Court Intrigue

[xiombarg]

This is the best place I could think to post this. I have faith that Clinton or Ron will move it if it's in the wrong place...

I'm considering running a court intrigue game, because that's what my players are interested in. However, while I enjoy playing politics myself, I have no idea how to *run* such a thing. What kind a goals do people have in court? How do they accomplish them? Does anyone know of good sources -- in or out of the RPG industry -- on this matter?

[Mike Holmes]

Just do some reading on any of the RW courts of intrigue. Fact is stranger than Fantasy, you'll find. Try the court of Ferdinand and Isabella circa 1492, or King Louis of France (the sun king one that bult Versailles; 14?). Or Queen Elizabeth or Catherine the Great. Those are great because a female on the throne just adds a big twist to things.

Or any of a dozen others. Then just adjust a bit to obscure the obvious connections, and voila! Instant court intrigue. I did the Ferdinand and Isabella one myself last summer, and I was able to identify about 40 NPCs. Sweet.

What you get is a set of interconnected motives and loyalties. Just insert the PCs with their own agendas, and a Court Ball or something, and you're off to the races.

Mike

[xiombarg]

Just do some reading on any of the RW courts of intrigue. Fact is stranger than Fantasy, you'll find. Try the court of Ferdinand and Isabella circa 1492, or King Louis of France (the sun king one that bult Versailles; 14?). Or Queen Elizabeth or Catherine the Great. Those are great because a female on the throne just adds a big twist to things.

I agree. I was just hoping for some suggestions as to authors and titles that are good for this sort of information. Some history books emphasize different things, neh?

[Mike Holmes]

Oh, no. You get to do you're own research.

Actually, I was able to find all that Spanish Court info off the internet. Remember that accuracy doesn't matter, nor depth. You just need ideas. And a google search is a quick way to a lot of inspiration, IME.

I got this just off of a search for Louis and Versaille:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/17stsimon.html

Start there, and just branch out on searches for names you come across. You'll be amazed at how fast you have an entire court set up and ready to fly. And remember, if a detail doesn't seem too interesting, well its just a game. You can always "punch it up" as much as you want.

Mike

[Ron Edwards]

Hey,

Read anything by Alexandre Dumas, but especially The Three Musketeers.

Check out the movie Dangerous Liaisons.

Best,
Ron

[Christopher Kubasik]

xiombarg,

You asked how you might *run* such a thing.  Here's my two cents:

If the Relationship Map in Sorcerer and Soul isn't good for anything else, my goodness, it would have to be the GM's best friend in a court intrigue game.  If you haven't picked up the book yet, check it out.  You'll find a tool that will really help you out on this project.

Christopher

[xiombarg]

If the Relationship Map in Sorcerer and Soul isn't good for anything else, my goodness, it would have to be the GM's best friend in a court intrigue game.  If you haven't picked up the book yet, check it out.  You'll find a tool that will really help you out on this project.

Oh, yeah, I was already planning on making a Relationship Map. No problems there. ;-)

[unodiablo]

The goals can be anything you'd find in drama. Personal (love, greed, revenge, envy, think '7 deadly sins'), political, social, etc., and the more the better (to a point)!

Kung Fu movies can also be filled with down-n-dirty court intrigue. Esp the 70's Shaw Bros. films. I remember Dirty Ho (no, it's not blaxploitation) being a good one for this, tho I haven't seen it in a long time.

Chinese Super Ninja (a/k/a Super Ninja), Duel To The Death, and Five Deadly Venoms also have a lot of backstabbing and good usable subplots. All three of these should be readily available on tape or DVD.

Sean

[Gordon C. Landis]

Run yourself a Google search on "day of the dupes" france king cardinal.

That should keep you busy for a while . . .

Gordon

[Kenway]

And you might as well watch Brotherhood of the Wolf since it's still in theaters.
  It kicks @$$ like anything, and it features some court-level wheelings and dealings during Louis XV's reign.

[Ayrizale]

Two other movies that might also help in this regard would be:

Elizabeth (Keep your eyes on Sir Francis Walsingham for the realy court intrigue type of stuff)

And...  (I know this one's likely to drawy fire  :)  )

Star Wars Episode One:  The Phantom Menace

Possible Spoilers if you are not really familiar with the Star Wars universe but still enjoy the movies...


















































(If you keep your eyes on Senator Palpatine, and realize that he is Darth Sidious, and will someday become The Emperor, and that this movie is really about him manipulating the Senate into electing him as the Supreme Chancellor, then it really does fit.

Lael

[Matt Gwinn]

Some movies you may want to pick up

"The Lion in Winter"
It's old, but it's a very good depiction of the reign of Richard teh Lion hearted and all the intrigue that occured.

"Elizabeth"
This film is much more recent and aside from being an awsome film should give you a lot of ideas.

Those are the two big ones that come to mind but some other suggestions include:

"The Man In the Iron Mask"
"Brotherhood of the Wolf"
"Braveheart"
"Henry V"
"Hamlet"
"Macbeth"

That should keep you busy.

,Matt G.

[Mike Holmes]

The problem with films is that they usually cut down on the number of characters. I find that really good court intrigue, the kind that's likely to last long enough for many RPG sessions, requires a lot more characters.

Still, take ideas from the films. Plots, especially. Do several google searches like the ones that I and Gordon have suggested. Take all this and just pull out all the elements that you like. Together they'll create a unique and interesting Court situation.

(You gotta do it like Versailles, though. The Physical layout alone makes for an interesting element. IIRC, only Loius XIV and those he wanted to speak with were given horses. Others were not allowed to ride on the estate. This way, given the extensive size of the place, he could go to the Courtiers he wanted to address, and not be pestered by those he did not. If you've never been to Versailles, I highly recommend seeing it first hand if you have a chance. Wow. Impressive even by modern American standards.)

Mike

[Blake Hutchins]

Check out the Three and Four Musketeers movies starring Michael York, Oliver Reed, Charlton Heston (Richelieu!), Raquel Welch, Faye Dunaway, Richard Chamberlain, and Christopher Lee.  They're good for the feel of courtly maneuvering, as well as the absolute best swashbuckling choreography out there, if you ask me.  You might also look at transposing ideas from the West Wing or Alias, swapping the politics into your setting.

Best,

Blake

[rafael]

rent Ridicule.

it's funny -- i was going to watch this with my girl this weekend.  she's never seen it.  french flick.  young nobleman goes to see the king, to petition him for money (out of love for the peasants, he needs to have costly improvements done to his estate).

the young nobleman has no idea that to get any respect in the court, you must be a master of wit.  what follows is just stunning.  thrust and riposte, over and over again.  naturally, there's intrigue, and scandal, and seduction, and betrayal.  

goldmine of game ideas, including takes on science, religion, mores, class struggle, and propriety.  worth your three bucks, anyhow.