Big City... what rules? GM question

[JLXC]

OK I am going to do a city based campaign in a city of about a Million individuals that has been around for at least 4000 years.

 

The city is ruled by the "Five" which are all uber-ArchmMagi. They are not involved with the city overmuch, but they have the final say so on anything really important. The overall running of the city is in the hands of the Guilds. The climate of the city is very "Neutral" in regaurds to most everything, though slavery is technically illegal. Anyways, I'm trying to figure out the ground rules for the campaign about Armor and Magic and fighting in the city. The laws or what have you.

 

I am thinking of the following:

 

All magic with 75 active points or better will activate a Ward that the city Magical Watch Guild will detect and respond to.

 

Only licensed Users of Magic are allowed to use magic within the City Walls. There will be a yearly fee, and if the person abused magic they can have their license revoked or suspended or just never renewed.

 

Only licensed Mercenaries/Guardsmen are allowed to weild Weapons and Armor in the city. Those wearing Heavier than leather or weilding weapons must have a license and a visible insignia for what Mercenary/Guardsman group they belong to while carrying weapons and armor.

 

Use of force will be allowed for those who are Licensed BodyGuards while in the performance of their duties.

 

What other common rules do you guys use in cities? How do you deal with PC violence in cities vs. the Law? Any ideas you have would be great!

[The Mad GM]

Re: Big City... what rules? GM question

 

I like the Ward (did the High Five put those in place?) but, I'd lower that AP on the wards to something like 30. A handgun can be built for 30 AP, and we restrict those in modern day.

 

Also, I'd make sure your players know, a bodyguard who kills in the pursuit of his or her duty is still guilty of murder. A lisence to carry is not a lisence to kill, or even wound. They get the benefit of the doubt in claims of self defense, but that's it. YMMV.

 

I like the fact that it compels armor-fixated people to find employment with someone, it gives a good hook for High Society related games. Perhaps one of the players will buy Wealth and Perk: Noble and hire the others.

 

Are force fields legally the same thing as armor? What about magic items that aren't weapons? What is the tolerance level for other races? How do religions fit into the political scheme?

 

I like the concept of city games, but I've never been in a campaign situated in a city.

[JLXC]

Re: Big City... what rules? GM question

 

I like the Ward (did the High Five put those in place?) but, I'd lower that AP on the wards to something like 30. A handgun can be built for 30 AP, and we restrict those in modern day.

 

Also, I'd make sure your players know, a bodyguard who kills in the pursuit of his or her duty is still guilty of murder. A lisence to carry is not a lisence to kill, or even wound. They get the benefit of the doubt in claims of self defense, but that's it. YMMV.

 

I like the fact that it compels armor-fixated people to find employment with someone, it gives a good hook for High Society related games. Perhaps one of the players will buy Wealth and Perk: Noble and hire the others.

 

Are force fields legally the same thing as armor? What about magic items that aren't weapons? What is the tolerance level for other races? How do religions fit into the political scheme?

 

I like the concept of city games, but I've never been in a campaign situated in a city.

 

I think the Ward will be needed to prevent PC and NPC use of Big Boom spells all over the city. I'm trying to find a middle ground between High Fantasy and Swords and Sorcery. Maybe I will lower the wards Active Point detect, but where? 30 seems low, but maybe I'm just thinking too big heh. And then should some people be exempt from the ward? Like special agents or people who pay enough money in? Otherwise every spell results in the "police" showing up. Hell the PC's could even just cast a spell Hoping the authorities will show up and "save the day". I don't want that, but I gotta figure something.

 

I am trying to figure out the legal system, and just what would be murder and will there be trials? Will there be magic mind readers or spells that detect truth? Fighting and killing is part of the genre, and in such a huge city there will be murders each day. Just how effective should the justice system be? Would they investigate every murder? Or just those that are important? Should some Mercs get a "license to kill" perk?

 

These are the questions I am pondering, as I have never done a city campaign. It was simple to have the PC's fight "monsters" but in cities there will be MUCH few such "kill and forget" targets. They will be encountering and battling full on people, probably citizens of the city as well. This will happen a LOT. Just how involved should I get the "police" as it were?

 

I am also concerned about Force Fields and Defense spells on all the time. Maybe many places should have a "magic sensor" over the doorways to detect spell use and it should be frowned upon?

 

These are the deep questions I wonder about. I'm hoping some of you have run City based games and have some advice!

 

[UltraRob]

Re: Big City... what rules? GM question

 

Well, I think you're going to have to think a little deeper on this one...

 

The most pressing thing I think you need to think about is what kind of environment you really want this city to have. I mean, from my point of view the way you currently present it, it probably runs a lot like this...

 

Archmagi do their own thing, hidden away from society to one degree or another. They left the control to the guilds, and gave the guilds two mandates..."we want peace" and "we want order". After all, if those two things aren't in place, then the magi can't get their work done, and if the magi can't get their work done....Well, let's just say godlike magi who are pissed will probably result in large scale population reduction...And they will start with the heads of the guilds...

 

"I find the lack of peace most disturbing..." (Said in best "Vader" voice...)

 

So, of course the guilds want to keep this place tight!

 

Now, how are they gonna do this? This is what will determine a lot about your campaign setting...If the magi aren't too picky, and the guilds have gotten lazy then the place might be various degrees of chaos....if they ARE picky, then the guilds are gonna be really hype on keeping this place under control.

 

There will be several ways to do this:

1) A formal guard/police force.

2) Hired mercenary/security guilds.

3) Some form of magical guardians. (Golems, Walking Suits of Armour, what have you.)

4) A mix of two or three of these.

 

And, of course the size, strength and nature of the enforcement is something you are going to have to determine as well...Are there "lawless zones"? Do only the rich areas have real security? (You seem to want "bodyguards", and there's no need for bodyguards unless things are a little on the chaotic side....) If it's a normal city, there will be rich, poor, and in between areas, and you will have to decide where these are and what those environments are like.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is the nature of the city itself.

 

For example, is this a trade city? Someplace where there will be a lot of people coming a going? Or is it some kind of capitol where there are a lot of political figures? (Which will result in more security...) How did the city form? Why did it form? (Did people just notice one day that this area around where these magi live didn't have monsters and thus flocked there for safety? Did the magi themselves make the city to try and create a paradise but gradually got sick of trying to rule and retreated? Were the original inhabitants all servants of the magi and the place simply grew? etc)

 

Another thing that struck me reading what you wrote is that this would probably be more of a swashbuckling/martial arts environment than a heavy-armour/battle environment. Heavy armour and swords are just asking for trouble, better to go with small light weapons and hand to hand combat techniques that require no weapons at all. You just don't see a lot of non-guard running around in full plate in a fantasy city where there's someone trying to keep order.

 

Of course, it all depends on what you want your PCs to do!

 

My current city-based campaign is all about conflict between secret societies and political intrigues, but I gotta tell ya that takes a lot of work as a GM to do properly. I don't recommend it for people looking for lots of quick action. (My players are more concerned with how to keep their enemies from crashing an upcoming PC wedding right now than they are looking for trouble.)

 

If you want something a little more action-packed and simple to run, might I suggest that the PCs act as mercenary police. If there is a mandate to keep the peace perhaps the Guilds hire small merc groups to deal with problems that crop up as needed. After all, with magic using people running around, there is just gonna be trouble, and things going out of control left right and centre. Summonings go wrong all the time, people cheat each other, kill their wives and replace them with fakes or kill OTHER people's wives and replace them with fakes....Monsters sneak into the city, or are born there, and someone has to hunt them down before the Magi get annoyed...There are rebel groups, enemy spies...

 

Actually, if you wanna go this route, I suggest you track down the "Ghost in the Shell" TV series, it's about a ultratech city's security force, but with a little creativity some of the plotlines could easily be "borrowed" in modified form to give you inspiration.

 

And, of course there is the question of what the Magi are up to...are the citizens of the city just part of a giant chess game they are playing against each other in their own internal politics? Maybe they are "testing" or "toughening up" certain groups which they secretly plan to use against each other in political maneuvers..

 

Lots of fun here, but you should try to get as much nailed down as possible before you start the game, the more you know, the smoother all this will. Just remember not to overthink things, a rough "sketch" will do, and things will go fine...

 

Good luck!

Rob

[JLXC]

Re: Big City... what rules? GM question

 

Wow Rob. THANKS a Bunch man.

 

The city was founded 4000+ years ago because of it's Central location in the world, and because a huge reserve of underground water was found. The world is without oceans or large rivers. Anyways, it is a totally independant city that is more racially tolerant/diverse than any other area on the world. There will be goblins, orcs, trolls, and any "people" who can follow the rules are allowed. It is a major trade city because of it's location and the way the world is set up. One might say it is THE Major trade city, and not be wrong.

 

The "Five" took control about 500 years ago when the people who were running the city went all evil and were going to use the populace as human sacrifices to raise some god and gain immortality. In any case the Big Five are mostly interested in having the city maintain law and order, but not Uber Law and order. They realize there will be petty crimes like murder and theivery and such, they just keep other "Uber" baddies at bay. Of course they are an unknown themselves because nobody knows much about them, but since they saved the city, and have not done anything over the top to the people, the people are content to just let them keep the reins.

 

I am going to have to define a unified law and order system, especially with regaurds to magic, ugh. heh. This is wracking my brain.

 

I see the city as kinda like a Thieve's World-lite. There are BAD places in the city and especially outside of the walls where law and order will be in much shorter supply. There are corrupt people in the upper ranks but they keep a lower profile because there are good people in charge as well. All in all the city will be a very political place, with people having many different things to like or dislike i.e. The city gaurd, the various mage guilds, the churches, the guildmasters, etc.

 

The PC's place in all this is undefined because I have to talk to them more about it and because I need to give them some input. A "Monster Hunting" squad ala Buffy might be just the ticket! I'll pimp ot at our next meeting. But I will give my players final say on what they want to be based around. I like to work with them, not against them.

 

Thanks for all the thought provoking you have done.

 

[UltraRob]

Re: Big City... what rules? GM question

 

Wow Rob. THANKS a Bunch man.

 

 

Not a problem.

 

If you take the "Monster Hunters" route make sure to give them a good variety of missions, and encourage them to get involved with the local culture during their "time off". "Cop" campaigns are dangerous because they can quickly turn into a "monster of the week" scenario unless you come up with a good number of baddies and situations. It's why I suggested they be "special ops" troops, because then they can do things besides monster hunters: escorts and guards, investigators, spies, etc...Anyone can kick the butt of a squad of demon worshiping ninja goblins, but breaking up a Thieves guild requires a lot of work!

 

Rob

[keithcurtis]

Re: Big City... what rules? GM question

 

Hey JLXC, I'd love to write a detailed answer to this, since I run a campaign that is about half city-based, but I'm a little stuck for time, right now. The magic system is a little specialized, but you should be able to port over what you need with only a little work.

The main site for the Savage Earth is in my sig. Specifically you may want to look at the pages detailing the

City of Tallon, and the General Culture page has sections on Law

 

Hope you can find something useful!

 

Keith "" Curtis

[Foxx!]

Re: Big City... what rules? GM question

 

JLXC:

 

In my cities, citizens help keep the peace, usually:). People who cannot help, fetch help.

 

Cheers

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Big City... what rules? GM question

 

I am going to have to define a unified law and order system, especially with regaurds to magic, ugh. heh. This is wracking my brain.

 

I think the first thing to decide, is whether using magic has the same or higher penality than the roughly equilavent non-magical thing.

 

Example 1: Mage kills someone with a lightning bolt and kills them. Archer hits someone with an arrow and kills them. Is the penality the same, or the fact magic was used make it a higher penality. Can the mage claim that his intent was to stun and that his death was an accident? Can the mage claim that his spell was less accurate and hit the wrong target?

 

Example 2: Mage uses his magic to spy on someone from across the city. Rogue sneaks onto the roof to spy on someone within. Again, is the penality the same? If the target was a city mage, is the penality higher. (do mages have more privacy?)