Land is power. All wealth comes from
the earth, be it grain, spice, furs, or gold.
Most characters want to develop property,
and the richer and more famous a PC
becomes, the better a stronghold looks. In
a feudal society such as in most AD&D®
game worlds, people are governed by the
property-owning class, and the master of a
stronghold is a powerful figure. But power
brings enemies. Maintaining a freehold
provides as many adventures as a dungeon
? if not more.

When PCs reach high levels, it is hard to
challenge them. They have the resources
to defeat most monsters easily, yet the DM
cannot always use overwhelmingly powerful
enemies. If the PCs develop land, many
new scenarios are possible. Politics and
wars occupy the characters. Money can be
hauled out and put to use in building a
castle or maintaining a town, the costs of
which far exceed any other expenses PCs
might have. Thus, development of land is
good for game balance. The process of
clearing wilderness land is detailed in the
DMG, page 93. Information on obtaining
strongholds in civilized lands is found in
"The Care of Castles," by Katharine Kerr,
reprinted in the Best of DRAGON, Volume 4. 
That article also gives invaluable information on staffing
and running a castle. But there has been
little information on adventuring after a
castle is built.

Maintaining a populace
A land-holding PC constantly struggles to
gain citizens. More people mean more
workers for whatever industry dominates
the area. The DMG states that when random
encounter tables indicate potentially
friendly creatures, such creatures remain
in the PC's fiefdom. Few overlords will be
satisfied with this source of population. A
new landholder will probably want lots of
peasantry. Katherine Kerr, in "The Care of
Castles," describes a process for obtaining
such people. Peasants must be offered a
better situation than they currently enjoy.
In addition, their former lord must be
dealt with. He will only allow 10-15% of
his peasants to leave. The PC must also
pay him for them, at a rate agreeable to
both characters. Such negotiations can
draw PCs into political scenarios. The
former lord may want military alliances,
and his councillors may oppose the PC.
Physically moving new citizens to a PC?s
land is difficult, as they must be fed and
defended from monsters. PCs with an
established estate may trade citizens to
other nobles. [See "Armies From the
Ground Up" in this issue for more infor-
mation on population growth.]

A PC will want artisans in his freehold.
A landholder must travel to other cities in
order to find craftsmen. The DM can use
the process for finding henchmen to
determine how many citizens are attracted
(see page 35, DMG). For every 10%
level of effectiveness for a certain method,
one NPC will be located that year; thus, if
a character posts notices in some town,
1-4 citizens are found. These citizens are
tradesmen from the Expert Hirelings Table
on page 29 of the DMG, not true henchmen
or servitors of the PC. They may be
hired normally, but otherwise they merely
do business in the area of the PC?s fief.
Some NPC rulers may be displeased with
advertisements luring citizens away from
their town -- another source of trouble.
Each NPC attracted brings 1d12 -2 relatives.
If a fiefdom is maintained over time,
its citizens reproduce, doubling the population
every 21 years or so.

An overlords most important task is to
rule his people. The DM should determine
a morale score for a fiefdom?s citizens. The
normal morale loyalty system, given on page 36 of
the DMG, may be used. Obviously, modifiers
for training or status level, enlistment
or association, and pay or treasure shared
do not apply. A set of special modifiers is
given in Table 1.

Morale is a useful tool. Checks may be
used to determine if laws are obeyed, if
the population flees in times of disaster, or
if people revolt against their lord. Morale
can answer almost any question of governing.
It may be necessary to compute different
morale scores for different parts of
the population; a PC may have happy
peasants and a dissatisfied middle class. In
civil wars, such divided loyalty creates
exciting intrigue. It is important to know
the morale of citizens of NPC lords, as the
PCs may wish to spark rebellion in other
lands. For a small populace (a few hundred
people), a single morale score may
suffice.

Under feudal law, a lord is not the equivalent
of a modern dictator. Each class of
society is bound by rights and obligations.
Some are born to rule; others to feed the
rulers. Both positions are honorable. The
DM should emphasize this if the PCs
demand unnatural services from their
citizens, keeping the PCs from getting
unlimited free help from their subjects.

A ruler must support his citizens. If
disaster impoverishes a freehold, the ruler
is expected to help all its inhabitants. He
must pay at least half of the price for any
rebuilding. For every citizen killed, the
surviving family expects 10 sp. Maimed
persons drain 1 sp each per year thereafter.
If subjects are not supported, they
have no obligation to their lord, and they
then rebel or leave. PCs who ignore this
duty must be prepared to deal with revolutions,
crime, and banditry.

Making money
Some property is better than others. A
PC who controls rich gold mines usually
makes more money than one who rules a
barren hillside. Landholders have to bargain
and bully, and sometimes fight wars,
to get better property. The DM must
decide what resources are available in an
area. The Players Handbook lists a landholder
's income per inhabitant where it
describes appropriate character classes.
By raising taxes, a PC can generate more
money. As much as 150% of the normal
revenue can be so collected. However,
normal medieval taxes were incredibly
high. If a PC attempts to raise them, a
morale check must be made each year.
Furthermore, various penalties will apply.
Should morale fail, a revolt will occur
immediately. It is possible for a PC to enter
several different ventures. If this occurs,
compute each income separately. [“Armies From the
Ground Up” has another system
for tax calculations.]

A piece of land will support only a limited
number of people. Under medieval
conditions, about seven families can farm
a one-mile hexagon. Only three herdsmen
operate in a one-mile hex. Furthermore,
only cleared land can be used. Other
resources are also limited; the DM must
decide on the size and location of ore
veins, fresh water, etc. Each product must
have a market as well, so a way must be
found to get the goods to customers.

A market ratio is shown on Table 2.
Multiply this figure by the number of
workers engaged in a given work. This is
the number of people who must be available
to support a particular industry. For
example, if 500 people mine iron, the
market is 500 x 10; to make money, the
ruler must find a way to transport the
iron to an area where 5,000 people live.
The miners will buy iron goods, so only
4,500 other people must be found.

Each sort of industry has a different rate,
of profit ? and chances of failure or unexpected
success. Failure is checked for first.
When a venture fails, there is no roll for
bonuses that year; Table 2 describes these
chances. The adjustment to income is
added to or subtracted from the normal
income described in the Players Handbook.
Thus, a fighter with 1,000 subjects
normally receives 350 gp per year. If his
castle controls a rich trade route, he gets
50% more, or 525 gp per year. There is a
chance that his income fails or that he gets
an extra bonus. The effects of success or
failure are described below.

If an industry fails, only half the normal
income is collected. No bonuses are
allowed, although penalties are still exacted
The morale penalty for a poor year is
subtracted. The DM may determine the
cause of failures or bonuses. Farms may
suffer droughts, trade may be cut off by
hostile monsters, or dreadful rumors may
depress the workers. Failure may also be
due to economics. An overabundance of a
given product can ruin a PC?s profits.
Given the above, business can easily lead
to adventures, The PCs can try to right
these matters: destroying the monsters or
finding a new market for the product. The
DM must decide on exact details.

If there is a bonus, the character collects
double his normal income. This could be
due to high production, good news, or
good market conditions. The morale modifier
for a prosperous year may be applied.

A vital factor in economics, medieval or
modern, is how much of a market a given
interest controls. PCs will engage in heated
diplomacy to control resources. If a person
or cartel controls an industry, it can
reduce the chances of failure and raise
chances of success. For every 10% of an
industry a group owns, its chance of failure
is reduced 10%, and 10% is added to
the chance of success. The chance of
failure may never be lower than 5%, and
the chance of success may never be above
60%. A PC may embargo enemy powers.
For every 10% of a market held by the
embargoing power, the price can be raised
20%. Thus, if dwarves control 50% of all
base metals and declare an embargo, the
prices of all metal goods double. Should
some power embargo food, famine may
occur. During an embargo, the embargoing
power must check twice for failure. If
either check results in income loss, the
loss occurs.

A power that controls a product can also
flood the market, lowering its prices. In
this event, the percentage of the market
controlled by the flooding power is added
to the chance for the product?s failure
everywhere. This can be useful for ruining
enemies, but the forces who are lowering
the price must also suffer the penalty.
It is not as difficult as it seems for a DM to
determine how much of a market a PC
controls. Trade was limited in the Middle
Ages, and only extremely valuable, rare,
and nonessential substances were imported
from great distances. Thus, only a few
nations need be detailed. It was common
for medieval rulers to establish monopolies
in their kingdoms. All sales of a given
good were controlled. Trade guilds also
attempted to seize markets in order to
defend themselves against nobles.

International relations
By now it is obvious that a PC lord will
not be independent. For citizens, money,
resources, and security, all rulers must
deal with other powers. These might not
be other countries.  Trade guilds must be 
dealt with, and churches may formally 
negotiate with nobles.  Nationalism was 
unknown in early times, so people may 
shift between rulers without qualms.  (Note 
that the PC may have purchased serfs to 
till his lands.)  For the same reason, a ruler 
cannot always count on the support of his 
people; Wars, economic actions, and diplomacy 
occur along church, business, or 
international lines with equal ease.  Diplomacy 
is expensive.  Other nobles must be 
entertained, and tribute must be paid. 

A fantasy-world diplomat is usually
personally involved in bargaining. Friendship
and individual alignment may make a
difference, but horrible acts of treachery
occurred in the Middle Ages. For fear of
this, parleys were often held on bridges
with a barrier in the center; this prevented
one ambassador from kidnapping the
other. If a foreign power has no reason to
support a treaty, it will break it.

The DM must carefully role-play other 
nobles.  Power plays and intrigue are exciting.  
If a PC demands respect, and can back 
up interests with force, he is likely to get 
what he wants. 

Only the DM can describe the interna-
tional situation in his milieu.  Small, new 
powers are likely to spread war in hopes 
of increasing their power.  Larger nations 
will protect the status quo.  When several 
powerful lands contend for the same area, 
they will probably have some sort of balance 
of power.  If the balance is damaged, 
the nations will fight.  Powers which 
defend the status quo often become balancers, 
allying 1st with 1 power, then 
another, to prevent war.  No 
nation wants any neighbor to become too 
powerful.  For this reason, countries seldom 
cooperate completely.  In the Middle 
Ages, nations often signed treaties with 
many powers.  It was not uncommon for 
there to be conditions under which a 
noble would fight for 1 side, and conditions 
that would make him support the 
other.  Many alliances obviously had to be 
kept quite secret!

Monsters and disasters
There are worse things than war to 
trouble a noble.  In a fantasy world, there 
are monsters and malevolent wizards to 
deal with.  Monster incursions are covered 
in the DMG, on page 93.  The lord should 
not be informed of an incursion unless he 
would have some way of knowing about it.
Some creatures immediately begin to
wreak havoc; others infiltrate a fiefdom
and subvert peasants. Undead and lycanthropes
must be feared. If they are not
rooted out and killed, the PC may find that
his entire populace has become an army of
monsters. Magic-users or creatures which
can charm people present a similar problem.
A PC may lead inquisitions, but there
will certainly be morale penalties if innocent
people are regularly tortured or
killed. Good characters must avoid such
excesses.

Natural disasters make excellent scenarios.
A table is needed to see when they
occur. Of course, the DM, is not bound by
the dice. If a disaster would spoil some
other adventure, it need not happen; if the
DM wants one to occur, he need not wait
until the dice indicate it. The table below
describes natural disasters after the manner
of the yearly and monthly events
tables in Oriental Adventures, pages 107-
113. A maximum of 0-2 events occur each
year. Roll 1d4 -2; if the result is zero or
,less, no events occur. An event occurs 1-12
game months from the ?time? of the dice
roll. For every 20% of the population
killed by a disaster, morale drops by 5%.

Table 3 results
Comet. An especially bright comet is
sighted. Most astrologers and sages see it
as a portent, and the local citizens are
either encouraged or frightened by the
event, checking morale with a - 20%
penalty. If morale fails, lower morale 10%.
If it succeeds, improve it 10%. Optionally,
the DM may use this event to foretell a
major adventure. Instead of a comet, this
event may be an eclipse, meteor shower,
or other astrological feature.

Extreme weather. Depending on the
season, this could be a heat wave, a blizzard,
a drought, or an overpowering rain.
Add 30% to the chance of failure for any
farm. The weather may affect PCs as well.
Bruce Humphrey's article "The Role of
Nature," in DRAGON issue #108, discussed
extreme weather conditions.

Famine. Food becomes scarce for 2-7
months. Each month, 5% of the population
starves to death. Food costs 100 times the
normal price! The PC receives no income
from farms, and there is a 20% chance of
a plague (see below). PCs may stockpile
grain against such an event. The prices for
normal rations in the Players Handbook <Rations, standard, 1 week - 3 gp, 20# >
may be used in times of plenty. Each year,
2-40% of all stored grain will rot, though
the use of magic may alleviate this. If food
was stored, or if clerics can create it, the
PC may decide how it is given out. If it is
not distributed evenly, there will certainly
be morale checks and penalties.

Flood. Waters in any nearby large body
of water rise 5-30'. The impending flood is
obvious 2-5 days in advance. The PC loses
1-10% of his population and 50-80%
(1d20 + 50) of any farm income. There is a
20% chance of plague and 20-40% chance
of a famine. Buildings in the flood waters
lose 1-6 structural points. All prices are
doubled for 2-5 months.
 

Table 1
Modifiers to Population Morale

Condition	Result
Ruler is a local hero	+15%
Year is prosperous	+15%
Citizens are noble*	+10%
Special gifts distributed**	+10%
Festivals***	+10%
Citizens own their own land*	+5%
Citizens are gentry*	+5%
Citizens are freemen*	-
Citizens are peasants*	-5%
Citizens are serfs*	-10%
Ruler behaves improperly****	-10%
Serfs or peasants oppressed*	-10%
Year is poor	-10%
Gentry or nobles oppressed	-15%
Citizens are slaves	-20%
Middle class oppressed*****	-25%

* This modifier may only apply to a
portion of the total population, so a
fractional proportion of this figure may
be used as a modifier (e.g., if 50% of the
citizens are slaves, the total modifier for
that part of the populace is -10%).

** This includes any benefit the ruler
gives to a large segment of the population.
Presents must be worth at least 5 sp per citizen.
This modifier could apply when the PC has performed
a popular act, such as capturing a notorious bandit
or expelling a hated general.

*** This applies for 1-12 months after
the festival. To qualify for this bonus, the
PC must sponsor a celebration that costs
large sums of money. If the DM has no
details on the price, assume that it
requires 100-10,000 (d100 x 100) gp.
Religious ceremonies, knightings, and
celebrations of heroes are typical
festival occasions. This modifier is cumulative
twice, so a maximum of +20% is gained
from festivals.

**** Improper behavior covers a variety
of ignoble acts. Association with the
wrong social class, impious religious behavior,
or failure to observe local customs are examples.

*****Interestingly enough, it is more
dangerous to offend the bourgeoisie than
any other class of society. Nobles fear
upsets in the current situation. Peasants
and serfs usu. accept oppression.
But when tradesmen and free people are
hurt, they often rise up in revolution.

Table 2
PC Ruler Income

Industry	Adjustment to income	Chance of failure	Chance of bonus	Market ratio
Animal herds	+10%	10%	15%	0.2
Craft work*	+25%	30%	15%	2
Farm, arable	none	25%	20%	0.15
Farm, poor**	-25%	40%	5%	0.1
Fishing	none	20%	15%	0.2
Lumber/quarry	-10%	10%	5%	1
Mercenaries	***	***	***	***
Metal	+10%	25%	15%	10
Precious metal	+50%	20%	30%	20
Rare animal	+10%	35%	35%	20
Rare herb/spice	+25%	25%	20%	15
Trade	+50%	40%	40%	100
Water (desert)	+10%	10%	5%	100

* This includes any manufactured item. Rugs, ships, metal goods, magical devices, and artwork all apply.
* * A failure on poor farmland results in famine (see text).
* * * The use of mercenaries is generally covered in DRAGON issue #109, "Fighters For a Price." 
The DM should work out details if the PC ruler wishes to field his own mercenary force.


Table 3
Natural Disasters and Events                Terrain

Event	Normal	Coast	Plain	River
Comet	01-10	01-10	01-10	01-10
Extreme weather	11-26	11-17	11-30	11-22
Famine*	27-41	18-23	31-34	23-27
Flood	42-52	24-44	35-40	28-53
Geologic**	53-63	45-54	41-50	54-64
Hurricane	64-74	55-75	51-84	65-75
Lightning	75	76	85	76
Plague	76-95	77-88	86-95	77-95
Tidal wave	-	89-95	-	-
Fire	96-00	96-00	96-00	96-00

* This situation may result from war-related sieges or when there is an income failure on poor farmland (see text).
* * Roll on Table 4 for geologic disasters.

Table 4
Geologic Disasters                                Terrain

Event	Hills/fault	Hills/no fault	Flat/flaut	Flat/no fault
Earthquake	01-20	01-15	01-50	01-05
Mud slide	21-50	06-16	-	-
Rock slide	51-60	17-27	-	-
Avalanche	61-70	28-38	-	-
Volcano	71-90	39-54	51-56	06
Roll again*	91-95	55-80	57-70	07-40
No event	96-00	81-00	71-00	41-00

* Roll for new disaster on Table 3.

Table 4 results
Earthquake. Treat as the spell, but affecting
an area 10-1,000 miles in diameter.

Mud slide, rock slide, and avalanche.
There is a 70% chance that an avalanche
hits a building, and a 90% chance that it
blocks a road. Avalanches do 1-10 hp
structural damage, are 40% likely to strike
a building, and are 80% likely to block a
road. Mud slides hit buildings 80% of the
time and roads 95%; they do 2-12 structural
points damage. All blocked roads
require 2-5 days to clear. In any slide,
1d20 - 8 people are killed.

Volcano. If a volcano is in the area, it
erupts. Otherwise, a new volcano forms.
An earthquake occurs (as noted above)
within a half-mile radius of the volcano.
All creatures within 200 yards of the eruption
lose 6d10 hp damage from the explosion.
Ash buries all areas within 10 miles
1-10? deep. Lava flows are 10-100? wide,
and they travel at a speed of 2-12?. They
lose 1? of speed every quarter-mile they
travel. If a lava flow hits a building, the
structure is ruined.

Hurricane. A great storm sweeps the
land within 500 miles of the ocean coasts.
The PC loses 5% of his population, and all
buildings lose 2-20 structural points. Further
inland, this result indicates tornadoes.
Each building has a 50% chance of being
hit by a twister for 3-24 hp structural
damage. The PC loses 1-6% of his subjects.

Lightning. Roll 1d100. On a roll of 01-80,
a major building is hit by lightning; on a
roll of 81-90, an NPC is struck; and, on a
roll of 91-00, a PC is hit. Lightning does
from 3d6 to 6d6 hp damage. If this is 50%
or more of the victim's hit points, he loses
a point of CON. Should the character
fail to save vs. paralyzation, he is
stunned for 1-4 rounds and is affected as
if by a forget spell. Wooden buildings lose
1-3 structural points when hit by lightning
and must save vs. lightning or catch fire.
Stone is not affected.

Plague. The DM should select a disease
appropriate to the campaign area from the
table on page 14 of the DMG. Severity is
rolled separately for each victim. All PCs
in the area have a 40% chance of contracting
the disease. If they contact infected
persons, this chance rises to 60%. NPCs
from other lands refuse to enter the area,
and all prices double. The plague lasts
from 2-12 months. Each month, 5% of the
population catches the disease and suffers
from its effects.

Tidal wave. A seismic wave sweeps the
coasts. It is 10-40' high and comes 100
yards inland for every 10' of its height,
though this reduces the wave's height by
10'. Each 10' of inland elevation reduces
the wave's height by 10'. Buildings lose
2-12 structural points for every 10' of
wave height when the wave hits them.
The PC loses 10-80% of his population
without prior warning. There is a 10%
chance of a plague after a tidal wave. For
1-2 months, the price of building materials
triples, and all other prices double.

Fire. This will be a forest or grass fire in
the wilderness, or a building fire in urban
areas. In the city, from 50-80% of the local
(inflammable) buildings burn. Property of
the PCs has a chance to be burnt equal to
the percent of the city that is ruined.
Stone buildings are not destroyed, but all
combustibles inside them are. The city
loses 10-40% of its people. There is a 20%
chance of plague and a 10% chance of
famine. For four months, the price of
building materials is 10 times normal. The
price of food doubles for one month.

In the wilderness, a grass or forest fire
begins. The DM needs some sort of weather
table in this event. Grass fires move as
fast as the wind; forest fires move at half
that speed. A fire begins 1-100? wide, and
it gains 10? each hour of burning. A wildfire
meanders about for days or weeks
until rain falls or it is put out. Any building
in the area of a wildfire burns. Characters
take 2d4 hp damage per round from
grass fires and 2d6 hp damage from forest
fires. Grass fires burn in one area for 10
minutes. Forest fires last for a full day in a
single area. A wildfire prevents any
income from farming if it reaches planted
fields. Lumber is also destroyed.

Characters may attempt to surround
wildfires and put them out. This requires
one worker for every 100? line of fire and
gives an 80% chance per day to stop the
fire. Each 10 MPH of wind speed reduces
this chance 10%. As an interesting alternative,
the DM could play out the fire fighting
like a mass battle. A map could be
used, and the PCs could position fire fighters
while the DM outlines the path of the
flame. If it is ringed by bare earth 100?
wide, the fire stops spreading. Spells like
cloudburst may also help.

Summary
The details in this article apply to most
fantasy game worlds. However, if you do
not feel that they reflect your campaign,
feel free to change them. The affairs of
NPC rulers affect most characters, and
natural disasters can provide adventure
for anybody. Information on strongholds is
useful, even if no PC has one -- the NPCs
are sure to own a few!
 

SEPTEMBER 1987