TEXT:  
  46 
  CHAPTER 7: HOW TO  
  RUN A BARONY 
   
  HIGH-LEVEL EQUIPMENT GUIDE 
   
  D&D equipment lists are great for level 1 
  characters, but there's a shortage in the PHB of 
  shopping options for high-level characters. 
  Here's some cool stuff that might be available 
  for characters with a few levels of treasure in 
  their pockets. As the DM, you can give the PCs 
  a shortened or expanded version of this list, or 
  randomly determine what’s available.  
   
  COOL STUFF LIST 
  1000: exceptional horse (high speed or HP) 
  1000: house 
  1000: 10 level 1 militia (spear or sling, leather) 
  2000: catapult 
  2000: 10 level 2 infantry (sword or bow, chain)* 
  3000: hippogriff egg 
  3000: level 3 henchman (for instance, fighter 
  bodyguard in plate armor)** 
  4000: ornithopter/hot air balloon 
  5000: ruined wilderness fort 
  6000: fortified mansion  
  6000: 10 level 3 knights (sword, lance, plate, horse)* 
  7000: half share in merchant caravan (double your 
  money, if the caravan survives!) 
  8000: temple 
  9000: fort suitable for baron 
  9000: level 9 henchman (for instance, cleric who 
  can cast Raise Dead)** 
  10,000: sailing ship 
  10,000: 100 militia (treat as 10 level-10 fighters)* 
  20,000: 100 infantry (treat as 10 level-11 fighters)* 
  20,000: wizard tower 
  20,000: white dragon egg 
  30,000: warship of the line 
  40,000: submarine skiff 
  50,000: castle suitable for duke 
  60,000: 100 knights (treat as 10 level-13 fighters)* 
  60,000: airship  
  90,000: level 19 henchman (world-renowned as 
  one of the best in the world in their profession)** 
  100,000: subdued red dragon 
  100,000: 1000 militia (as 10 level-20 fighters)* 
  200,000: 1000 infantry (as 10 level-21 fighters)* 
  300,000: kingdom 
  600,000: 20-warship armada 
  600,000: 1000 knights (treat as 10 level-23 
  fighters)* 
  1,000,000: world wonder 
   
  *Army 
  prices 
  are 
  for 
  a 
  year 
  contract. 
  Mercenaries will do month contracts for 1/10 the 
  price. Militia are proficient in light armor and simple 
  weapons only. Infantry are not proficient in heavy 
  armor. Knights are proficient in all common 
  weapons, and optionally one exotic/superior weapon 
  appropriate to their region. In large-scale battles, a 
  mass of troops can be treated as a high-level fighter: 
  thus, in a battle, an 11th level PC can fight on even 
  terms with a unit of 10 infantry. Note: Soldiers don’t 
  do dungeons. 
   
  **Henchmen prices are for a lifetime contract 
  (fealty): you don't need to keep track of monthly 
  payments or shares. However, henchmen may level 
  up. When you level, you may choose to have your 
  henchmen level as well. If so, you must pay them 
  their initial cost again. Also, henchmen expect room 
  and board; may want extra pay for hazards in which 
  you don't share; expect to keep any magic items with 
  which you equip them; and will quit if mistreated. 
   
  
   
  47 
  SO NOW YOU’VE GOT A BARONY 
   
  You've turned back the mighty orc horde 
  and defeated the ogre chieftain. Still smeared 
  with the blood of battle, you and your band of 
  adventurers kneel before your grateful king. 
  When you rise, you are lords of the realm and 
  commanders of a mighty barony. 
   
  Now what? 
   
  Here's a framework for running a fief (a 
  barony, mighty kingdom, or even a vast empire). 
  As your character gains levels, so will your land. 
  If you rule wisely, your fief will grow rich, 
  happy, and strong in military power. You'll 
  collect followers and tax income. And you'll be 
  called on to defend your territory with strong 
  arm and wise counsel against invaders, traitors, 
  and mighty supernatural threats. 
   
  FIEF ADVANCEMENT CHART 
  Level 
  XP  
  Income Type     
  1  
  0 
  100  
   Manor   
  2      
  10        200 
  3      
  20        300 
  4      
  30        400 
  5      
  40        500            
  6      
  50        600 
  Barony 
  7      
  60        700 
  8      
  70        800 
  9      
  80        900 
  10     
  90        1,000 
  11    
  100 
  1,000 Duchy    
  12    
  110 
  2,000 
  13    
  120 
  3,000 
  14    
  130 
  4,000 
  15    
  140 
  5,000 
  16    
  150 
  6,000 Kingdom 
  17    
  160  
  7,000 
  18    
  170  
  8,000 
  19    
  180  
  9,000 
  20    
  190  
  10,000 
  21    
  200    10,000 Empire   
  22    
  210     20,000 
  23    
  220   30,000 
  24    
  230   40,000 
  25    
  240   50,000 
   
  UNEASY LIES THE HEAD THAT 
  WEARS A CROWN. 
   
  Unlike a piece of magical equipment (the 
  property of a character) or a campaign world 
  (under the control of a DM), a fief is jointly 
  owned by the players and the DM. Like a 
  magic item, it provides benefits to the player, 
  but it changes in response to the events of the 
  campaign world. 
   
  Characters may be granted fiefs by 
  powerful NPCs, or they may seize them 
  through cunning or force of arms. If the 
  characters win a battle, the size of their land 
  may vastly increase. On the other hand, if they 
  back the wrong side in a civil war, they might 
  lose their fief altogether and return to the 
  carefree life of an adventurer. There is no 
  expectation that a character of a certain level 
  will have a fief of a certain size. An eleventh-
  level character might rule a level-eleven duchy, 
  a level-16 kingdom, or no land at all. 
   
  NOBLE TITLES 
   
  The ruler of a fief often has a unique title 
  which can be used in formal settings and among 
  other nobles. Many D&D campaigns use 
  Western European titles like barons, dukes, and 
  kings. Others might use titles based on feudal 
  Japan, such as daimyo and shogun, or made up 
  titles, like Warhorn and Shieldthrall.  
   
  Manor: Many villages have a manor house, 
  the seat of power of the local knight or rich 
  family. A character who rules a manor is well-
  known in their village but not necessarily 
  powerful outside it. 
  Address: The lord of a manor is often a 
  knight. Knights are addressed as "Sir" or "Lady" 
  followed by their first name. Not every manor is 
  ruled by a knight: the inhabitant of the manor 
  might be an appointed official, called a "reeve" 
  or "sheriff", or simply be the head of the richest 
  local family (traditionally addressed as "squire" 
  by the local peasants). A manor might be the 
  last landholding of a once-great baronial family. 
   
  
   
  48 
  Barony: A barony is typically a collection 
  of contiguous small settlements. It's often large 
  enough to support a small town, and small 
  enough that you can ride from one side to the 
  other in less than a day. 
  Address: The ruler of a barony-sized fief 
  might be a baron or baroness, but might also be 
  a viscount, earl, count, or countess. Luckily, it's 
  common to address all these ranks as "Lord" or 
  "Lady" followed by their family name or fief 
  name (for instance "Lady Westbridge").  
   
  Duchy: A duchy is often as powerful as a 
  small nation. Some independent city-states, 
  ruled by oligarchies or elected officials, have 
  areas comparable to duchies. 
  Address: The ruler of a duchy might be 
  called Marquess, Duke, Duchess, or even Prince 
  or Princess. It's common to address a duke by 
  their title followed by the name of their fief (for 
  instance, "Duke Westbridge.") 
    
  Kingdom: Many who call themselves 
  "king" have lands and power more in keeping 
  with a  duchy. A true kingdom will usually have 
  a large city as its capital. 
  Address: 
  Kings, 
  queens, 
  princes, 
  and 
  princesses are called by their title followed by 
  their 
  first 
  name. 
  Monarchs 
  are 
  further 
  distinguished with a number (for instance "King 
  Teodore the Third") or a nickname (for instance 
  “Queen Teodora the Liberator”). Kings and 
  Queens may be formally addressed as "Your 
  Majesty", "Your Highness", or "Your Grace".  
   
  Empire: If kingdoms are rare in many D&D 
  campaigns, empires are often things of history 
  books. If there's currently an empire, the PCs 
  might find themselves fighting it. Perhaps 
  someday the PCs will forge their own empire.  
  Address: The ruler of an empire is called 
  "Emperor" or "Empress" followed by their first 
  name: for instance Emperor Teodore. Emperors 
  are often addressed with flowery titles: "Your 
  Imperial Majesty", "Your Radiance", "Lord of 
  Ten Thousand Years", etc. 
   
   
   
  VASSALS 
   
  Every fief has vassals: important citizens 
  who owe their allegiance to the fief's ruler (and 
  who will be happy to take power if they're not 
  happy with their current ruler.) Some vassals are 
  the rulers of smaller fiefs: for instance, a baron's 
  vassals might include knights or reeves.  Other 
  important leaders might include the leader of the 
  local temple or wizard's college, the heads of the 
  merchant's and thief's guilds, and even mighty 
  NPC adventurers. These powerful people are 
  likely to be about the same level as their fief.   
   
  OVERLORDS 
   
  A character controlling a fief may be the 
  vassal of an NPC overlord: a king, for example, 
  who granted a barony to the character. The 
  overlord has the right to demand the occasional 
  service, in the form of bestowing a quest. 
  Typical quests might involve military service 
  against the overlord's enemies, or dealing with a 
  threat to the kingdom at large. If the party 
  succeeds at the quest, the king will usually 
  reward them with treasure, honors, or a further 
  grant of land (granting 5 or 10 XP to the 
  character's fief). If the PCs don't attempt the 
  quest, the overlord might take it as a sign of 
  insubordination or rebellion. 
   
  Not every fief has an overlord. In the typical 
  D&D campaign world, there are many knights, 
  barons, and dukes who owe allegiance to no one.  
   
  These rules draw inspiration from two 
  major sources: 
   
  1) Dave Arneson's rules for running a fief 
  from The First Fantasy Campaign, especially 
  his random charts for monthly events. 
   
  2) Autarch's Adventurer Conqueror King 
  System. Autarch's rules are more in-depth than 
  mine, and are grounded in math and 
  demographics. If kingdom-running is going to 
  be a major part of your game, you should take 
  a look at ACKS. 
   
  
   
  49 
   
  FIEF ATTRIBUTES 
   
  Besides XP and level, a fief has three Fief 
  Attributes: Military, Wealth, and Loyalty, which 
  are rated as 0 (bad), 1 (average), or 2 (good). 
  Attributes can not be raised above 2 or lowered 
  below 0.  
   
  Military: A fief with a Military of 0 either 
  doesn't have enough military strength to keep 
  order, or is composed of several warring powers. 
  Either way, the common people are vulnerable 
  to bandits and invaders. A Military of 1 means 
  that the fief has enough strength to defend itself 
  against common threats, but not enough to 
  frighten its neighbors. A fief with a Military of 2 
  has a powerful army and strong fortifications. 
  Military Benefit: While your fief's Military 
  is 1, you can raise an army and engage in large-
  scale battles. In a battle, your army is 
  represented by five units which have the stats of 
  a fighter of the fief's level (although each unit is 
  made up of many men). Every time your fief 
  gains a level, all casualties are replaced. If your 
  military is 2, you can raise 10 such units. 
   
  Wealth: A wealth of 0 means that your fief 
  is only one bad season away from starvation. 
  The ruler of a poor fief won't get any money 
  from taxation. A Wealth of 1 means that there is 
  the usual mix of prosperity and starvation 
  among the common people, and most citizens 
  can afford their taxes but not much more. A 
  Wealth of 2 means that the kingdom is rich, 
  whether in heaps of gold or full-to-bursting 
  granaries. 
  Weath Benefit: If a fief's Wealth is 1 when 
  you gain a level, your party gets gold equal to 
  the Income listed for your fief's level on the Fief 
  Advancement chart. If the fief's Wealth is 2, this 
  income is doubled.  
   
  Loyalty: Loyalty represents your political 
  power. A Loyalty of 0 doesn't necessarily mean 
  you're universally hated; you may have many 
  loyal adherents, but your rule faces open 
  opposition. A Loyalty of 1 means that most 
  people accept your rule. You have strong allies 
  among your vassals, although some conspire 
  against you. A Loyalty of 2 means that your 
  subjects unquestioningly obey you, whether 
  through love or fear. Some might oppose your 
  rule, but they are weak and divided. 
  Loyalty Benefit: While a fief's Loyalty is 1, 
  your party can maintain one free henchman of 
  the fief's level or lower. While you're in your 
  fief, the henchman can be replaced or swapped 
  or for any other henchman of the fief's level or 
  lower. If a fief's loyalty is 2, you can maintain 2 
  free henchmen. 
   
  IMPROVING A FIEF 
   
  Rulers may invest in their lands to improve 
  their security, happiness, and profitability. It 
  costs the amount listed by level under "Tax 
  Income" on the Fief Advancement Chart to raise 
  a fief's Military, Wealth, or Loyalty attribute 
  from 0 to 1. (You cannot invest money to raise 
  attributes from 1 to 2.) 
   
  Rulers may also spend money to settle the 
  wildlands. It costs the amount listed under "Tax 
  Income" to give 5 XP to a fief. Players may only 
  buy XP for fiefs of their level or lower. 
   
  Instead of paying to improve their lands' 
  attributes and level, rulers may engage in 
  politics and perform adventures. By agreeing to 
  marry the daughter of an important vassal, or 
  slaying a dragon who threatens the realm, a 
  ruler might increase the fief's Loyalty without 
  spending a single gold piece. The DM may give 
  fief attribute bonuses and XP as treasure 
  rewards. Fief attribute bonuses given as treasure 
  may raise a fief's Military, Wealth, or Loyalty 
  from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 2, and XP bonuses 
  given as treasure may raise the level of a fief 
  above its ruler's character level. 
   
  Fief “character sheet:” 
  FIEF:_________________________________ 
  Ruler:______________  Overlord:__________ 
  Level:____ XP:______  Vassals:___________ 
  Military: ______         _________________    
  Wealth: ______ 
  _________________ 
  Loyalty: ______ 
  _________________ 
  
   
  50 
  FIEF EVENTS 
   
  Up to once per game session, when at least a 
  month of game time has passed, the players or 
  DM may roll on the Fief Events Chart. Based on 
  the result of the roll, the kingdom's XP, level, 
  and fief attributes may be adjusted, and 
  monumental changes may shake the kingdom.  
   
  Fief Events rolls can be made by players, or 
  they may be made secretly by the DM so that he 
  or she can weave the roll into the events of the 
  story.  
   
  FIEF EVENTS CHART (roll d20) 
  1. Horror of the year. It might be the threat of 
  war with a neighbor or monster tribe; the rise of 
  a major villain; or the appearance of a 
  supernatural evil. Whatever it is, it's a major 
  threat to the fief that will require at least a 
  successful adventure. If the PCs fail, the fief 
  might lose a level or even be captured by the 
  enemy (going Out of Control: see sidebar). 
  2. Natural disaster. The fief is beset by the 
  DM's choice of a drought, disease, flood, or 
  other misfortune. 
  • If wealth is 0: Plague or famine. The kingdom 
  loses 10 XP, going down a level. 
  • If wealth is 1 or 2: Fief wealth decreased by 1. 
  3. Rebellion: A discontented vassal defies his 
  ruler. 
  • If Loyalty is 0: Civil War. The fief is Out Of 
  Control until the PCs defeat the rival leaders. 
  • If loyalty is 1 or 2: Loyalty decreased by 1. 
  4. Invasion. An army, hostile tribe, or strong 
  monster attacks the land, inflicting great losses 
  on the army. 
  • If Military is 0: Countryside Conquered. Fief 
  is Out Of Control until the enemy is defeated. 
  • If Military is 1 or 2: Military decreased by 1. 
  5. Coup attempt. If Loyalty is 0: An NPC 
  vassal gains power. The PC may still rule in 
  name, but the vassal really controls the kingdom 
  (ruling as a "regent" or "advisor"). The fief is 
  Out Of Control until the PC convinces or forces 
  the regent to step down. 
  6. Bandit attack. If Military is 0: An important 
  settlement or caravan is attacked. Wealth 
  reduced by 1. 
  7. Crop failure. If Wealth is 0: A storm, blight 
  or poor harvest spells bad news for farmers. Fief 
  loses 10 XP, losing a level. 
  8-13. Kingdom is stable. If Military, Wealth, 
  and Loyalty are all at least 1: +1 fief XP. 
  14. Army clears wild area. If Military is 1 or 
  greater: +2 fief XP, and rumors surface of a new 
  income source (mine, dungeon, monster lair, or 
  natural resource.) You may spend half the usual 
  cost to raise the fief's Wealth from 0 to 1 or 
  from 1 to 2. 
  15. Caravan. If wealth is 1 or greater: +2 fief 
  XP and the chance to buy one magic item of the 
  kingdom's level or lower at 80% of its normal 
  price. 
  16. Immigration from the wilderness. If 
  loyalty is 1 or greater: +2 fief XP, and a chance 
  to hire new barbarian troops. You may spend 
  half the usual cost to raise the fief's Military 
  from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 2. 
  17. Fortification. +3 fief XP. +1 Military. 
  If Military is already 2, gain +1 Loyalty. 
  18. Tax surplus. +3 fief XP. +1 Wealth. 
  If wealth is already 2, gain bonus money equal 
  to the tax rate. 
  19. Festival. +3 fief XP. +1 Loyalty. 
  If loyalty is already 2, gain an additional +2 fief 
  XP. 
  20. Population grows. +5 fief XP. 
  If Military, Wealth, and Loyalty are all at least 1, 
  a neighbor wishes to join the prosperous fief: 
  instead gain +10 fief XP. 
   
  Out Of Control: When a fief is Out Of 
  Control, the PCs have lost all power. They may 
  still be the rightful rulers, but they no longer 
  get any benefits from ruling the fief, including 
  tax income and henchmen, and they no longer 
  make rolls on the Fief Events Chart. While a 
  fief is Out Of Control, its XP and attributes do 
  not usually change. After difficult adventuring, 
  the PCs may find a way to regain control. 
   
  PCs may voluntarily place their realm Out 
  of Control by temporarily assigning it to a 
  loyal NPC vassal. In this case, they will be 
  able to resume control of the realm at any time 
  (unless they misjudged the loyalty of the 
  vassal). 
  
   
  51 
  USING FIEFS IN YOUR CAMPAIGN 
   
  Hands off vs hands on rulers: Some heroic 
  rulers want to be involved in every aspect of 
  politics; others want to let their fief tick away in 
  the background while they go adventuring. If 
  you have players who want to be hands-on 
  rulers, treat every negative roll on the Fief 
  Events Chart as an adventure opportunity. If a 
  hands-on group rolls a 6 and loses a point of 
  wealth to bandits, offer them a quest to find the 
  bandits, bring them to justice, and restore that 
  wealth point. Similarly, if the party rolls a 3, 
  Rebellion or Civil War, you can detail the 
  personalities and goals of the rebel leaders. Are 
  they advantage-seeking opportunists? or patriots 
  who have lost faith in the current regime? 
   
  The DM and players can decide how 
  important fief events are in the campaign. 
  Expanding a fief is as good a reason as any for 
  adventuring, but if the players are invested in 
  different storylines, the group should just roll 
  periodically on the Fief Events Chart, apply the 
  XP and attribute changes to the kingdom, and 
  get on with their adventuring. 
   
  Fief level vs character level: While a fief 
  will naturally grow as its ruler gains levels and 
  rolls on the Fief Events Chart, an area's 
  advancement is usually slower than that of a 
  character. If its ruler does not actively take on 
  quests and fight battles to expand the realm, a 
  fief's level will not keep pace with that of its 
  ruler. 
   
  While a low-level fief doesn't contribute 
  meaningful tax income to a high-level character, 
  there's no reason why a level-12 character 
  shouldn't be content managing a well-run manor. 
  On the other hand, an ambitious player will 
  want to keep his or her kingdom growing. 
   
  Besides player action, major world events 
  can change a fief's XP and attributes. If a baron 
  conquers a neighboring barony, the DM might 
  grant the fief 30 XP – giving it three levels at 
  once - while its Loyalty attribute goes down to 0. 
  If a knight defeats an evil tyrant and takes the 
  throne, he might trade his well-run manor for a 
  larger fief with larger problems - a level 17 
  Kingdom with zero Loyalty and Wealth. 
   
  If a character ends up with a fief that is 
  higher level than himself, he will reap 
  significant benefits, in the form of high taxes 
  and powerful followers. However, his hold on 
  the throne may be tenuous.  
   
  PCs as vassals and rulers: In one campaign, 
  a single PC might rule a fief and appoint the 
  other PCs as his or her vassals. In this case, all 
  the PCs share in the administration of the realm. 
   
  In another campaign, several PCs might 
  each have their own fief. They might band 
  together to fight mutual threats to their lands. 
   
  Designing a fief: It doesn't take long to 
  generate the details of a fief. The DM decides its 
  starting level, and assigns it Military, Wealth, 
  and Loyalty, each between 0 and 2. The DM or 
  a player might create a map of the fief, although 
  it isn't necessary. 
   
  Next, the DM should take the time to detail 
  a few of the land's most important vassals. Do 
  they trust the players? Are they ambitious to 
  seize power? Is their own power in doubt? If a 
  DM creates vassals with competing desires, the 
  players will have to make interesting choices 
  about whom to please. 
   
  When designing a fief, the DM should also 
  be prepared for the players to roll a 1, "Horror 
  of the Year", on the Fief Events Chart, and 
  should have a kingdom-threatening danger 
  waiting in the wings. The DM might even lay 
  some groundwork for this threat ahead of time: 
  "There have been unsubstantiated reports of the 
  dead walking at night," or "It is said that the 
  warring northern tribes are uniting under one 
  banner." 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Old School Revival (OSR(ic))/[OSR Generic]/OSR Treasure & Equipment/How to Run a Barony (OSR).pdf