Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - historically becoming landed as a small fry

fifiste · 09-25-2017, 04:47 AM

Hi,
I was wondering if history buffs could speak some stuff here.
During middle ages and up - how would becoming a landed peasant look like for an artisan, mercenary or other-such look like in places.

I know that depending on place and time the number of free peasants could be quite high (or pretty much non-existent) as well as the number of yeomen and other-such who had minimal obligations.
I know that serfs could gather money and with amicable or profit minded landlords could buy themselves free in some cases. But what if the one keen on owning a plot of land and doing some farming wasn't a serf?
The sales rent and other deals on land can be mired with many complicated aspects in pre-modern times. I guess in some cases you could just buy some land from aristocrat owning it, in some cases you'd also have to have a title or step into a feudal relationship - swear an oath etc?
I guess it could have been posted in general RP too but I'm looking for this tangentially for my GURPS play, so also talk about how things like this are organized in GURPS by what rules etc. is welcome.
The most "standard" GURPS game as I understand has the status 0 as a free-farmer or tradesman and assumes this be one of the most common part of the society. I guess in that a small adventure (acquiring wealth or favours) and maybe some skill rolls could make an axe-for-hire or other such drifter a respectable farm-owner.

09-25-2017, 04:47 AM	#1
fifiste Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Estonia	historically becoming landed as a small fry Hi, I was wondering if history buffs could speak some stuff here. During middle ages and up - how would becoming a landed peasant look like for an artisan, mercenary or other-such look like in places. I know that depending on place and time the number of free peasants could be quite high (or pretty much non-existent) as well as the number of yeomen and other-such who had minimal obligations. I know that serfs could gather money and with amicable or profit minded landlords could buy themselves free in some cases. But what if the one keen on owning a plot of land and doing some farming wasn't a serf? The sales rent and other deals on land can be mired with many complicated aspects in pre-modern times. I guess in some cases you could just buy some land from aristocrat owning it, in some cases you'd also have to have a title or step into a feudal relationship - swear an oath etc? I guess it could have been posted in general RP too but I'm looking for this tangentially for my GURPS play, so also talk about how things like this are organized in GURPS by what rules etc. is welcome. The most "standard" GURPS game as I understand has the status 0 as a free-farmer or tradesman and assumes this be one of the most common part of the society. I guess in that a small adventure (acquiring wealth or favours) and maybe some skill rolls could make an axe-for-hire or other such drifter a respectable farm-owner.