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My players have asked if they could have one of their familiars as a Magister. I'm very hesitant to do this. Any feelings? Can you give me pro/con as to why this should or shouldn't be allowed? Min/Max'ing this works, but how would the public relate to a familiar or animal companion being one of those incharge? For example, how would they handle the Paladin's mount being the Warden? This is of course assuming that the familiar/animal companion can speak common.
Just looking for everyone's thoughts on the subject.
I definitely would never allow a PC to name an animal companion as a leader - mostly because an animal companion has no way of communicating intelligently with the outside world.
I also would not allow a PC to name a familiar as a leader unless that familiar has already been established in the game as a true NPC, as opposed to just a class ability. (And, again, this assumes a familiar that can speak - imp or quasit, for example - as opposed to a rat that can only communicate with its master.)
If your players don't see the plain idiocy of this, even if it makes "mechanical" sense, then impose a penalty - either because the familiar is essentially a part of the PC, or because the people aren't going to willingly work with a familiar or a horse (and certainly aren't going to be taking directions from one.) But you really shouldn't need to.
My thoughts is that that goes against the spirit and design goal of the AP: part of the challenge is recruiting NPCs and working with their myriad personalities. Doing this undermines a central theme of the campaign. Same reason that you can't just buy a perfect map of the Stolen Lands.
It also reeks of cheese. I mean, maybe I could see it in some special/rare case for an imp familiar being something like the Magister/Treasurer if the PC had really played it up as such as an independant creature... but a Horse as the Warden? No. Just no.
Give them 1d4 (or whatever) Unrest per turn a non-humanoid sits on the council due to "racial prejudice" or whatever reason.
As a GM, your job is to make the game fun for everybody. And a big part of that is immersion. Is everyone at your table having more fun by turning Kingmaker into Narnia? Or are some players going to be as turned off as if you had introduced Jedi as villians and Batman as an NPC? If it wrecks setting, kill it.
Consider that the roman emperor Caligula did much the same when he tried to make his horse, Incitatus, a roman consul and a priest. Who knows, he might have pulled it off succesfully if Incitatus had had the power of speech. Alas for poor Incitatus, the emperor's efforts didn't bear fruit and I imagine it wouldn't go over well for any like-minded PCs. Shame though; you'd have to admire their audacity for trying it. :)
Orwell's Animal Farm set in The Stolen Lands?
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I know my players, and they are thinking that they need to fill every position right away and that until a good NPC choice comes along, they could fill the position with a familiar who can speak. The other option they are trying to throw out there is the faeries tit-titter-tug and Perlisch (?).
I wasn't planning on allowing the familiars, and the faeries are going to refuse the offer. They just don't want that responsibility. It's more fun to play pranks on the new biggin's that are settling in the country side.
I must admit though, the thought of a non-humanoid in a leadership role does intrigue me. How would it effect the general populace? What if it was in a position that didn't have much communication with the general public? Like an assassin?
Personally, I'd allow Perlivasch and Tyg to take leadership positions, in turn encouraging other non-humanoids to settle in the area and attempt to become "civilized" (or some version thereof). Though I can't recall their stats off hand, I don't see why either of those would make a poor Marshal or Spymaster.
But familiars and animal companions are almost automatically excluded. I'd need to be convinced by the PCs why (a) the familiar can actually do the required job and (b) why others would follow them. (Though, again, if the familiar has already acted like an NPC in your game, then it changes the equation.)
Personally, I'd allow Perlivasch and Tyg to take leadership positions, in turn encouraging other non-humanoids to settle in the area and attempt to become "civilized" (or some version thereof). Though I can't recall their stats off hand, I don't see why either of those would make a poor Marshal or Spymaster.
Heh. This is what my group did. Both Tyg and Perlivash are in leader roles at Marshal for Perlivash and Spymaster for Tyg. The group explained it as reaching out to the fey in the land.
Though, there is talk of replacing Tyg as spymaster, she was rather reluctant to track down some info during the middle of winter for them....
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Game mechanics aside, just politically speaking…how horrible is it to look at someone in the government as so-and-so’s “pet”? Now translate that as it being their literal pet! The public, I don’t think, would stand for it. Again, mechanics aside, this would seem to me, as a citizen, to be one person trying to fill two roles in the government.
Well, consider this scenario:
Imagine Obama would announce that the new secretary of education is his dog Bo. What would you think of the man?
I think when rulers start to declare their pets to be governmental leaders, it's time to pool your petty cache for a nice assassin, because the next step is a bunch of new laws, like "Cauliflower is outlawed now" or "Potatoes may only be eaten fried!", or "Nighttime is punishable by death"
And expect him to wear his knickers as his new hat of office, declare war on porpoises and open friendly relations with sand.
I know a familiar isn't just another animal, it's a smart little bugger, but do your subjects know that? It's not as if the little vermin can talk to anyone but their master and others of their species.
You'll have scenes like this:
Ruler: "I think I will raise the taxes further"
Other council members: "You can't just decide that alone."
Ruler: "Oh? Well, councillor Rintintin, what do you think?"
Dog: "Arf! Arf!"
Ruler: "What's that, you agree? Well, then it's settled."
Doesn't matter that the thing really talks to him, you can't run a serious kingdom like that.
Of course, you can look for like-minded people and go with it.
That's what I did. Awesomenistan has a very loyal ruling council. And I take exception at these allegations of nepotism. Just because 5 of these council members are from the same litter doesn't mean they don't pull their own weight.
And we just decided unanimously to declare war on your sanity!
And yes, before you ask: I do levy taxes on sanity points.
There is some precedent, "Isn't there, Mr. Scruffy?"
I know my players, and they are thinking that they need to fill every position right away and that until a good NPC choice comes along...
The fact that you have to fill all the spots right away annoyed me too. I just phased them in. I set up thressholds for when a certain seat became "required." At the beginning, I only had Ruler, Treasurer, and Marshal as required roles. The rest became required in stages (usually tied to when the kingdom reached a certain hex size, or as a prereq to making some building).
Otherwise, slamming them with all those penalties right away... it's too harsh. Give them time to recruit people. Besides, doing one "hiring interview" every session (and then the rest is adventuring) is more fun than one bloated session of NPC interviews and then you're done.
Well, consider this scenario:
Imagine Obama would announce that the new secretary of education is his dog Bo. What would you think of the man?
I think when rulers start to declare their pets to be governmental leaders, it's time to pool your petty cache for a nice assassin, because the next step is a bunch of new laws, like "Cauliflower is outlawed now" or "Potatoes may only be eaten fried!", or "Nighttime is punishable by death"
And expect him to wear his knickers as his new hat of office, declare war on porpoises and open friendly relations with sand.
I know a familiar isn't just another animal, it's a smart little bugger, but do your subjects know that? It's not as if the little vermin can talk to anyone but their master and others of their species.
You'll have scenes like this:
Ruler: "I think I will raise the taxes further"
Other council members: "You can't just decide that alone."
Ruler: "Oh? Well, councillor Rintintin, what do you think?"
Dog: "Arf! Arf!"
Ruler: "What's that, you agree? Well, then it's settled."Doesn't matter that the thing really talks to him, you can't run a serious kingdom like that.
Of course, you can look for like-minded people and go with it.
That's what I did. Awesomenistan has a very loyal ruling council. And I take exception at these allegations of nepotism. Just because 5 of these council members are from the same litter doesn't mean they don't pull their own weight.
And we just decided unanimously to declare war on your sanity!
KaeYoss, this is the second post today to make me weep with laughter. Now my boss thinks I am COMPLETELY bonkers, and I am worried he may take the internet away from me at my desk.
Otherwise, slamming them with all those penalties right away... it's too harsh. Give them time to recruit people. Besides, doing one "hiring interview" every session (and then the rest is adventuring) is more fun than one bloated session of NPC interviews and then you're done.
I kind of agree. Is there truly a point to the Magister's role when your city is brand new and all you have is a house? And it's the only hex you claim? What's the point of having a General when you don't have an Army, especially since you also have the Warden role? Does your 3 hex agricultural barony truly need its own Spymaster to keep an eye on all them crafty sheep?