Social ranks and pseudo-medieval fantasy worlds

[Jraynack]

Alea Publishing Group put out Medieval Life and Laws - though a 4th Edition supplement, it has a lot of good information and a laws system that easily converts to 3E or Pathfinder.

Besides having a degree in History, when I wrote it, I drew from my extensive personal library to create a guide to aid Game Masters handle these issues without having to be a historian.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Without being too specific, I'd like to hear your opinion on how should a GM/DM reflect social rankings and castes in his/her campaign.

I usually go with something along the lines of (in order of lowest to highest)

Commoner
Lord
Baron
Earl
Duke/Archduke
King

It should be noted that often nobles had multiple titles. So the king's wizard might mostly be referred to as a mage, but also have an earldom kicking around, which would determine his actual social rank.

Wealth does not add to social standing, so a "merchant prince" is still just a commoner, and has no additional social advantage over a poor cobbler, though certainly he has a plethora of economic advantages, and may act like he's the cobblers' social better.

Sometimes I might build (or steal) something more unique, for variety's sake. In the novel Ill Met in the Arena by Dave Duncan, social caste is dependent on how many psychic ancestors you have, with six castes that are represented by colored markings on one's forehead. I've considered something like that, save with magical ancestors. But the only reason to do so would be if you plan on running a game where caste is central to the RP.

 

[S'mon]

My version of Gygax's Yggsburgh/Eastmark setting - S'mon' s Yggsburgh Blog - has a fairly well developed class system, precedence runs roughly as follows:

(1) Independent Noble Rulers:
Outside their estates they rank
King,
Margrave
Count/Earl,
Baron
Lord Mayor (eg of Yggsburgh)
But within their estates they are all effectively 'monarchs' and co-equal.

(2) Foreign nobility - Easterling Kings, Norsemen Jarls etc

(3) Vassal Nobility, usually Barons

(4) Children and spouses of the above, who are entitled to the title Lord or Lady.

(5) Landed Knights

(6) Untitled Immediate Relatives of Nobles

(7) Landless Knights

(8) Relatives of Landed Knights

(9) Commoners - Property Owning

(10) Commoners - Landless

(11) Serfs

(12) Slaves

 

[Hand of Evil]

What I do is use three for each of my levels, one for the Noble-blood, one for Guilds/Church, and one for the rich. So, you can have King, Pope and Duke all in the same power level but NOT with the same rights.

To make things more complex, you can put limits on the Titles/power levels. Like a land owner with a lot of land and money, that is not of blood or party of a guild, can be limited to the "Knight" title. What this MAY do is make the player think of ways to increase their title and power base, such as joining or forming a guild to even marrage!

 

[tomBitonti]

Perspectives ...

Hi,

Wondering about how this all would fit into the world view of each of the classes.

For most folk beneath Lady/Lord, wouldn't the world divide into:

Outcasts Slaves Serfs "Managers" Lords "Folk Above Lord"

While for an outcast there would just be:

Outcasts Slaves Serfs Managers

The presence of a person too high above one's class would bring immediate deference, with no real differentiation, and a high class person would never interact with their lessers except in very narrow and controlled circumstances (e.g., the pope making an appearance on his balcony). In those circumstances, the high would be insulated from any direct contact with the rubbish (and would probably have any low individual arrested for their affront if they actually reached the presence of the high).

What that means is that the details of several levels of class (king/baron/lord) would be a practical detail depending on one's station. A commoner would bow before any Lord or higher, and make sure to do nothing to call attention from the guard, while a Prince would care about the fine details of station to the point of knowing the order of succession and having a strategy for where to place their attentions.

TomB

 

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

Nobles should have the power to make peasants explode by staring at them.

Also, low ranking nobility should be possible via feats or some similar mechanic.

 

[kigmatzomat]

In a world with magic, the priesthood and magi should have some status due to the military power they represent. Bards, too, have a significant military impact as their songs can buff a large number of troops.

Church officials especially should be treated as a form of nobility if rulers claim they rule by divine right. Historically Catholic cardinals were ranked as Princes in Europe and the Pope had at least moral authority over kings.