Solicitor (sage ability)

Solicitor is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Law & Policy that permits the character to enter and operate within the legal structure of a given province, by giving petition for standing. This requires the character presents their credentials (name, place of birth, declared allegiance to the throne) to a clerk or magistrate, paying a filing fee of 100 g.p., then waiting 1-4 weeks to be entered in the rolls. Acceptance is determined by a charisma check, which can be adjusted with a bonus of +4 in favour if the character, a member of the party or a follower has the ability to bribe. If accepted, the character's name is recorded and from that time forward, so long as they do not act untoward before the legal structure, they may undertake a career as a solicitor. If they are turned away, they may try again after a six month period, resubmitting their fee as before.

Once accepted, the solicitor has standing. Thereafter, the solicitor may bring a "grievance" before the court, including loss of property, damage to property, breach of agreement, injury to a person, wrongful restraint or detention, denial of rights or privilege, or the continuation of a disturbance or nuisance. Once the grievance is filed, the matter is brought before a judge in a single hearing, where both parties are present, evidence is given and judgment is rendered.

Once accepted, the solicitor has "standing." Thereafter, the solicitor can bring a grievance before the court, such as a loss of property, damage to property, a breach of agreement, injury to a person, wrongful restraint/detention, denial of rights/privilege, or to stop an ongoing disturbance or nuisance. Once the grievance is filed, the matter is typically brought before a judge in a single hearing, evidence is provided and a judgment is received. These details that need not be part of D&D's actual game play — they are included here only to make clear how events lead up to the hoped-for resolution.

Probability of Success

It stands to reason that before a solicitor would consider bringing a grievance, they would judge for themselves the matter on its merits. This judgment process is resolved through the following mechanic. The character rolls a d100 against the number of knowledge points they have. If the number is equal to or less than the character's knowledge, then the character's judgment in the matter is deemed to be trustworthy. The result does not determine IF the case is practical, only that the character knows if it is or isn't.

For example: Icosa, who has 17 knowledge as a solicitor, is approached by a farmer who is unhappy about where his neighbour has built their wall between their properties. The wall, the farmer says, is on his land, and not on the boundary, so that the farmer believes the neighbour has co-opted land on his side of the wall that is not his. Icosa, looking at the case, rolls a d100 and gets a 16 — equal to or less than his knowledge — and therefore can, with probable certainty, tell if the case is a winner or a loser.

Necessarily, because a die roll in this case would be unable to look at the merits of the case and accurately make a determination, the DM must act as a free and fair judge in the matter. The DM can roll a 50/50 die if wished, or can simply say, "Yes, that case is a probable winner" or the reverse. Then the character Icosa can decide, still, if he wants to accept the case or not. The judgment is pre-made by his experience in this matter, not by actually waiting to put it in front of a judge and hoping for the best.

If, on the other hand, Icosa were to roll above his 17 knowledge, then he would have no certain idea his probability of winning. It would be very bad for him to take a case under those conditions. More likely, a solicitor would say, "Let me send you to someone who knows better than I." It is always bad form for a solicitor to risk losing, since losing is devastating to a solicitor's reputation. As a game rule, assume that four losses in the space of six months equals a withdrawal of the solicitor's standing.

There remains a very small chance that the solicitor will be wrong, even if their judgment at the outset was correct. If Icosa finds he's right to bring the case, and that the case will win, and that there is every chance to believe it will, there still remains a 2% chance that the case will fail. For reasons that are just "reasons" and no better than that. Sometimes you get the bull and sometimes the bull gets you. Point in fact, this 2% chance also applies to the possibility of success despite a losing case, if the character wishes to play the odds.

Cost

Discusses how much a case costs to bring. Also discuss how time disallows the probability of more than one case per week, given time available for the judgment to be made in a slow-moving culture

Reputation

A base total of how many people will approach the solicitor at the start of their career, and how this number is affected by wins/losses. Reputation also affects what cases will be offered the solicitor.

Solicitor Knowledge Increases

Each win increases the character's solicitor knowledge by ½ pt. This cumulative gain has nothing whatsoever to do with solicitor's experience level.

Final Note

This system so far does not take into account the ability of the opposing solicitor, which needs to be folded into this system. Nor does it discuss how bringing a case to intentionally lose it can affect the public's sentiment toward the case, a local lord or some other person of importance.