Playing Politics (episode 89)

On the Shoulders of Dwarves

Since Uri had several GMs ask him how to create a realistic political landscape in a fantasy setting. However, we are not experts in political relations. So we brought in a professional! Haggai Elkayam Shalem - a political psychologist. ## Intro to Politics (02:20) What is politics? ## How to build a realistic political landscape (04:25) Start with conflicting desires and then move to these basics: - Avoid clear “Good” and “Bad” - Refrain from monoliths and break them into sub-sections (what are monoliths? Good question!) - The internal conflict of politics: ideology vs. self-interest - Grant clear psychological aspect to the political players A good mechanic to represent political issues: Fronts (19:00) ## The main themes for a political game (21:30) - Paranoia (not the game!) - The constant tension between ideology and pragmatism. ## What can players do to support this playstyle? (27:05) Players can help by selecting ideologies for their characters. Ideally, ones that already have the backing of organizations in the game world. # Summary (29:40) Sources of inspirations: - TV shows: [House of Cards](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856010/), [The West Wing](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200276/) - Audiobooks/reading: [The Powerbroker](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1111.The_Power_Broker) - Books: [The Dictator’s Handbook](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/11612989-the-dictator-s-handbook) Also, watch [Rules for Rulers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStL7niR7gs) (CGP Gray). --- # Taking the load off (34:20) - Haggai - playing a cult! [Invisible sun](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/267776/Invisible-Sun?affiliate_id=29668) - Eran - [Australian bushfire relief bundles](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/promo.php). Bought $80 with Up to Four Players money. And wrote [a bunch of short reviews](https://www.facebook.com/nnesk/posts/10159220100064377?__xts__[0]=68.ARCTdR5I1h-pmtGHb3Iyw0KG_s6_m95-dIG4JebB3O5PWtb6PJJwvvgfPc3BMSRsDeguZ534-ZzJUJKF35h4p4_6IUTBMKhUOWluiJcBlXuHp3tTNoVH8jIDbyJfXx7zQZEBR-uAQCLRAjwAF2Sejkk3Vqgp-Is_XaCITNFMVifN8TZ-Nuggd7zv2dJsSVeQsRL8S3Jj7iq__35Ye5jzKK8J9WHOgE6leOTi8IHkCLEyLyyI3RUVUWeQHGwSdNmwBygHblekPdW0snKqre5Tgn-O8zEpVyrp8hvpriEIbVWfxcfBKARYUoK1cqvNsVRo12zbEm25UE9Yr98cT74&__tn__=-R). - Uri - We have a new [Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast) with some new ideas. If you enjoy this podcast please support us. ---- Email us at [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]) with questions, topic suggestions, and comments, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast). We have a [Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you. Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).