Nations and Societies

Introduction

This chapter deals with creating nations and societies. We will adopt the following definition of a nation (taken from the Merriam New Collegiate Dictionary): "A contiguous geographical area comprising a number of societies that possess the same or similar traits or that share a dominant cultural orientation." Thus nation building is directly involved with the creation of cultures.

A society is defined as: "An enduring and cooperating group whose members have developed organized patterns of relationships through interaction with one another." Thus a society is independent of a nation, but it has many characteristics of a nation.

There are two ways of building nations in the Borigon game system. The first option is to simply sit down and decide every aspect from what follows, as you might do in Creature building.

The second method is to use each step in the Nation-Building process described below. This is more time consuming, but it makes it into a game that you can play out as you invent the world.

Socities will be built in methods similar to nations.

GM Section: Nation Specification

Step 1: Develop a name for your nation.

Step 2: Develop a basic concept for your nation. Describe how your nation has adapted to its environment. Think carefully about the environment and what the people would need to survive in that environment. Make a list of things necessary for survival and determine what the people of your nation could reasonably learn. What would nature (or supernatural forces) provide for the nation to survive?

Step 3: Make a rough sketch-map of the nation.

Step 4: Determine the initial population of the nation. This also tells you how many Inhabitant Points (IP) you start with. Every 100 inhabitants produces one IP.

Step 5: Determine the languages and dialects that are being spoken. These can be along ethnic lines, cultural lines, or both.

Step 6: Determine the length of a cycle. A cycle is a measure of the rise and fall of the nation you are constructing. The life of a nation may have numerous cycles to work through. It is suggested that the length of a cycle not be more than 5 times the lifespan of the race (where appropriate). Every 100 years of the cycle will give back one Nation Point (NP) (to be spent on getting specific things for your nation).

Step 7: Work through the cycles of development.

Player Section: Society Specification

Step 1: Develop a name for your society.

Step 2: Develop a basic concept for your society. Describe how your society has adapted to its nation(s) and environments. Think carefully about how the society came about, what does it stand for? What does it need to accomplish that? Make a list of things necessary for the goal of the society. What would the nation or the environment (or supernatural forces) provide for the society to succeed?

Step 3: Determine the initial population of the society. This also tells you how many Society Points (SP) you start with. Every 10 members produce one SP.

Step 4: Determine the length of a cycle. A cycle is a measure of the rise and fall of the society you are constructing. The life of a society will likely have numerous cycles to work through. It is suggested that the length of a cycle not be more than the lifespan of the race (where appropriate). Every 10 years of the cycle will give back one Development Point (DP) (to be spent on getting specific things for your society).

Step 5: Work through the cycles of development.

GM Section: Cycles of National Development

Each nation goes through weak periods and strong periods. The nation may go through several birth phases following declines. New regimes come into power, and then fade away.

The Birth Phase

Every nation starts in the Birth Phase, this is characterized by the following steps of development (given as an example above):

  1. Add 10 to the NP due to your cycle length. The result is the total number of NP available for the birth phase of your nation.
  2. Modify your starting national attributes (if this is the first birth phase then all national attributes start at 0 and must be modified to be improved). At this stage the attributes cost 1 NP per pip (and these are created and paid for just like character abilities).
  3. Choose or change the habitation form of the nation according to habitation-building below.
  4. Invent a story about how your nation got started (or got to its present form).
  5. Roll for success for any previously identitifed projects.
  6. Purchase national paths with NP. These will be the initial state of your nation if it is the first Birth Phase, as such there are no projects put forward—the abilities you gain here are what you start with.
  7. Purchase national adventures (bee National Adventures below).
  8. Purchase a reduction in the cycle time (1 century per NP spent), this is optional.

When you have worked through this phase decide if you want to go on to the next.

The Youth Phase

The second development phase is called the Youth Phase, and is characterized by rapid development. Here are the steps:

  1. Add 10 to the NP due to your cycle length. The result is the total number of NP available for the birth phase of your nation.
  2. Modify your starting national attributes (if this is the first birth phase then all national attributes start at 0 and must be modified to be improved). At this stage the attributes cost 1 NP per pip (and these are created and paid for just like character abilities).
  3. Choose or change the habitation form of the nation according to habitation-building below.
  4. Invent a story about how your nation got started (or got to its present form).
  5. Roll for success for any previously identitifed projects.
  6. Purchase national paths with NP. These will be the initial state of your nation if it is the first Birth Phase, as such there are no projects put forward—the abilities you gain here are what you start with.
  7. Purchase national adventures (bee National Adventures below).
  8. Purchase a reduction in the cycle time (1 century per NP spent), this is optional.

The Development Phase

The third phase is called the Development phase, and is characterized by a nation struggling to survive. It has surpassed its meager beginnings and is taking on a life of its own.

  1. Add 20 to the NP due to your cycle length. The result is the total number of NP available for the developing stage of your nation.
  2. Improve your attributes at a cost of 1 pip per 3 NP spent.
  3. Distribute the population.
  4. Purchase the form of your nation, if it is different from that in the Youth Phase.
  5. Roll for success for previously identitifed projects.
  6. Invent a story about how your nation has changed.
  7. Purchase new national paths.
  8. Purchase national adventures.
  9. Purchase a reduction in the cycle time.

The Mature Phase

The fourth phase is the Mature Phase. Here a nation comes into it own. It is no longer threatening to collapse.

  1. Add 30 to the NP due to your cycle length. The result is the total number of NP available for the mature stage of your nation.
  2. Improve your attributes at a cost of 1 pip per 3 NP spent.
  3. Purchase the form of your nation, if it is different from that in the Developing Stage.
  4. Distrubute the population.
  5. Invent a story about how your nation has changed.
  6. Roll for success for previously identitifed projects.
  7. Purchase new national paths.
  8. Purchase national adventures.
  9. Purchase national benefits.
  10. Purchase a reduction in the cycle time.
  11. Invent some Great Achievement.

The Golden Age

The next phase is the Golden Age of the nation. Here a nation is at its height both politically and socially. It is expanding on all fronts with many new developments and achievements.

  1. Add 40 to the NP due to your cycle length. The result is the total number of NP available for the Golden Age of your nation.
  2. Improve your attributes at a cost of 1 increase per 3 NP spent.
  3. Purchase the form of your nation, if it is different from that in the Mature Stage.
  4. Distrubute the population.
  5. Invent a story about how your nation has changed.
  6. Roll for success for previously identitifed projects.
  7. Purchase new national paths.
  8. Purchase national adventures.
  9. Purchase national benefits.
  10. Purchase a reduction in the cycle time.
  11. Invent some Great Achievement.

Old Age

The next phase is Old Age. Here a nation is beginning its decline. It has overreached itself, or maybe there has been a catastrophe of some kind. In this phase of development your land gains some detrimental condition (of your choice) with no NP gained from it.

  1. Add 20 to the NP due to your cycle length.
  2. Improve your attributes at a cost of 1 increase per 10 NP spent.
  3. Purchase the form of your nation, if it is different from that in the Golden Age.
  4. Distrubute the population.
  5. Invent a story about how your nation has changed.
  6. Roll for success for previously identitifed projects.
  7. Purchase new national paths.
  8. Purchase national adventures.
  9. Purchase national benefits.
  10. Purchase a reduction in the cycle time.
  11. Lose 1d10 levels of national abilities (this may not be used to reduce detriments, though detriments can be increased with these points).

Twilight

The final phase is Twilight. Here a nation is at the end of its current incarnation, it may rise again or something new may arise out of its ruin. In this phase of development your land gains some detrimental condition (of your choice) with no NP gained from it.

  1. Add 10 to the NP due to your cycle length.
  2. Improve your starting attributes at a cost of 1 increase per 10 NP spent.
  3. Purchase the form of your nation, if it is different from that in Old Age.
  4. Distrubute the population.
  5. Invent a story about how your nation has changed.
  6. Roll for success for previously identitifed projects.
  7. Purchase new national paths.
  8. Purchase national adventures.
  9. Purchase national benefits.
  10. Purchase a reduction in the cycle time.
  11. Roll on Random Events Table.
  12. Lose 2d10 levels of national abilities and conditions (this may not be used to reduce detriments, though detriments can be increased with these points).

You may then begin a new cycle with the Birth Phase for the next cycle of your nation, or you may build a new nation out of its ruins.

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