Well /tg/, I've had the idea for a system in mind for quite some time, and I'm

finally getting around to putting it together, but I'm still sort of at the brainstorming process, so I'm looking for advice, good ideas, and inspiration. I'm trying to design it with not too much in the way of rules, with a core set and then some optional ones. The concept is that you don't play as an adventurer, but instead as a family. While realistically you could start playing in any time period, it's designed to begin in the Bronze Age, and there are a few options open to these families. They could all be indigenous to a local area, each family governing over a village. Alternatively, they could be the heads of different clans migrating into an area. The third option is for it to be a mix of the two, and while feasibly you could just have migratory clans, though I'm not sure how I'd work that quite yet. These families and the peoples grow over time, eventually growing together. Well, the peoples grow together, while the families should try and stay distinct, and instead of each one being the head of the villages, they've become the prominent political families. One family may have conquered the others and established a monarchy, but that's circumstantial to the game. The villages all eventually grow together and become a single city-state. As they continue to grow and prosper, suddenly they're no longer worried about raiders and crop failures (though that should remain important throughout the game) but instead focus more on local politics, and in consequence, war. And so through blade and guile, these families govern their nation and fight amongst themselves for pre-eminence. Should one family eventually die out, they can just "assume control" of another family which has risen to power, the equivalent of re-rolling a character. So far what I have for ideas for the mechanics is as follows: There is going to be a map of the world and more detailed smaller sections which people can use, or a system for generating their own maps. In addition to this, each grid on the map (or more likely hex) will have its own set of resources which all give bonuses. The closest analogy I can think of is the Civilization series, but it'll be more detailed than that. Once the area is made, the players will work together to make a common culture, or two if one of them is a migratory group. There will be the option to randomly generate this, and likely some premade ones, but there are a number of categories for everyone to chip in on. There will be some manner of system such as in Houses of the Blooded, where based on some trait each player will be able to create aspects of the culture, but other players will be able to wager tokens to make alterations. However, each family and their village each get a small number of minor differences. Once the culture is made, each player makes (or has generated) their initial family. They'll also pick family traits. The statistics for each character as of now are something to the effect of Command, Guile, Intellect, Tact, and Power. Each player will have to put +1 into one of these traits, and -1 into another, but can add and subtract as much as they like so long as it all balances out to zero. This way, every time a new family member is born, whatever they roll is affected by their family traits. For instance, if the family traits are +2, +1, -2, -2, +1, and a newborn is given 4, 5, 3, 6, 4; this would give them their traits of 6, 6, 1, 4, 5. Obviously, they're as dumb as a brick. Additionally, for each parent they have with a trait of 6 and above, they get +1, but for each trait of 5 or below, they get -1. Each "turn" as of right now is a season long, in which a number of randomized events happen, which are to include: Natural occurrences, which includes weather in the season and any natural disasters which would occur. This would also include any diseases which would affect the crops, animals, or people. Family events, which includes births, deaths, marriages, mistresses, sicknesses, or other major life events. These can be averted by spending bennies.

Foreign events, which includes interaction with other peoples, such as trade, envoys, raiders/bandits (invasions later on), and things of that nature. Town/city/state development, which includes evolution of the economy, technology, philosophy, and social developments.

>http://ck2.paradwiki.org/index.php?Traits I actually kinda like the ones in CK2, though a number of them overlap. Tact- Ability to deal with matters of court, diplomacy (Need a new name) Command- Ability to lead troops Management- Ability to run a business/city/empire/whatever Guile- Ability to act underhandedly. Intellect/Wisdom- Ability to learn and simple knowledge Power- Physical Prowess Health- General wellbeing Fertility- Well, self explanatory The primary ones from EB are Intelligence, Charisma, Vitality, Selflessness, Temperament and Loyalty, so I might rework them a bit yet again. Explained like that make a lot more of sense, perhaps some anon have more idea. I get more traits btw, from an old pendragon page (another good game to take inspiration, a pnp one). Chaste / Lustful Energetic / Lazy Forgiving / Vengeful Generous / Selfish Honest / Deceitful Just / Arbitrary Merciful / Cruel Modest / Proud Pious / Worldly Prudent / Reckless Temperate / Indulgent Trusting / Suspicious Valorous / Cowardly I think than they are enough traits, but well. Then disaster table. I'm thinking in zone especific (like High mountain, arid plains etc) but that will be a lot of work. Very well. After rereading things I've been thinking that approach by pendragon, where you have both harmful and positive traits. Perhaps in the 'character creation' you could also distribute those? There is also this management aspect that comes up in these sort of games? Taxation, Religious view (could be interesting to play sort of catholic pope faction perhaps) and Political System.

Taxation would relate to running also the economics, which would relate to holding assets such as mines (ore), fields (food, cloth), land (meat) etc. and resolving conflicts around them. Some aspects that just come to mind, important people in the players repertoire .. players repertoire, such as generals, priests, nobles, traders etc. the management of thereof. Some loyalty system perhaps?

Indeed. They should perhaps be generally divided into subcategories such as: - Assets (fields, mines, etc.) - Labour (smiths, farmers, traders etc.) - People (generals etc.) Then something else: - Income (taxation, trader etc.) Hey, OP, how are the tech advances going to work? Will it be random? Will you have scientists/thinkers as a resource? Also, since this seems to have basis in reality, have you thought about giving the players a culture? They obviously can't have separate ones, since they start pretty close together (unless they migrate), but it could affect the later game.

FAMILY SHEET Family Traits Family Personality Traits Family Relics Family Holdings Family Accomplishments CHARACTER SHEET Character Traits Personality Traits Derived Stats Advantages/Disadvantages (needs new name) Possessions Titles Injuries/Illnesses SETTLEMENT SHEET Population Food Resources Money Warriors Information- Religion, Government, Culture, etc. REGION SHEET Population Food Resources Placement WORLD SHEET National borders, population, religion, governments, etc.