The setting

The PCs are residents of the countryside village of Borgo Alto, a small settlement nestled between an isolated mountain, a river, and a large lake. No more than two hundred people lives here, spread among a dozen very large families. Everyone knows everyone in Borgo Alto (High Burg in English).

Borgo Alto is the higher, remaining part of the ancient town of Bellacque, which was flooded by the river 99 years prior to the time of the PCs. A newly formed lake engulfed Bellacque, sparing only the church belltower, which still juts up from the water and can be seen from the shore.

The PCs are everyday people who lead simple lifes in a scarcely inhabited region. Perhaps this was once home to a powerful and ancient civilization, but it was so long ago, and now the region’s most important event is the harvest season.

The system

Let’s talk about rules. For a campaign like this one, I’m thinking about a very light system with a focus on ruling over rules: Cairn, DnD 0e, Troika! (with a bit of customization and a touch less chaos) are all fitting candidates. I’d go for something sitting on the zig-zagged line between the Free Kriegsspiel and the New School Revolution. The PCs are real, frail people who could die from a fall off the roof–or maybe not, if they’re lucky.

I’d probably draw a detailed map of interpersonal relationship among the PCs, as well as one between the PCs and other inhabitants of Borgo Alto (at least for those relevant to the PCs). I’d expect conflicts to stem from interpersonal interactions rather than combat encounters. I’d steal ideas about mapping relationships from Vampires: The Masquerade.

To drive the game, I’d work with each player to identify a significant, specific unresolved conflict for their character. It may be an unachieved goal, a broken relationship with a friend, or a feud with relatives about a constested inheritance.

Adventuring and combat should exist, but be contextualized within the setting: a brawl at the tavern rather than a slaughter at the arena; the opening of a new path to a nearby village rather than the exploration of a million years old tomb. And yet, the region the players inhabit is ancient, so magical artifacts could still be found despite centuries of hunting by long-gone adventurers. Even something as mundane by heroic fantasy standard as a potion of healing would be a very big deal in Borgo Alto.

Ultimately, the party should be a group of friends or family members genuinely trying to help one another resolve their small personal struggles (even with large doses of bickering). An emotional journey of realization and self-discovery rather than a grandiose power fantasy.

References

Legens & Lattes by Travis Baldree is a big inspiration and sparked the idea, but I’d like to make it a little more Italian by blending it with the Don Camillo novels by Giovannino Guareschi. The latter beautifully captures the concept of a “small world”, filled with its everyday problems, quarrels, and small joys.