Matters of Adjudication
The lord of a realm's word is law, it is his choice of what punishment should be dealt out to what crime. At end of each Season, the GM rolls a dice. On a 1 or less (sometimes the roll may be modified to go above 6 or below 1), no Matters of Adjudication occur. On a 2, 3 or 4, a Minor Crime has occured (see below). On a 5, 6 or above, a Major Crime has occured (see below).
Also, estates with Subject's Loyalty of above 75% will have a -1 applied to the dice rolled when rolling to see whether or not a crime has occured that turn. Happy people commit fewer crimes. On the other hand, estates with Subject's Loyalty that is between 25% and 49% suffer a +1 to the dice roll when rolling to see whether or not a crime has occured that turn. Estates with 24% or less Subject's Loyalty have a +2 to the dice roll when rolling to see whether or not a crime has occured that turn.
Eight different punishments may be dealt for a crime, and it is completely up to the lord what he decides. The effect of each punishment is different depending on whether it is applied to a Major or Minor Crime, and is described in the applicable section. Below is listed the different punishments that may be dealt out:
- Warning: The offending townsperson is not punished, but given a firm warning, before being released. This will usually give a boost in Subject's Loyalty, but will force the lord to pay whatever costs the offending townsperson caused.
- Repayment: The offending townsperson's belongings are taken to repay what damage has been caused, but the offending townsperson is otherwise unpunished.
- Labour: The offending townsperson is forced to work in the fields, mines or markets to repay the community for whatever he did. A fair punishment for most crimes.
- Embarassment: The offending townsperson is forced to wear some form of mark of his criminality. This might be a scar or branding in a certain shape, marking out the criminal for who he is, or similar things, such as the placing of the offending townsperson in the stocks for a certain amount of days or hours.
- Imprisonment: The offending townsperson is sent to a larger community, under guard, to be imprisoned. A harsh penalty for minor crimes, but fair for major crimes. The lord may specify the amount of time the offending townsperson is Imprisoned for (from one Season to however long the lord wishes).
- Exile: The offending townsperson is banished from Bretonnia, to make his life either in the surrounding wildlands, or in another civilization. All of the townsperson's possessions are sold off, and the profit is kept by the lord. A harsh penalty for minor crimes, but reasonable for major crimes.
- Mutilation: Grizzly removal of a limb to make an example of the offending townsperson. A harsh punishment, but common in many medieval realms. Deters further acts of criminality from the populace.
- Death: The ultimate punishment, the offending townsperson is executed. Heavily deters further criminal acts from the population.
Minor Crimes
If a Minor Crime has occured, the GM should roll 3d6, the result will determine what crime has been commited by one of the lord's subjects. These crimes are common in all realms, and it is the lord's choice of the punishment for the crimes. Below is listed the effects of each type of punishment, when applied to a Minor Crime.
- Warning: The people are impressed by their merciful lord's forgivefulness. If owed any Revenue the lord does not regain it, but Subject's Loyalty is increased by 2%. Unfortunately, due to the offending townsperson getting away without punishment, crime is encouraged. The following Season's roll to see whether or not a crime occurs has +1 added to it.
- Repayment: If it was the lord who was wronged, he regains all lost Revenue from the crime. If it is a third party who was wronged, that townsperson regains everything he lost, or is payed damages for what was done to him ( in this case, this has no effect on the lord's estate). Impressed by his fairness, the people look favourable upon their lord, and Subject's Loyalty increases by 1%.
- Labour: The offending townsperson's labour gives the lord 2d3 Revenue.
- Embarassment: The lord does not regain any lost Revenue, but may subtract a -1 from the following Season's Matters of Adjudication roll to see whether or not a crime occurs.
- Imprisonment: 1 Townsfolk is removed from the estate's population for the duration of the sentence that the estate lord had ordered. The lord regains no lost Revenue, but may subtract -1 from the following 1d3 Season's Matters of Adjudication roll to see whether or not a crime occurs. Due to the harshness of the punishment for the crime, some townspeople might look upon it as overly harsh. Therefore, Subject's Loyalty is decreased by 1%.
- Exile: 1 Townsfolk is removed from the estate's population. The lord gains 1d6 Revenue from the selling off of the offending townsperson's possessions. Subject -1 from the following 1d3 Season's Matters of Adjudication roll to see whether or not a crime occurs. Due to the harshness of this punishment, Subject's Loyalty is reduced by 2%.
- Mutilation: The lord regains no lost Revenue from the crime, but may subtract -2 from the following 1d3 Season's Matters of Adjudication roll to see whether or not a crime occurs. Due to the harshness of this punishment, Subject's Loyalty is reduced by 2%.
- Death: 1 Townsfolk is removed from the estate's population. The lord gains 1d6 Revenue from selling off the slain townsperson's belongings, and may subtract -3 from the following 1d3 Season's Matters of Adjudication roll to see whether or not a crime occurs. Due to the harshness of this punishment, Subject's Loyalty is reduced by 3%.
Below is listed the different types of Minor Crimes, alongside the numbers that are rolled for them to happen:
3 - Tax Evasion
4 - Assault
5 - Theft
6 - Smuggling
7 - Vandalism
8 - Theft
9 - Decrying the Estate's Lord
10 - Assault
11 - Tax Evasion
12 - Vandalism
13 - Decrying the Estate's Lord
14 - Besmirching the Lady of the Lake
15 - Besmirching the Lady of the Lake
16 - Theft
17 - Decrying the King
18 - Decrying the King
Tax Evasion: The offending townsperson has been failing to pay his taxes to the lord, the debt is 1d3 Revenue's worth of unpaid Taxes (immediately reduce the lord's Revenue stockpile by the rolled amount, as the attendant scribe realises that the numbers don't add up). This crime directly effects the lord and his estate, so an order of Repayment will give the Revenue back to the lord.
Assault: The offending townsperson has attacked, and hurt, one of his fellows for one reason or another, and was caught doing so by hte Men-At-Arms of the realm. The most serious crime of the Minor Crimes, this one often warrants higher punishments than the other Minor Crimes.
Theft: The offending townsperson has stolen 2d3 Revenue from the lord of the estate (subtract this amount from the lord's stockpiles immediately). He has either already spent the money, hidden it or otherwise lost possession of it. Although not as serious as many other crimes, since it directly effects the lord, it often brings a harsher punishment than one would think. Since this crime directly effects the lord and his estate, an order of Repayment will return all lost Revenue.
Smuggling: The offending personage has been bringing an illegal item of some sort or a person who has been exiled from Bretonnia into the lord's realm, or is part of a chain of people smuggling it (or him/her) somewhere else. This crime usually carries the punishment of Embarassment or Imprisonment, but sometimes Death, due to the danger a smuggler can bring into Bretonnia, either knowingly or unknowingly.
Vandalism: One of the townspeople has done damage to another's property, costing the wronged party a lot of resources in damages. This usally carries the penalty of Repayment (thus repaying the wronged party fully for all damages caused), sometimes Labour (just to teach the offending townsperson a lesson) and, more rarely, harsher punishments.
Decrying the Estate's Lord: The offending townsperson has been, either publicly or in private, spouting anti-lord of the estate information. Whether this is lies or the truth, depends on the situation. Lords who believe in free speech and personal freedom will usually let this go with just a Warning (but thus incouraging more of the same), other lords may believe in the necessity of keeping a population unified in the dangerous lands of the Bretonnian borderlands. This sort of thinking will usally result in the Exile of the offending townsperson. An order of Repayment to this crime comes in the form of a fine of 1d3 Revenue, paid the lord of the estate.
Besmirching the Lady of the Lake: The offending townsperson has done some minor, but public, offense against the worship of the Lady of the Lake. This may be vandalism of the local chapel, spitting at statues of the Lady of the Lake or similar, minor offenses against the Lady. Those lords whose faith in the Lady is great will be compelled to give harsh penalties for these actions, whilst more pragmatic lords will usually order Repayments, Labour or merely Warnings. As a side note, an order of Repayment for this crime comes in the form of a fine, which is paid to the chapels of the Lady of the Lake.
Decrying the King: The offending townsperson has, either publicly or privately, been speaking out against the King of Bretonnia himself. More serious than Decrying the Estate's Lord (due to the position of the person being decried), even the most open-minded lord will see the danger of the treachery this sort of speech encourages. Of course, more open-minded lords may just order Labour, Repayments (in this case, in the form of a fine, payed to the King) or, in the most serious cases, Embarassment. Those lords who put their loyalty to the King above free speech, will often choose harsher punishments.
Major Crimes
If a Major Crime has occured, the GM should roll 1d6, the result will show what Major Crime has been commited by one of the lord's subjects. These sort of crimes are uncommon in small communities such as the border realms of Bretonnia, but not unheard of. Below is listed the effects of each punishment, when applied to a Major Crime.
- Warning: This punishment is often not palpable enough for Major Crimes. If owed any Revenue the lord does not regain it, but Subject's Loyalty is increased by 1%. Unfortunately, due to the offending townsperson getting away without punishment, crime is greatly encouraged. The following Season's roll to see whether or not a crime occurs has +2 added to it.
- Repayment: If it was the lord who was wronged, he regains all lost Revenue from the crime. If it is a third party who was wronged, that townsperson regains everything he lost, or is payed damages for what was done to him ( in this case, this has no effect on the lord's estate). Often seen as too small a punishment for Major Crimes, this light penalty encourages crime, add a +1 to the following Season's roll to see whether or not a crime has occured.
- Labour: The offending townsperson's labour gives the lord 2d3 Revenue. Often seen as too small a punishment for Major Crimes, this light penalty encourages crime, add a +1 to the following Season's roll to see whether or not a crime has occured.
- Embarassment: The lord does not regain any lost Revenue lost due to the crime.
- Imprisonment: 1 Townsfolk is removed from the estate's population for the duration of the Imprisonment sentence that the estate lord had ordered. The lord regains no lost Revenue, but may subtract -1 from the following Season's Matters of Adjudication roll to see whether or not a crime occurs.
- Exile: 1 Townsfolk is removed from the estate's population. The lord gains 1d6 Revenue from the selling off of the offending townsperson's possessions. Subject -1 from the following Season's Matters of Adjudication roll to see whether or not a crime occurs.
- Mutilation: The lord regains no lost Revenue from the crime, but may subtract -2 from the following 1d3 Season's Matters of Adjudication roll to see whether or not a crime occurs. Due to the harshness of this punishment, Subject's Loyalty is reduced by 1%.
- Death: 1 Townsfolk is removed from the estate's population. The lord gains 1d6 Revenue from selling off the slain townsperson's belongings, and may subtract -2 from the following 1d3 Season's Matters of Adjudication roll to see whether or not a crime occurs. Due to the harshness of this punishment, Subject's Loyalty is reduced by 1%.
Below is listed the different Major Crimes that may occur, along with the numbers that are rolled for them to happen:
1 - Murder
2 - Grevious Assault
3 - Arson
4 - Heresy
5 - Treachery
6 - Assaulting A Man-At-Arms
Murder: The offending townsperson has slain another of the lord's subjects (immediately reduce the Townsfolk population by 1) and been caught doing so. Often seen as the most serious crime that may occur. Lords that agree with the "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life" type of punishment will often deal out Death as the penalty for this crime.
Grevious Assault: Greater than Assault, this crime usually means that the wounded party was beaten half to death, or attacked with a deadly weapon (like a knife), often with the intention of killing the attacked person. This crime, like all of the Major Crimes, often warrants Imprisonment, Exile or Death.
Arson: The offending townsperson has set fire to one of the lord of the estate's buildings. Roll 1d6, this is the amount of Revenue in damages caused the the lord's estate (immediately reduce the lord's Revenue stockpile by the rolled amount). However, on a roll of 6, instead of Revenue damage being caused, an entire Shelter Square (randomly chosen) is reduced to a Ruined Square!!! Even if Repayment is chosen as a punishment, only a maximum of 6 Revenue may be given back from a Repayment order.
Heresy: One of the lord's townspeople has been discovered worshipping the Chaos Gods! The danger the gaze of the Dark Gods brings is too great to imagine, and must be dealt with immediately. Possibly the most serious crime of all, with this crime, Death is an option, even from the most merciful of lords.
Treachery: A plot has been discovered to damage either the lord of the estate, or the King of Bretonnia himself, and the offending townsperson has been connected with it. Treachery is a serious crime indeed, and puts many lives in danger.
Assaulting A Man-At-Arms: The offending townsperson has attacked one of the lord's Men-At-Arms, and has been subdued by the attacked warrior's comrades. This crime is more serious than Assault due to the fact that a lord cannot afford to have his Men-At-Arms hurt by the people they are trying to protect! Perhaps the least serious of the Major Crimes, this is the only Major Crime where Death seems too harsh in almost all of its cases.
This game is only fan rules, and no challenge is intended to any of the rights of Games Workshop. As I said, these rules are merely fan rules. Enjoy!