The existing morale rules have nine morale states, ranging from -4 to +4, with effects for each. I'm given to understand that this system is designed so that rebellion is rare and morale does not move very quickly, but I don't care all that much about stability and nine is a few too many for me. I'd rather have five results, like every other Charisma-driven 2d6 roll. If you really want to maintain that slow-movement property, just limit it so that it can only change by 1 degree per season in any direction (this is equivalent to moving it by 2 on a 9-point scale).
So we get a table like this:
2-: Rebellious
3-5: Disgruntled
6-8: Resigned
9-11: Content
12+: Loyal
I'm cynical about the maximum degree of loyalty you should expect to get from your peasants - does anyone really enjoy paying their taxes? Enough to pay extra taxes? It's also important to remember that a peasant rebellion is potentially-exciting, or at least interesting, while a happy, peaceful realm is boring.
A Rebellious domain's peasants take up arms against their erstwhile master. If no rebellion has been crushed by force within the last year, the peasants stand up one company of militia per 120 families, and a village hero (4th-7th level fighter) appears to lead them. Naturally, they stop paying their taxes until the rebellion is put down and their heroic leader disposed of. If the ruler happens to be in the field with militia units from the domain when the rebellion springs up, they may betray him (to the extent that militia units can) if the opportunity arises, and suffer -2 to morale even if it doesn't. Even when the rebellion is crushed (or if no forces were mustered because of a crushing in recent memory), the domain suffers the effects of disgruntlement (below), and takes a -3 penalty to its next morale roll.
A Disgruntled domain's peasants are unhappy with their ruler. They drag their feet and do their best to evade his taxes, reducing his domain income by 1gp/mo per family. Additionally, militia units from this domain suffer a -1 penalty to morale. Should a particularly good opportunity to replace the ruler appear, the peasants may rebel. Disgruntled peasants may aid or abet hijinks targeted against the ruler and his armies, associates, holdings &c, providing a +2 bonus where appropriate. The domain suffers a -1 penalty to its next morale roll.
A Resigned domain's peasants have had worse rulers. This one seems to mostly-uphold the social contract; they pay their taxes and he leaves them be.
A Content domain's peasants think this ruler is somewhat above average, and that replacing him would be bad. They inflict a -2 penalty to hijinks targeted against the ruler and his interests, and their militia gains +1 morale when fighting in defense of the realm or against pretenders to the throne. A content domain gains a +1 bonus to its next morale roll.
A Loyal peasantry likes their ruler personally. They inflict a -4 penalty to hijinks targeted against the ruler and his interests, and their militia units gain a +1 bonus to morale. A loyal domain gains a +3 bonus to its next morale roll.
As far as modifiers go...
- Ruler is of significantly different religion, race, or culture from domain: -2 (the heathen barbarian penalty. To hell with alignment)
- Taxes above normal last season: -1/gp/family/month
- Generous ruler: +1/2gp/family/month given as alms, feasts, extra festivals, etc (marginal utility - if you're a peasant family, paying an extra gp/mo in taxes means you might starve this winter, while being taxed one less gp/mo doesn't have the same magnitude of effect)
- Publicly-known minor misconduct or alleged but uncertain major misconduct: -2. Examples, certainly none of which have ever happened in my campaigns:
- Domain raided by monsters or bandits this season, and domain ruler failed to bring them to justice
- Domain ruler pardoned too many thieves, alleged to be corrupt
- Domain ruler behaved in a consistently cruel or cowardly fashion
- Domain ruler did something to earn the church's serious disapproval
- Urinated on the altar while inebriated, say
- Domain ruler
negotiated with terroristshad dealings with beastmen, rumored to be in league with dark powers - Publicly-know major misconduct: -4. Examples:
- Domain was pillaged this season
- Domain ruler killed a kinsman
- Domain ruler replaced the church and has begun conducting blood sacrifice in public
When a realm rebels, there is sometimes a peaceable solution possible. If they're mad about taxes, they can be mollified by the promise of lower taxes (breaking this promise results in immediate re-rebellion). If they're mad about miscarriage of justice, punishing the guilty will satisfy them. If they're mad because you're a heathen, they might demand that you convert. If they're mad because you insulted the church, go on a long pilgrimage (read: adventure). If you just rolled really poorly and/or have crap charisma, probably one of your henchmen or other important subordinates turned out to have certain unspeakable appetites, and now you need to either execute them or send them away to a foreign court or monastery until this all blows over. Or maybe you've been framed by a powerful rival who's trying to destabilize your realm, and now you get to go on an investigative adventure that maybe ends with killing something and taking its treasure. I find it improbable that your PC hasn't done something in the last season that could be retroactively justifiable as public minor misconduct, anyway.
In any case, addressing the rebellion's demands allows you to reroll morale, hopefully with fewer penalties. If you roll rebellion again, they probably demand abdication or beheading. Notably, resolving a rebellion peacefully does not count as having crushed it for the purposes of preventing future uprisings.
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