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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sword of Spirit" data-source="post: 6814905" data-attributes="member: 6677017">Thanks for the answers!One of the things I'm really going for is a simple way to divide up a kingdom on a map at a high level, and then I can always add complexity later. Here's what I've come up with so far.I'll create rough tiers of rankings. Something like this:Tier 1 - Kingdom*Ruler-King/QueenTier 2 - Duchy/PrincipalityRuler-Duke/Duchess-Prince/PrincessTier 3 - March/CountyRuler-Marquess/Marquis-Count/Countess or EarlTier 4 - Viscounty/BaronyRuler-Viscount/Viscountess-Baron/BaronessTier 5 - EstateRuler-Baronet-Knight-Untitled lord of the estate/manor*You could place Empire as a higher tier if relevant.Titles/domains within a tier are listed from higher to lower rank/honor.Then I can basically say that a ruler within a tier (and his domain) are vassals (and the land is contained within the domain of) a ruler of a higher tier, and it is most common for that higher tier to be the one directly above it. I can customize which titles are used and exactly where they fit in the tier structure to add variety to different lands. Regardless of customization, the tiers themselves are what determines the way lands are subdivided. Title within a tier merely represent who is consider to be a position of higher honor. Ie, a marchess is "above" a count in rank, but they are both Tier 3 rulers, who are usually vassals to Tier 2 rulers, and usually have vassals of Tier 4. For purpose of sanity in design, you would not have a count be a vassal of a marchess, since they are both Tier 3, and organizationally equal.As far as use in kingdom design, that means that all I should have to do to set up a framework for a kingdom is do this:Political Mapping1) Divide the kingdom up into a few Tier 2 domains. If desired, toss in a Tier 3 or Tier 4 domain or two that isn't part of a Tier 2 domain.2) Divide up each Tier 2 domain into Tier 3 and Tier 4 domain, slightly favoring Tier 3.3) Divide up each Tier 3 domain into Tier 4 domains, perhaps having one or two Tier 5s that aren't part of a Tier 4. 4) Divide up each Tier 4 domain into Tier 5 domains, probably leaving a decent sized area that doesn't have a Tier 5 domain (the direct domain of the Tier 4 ruler).If doing top level design, I don't have to do each step until needed. I could just do step 1 and maybe 2, and then do additional steps as characters enter the region and/or I have free time.This is the kind of description I would like to have seen in a D&D book, because it tells me what I need to know from a practical design viewpoint to map political regions that "feel right", even if they aren't 100% historically accurate.</blockquote>

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