, blood and meat. Beside him, crouched in the underbrush, Kato stared wide eyed. Celamon issued the order for retreat and the pair beat a path back to the river trail.
Panting from exhaustion, Kato shook his head. "There must be 50 of those...those ogres in there. Gods what land have we found?"
Celamon rested a hand on his companions shoulder. "A good one, Kato. We know not what these creatures intend. Perhaps they are friendly." Celamon cracked a smile. "Probably not!"
Kato chuckled despite himself. "Let's get back. Lord Brightflower will want to hear this." Celamon nodded agreement and the rangers began the trek home to Cantivale.
Back at Cantivale, Lord Brightflower was consulting with his officers. Leena, a trusted retainer of house Brightflower was examining the ledgers.
"It would be better to have a smaller, well trained force m'Lord," said Leena. "A few men and women handpicked, well trained and on alert at all times would be a better force than to rally a militia in times of crisis." Leena spoke the words with an emotionless certainty. Lord Brightflower nodded.
"I agree Leena, you are my most trusted military advisor, let's begin immediately. I also wish to know of any dangers to our village. We should begin construction of concealed watch towers, high in the trees to evade detection by enemies," Lord Brightflower pointed to several locations on the crude map layed out before them.
Leena suggested a few alternate locations and the elves agreed. "We will keep rocks and plenty of arrows in the towers as well m'Lord, just in case. I will begin the training immediately and consult with the craftsmen about these towers. As you please m'Lord." Leena bowed and Lord Brightflower returned to studying the map.
"Where are you Celamon?" he whispered to himself.
C Improve Infrastructure Build camouflaged watchtowers and defensive points around the village up to 2 miles away and stock them with arrows and projectiles.
Got a character in, Leons second son, Lucien Delorano. Dark, foreboding. Angry. A bit of a loose cannon and quite vengeful after his fathers death. Basically wants to duel everyone. Looking forward to a sweet death scene where he gets to cry the lamentations of the gods. Fun!
Geography The Sea of Omens lies north and west of the Island of Veranth and stretches well beyond the Cyprot League and as far south as Saeth Mar. It is a cold sea, with terrible storms, and lurking horrors beneath the waves. Brave fishermen, on massive ships built in Veranth occasionally dare to sail in search of some beast-a whale or octopus (whose oil and ink is in demand, respectively), yet always in sight of the Veranthian or Cyprot coast.
Where Giants Drink The liturgists of Old Karolath describe the Sea thus: "I beheld a sea that stretched for days-no months-possibly all of my lifetime and the lives of my children-ever endless in to the cold north. The lands of Cyprot and Veranth faded from view, and all that lay on the horizon was a yawning charnel house of frosted waves, and the wary weight of the unknown. For forty days our captain guided the trio of vessels as best he could, using at his disposal the tools of his trade, occasionally consulting with the Holy Procession destined to Ask the Omens. We had with us a list of queries his Holiness wished us to ask once we arrived sufficiently deep enough in the waters where giants drink..." -Voyages, excerpt 1251 XXX XXX"
In a rather unusual ritual, the Holy Procession, one or two ships provided by nobles or merchants hoping to gain favor with the church, will voyage almost directly into the Sea of Omens, which stretches beyond the knowledge of men, and for three days perform the rituals described in the old books in order to glean some knowledge or insight on troubles in the kingdoms. These rituals are performed on deck, by specially trained priests, the crew banished to quarters for the event. In the modern era, this has become to represent the archaic church-(think exorcism in Catholicism, at least how it is portrayed in movies, and also not that shunned). Rather "Asking the Omens" is a tool for the church to either get rid of undesirables or at the least remove them from court politics for a voyage that can last three seasons. It is believed that great beasts lay sleeping beneath the waves-these are the children of God, banished to the mortal realm for imperfection. Holy writ suggests these creatures may have divine knowledge to impart if the proper sacrifices are offered.
Hurricanes The frigid and terrible waters north and west of the island of Veranth are occasionally penetrated by the mild trade winds of the Innish Sea. The combination of warm, semi-tropical winds in combination with the icy air of the north causes massive cyclone-like storms to form. For centuries hurricanes have been recorded in the histories of all of the Kingdoms that border the Innish Sea. Rarely do these hurricanes pass between the Republic of Veranth and the Cyprot League to the north. Those hurricanes find landfall in the form of many hundreds of minor islands, and loses strength. More often, to devastating economic and material effect, do these storms barrel into the main trading lanes south of Veranth, and just north of Saeth Mar. In this event, a whole trading season may be lost, as the great storms are slow, brutish things that swallow ships and men and all the goods they carry whole. Despite the shifting sands and heavy tides of the Saeth Mar coast, the shores are littered with wrecks of unfortunate ships.
Storms will disrupt trade during the Autumn Months. During this turn, income will decrease and property will be destroyed. Some Hurricanes are more devastating than others and may cause damage in more than one part of the world.
Cyprot Islands
Ancient Cypriot In archaic times, the Cypriot archipelago was a single landmass. The Cypriots were masters of engineering, coliseums, bridges, aqueducts, temples, drydocks, harbors and many more architectural feats, the ruins
The main islands are home to a confederation of nation-states, sea-farers and traders by nature, with a long and lengthy history of exploration and mercantilism. Ruins of the precursor civilization are scattered across the islands, some only emerging from the shallows between the inner islands and the mainland, a crumbling colliseum, towering ramparts covered in barnacles and sea grass, the sea has washed over those dim pages of history and some historians suggest that the flooding may have caused the downfall of that power.
Darker things reside on the many thousand isles as well. Sorcerery has played a part in
Old Karolath
The gleaming cities of Karolath are darkened by the Inquisitors and Adjudicators of the Holy Church.
Saeth Merar
The semi-tropical coastline disguises the harsh and unrelenting shifting sands beyond. Saeth Merar means literally means "land-sea".
Veranth
The Innish Sea
Factions
The Republic of Veranth
The Holy League
The Twenty-Four Towers
Shipbuilding, Blacksmiths, Masons, Textiles, Distillers, Clothiers, etc.
Murder Mayhem & Unicorns Plot An open-world RPG of Fantasy Politics by Polybius Simple d20 mechanics
The Masters of Veranth have been murdered. One by bloody one, members of the ruling council have met a grizzly end. In the wake of the murders, foreign powers have made bold moves against our fair city-state. The Holy League is once again conducting trials overseen by the Grand Inquisitors and fierce Adjudicators of the Holy Church of Karolath. The ageless rivals of Veranth, the Cypriot League are suspected of hiring mercenaries to disrupt our trade routes. Our sailors are turned into slaves, sold on the blood soaked sandy shores of Saeth Mar...
The young republic of Veranth needs leadership and sound governing. You have been selected (admittedly in haste) to preside over the High Council until such a time as elections can be held. In the wake of the turmoil of the fated former council, allegiances are challenged. Centuries old treaties between the great houses and the Twenty-Four Towers of the Guilds are at risk.
Your Character
You are a member of the High Council, a temporary position until such a time that elections might be conducted. You may be an aristocrat with estates and retainers or a knight, with a company of men-at-arms. Or you may play as a merchant, trading and dealing with other nations. Regardless of your chosen class, you have risen sufficiently enough in the political and social circles to achieve a seat at the council. The fate of Veranth is in your hands.
The Game
This is a game of intrigue and politics and trade and war. There is money to be made, people to kill and an empire to build. The game will be played in turns. Each turn update, you send me your orders (what your character is up to for that season) and I give an update for the events of that season. The IC is fair game for any roleplaying you may wish to do in between turns. You are free to create any NPC's necessary for your narrative stories. Collaboration is encouraged. It should be noted that if you introduce NPCs, I may commandeer them for story purposes.
Follow this list of steps and your ready to submit a character!
Read Classes & Features
Choose a class (Merchant, Noble, Knight, Sorcerer)
Choose a Secondary Characteristic (Primary Characteristics are tied to class)
Choose a name. Make it fit with the setting. (Lore is located in the Character Tab)
Write your Vignette & Master Summary of your character.
PM me your character sheet.
Classes & Features
The Merchant You are a wealthy merchant, perhaps an age-old family of Veranth with coffers stuffed to the brim with gold and jewels. Maybe you only recently accumulated your fortune. Whatever the case, you have been found either influential or rich enough (most likely both) to be appointed to the council. Merchants have a Trading House with plenty of room to store goods and a vault. Merchants also have a Flagship. They are especially good at Trading
The Knight A strict code of honor may or may not guide your sword. A relic of ages past, carried over to Veranth from the mainland, the Knighthood has shifted to a more profit-driven profession in the last century. Knights have 25 men-at-arms that require no upkeep, and are loyal to the death. Knights also command the respect of the common people, who see them as valiant heroes (regardless of their actions). Although this may become corrupted with time. Knights are especially good at Fighting.
The Noble Whether you bought your title or simply inherited the name, a noble commands a court and has access to important figures throughout the lands. Nobles possess an Estate and may Command a Favor at anytime, with anyone. Nobles are particularly Cunning.
Characteristics The emboldened words in the descriptions above are not merely just that-they are part of the simple d20 system I'm using in this game. Whenever you wish to perform an action, I associate it with the appropriate characteristic (A knight leading an attack for instance, or a noblemen brokering a trade deal) and roll to see if your action succeeds and to what degree.
Cunning A silver-tongue. Spies in the shadows. Ulterior motives. Cunning is the wheeling and dealing that is so very necessary in the upper echelon of court politics.
Fighting Martial prowess. Strategy. The ability to lead men into the raging hell-gates of battle or to defend them, to train them, and to use them effectively. It is also the characteristic in single combat.
Trading A sound mind for economics. Understanding the market and how to use it to your advantage. Also the logistics and proper management of vast sums of money and goods.
Secondary Characteristics
Arcana The understanding of the forces unseen at work in the world. There is a thin veil between this one and an infinite number of others. Sorcerers often peak through this veil-and often do not like what they see.
Piety Devotion to a higher god and fellow man. Like Arcana, Piety bridges the gap between the mortal and immortal realms.
Luck The neglected characteristic. It is said at a child's birth his fate is already known.
Increasing Your Characteristics: You may increase your characteristics in a couple of ways the most important being to use them. When you send orders, you may insist that you use a specific characteristic rather than the assumed. For instance, if your negotiating terms for a trade deal, you might suggest that you use a characters cunning rather than his trade. It is up to you how you wish to interpret this course of action. So for the example given, you might suggest you use your characters cunning to blackmail the merchant. Again, you would have to invent the circumstances IC that led to this course of action.
Another way to increase your characteristics is by playing your character in character. For example, if you know a course of action would be detrimental to your character or the city, but your character would do it anyway, then that is playing to your character in character. Another way of putting it is 'Don't META-game'.
These are not the only ways to increase your characters characteristics...
Name: Sir Arlon Fontleroy Class: Knight , Fighting, Luck Summary: A knight of extraordinary skill and luck, Fontleroy finds himself in the right place at the right time more often than not. Vignette ...
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The City
Veranth is a trading city occupying an island some distance away from the mainland. Originally a safe-harbor for pirates and smugglers, in the 500 years since the nation-state has grown into a city of towers, high walls and bureaucracy. The city is surrounded by vineyards, orchards and farmland. The bustling port district has attracted the greatest shipbuilders, ironworkers and specialty crafstmen in the world. The 24 Towers of Guilds ring the walls, each a tiny kingdom too itself. Amidst all of this economic prosperity are the
The Twenty-Four Towers The Guilds of Veranth are unmatched in the world. From shipbuilding to cannon-forging, the guilds attract the most talented laymen in the world and pay handsomely for talent. The Guilds have become increasingly powerful.
The Religion In Old Karoleth, the High Priest rules an empire of the devoted. A dozen kingdoms bow before his holiness. Veranth (and a few other Republics) do not. This has brought tension to the land as nations increasingly interact through trade and politics.
Raxas Nearly a century ago, the Sorcerer Raxas fled to a distant island with his remaining adepts. Magic has nearly vanished from the world, but a few journeymen 'hedge wizards', untrained and unruly wander the lands seeking masters willing to pay handsomely for a court-wizard.
Playing Playing is simple. Make a character by choosing a Class : (Aristocrat, Knight, Merchant) and pick your skills. Aristocrats are good at Cunning Merchants are good at Trading Knights are good at Fighting
Throughout the game, your actions will be dependent on your skill set. Each skill you are proficient in will give a +1 to your action (roll 1d20+skill modifier Vs. Difficulty ) (A merchant wouldn't lead an army into battle, however it is possible!). When you send orders (in between turns) your skills come into play. For example, if your a merchant and you wish to negotiate new or better trade terms with a neighboring nation, I will add your skill bonuses to rolls to determine the outcome. Which brings me to:
Generating Wealth
One of the most important aspects of the game is managing your finances. There are two lawful ways to increase your supply of gold. Trading, by either directly purchasing ships and establishing trade routes, or by subsidizing trade by hiring merchants to make you money.
The other is buying and constructing Industries. Winemaking, textiles like cotton and silk, granaries etc. are just a few of the many industries you might add to the economy. It should be noted that it is possible to saturate the market if their are too many of the same industry in Veranth.
Each industry brings a set amount of gold each season. Vineyards Vineyards are plentiful in the sandy loam of the Veranthian countryside. Here, grapes and olives are grown among the large manor homes of the aristocracy. Pressing olive oil and fermenting wine into grapes is a major commercial enterprise in Veranth and the supply of these goods is in demand the world over.
Windmills After the harvest, the grain is transported to the soaring windmills perched on high cliffs along the coast, where the grain is ground into flour and either turned into bread for the city supply or shipped to neighboring lands.
Textiles Fibres such as cotton and silk are spun into fabric for clothing. Increasingly large guildhalls filled with looms and spindles are emerging as a dominant factor in the growing economy of Veranth as fabric is in demand by nobles the world over.
Glass Foundry An expensive, labor intensive industry that requires skilled craftsmen. Glass is fired from saltpeter and sand at very high temperatures and shaped into vessels, ornamentation, and glass window panes for use in home and church.
Ironworks Blacksmiths produce weapons, armor and shields, but also mundane items like door hinges, locks, barrel banding, cannons and cannonballs-the list is endless.
Orders I prefer specific over vague, and I hope to supply enough in-game information for you to make those determinations. For instance if you wished to increase the military in Veranth, it would be better to say "Hire and begin training 50 men-at-arms to replace those slain at Sterling Shores" rather than "Get some more troops and make sure they are good ones".
To start you will have two major actions that you may enact each turn. Sending messages, gifts, gold etc. is a free action and you may do as many as you wish each turn. This is a political/nation RP so I expect lots of manipulation and correspondence to play a big part of this game. Developing your character through exposition in letters and NPC interactions is encouraged.
Increasing your chance of success You may invest a certain amount of gold in each action, but you have to tell me how you wish to spend that gold. For instance, you may invest 100 gold in your attempt to sway a foreign dignitary to give you favorable terms on an agreement. For each 100 gold you invest, you get a +1 to your action roll. There is no max amount of gold you may invest for each action.
As for me, I will be playing the omniscient 'all'. That is to say, I control the NPCs, the will of the people and the natural elements.
Sorcery (A Primer) Magic in this world concerns the practice of contacting entities from distant planes and binding them to your will for a time. It is an incredibly dangerous practice and requires intense and careful study. It is believed that magic caused the destruction of the ancient civilizations thousands of years ago through careless and relentless use. With each binding, the barrier between our world and the distant planes is weakened. Consider this when casting powerful spells.
The powerful sorcerer Anom Veldt recorded this list in his tome "Demons, Djinn and Entities of Considerable Power" some 400 years ago:
Baal A leather-winged demon from a plane of fire, Baal's magic is concerned with growing, shrinking, withering and multiplying.
Baphomet A horned goat demon from some fiery hell-plane, Baphomet is not to be trifled with. Surprisingly Baphomets magics are not concerned with fire, but rather binding and loosing.
Belphagor Not much is known about Belphagor, but its magic is used for obscuring, hiding, revealing, or locating.
Mammon An enormous giant from a distant plane, the magic of Mammon concerns wealth, money, prosperity and possibly, maybe, conceivably, luck.
Azazel Despite his harrowing name (The Ancients believed Azazel was the god of Destruction) Azazel is rather a tame demon, capable of many sorcerous acts. Consult this being when planning, plotting, staging, or manipulating.
Table of random events 1: Storms in the sea of 2: Fire in 3: Pirate Raids 4: Funeral of 5: Unrest in 6: Crop Failure 7: Vessel Sank 8: Crime Lord emerges 9: War! 10: Noble Squabble 11: Resources discovered 12: 13:
Bugman
Ladypug
Vampiretwilight
