Forming a Community
Introduction
A community as used in Building Prosperity is a group of people with shared interest, in general, bound by a common location. A community should exist over a period of many years, growing, shrinking, and changing as it adapts to the circumstances around it. A community is defined by its Size, Attributes, and Status. A community falls prey to Peril arising from its increasing Threat, but members of the community can avert Threat, address Perils, and even develop Prospects that allow the community to grow and prosper.
A community as used in Building Prosperity is a group of people with shared interest, in general, bound by a common location. A community should exist over a period of many years, growing, shrinking, and changing as it adapts to the circumstances around it. A community is defined by its Size, Attributes, and Status. A community falls prey to Peril arising from its increasing Threat, but members of the community can avert Threat, address Perils, and even develop Prospects that allow the community to grow and prosper.
MOnths and Seasons
In this system, communities are evaluated by months and seasons. There are three months to each season, and four seasons to each year. Community members may may take actions monthly, while threats are assessed seasonally.
Community Attributes
Size and Fate
Communities are sized in five categories, relative to other communities of similar structure. For example, when playing with settlements, a village might be a minor settlement while the capital city might be the largest settlement.
Communities are sized in five categories, relative to other communities of similar structure. For example, when playing with settlements, a village might be a minor settlement while the capital city might be the largest settlement.
Size |
Settlement |
Region |
Organization |
Family |
Minor |
Hamlet |
Fief |
Stall |
Household |
Small |
Village |
District |
Shop |
Vassal Family |
Average |
Town |
Province |
Chain |
Family |
Notable |
City |
Prefecture |
Enterprise |
Minor Clan |
Enormous |
Metropolis |
Territory |
Trade Alliance |
Great Clan |
Attributes
Communities are measured by the following attributes:
Communities are measured by the following attributes:
Attribute |
Description |
Ring |
Fortune |
Material resources and commercial activity |
Air |
Milieu |
Cohesiveness, fellowship, and ability to extend its fortune, security, and virtue to its members |
Water |
Security |
Ability to protect itself from human violence (either by the passage of armies or criminal activity) |
Fire |
Resilience |
Ability to protect itself from natural disasters and adapt to changing conditions. |
Earth |
Virtue |
Spiritual integrity, fortitude, and resilience when faced with supernatural events or threats. |
Void |
Current Community Status
The community has a status from Devastated to Excellent for each of the five attributes. Each status adds to the base threat per season the community endures.
The community has a status from Devastated to Excellent for each of the five attributes. Each status adds to the base threat per season the community endures.
A devastated community has to overcome a lot of challenges to get on its feet. In turn, an excellent community is widespread and can earn the ire and attention of many enemies, and therefore also may face many challenges.
Example: Golden Petal Village is a small, reasonably prosperous community (Size: Small, Fortune: Good) which is sheltered in a valley with good access to lumber and craftsmen (Resilience: Good). The region is protected by occasional patrols from Kyuden Kakita (Security: Stable). Its history and continued reverence of the place where the God Emperor rested grants it sacred status (Virtue: Excellent) but it is somewhat fractious due to long-simmering feuds between the families (Milieu: Struggling). |
These Attributes can be measured according to the following scale:
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