Furta Sacra (Holy Theft)
The following post is a ruleset for wargaming and roleplaying via Discord or similar platforms. The idea originated with Mothership's OVER/UNDER megagame. The language and format are still in flux, so keep that in mind if you decide to use this free ruleset.
Touchstones
This game was inspired by two books: Furta Sacra (Geary) and Between Two Fires (Buehlman). It also owes a lot to OVER/UNDER by Sam Sorensen.
Furta Sacra is a geopolitical wargame, played real-time and play-by-post, with serious roleplaying elements tossed in, for one or more Referees and dozens to hundreds or thousands of players.
Furta Sacra is based, loosely, on a medieval France torn apart by internal, external, and otherworldly forces.
The war with the English has stalled, and the countryside is ravaged by the fires of war, plague, famine, and English and French brigands.
While fighting the English, the French have become divided. Some side with the foreigners. Others carve out their own dominions. And there are things lurking in the shadows that crave human flesh and souls.
God weeps, the angels sigh, and the saints quiver and shake as the earth opens up and hell spills forth into the mortal realms.
The initial game cycle for Furta Sacra will be thirty-one days. Each real-time day represents a week in-game. Nearly a year in-game will pass between the start and finish of the game cycle.
Roles in Furta Sacra
The world of Furta Sacra is one of socio-political and economic hierarchies. During onboarding, players are divided into one of five classes: Nobles, Clergy, Merchants, Free Peoples, and Serfs.
These six classes fill into thirteen (13) distinct factions. Serfs and Free Peoples comprise the majority of all players in Furta Sacra.
Serfs and Free Peoples are assigned an initial faction, but with time, they can move up in station and change roles and even factions along the way.
Each faction has its own rules for membership, which can prevent members from joining other factions (publicly). Faction power and resources are based on the number of Serfs and Free Peoples, and other player types, who belong to the faction in question. These members are assigned various tasks and goals by the faction’s leadership. In exchange for membership, Serfs (and others), are given weekly wages/rations and the right to participate in some faction politics. Some factions might even allow members to vote on faction leadership.
By default, Serfs and Free Peoples are the lowest level in terms of rank within Furta Sacra. Serfs and Free Peoples can communicate with others, move to different locations/locales, transfer money, and participate in roleplay and some factional politics and voting, when applicable. In terms of affecting change, Serfs and Free Peoples are unable to do so without serious mobilization of their kind. In most cases, lethal combat and world- or region-changing actions are for those of higher ranks.
Nobles, Clergy, and Merchants are those in charge of the thirteen (13) factions found in Furta Sacra. These faction leaders are given additional power (over faction agendas) and will rely on a stat block to help determine what needs to be rolled and when, when it comes to lethal combat and world-changing events.
Faction leaders might, in some cases, be elected. Others might rule based on their noble privilege or the traditions of the Church. Nevertheless, happy Serfs and Free Peoples will mean additional bonuses added to important dice rolls made by faction leaders. Unhappy factional bases will incur serious penalties. So, when in doubt, be nice to your Serfs and Free People populations within your faction.
Faction Votes
In most cases, Nobles, Clergy, and Merchants, the leaders of factions, will take actions as they might. However, Class III Actions—massive undertakings that need the entire faction working together—require a faction-wide referendum to take place. If the voting fails to gain approval, the action in question cannot move forward. However, a leader might go around a vote by expending a point (or more) of prestige. Each faction will have its own rules on referenda and the consequences for ignoring such votes. Leaders who are at zero (0) prestige automatically resign their position as faction leader, allowing for new leadership. Faction leaders begin with a certain amount of prestige—between two and seven points at the beginning of play.
At any time during play, a faction member of any rank may call for a vote of no confidence against the faction leader. Please note: Each faction’s internal rules will work differently. Typically, though, if enough faction members vote in favor of removal, they can remove and replace their leader, demoting former leader to a Serf or Free Person. After this has taken place, a new leader must assume leadership of the faction—unless the faction’s membership, with Referee approval—-decides otherwise.
For most factions, at least ten (10) signatories are needed to start a vote of confidence. Once this number has been met, contact the Referee, so they can monitor the situation through to its conclusion.
Lifestyles & Tithes
Money in Furta Sacra is cataloged in silver (s) to keep things simple, as pre-modern currency is rarely easy to tackle in more realistic scenarios.
All players must pay a weekly tithe to the Holy Church of 3s as well as weekly lifestyle expenses. Lifestyle expenses are as follows:
Squalid: 1s/wk
Borderline: 5s/wk
Burgher/Priestly: 25s/wk
Decadent: 250s/wk
Luxurious: 1,000s/wk
Lifestyle expenses are public, and they are logged in the Public Ledger. Those who cannot afford their given lifestyle are demoted to the tier they can afford. Those who forget to pay their tithe are sent to the Underworld until Judgement Day.
Those living a luxurious lifestyle can determine with their Referee how to increase their lifestyle expenses on a case-by-case basis. Some luxuriants can even borrow large sums from different factions to maintain their luxurious lifestyles, for a short time.
The ten (10) players with the highest weekly lifestyle expenses are entered into a leaderboard that is publicly available on our Discord server. The players who spend the most time and money on the Top Ten Board over the course of the game will win a special prize!
Lifestyle expenses, tithes, and weekly wages are automatically added and deducted each day in our public ledger, hosted in Google Sheets.
Wages
Weekly wages are paid by the player’s assigned faction. These are updated in Google Sheets, for the Public Ledger. All wages are paid in silver (s). Wages may depend on factional resources to pay them. Some will be higher or lower than other factions.
Communications & Geography
Furta Sacra covers a fairly large geographical area, and, as such, players will have access to at least six main channels across what is medieval France, with sub-threads/forums built in along the way.
Players of all ranks can interact within these channels; however, roleplaying might keep certain groups from mixing to keep up with ranks and perceived realism. So, a Serf might not approach a noblewoman due to perceived class antagonisms, etc. This isn’t a firm rule—just an example of how interactions might occur.
Each faction has a channel of their own, which includes members and faction leadership, and there will be another dedicated channel for leadership only. Leaders of factions will receive non-public information regularly, and faction leaders can decide what they wish to convey to their membership.
Faction leaders can choose to open additional channels as they please. They only need to contact a Referee to help with this.
While private messaging is allowed, if communication can happen on the server, keep it on the server. Respect players’ off-server privacy! For this purpose, all players have access to associated public and private threads on the Discord server. Please don’t spam! We hate spam!
Remember that this is a game! It is a game about deception, strategy, and denying others their agendas. Other players, especially those you trust, may not be telling the truth, even when you’ve dropped your character’s personae.
Transfers
At any time, a player may transfer their coin to another player. To conduct trade, sales, or other forms of exchange, contact a Referee to make the transfer on the Public Ledger. Be wary of fraudsters!
Faction Actions
Faction actions, as taken on by faction leadership, are divided into three (3) classes:
Class I Actions can be independently taken by the Faction Leader at their own discretion—with the Referee notified.
Class II Actions require consent from all faction bosses and a Referee.
Class III Actions require a referendum from the faction’s membership with a 24-hour notice (real-time). Each faction’s rules for referenda differ and a Referee must oversee all proceedings.
Each faction has a present list of actions to make play a bit easier at first. However, faction leaders should not feel constrained by these: They can take whatever actions they like, even those outside of this list. The Referee has final say on which class an action falls into and what needs to happen next.
The only actions allowed to Serfs and Free Peoples are communication, movement, voting in faction referenda, initiating no-confidence votes, and transferring money to others. Quick note: If you are a Serf or Free Person, and you want to take an action that would require a Referee’s special ruling, it can’t be done by you—yet.
Territory in Furta Sacra
The territory focused on in Furta Sacra is medieval France, which is fricking huge. This territory has been divided up into abstract blocks, controlled by various factions. The more blocks a faction controls, the more powerful that faction is. There are different types of blocks that can be controlled by a faction: Cities/Towns, Farmland, Docks (Warehouses), Church Lands, and Wilderness.
Cities/Towns are blocks that produce resources for factions. Provided it’s controlling faction has between five and ten members to assign to a city, a city produces one (1) container of goods per week. If both faction bosses agree, members from one faction can work a city/town under another’s control, for a price.
Farmland at blocks that produce foodstuffs. At least one (or more) faction member must occupy this block for it to produce one (1) unit of foodstuff per week. If both faction bosses agree, members from one faction can work a farmland under another’s control, for a price.
Docks are those blocks that allow the purchase and sale of goods. Controlling faction has between five (5) and 25 members to assign to the dock, and a dock can sell up to ten (10) containers of goods or foodstuffs per week. If bosses agree, members from one faction can work a dock under another’s control, for a price.
Church Lands are those blocks that provide prestige points when occupied by two (2) or more faction members per week. Prestige points can be spent to advance faction and/or faction leader agendas. Prestige points can be sold for 500s per 1pt sold. Provides one prestige point per two faction members occupying the block. Maxes out at 5 prestige points created per week.
Wilderness are those blocks to provide raw materials to cities, docks, and farmland. Raw materials, if secured, double productivity in cities, docks, and farmland. Must be occupied by five or more faction members. Bonuses lost if this number dips below five.
Goods, foodstuffs, etc., take one (1) hour in tea-time to move between blocks.
All Serfs and Free Peoples have a randomly-assigned home block where they live. Leaders life in their faction’s HQ block. Moving your home block costs 2,000s.
All blocks have two (2h ratings: Population ranging from 50–50,000, and security ranging from 0–10+. With a faction member assigned to farm the block for taxes, a block produces 1s per population per week in profit from tithes to the Holy Church, which are paid to the controlling faction’s ledger.
A block’s security increases with defending soldier’s Combat Stats (i.e., 1-5d) and decreases with assassination attempts or uprisings. Increased security reducing success rates for assassinations.
Some blocks have special designations and perform other functions, like docks and factories.
Soldiers
Soldiers fight in squads. A squad has a Combat Score of 1-10d, based on its levels of training and equipment. By default, a squad starts with a Combat Score of 1d. Success on a d6 is 4, 5, or 6.
Raising a fresh squad takes 24 hours, costs 100s, and requires 10 faction members to assign.
Spending a container of arms increases up a squad’s Combat Scores to 2d; a container of armor increases a squad’s Combat Score to 5d. While they can combine, neither can be repeated.
When two or more squads of soldiers fight, each squad makes a Combat Check under their score: the side with the highest successful roll wins the engagement; if all fail, roll again. Squads that fail the check reduce their Combat Score by 1d; squads that suffer a defeat reduce their Combat Score by 2d. A squad reduced to 0 Combat Score is destroyed.
A squad takes 30 minutes (real-time) to march from one block to another. Squads see one block away in all directions.
Assassination
To assassinate a player, their home block must be given. If guessed incorrectly, the attempt fails.
Ask your Referee for specifics on assassinations, especially the procedures and the associated costs.
Intelligence
Intelligence operations comprise information-gathering activities outside the context of ordinary communications: discovering a faction’s plans, determining a player’s true loyalties, finding out a player’s home block, and so on.
Ask your Referee for specifics on intelligence gathering, especially the procedures and the associated costs. In most cases, this can be done with player-led information gathering, no Referee needed.
Time
The game is run in real-time: one day of game time corresponds to one day of real time. As events occur, your Referee will contact you and offer choices.
While attempts will be made to avoid it, some degree of “rubber-banding” may occur. Serfs and Free Peoples, if you’re watching public events live, be careful not to make any exchanges too soon, as they may not be recorded in the Public Ledger.