# Plot ideas for medieval State's foreign policy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 6, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169 "2014-06-06T02:08:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/1 "2014-06-06T02:08:42Z")
I’m working on a project and I need ideas for points of conflict, cooperation and assorted bits of intrigue between small independent states during the Middle Ages. This seems like something that would have a data base somewhere for RPG games but I come up with bumpkis. Perhaps your Google-fu is better than mine (it just has to be) or you have other ideas than what I’ve come up with so far: War Genealogical claim Spies Trade agreement Brigandage Mining concessions Trade route taxation Assassination Marriage Fromenting revolt Bank loan Peace treaty Ecclesiastical investiture Mercenaries Guild or town charters Fishing rights Refugees ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/2 "2014-06-06T02:17:27Z")
Religion Piracy Natural disaster Industrial espionage Water/grazing/range rights Plague Invasion Supernatural ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/3 "2014-06-06T03:04:06Z")
[Ears](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Jenkins'_Ear). [Football](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_War). ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/4 "2014-06-06T11:04:14Z")
A good wiki-walk might produce some actual historical examples and incidents you could base your policy-germs on, especially if you expand the timeframe (i.e., taking events from the Imperial Roman period, or the late pre-industrial era), or look for relatively lesser-known examples from outside of Europe. Anyways, you might try…slavery. The trade (establishing, cornering the market on, attempts at outlawing, etc), rebellions, technology making it obsolete or newly profitable, all sorts of good stuff. Or you could just go with [dancing plagues](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_mania). Mass hysteria’s always [good for a cheap laugh.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_psychogenic_illness#Middle_Ages) ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/5 "2014-06-06T11:50:58Z")
Busy giddy minds with foreign quarrels. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/6 "2014-06-06T12:55:46Z")
Thanks guys, please keep up the ideas. I really need more and I am at a complete loss. ---
**Author:** ![Dioptre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/278dde/32.png) [@Dioptre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dioptre)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/7 "2014-06-06T13:53:14Z")
Technology adoption Spread of ideas (cultural / industrial practices) Road / bridge / wall / pass building, ownership and maintenance ---
**Author:** ![Dioptre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/278dde/32.png) [@Dioptre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dioptre)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/8 "2014-06-06T13:54:21Z")
Family conflict (particularly holding / giving sanctuary to rebel family members) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/9 "2014-06-06T16:26:11Z")
Trade secrets. Many countries refused to allow some people to move to another country because these people knew some trade secret that the first country was trying to maintain as a monopoly. Say, for example, your metal industry could make a particular alloy. You would forbid any metalworker who knew the alloy’s formula from leaving the country. That way you could remain the only source for this alloy and charge higher prices. And, of course, you were at the same time trying to entice people into your country who knew trade secrets in other countries. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/10 "2014-06-06T18:21:49Z")
Ancient relics Occult gods Pissing contest between two douchebags Famine ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/11 "2014-06-06T18:52:59Z")
Blood libel – one community/state _wants_ to start a war with another, so its agents spread rumors that the other side is capturing their children for ritual sacrifice. Peasant revolt. Water rights – a river runs through two states, and one side dams it up which means it runs dry through the second state. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/12 "2014-06-06T23:17:27Z")
Loan default. A loans money to B, then B says go screw. Locusts. Gold/mineral strike, either in one country that changes the balance of power, or on the border so the two states can fight over it. Succession crisis. The monarch dies. A says Y is the heir, B says X is the heir. The old alliance cascade. A declares war on B. But C is allied to B and comes to B’s aid. But D is allied to A and comes in on A’s side. Then E, traditional enemies of D, join side CB against AD. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/13 "2014-06-07T03:19:14Z")
I’ve played so much _Crusader Kings 2_ that I can rattle these things off the top of my head. For example: The king of a small border country is afraid that his brother, also king of a neighboring country, is out to get him. When the old king their father died, he divided the realm between his sons. Now each stands to inherit the other’s kingdom should he die before producing an heir. So the king wants to do unto his brother before his brother does unto him. Did I mention a third brother, also king of another country, who probably wants to do unto them? In the meantime there are hordes of infidels who want to take over all their kingdoms. Can the brothers can stop fighting long enough to present a united front? ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/14 "2014-06-07T20:26:33Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > … but I come up with bumpkis. \ bupkis \ ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plot-ideas-for-medieval-states-foreign-policy/690169/15 "2014-06-08T14:11:37Z")
[Strategic bucket supply.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Bucket) [High-stakes Tulip trade](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania). [Feces-related economics.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Stink#Sewage-related_occupations_of_the_era) [Sports riots](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nika_riots). [Ritual religious war/celebration/human sacrifice.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_war) [Anti-Wildlife military operations.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War) Nobles maintaining the sizable estates and property holdings of family members…[long _dead_ family members, whose mummies still owned the property.](http://www.mediahex.com/Pre-Columbian_Religions_5) [Mass-production of offerings/relics for pilgrimages. Sometimes including counterfeit mummies.](http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/tag/ancient-fakes/) Arranged marriages to maintain strong familial blood ties…and their [their catastrophic failures.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_Spain) [Natural disasters—the events, and the rebuilding afterwards](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_London).