The Laws of the Kingdom?

ReeboKesh

First Post
Hey guys, need some help. I'm working on a homebrew campaign and I want to write up the laws of the land but I have no idea where to start or what those laws should be? Any ideas where I could get some useful information or examples of a fantasy kingdoms laws?
Thanks in advance
Reebo
 

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1. The most mediaeval of law systems is English common law. A quick search through wikipedia reveals much information and several links to more information about the customs and legal system of mediaeval England.

2. Roman law is quite well detailed by historians as well. Wikipedia and google as well. Roman law would be best suited for a more civilized empire from the Middle Ages, such as Byzantium.

3. Of course there are also the hundreds of laws from the Old Testament, if you have a more theocratic kingdom. Even without the religious laws, there are many laws about business, property and slavery.

Any of these three sources would be excellent, especially since they would help you avoid the trap of modelling a mediaeval fantasy kingdom after our own modern concepts of justice and society.
 

Historically, laws have always been about helping the current regime stay in power - maintaining the status quo.

Start with the situation you've got (people, places, organisations, power relationships) and extrapolate from there.

For ease of gameplay (and relatively quick buy-in for the players) I always minimise the effect of laws on the game unless there's a situation where it really matters - and then I assume a legal system similar to what the players are used to (I 'medievalise' our own, present-day legal system).

If there's going to be a weird law that really stands out, I'll generally only make the one, and it'll either be a plot point or to illustrate what's diferent about this particular place.
 

Good advice so far. This is the time to decide how oppressive laws are on the macro scale and how much variation exists in smaller jurisdictions. It is often easier to to make kingdom wide law very general and focused on revenue generation which allows individual duchies, counties, baronies,etc to handle other matters as they see fit.

Sometimes a strong central kingdom law is useful for presenting a powerful central government and giving a certain general atmosphere to an entire kingdom.
 

Good advice so far. This is the time to decide how oppressive laws are on the macro scale and how much variation exists in smaller jurisdictions. It is often easier to to make kingdom wide law very general and focused on revenue generation which allows individual duchies, counties, baronies,etc to handle other matters as they see fit.

Sometimes a strong central kingdom law is useful for presenting a powerful central government and giving a certain general atmosphere to an entire kingdom.
The Code of Hammurabi
 


It doesn't often come up, but I generally use a variation of English common law.

There are eight common law felonies.

1. Murder
2. Rape
3. Robbery (requires the use of force or threat thereof)
4. Burglary (defined as entering the dwelling of another to commit a felony therein)
5. Arson
6. Grand Larceny (theft of goods worth more than 10 gold pieces)
7. Mayhem (wounding another so severely that the other cannot serve in the king's army)
8. Kidnapping

I add a ninth: Ensorcellment -- defined to mean using magic to compel or alter the behavior of another. Casting Charm Person against a shopkeeper is ensorcellment.

The penalty for all felonies is traditionally death. Hard labor, branding, or exile may be imposed as an alternative.

There are two common law misdemeanors.

1. Battery (the use of force against another not resulting in murder or mayhem)

2. Petite Larceny (theft of goods worth 10 gp or less)

The penalty for a misdemeanor varies, but is usually a fine.

Laws apply to interactions between civilized members of society. In other words, killing a human in a bar brawl might be murder. Killing goblins out in the woods is not -- goblins are inhuman monsters and it is fit that they die. Charming a merchant is ensorcellment and might get you burned at the stake. Charming a deranged, devil-worshipping cultist is just and prudent.

Law enforcement is inconsistent at best. Most towns and cities have a watch or guard, but these entities don't investigate crimes. They exist mostly to keep the peace by breaking up bar fights and keeping an eye out for trouble.

Courts in civilized areas are usually administered by the local lord. That is, the nearest Baron is the judge. There is no generally recognized right to a trial by jury. There is no general right to appeal, although powerful or influential defendants may be able to appeal to the King or the presiding Baron's Duke. Penalties and rules of procedure can vary significantly based on the temperment of the presiding Lord.
 

This thread made me realize... it's been a while (too long?) since I have run an evil-ish campaign where players would actually run up against laws...

...hmmm.

On another note, great information here. It reminds me I need to get to work on the laws for one specific kingdom of mine as they have things in them related to the mistreatment of a race of humanoids below the city (mainly as it relates to slavery).

Good stuff!
 

Two points to consider:

1. Even in a highly-regulated society, there are going to be variations in how the "common law" is applied from area to area. You're going to have more tolerant, less tolerant, downright draconian, and downright liberal applications of what the "written law" says.

2. Between the days of the Roman Empire and the development/institution of English common law, most regents ruled their domains with a "might makes right" attitude. In this "system", the ruler did whatever he felt was right and if his subjects didn't like it, too bad (until they came for him with pikes and flaming torches, of course)
 


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