The Feudal Setting (TCG)

__TOC__
==Merging Fact and Fantasy==
Many of us got into role-playing games when we met some friends who sim ply asked us to "come by and watch." Little did we know that we had already watched plenty of role-playing games in our all too short lives. In fact, the films and novels we've read over the years hold that same spark of imagination t ha t drew us in to these crazy games in the first place.
When setting up a new campaign world, there are two basic schools of thought: those who feel the game should be very historically accurate and those who do not. Of course, the introduction of magic in to the historic world is a mainstay of the AD&D® game and cannot help but distort an otherwise historic setting.
So, which do you choose in your campaign? Is your world going to be classically accurate, as it was seen in the great Roman and Biblical epics we've all watched on TV? Or will the world have an element of magic and superstition lurking just out of sight (or even in full view), like the great epic stories of Excalibur and Conan the Barbarian?
If you choose the latter, you must decide how far to take the magic, Very popular in recent fantasy literature are the "no holds barred" magical worlds where everyone and their brother lives and breathes magic. In many ways, this is similar to the way in which the average person sees technology today. After all, most people have no idea how a television set works, but they accept it as a common part of their daily lives.
The average AD&D campaign remains somewhat in the middle, along the lines of Tolkien's works and the stories of King Arthur. In this book, we will assume that this is the norm. Of course, because the AD&D game is your game. no single style of play is considered to be correct. If you and your players are having fun, then you're playing the game properly.
As with all things in the AD&D game, your interpretation is what matters, so feel free to pick and chose, discard and exploit. The more excited you get a bout your choices. the more your campaign will thrive and grow. Hopefully, this information will give you a wealth of adventure ideas and add life to all your future gaming .
Enjoy.
==Notes on Campaign Politics==
In many campaigns, the problems of na tional polities fall into the background for lower level characters. After all, the majority of first level adventurers are not able to cope with problems like major wars, thwarting the ultimate evil, or slaying that most horrible of horrors, the dragon. At this point in their careers, the characters are not going to be overly concerned with the ramifications of the king's political alliances for the same reason that most of us are not experts in the details of our country's own foreign relations: it simply doesn't enter into our daily lives.
As they progress in levels, however, things will begin to change. At first, this will be only a passing thing. Perhaps one adventure brings th eir actions to the attention of a local baron who, for better or worse, makes a mental note to keep an eye on the characters. By the time they have reached ninth level, the characters are usually fairly well known and have acquired the status of folk heroes. As he begins to attract followers, the character cannot help but come to the attention of the local government.
It is almost certain that, given time, they will become as well known in their homelands (or the region in which they adventure) as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, or the Wright brothers are in the modern United States. Of course, this may also mean that they are expected to undertake tasks which seem impossible and confront unstoppable armies as a matter of routine duty to their king. Oh well, that's what they get for giving up the simple life of a blacksmith.
In any case, it Is important to note that relationships with the local nobility (even for those who are a pa rt of It) are not a lways cordial. Just as the king can be a very valuable friend, so too can he be a deadly adversary.
==Feudal Society==
The basic element of feudalism is simple enough to understand. All in all, it is nothing more than an agreement between two men, a lord and a vassal, to work together for their mutual betterment.
The lord, who is the recognized owner of a piece of land-gives it to the vassal, who will manage and live on it. In exchange for such a favor, the lord is entitled to certain duties and favors from the vassal. which include the payment of taxes and the requirement that he support the military forces maintained by the lord.
In most cases, the owner of the land is the king and the vassals are his nobility. Of course, one can't expect the nobility to work the land themselves, so we come to the serfs and common folk.
The vassal, in an agreement similar to that he which he has with his king, turns the land over to the peasants and serfs to farm and live on. Like the vassal, they agree to work the land and provide their lord with income and food from it. Of course, the serfs expect to earn enough money to live on and to be protected by the lord in times of unrest or military conflict. The lord knows this, just as he knows that he can expect the same from the king, and is only too happy to provide it. While this doesn't mean that life for the serfs is wonderful, it does allow them to live without fear of extreme repression or exploitation.
The feudal system works well so long as everyone in it recognizes their own responsibilities and the rights of others. Since they are in a position where it is in their own best interest to do so, they almost always do. Those who ignore their duties or seek to take advantage of their own position are quickly pegged as trouble-makers and may well be strongly disciplined by the leadership of the society.
The reasons for this are simple enough to understand. While the King may not care too much about the life of a single serf, he must concern himself with their overall happiness. Without the serfs, his vassals have no power or income. Without the power and income of the vassals, he himself is impotent. Each block in the pyramid of power rests very solidly on those below it in the feudal system. Without the support of the base, the entire structure will collapse.
Of course, the key to the whole thing is land. Whoever owns the land has the power. While there are certain regions which might not belong to the king (a yeomaman's farm, for example) these are insignificant when compaired to the vast stretches of land owned by the king himself. Even such small patches of independent land will be forced to recognize the power of the king, of course, if they are to expect any protection or assistance from the crown during times of war or calamity.