Difference between revisions of "Hârn Encyclopedia Hârnica 03"

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Encyclopedia Hârnica EH3

This issue we present our first Hârnic castle, an article on manors stressing fief management and economics, and the second of seven atlas maps for the Kingdom of Kaldor.

CG 6003 Encyclopedia Hârnica 3

• • EH3 Has original Hârn Manor Article that became HârnManor ~ Discussion
  • Pages from CG 6003 - Encyclopedia Hârnica 03.pdf

Olokand (Kaldor)

• The Royal Castle in Northwest Kaldor

Manor

The article on Hârnic manors is a new direction for us; a combination rules and environment article. In our experience, fief management is a much neglected part of fantasy role playing which players enjoy once they try it. GM's can use this article at two levels:

1. Using on the Tenant Household routine, and the index of settlements in Atlas Hârnica, the background for any character born in a rural area (most should be) can be generated right down to the level of which houseold the PC is from. Such character detail is always interesting to players and can be helpful to the GM, who can run through the management routine by himself, now and again, generating fate and economic worth for the PC's birthplace and household. Such events may influence the character's future options and decisions.
2. Assuming you have a PC fiefholder or manorial bailiff (how you do this is up to you), most players love to count their pennies and fief management will keep the busy doing just that while you dream up their next quest. Manorial economics are surprisingly complex; the interdepenent details can be overwhelming. Our experience is that a complex "money machine" approach to fief management will not endearyou to your players. We have chosen to simplify the economics in favour of a more personal approach to tennant/lord relationships. Our players love it.

Manor Economics

Manorial economics are surprisingly complex. They can be dealt with at various levels of complexity and abstraction depending on the degree of authenticity desired by the GM and players. This system is intended to provide procedures of medium complexity that will give the feel of fief economics without being incomprehensible.

The system works by filling out budget forms each game year at harvest time; on Hârn this is around the end of Azura, the seventh month. Normally, the GM will only require budgets for manors held (or governed) by player characters. If a regular budget is required for very large holdings, although not may players will achieve this status, then it might be easier to complete the procedure for one year only with average weather and yields, and thereafter to assume that all revenues, service, etc. will stay the same, with optional yearly variations.

The Basic Procedure

We have provided two budget forms, designed to be photocopied as needed. These are the Tenant Household Form (THF) and General Budget Form (GBF). The THF records data on the tenant households in a fief; the GBF is a general assessment of the fief's welfare and is used to compute revenues, changing land use, budgeted expenditures, etc. Since this is a budgetary system, factors tend to change. Work in pencil and keep an eraser handy. Step by step procedures are given for filling out the two forms, to be done in the exact order specified below:

1. . The General Data section in GBF.
2. . The Tenant Household Form.
3. . The Revenue section in GBF
4. . The Household Budget section in GBF
5. . The Fief Budget section in GBF

General Data

1. GROSS ACRES

   The total amount of land in the fief specified in Altas Hârnica indices. This acreage will only vary if land is ceded or annexed.

2. WASTE ACRES

   The number of acres (usually swamp, heath or precipitous rockfield) that have no agricultural value and cannot (with the available technology) be made useful. Determine acreage as (3d6)% of [1].

3. WOOD ACRES

   The total acres of woodland and forest in the fief. Hunting is the most important source of meat for the lord's table. All woods are considered to be private property of the fiefholder. Determine acreage as (3d6 + 10)% of [1]. This acreage will decrease if woods were cleared in last year's fief budget.

   Option: increase woods acres 1% each year to allow for natural growth.

4. CLEARED ACRES

   The total number of cleared acres on the fief suitable for pasture and growing crops. This is equal to gross acres minus the sum of waste and wood acres. This acreage will increase if wooded acres decrease, and vice-versa.

   SUM: Cleared Acres = Gross Acres - (Waste Acres + Wood Acres)

5. LABOUR POOL (LP)

   The additional labour on the fief that is available for hire. Determine by the following formula: (Cottars x 120) + (Half-Villeins x 60) days. This calculation must wait until you have filled in the THF. The GM may wish to add 5-10% more to account for a small amount of labour available from villeins, freeholders, and migrant workers. The labour pool may change if households increase or decrease, or if the status of tenants is altered.

   Option: the GM may wish to establish a minimum labour pool (50%) because some tenants are very dependent on being hired to supplement their income. If the lord does not hire this minimum amount of labour, the welfare of his smaller tenants will suffer, which is best reflected by modifiers on the tenant fate table; cottars (-10), half-villeins (-5).

6. LAND QUALITY (LQ)

   A numerical index designed to reflect the fief's soil fertility and climate. LQ is provided in Altas Hârnica. It is generally considered a constant, or a variable that changes very slowly at GM discretion. LQ is used to modify crop yields.

7. FIEF INDEX (FI)

   A numerical index designed to reflect the quality of capital investment in the fief (roads, bridges, barns, granaries, oexen, ploughs, irrigation, etc.) which modifies revenues. The FI index should begin at 1.00 and is subject to annual change up or down. Factors which will influence the FI index are fief maintentance and fief improvement, both controlled by the lord. The GM can assign reasonable modifiers to the index to reflect the effects of plague, war, pestilence, floods, etc.

8. WEATHER INDEX (WI)

   A numerical index deisgned to reflect the effect of weather on crops during the year for which the budget is being completed. Weather may be known to the GM or randomly generated on the following table. Roll 5 times on the table (once for each month in the growing season), add the results, and divide by 5 to get the average WI.

Tenant Households

If this is the fiefholder's first year, a household generation procedure is necessary; in subsequent years the THF will be modified by tenant fate rolls. Each line on the THF represents a single tenant household. There are sufficient lines for fifty households; if more are needed, use the second THF. The columns headed STATUS, ACRES, LABOUR [B], and KIND [C] record the "contract" between tenant and lord. The LABOUR [D] and KIND [E] columns on the right are used to to record temporary changes to the contract and miscellaneous data. Players have the option of filling in a new THF each year (recommended) or changing the existing THF as appropriate.

Household Generation

Using the number of rural freeman (RF) and Serf (SF) households specified in Atlas Hârnica indices for this fief, write this many family names in the HOUSEHOLD column, starting with rural freeman. The use of family names is optional; households can be referred to by number if desired. Ignore urban freeman (UF) households if given in the Atlas Hârnica index; very few manors will have any.

The next step is to generate the occupation of each RF household on the table below, and randomly assign the acres held by each, within the range specified. Write the occupation in the STATUS column. If an occupation is duplicated, ignore it; write "farmer" in the status column (holding the same range of acres) instead. Exception: there can be two or more Yeomen.

Except for Yeomen (see below), rural freemen pay an annual rent of 2-12d kind per acre for their land. If 2d, they also owe labour of 2 days per acre; if 3d, they also owe labour of 1 day per acre. Rents can be modified by the LQ index if desired. A miller also pays 240d kind (for milling rights) and other guildsmen pay 10-60d kind for business rights; these extra amounts are added to the normal kind/acre rent. A priest (if any) implies there is a church on the fief (probably Peonian) and he/she may live rent free (60% chance) or pay a token rent of 1d kind per acre.

Yeomen

A yeoman dies not usually owe rent for his land; he renders military service to the fiefholder. Based on the acreage held, the GM should assign the military service owed, from the table below.

Write the abbreviation given in the column [B]. There is a 10% chance that a yeoman household will also owe a token rent (1d Kind/Acre).

Serf Households

These fall into three

Option: there is

Tenant Fate Table

A

New Households

A

Updating the THF

A

Revenues

A

Household Budget

A

Fief Budget

A

TENANT HOUSEHOLD FORM

A

GENERAL BUDGET FORM

A

Atlas Hârnica

• A
  • A

A

• A
  • A

Notes

• A
  • A