Law and Government of Yovishia

At some point or another the PCs will most likely run afoul of the law. Either by arrest on suspicion of crime by constables, false accusation by a rival or some other means. The complexity of the court system makes any trial of a potential criminal quite an ordeal, for the criminal. First, the victim is considered guilty until proven innocent. Second, there are on official barristers. The Litigation Tricksters Guild (Location 254) provides assistance, for a fee, but the practice of “litigation” is considered illegal. Long prison sentences for those of low social standing are essentially a death sentence. Treason, murder, and physical attacks against a nobleman (if the attacker is more than 6 SL below the victim) result in capital punishment. Other crimes can result in varying jail sentences determined by the Judge. Because a defendant is guilty until proven innocent, unless a defendant can achieve dismissal of the case, the only decision to be made by a judge is what punishment to impose on a defendant. His or her guilt is usually not in question.

On the surface, the punishment for various crimes in the City State appears random, but those with a more indepth knowledge of the legal system recognize that a number of factors can alter these seemingly random judgments. While the Judge is welcome to use their own legal system, the legal system presented here, while complicated, does its best to replicate the judgments that might occur in a lawful evil city where the rule of law is altered on the basis of social status, wealth, and power. Nobles and gentlemen of sufficient social status can request the “Right to Trial by Combat.” Unfair duels are prevented by the Magistrate’s appointment of an appropriate opponent for the defendant. Use of magic or armor is prohibited; only swords and shields may be used. Judicial duels are held in the Square of the Gods. Other duels are considered legal so long as both sides have witnesses to verify the willingness of the opponents.

THE COURTS
While all cases come to the Low Court, no individual with a Social Level (SL) of 6 or higher can be tried here. Individuals of higher social standing are tried in the Royal Court with the exception of the Canon Court, which tries clerics of all religions, and the Merchant Court, which tries members of the Merchant’s Guild. The Canon Court never imposes punishments #1–6 (See Verdicts Table) and clerics are never sold into slavery, impressed, or apprenticed (treat such results as Humiliated). The Merchant Court never imposes penalties #1–4.

CRIMINAL CLASSIFICATION
Criminals have various classifications, starting with “charged” which simply means that the individual is sitting in jail for 3d6 days awaiting trial. Anyone that escapes while being jailed before trial is tried in abstentia (suffering a large penalty, see the Miscellaneous Modifiers table) and once recaptured they are punishment for their original crime and also are required to stand trial for escaping (and treated as a convict to boot). These classifications continue with “convict,” which includes anyone previously convicted of a crime. The more important classifications are those that result in a price being put on one’s head, and are considered a crime for which one must stand trial. An “Escapee” has fled from confinement (prior to trial or a sentence of imprisonment) a single time, resulting in a 1d6 cp price on their head, while a “Fugitive” has either escaped twice resulting in a 1d6 sp price on their head or has escaped from a sentence of death (results 1–3 on the Verdict table). “Bandits” (3 escapes, 1d6 gp reward) and “Outlaws” (4 or more escapes, 1d6x10 gp reward, plus and additional 1d6x10 gp for each escape over 4) are often actively sought by bounty hunters and are more easily recognized by Constables on patrol. Re-captured criminals are more heavily guarded to reduce their chance of an additional escape (see below).

HOW TO DETERMINE SENTENCE
The basic verdict and the punishment inflicted for it are determined with a simple 1d20 roll as shown in the Verdict Table. This simple roll is modified by a number of additional factors that add or subtract from the 1d20 result.

MODIFIERS TO THE VERDICT ROLL
The Verdict table lists verdicts and punishments as a simple roll on a d20. Before this roll is made, the Judge should determine which court the trial is held in (see above) and then consult the various sub-tables for modifiers for this roll. Here is a checklist of possible modifiers:
1. Social Level. Subtract the Social Level (SL) of the victim from that of the defendant (this can be a negative number). This number is a modifier to the 1d20 verdict roll.

2. Crime. Then the crime must be taken into account. The more offensive (to the court) the crime, the more severe the punishment and the harder to obtain dismissal. See the Crimes subtable.

CRIMES Penalty Crime

3. Plea (Optional). A sufficiently diplomatic defendant might be able to improve their chances on their own, although they do run the risk of inadvertently insulting the court and making things more difficult for themselves. If a defendant chooses to, they may make a single Diplomacy skill check to alter the outcome of their trial. Individuals with 5 ranks in Knowledge (local-City State) receive a +2 circumstance bonus to this particular skill check.

DIPLOMACY AND VERDICTS Check Modifier Result

4. Magistrate’s Disposition. Not known for theiremotionless judgments, Magistrate’s can change the outcome of a trial simply by their mood. The Judge should have the player roll 1d8 to determine the mood of the Magistrate.

MAGISTRATE’S DISPOSITION
1d8 Modifier Mood

5. Litigation Trickster (Optional) Though litigation is technically illegal—meaning that there is no official practice of law—persons of the Merchant Hierarchy or higher (ie: anyone not in the General Hierarchy) or persons of SL 6 or above are allowed by custom to have a “personal representative” speak to the court on their behalf. These persons are known derisively as “Litigation Tricksters” and have their own guild. A defendant is not required to have a litigation trickster present on his behalf. If a defendant does retain a litigation trickster, consult the accompanying Litigation Trickster table to determine what modifier he provides. The skill and abilities of a Litigation Trickster often vary based on their mood and feelings toward their client. This can be approximated by having the player roll 1d8 to determine the mood of the Litigation Trickster, if one was hired. Litigation Tricksters are notoriously fickle and untrustworthy, particularly once they have your money in their pocket.

LITIGATION TRICKSTERS
1d8 Penalty/Bonus Mood 6. Donations (Optional) A defendant my influence the court by paying a “donation” to the Court Clerk, who then uses his or her influence on the Magistrate. A defendant is not required to make a donation, but it has become so customary that failure to do so results in a negative modifier. See the Don a t i o n s t a b l e . T h e C h a r i s m a o f a n individual, as well as the amount they donate, gives a bonus to their die roll on the Verdict Table.

DONATIONS TO THE COURT CLERK
Donations listed are considered to be silver for the Low Court, gp for the Merchant and Canon Courts, and multiplied by 1d6 and in gp for the Royal court. Each 1000 gp donated above the maximum amount provides an additional +1, but “Beneficial” judgments are split with the court. Donation
PC’s Charisma 10–99 100–999 1,000–2,000
9 or lower +1 +2 +3
10–15 +2 +3 +4
16+ +3 +4 +5
No donation –2 — —

7. The Weather Weather can alter the general mood of everyone in the court, sometimes to the benefit of the defendant, but just as easily to their detriment. 1d8 should be rolled to determine the weather, with a result of “Holiday” or “Stinking” resulting in 1d6 roll on the same table with the two results added. WEATHER 1d8 Penalty/Bonus Weather *See text above.

8. Witnesses (Optional) A defendant can call witnesses— either character witnesses to say what a wonderful person the defendant is or percipient witnesses to say the defendant did not commit the crime—in an attempt to aid his case. The defendant cannot call an unlimited number of witnesses as Magistrates quickly tire of defense evidence. In fact, the Magistrate may not let a defendant call any witnesses. The defendant, or his Litigation Trickster, must succeed at a Diplomacy check (DC 12) to convince to Magistrate to hear from a defense witness. The check roll itself is modified by the Magistrate’s Disposition, as determined above, as well as a cumulative –1 for each witness beyond the first. A failed check means the proposed witness and any additional defense witnesses are not allowed. It is wise to attempt to call your best witness first as the chance of that witness testifying is the greatest.
Each testifying defense witnesses must attempt a Diplomacy check (DC 12). If successful, the defendant may add that witness’ Charisma bonus to his Verdict roll or may add 1/2 the witness’ SL to the roll, whichever is higher.

9. Miscellaneous Modifiers Check the accompanying table to see if any of the miscellaneous modifiers apply.
MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS
Modifier Situation

VERDICTS AND PUNISHMENTS

Combine all of these variables before adding (or subtracting) this number to 1d20 result for a final, adjusted number. Results below 1 should be considered 1, while results above 20 should be considered a 20. Results of 1–6 are often modified to “Jailed” for paupers, or “Impressed” for vagrants. This table also provides the approximate number of HD of the creatures or people guarding the prisoner until the punishment is carried out, the chance to bribe the guards, and the chance of escape. PCs can only attempt to escape once a month. The HD number presented is multiplied by the prisoner’s level or HD. The chance of bribing the guards to allow a prisoner to escape is a percentage chance per 100 gp. Every additional 100 gp increases this percentage by one increment. The chance of escape is also a percentage but it is based on character level. Multiply the total character level by the percentage given to obtain the final percentage chance of escape. Various penalties and verdicts are detailed in the text.

IMPOSITION OF SENTENCE

The verdicts, “drawn and quartered, impaled, beheaded, and hanged” are all self-explanatory. These verdicts are carried out at either dawn or noon the following day (determined randomly by the magistrate). Depending on the severity of some crimes, beheadings are sometimes carried out immediately. Other judgments against the defendant are carried out within 1d4 days. Again, sub-tables describing the various punishments are provided below. Bribery and Reprisals: Various tables detailing punishments also include lines marked “Bribe” and “Reprisal.” Bribing the guards a set amount of gp can lessen the punishment 1 level (add 1 to the original roll), but each bribe stands a chance of reprisal. Reprisal is the chance of a higher official discovering a bribe has been offered. This number is listed as a percentage. A person may attempt 1 bribe for every SL they possess. A wealthy individual, therefore, can attempt to bribe their way to the lightest punishment, though risking a chance of reprisal at each step. Bribes are listed in gp with Reprisal listed as a % chance. If there is a reprisal roll 1d6 and consult the table below. Reprisal penalties can be reduced (add 1 to the die roll) with a successful Diplomacy skill check (DC 15).

VERDICTS AND PUNISHMENTS TABLE
An adjusted d20 roll is used to determine the final outcome of a trial.
1d20 result Punishment HD Guarding Bribery Escape
1
 Drawn&Quartered 11 1 1
2 ImpaledorBeheaded 10 1 2
3 Hanged 9 2 3
4 Tortured 7 2 4
5 Flayed 5 3 5
6 Imprisoned* 3 4 6
7 Whipped 2 3 7
8 Gauntlet 2 3 8
9 Enslaved 2 2 9
10 Impressed* 1 1 10
11 Jailed* 2 4 11
12 Humiliated 1 2 12
13 Stocks 1 1 13
14 Apprenticed* — — 14
15 Fined 2 1 15
16 Probation* — — 16
17 CourtCosts 3 — 5
18 CaseDismissed — — —
19 FavorableJudgment — — —
20 BeneficialJudgment — — —
*Consult the Length of Sentence table for duration. REPRISAL TABLE 1d6 Reprisal Torture: The level of pain inflicted on a prisoner varies with the devices used, the torturer of the day, and the mood of the torturer. When used as punishment, torture is only inflicted for a limited period of time but can still permanently damage one’s body while inflicting physical pain. Roll 1d8 and consult the following table for victims of torture. Damage is in hp unless otherwise noted. Ability score penaltiesrequire magical restoration for recovery.
Flayed: Prisoners are strapped to a lamppost during the day and slowly flayed at a total of 1d4 hp of damage per day and taken down at night. Roll 1d6 to determine the duration of the punishment on the following table. Convicts are not allowed to receive aid, though the guards can be bribed to allow healing at the same rate as indicated below. A defendant may die from this punishment.

FLAYING TABLE

1d6 # of days Bribe Reprisal
1 21 180 9
2 19 160 7
3 13 140 4
4 9 100 3
5 3 45 1
6 1 30 –

TORTURE TABLE

1d8 Type Damage Bribe Reprisal%

Imprisonment: Those sentenced to imprisonment are thrown in the dungeons beneath the City Jail. Roll on the Length of Sentence table to determine the length of imprisonment.

LENGTH OF SENTENCE

1d10 Sentence

Whipped: Those sentenced to being whipped are tied to a post and given the appropriate number of lashes. The individual executing the sentence can choose from a variety of devices, some doing less damage than others. This decision usually has little to do with the crime. Damage listed is real damage, each person suffers 5x more subdual damage, leaving many victims unconscious. If a victim is whipped into unconsciousness, the sentence is considered complete. Determine the severity of the whipping using the Whipping table. If a person is whipped to death, it is considered a tragic but acceptable accident and the person inflicting the whipping is given a stern talking to.

WHIPPING TABLE

1d8 Whip Damage Bribe Reprisal
1 Flail 6d6 200 16
2 BarbedWhip 5d6 180 10
3 Cat’o’NineTails 4d6 160 6
4 Wire 3d6 100 8
5 Whip 2d6 60 6
6 Belt 1d6 40 4
7 Rope 1d3 10 2
8 SilkCord 1 — —
Gauntlet: The convicted is forced to run through a group of individuals while the are hit with various clubs. Each striker that hits inflicts 1 hp of damage. The victim may attempt to dodge blows, but strikers can attempt to hit their legs and cause them to stumble (provided as a % chance). While getting up the victim is certain to suffer further attacks. Victims are sometimes supplied with armor to help protect them. Roll a d8 to determine what armor, if any, the victim is wearing, as well as any movement penalties, the length of the course,and the number of strikers.
Enslaved: Unless they can somehow purchase their freedom, those that are sold into slavery remain slaves for life. The Slavery table helps determine what type of slavery the prisoner is sold into.

SLAVERY TABLE

1d8 Owner/Work

Impressed: The length of impressments is either permanent or the usual tour of duty, ie. one voyage for a ship crew. The convict’s final detail

can be determined using the Impressments table.

IMPRESSMENTS TABLE

1d10 Duty Humiliation: Perhaps the most degrading punishment is simply humiliation before fellow citizens of the City State. The chance to bribe one’s way to an easier punishment is their Cha score as a %. It costs 10 gp per level of punishment but punishment can only be reduced by a maximum of 3 levels. A failure of the bribery check forces a roll on the Reprisal chart. Use the

Humiliation table to determine the final punishment.

GAUNTLET TABLE

1d8 Armor Move Length Strikers % Stumble Bribe Reprisal
1 LeadChains — 15' 2d6x10 24 200 80
2 LegsTied — 10' 1d10x10 18 120 60
3 LeadBoots — 5' 1d8x10 12 80 40
4 None — 80 1d8x10 4 40 28
5 None — 60 1d6x10 4 15 18
6 Leather — 60 1d6x10 6 10 10
7 Chain — 60 1d6x10 8 5 6
8 Plate — 60ft. 1d6x10 10 — —
HUMILIATION TABLE
1d8 Punishment
1 Branded as Coward – Lose 2 SL, –2 Cha (permanent unless Restored)
2 Loss of Station – Lose 3 SL for 3 months
3 Yellow Striped – Lose 2 SL for 2 months
4 Public Dunking – Lose 1 SL for 1 month
5 Jackass Drag – 1d6 damage every 10 rounds, loss of 1 SL for 2 months
6 Expectorate Gauntlet – loss of 3 SL for 2 months on street of magistrate’s choice
7 Regal Street Crawl – Lose 1 SL on Regal St. for 1 month
8 Carry 50 lb candle down every street.

Stocks: The stocks are located in Slave Market Plaza. Convicts are placed in the stocks for 2d6 days. Each day there is a chance of 1d6 points of damage (1 on a d8) and a loss of 1 SL for 2 weeks (1 on a d10). Apprenticeship and Probation: The length of probation or apprenticeship is determined by rolling on the Length of Sentence table (above). Apprentices are allowed time off, but those that do not return at the proper time are listed as escapees. Anyone on probation must report to the City Jail once a week. Those on probation are prohibited from drunkenness, wearing armor, or wielding weapons. There is a 1 in 12 chance of being seen by an informer, with each reported incident extending the probation period by 1 month. Fines: The court is unforgiving in the payment of fines. Anyone without sufficient funds is Jailed. The Fines  Imposed table helps determine the final fine paid. There is no chance of bribing one’s way to a lesser fine.

FINES IMPOSED TABLE
1d8 Fine Imposed *If the defendant has someone pleading on their behalf, they are able to keep 1d6 mundane items. *If the defendant has someone pleading on their behalf, they are able to keep 1d6 mundane items.

Judgments for the Defendant: It is entirely possible,and if the defendant is wealthy and powerful enough, even likely, a case can be decided in the defendant’s favor. If the case is dismissed the victim has an equally likely chance (50%) of either a +1 or –1 adjustment to any rolls in future trials. A “favorable judgment” results in the defendant receiving the amount rolled on the Fines Imposed table. A “beneficial judgment” means that the defendant receives the amount rolled on the Fines Imposed table multiplied by the Social Level (SL) of the plaintiff.