PCs with lands and responsibilities

[Aholibamah]

This is related to another thread I started. How do you other DMs deal with stuff like this without having to focus intensely on particular players every game? I want things to still go smoothly and have everyone feel involved. What's the best way to deal with local issues, land revenues, etc in play?

 

[Arnwyn]

For my particular group:

1) Make the players discuss among themselves how cool they are with it. They come to a group discussion on their own.

2) I use a book (specifically, Eden's Fields of Blood, modified with stuff from Expeditious Retreat's MMS:WE and Mongoose's Strongholds & Dynasties) for all our realms-management rules needs. My players appreciate the detail.

 

[Aholibamah]

I'm going to get fields of blood. But what I'm more after is how you run it in play--are you suggesting that I ask the players how they'd like it run?

 

[TerraDave]

My answers:

1) try to spread power/responsiblity around

2) try to take pc specific "upkeep" out of regular play. Do it by email, play by post, or billaterally.

3) decide how much detail you really want, and what is needed for play. Maybe somethings can just sort of be self sustaining (local revenues are just enough for the castle upkeep...)

My own experience is that this stuff can turn into a real drag for some players, and also for the DM. Its cool that someone gets a guild or a manor, but that should not be the focus of the game, unless it is the focus, but then everyone should be involved.

 

[Quickleaf]

search for "birthright 3e" ...you will find a free pdf with a system for managing holdings.

also search for "kingdoms of kalamar living campaign" ...you will find a free pdf with a system for non-adventuring actions pcs take in between adventures.

include random events tables at the beginning of the session, each player rolls for their holding(s). so the priest would roll for his temple and get "sectarian conflict" or "pilgrimage site", while the fighter would roll for his fortress and get "broken treaty" or "spy discovered".

finally, you might check out Atlas' Games' Dynasties & Demagogues for its political rules.

good luck!

 

[Quickleaf]

search for "birthright 3e" ...you will find a free pdf with a system for managing holdings.

also search for "kingdoms of kalamar living campaign" ...you will find a free pdf with a system for non-adventuring actions pcs take in between adventures.

include random events tables at the beginning of the session, each player rolls for their holding(s). so the priest would roll for his temple and get "sectarian conflict" or "pilgrimage site", while the fighter would roll for his fortress and get "broken treaty" or "spy discovered".

finally, you might check out Atlas' Games' Dynasties & Demagogues for its political rules.

good luck!

 

[Arnwyn]

I'm going to get fields of blood. But what I'm more after is how you run it in play--are you suggesting that I ask the players how they'd like it run?

Well, I'm not sure if I'm exactly suggesting it specifically to you, since I have no idea how your group dynamics work.

But yeah - that's what works for us when we get some potentially complicated scenarios and gameplay elements that may affect everyone (in possibly different ways).

 

[Peni Griffin]

In my experience, players who are into this are really into it and players who aren't, really aren't. Therefore, bluebooking - these days, probably mostly by e-mail - is the way to go. Provide the player with a rule-set (it really doesn't matter which one as long as you both can work with it) and let him go to town. As long as he doesn't want to do anything campaign-breaky with it ("Can I have a gold mine? How about I build a Wizard's Only subdivision and as part of the rent I get magic items! My neighbors like me so much they vote me in as Supreme Dictator for Life!"), and as long as he doesn't pile up your workload, let him do whatever he wants. Take care of details like income vs. expenses, time required for maintenance, etc., in some mutually acceptable, low-labor fashion; random generation tables he can roll himself are good. If it becomes inconvenient, make it either a drag on the game, an adventure hook, or both. ("Oh, sorry, you were off-plane for a year and never communicated home, so your steward had you declared dead and took over your business.")

 

[MarauderX]

Fields of Blood... I set it up for the areas I'm concerned with, in as much detail as I want. The players aren't into the numbers for the most part, so it is easy to run a guesstimate for our use.

For the most part we never wasted a game session to do any of it. It was all done with free time, and when mentioned during the game it was always a hand-wave pushing questions to after the session.

 

[Tonguez]

First Split the sessions - one session for 'Realm management' and one day for 'PC adventuring'

Second split power - have all the PCs influence a peice of the Realm

Third use random events - make sure they interact across different factions (ie PC interests) and have them work as adventure seeds

Fourth Generalise - NEVER EVER get bogged down in details, it doesn't matter how many swords the blacksmith sells per day, just how much it earns the PC at the end of the 'period' (be it tax, contribution or extortion fees)