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GameMastery Guide / Creating a World / The Feudal Society

The Feudal Hierarchy

Source GameMastery Guide pg. 153
A sample feudal hierarchy, from top to bottom, is as follows. Note that the nobility holds the land in trust for the crown and does not own it outright. Certain exceptions, called allodial holdings, can be granted to anyone by the crown, but they usually quickly revert to the crown via trickery or conquest. As a feudal society doesn’t leave a lot ofleeway for travel, adventurers might be freemen out to improve their station through great deeds, or the youngest progeny of the nobility, eager to win their own titles through force of arms.
TitleLandsHereditary?King/QueenKingdomY
Prince/PrincessPrincipalityY
Duke/DuchessDuchyY
Margrave/MargravineMarquisateY
Count (or Earl)/CountessCountyY
Viscount/ViscountessViscounty or ShireY
Baron/BaronessBaronyY
Knight/Dame/LoreManorN
Merchant
FreemanY
SerfY