The Campaign Builder's Guild

Week 9 (October 2nd, 2009)
[note=Got and FFP Idea?]Send me a PM. Remember, we are discussing any topic relating to world design (but not system design), so fire away.[/note]
[ic=Philosophy Archive]
Week 1 - The Cost of Magic
Week 2 - Villains
Week 3 - Genre Conventions
Week 4 - Design Method
Week 5 - Characters
Week 6 - Theme
Week 7 - PCs in the World
Week 8 -  Politics
Week 9 - Government
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Politics
Do you like politics when designing? When reading a fantasy/sci-fi novel? When playing an RPG?

Are there government types you like or dislike? Perhaps you feel some kinds are over or underused in worldbuilding. Can you think of a new kind of government that a worldbuilder might use without a real-world analog (like magocracies for example)?

How much bureaucracy makes for a good setting? How about corruption?

I like designing interesting politics for strange nations, and when reading a novel political schemes are interesting. If playing a tabletop RPG, I like politics, especially when they offer great roleplaying. In an online RPG, any kind of politics are refreshing.

Quote from: PhoenixAre there government types you like or dislike? Perhaps you feel some kinds are over or underused in worldbuilding. Can you think of a new kind of government that a worldbuilder might use without a real-world analog (like magocracies for example)?

We need more testudocracies.

Quote from: PhoenixAre there government types you like or dislike? Perhaps you feel some kinds are over or underused in worldbuilding. Can you think of a new kind of government that a worldbuilder might use without a real-world analog (like magocracies for example)?

How much bureaucracy makes for a good setting? How about corruption?[/quote]
I think it depends a lot upon the setting! A tribe might have a minimum of bureaucracy and the level of corruption would depend solely on the moral character of the chief(s). If you're playing a more politically- or socially-oriented game, though, why not have plenty of both to keep things interesting?

Like other settings much of Kaidan's politics fall into different factions each with their own stakes and agendas. At the highest level are the Imperial Court and the Shogunate. While the military dictator of Kaidan is the defacto ruler of the empire, because the emperor is a powerful "five year old" boy, and the Shogun is his grandfather, the rest of the Imperial Court (Regent and Ministers) does have great influence among several of the great noble clans of the empire. There is a constant powerful struggle over the state between the demands of the Shogunate, the influence of the Imperial Court, and the powerful independant daimyo provincial lords.

Becauase Onmyoji wizards are a branch of the Imperial government, as part of the Bureau of Onmyo which governed arcane spell casting throughout the empire, served the nobility, acted as diviners, negotiators with demon-spirits and shikigami, protectors of the emperor and court and as the court necromancers.

Among the guilds, the Rice Guild is the richest, ably paying bribes, granting huge loans and dominates the economy of the empire. The Yakuza controls trade among the Gaijin outsiders, brothels, theater district, and street vendors with their own agenda and machinations in imperial politics.

Ninja have always served as an extreme political tool, often limited to spying and stealing, though assassination is called upon from time to time.

Two great noble clans on the far northern island of Genshu, include the Minamoto and the Uesugi, while the former is the only good aligned noble clan, the Uesagi are neutral and aloof of the court or shogunate.

Of course among the nobility are power brokers who work behind the scenes manage vast network of spies, and able to extort favors, and expose traitors and threats to the status quo, thus have great political power, but avoid center stage, often working through their own pawns among the noble houses.

There is said to exist 1,000 Heresies to the lawful and eternal cycle of doom, called the Wheel of Life. Each faction holds its own unique, cosmic goal fed by the Wheel itself, thus confers manipulative power in the political fabric of Kaidan.

The government then consists of the Imperial Court: boy emperor, grandmother Regent, uncles, cousins, and distant, but loyal relatives appointed in the three four Ministries: Left (Law), Right (Military and Police), Center (Culture/Taboo), Onmyo (Bureau of Imperial Magic). Various aides, assistants, agents, including elite Imperial Guard. Only the senior members of court are undead, most having been so for over 800 years, including the boy-emperor.

The Fukuhara Bakufu (Tent Government), commonly called the Shogunate is ruled by Taira no Kiyomori, self-appointed Shogun of Kaidan, and grandfather to the emperor. A senior staff of generals and aides serve the fortress of the Shogun, located in the capital of Fukuhara-kyo, across the river from the Imperial Court. A large force of 10,000 samurai and ashigaru infantry are present at the fortress at all times. Field Generals maintain whole armies of both trained and conscripted forces taming rebel peasants, curtailing power grabbing provincial lords, blockading more rebelous states, hunting barbarians, rebel villages, and heretics. The Police forces of the cities and towns technically fall under the Shogun's control as well. The Shogun is the true ruler of Kaidan, but often defers with family at court, for concessions that keep him in power.

The provincial daimyo, most are hereditary military houses, though since most daimyo are undead are the same rulers since the founding to the empire. Each province is a sovereign state, that pays an annual rice tax, as well as forces to serve the Shogun's military, however otherwise maintains total autonomy, as long as they maintain all imperial laws and decrees. Thus each province has great power, independant agendas, varying political tools, favors owed, slights remembered, that play the spider's game of political intrigue.

Often the aides, assistants, agents, magistrates, lesser officers of court and the Shogun's army maintain dual loyalties to provincial rulers, factions, religious heresies. Thus the lower factions such as the Guilds, state monasteries, martial arts centers, Yakuza and others, place moles and double agents serving the empire or shogunate and reporting to outside influences, so the strong polarity of the Court and Shogunate is not so absolute. Political intrigue from every corner is rife in Kaidan.

GP