TEXT: Author:   Michael J. Varhola   
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         System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, 
  Inc; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on 
  original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
      Gary Gygax’s Canting Crew, Copyright 2002,  Trigee Enterprise 
  Company, Author E. Gary Gygax.
      Gary Gygax’s World Builder, Copyright 2002, Trigee Enterprise 
  Company, Authors E. Gary Ggyax, Dan Cross.
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  Company, Author E. Gary Gygax.
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   Gary Gygax’s Nation Builder, Copyright 2005, Trigee Enterprise 
  Company, Author Michael Varhola.
  Troll Lord Games
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  Table of Contents
  Foreword 
   
   
   
   
  4
  Introduction 
   
   
   
   
  5
  BOOK ONE: THE NATION 
   
  7
  Chapter 1: Characteristics of the Nation 8
   
  Attributes of a Nation 
   
   
  8
   
  Empires 
   
   
   
   
  9
   
  City States  
   
   
   
  10
   
  Kingdoms & Other Sovereign States 
  10
   
  Nationalism & National Rivalries  
  11
   
  Location & Terrain 
   
   
  11
   
  Quasi-Nations 
   
   
   
  13
   
  National Heritage  
   
   
  14
  Chapter 2: The Land 
   
   
  18
   
  The Ecosystem 
   
   
   
  18
   
  Natural Resources  
   
   
  19
   
  Cultural Identity  
   
   
  23
   
  Other Humanoid Populations 
   
  24
  Chapter 3: Governmental Forms  
  26
   
  Common Governments 
   
   
  26
   
  Types of Government 
   
   
  33
   
  Types of States 
   
   
   
  34 
   
  BOOK TWO: THE COMMUNITY  
  35
  Chapter 4: Communities 
   
   
  36
   
  Community Dened 
   
   
  36
   
  Calamities  
   
   
   
  37
   
  Villages & Smaller Communites  
  39
   
  Characteristics of Communities  
  41
   
  Governmental Public Buildings & Areas 44
   
  Buying & Constructing Buildings  
  45
   
  Other Communities 
   
   
  47
  Chapter 5: Society 
   
   
   
  48
   
  Social Structure & Classes 
   
  48
   
  Citizenship  
   
   
   
  49
   
  Military Organization 
   
   
  50
   
  Education & Literacy 
   
   
  55
   
  Proverbs 
   
   
   
   
  56
   
  Customs 
   
   
   
   
  56
   
  Ceremonies 
   
   
   
  57
   
  Entertainment & Recreation 
   
  57
   
  Guilds 
   
   
   
   
  58
   
  Naming Patterns  
   
   
  59
  Chapter 6: The Economy 
   
   
  60
   
  Economic Systems  
   
   
  60
   
  Economic Rescources 
   
   
  62
   
  Trade 
   
   
   
   
  62
   
  Currency  
   
   
   
  65
   
  Commodities 
   
   
   
  69
   
  Taxes & Similar Revenue  
   
  69 
  BOOK THREE: THE CULTURE  
  71
  Chapter 7: Religion  
   
   
  72
   
  Forms of Religion  
   
   
  72
   
  Organization 
   
   
   
  75
   
  Places of Worship  
   
   
  77
   
  Orders, Sects, & Cults 
   
   
  79
   
  Forbidden Deities  
   
   
  82
  Chapter 8: Magic Level 
   
   
  85
   
  Types & Strength of Magic 
   
  85
  Chapter 9: Technological Level 
   
  89
   
  Technology 
   
   
   
  89
   
  Military Technology 
   
   
  90
   
  Technological Ages 
   
   
  91
   
  Variables of Technology  
   
  93
  Chapter 10: Folklore, Legends, &
   
  Adventure  
   
   
   
  97
   
  Folklore & Legends 
   
   
  97
   
  Adventure Hooks  
   
   
  99
   
  APPENDICES
  Appendix A: d20 Prestige Classes 
   
  105
   
  Diplomat  
   
   
   
  105
   
  High Priest  
   
   
   
  106
   
  Mercenary Commander 
   
   
  107
   
  Missionary  
   
   
   
  108
   
  Watchman  
   
   
   
  109
  Appendix B: d20 Skills & Feats 
   
  112
   
  Counterfeiting 
   
   
   
  117
  Appendix C: d20 Magic 
   
   
  118
   
  Religious Titles 
   
   
   
  118
   
  Classes in Religious Hierarchies  
  119
   
  Pantheon Specic Items  
   
  119
   
  High Magic & The Game  
   
  120
   
  Low Magic & The Game  
   
  121
   
  Spells 
   
   
   
   
  122
  Appendix D: d20 New Monsters 
   
  124
  Appendix E: d20 Encounter Tables  
  125  
  Appendix F: d20 Guilds & The Game  
  129
  Appendix G: d20 Troops, Defenseworks, &
   
  Construction Costs  
   
   
  130 
  Appendix H: Lejendary Adventure Classes 132
  Appendix I: Lejendary Adventure Construction
   
  Costs 
   
   
   
   
  135
  Appendix J: Recommended Reading  
  138  
   
  
  Nation builder   8  
  Gary Gygax’s Nation Builder
   Nations of all sorts fill the maps of the fantasy campaign 
  world. Their political boundaries trace the topography of sea-
  coasts and river valleys and mountain ranges, hinting at areas 
  of conflict where they butt up against each other or overlap, 
  and revealing the most dangerous, forsaken areas of wildland 
  where they do not exist at all. Sprawling, expansionist empires, 
  xenophobic theocracies, idealistic republics, and yes, king-
  doms aplenty and every other sort of state possible under our 
  sun or any other are the homelands of the heroes, villains, and 
  most of the other peoples of the fantasy milieu. 
   In a basic or even rudimentary sort of campaign, where 
  dungeon-stomping and monster-hacking are the be-all and end-
  all of action and role-playing, the existence of nations and their 
  various characteristics are little more than a backdrop for the 
  milieu. If that backdrop can be given greater detail, however, 
  more intense colors, and even three dimensions, the depth and 
  breadth of the roleplaying experience can be expanded upon 
  commensurately. Game Masters have it within their ability to 
  increase the enjoyment of the games in this way and to create 
  nations that are tangible, believable, and enjoyable. 
   Understanding what a nation is, and what its various attri-
  butes are, is the first step in this process. 
  ATTRIBUTES OF NATIONS
   A nation is a large group of people united by a common 
  ancestry, culture, history, or language—and perhaps all of 
  these things—that is ruled by an independent government 
  within a specific geographic area and is recognized by other 
  nations (typically through such mechanisms as an exchange of 
  ambassadors). 
   Frequently, the word “nation” is used to mean a group of 
  people with a feeling of national unity and a shared culture, 
  history, or language; the word “state” to an area of land whose 
  people have an independent government; “nation-state” to a 
  single political entity that combines the attributes of both a 
  nation and a state; and “country” to a geographically cohesive 
  region. These are fairly technical applications for these terms, 
  however, and in this book these definitions are blurred to a 
  large extent and the words “nation,” “country,” and “state” are 
  all used fairly synonymously. 
   Historically, nation-states as we understand them today 
  began to develop in the late Middle Ages, during a time 
  when travel and communication began to improve and people 
  became progressively more aware of the parts of their country 
  that lay beyond their own communities. As a result, loyalty 
  to local and religious leaders was weakened and allegiance 
  to national monarchs grew stronger. By the 18th century, Eng-
  land, France, Spain, and a number of other countries had 
  become nation-states in the wholly modern sense. 
   Many of the states that exist in a fantasy world are not likely 
  to conform to the modern definition of a nation, and instead 
  be proto-states constituted upon such things as ethnic, racial, 
  or tribal origins, religious affiliations, personal loyalties, and 
  vassal relationships with the powers-that-be. Such “nations” 
  might exist for indefinite periods of time—even several genera-
  tions or centuries—but will not generally have the characteris-
  tics, size, stability, or permanence that we tend to associate 
  with most current, real-world nations (exceptions to these 
  assertions can, of course, be found throughout both history and 
  the modern world). Great empires aside, most of the “nations” 
  in a fantasy world—like so many of those in the ancient and 
  medieval worlds—are not likely to be much bigger than coun-
  ties or perhaps the size of medieval European states. 
   Nations are generally assumed to have distinct rights and 
  responsibilities. What one nation sees as its own rights and 
  responsibilities, however, will be defined by its collective 
  experience, ethos, needs, and other factors, and may diverge 
  considerably from what other nations consider its rights and 
  responsibilities to be. In the modern world, these typically 
  include such things as the right to freely navigate on the 
  high seas and the responsibility not to threaten or wage war 
  on other nations. In our own world, however, these rights 
  and responsibilities are abridged or violated almost daily. The 
  extent to which this will be the case in a fantasy game milieu 
  is wholly at the discretion of the Game Master and will say 
  much for the character and stability of the campaign world he 
  has created. 
   In the context of the game, a nation might be quite small by 
  modern standards, perhaps as few as 5,000 people if it is politi-
  cally autonomous and meets the various criteria listed in the 
  previous paragraphs. Certain types of nation are more likely 
  than others to be this small, foremost among them city-states. 
  (Luxembourg is a modern example of such a nation.) 
   Likewise, a nation might be quite large, and have several 
  million residents within its borders. Certain types of nation 
  are also more likely than most to be this large, most notably 
  empires. Within such large nations, there may be numerous 
  political entities that, while ultimately subject to the will of 
  the greater power, are largely autonomous and are, essentially, 
  nations unto themselves. 
   Like people, nations have a lifespan and, depending on their 
  resilience, internal strengths, and outside pressures might last 
  anywhere from a few years to millennia; a couple of centuries 
  is probably typical. As such, one nation is usually built on 
  the ruins of the last, and with the ones that preceded it; only 
  very rarely will a new nation be established where none existed 
  before. This is possible, of course, and there are a few ways 
  it could likely occur. One is when a political entity is estab-
  lished in a country that has not been previously inhabited 
  to any extent (e.g., a new continent, a new planet), for exam-
  ple. Another is when a quasi-national entity like a colony 
  is founded in an area that has only primitive peoples with 
  governance that has not surpassed the proto-national level. 
  Chapter ONE
  characteristics of the nation
  
  Nation Builder   19 
  by design? Did some previously unknown or hidden region 
  suddenly become accessible, perhaps via a magic portal, and 
  now ecosystems are mixing? Or perhaps a familiar predator, 
  vital to the nation’s economy and identity, is suddenly dying 
  off or disappearing. The Player Characters might be tasked 
  with discovering the cause. In an interesting twist, perhaps the 
  Player Characters are the cause, having systematically slain 
  one or more of the major predators, either for monetary gain 
  or simply “the experience.” Now the ecosystem has been dis-
  rupted, and some other creature that the main predator kept in 
  check is flourishing uncontrollably, causing unforeseen prob-
  lems. 
   A real world example of this can be found in the rabbits 
  that were loosed in Australia, which flourished because there 
  were no natural predators to check their population. Dogs were 
  then brought in to hunt the wild rabbits, but these animals 
  soon degenerated into the dingo, the feral dog of Australia 
  that prefers domestic sheep to wild hare. Similarly, wild swine 
  might prove to be a problem for the United States in the 
  coming years . . . .
  NATURAL RESOURCES
   No discussion of nation building would be complete without 
  addressing natural resources. Most nations will seek to exploit 
  their territory to the fullest extent possible—limited, of course, 
  by technological, social, religious, and perhaps other factors—
  and advantages can be found in even the most inhospitable ter-
  rain. Mining for ore, harvesting lumber and crops, and hunting 
  or trapping valuable animals are all key drivers of a nation’s 
  economy and identity, especially at a medieval technological 
  level. 
   One of the most important natural resources for any nation is 
  fresh water for its people and animals, and possibly for the irri-
  gation of crops. All communities will have a water source—a 
  well, oasis, pond, stream, river, or lake. Of course, waterways 
  also serve as transportation arteries, a palpable resource unto 
  themselves. 
   First, decide what resources the landscape might be able to 
  provide that would be of value to the nation, or of value to 
  other nations as a trade good. Natural resources are going to 
  form the backbone of trade in your world, and how important 
  each nation is in the worldwide economy. The GM must decide 
  if there are mineral deposits beneath the surface, or if the 
  forests within the nation’s borders produce lumber useful for 
  construction. It is important to always keep in mind the char-
  acter of the nation that you want to develop when making 
  such decisions. For example, if the nation you want to develop 
  will be a proud society of horse warriors, then mineral assets 
  and lumber are probably not important when determining 
  resources. Instead, such a society is more likely to have sprung 
  up from a land with ample plains and plentiful herds of horses 
  or similar riding animals.
   Next, when looking at how a nation might seek to develop 
  its natural resources, several factors must be considered. How 
  does the ruling government view its territory? Are they willing 
  to exploit the available resources and, if so, to what degree? 
  A nation of dwarves might have extensive mining operations, 
  for example, but completely ignore lumber resources on the 
  the land
  
  Nation builder   20  
  Gary Gygax’s Nation Builder
  surface, save for such timber as is needed in their diggings. 
  A community of elves might oppose cutting down forests for 
  timber, but be willing to trade furs and pelts gathered from 
  hunting. In an extreme case, a nation governed by nature 
  priests might eschew disrupting any part of the ecosystem with 
  commercial ventures, preferring to leave the landscape in a 
  pristine state. Such a nation would, of course, be a primitive 
  one in most regards.
   This is not to say that a nation cannot have resources that it 
  chooses to leave unexploited. Such situations can present many 
  options for adventure hooks. But as a general rule, a society 
  tends to be shaped by its surroundings, which include the 
  natural resources available. If you are making determinations 
  for your nation in a reverse order, building the land around a 
  desired culture, then keeping to this rule is a good way to keep 
  focused on a national identity that is supported by all aspects 
  of that nation’s composition. 
  Land as a Resource
   The first place to look for potential resources is the terrain 
  itself, the geography. Are there mountains or hills that might 
  provide ready access to mineral assets? How much arable land 
  is available? If good farmland is scarce, the nation will either 
  have a scant population or have to import basic foodstuffs, 
  which means relying on trade and cultivating other natural 
  resources to produce trade goods. If the land can raise more 
  food than its people need, then that becomes a viable trade 
  good. Do not forget to look at rivers and other bodies of 
  water, as well. Oceans, lakes and rivers can provide both 
  a source of food and a source of transportation and trade. 
  If the technological level is high enough—virtually anything 
  above a Stone Age level—the power of flowing water can 
  be harnessed through waterwheels and dams. The presence or 
  absence of these resources will have far-reaching effects upon 
  the character of the nation you design. 
   Next, look to the flora that the land provides. Again, 
  crops fall under this category. What kinds of crops will this 
  nation’s geography and climate support? Edible crops—espe-
  cially grains like wheat, barley, rice, and maize—are the most 
  important to feed a growing populace and support cities, but 
  other crops can be grown and converted into trade goods to 
  cover any lack of food production. Spices are the truly upscale 
  kind of vegetable produce of a nation. Tobacco, textiles (silk is 
  akin to gold, cotton to silver, and linen and wool to copper and 
  iron), and extracts for dyes can all become sources of national 
  identity. 
   As with the ecosystem, try to select a limited number of 
  crops that the country in question is known for. Unless the 
  nation controls a large and varied territory, it is unlikely to 
  produce everything that it needs. Deciding that the nation 
  produces the finest dyes in the world, or is sole source of a 
  valuable medicinal herb (and jealously guards the secrets of 
  its cultivation) can add to the unique flavor each nation. Such 
  monopolies can also make for great story hooks. The party 
  could find itself sent to a far-off land in search of a rare herb 
  to cure a local ruler, or find itself escorting an enterprising 
  merchant seeking to negotiate trade rights to the fine wines that 
  only one country produces. 
   Arable land is not the only source of vegetable wealth, how-
  ever. Forests can provide valuable lumber, either for general 
  building (e.g., cedar, oak, pine) or as a luxury wood used for 
  fine ornamentation (e.g., mahogany, teak). For societies that 
  oppose cutting down whole trees, value can still be gained by 
  harvesting nuts, sap for syrup, or leaves. Jungles can provide 
  medicinal herbs and rare spices, and the fiercer and more 
  inhospitable the terrain, the greater the value that will be 
  attached to the resources it provides. Do not forget that the 
  wealthy might be willing to pay top coin for exotic plants and 
  flowers solely based on their aesthetic appeal. If your group 
  of players tends to act with too heavy a hand for your taste 
  most of the time, try challenging them with a quest from a 
  soon-to-be-married noble who wants them to return with a rare 
  flower that he can present as a wedding gift to his betrothed. 
  Of course, the flower only grows in some suitably inhospitable 
  place (the more difficult to get, the greater the display of the 
  noble’s devotion, after all). Protecting such delicate beauty 
  from the rigors of travel might be just the lesson the party 
  needs on appreciating subtlety. 
  Units of Measurement
   Once various peoples have found a collective use for the 
  land, they need ways to measure or otherwise express or record 
  information about it. Following is a non-comprehensive list of 
  terms from a number of different historic and fantastic systems 
  of measurement—as well as some useful ways for thinking 
  of distances in the game—which Game Masters can employ 
  as needed or use as the inspiration for their own systems of 
  Dwarven Hectares, Theran Meters, and the like. 
   Acre: An area of 43,560 square feet (4,840 square yards), 
  640 of which make up a square mile. It is based on the area a 
  yoke of oxen could plow in one day. 
   Bowshot: A distance of 220 yards, the same length as a 
  furlong, from the distance at which longbowmen shoot at butts 
  for practice.
   Chain: A length of 66 feet, based on the surveyor’s tool 
  of the same name, 10 of which make up a furlong and 80 of 
  which make up a mile. It is divided into 100 links. 
   Cubit: A length of 18 inches. Derived from the Latin 
  word for “elbow,” it represents the distance between a typical 
  human’s elbow and the tip of his middle finger. 
   Dwarven Chainlength: A length of 60 feet (20 yards), 
  used by dwarves and other subterranean folk for measuring 
  distances underground or in built-up areas. Fractions of this 
  measurement are typically expressed in sixthes and twelfths, 
  especially when used for map keys and notations. 
   Fathom: A distance, specifically a depth, of six feet. While 
  this unit of measurement is usually used to refer to depth 
  beneath the sea, it is not unreasonable to assume that those 
  dwelling beneath the earth might have adopted a “subterranean 
  fathom” for measuring depth below ground. 
   Furlong: A length of 660 feet (220 yards), eight of which 
  are equal to a mile. A tenth of a furlong is called a chain. 
   Hand: Typically four inches, the measure of an average 
  hand’s breadth. 
   Hunter-Gatherer’s Section: A square unit of measurement 
  1.32 miles on each side, calculated on the assumption that 
  
  Nation Builder   21 
  a single man-sized hunter-gatherer requires an area of 1.75 
  square miles for adequate game and forage. GMs can use this 
  unit of measurement when calculating the area required for 
  non-agricultural hunter-gatherer communities, using one sec-
  tion for each person in the group. Sophisticated groups of such 
  people in the game might actually use this unit of measurement 
  to calculate the amount of space they need to survive. 
   Hunting Radius: Assuming that a single man-sized preda-
  tor, scavenger, or omnivore requires an area of 1.75 square 
  miles, it would have an operational radius of about 740 yards 
  from its lair. This distance is for forests, jungles, moors, and 
  plains and assume the existence of hunting trails. Because 
  some areas have a smaller density of resources than others, 
  multiply the given distances by 1.5 for hills, mountains, and 
  swamps, and double them for deserts/sandy areas and tundras/
  frozen areas. All these distances should be extended as appro-
  priate for creatures larger than man-sized. 
   League: A variable measure of distance, usually used to 
  mean a length of three statute (land) miles. It is derived from 
  the medieval Latin word leuga, meaning “a measure of dis-
  tance.” 
   Link: A length of 7.92 inches, 25 of which are equal to a rod 
  and 100 of which are equal to a chain. 
   Megalithic yard: A unit of measurement derived from pre-
  cise measurements of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments 
  from several European countries, equaling 27 1⁄4 inches. 
   Mile: On land, a statute mile is a distance of 5,280 feet 
  (1,760 yards). At sea or in the air, a nautical mile is a distance 
  of 6,076 feet (c. 2,025 yards). Derived from the Latin mille 
  passuum, meaning “a thousand paces.” 
   Pace: A variable length that is generally taken to be 30 
  inches. The ancient Roman measure of the same name was 
  considerably longer, some 58.1 inches. 
   Rod: A length of 16 1⁄2 feet (5 1⁄2 yards), 40 of which are 
  equal to a furlong. 
   Stone’s-Throw: A length of 100 feet, often used by farmers, 
  villagers, and other common-folk, especially for measurement 
  of agricultural land, the distance between farmsteads, the depth 
  of groves of trees, and the like. It is based on the assumed 
  distance that a typical human can, with a bit of effort, hurl a 
  fist-sized rock. A rough measure, it is sometimes expressed in 
  halves, but is usually just rounded up or down (e.g., “five or six 
  stone’s-throw past the edge of the village”). 
   Sylvan Bowlength: A length of 500 yards, often used by 
  elves and other forest dwellers as a convenient measure of 
  distance. It is based on the normal maximum range of an arrow 
  fired by an elven warrior. 
  Monsters as a Resource
   Animals, both magical and mundane, can also provide valu-
  able resources for a nation. Livestock can help feed the popu-
  lace, furs and pelts can clothe, and certain creatures might 
  produce the ingredients for valuable medicines. Other animal 
  resources might serve as mounts and beasts of burden, carrying 
  riders and cargo swiftly across land, or even the skies and 
  oceans. Domesticated predators might serve as companions, 
  guardians, trackers, or beasts of war.
   Livestock is probably the first use to which most civiliza-
  tions will put available animal resources. In our world, most 
  livestock consists of relatively harmless and non-aggressive 
  herbivores, such as cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs and chick-
  ens. This is because such creatures are easy to control and 
  feed. But in a fantasy world, herbivores might have developed 
  unusual defenses, and an exceptionally hardy or strong race 
  might domesticate more fearsome creatures. And, as humans 
  have historically succeeded in domesticating large mammals 
  like cattle and horses, so too might the members of other races 
  learn to selectively breed other sorts of creatures. 
  Example
   The Lizardfolk of Uxatan. Just as humans have domesticated 
  many sorts of warm-blooded creatures, so to have the reptilian 
  folk native to the jungles of Uxatan capitalized on a racial 
  affinity with scaly beasts. Even before leaving the swamps 
  for the mud-brick cities of their jungled land, these cold-
  blooded humanoids had domesticated all sorts of crocodiles, 
  giant snapping turtles, and even some varieties of dinosaurs—
  using them for variously for labor, food, and warfare. 
   Closer to the core campaign setting is the phenomena of the 
  Theran War Lizard, a creature bred over centuries for use in 
  the armies of the Greek confederacy and trained for use as a 
  mount, pack animal, and mobile weapons platform. After the 
  great cataclysm that destroyed the Theran culture a century 
  before, many of these beasts became feral or came under the 
  control of other powers—even humanoid tribes—and at the 
  time the campaign is set are one of the most widespread beasts 
  of war, second only to horses . 
   Even if a creature cannot be domesticated and thus used for 
  food, there is always hunting to consider, for sustenance, sport, 
  and even a rite of passage. Nations with larger areas of wilder-
  ness frontier might come to rely on the resources brought in by 
  hunters and trappers. In more settled lands, nobles still might 
  set aside preserves to ensure good hunting is close at hand. 
  Adventurers wandering into such preserves might find a cold 
  reception if they kill any of the creatures within. One of the 
  most famous versions of this adventure hook is the origin 
  of England’s Robin Hood and his Merry Men, who became 
  outlaws after killing the king’s deer out of desperation or 
  ignorance. Imagine the looks on the Player Character’s faces 
  when they retell at the next village the tale of their desperate 
  battle in the forest with a rampaging manticore, only to be 
  greeted by accusations of poaching in a royal preserve! 
  Example
   Leopards of Chatal Hueyuek. In the anachronistically Neo-
  lithic society of Chatal Hueyuek, leopards are a protected spe-
  cies that can only be hunted by the Elders of the community 
  (e.g., characters of 6th level or higher, many of them nature 
  priests or pathfinder warriors, who are citizens in good stand-
  ing). Traditionally, each Elder will slay one such beast in the 
  course of their lives, thereafter wearing its skin as a badge 
  of office. Lower level characters and foreigners, on the other 
  hand, are prohibited from harming leopards, under pain of 
  severe censure. 
  the land
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/_GM Books/World Building & Game Design/Gary Gygax Collection/Gary Gygax's Nation Builder.pdf