Fief Real Estate

It's a pity when the book pages don't line up.

Before anything can be written about the management of fiefs, we've got to look at the problem from the perspective of intentions and motive.  Before the player buys into both the costly title of the above concept and the willingness to believe that this will be a valuable, useful venture on the player's part, there are a few obligations that need to be discussed on the DM's part.

In effect, the DM is the real estate agent, whether we're talking about a piece of bald land that the player will build on, or we're purchasing the above tranquil scene a month after it's been burned to the ground, leaving only the stone standing, or this is something brand new that the character has come into.  And being the AGENT, the DM cannot, should not, act solely for the DM's benefit.  The DM must not be Snidely Whiplash here, callously viewing this whole thing as a means to line the DM's metaphorical story-telling pocket.  The player should be able to feel reasonably secure that this parcel of land, like hundreds of other like parcels of land in the same kingdom, will not be monster-central, the first place where monsters get off the adventure train.  As an agent, the DM has an obligation to protect the player's interests ~ fairly, decently, respectfully and as an interested game partner.

This means that if the player thinks to hire an NPC whose an expert on land rights or property laws or masonry or whatever, the DM should credibly offer real, legitimate, honest advice, addressing all the details being asked about, so that some future point the DM cannot simply step up and claim the land belonged to someone else, because we checked that, thank you.  The DM must be candid and willing to disclose all information about the property, and I mean ALL.  For any sort of fief management to work in game, the DM must see that the better course of action is to work towards the player's instructions or wishes, and let matters like cost, weather, inability to find workers, the player's own bad habits in managing their land and such like to determine the success or failure of the venture.  The DM should not plan to upset the venture just because it exists.

Therefore, if the player decides to determine the value of their property, and then adds to that value with effort and sound behaviour, the DM should not arbitrarily then destroy the housing/products market, or deny the player the benefit of their labor, or in any other way refuse to give compensation in value for effort and time the player has taken.  IF the player makes bad decisions, refuses to grow local crops, or takes risks that are clearly defined as risks at the outset, then the die can decide on the success of the risk.  The DM should not be in a position to do so.

If the DM knows things about the property, the DM cannot, should not, invest that information into any NPC dwelling in the DMs world, without due respect placed upon the process of that NPC getting that knowledge ~ along with a reasonable chance the player will see the NPC make the attempt.  The DM is not entitled to use any knowledge of the player's property in the creation of events happening in and around the player's estate.

Failure to follow these principles should entitle the player to kick the DM in the balls, of course metaphorically speaking [so that it still applies if the DM is a she].  Mostly, I just want to make it clear how much legitimacy the player would have in performing this most physically abusive act.

If you've ever bought a home, and given a moment to think about how you'd feel towards your real estate agent if they behaved like many DMs would, you get a sense of this post's sentiment.