DM looking for advice regarding political intrigue...

[rom90125]

I am an 'old school' DM from the days of AD&D who recently got back into the game. I have been running a campaign in FR for a small group of players who also played when they were younger. While I have had no problems building a central theme and combat-related encounters to our campaign, I find that I'm a bit rusty on coming up with intelligent political intrigue for our campaign. I want to avoid the standard "local politicrat hires party to recover/investigate only to find out the politicrat is the villian/boss at the end" hook. Can you recommend any book, website, pdf, etc that provides an overview of introducing 'political intrigue' into a fantasy-based campaign? I'm open to exploring any type/subclass of political encounters, including the aforementioned hook.

Thanks.

 

[philreed]

You need Dynasties & Demagogues from Atlas Games.

http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3220.html


You may also want to try reading some of David Liss' novels. The first chapters of each are free on his website.

www.davidliss.com

 

[Wraith Form]

You need Dynasties & Demagogues from Atlas Games.

I concur! It's a great book!

 

[rom90125]

You need Dynasties & Demagogues from Atlas Games.

http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3220.html

Excellent. Based on both of your reviews I placed an order for the book. Hopefully I can get it in my hands before the holidays...I'd like to roll it out to the players at the beginning of 2005. Thanks for the advice...

 

[Wraith Form]

Also, read or watch Othello. (The Lawrence Fishburn/Kenneth Branagh version is quite D&D-ish, and very well acted.) Iago's behavior in particular is very "intregueish". I'm sure other of Billy Shakespeare's plays are applicable, but it's the first that came to mind.

George RR Martin's A Game of Thrones (and associated books in the trilogy) is also, as I understand it, filled with intregue.

The Eberron adventure Whisper of the Vampire's Blade is, without giving spoilers, pretty intregue-y also.

 

[Mystery Man]

I am an 'old school' DM from the days of AD&D who recently got back into the game. I have been running a campaign in FR for a small group of players who also played when they were younger. While I have had no problems building a central theme and combat-related encounters to our campaign, I find that I'm a bit rusty on coming up with intelligent political intrigue for our campaign. I want to avoid the standard "local politicrat hires party to recover/investigate only to find out the politicrat is the villian/boss at the end" hook. Can you recommend any book, website, pdf, etc that provides an overview of introducing 'political intrigue' into a fantasy-based campaign? I'm open to exploring any type/subclass of political encounters, including the aforementioned hook.

Thanks.

What erea of the Forgotten Realms do you plan on running this campaign?

 

[philreed]

http://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3220.html

Excellent. Based on both of your reviews I placed an order for the book. Hopefully I can get it in my hands before the holidays...I'd like to roll it out to the players at the beginning of 2005. Thanks for the advice...

You've made a very wise purchase. If you enjoy it, I also recommend grabbing Crime & Punishment from Atlas Games -- makes an excellent companion piece when it's time to punish the PCs for political misadventures and corruption.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Read The Prince by Machiavelli. http://www.the-prince-by-machiavelli.com/the-prince/title.html

Remember that nations have no permanent allies, merely permanent interests, that this weeks villain may be tomorrows hero, and that a change in either leadership or advisor can have have consequences. Remember what your politician's motive is, if it is stability he may swap sides in an instant, trying to maintain the status quo. He may seem unpredictable, but he is aiming at predictability.

And a note - most of the people who were cited by Machiavelli in The Prince had already come to bad ends before the book was written, rather like writing a book on power politics using Nixon as example.

The Auld Grump

 

[rom90125]

You've made a very wise purchase. If you enjoy it, I also recommend grabbing Crime & Punishment from Atlas Games -- makes an excellent companion piece when it's time to punish the PCs for political misadventures and corruption.

Funny you should mention Crime & Punishment...I actually purchased both books together via an online broker. I'm sure my wife will object to spending the $$$, but, she'll appreciate it more when our campaign picks up again after the holidays.

To answer Mystery Man, the PC's are based in the Shining South but they will be traveling to the Dalelands and then heading to the Unapproachable East