Every great man built himself a castle and held it against the king; and they filled the whole land with these castles. They sorely burdened the unhappy people of the country with forced labour on the castles; and when the castles were built, they filled them with devils and wicked men. [1]
![By Henry of Huntingdon (Historia Anglorum) [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BattleOf_Lincoln.jpg)
By Henry of Huntingdon (Historia Anglorum) [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
If the characters crawl the English countryside, I want some more random generators. Five years ago, I was gearing up to run a campaign set during a war. I wrote up a random wartime village generator; I may reuse some of that.
Fortifications
In response to a weak crown, the barons are consolidating their personal power.
What is the State of the Fortifications?
| 2d6 | Roll |
|---|---|
| 2 | Wooden palisade |
| 3-5 | Major enhancements beginning |
| 6-8 | Major enhancements wrapping up |
| 9-11 | Earthen motte and bailey |
| 12 | Stone castle |
Were these Fortifications Sanctioned by the King?
An unsanctioned castle may draw the ire of the king; Though he has numerous irons in the fire.
| 1d6 | Roll |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | Unsanctioned |
| 6 | Sanctioned |
Loyalties
Taking a page from Zzarchov Kowolski‘s Scenic Dunnsmouth (review), I’m establishing a campaign attribute “King’s Popularity”.
When a person’s loyalty to the king is unknown, the GM rolls 2d6 to get their “Loyal to the King” score. Then compare that score to the current “King’s Popularity”:
| Loyal to the King is… | Resulting Allegiance |
|---|---|
| Less than King’s Popularity | Loyal to the King Stephen |
| Equal to King’s Popularity | Hedging bets |
| Greater than King’s Popularity | Loyal to Empress Matilda |
Throughout the course of play as the “King’s Popularity” rises and falls, this will adjust a person’s allegiance.
Example: The current “King’s Popularity” score is 7. The players encounter Herald FitzJohn, an unknown. The GM secretly rolls 2d6 and gets a 6. Herald FitzJohn’s allegiance is to King Stephen. If the “King’s Popularity” drops to 5, the Herald FitzJohn’s allegiance will shift to Empress Matilda.
More Randomizations
- Village/city events – lift from Torchbearer
- Countryside events – drawing a blank right now
Citations
1: The Angle-Saxon Chronicle, placed as the entry for the year 1137, but written in the 1150s. This section comes from The Peterborough Chronicle 1070-1154, ed. C Clark, 2nd edn. (Oxford, 1970); translations include The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, ed. D. Whitelock et al. (London, 1962)
