Fianyarr World: Home & Sanctuary Merits

--------

Territory

--------

Characters can also purchase territory merits if a more expansive Fianyarr game is desired with the group grooming a particular location.  If territory is to be an aspect of the game it is recommended that the Storyteller assign bonus Territory experience points whenever the characters perform an action that might expand or improve upon the Territory so that the characters can continue to improve upon their own attributes so that they can be better prepared to cope with challenges.  It's also a great way to motivate them to take an interest in, say, procuring stone from the local mines if they think they will at least get a cost break from doing so.  If you have any ideas for other merits or have a critique for this system, please feel free to comment below.

Other than Size (* to *****), Traps - Specify (* to *****), Workshop (* to *****), Library (* to *****) Reputation (like fame for the location) (* to *****) and Security (* to *****), the characters could also use Territory experience points to purchase properties and guardians (similar to Animal Companions and Retainers but for a territory rather than generally assisting the characters).

Fortifications (* to *****): Increases the Durability of the walls by 1 for every dot (starting at 3) due to increased thickness and strength of the walls.  This helps the location survive an attack by the enemy.  This can be purchased twice - once for the village and once for the castle or fort.

High Quality Locks (* to *****): This merit provides a penalty to all attempts to pick the locks within the fortification.

Describe the Location

You can either do this through setting the player characters down in a location you have previously created or getting into a brainstorm session with the players.  In the latter case, have each player describe one of the locations' quirks, resources, and issues.  This might be, for example, quirk (monkeys), resource (forest) and issue (local fae are quite intrusive).  Sometimes the resource and issue are the same thing - such as a jungle that will keep trying to re-take the clearing or a rocky cove that helps protect against pirates ... and merchants.  So long as the territory is safe some of the merits should increase themselves.  After all, if there's a war nearby than refugees might quickly inflate Population and eventually they'll start building themselves homes even if the players don't.  Of course, without assistance this Housing increase still might not decrease the area's Squalor.

Necessary (*): Simple properties that provide no mechanical benefit but remove penalties, i.e. Lighthouse (if at a rocky cove to protect oceangoing trade), Midden Heap (without it, increase Squalor by 1 for every 100 individuals), Gate Tower (without it, decrease Militia Resistance by 1 for every open gate), Farmland Acreage (requires 10 individuals, without it, increase Starvation by 1 for every 30 individuals), and Housing (required for every 100 people or increase Squalor by 1).

Standard (**): These properties modify the territory's statistics.  Gongfarmer Guild (500 individuals don't add to Squalor).  Rubbish Cart System (500 individuals don't add to Squalor).  Militia Register (may be purchase multiple times, each purchase adds 1 to Militia Resistance).  Well-lit Streets (reduce lawlessness by 2).

Useful (***): These properties provide an equipment bonus to actions performed within them.  Apothecary, medical clinic, well-lit streets, universities, schools, etc.

Valuable (****): These properties not only provide an equipment bonus but actually modify the territory's statistics or simply modify those statistics by a great degree.  Sewer System (2000 individuals don't add to Squalor).  Sheriff's Office (add to Militia Resistance by 2 and gain a +1 on Streetwise and Investigation checks at the office).  Paved Roads (increase militia resistance by 2 versus invaders outside the walls and increase Wealth by 1 due to ease of trade).  Free Clinic (reduce Squalor by 2).

Legendary (*****): These properties either draw people from far and wide or cause them to leave the place alone.  Each Legendary Property provides a point of Reputation to the area and allow the players to choose an important personage to have access to due to this property.  This could be a palace, wonder (i.e. statue of liberty), sacred site, particularly renowned and resourced university or temple, or something similar.

Territory Resources

Population: This number represents how many people live in the territory.  For every 100 individuals, squalor increases by 1 but village wealth goes up by 1.

Squalor: This number represents the amount of dice that can be rolled to cause a plague or civil disobedience.

Wealth: This number represents the amount of dice you can roll to purchase something.  This may be an opposed roll if two towns are attempting to purchase the same materials.

Starvation: Normally 0 unless Farmland Acreage is less than 1/10th of the population.  Roll these dice to kill off 50 people a month until Farmland Acreage is returned to 1/10th of the population or else a significant amount of food trade is purchased.

Farmland Acreage: This number needs to be a tenth of the Population score or else add 1 point to starvation.

Enchanters: This is the number of enchanters, or at least enchanted items, that appear in the territory every month.  The Storyteller chooses invents the ones that do appear.

Militia Resistance: This number represents the number of dice that can be rolled to throw off an attack.