D&D 5E Player characters as heirs and eventually rulers

[X_Mythic]

Rather than multiple kingdoms, I too would go with one kingdom.

As the campaign goes on that is what it will become, but at the beginning it is going to be one per character.

 

[X_Mythic]

Ask them what the terrain is like. (Tropical island chain, vast blue desert, a deep wooden forest.) Ask what their cites look like. (Rundown ports with buildings made of wrecked ships, Colorful tent cites always on the move, Tree houses that wrap around massive trees.) What the people are like. (Exiled criminals and outlaws, dinosaur ridding halfings, reclusive elves.) How the government works. (Drawing lots, A tribal counsel, Wizard rule.) Ask them their kingdom's biggest advantage and their biggest threat. Finally make sure you ask them what they what to do with their kingdom.

If your players are anything like me, then they will be simply buzzing with ideas the second you tell them they get their own kingdom.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[X_Mythic]

Building the first kingdom

Have you talked to your payers about their kingdoms yet? You know what they are like and what they intend to do with them?

I managed to talk to one of my players over the phone for a bit and he told me about this idea, I thought it was awesome so i decided to share it with ya'll.

It is still in the pipes but:
player character rouge/illusionist
Ruler is unknown to the public
everyone wears masks (it is a sin for your identity to be known and secrets are worth more than gold)
The kingdom is small, but has set up spy networks in the other kingdoms

I love this idea because of the fact that some of his spies are totally going to betray him !

We didn't get any further than this though, it was just his initial idea but i love it! It really gets me excited for the campaign, his finished kingdom, and the kingdom of the other players

 

[nomotog]

I managed to talk to one of my players over the phone for a bit and he told me about this idea, I thought it was awesome so i decided to share it with ya'll.

It is still in the pipes but:
player character rouge/illusionist
Ruler is unknown to the public
everyone wears masks (it is a sin for your identity to be known and secrets are worth more than gold)
The kingdom is small, but has set up spy networks in the other kingdoms

I love this idea because of the fact that some of his spies are totally going to betray him !

We didn't get any further than this though, it was just his initial idea but i love it! It really gets me excited for the campaign, his finished kingdom, and the kingdom of the other players

That is going to be one high subterfuge check. Spy rings in other kingdoms could count as feats for the kingdom. Something like +2 to subterfuge and the ability to use your proficiency bonus when you gather information in or spy on that kingdom. You could even do feats representing their best spymasters. They could end up too focused on subterfuge, so maybe suggest they spread out with assassins guilds, smuggling rings, illusionist guilds.

 

[Tormyr]

Will they ever lead their people to war? Some version of mass combat rules could be interesting.
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?370374-Mass-Combat

 

[MasterTrancer]

Being rulers should involve a lot of realm-level play, like law making, politics, and so on, which should impair at least some adventuring.

Also, don't forget that a ruler going on adventures steals the scene from other adventurers (e.g.: no more "help save the village from the dragon"-like plots, since the ruling PC is going to do that), limiting effectively the appeal for his realm to the main economic venue of a tipical fantasy setting (adventurers' expenses).

What would concern me most, though, is that A FEW of rulers are adventuring together: a TPK would result in an Evil Empire Birth event (actually, that is a very nice opportunity, but I'm straying from the topic maybe). Beside the TPK issue, how do you plan to merge all the schedules of the ruling PCs? How do you plan to tackle the border issues that necessarily will rise?

What about a party of realm counsellors instead? Everyone from the same realm, all working toward the Greater Good?