Fantasy Core RPG--Title Level Advancement Continued

FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Experience:
The Ref may award characters XP for advancing their class goals (see below, always award 1 XP/session if a player plays to their class goal), increasing their standing amongst their peers, eliminating rivals, audiences with royalty, etc. Use the same 1 (minor), 2 (medium), 3 (major) scale. Examples: issue 1 XP for getting an invite to the royal ball, 2 XP for avoiding an embarrassing social trap at the ball, 3 XP for using a connection made at the party to implicate a rival in a scandal, and thus you get the prestigious royal post. (Try not to make all Title Level adventures about going to parties.)

Rivals:
Take note, that killing social rivals is an exceedingly dangerous proposition. A possible death sentence will follow anyone suspected of such an act. A formal duel is the only legal option and bad blood will result among the rival's friends and relatives even if the character is successful (even if the duel isn't to the death). Pushing a rival too far will certainly result in a challenge to a duel (especially if the rival is of a higher level).

Protege:
The titled character may take on a sidekick. They do not have to be of the same class as the lord. The player will actually roll up a first level character. The lord is responsible for the sidekick's upkeep and paying them a stipend. This character may be used by the player to engage in situations that would be beneath the player's main character's abilities. They are fully played by the player and earn XP and advance as a normal character. Of any treasure recovered in an expedition by the protege, the lord will take a cut to pay for their upkeep and training costs. If the characters are used together in a situation, the Ref will have an overrule option on the use of the sidekick.

Taking Ruling Power:
A titled character may attempt to take power in their classes' political structure. This is done by various means, depending on the type of class. In any case, it requires title-level allies and probably lots of gold. Failure will likely end in execution or permanent exile, so bide your time carefully. Even success will bring immediate challenges and counter revolts if potential rivals aren't accounted for or if there is betrayal by trusted allies. The building of a castle and land management would occur at this level, as the character is building their power base.

Retirement:
For such characters that have reached the top of their class and held power, the player may wish to retire the character. The character will then become an NPC under the Ref's control. (Note that the Ref should be respectful of how the character was played by the player and not do anything radical without some reason and foreshadowing or with permission.) The player can play the sidekick character as their new character if they wish, with their old character as a benefactor and a possible source of adventure hooks.

The Adventuring Group:
The pursuit of a ruling title should be an individual player's decision, with the knowledge that the title will incur significant obligations and duties to be maintained. This will end adventuring of all but the most important and lucrative sort. If the entire group wants to be nobles or leaders, that's fine. If not, actual play need not be overly disrupted.

For social events not hosted by the character or where major confrontations are not planned, the interactions can be resolved with a few dice rolls and player being informed of any spicy rumors; it need not be role-played out. Further, non-titled characters can enter most parties, events, and places the titled one can (certainly if they're the host) with the phrase, "They're with me." A titled character's protege‚ can be used to step in if the character must be absent in an adventure. The protege‚ may be lent some of the lord's special weapons and armor for that occasion.

Characters of different classes will likely be seeking different final goals and should help one another in achieving them. Characters of the same or similar classes, however, may be competing for the same position. The players and the Ref will need to work this out amongst themselves before a power play is made. Cooperatively, it would be best that the characters work together to take power, if only until their mutual enemies are vanquished. In the interests of a harmonious game table, a non-lethal duel might be the best solution, if a power-sharing arrangement can't be made.


To be continued further.