Pacing PC`s (internal problems

[Craig Greeson]

Kenneth Gauck wrote:
>big snip<
The BR rules tend to gloss over
> the under-structure of a realm, assuming a functioning local government, but
> getting into the local administration allows you to deal with graft,
> indolance, and carelessness of baliffs, sheriffs, and other local officials.
>
Hello,
I would agree with Kenneth that internal problems in a realm don't seem to
arise often enough. These are great "random" (also known as "DMs choice")
events to tie up PCs.

I have a question, however. If a baliff, sheriff, or other local official
forced a regent to deal with "graft" or "indolance", what exactly would
that mean. Forgive this simple engineer, but those are not terms I'm
familiar with, and I don't have Mr. Webster's dictionary handy.

Regards
Craig

[Kenneth Gauck]

- -----Original Message-----
From: Craig Greeson
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 1998 7:17 AM


>I have a question, however. If a baliff, sheriff, or other local official
forced
>a regent to deal with "graft" or "indolance", what exactly would that
mean.?

For this to work, the DM needs to make notes of whatever throw-away NPC's a
player encounters, so you can flesh them out later. Lets say a PC attempts
to build a road, but fails the success roll. The player says, "hey all I
needed was a 5, I'm going to visit the area, and see what the problem is."
So you introduce the player to the NPC engineer, Gwilym Ruogure, but don't
bother to work the character up because you decide that bad weather has help
up the road. The PC witnesses flooded plains, sick workmen, and weathered
materials. The PC decides that the weather was to blame and tries again
next season.

Maybe down the road a bit (pun :-) the player tries to build a fortress, and
the player fails the die roll (which requires a 1, since the success chance
is 2+). Again the player wants details. So the DM decides to bring back
Gwilym Ruogure the NPC engineer. The player arrives to find his engineer
living well, entertaining guests, and generally not getting on with the
construction (indolence) and appears to have been using the PC's funds to
line his own pockets (graft). The DM fleshes out the NPC and has the PC
role play the discovery of the bad engineer. Perhaps he even found that in
the previous setback, the engineer had purchased cheap materials and did not
house his laborers, nor feed them well enough, pocketing the difference.

Lets consider (in brief) other cases where corrupt local officials are
harming the PC.
1) Random Event 8, corruption can include bribery, embezlement, smuggling,
harboring fugatives, supporting brigands, subverting any of the PC's laws.
2) are sheriffs being bribed to look the other way while brigands menace the
province?
3) is the seneshal diverting funds in his control to his own purse?
4) is your rogue lieutenent smuggling wares past your own tax collectors?
5) is your vassal Sir Lloyd helping your political opponents enter and exit
your realm in safety?
6) did your master vintner kill his rival to get his position?
7) did your court physician poison his lover?
8) did one of your provinces fall into rebellion because the local sheriff
is capricious and cruel?
9) were goblins able to pillage several of your provinces because one of
your baliffs is careless and barely even trained for his function?
10) is a captain of your border garrison passing secrets to Prince Avan?

Kenneth Gauck
c558382@earthlink.net