Blue Moon Aurora
Roleplaying and More
Designing Governments
“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” - George Washington
This article deals with designing governments for roleplaying campaigns. The goal here is to not create incredibly detailed governments, but instead ones which are easily understandable to the narrator and players while being conducive to interesting adventures and story arcs. This is accomplished by having a sound foundation that allows for flexible politics while being evocative and interesting.
Setting the Stage
“The only limits are, as always, those of vision.” – James Broughton
Before designing a government you need to have some idea about the land that is being governed. By land we mean anything from an island to a nation to a continent to a planet to a dimension depending upon what is appropriate for your campaign. You need to understand your setting to design a proper government. The terrain, society, and also the types of adventures you will be running are key factors in how you design your government. Often the clearer the idea of the setting and intended campaign the easier it is to design the government, but usually the two go hand in hand during the design process. The government is part of the setting and the setting influences the government so both have to be kept in mind at the same time.
Ten Questions for Setting the Stage
To get the wheels turning in your head, here are ten questions that will help you hammer down some important details about your setting, which will influence the design of your government:
1. What is the climate and location of this land?
2. What borders this land? Are the neighbors friends, rivals, or enemies?
3. Is this land a greater or lesser state? In other words, does this land influence other states or do other states influence it?
4. Is this a wealthy or poor land in natural resources and the skill of its people?
5. In this a land under constant, or near constant, threat?
6. What, or who, do the people believe in? Also what dothese people generally value most in life?
7. What are the greatest wonders or treasures of this land?
8. Is the ruler loved or hated? Related to this is the question, is the ruler competent or not?
9. Is the government fair or not? Do the people respect the government?
10. What do you see as some possible events for this land during your campaign?
Thinking about these questions is critical to creating a vivid setting. There is a continuum in settings from post-apocalyptic to utopias that encompass all campaigns, but it is important for the narrator to find a place on that continuum that fits. It is important to note that this also requires some insight into your players and what they want and will tolerate in a setting. For example, a sexist and prejudiced society may really offend some players if they have to constantly deal with such problems for their character, or a perfect society may not offer enough challenges for a player who likes to build and improve things. It is a delicate balance, but the trick is to remember that things change. If your government proves too ‘perfect’ and wholesome for you and your players then toss in a coup and change the government. Do not let things become static; a vibrant setting is a setting that evolves.
Government Structure
“Democracy's the worst form of government except for all the others.” - Winston Churchill
For purposes of this article we have consolidated the many types of governments into five general types. Obviously, this is a simplification, but these five types of governments cover almost all types of governments and provide a simple guide to what different types of government are out there. Remember that the fundamental question when classifying governments is: who has the power? Keep this question in mind as you go through the five types.
Anarchy
Anarchy is the lack of government that occurs when a government collapses or in places where no government can take hold. In terms of governance you cannot manage anarchy as there is, by definition, no government. Thus anarchies are a pointless form of governments for PCs to control, but bringing government to anarchy could be a very exciting campaign with many challenges. Anarchies are simply a mess. There will likely be violence, rampant crime, and complete lawlessness and chaos. Governments, even bad governments, bring order and the absence of government removes all order, stability, and thus also prosperity (except for crime syndicates, weapons dealers, and the like who may benefit from the situation).
Autarchy
Autarchy is a government ruled by an absolute leader (or very small group who share absolute power) whose power does not derive from the law or tradition like monarchies. An autocrat’s authority is derived from personal power. Despotisms, dictatorships, and tyrannies are all variations of autarchies. Autarchies are very common in roleplaying campaigns as they are often the easiest to structure and visualize, as with an autarchy the person at the top is the government. While autarchies may appeal to some PCs this form of government has a lot of problems, including an inherent instability.
Democracy
Democracy is a government where the people hold the power either through direct democracy or representative democracy. Democracies are effective governments, but they are also very complex in how power is managed and distributed. Furthermore, democracies can be very frustrating for some PCs as it can sometimes be difficult to make things happen, but democracies are rife with politics, interactions, and complexity that make governance very exciting and also make one’s successes more rewarding. However, a democracy just won’t fit some campaign settings – democracies denote a more sophisticated society than some campaigns suppose.
Monarchy
Monarchy is a government ruled by a leader who has his or her position due to some mechanism (i.e. inheritance) and whose authority is limited by either tradition or law (constitutional monarchy). For our purposes, feudal dominions are considered monarchies even if they aren’t ruled by kings and queens, but instead by lesser nobles. Monarchies are very classic governments in fiction and in campaigns as they have elements of all the other forms of government. There is a reason monarchies are so popular – they are evocative and carry with them strong, clear symbolism and imagery. Monarchies can fit into most campaigns, though in many situations monarchies might just be symbolic.
Oligarchy
Oligarchy is a government where a minority group has the authority. This minority group might be a church, wealthy merchants, military personnel, or philosophers. The minority group has the power and is usually regulated by tradition or law in some fashion. This is a fascinating form of government that is different and sometimes a little harder to understand than the more familiar forms of government, but it can work quite well in many campaigns. When using an oligarchy it is important to understand the power group and its motives, which will help explain how the people governed react to the power group. Careful thought is needed to make an oligarchy feel real and not just a clever idea thrown out to the winds.
Three Functions of Government
There are three broad functions of a government: lawmaking, execution, and adjudication. Lawmaking is the creation of laws. Execution is the implementation of laws. Adjudication is applying the laws to specific situations. Understanding this breakdown of government functions helps to design a government as you really need components that handle all of these functions at all levels of authority. Understandably, some components might perform multiple functions, for example in an Autarchy the ruler probably does, or appoints someone to do, all of these functions. Also the distinction between functions is not always clear; because in some instances there are components within a government with multiple functions.
Ten Questions for Designing a Government
The variety between governments is staggering. Before really tackling designing a government, you have to have a pretty good idea about the nature of the government and the following ten questions are intended to help you:
1. What type of government is it and who is in charge?
2. How did the leader come to power and how could the leader leave power? Is the leader hindered in some way, such as by age, being cursed, or some other limitation?
3. Who advises the leader and who runs the bureaucracy? Is there someone who while not the leader does indeed control the government?
4. With whom, or what, does the leader share power?
5. How are laws made and adjudicated, and can laws be changed?
6. How does the government manage regional and local areas? Are there conflicts between the various tiers of government?
7. How can a person acquire a position of high authority in the government? Are there also ways to game the system and get around its rules and traditions?
8. How efficient or inefficient is the government? What about the government is efficient or inefficient?
9. What are the major issues or problems facing the government? Related to this is whether there are political factions. If so, how are they organized and divided by ideology?
10. What do the people governed think of their government?
After answering those ten questions you probably have a basic framework for a government and also a host of further questions depending upon your knowledge of political science. Don’t worry too much about the details and just make a guess when making decisions. By this point you have put more thought into the matter than most game designers so you are already ahead of the game. However, there is one more step and that is the roleplaying considerations.
Roleplaying Considerations
“The empires of the future are empires of the mind.” – Winston Churchill
Obviously, the whole point of this exercise is to design a government which the PCs will interact with in a more meaningful way than in traditional campaigns where it is often: PCs meet noble who gives PCs job. You don’t need to design a government for this sort of play, but when the PCs interact with the government in a more substantial way then the government becomes its own character within the campaign. This is why you are putting so much thought and energy into a government. What follows are some methods for really bringing a government into the campaign.
Evocative Terminology
Imagine that the PCs are going to visit a king in his court, well, where are they going? Is it the ‘King’s Court’ or is it the ‘Chamber of the Seven Angels’? Something as simple as a slightly more evocative name can completely change the reaction of players to the situation. Certainly don’t overdo it, a lot of times a basic name or description is all that is needed, but being cognizant of language is important. For example, compare National Intelligence Agency with the Ministry of Inquiry, both probably do the same thing, but the names evoke different response. The same is true with titles, for instance, the Queen names a PC the Lord of Meadowearth or perhaps instead the Lord of the Dominion of Meadowearth and Custodian of the
Enemies in High Places
Enemies are great motivations for PCs to become aware of the government; of course, the problem with enemies is that simply having them doesn’t necessarily mean the PCs will interact with the government. In fact, a high placed enemy is almost guaranteed to either motivate the PCs to avoid the government or for them to directly attack the government. A rival is far better than an enemy. A rival is a problem, but there isn’t the pure antagonism as there are with enemies; a rival will work with the PCs in areas of common interest and while the rival and the PCs will often be at cross purposes they might have a cordial relationship in other areas. Still if you begin the campaign with the PCs having an enemy or rival in the government then unless they have a strong position in the government as well they are likely to look for other pastures for adventure.
Friends in High Places
The other side of the coin is to give the PCs friends or allies in high places such as a patron or maybe a mentor to one of the PCs. This person becomes the PCs’ conduit to government-orientated adventures and also can provide them counsel for navigating the government. This is also a means for the PCs to acquire power within the government if they cultivate this relationship. Friendship is the most powerful weapon in the realm of politics and in many situations is a rewarding roleplaying experience as well.
Goals
Encourage PCs to have goals as goals are very important. If the PCs wish to end slavery in a land then run with this and set up challenges and opportunities for them to pursue this agenda. The PCs are special; they live in extraordinary times where they can do great things so encourage them to dream and think broadly. Of course, don’t just give them what they want, make them earn it, but the potential for success has to be there.
Government Adventures
What is a government adventure? Well, these are adventures where the government is a driving force behind the adventure. Actually, many roleplaying campaigns use these adventures when a noble or a military gives a mission to PCs, but these are often combat-orientated adventures. Other options include negotiations, escorting officials, rescuing officials, espionage, mysteries (with a political connection), or even adventures dealing with governance or politics. The advantage of these adventures is their contribution to the bigger picture. For example, in a fantasy campaign, concluding negotiations with a dwarven realm for a kingdom could involve a dangerous overland journey, tests by the dwarves, and serious roleplaying, but if there is a treaty this changes the setting. Down the road the price of certain craft goods may drop and in a later war the dwarves might provide aid to their trading partners. Government adventures often have different goals than traditional adventures; getting someone to agree to sign a little paper could end wars, save governments, and change the world more than sacking 30 levels of a dungeon. It takes a slightly different perspective to see these adventures, but it is one easily acquired with a little practice.
Mix Things Up
Don’t overdo it. Thrown in humor, combat, and excitement to your adventures as most players like a little politics and diplomacy but they also want their excitement. However, this is easy to do as assassins, spies, betrayals, and the like are all classic elements of political campaigns. Also sometimes it is good to do adventures that have nothing to do with politics. If things get bogged down or enthusiasm is lagging then do something completely different; remember variety is the spice of life.
Political Conflicts
When structuring your government you want to provide numerous angles for the PCs to interact with the government. For example, if you design an assembly with two parties and one party dominates the assembly then you remove a lot of political options, so instead imagine an assembly with five parties and you need two or three parties to get things done. The latter structure allows for many more political conflicts. It is the same in the executive; what if the ruler of the state has a number of advisors who are political rivals with one another? In this situation, the choice of who a PC solicits aid from adds a increased complexity. Related to all of this is the concept that power should be divided; an all-powerful king is great for fiction, but in roleplaying it removes a lot of the fun compared to a king who needs the support of the nobility to do anything which means he needs the PCs help to convince the nobility. It is also important to remember one little thing – few people are masters at politics. Varying degrees of political acumen is a necessity to making the system feel real. A king who is noble, but not that good at politics is compelling and creates a more interesting story and also opportunities for the PCs to have some real influence.
Route to Power
In the end, you have to have a path for the PCs to power. Maybe they can’t become kings, but they should be able to become powerful in their own right. You might start the campaign with the PCs in government or nobility, but you must provide heights for them to strive for and attain. It is the pursuit of power and influence that is half the fun of political campaigns. Yes, there will be setbacks and difficulties, but there always has to be the potential for PCs to acquire power if they so desire for these campaigns to thrive. Political power is like treasure from a dragon’s hoard or special abilities: if it has real effects in the setting and campaign then the PCs will value it, but if it doesn’t then they won’t.
