CREATING POLITICS
Factions and groups may unite around ideas rather than geography, skills or trades, or codified laws.
Core Politics Design
☐ NAME
What do the members of this political bloc call it?
☐ IDEAL
What belief, ideal, or common cause unites members of this political bloc?
☐ PLOT HOOKS
What secrets does this political bloc hold?
Additional Politics Design
☐ STRENGTH
How strongly do members of this political bloc hold and act upon their ideal?
- Awareness
- Activists
- Protestors
- Resisters
- Revolutionaries
Political Issues
Choosing two sides of an issue creates the basis of a faction for and against that issue.
For example, create Pro-Disarmament and Anti-Disarmament groups within the setting.
This creates instant personality and motivation for non-player characters.
This also allows creating instant signals of allegiances to a political position.
Flags, banners, buttons, phrases and other means to show affiliations increase the depth of the setting and the non-player characters within it.
Example Political Issues
| IDEALS | ISSUES: CONFLICTING VIEWS FOR OR AGAINST |
|---|---|
| Determinism | Anarchism, Capitalism, Colonialism, Communism, Democracy, Fascism, Federalism, Libertarianism, Progressivism, Seperatimt, Socialism |
| Freedoms | Disarmament, Dissent, Exploration, Privacy, Religion, Speech, Surveillance |
| Reforms | Agriculture, Campaigning, Ecology, Education, Employment, Energy, Healthcare, Housing, Networks and Access, Nuclear, Safety, Taxation, Wages, Warfare |
| Rights | AI, Animal, Robot, Universal, Uplift |
| Security | Immigration controls, Piracy controls, Terrorism controls |
Designer's Notes
The appearance of the -isms listed here do not imply an endorsement or advocacy of these forms of political thought or action.
This is a survey of some of the possibilities that could appear in a setting or campaign and should be viewed in the context of including them only when needed for variety within the setting to increase the fun of playing games within that setting.
Research can provide a vast array of other possibilities beyond these example prompts.
The inclusion or omission and amount of politics within a fictional setting is a matter for the Adventurers and Guide to decide among themselves.
Additional Resources
Roleplaying Tips #0201 - Political Campaign Tip: Create A Social Ladder
Roleplaying Tips #0203 - Political Campaign Tips: Part II
Roleplaying Tips #0566 - How To GM Political Adventures