So how would people handle the creation of a Domain?
Obviously this is part of a character’s Beliefs, and they have got permission (received a charter) to build a domain of there own, so a settlement and a Hall/Manor/Keep.
So, a series of resource tests build a structure, but what about the establishment of a settlement and the people who work and live there. Just looking for other people’s recommendations, maybe a creative and interesting way to do that I have not yet considered.
I don’t know that it has to be creative. Set an Intent and appropriate Task, and roll. These tasks will probably span considerable time.
“I travel the land seeking the best blacksmith in the land to come to work in my castle bailey.”
“Are you Circling?”
“No, I wouldn’t know the best already, and anyway that would be an awful Ob. I’ll stop at each village and give a speech at the crossroads or in front of the biggest building, mentioning a substantial pay, so that the people will know and spread my message. The best blacksmith will come to me.”
“Sounds like Oratory, and a couple months travel.”
“Can I link in Resources?”
“No, that will come later. The best blacksmith will be quite the asset, but the pay will be a whole +1 Ob on your maintenance tests. You better make good use of their skill!”
“Ouch, but okay. Rolling Oratory.”
Similarly, say how you’re going about attracting people to a village, what you’re doing to encourage tradespeople, or farmers, or craftspeople to seek out a new life in this domain. How soldiers are recruited, how the town will be funded, how merchants are lured to this new trade route. Generally, say how news of this new place is spread for your Task (minstrels? proclamations sent by rider? rumours spread of new wealth to be had? personally travelling to spread word of mouth? writing a letter to persuade a neighbouring lord to send some settlers?), and what that is intended to accomplish as Intent (any of the above, for example), and agree and roll.
First of all thank you for the suggestions. I think you may have clarified that I was over thinking this.
Intent followed by Ob and roll
One final confusion, during resource maintenance (my setting has three seasons) How would you handle the managing of an estate. I assume checks relate to the current state of the domain with the Ob modified by any complications they may have picked up.
So for example maintenance:
Our new lord has a resources of B2, he has secured +1D (loan of sorts?) from collecting taxes from a nearby village as well as +2D (cash?) for a Bounty on a notorious Bandit Chief. Giving him 5D. His Ob is 5 for a small hall and the very small farming village he currently lords over. However he had to hire additional mercenaries to help with the Bandits adding +2 Ob. Our new lord is going to have to find some additional help or his staff may decide to walk…
Does this seem right?
Seems about right? A lord of a manor with only B2 Resources is living far beyond his means and will be hustling hard every maintenance cycle just to have a scant chance of staying solvent. More likely he’ll go broke and, like land-rich but money-poor lords had to do in history, have to sell off bits, marry upwards, take on significant debt, raid the neighbours, acquire richer territory, get into mercenary work, or something else extreme—or a combination. (Some of those are Get A Job, some aren’t.)
But in general, when the Resource exponent and maintenance Ob are not so drastically apart, there will still be hustle to stay ahead. (Few landed nobles are rich enough to just sit comfortably and let a passive income pay for everything.) They need to actively manage their estate to get linked test dice, do favours to get favours owed, cultivate their relationship to their own liege, advocate for lower taxes to their liege, and higher taxes from their vassals, find underlings who can run things more efficiently, etc.
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