Unrest! in the Barony

Unrest! in the Barony (or: How I learned to never stop worrying and become the villain.) is a supplement for Fantastic Medieval Campaigns by Marcia B., and any similar works. Created for the Icon0clasm Ball, it is yet to be tested in campaign-length play. 

The tradition set in 1974 sees player characters of appropriate level lay claim to areas of land, referred to in the original text as baronies. The scant rules in these games speak of clearing a hex of monsters, the building of a keep, collecting taxes, and how the villagers in the surrounding countryside react when the baron commits an unforgivable outrage.

This supplement rejects the implication that moving an armed force into an area so you can declare yourself its lord, exploit its resources, and subjugate its people is not already an unforgivable outrage.  The idea that these villagers would play the part of docile lamb under the weight of a seemingly-benevolent boot is a fantasy this work has no interest in indulging.

In other words, if the player characters want to take up the role of villain, then the referee gets to be the heroes. In the supplement, you will find brief (roughly two pages) rules for unrest among the common folk and the consequences of conquest. If they seem inevitable, it's because they are.

Layout utilizes Classic Explorer Template by Explorer Design (CC BY 4.0).
Cover and interior art by Howard Pyle via Old Book Illustrations (Public Domain).
All text is CC BY-SA 4.0.