Help! I need a mechanic for Politics.

[frogspawner]

I'm working on my campaign setting for a Colony Era Jorune game. The idea is that the PC's will be movers and shakers in the fate of their own Colony site. Local population is about 250 per site. However, they will also need to work / cooperate with the other 79 colony sites. Initially there will be a strong central government, but this will fragment over time. Eventually it will degenerate into a post apocalypse setting.

Can't help thinking realistic politics would be impossibly difficult to simulate. So why not do like I intend for an upcoming campaign? That is, use real-world nations/factions to model the ones in your setting (though you'd probably want to change the names). Then to come up with the politics all you have to do is watch the news.

[Merak Gren]

Try this, it's free: http://perilplanet.com/docs/FUrpg.pdf I suggest this one the most.

And I just got this and it looks like it might work too, if tweaked. And one of the two main rules: "style over substance" tends to portray politics reasonably well. It's also free. https://www.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=91382

These are not D100 games. They are geared towards accounting for the resources the PCs have, and use D6 pools.

Also the Renaissance SRD has a "righteousness" table that can be used as well. http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=97426

I've had a look at the links and have to say the Factions in the Rennaisance SRD is looking quite good. However, rather than have RP's as presented, I'd combine that with the Allegiance scores.

I like the beliefs. My thinking had not come this far, but it makes a good template.

[Merak Gren]

Can't help thinking realistic politics would be impossibly difficult to simulate. So why not do like I intend for an upcoming campaign? That is, use real-world nations/factions to model the ones in your setting (though you'd probably want to change the names). Then to come up with the politics all you have to do is watch the news.

The politics I'm hoping should divide the collective and cause mechanical difficulty when using community resources. I'm not concerned about the nitty gritty, but how groups of people are harder to work with without leadership.

[Merak Gren]

For the record, I am planning on implementing something using the Allegiance rules in this way to handle Drennship in Ardoth as well as other political and cultural ideologies (Thantier and their stance on non pure humans, Bronth and Woffen views of Iscin and Crugar, etc.) These Allegiances will have an impact on Etiquette/Interaction skills as well.

I have also been digging into James Bond 007 for some thoughts on such interpersonal skills - again, Bond has some good rules for handling Reaction, Persuasion, Seduction, Interrogation, Torture and Brainwashing.

Ian

Interesting. I'd love to see it all when finished.

Once I've written something up, I'll send you my notes to compare.

[sdavies2720]

I've had a look at the links and have to say the Factions in the Rennaisance SRD is looking quite good. However, rather than have RP's as presented, I'd combine that with the Allegiance scores.

I like the beliefs. My thinking had not come this far, but it makes a good template.

We've been playing the Clockwork & Chivalry scenarios for a while (the sourcebook that prompted creation of the Rennaisance game/SRD), and the factions work pretty well. You don't have to have everything defined ahead of time and you don't have to have diametrically opposed factions. You just need situations that force characters to come up against their beliefs. I would think the allegiance score would work perfectly instead of righteousness.

Steve