Laws and Regulations

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Gizzard

First Post

• Oct 22, 2002

• #1

What sort of "law" applies in your campaign?

For instance, in a recent WotC Elminster column there was a simple code of law for a trading city, which involved 5 basic rules and a police and judicary force hired for specified terms.

I'm particularly interested in what sort of law a open port city like Freeport might have.

 

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fusangite

First Post

• Oct 23, 2002

• #2

I run a campaign based around a corrupt, sprawling metropolis. The city is divided into nine boroughs each of which is constitutionally recognized as an independent city state. The main borough, Daga, is further divided into eight boroughs, each of which is run by a warden. The wardens have the power to create regulations at will. There is no central list of laws anywhere; enforcement is random and at the discretion of the City Guard and each warden. If you want a big corrupt city, this is the way to do it.

 

DaveStebbins

First Post

• Oct 23, 2002

• #3

The e-zine Places to Go, People to Be had a three-part
article series on laws in RPGs. It's been a while, but I
remember thinking it was pretty good.

http://ptgptb.org/issue-index.html

The articles are in issues #9 through #11.

-Dave

 

WayneLigon

Adventurer

• Oct 23, 2002

• #4

Laws or Lack thereof

One of the best city campaigns I ever ran was set in the Earthdawn city of Kratas, run by the orc adventurer Garlthick One Eye. Kratas had one simple opertaing principle: Whatever Makes Money for Garlthik is a Good Thing.

Based off that one rule, which is the only real law the city has, I made up a completely corrupt teaming hive of scum and villany. Money was the only thing of value, and the concept of community service simply did not exist. There were no guards, unless you paid them to include your house in their patrols. Court cases were decided by whoever gave the judge the most cash. Murder was easily dealt with through weregild.

 

G

Gizzard

First Post

• Oct 23, 2002

• #5

I run a campaign based around a corrupt, sprawling metropolis....

Click to expand...

Thats an interesting approach; I like it.

I was thinking that Freeport probably had a body of law written somewhere, the catch was that the judicial/police system didn't have any interest in enforcing it evenly. But, to boldly declare - "There is no law but the decision I make now" - formalizes what I imagined was the de-facto situation.

Whatever Makes Money for Garlthik is a Good Thing.

Click to expand...

I figured that this was one of the guiding principles of Freeport as well. The trick is figuring out what certain things mean to the city:

If I hire a mercenary group to perform a contract killing, is this good or bad for business? Or does it depend on how much I spent on the contract vs. who I kill. ;-)

Basically, I'm interested in how the "law" treats situations that adventurers often find themselves in: How do you deal with a pitched fight in the middle of the street? Is there any concept of liability for burning down someones house with an errant Fireball?

 

T

Talvisota

First Post

• Oct 23, 2002

• #6

Are you describing Kazakhstan? Sure sounds like it - 'cept for the orc part.

 

Nightfall

Sage of the Scarred Lands

• Oct 23, 2002

• #7

This is where a product like Hollowfaust REALLY shines, since it has laws for dealing with adventures, ESPECIALLY those that cause trouble. In a free wheeling city like Freeport, the laws probably only apply in certain parts, mainly those that can be enforced by arms as well as without being corrupted.

I'm also glad that a product like the SLCS took the time to deal with laws and punishments in each country as well as city-states.

 

Deadguy

First Post

• Oct 23, 2002

• #8

I would suggest that a place like Freeport would indeed have a body of rules. I say rules rather than laws, because I can imagine the precendents on which they are based are simply past decisions, made to advance the business dealings of the leadership. The exact rules probably don't matter, as they're both compendious and imprecise.

The net effect is that the law exists to support those in power. Those who can afford it will manage to avoid troublesome problems, whilst those that cause trouble might suddenly find that they've been breaking some abstruse point of law (e.g. duties on the import of live animals, wielded against the party Wizard's familiar). Profit is the driving goal of that free-wheeling city, so moneys well spent could buy all sorts of friends and assistance (unless those who wield authority think they can just take the money instead!)