Hegemony
Property, followers, and titles for the high-level game — the structures that turn an adventuring party into a lasting power.
A stronghold turns a high-level character into a local power. Open a subject to read the place, money, and movement that support a lasting holding without leaving this page.
Stronghold ledger
Choose a class and level to translate the stronghold formulas into a working follower count and monthly surplus roll.
- Requirement
- A warrior of good reputation who acquires a keep AND gains the loyalty of a stable settlement.
- At level 10
- 300 soldiers and 150 support staff
Each tier of lifestyle is paid monthly, in silver. It covers shelter, food, and the degree of legal protection the character can expect from local authorities.
Poor
10 sp/month- Housing
- A simple bed in a shared room, common area, or flophouse.
- People
- Cheap laborers, beggars, refugees, and so forth.
- Food
- Bread, porridge, vegetables, fruit, eggs, rabbits, smoked fish or shrimp, and tea.
- Law
- Legal protection is minimal.
Modest
20 sp/month- Housing
- A small room in a shared household or tenement.
- People
- Servants or paid laborers with minimal skills, common soldiers, and similar.
- Food
- Also includes stews, beans, cheap sausage, mutton, chicken, honey, and weak beer.
- Law
- Legal protection is basic.
Good
30 sp/month- Housing
- A small house, suitable for a family of 3–5.
- People
- Successful tradesmen or small business owners, usually part of a guild.
- Food
- Also includes pies, pastries, soups, cheese, wine, smoked pork or bacon, fresh fish, and a variety of spices.
- Law
- Legal protection is good.
Affluent
40 sp/month- Housing
- A substantial house suitable for a large family, with an enclosed yard or garden.
- People
- High-level tradesmen with valuable skills, military officers, and similar.
- Food
- Also includes beef, duck, venison, chocolate, coffee, sauces, and extravagant baked goods.
- Law
- Legal protection is excellent.
Extravagant
50 sp/month- Housing
- An estate, with the support of a wealthy organization or noble family.
- People
- Landowners, government officials, high-ranking military officers, and similar.
- Food
- More extravagant versions of those enjoyed by the affluent, with spices and sauces.
- Law
- Legal protection is absolute.
Using coins for currency also influences taxation. It’s hard to prove that someone got handed a bag of coins if they aren’t tied down and easy to audit. In a fantasy setting, businesses and landowners pay most of the taxes because they’re the easiest people to tax. That also means the government protects these people more than anyone else.
It’s even easier to tax a guild that collects fees and dues from its members. If push comes to shove, the local authorities will always side with the guy who owns his own establishment and keeps his books in order.
This means “not adventurers” — since they’re often a bunch of murder hobo transients, looting their way through life and hiding cash in bags of holding buried in chests in the desert.
Carts and ships, horses and hounds, mammoths and airships — the beasts and conveyances that carry adventurers and their plunder across the world.
Land Vehicles
Wheeled conveyances drawn by draft animals. Capacity is listed as crew/passengers; speed assumes good roads.
- Land, Cart
- cost 200+, 1/4 people, 11 km/hr, 1 animal, 2 wheels, flatbed, covered, maneuverable
- Land, Wagon
- cost 400+, 1/6 people, 8 km/hr, 2 animals, 4 wheels, flatbed, covered
- Land, Stagecoach
- cost 600+, 1/8 people, 8 km/hr, 4 animals, 4 wheels, cab, thoroughbraces
Water Vehicles
Boats and ships, from skiffs to galleons. Tonnage is cargo capacity; siege weapons and ballistae may be mounted as noted.
- Water, Skiff
- cost 250, 1/6 people, 5 km/hr, 2 oars
- Water, Knarr
- cost 15k, 5/25 people, 26 km/hr, 20 oars, 10 tons, sails
- Water, Catamaran
- cost 5k, 2/10 people, 26 km/hr, 6 tons, sails, fast
- Water, Dhow
- cost 15k, 3/15 people, 15 km/hr, sails, 40 tons, fast
- Water, Caravel
- cost 30k, 6/30 people, 15 km/hr, 20 tons, sails, cargo, ballistae
- Water, Sloop
- cost 45k, 12/60 people, 15 km/hr, 20 tons, sails, cargo, siege weapons
- Water, Galleon
- cost 75k, 20/120 people, 12 km/hr, sails, 300 tons, cargo, siege weapons
Air Vehicles
Lighter-than-air craft kept aloft by alchemical lift and driven by propellers.
- Air, Dirigible
- cost 15k, 2/6 people, 50 km/hr, propeller, balloon, flying, alchemical
- Air, Airship
- cost 85k, 4/20 people, 50 km/hr, propeller, balloon, flying, alchemical
Horses
The classic mount. Specialized breeds for hauling, riding, war, and alchemical labor.
- Horse, Draft
- cost 50+
A large strong horse used for work and cargo hauling.
- Horse, Riding
- cost 75+
A medium high-endurance horse for riding long distances.
- Horse, War
- cost 400+
A huge destrier trained for combat, very unlikely to panic.
- Horse, Alchemical
- cost 2k+
A heavy workhorse that does not tire, raised on alchemical solutions.
Dogs
Trained working dogs for the hunt or the watch.
- Dog, Hunting
- cost 50+
A dog trained to work with hunters, sniff out danger, and recover game.
- Dog, War
- cost 100+
A big muscular dog trained for guardwork and combat.
Beasts & Livestock
War beasts, working animals, and the herds that follow a caravan.
- Mammoth, War
- cost 5k+
A huge wooly mammoth trained for battle, very unlikely to panic.
- Rhino, War
- cost 2k+
A wooly or normal rhino trained to accept a rider in combat.
- Hawk, Hunting
- cost 300+
A hunting bird, trained to kill small game and allow its owner to take it.
- Leopard, Watch
- cost 2k+
A big muscular cat, trained for bodyguard duty and protecting homes.
- Oxen, Work
- cost 100+
A basic ox, trained to accept a yoke and pull drays or vehicles.
- Livestock
- cost 25+
Covers sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, chickens, etc.
Companions, retainers, and followers each occupy a different place in the party. Open a subject to see who serves, what they do, and what keeps them loyal.
Companions are mystically bonded allies whose services are gained through a character class or archetype. Animal companions, undead bodyguards, otherworldly minions, and similar creatures fall under this category.
Very small companions use the same statline. Some companions are class-restricted or gain additional abilities based on the class of their master.
| Companion | Restricted To | Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Artifact | Warlock | Your primary focus becomes sentient and helpful. No combat statistics; it is a magical item. |
| Djinn | Warlock/Conjurer | Medium, immune to one element, able to use equipment and attune up to 3 magic items. |
| Elemental | Warlock/Conjurer | Small or Tiny, mutable form, manipulate matter of its type in a 5’ cube as a reaction. |
| Familiar | Warlock/Conjurer | Tiny, traits as animal, it can cast your lvl 1–2 spells using your mana. |
| Harrier | Any | Tiny, flying, 25 mph, hawkeye ability, alertness [12+Arete]. |
| Courser | Any | Medium, +15 health, 7 mph, scent ability, one damage resistance. |
| Steed | Any | Large, +20 health, 10 mph, tireless, riding it grants the cavalier fighting style. |
| Thug | Any | Medium, +10 health, 3 mph, +3 defense, 3 soak, extra attack at 7th level. |
In the course of play the party may end up gaining the services of NPCs (characters controlled by the Storyteller). There are two types of retainers: Hirelings and Henchmen.
Hirelings serve in return for a fixed payment. Their loyalty depends on their pay, how well they are treated, and how much danger they are exposed to. Henchmen are more like sidekicks or bodyguards — skillful and loyal people who expect a share of treasure earned for their service to the team.
There are four basic types of retainer:
- Advocates
- Negotiate on the party's behalf. They liquidate treasure (in return for a small cut), provide introductions to powerful people, negotiate contracts, act as go-betweens, and help smooth over indiscretions with the law. Common terms: heralds, fixers, lawyers.
- Informants
- Act as the party's eyes and ears. They collect rumors, find people, obtain maps, and keep the party updated on the doings of the local underworld and nobility. A character can make social checks through an informant during an interlude if desired. Common terms: spies, snitches.
- Mercenaries
- Provide combat support and spellcasting services. They shield characters, provide missile fire, carry gear, haul away bodies, build campsites or barricades. Spellcasters are particularly valuable for low-level spells such as magical healing. Certain monsters may also serve as mercenaries or war mounts. Common terms: shieldmen, bodyguards, thugs.
- Servants
- Run errands for the party — deliver messages, buy supplies, cook food, and similar tasks. A competent servant is tremendously helpful. Common terms: bearers, housemen, butlers.
Unless they are blatantly incompetent or antagonistic toward their underlings, all mid-level (7+) characters possess some degree of leadership ability based on their experience — though they cannot attract followers until 10th level.
Hirelings under the party's command will remain loyal as long as the players accept an equal level of risk, do not treat them as expendable, and pay them as promised. Hirelings always check morale when things get bad.
Renown can draw the attention of higher powers. Open a subject to connect the Leadership perk, organized play, and the benefits of swearing fealty.
If a character develops sufficient renown, it is normal for higher powers to approach them seeking fealty. Accepting such an offer provides support, honorifics, and income. It may also grant new spells, land, or other benefits as the Storyteller decides.
- Support
- A body of henchmen "on loan" from the parent organization, above and beyond the character’s current followers.
- Honorifics
- Titles bearing social privileges — knighthood, high priests, magisters, made-men, and so forth.
- Annuities
- Extra streams of income (or trade) paid to a character to retain their allegiance and services.
Joining a faction always carries more benefits than drawbacks. Characters of level 10+ are dangerously competent, so keeping them happy (within reason) is a priority to most rulers due to the power they offer. This is especially true for warriors, because networks of high-level warriors form the basis of feudal nations with the power to field large armies.
The benefits of owning a stronghold and swearing fealty compound. The drawback of swearing fealty is that the player may be called upon to perform services for their parent organization, or pay taxes. This can be a good source of quests and plot hooks, however.
Perks are small improvements or talents gained at 1st level and every even level thereafter. The Leadership perk is the threshold that opens the door to high-level followers.
Attract followers at 10th level.
Small gaming groups (2–3) are simple to manage because players spend less time waiting and the plot importance of each character is high. But once the group gets larger (4+) players spend more time waiting, the narrator has more actions to track, and encounters must become bigger and more complicated.
Keeping the action moving requires player participation. When a game reaches a size where officers are needed, the following four positions should be filled immediately:
| Role | Focus | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Caller | Consensus | Quickly gains consensus and informs the Narrator of the party’s actions as a whole. Rotated between sessions so quiet players participate and outspoken ones do not dominate. |
| Treasurer | Logistics | Tracks party equipment, consumables, properties, and treasure; manages disposition or sale of loot and monitors every character’s gear on a single, accessible page. |
| Chronicler | Notes | Records NPCs, locations, clues, major events, and quest objectives. Secondary job: drive progress by spotting opportunities to cross items off the list. |
| Marshal | Tactics | Leads tactical discussion in battle — protection assignments, magic discipline, target priority. Advises policy only; never makes other characters’ decisions for them. |