Indie RPG Newsletter: Cities in RPGs

[hawkeyefan]

Part 3 came out today:

Cities in RPGs 3

This is the first entry that I don’t already own. It’s Endon from the OSR book Magical Industrial Revolution by Skerples.

It seems a different take than both Doskvol and Spire, but that’s probably a good thing. It also seems to have a slightly different focus than the city itself. It’s more about how magic can change the way a city develops and functions. And of course, how that changes the setting for a game.

I was aware of this product before and almost picked it up, and now I think I will. It seems like it’s got ideas and material that’d be applicable in any game.

If there’s anyone more familiar with the book who’d like to comment, that would be great. Otherwise, I’ll revisit this once I’ve had some time to look it over.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

Magical Industrial Revolution is, as usual for Skerples, a damned delight. So many excellent tables, and sections like this that cut to the chase while providing clear social commentary:


GETTING ELECTED

Only men can be elected to Parliament. In a fine and well documented tradition, any women who wishes to exercise political power selects a dull, pliable, or unscrupulous person and uses them as a proxy. Everyone knows who actually holds the reigns.

Only members of the Upper Class can stand for election. A campaign costs 1,000gp and has a 50% chance of succeeding. Making friends with a Minister increases the chance to 80%. Well-documented public heroism may guarantee election at the GM’s discretion. Campaigning takes place during the Off- Season and requires no particular skills or talents. Giving a speech or two is traditional. Elections are held once every 2 years, just before the start of the Season.

Only men who own more than 1,000gp of property can vote. In some districts (known as Rotten Buroughs or Pocket Boroughs), one wealthy property owner has the one vote and can elect themselves, a relative, or a suitably eccentric or obedient friend. Endon is essentially an oligarchy.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Magical Industrial Revolution is, as usual for Skerples, a damned delight. So many excellent tables, and sections like this that cut to the chase while providing clear social commentary:

Yup. I grabbed a copy yesterday and even with only a brief look, I realized the setting is more specific than I originally expected. I should have known that’d be the case.

 

[pemerton]

@Grendel_Khan

Isn't that just a loose paraphrase of an encyclopaedia entry on British parliamentary elections prior to the Reform Acts? (Except that it is for a short parliament - the only real difference that I noticed.)

 

[Grendel_Khan]

@Grendel_Khan

Isn't that just a loose paraphrase of an encyclopaedia entry on British parliamentary elections prior to the Reform Acts? (Except that it is for a short parliament - the only real difference that I noticed.)

I meant that it gives clear guidelines for how players can interact with the process, if they want to, which also reinforce how corrupt and sexist it is.

It's not a riveting or original section, necessarily, but there's neat stuff throughout the book. If you avert an apocalypse you roll a d20 to see what the Monarch rewards you with.

Those could be good:

14. Sinecure
A post, such as “Master of the Royal Mint Plantations” or “Trustee of the Monarch’s Hound’s Pensions” is found for a deserving group member. It pays 200gp per Season and requires perhaps two hours of work a week.



Or more likely meaningless:

3. Honorary Doctorates

Presented in a ceremony at Loxdon College (19, pg. 12). Stuffy old deans snoring, spotty undergraduates picking their noses and playing cards in the back, slightly tinny brass band. Bearers gain the right to wear comically floppy hats, red robes trimmed with ermine, and carry a sword on Sundays without a permit. They are officially Doctors of Philosophy and are expected to turn up to one ceremonial dinner a year.


Or really meaningless:

1. Hearty Hand-Clasp
The group is presented with a laurel and hearty hand-clasp from the Monarch.

 

[pemerton]

@Grendel_Khan

My post might have come across a bit differently from intended. I agree that it's clear. I think it's also kind-of amusing (likewise the random monarchical rewards examples in your reply to me).

I don't think I find it to be social commentary. Which still probably comes across as more disagreeable than I want it to. I guess what I mean is that I don't feel it's commentary until it shows the social situation in a certain light. Most RPGs present oligarchies as a normal mode of government, and the players aren't expected to have their PCs do anything about it. Is this one different?

 

[Hand of Evil]

For me, a good power structure chart and flow charts for events. There are five elements (for lack of a better term) that I break power into:

• Food - it's production and transportation.
• Military - Guards, army, navy, watchmen, weapon makers.
• Guilds & Churches - legal or illegal, your wizards, your thieves (or do we call the rogues), adventurers, clerics.
• Human Trafficking - control of work forces, your unions or slavers, just lots of labors.
• Energy - Oil, wood, elemental fire, steam, etc. It is supplied by someone and comes from someplace.

Each play a role in the running of a city, each or at least members of each hold some form of power and a few will work against others to get more power or take control of them. Having a good idea of this can create all sort of hooks within a city.

Flow charts can help with general daily task. Cheap and easy way to generate hooks and a living city.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

I don't think I find it to be social commentary. Which still probably comes across as more disagreeable than I want it to. I guess what I mean is that I don't feel it's commentary until it shows the social situation in a certain light. Most RPGs present oligarchies as a normal mode of government, and the players aren't expected to have their PCs do anything about it. Is this one different?

True, Industrial Magical Revolution doesn't give you much in the way of opportunities to overthrow the oligarchy. But that's more related to your thread about game mechanics for social realism, right?

At the very least, though, I like that IMR doesn't beat around the bush or glorify the wealthy and the powerful. And by shifting things into an urban, industrial revolution framework, it makes the wealthy seem even more foolish than lords and ladies of typical fantasy settings. Like this is how you maintain an upper class lifestyle:

Costs of the Upper Class

At a minimum, a PC must support:

• a Steak Dinner per day
• two Servants per Season
• a Luxurious Apartment per Season
• a new set of Extravagant Clothing per Season

They must also own:

• a Carriage
• a Riding Horse
• a Country House

Cost per day: 8sp
Total Cost per Season: 138 gp

 

[Campbell]

@Grendel_Khan

My post might have come across a bit differently from intended. I agree that it's clear. I think it's also kind-of amusing (likewise the random monarchical rewards examples in your reply to me).

I don't think I find it to be social commentary. Which still probably comes across as more disagreeable than I want it to. I guess what I mean is that I don't feel it's commentary until it shows the social situation in a certain light. Most RPGs present oligarchies as a normal mode of government, and the players aren't expected to have their PCs do anything about it. Is this one different?

I don't think player characters necessarily have to be acting to undermine the system for it to count as social commentary if we leave room for protagonists that are not meant to be seen as heroic, but just as people surviving within it. I think highlighting the suffering is enough. Media like Sons of Anarchy, The Wire and Breaking Bad all count on that score. As does most crime fiction.

 

[pemerton]

I don't think player characters necessarily have to be acting to undermine the system for it to count as social commentary if we leave room for protagonists that are not meant to be seen as heroic, but just as people surviving within it.

If the game generates the pressure to survive, yes. And presents it as in some sense an artefact of social arrangements.