Project Nemesis is a fan driven website for games that use the One-Roll Engine (like Nemesis, Wild Talents, Reign and Monsters) or Chaosium's Basic Roleplay System (BRP) (like Call of Cthulhu) and the Delta Green setting.
The following is a pseudo-medieval city statted up for Reign.
The City is assumed to have some ruthless and powerful government --
whether that is an autocrat, a council of schemers, a theocracy, etc.
is up to the GM. The City Government has access to a certain number of
assassins, but these are not battlefield warriors and thus are not
reflected as a Might score.
Taken as a whole, the City might be
evaluated as:
Might:3,1,1 (i.e. the City has three armed forces)
Treasure:2 (the City as such does not have much spare cash, although some of its citizens do)
Territory:3 or 4 depending on how one interprets geography
Influence: 3
Sovereignty: 3 (the City is deeply divided but well-managed)
Note that Might 4 would allow two separate Might 3 armies, and this
City is not sufficiently optimized to allow that level of force. This
city has a high population and a tech level higher than most groups in
the Reign
rules. The City's elites attempt to enforce a strict system of social
class and reputation to ensure that disruptive lower-class elements
cannot rise at all, and that ambitious law-abiding elements cannot rise
far or fast.
Note that the city changes over time: poachers, bandits, and brothels
frequently go out of business; courtiers whose salons cost too much may
close their doors and retreat to private life.
Note that many highly-skilled professions, such as physicians,
apothecaries, and locksmiths, exist in the city, but charge very steep
prices and cater only to the very wealthy. Thus, while they may be
attached to a Courtier's Salon, they do not form highly-skilled trade
unions.
City-dwellers have access to bathhouses, but they must compete fiercely
to make ends meet. In theory, swords are legal within the city, but
armor is regulated. In practice, many people wear concealed armor, and
the climate is cold enough that normal clothing often functions as
padded armor. Frequently ambitious city-dwellers are reduced to
poverty. The elites of the City are well-informed about city gangs, and
have some notion of where the bandits hide, but they prefer to maintain
the status quo. In particular, they prefer all miscreants to
concentrate in the city, where they can be controlled and killed if
necessary. They also want the rural populace to be healthy, well-fed,
and not unfamiliar with weapons, in case a mass levy becomes necessary.
While the City Government would prefer to organize such efforts as an
increase of troops or an improvement of culture, they are often
preoccupied with the details of tax collection and the latest gang wars.
Descriptions follow for seven unique organizations and nine non-unique
organization types. Many other demographics within the city are not
suitable for organization status. E.g. a mom-and-pop tavern that rents
its property from a landlord has no significant wealth, land, or
non-family employees, so it is essentially two NPC characters, a
husband and wife, rather than an NPC organization. On the other end of
the social scale, a solitary, patrician miser with Wealth 5 might be a
landlord, but has no personal bodyguards, servants, or organization.
Unique Organizations
1.Squires of the Road (police, tax collectors, road maintainers,
building inspectors, gate guards, notaries) (upper class) (During
peace, the squires are a competent riot squad; during war they are
couriers.) (This is the ideal place to stick a semi-intelligent and
socially acceptable son of the gentry while one is trying to find a
more permanent place for him. Even if they never advance to high
positions of power, these gentlemen are always comfortable. Some of the
incorrigibly academic Squires have close connections with the Aquaduct
Fraternity. The elite ranks are competent cartographers, and they
constantly re-survey the terrain surrounding the city-state. These
cartographers have close and cordial ties with the City-State External
Professional Army. The Squires of the Road will drag tax debtors to the
City Workhouse, but they have no organizational communication with the
Workhouse. The Squires of the Road studiously abstain from noticing
gang battles until they are mostly completed, whereupon the Squires
solemnly ride onto the scene to arrest the losing side as it bleeds to
death.)
Might: 1
Treasure: 2
Territory: 1 (all roads, all gates, small tax office)
Influence: 3
Sovereignty: 3
2.City-State Home Guard Militia (mostly elderly middle-class)
(During peace, the home guard is a retirement home for crippled
ex-soldiers; during war it is the last line of defense. They are
generally irascible, xenophobic war-mongers, and very proud of it.
While old and unhealthy, they compensate with extra ferocity. This is
sufficient only if the fighting is close to home: these old men cannot
march or withstand cold nights in soldiers' tents.)
Might: 1 or 0 (depending on the latest medical developments)
Treasure: 1
Territory:0
Influence:0
Sovereignty:3
3.City-State External Professional Army (rank-dependent class, officers=upper, ranks = middle)
(The external army is professional, well-managed, and well-paid enough
to sleep anywhere, eat almost anything, and fight anyone. Their
particular concerns are bandits, farmers who might try to evade taxes,
and farmers who might try a career transition to banditry. The External
Professional Army has quartermasters with numerous caches of weapons,
supplies, and food; it likewise has career officers with extensive
written plans for how and when to implement martial law if necessary.
The army attempts to screen out recruits with prior criminal
associations. Many army personnel would strongly prefer to use open
violence to exterminate the criminal gangs of the city, but the
government refuses permission to such schemes.)
Might: 3
Treasure: 3
Territory:1 (barracks within city, several practice areas and "tent cities" outside city walls)
Influence:0
Sovereignty:3
4.Fraternity of Aquaduct Technicians (maintain bathhouses, reservoirs, pipes, fountains) (middle class)
(This is an ideal place to stick the inconvenient son who refuses to
stop reading books and messing around with toy steam engines. They are
typical the un-businesslike, impractical sons of the gentry, but they
are good at mathematics and civil engineering. They sometimes help the
Squires of the Road with highly technical matters, such as how to use
gravel and cobblestones to make a solid road. They are officially
authorized by the City Government to send the Senior Representative to
the Drainage Council. The junior reps are from the Putrefactors and the
Barge & Canal Guild.)
Might:0
Treasure:2
Territory:1 (reservoirs, elevated aqueducts, pump houses, small offices)
Influence:1
Sovereignty:3
5.Putrefactors (undertakers, street cleaners, sewer maintainers, garbagemen, spies) (lower class)
(These unique gentlemen have an unusual amount of influence with the
City Government because they are the best surveillance system in the
city. No one can go on the street without being seen by a Putrefactor.
No one can die in public without a Putrefactor taking the body. No one
can suddenly take on a secret tenant without a Putrefactor noticing the
extra garbage and offal. In times of crisis, the Putrefactors use their
semi-secret, highly fortified underground tunnel system for military
transport. Most of the time, it is used only by trusted Putrefactors
and the City Government elite. Exceptionally skilled Putrefactor spies
are given military-quality close-quarters combat training and used as
assassins by the City Government. They retain access to the secret
tunnels, but they keep their training secret from lower-ranked
Putrefactors.)
Might:0
Treasure:1
Territory:1 (semi-secret, highly defensible underground tunnel network, sewer channels)
Influence:3
Sovereignty:3
6.Barge & Canal Guild (maintain canals, transport goods on canals) (lower-lower class)
(These hard-working honest folk are mostly incapable of holding down
more pleasant jobs. Steering a barge is the least desired job in the
city, even if mules are available for a little extra power. This guild
is also responsible for maintaining a few drainage ditches. They are
bullied by the Putrefactors much of the time. The canals breed vast
numbers of stinging insects and a considerable amount of disease. Many
bargemen die from exhaustion, preventable hygiene-related diseases, and
contaminated food. Those who quit often drift into criminal street
gangs.)
Might:0
Treasure:1
Territory:1 (canal network both inside and outside city walls)
Influence:0
Sovereignty:3
7.City Workhouse (employer of last resort for impoverished citizens) (middle class)
(This unique and highly regulated facility serves to keep most
city-dwellers in line by showing them whither the Squires of the Road
will drag them if they fail to pay their taxes. The workers are
technically not slaves, but rather in debt to the City. Unless
ransomed, they will die from hard labor, poor sanitation, and
inadequate food. The guards are well-trained and highly disciplined,
but not a battlefield force. The overseers and guards are highly
disciplined and maintain a very professional attitude, while the
workers are prisoners and as such have no loyalty to the organization.
The overseers are mostly selected from the most obedient and reliable
members of the middle class.)
Might:0
Treasure:1
Territory:1 (prison-like workhouse, with sturdy locks to keep workers in and rescuers out)
Influence:0
Sovereignty:3 (for overseers and guards only)
Non-unique organizations
1.Typical Gentleman's Club (upper class) (more than a dozen in the city)
(These are the resorts of the under-talented scions of privilege. They
typically offer rich food, private instruction in fencing, overpriced
wine and private parties. They collect steep dues from members and
spend lavishly on luxuries. They are the kind of men who will get
scratched faces from over-agitated prostitutes, sew salt into the
wounds, and tell their friends that the scars were gained in duels
against dacoits. They gossip incessantly, but no one listens. All the
members are armed, but so completely undisciplined that they cannot eat
as a group, much less fight as a group. Very often they will fight
duels with each other, so at the GM's option, the club may be able to
find a few semi-skilled swordsmen at any given time. Very rarely, they
will engage in street battles with lower-class gangs. If any gentleman
at this sort of club becomes skilled enough to actually carry out
assassinations, the club ceases to be his group and he either starts a
new company or transitions to an existing organization -- typically a
city criminal gang.)
2.Typical Courtier's Salon (upper class) (about half a dozen in the city)
(Many offspring of the upper classes, both male and female, end up
spending vast amounts of time gossipping in a courtier's salon. These
concatenations of privileged idleness require vast sums to maintain,
but they produce a fair amount of painting, theatrical performances,
musical compositions, etc. The host or hostess is invariably of an old
patrician bloodline, and usually has 9 or 10 personal Wealth and
threat-level 3 Followers at level 5 (i.e. 15 individual fighters). This
salon exists to collect wealth from rented land and buildings, and to
re-invest money into fine art. As such, salons contain a diverse array
of clever, ambitious individuals, jockeying for social position and
access to the host/hostess. Frequently, the ambitious and talented from
salons will seek out professional criminals to assassinate rivals.)
Might: 0
Treasure: 3
Territory: 1
Influence:3
Sovereignty:2 or 1 (depending on frequency of assassinations)
3.Typical Warehouse Merchant (middle class) (about four dozen in the city)
(The typical warehouse merchant buys raw materials (e.g. grain, flax,
wood) by contracts arranged far in advance with large farm owners. The
goods are transported by canal.)
Might:1 (bodyguards available 24/7)
Treasure:2
Territory:1(large stone warehouse with road and canal connections, shop space in front, office space on upper floors)
Influence:1
Sovereignty:3
4.Typical Skilled Craft Guild (lower-middle class) (about two dozen within the city)
(These honest, hard-working folks are proud of various skills, such as
carpentry or tailoring, but will never rise socially. They have a
vested interest in keeping trade secrets and will try to persuade
unskilled workers to go back to the farms. Rarely, for a fee, they will
accept apprentices. They are prime targets for thieves from organized
criminal gangs.)
Might:0
Treasure:0 or 1
Territory:0
Influence:1
Sovereignty:3
5.Typical Licensed Brothel (prostitution, vices such as exotic drugs, gambling, spies) (upper-lower class)
(variable number in operation: minimum half a dozen operating at one time, subject to frequent bankruptcy)
(The members of this guild do not typically live to very old ages, and
their working lives are limited. Their profits are mostly confiscated
by the Squires of the Road, who also issue their licenses. Some of the
reliable spies are given work as street-cleaners for the Putrefactors
after their looks have faded.)
Might:0
Treasure:1
Territory:0 (all houses are rented, usually from a Courtier's Salon)
Influence:2
Sovereignty:2
6.Typical Criminal Organization (upper-lower class) (no more than half
a dozen at any one time, subject to extermination in gang wars)
(The members of this guild typically die by violence. They fence stolen
goods, they smuggle supplies to bandits, they crave money as a means to
power. They frequently loan money to and extort money from brothels.
Rarely, for a high price, they will assassinate targets who seem to
have no powerful friends. They are dangerous, professional criminals,
but the city-state's elite are smart enough to be familiar with them
and to anticipate their moves. Frequently, they take out their
frustrations by fighting gang wars against each other. Rarely, their
pride moves them to fight duels and street battles against patricians.
While they could easily assassinate a huge number in the city, that
would bring about immediate martial law and a confrontation with the
combined forces of the External Army and the Squires of the Road. Very
rarely, the City Government assassinates a high-ranking criminal,
typically framing a competitor organization. New members typically come
from discontented farmers, discouraged poachers, displaced brothel
workers, and foreigners. )
Might:2
Treasure: 2 or 3
Territory: 1 (several rented "safe houses")
Influence:1
Sovereignty:2 or 3
7.Typical Large Farm Estate Within City-State (lower class) (many dozens exist, outside the city walls)
(These estates are dominated by wealthy land-owners, propped up by the
frequent visits of the Squires of the Road. If the squires ever were to
stop visiting, the farms would immediately suffer a crisis as farm
workers would either attempt pilfering, riot, public disorder, or
contract-breaking. However, the City-State encourages these bucolic
peasants to practice archery and spear-fighting, and to volunteer for
the External Professional Army if they feel any inclination to
violence. Farmers try to keep clean with sponge baths and -- if they
are lucky -- saunas.)
8.Typical Poacher Gang (lower class) (about half a dozen gangs, outside city walls, subject to slow decay by attrition)
(These runaway farmers don't like getting up early to milk the
livestock. They live in the deep forest, refuse to be counted or to pay
taxes, and try to poach the city's deer. Much of the time they end up
eating rat, chipmunk, and raccoon instead, having discovered that
making arrows is harder than it looks. The most competent and ambitious
might become bandits some day. The less competent might enter the city
and end up working for a Typical Criminal Organization.)
9.Typical Bandit Gang (lower class) (less than half a dozen gangs,
outside city walls, subject to frequent bankruptcy) (These cut-throats
are ruthless, inventive, and completely willing to run away in order to
fight another day. Any tax-collecting party that gets too far away from
reinforcements will fall prey to these killers. They could be persuaded
by a small sum of money to take up terrorism in this land, or in any
other. Unlike city criminals, these bandits can barely restrain their
bloodlust.)
Might:2
Treasure:1
Territory:1 (several spartan camps maintained to military standards of hygiene)
Influence:0
Sovereignty:2 or 3