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Post by misanthropicblue on May 12, 2017 18:49:27 GMT
I want to start this thread by saying that I'm sick to f-ing death of the royal monarchy tropes. Save the Princess, overthrow the king, etc. Maybe it's that I love fantasy books and palace intrigue is way too overdone as a rule.
I've introduced my players to a region populated by small city states and vast expanses dominated by tribal, mongol-like horse archers.
I'm giving some thought to a powerful and a few lesser theocracies. Several barbarian meritocracies, and a city or two ruled solely by merchants and criminals.
I welcome any suggestions you may have about systems of government and power structures that aren't dependent on blood line and nobility. Thanks.
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Post by dmgenisisect on May 12, 2017 23:44:41 GMT
I like plutarchies they're pretty fun. I have a nation in my world where public positions are bidded for, and the money from the bidding forms the budget for the position. The fun thing about the bids is that no matter if you win or lose your bid still forms part of the budget so more contested positions get larger budgets.
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Post by meribson on May 13, 2017 19:05:09 GMT
In one region of my setting there's an effectively elf ruled absolute theocratic magocracy ruled by a council of 13 sorcerers/warlocks/witches. The society is extremely caste based with the highest caste (the "head") being legal magic users, beneath them are the military (the "arms") followed by farmers/agriculture/resource gatherers (the "guts") and at the lowest are the crafters (the "feet").
In the lower 3 castes there's slavery, but a slave in the military caste outranks a freeman in the lower castes, and in most cases slavery is for a few years to pay off a debt/crime and they aren't deemed a flight risk.
Wizards and any non-druid divine casters are outlawed and druids are still frowned upon. Haven't figured out how bards and other arcane classes fit in yet.
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Post by edwinsu on May 14, 2017 19:35:52 GMT
I have a country that had 5 large cities, these cities have guilds. Guild members vote for who is the guild master of their guild the guild masters vote on one of them to be the major of the city. The majors vote among them who of them rules the country.
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Post by randosaurus on May 16, 2017 4:49:50 GMT
Here's a few governmental systems I've kicked around--
Purely militaristic hierarchy Government decisions at all civic levels are made by commissioned officers of the military structure. All other portions of society may develop and operate on their own, but mobilization of the entire society is at the command of the military. All youths at or around late adolescence must work 2 years service at the lowest level of military/civil organization. Those with aptitude are promoted into government work & military service. This government is created out of necessity by mobilizing a nomadic society. Tradition and culture cannot be based around stationery villages or landmarks. In the absence of stationery centers of culture and heritage, teachings become the means by which the culture maintains itself. A military tradition isn't the only tradition that can be maintained in this system, but its rigid hierarchy and resistance to change makes it best suited to survive long when un-moored from the land. Liberal nomadic societies tend to spread to diaspora quickly, so this central organizing principle maintains the culture. This is in no small part to the military/government promoting a percentage of all families into itself, tying the peoples of the nation to their family members doing service. Many and diverse races are a part of this culture.
Monstrous Counsel Government is a council of learned elder, alderpersons or representatives of the community. They confer and make decisions whenever there are multiple interested parties. This causes them to influence, in small numerous ways, all aspects of the community. This government is primarily for large city-states with population centrally concentrated. It would normally be impossible to record all of the connections on which the council decrees, but there is an unseen benefactor who sits the prime chair at the table. The benefactor is monstrous- a beholder, an illithid, a dragon, a kraken, some long-lived race with an interest in creating a protective civic shell around its lair or operations. The superhuman intellect of the benefactor has been planning and growing and expanding its sphere of civic influence in small ways for many years now, creating a prosperous society that it draws some resource off of-- trade, coin, rare magical items, intelligent consumable humanoids, etc. The council itself does actually make all decisions, the benefactor serves only to break ties. The council is democratic and all votes are ironclad, as any dissenters would be quickly replaced. Many in the city-state reach arrangements quickly and quietly amongst themselves instead of involving the council- any risk of a tied vote between their interests would draw an extra, monstrous scrutiny on both their business. This society has always been extremely paranoid, and something unsavory lies in shadowy alleys.
Maritime Court This is an economic co-operative of port towns spanning a huge range of ocean or archipelago. The harbor master is the ultimate authority and center of decision making in each port. The true economic & government actors are truly the confederation of ship captains, the economic engine of the nation. All captains are elected from among the ship crew therefore any ship within the federation becomes a voting member, provided tax & duty to the parent union is in good standing. The government is a mix of a melange of shipping ventures: cargo carriers, human transport, privateers & adventurer charters can all maintain good standing so long as their ventures are profitable. The ship federation sees to the harbors protection and resourcing, freely moving federation resources to those strategic locations or way-points that best serve shipping interests. The Maritime Court is a conclave of ships that occurs at some time and location discernible only to those with correct star charts and astronautical skills. They form a temporary fleet for the very formal proceeds of government aboard the national flagship. The scope of the Maritime Court is the seas & waterways of the nation, so rule of law of the sea in the national waters tends to be more rigorous than law on land; rest assured the privateers who rob your vessel are government supported. The harbors are governed by more general Directive, certain requirements determined by the Court as representative of a national port: Some number deep water berths, some number beds, some number cannon & munition, etc. It is up to the harbor master governors how to provide, but most turn a profit as bustling trade cities. Economic benefit figures chief in many aspects of the society.
Hope these help--
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dmdemon
Commoner
Your Friendly Neighborhood Demon
Posts: 19
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Post by dmdemon on Jul 4, 2017 3:38:59 GMT
A couple Government structures in my world.. I don't know the names for them.
The Free Lands: Labeled as a DMZ on most maps this chuck of land between two Waring nations has no actual government. Major cities are run by prominent houses. What is a house? Think Noble family, but there is no nobility. A house is an organization with capitol (Financial or otherwise). There are no peasants, there are no nobles. Who rules the empty space between cities? Nobody. Who rules over the farmers in that small town, the farmers of course. I had difficulty explaining the look the mayor NPC gave one of my players when my player suggested he start charging the townsfolk a tax. Subjects pay taxes, we are not subjects.
Iron Hold: Iron Hold is a country with a king and earls that serve the king and so on, but Iron Hold is part of the Empire of Flame. Basically the king of Iron Hold is a political figure with zero power. He is a remanent of an old system. when he was assassinated in my game, the Empire of Flame overlords didn't even bother replacing him. Even the earls (Think duke, Barron, or lord of a region) had an Empire of Flame overseer that could overturn any law they made.
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Post by lasersniper on Jul 5, 2017 16:46:20 GMT
Timocracy Rule by the honorable; a system of governance ruled by honorable citizens and property owners. Or in other words, ruled by those who have done the most for the society as a whole. In a fantasy game that could easily be filled by self-less adventurers who quest for good and not riches. Though it could easily also be that farmer who shared his food stores with the town for no cost during a famine. I think you could come up with a diverse council of leaders, all of which would most likely have interesting stories about how they came to power. Instead of the dull, I was voted/raised/schemed my way in. And of course some of them could easily have schemed their way in as well. I just like the idea of a council of "heroes".
TRUE Democracy A True (or direct) democracy is that everyone gets a vote for every decision. This isn't ideal, without a heck ton of work, for larger groups and organizations. Which is in part the reason so many world governments use the representative system (a group votes on a person to represent them in the deciding council). But in the world of magic, you could possible have an easy TRUE Democracy. Imagine a magical construct, creature, or force which was telepathically linked to a town/cities/kingdoms people. This being could be a compilation of the peoples pooled thoughts, emotions, and ideas. A being who would & COULD take everyone into consideration and make decisions based on what the common thoughts about it are. All without having to wait for the public to vote or be asked their thoughts.
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