I often toy with ideas for campaigns. A solo campaign will reflect your bias and will be a kind of DIY novel or film where you more or less write the script and to be honest it will not be the same as one against real opponents. A danger is that you will develop a cast of tens of NPCs at the roll of a dice - oddly the random creation of NPCs is one the most fun aspect of any campaign.
In the final analysis a solo campaign is a kind of algorithm, you input random data and according to the criteria have set, you get a result. Problems arise that have to be resolved; how to avoid war with Spain, how to placate the Pope or suppress the peasants; a crisis develops when a problem goes unresolved or you do not have the resources to try to resolve it. These resources are firstly the NPCs and courtiers etc, secondly the money and thirdly your army.
There is the "one man band"; perhaps a Medici in exile. You can do one thing per turn, petition the Pope, hire an assassin or raise an army and that is it.
At the other end of the scale is the Holy Roman Empire. Here you can go mad with the NPC`s; you have a lot of offices and each needs a character. This can turn into an administrative nightmare.
In the middle is a smaller, kingdom, eg Blackadder's Elizabethan England. At the top there is the Queen (God Bless Her) who does not do much but can use diplomacy against ambassadors. As courtiers she has Lord Melchett, Sir Edmund Blackadder and Lord Flashheart. They can try to resolve one problem each, with Baldrick or Percy as reserves (or scapegoats). Each has his characteristics as per the series. You can create your own crew such as Sir Francis of Pokley, the hardened soldier or Master Walter Bodgem, Clerk of the Exchequer, if you do not want to retain the originals.
The key is to keep your cast of NPC's small, manageable and fun. Roll 2x1D100 :
- 1-4 Intriguer +1 for rolls involving scheming or plotting
5-8 Miser - 1 for rolls involving spending
9-12 Energetic +1 to initiative/response
13-16
Courageous +1 to leadership rolls
17-20 Lover Compulsory roll on "Scandal!"
21-24 Unreliable/Bungler -1 to do anything
25-28 Totally Loyal No chance of betrayal
29-32 Paranoid Compulsory roll on "Treason!"
33-36 Handsome No effect
37-40 Ugly No effect
41-44 Artistic Compulsory roll on "Renaissance"
45-48 Generous Reduce income by 1xd6 Ducats
49-52 Personality +1 for Leadership, Subsidy or Diplomacy
53-56 Extreme Trait Double penalty/bonus, extra roll for weaknesses
57-60 Lazy -1 for initiative response
61-64 Charming +1 for Subsidy Diplomacy
65-68 Wise +1 for Subsidy/ Diplomacy
69-72 Cunning + 1 for Intrigue / Diplomacy
73-76 Stupid +1 for Subsidy / Diplomacy/Intrigue
77-80 Coward -1 Leadership
81-84 Bad Tempered -1 for Subsidy/ Diplomacy
85-88 Good Tempered +1 for Subsidy/ Diplomacy
85-88 Arrogant - 1 for Subsidy / Diplomacy
93-96 Flashing Blade If male, a dashing hero, if female she has one as a protector
97-100 Insane Roll per year for Traits
So, what about the money? I have decided not to worry about paying for the upkeep of the various units each army. Instead I presume that the money exists for this and that what is left is a small surplus for you to spend unwisely. Of course, if a province is lost and you have a unit reliant on it for recruits or funding, then you lose the unit. Equally, a traitorous noble will not supply his retinue for the army.
I allow the following sources of funds - the spice, salt, silk and gunpowder monopolies (1xD6 ducats per quarter), the sale of each of monopoly (3xD6 ducats as a one off), subsidies (as per Kenneth Baggaley`s previous article), merchant ventures (see below), adventures (see below), foreign subsidy or mines.
Merchant ventures
Allocate your funds and roll 1xd6 the next quarter. Result is: 1,2 total loss, 3,4 break even, 5 1xd6 profit, 6 2xd6 profit
You can try more than one venture a quarter and could send one to Hamburg and one to Venice. If you venture in a commodity where you hold the monopoly add 1 to the result roll but a total loss is then a 1xd6 ducat loss. Also if you have a crisis with a country you cannot trade with them and all ventures there are automatic losses.
Adventures need a port. This is Drake going off and cutting loose in the New World. You bet your choice of ducats and roll after two quarters:
- 1 lost with all hands,
2 roll next quarter at : -
- 1,2,3 no news,
4 roll next quarter at +1,
5 a shipload of silver - 1xd6 x bet,
6 shipload of gold, 2xd6 bet.
Mines
Revenue 1xd6 ducats a quarter but run out on a 1. You get foreign subsidies via random events. Roll for the state giving the subsidy (on list below) of 2d6 ducats for the value. You need not identify the donor as this might be a one off buy from the French to annoy the Spanish or Danes for example.
So, what do you spend your money on? Grossly lavish fireworks and pageants. This gives you 1 point of prestige for each ducat spent. It is a bread and circuses tactic that will give short- term results to prop up a rich but bungling regime.
Renaissance!
Spend money patronising the arts and fill your palace with beauty. You spend 5 ducats and roll 1xd6: 1 an abysmal piece of tat, lose 2 prestige points as history will mock you; 2,3,4 an instantly forgettable pedestrian work; 5 a stylish but minor classic, 1 prestige point; 6 an eternal work of art to illuminate your reign, 2 prestige points. There is a +1 if a great artist is employed.
Machiavellian intrigues; pay spies and agents to intrigue for you. Cost is 10 ducats and you must specify whom you are intriguing against. Roll 1xd6: If you are found out and a diplomatic crisis ensues, lose 1xd6 prestige points, 2 you are suspected - lose 1 point, 34, no result, 5 unnerve the opposition and gain 1 point, 6 masterful! The enemy is wrong footed and falls for your cunning bait. Take 1xd6 prestige points; on a 5,6 you may also resolve a territorial dispute in your favour and gain another 1xd6 (eg a Venetian player could take over a Genoan port).
Fortifications. A minor fort costs 15 ducats, a major 20 and a mighty 25. Each will take a year to build; the effect will depend on the rules you use.
Scandal. An NPC with the lover trait must roll each quarter. Roll 1xd6: 1 yes, it's scandalous what goes on, lose 3 prestige points as your court is seen as a sink of iniquity; 2,3, well it's shocking but what do you expect, lose 1 point; 4 obviously constant scandal gets boring; 5,6 racy goings seem to add glamour to the court, plus 2 points. +1 if a flashing blade or handsome.
Treason! A NPC with this trait must roll each quarter as he dashes about seeing conspiracies everywhere. Roll 1xd6: 1 a powerftil noble is arrested and causes a stink lose 2 points due to the blatant use of naked power; 2 to busy to do anything else; 3,4 false alarm, gets on with something else; 5 a pretty tale of treason, add 1 point for efficiency; 6 a infamous plot so vile! Add 2 points.
Faux Pas is a random event from Keith's previous article; it relates to one of the following States Venice, Spain, France, The United Provinces; Muskovy or the Grand Turk. The cause is one of the causes, a difference over religion, trading rivalry, a spy, insult, broken treaty or piracy. If health is a factor, roll ldx6 to see what happens. On a 6 the NPC expires, otherwise that is the number of turns they have to miss. Wliat is the reason? A riding accident, food poisoning, a festering wound, punishment for vile pursuits, the sweats or poisoning. No problems, only challenges!
How do you resolve problems in a wargame campaign? Problems are generated by random events and will be either resolved or will rumble on until they erupt into a crisis. A problem is resolved on the roll of a 5 or 6 on 1xD6. Add 1 for each characteristic that will help and deduct one for less than useful ones. Thus a bungler rolls a 6 to succeed, while a charming person will resolve a dilpomatic problem on a 4,5 or 6.
If the problem is not resolved after two seasons, it will become a crisis. Also a crisis develops if a natural 1 is rolled.
A crisis is resolved on a 6 before modifiers. A crisis with another state will lead to war if not resolved within two rolls or if 1 is rolled.
The price of failure:
- Each failure to resolve a problem - -1 prestige point
Each failure to resolve a crisis - -2 presti-e points
Each resolved problem - +1 prestige point
Each resolved crisis - +2 prestige points
Do you sack the Minister? You may like him but the mob doesn't. An NPC who fails to resolve a crisis is sacked on a 4,5,6 +/-1 for any relevant factors. The NPC retires to his estates and can be rehabilitated on a 5,6 in a future turn.
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