Trade Rules, Factions, and Mass Combat

A look at a few of my stupid simple house rules

Sorry for the lack of bigger updates lately, I hope this look at several of my homegrown systems makes up for it!

Been working like a maniac the last week and it’s been tough to find time to play solo or get work done here as much as I’d like, but never fear, I’m staying creative as always!

This will be a quick look at three different fast systems I’ve been testing in my various solo plays:

Mournwatch, my own setting for Shadowdark (deep into the work on this right now, and putting every other project on hold until its finished)

Northreach, the developing setting for my “Dark Medieval Times” rules - essentially a bizarrely functional blend of Mork Borg, Pendragon and Shadowdark (more on this as I finish other stuff).

Anyhow, in these games, roads and trade are important and I decided I wanted to experience them firsthand…so I scoured the internet and created a homunculus of my own, as usual.

Here’s a look at simple trading rules for any OSR:

Heavy inspiration for this section was taken from the blog Shadow and Fae’s article “The Merchant Campaign,” then I just changed or added a few minor tweaks here and there:

”Players interested in becoming traders and merchants may do so by buying, trading and selling goods in Mournwatch based on availability, scarcity, and surplus.

These rules are kept simple and streamlined for ease of use at the table.

A trade good is any product that is purchasable in large quantity.

Prices listed here are for one standard and simplified “unit.” One unit can be carried by an otherwise unencumbered person of average STR, or takes up one “slot” in a wagon, cart or horse.

Horses are limited by available cargo space.

Wagons are limited by size and weight allowance.

Person: 1 slot
Horse: 3 slots
Cart: 6 slots
Wagon: 9 slots
Small Ship: 18 slots

Food (Fish, meat, dairy, grain) 10gp
Alcohol (Wine, beer, mead)      15gp
Ore (Raw iron ore)                   25gp
Herbs (Medicinal, spices, etc.) 50gp
Tools (Specialized tools for mining, timber, smithing, etc.) 75gp
Luxury (Fine clothing, Jewelry, etc.) 100gp

Each population center, gathering place, etc. comes with the opportunity to buy, sell and trade these goods.
To check the current market for specific goods:

Roll 2d6: 

• 2-3, Very Low, 50%

• 4-5, Low, 75%

• 6-8, Normal, 100%

• 9-10, High, 125%

• 11-12, Very High, 150%

At the beginning of a deal, roll d20 and add the representative PC’s CHA modifier.
<12: Buying is 10% more expensive, selling is 10% less profitable than the standard rate. 

=/>12: Even trade
=/>15: 10% in PCs favor
=/>18: 20% in PCs favor

Well educated or connected PCs, or those willing to pay for the information, will be able to inquire about the market for items in other places. Every time they inquire, roll 1d6. On a 1-2, the news is old and outdated. Increase the chances of this for distant or difficult to get to places.

If a large quantity of an item is sold in any market, decrease this item’s market value on the chart by 1 or more steps, depending on how much was sold.”

Ok, so there’s the basics of trade. It’s simple, no it isn’t a “simulator,” because that would be much much more involved and outside of my interest but this has been very satisfying and fun and I’m sure I’ll house rule it more as I go.

The next system is from my work in progress “Dark Medieval Times.”

I take full credit for it, although I’m certain it isn’t “new.” I wanted a simple dice pool resolution system for mass combat, something I could quickly use to quickly ascertain both sides, pit them against each other, and continue to smash them into each other until morale broke or the one side was totally routed.

Those interested in a pen and paper/miniatures free mass combat system modeled after a hyper simplified Chainmail need look no further than my KILLCHAIN. (It’s free but tips are cool!)

For the new one, which I’ll call “Battles In The North,” here you go:

Use the following system for very large battles. 

If PCs are involved in the battle, treat it as a series of skirmishes using the standard melee rules - major successes or failures can add or subtract a die from the overall dice pool. 

Assign each side a number of d6s in their dice pool based on the following factors. Each factor contributes additional dice to their pool. 

Both sides begin with a single d6. 

Number of Dice Based on Numerical Superiority:

1. Even Numbers: No additional dice. 

2. 25% More Troops: +1d6.

3. 50% More Troops: +2d6.

4. 100% More Troops: +3d6.

5. 200% More Troops: +4d6.

6. 300% More Troops: +5d6.

Additional Factors:

1. Veteran Troops: +1d6.

2. Superior Weapons: +1d6 

3. Superior Armor: +1d6 

4. Powerful Commander: +1d6 

5. High Morale: +1d6

6. Defensive Position: +1d6 for fighting from a strong defensive position ( fortified location etc)

7. Surprise Attack: +1d6 

8. Terrain Advantage: +1d6 (high ground or the like, whatever)

9. Supernatural Support: +1d6 for having magical, monstrous, or supernatural assistance etc etc “fireball” or “they have a cave troll”

10. Supply and Logistics: +1d6 if excellent tactical lines and supplies etc

Example:

- Side A has 100 troops.

- Side B has 200 troops (100% more).

Side A:

1d6

- Veteran Troops: +1d6

- Defensive Position: +1d6

Total: 3d6

Side B:

1d6

- Numerical Superiority: +3d6 (100% more troops)

- Powerful Commander: +1d6

- Superior Weapons: +1d6

Total: 6d6

Both sides roll their dice pools. Rolls of 5-6 are “successes.” Each success cancels one of the opposition’s successes. Any successes left over remove one die from the opponent’s pool. 

Reroll until surrender or the dice pool is gone.

At the end of a battle, assume that some troops from the losing side have been routed and fled, others captured for ransom or execution, and the rest slain or badly wounded on the battlefield.


That’s it. Very simple, very fast.

Ok, finally, dear readers, because I want to give you as much usable stuff as possible (maybe a dungeon next time? I never design them for “sharing” and most of my notes are scrawls, but maybe I’ll clean one up if you’d like), here’s a basic system for Factions from my Northreach game.

This map was made using Watabou’s free generator on itch.

Here goes:

Each faction has four stats, based on the Mork Borg core stats Strength, Toughness, Agility and Presence.

These are: Military (MIL), Stability (STA), Resources (RES) and Intrigue (INT)

You can determine these by faction, or roll them like you would a MB character (using either 3d6 or 1d4-1d4).

Military is their overall strength rating in terms of…military. How likely they are to win battles, territorial disputes, and so on. It is rolled when there is a faction move involving battles and violent conflict.

Stability is internal structural integrity. Infighting, resilience, co-operation, the like. It is used for the roll when there is a situation involving internal turmoil, upheaval, disaster, tragedy, or when resisting another factions Intrigue in matters of subterfuge, sabotage or propaganda.

Resources represent a factions overall wealth, assets, leverage. It is used when there is a situation involving the expenditure or usage of one of these things - uncontested expansion, building, expedition, and so on.

Intrigue is anything that “Presence” would normally be rolled for in MB. In this case it covers diplomacy, propaganda, espionage, assassination, influence and so on.

On the “faction turn,” (whenever is suitable in your game - mine is based on a month of game time), you can roll to see what each faction is doing:

(1d10)

1 Expansion Expanding territory///influence

2 Consolidation Fortifying/increasing defenses of held locations

3 Resource Acquisition Gathering or securing timber, ore, trade routes etc
4 Diplomacy Forming alliances, negotiating treaties, trade, etc.

5 Internal Affairs Addressing internal issues, training, disputes

6 Covert Operations Engaging in sabotage, assassination, espionage

7 Public Works Building infrastructure (roads, bridges, forts)

8 Military Campaign Planning or executing major military actions

9 Cultural Endeavors Community, religious events, fairs, markets

10 Tech Advancements Researching new resources, tech, weaponry, magic


Whatever the endeavor, assign it a standard difficulty rating for how difficult it seems.

Sometimes a timeframe is helpful - mark on graph paper how many faction turns it will take to be successful, or how many successful checks are needed - I use 1 for easy (establishing a favorable trade agreement), 2 for moderate (gathering a large amount of hidden information on a rivals trade operations) and 3 for difficult (mounting and winning a major military operation against a tough opponent).

I run through the various factions pretty quickly, and check my notes each game session for time frames and current progress of these goals.

I hope something here was useful to you - I’ll be back when the workload eases up or I’ll post on company time!

Keep your blades sharp!

-Castle Grief