SwordAndCrown

Sword & Crown

by Moxiane

The Exalted are quite capable of rising to govern cities, countries and even whole empires, and the system below is an attempt to create a simple way of rating these acquisitions and/or conquests, as well as providing basic mechanics for play at the nation-state level.

Traits

The traits below are all given in the X to ••••• rating system used throughout Exalted. These ratings are meant to be both descriptive and mechanical, allowing their use in games in ways that extend beyond the expressive.

Intelligence

Not just the massed brain-power of the state, this Trait represents its ability to gather and use information - whether on its populace, its neighbours or potential rivals thousands of miles away. Higher ratings represent greater capacity and efficiency, whether by a spy organisation or the strategic placing of sorcerous scrying devices.
Analogue for Awareness and Intelligence on characters. Useful during diplomatic actions.

X

Blind. The state has no apparatus in place to collect any information, and would be unlikely to spot a rival army before it knocked on the doors of the capital city.

•

Fumbling.

••

Aware.

•••

Well informed.

••••

Highly astute.

•••••

Supernally aware. Nothing occurs within the state's borders that it is not aware of, and very little occurs outside without a report being placed on someone's desk regarding it. The efficiency of its spies are the stuff of legends.

Power

The sheer physical might of the state, represented by the size of its armies (whether standing or mercenary). This Trait also represents the amount of First Age and/or Shogunate equipment that the state has available. At it’s height the Realm classified reached N/A level in this trait, with more than 40 field Legions, but it has fallen far from those great days.
Helps the state’s leader or representative when he is speaking for the state – social roll booster.

X

Undefended. The state cannot even muster a single company of soldiers.

•

Small army. The state can call a half-Legion (c. 2500 soldiers) to serve, either for flag or money. Any sorcerous equipment it has is faulty and/or of low quality, at best.

••

The state can muster a Legion-sized body of men, although these are unlikely to exist as a single formation. It probably has a few low-end magical weapons (implosion bows & lightning ballistae), but these are precious and rarely placed in harm’s way.

•••

Well equipped. With the ability to field three Legions, and with some Exalted soldiers the state is a force to be reckoned with. Demons, warstriders and other such weapons are regularly deployed, although not in any numbers.

••••

Heavily armed. The state can field seven or eight Legions, with Exalted and other supernatural creatures being well-distributed throughout its ranks. Essence artillery and other sorcerous weaponry is commonly used in battle.

•••••

Overwhelming firepower. The state is practically an armed camp, capable of fielding 15 or more full Legions, a scale of warstrider-equipped Exalted, numerous demons and other tools of Shogunate or First Age warfare.

Stability

Representing both political and social stability, this Trait represents the general internal strength of the state. Nexus, for all its freewheeling attitude and death-around-the-corner attitude, is relatively stable – rating at •••, the Realm, on the other hand, only rates at ••, due to the massive internal unrest just about to boil over (under the Scarlet Empress it varied between •••• and •••••).
Represents the chance of revolution and/or assassination being attempted per turn. Works in both directions.

X

Anarchy. There is nothing resembling order within the state, and any attempt to impose such is likely to be strongly opposed, but anyone willing and able to grab power can make a go of it.

•

Chaotic. Things change on an almost daily basis, from the head of government to the person collecting the taxes/protection money from the citizens. Ambition runs rampant.

••

Dynamic. The pace of change within the state is rapid, with politics being a major discussion point amongst the citizenry and the threat of revolution always on the horizon.

•••

Orderly. Society has begun to stratify into classes, and mobility between them is slowing. Politically the state, while still active internally, has slowed the rate of change.

••••

Stable. Things don't change much anymore. Today's government is much the same as yesterday's which was much the same as a decade ago. People are generally content with their station in life.

•••••

Stasis. Not only has revolution never happened here, but it is utterly unthinkable for the citizens of the state that anything ever change, whether politically or socially.

Wealth

Not just the size of the coffers, the Wealth of a state covers its income (usually from taxes, but there are other ways for a country to acquire money), and represents the degree of expenditure that the head of the state can enact without causing economic disruption. This Trait represents the degree of expenditure that the state is capable of without suffering from things such as depression and extreme debt, with each dot meaning that the leader of the state can safely make one Resources ••••• purchase in a month (presumably for the country in question, but not necessarily).
Rules for over-spending to follow.

X

Poverty. The state is essentially bankrupt, with what little money it has lying the pockets of its citizens. For all intents and purposes it doesn’t exist as a state.

•

Poor.

••

Average.

•••

Well-off.

••••

Wealthy.

•••••

Dripping with coin. The state is one of the richest in Creation. While there are likely still many poor people within its borders, the accumulation of wealth within the state is simply staggering.

Notes

• This has fallen out of Moxiane/RandomThoughts page and into a page of its own, simply because I feel that the ideas are actually going somewhere now.
• None of the ratings make any assumptions as to how they are obtained or maintained. A state with Wealth •, might be rich in natural resources but so deeply indebted to its neighbours that any riches it would otherwise accrue simple leaves its borders. Likewise a state with Stability •••• might be a society terrified of retribution from the top.

Missing Pieces

• Loyalty/morale index – possibly fold into Stability.

Comments

This is so very much under construction at the moment, with everything from mechanics to ratings up in the air. Comments, suggestions, etc... gratefully received. – brainstorming Moxiane

This is a very nice seed! I suggest the following ratings, just to put them out there; Neighbour connections (Trading), Natural Resourses, First Age wonders, Spirit Influence, Organized crime, Infrastructure, Education. I particularly like the notion that Exalted, probably Solars, would try to build something from nothing. My players are close to lifting the curse of Denandsor, and might start a new Kingdom in it. They would start with high First Age wonders, great Infrastructure, tremendous potential for education, and nothing more. My players have their hans full when dealing with the other stuff. I thought that Wealth can either be based on Trading, Natural resources, or Education. Perhaps Trading is unnecessary, but I thought that wealth could be a metarating for several income sources. One dot per functioning income source perhaps? Just crazy thought, really. I might get back on this. -Clebo

Thanks for the comment - interesting points. At present, in the early stages, I am planning on keeping things pretty simple and, as noted above, the ratings don't make any judgements on where they come from. The idea with this is almost to enable play at the nation-state level, much as MailAndSteel allows massed armies to clash in battle, Sword & Crown will provide a simple rules-overlay for this scale of things. The idea is that there is some interdependency with the Traits - for example: restricting Power to Wealth, but that's still open for debate. I do like the idea of Infrastructure, you could fold First Age Wonders into that without any effort (since Power covers FA weapons & armour), and possibly Education, too. - adding descriptions & a Trait Moxiane