On Fri, 14 Feb 1997, Brian Logan wrote:

> At 05:29 PM 13/02/97 -0800, you wrote:
>
> We play in a campaign where everyone is a regent. I am the only Guilder and
> hold no provinces. We have no-one who is exclusively a mage or priest. The
> biggest problem is coming up with reasons for the kings to go _adventuring_.
> And when they do go and don't dispatch retainers, there is the problem of
> all the personal bodyguards and sharing the experience.
>
> Any suggestions for reasons for the kings to be adventuring. We used the

Sometimes I think that we loose perspectie on the times, and the power of
leadership. It is a relatively recent development in warfare that the
officers are in the back and the soldiers in the front. For centuries,
it was the king or general who led his armies into battle. The common
man's fighting spirit is aroused when they see their king taking charge
of the situation and taking on equal risk with his men in military
conquest. That is why lieutenant actions are VERY risky. The populous
does not want to see one of the king's personal lackey's out sandbagging
during a flood. They feel as if the king thinks taht he is too good to
come out and help them. The king is disinterested int eh common man and
their loyalty fails. They want to see a strong militaristic and economic
leader who understands what is happening to them. They need to see
someone who is connected with their expreriences.

Consider politics today. When the President of the US sends out the Vice
President to a disaster area, people are not as happy as when the
President comes. Even a better example is the Royal Family of Britain.
If something tragic, such as a bombing, a ship wreck, or a war happens,
you find the Royals in the middle of things, not sitting back sending
their economic advisor. That is why the common people love the Royals so
much. "Yeah, I surved in the Royal Navy! I fought right along side his
Highness Prince Charles." "The Queen came and spoke at the funeral for
our children who were killed in a tragic ferry accident."

The way to get rulers on the street pounding pavement is to start
dropping province loyalty the next time they send a few troops out to a
town where monsters have been raiding. They may have solved the monster
problem, but they have not made the populace feel as if they were
improtant. Maybe the lieutenant gets into the situation and discovers
that he/she cannot hold command of the troops as the regent does and
winds up loosing the battle due to poor troop control. Intentionally
fail a few lieutenant actions. When the province is
bordering on open rebellion and a neighboring domain, or a local guild
is about to openly challenge the rightful ruleres claim to the province, the
regents will get on the road. The governemtn governs only by the
consent of the people!
jsp