Solicitor (sage ability)

Solicitor is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Law & Policy which permits the character to have knowledge regarding matters of property and the redress of individuals against damage done by the state. However, unless the solicitor is licensed, such knowledge can be applied only to personal wrongs the solicitor has experienced.

A solicitor cannot legally open an office and argue disputes of civil law before a lower court judge unless the character is able to pursue this position through the political skill of becoming a functionary. Once that has been accomplished, however, a solicitor is entitled to 10% of any financial redress that a court makes to an individual.

A solicitor's chance of winning a case in court depends upon the solicitor's experience at winning large cases. Initially, a solicitor begins with a % chance of winning a case equal to their wisdom (a 16 wisdom would mean a 16% chance of winning a case in court). Since this is very low, most cases that new solicitors accept will be cases where the individual has few resources and does not expect to win.

To determine the size of the case brought by others to the solicitor (in g.p.), roll a random number between 1 and the solicitor's chance of winning (with a 16 wisdom, this would be an amount between 1 and 16). The solicitor must pay 2 g.p. to bring the case to court; if the solicitor loses the case, this amount is lost. However, for each g.p. that the solicitor is paid (s.p. and c.p. count as fractions) for winning a case, both the % chance of winning and the randomly generated size of the case are increased by that amount.

Thus, a solicitor with a 16 wisdom is approached by someone seeking redress in the amount of 11 g.p. The solicitor pays 2 g.p. to the court, miraculously rolls 04 on a d100 and wins the case. The solicitor receives 1 g.p., 1 s.p. and 6 c.p. in fees (equaling 1.1 g.p.) and although the solicitor takes a loss overall, the solicitor's chance of winning the case goes up by 1.1%. For the next case, the number generated is randomly determined between 1 and 17 (or alternately by 1 to 272 s.p, even 1 to 3283 c.p. — which should be the player's choice).

Each time the player's % chance of success improves past a round 10% mark (20%, 30%, 40%, etc.) then (optionally) treble court costs and double the maximum random total for redress. Simultaneously, for each increase, halve the increase to success chance from fees.

Thus,

• a solicitor with a 20% chance of success would pay 6 g.p. in court fees for cases that brought 2 to 40 g.p. in gross return (10% of that for the solicitor), with a 40 g.p. win increasing the solicitor's chance of winning a case by 2%.
• a solicitor with a 30% chance of success would pay 18 g.p. in court fees for cases that brought 4 to 80 g.p. in gross return, with an 80 g.p. win increasing the solicitor's chance of winning — again — by 2%.
• a solicitor with a 40% chance of success would pay 54 g.p. in court fees for cases that brought 8 to 160 g.p in gross return, with a maximum win still increasing future success no more than 2%.

And so on. It is up to the character if they wish to increase the size of the cases they take; otherwise, fees and gross returns will remain at the level where the solicitor is comfortable.

In turn, the solicitor's chance of success equals the likelihood of the solicitor getting a case per week they are not working. Solicitors are not required to accept cases. Cases will not be brought to solicitors who are working on a case already. Cases require 1 week of participation per 20 g.p. of gross return.