RE: (TFT) Law

["Jay Carlisle" <selfinflicted_wounds@boardermail.com>]

Okay there is the Player view and the GM view.

>From the Player view I'm asking questions like; 
"Who are the Judges in this place?"
"Where do they live and work?"
"How does one become a Judge?"
"What are a Judges dutys?"
"What is the Law in this place?"
"Who/whom makes the Law(s) in this place?"
etc.

Depending on my character, I may attempt actions like New Follower, kidnapping, bribery, legislation, or even election to influence the Law. 
This can be considered one of those "I start digging, what do I find?" actions, except "I'm" digging in the direction of the "Law" in your game.

What do I find?




As a GM I'm concerned with CMOA against such attacks from players, but with the least amount of effort possable. (I'm lazy)
I find that Worlds created "on the fly" are fine for limited runs, such as trying a new set of rules to get a feel of a new mechanic, but tend to peater out over time. 
The more detailed the gameworld the more focused the players "entertainment" IMO.
So (being lazy) I use the Planet Earth as a starting world.
I use Earths history, physics, etc. as much as possable.
I can't express strongly enough how shameless my aproach has become in this reguard.

To sum up a VERY complex group of thoughts in anaology;
The slightest change in Amber has enormous consequences near the "edges" of shadow.
So I suspose I use Earth as my Amber.

Well the basic model for TFT appeares to be medevil England.
TFT ITL pg4
"And it provides a workable rationale
for the weird melange of legend, historical fact, prehistory,
science fiction, and sheer wild imagination that characterizes
the work of the best fantasy gamers."

Makes sence in a race memory way. (me being anglo-saxon and all)
(It's not workable actually, but that's difrent...)


So I'll use medevil England as a basic structure for my society but I'll pull the Church outta there and replace them point for point with the Wizards Guild.
All quite vague so far but already I know that; 
There is a strong class system. 
There is a balance of Power between the Nobility and the Wizards Guild.
Fairly low tecnology, but the Wizards Guild could get out of hand QUICKLY if I'm not careful.

Now that "weird melange" bit says to me that we don't wanna get TOO realistic with all this. Some of the facts are straight depressing and that can undermine the players "entertainment". I believe we call that college.

So infantant mortaility and aside (actually buried in the Tec-tree progression) from the statements above I'm able to say that 60%+ of the Joes are serfs. Those NPCs are too busy feeding everybody (barely, unless you want explosive growth) to become adventures or any Job listed on the "local" tables.
Sid Myers style, these guys are the little faces on the hexes and you'd best keep 'em smileing.

That's all well and good but I've no map to put it on.
Oh, wait I've got TONS and TONS of maps of Earth. 
My question here becomes one of focus instead of the "always something new over the horizion" approach of Cidri.
This is a hole in the game in the same way that random encounters and treasure tables and their ilk are.
I have yet to have a group able to recognize where they were on Earth at a medievil Tec-level even when they KNEW I was using maps of Earth.
And THEN I find from Mr. Barber that I was being WAY to generious in my aireal views...

sigh.

I would not be just a nuffin'
My head all full of stuffin'
My heart all full of pain.
I would dance and be merry
Life would be a ding-a-derry
If I only had a brain

..., so I picked New Zealand.

I now know basic information about seasons, weather, curents, prevailing winds, underlaying geological structure ("I start digging. What do I find?"), production regions and areas, etc.

I also know the size of the area exactaly and have production maps in the encylopedia, so I can fix a population level with some confidence at this point.
This is important because it's going to tell you information like;
"How many times can the local Wizards Guild attempt a rez spell on a corpse before running out of St?"
"How many Judges in the Kingdom/County/etc.?"
"How many able-bodied men between 18 & 32?"
etc.

So now I'm focused on a little Kingdom on the South Island with it's Capital at Dunedin.

Now I can talk about 'this' places Law.
The "NOMIC" Players in Example Kingdom are the King and the Members of his court vs. The Grand Wizard and the High Consoul of the Wizards Guild with internal strife among both groups.
These people have their own quarter in the Capital city and rarely associate with others not of their class.
This is not just for "apearince". These people don't wanna get "New Follower-ed". I made a tweak to Chrisma that it can't be attempted during "Formal" occasions like knighting ceramonies and standing before a JUDGE.

The Kings Law is a modified version of Hamirubis Code (plug in any model) that is handed down to his vassals via his Senachals who are members of his Court. Each Senachals oversees 1 county.
5 counties divided by rivers.
(Christchurch is the Capital of another Kingdom, War and all that...)
Towns are mainly agg centers but a couple of specal cases appear for natural terain advantages like harbors or as additional production centers like mineing towns.
Each town has a mayor and a Reeve.
(The Reeve is the Guilds counterpart to mayors for the Guilds vassels, the Guild mirrors the Nobles power structure for the most part.)
When one of these people die that Job becomes available on the Kings Job Table.
Players having access to the Kings Job Table and retaining the qualifing Talents/Spells may apply...
If a PC gets a Countdom or other, special inclussion into the court (the Kings still quite despotic as a power base) then they will have new actions available that involve activly attempting to modify/add/subtract Laws.

Savy me droogies?





















Allow me to leave this one with a thought.

Apotheosis (Achieving Divinity)   ITL 57

Gods arn't playable.
Gods unballance the game.
Gods this.
Gods that.
Wah
< *rubs index finger aganst thumb and grins* >

I think the problem is one of control.

Another anology,
If TFT were a model railroad, then the story is the train and the tracks and yada, while the rules are the wires and switches and blablabla. (Steven Levy; Hackers)

>From the top;
"...there is the Player view and the GM view."

Apotheosis stradels BOTH worlds.
Litterly.
This ruleset is in all practical intents and pruposes an algorithm.
So if I view it as in essence code, then apotheosis is basicly having equal access to the code.
Do as you will.
Get enough "G.O.D.s" together and you've got Mt. Olympus, or Ragnorock or any other of the umpteen other ways folks have managed to find ways to squabble with each other.
Of COURSE folks would be PISSED if "I" got a hold of Gondor.
There'd be some changes made!
"I" didn't care for Peter Jacksons version.
WHY did the orcs crawl up the walls in Moria like bugs?
This concept makes Helms Deep 'highly devalued' IM'H'O.
G.O.D.s as Wiki editors?
I'm not sure yet, but I've got time. We haven't even made it to War yet.
But if you're world is detailed enough then you can "Solo" in the world you made, and...


I could while away the hours
Conferrin' with the flowers
Consultin' with the rain
And my head, I'd be scratchin'
While my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain.


..., so I wouldn't have to keep hearing all this "objectivity" crap because I CERTANLY am NOT objective and I've got a BS card ready in my hand for someone who claims they are.

Or in other words, don't listen to me for advice on deity. I'm simply saying there are ways of playing this way.
(Wasn't "Killer" an early SJ product?)

Anyhoo Mnoren are eaiser to handel in a relative way but lets make War first.


Jay

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