Homebrew Feudal System

[Rodgin]

I don't see anythign else like this up, so here goes.

When I was in 8th grade, my history teacher presented us with a game called Feudalism. Straight forward game built to prove that the land for loyalty system used in that time period didn't always leave the king strongest.

Now, I can't present that game by forum. Just too complex to do in a PbP format. So, I started tinkering with a system that was more complex, but als more versatile. It works like this.

You are a noble (my thought was starting as a baron) and you have X amount of land (likely 100 parcels). Land comes in four types. Fields, Forest, Mountain, and Town. The DM (or king) would likely hand it out as he saw fit.

Farm land requires 1 person to work 5 parcels. Each parcel produces 2 food.

Mountains requires 1 person to work 5 parcels. Each parcel produces 1 iron/1 stone.

Forest requires 1 person to work 5 parcels. Each parcel preduces 2 wood.

Towns require 1 person to work 5 parcels. Each parcel houses 10 people.

Serfs can be changed over to soldiers. Unsure of how complex I want this to get. It can be as simple as soldiers, or utterly complex armies. I'm thinking of some middle ground of melee, archers, and cavalry.

From here, your goal is simple: Make your land prosperous and gain more land/fame.

This system would rely heavily on the DM to play upper nobles, vikings, famine, the church, etc. All commodities (including serfs) are tradeable between fifes and to the king/nobles over you played by the DM.

So, this is why this is here.

1. Do you think the rules will work as are or need some tweaks?

2. Who would be willing to play test this once I have it tweaked enough to play?

[Ronin of Fire]

Thats cool id love to help you out with this my E-mail [email protected]
Let me know when your system is up and running, or if you want some help im a good wall to bounce ideas off of.

[But Not Tonight]

Towns were generally separate from the holdings of the nobility. They relied on trade to support themselves: Trade with peasants and serfs in the area for food, trade in other goods to make the economic life of the town proper.
There were barely any towns.


On the other hand, there were a lot of villages. The serfs and peasants that made up the villages were largely self sufficient, or could conduct a limited amount of trade within the village to get what little they could not make themselves.

Then there is the whole differentiation of ranks thing...

And you absolutely HAVE to allow for awesome situations lie the one where some french noble was a vassal of both the French King and the German Emperor, and in fact gave some lands to the French King holding him as his vassal! The vassal holding his king as vassal!

[NakedCelt]

Looks OK so far, but needs a system whereby nobles can choose who to swear fealty to. So, if it looks like your present overlord is weakening, you can, if you choose, swear fealty to a different one.

[Satyr]

The new Song of Ice and Fire RPG has pretty decent rules for the development of noble houses and their holdings. Sadly, that is pretty much the only decent part of the rules, but it's enough to lift it from a bad game to a mediocre one.