Changing relationship maps

In previous discussions about relationship maps, the map has been a static map over how things are in the world at a given moment. This time, however, I'm going to talk a little about the idea of relationship maps that develop over time.

The main idea is that one of the goals of a session can be to change how the map looks. Sworn allies can be made into enemies, or leaders whole cities can be toppled and replaced.

Most of these things can of course be roleplayed out without any particular rules. However, sometimes it's nice to have a nice foundation to start from as a GM. So, let's expand on the idea of relationship maps once more. Each important relation and link can have

• A value representing the strength of the relationship. A low value means a relationship that is weak or unimportant. A stronger value means a relationship that is strong and important. The higher this number, the harder it is to change it (at least to the worse)
• A weakness. Many relationships can have a weak point. Two warriors and allies in love with the same woman, a peace agreement that holds as long as no one enters an area important to both parties etc. If the characters manage to discover and use this weakness, it makes it easier for them to destroy and change the relationship.
• Dependencies. In some cases, a relationship is depending on another relationship. Prince Afur has the power over the city, but that's only because he currently has the backing of the ancient Orthus-family. If that backing is lost, he will soon lose his grip over the city.

The idea is not to write long essays about each of these, but rather use them as a very quick framework for how to structure your adventure and environment to make it easier to run games that feel open ended and dynamic.

Relationship Maps