I am a sucker for holiday -themed one shots, but I find myself without anything for labor day.
Joking with my local game group, I suggested we play as goblins, trying to unionize the mine.
But I have no idea what to use for the core mechanics of a game where the goals are not acquisition and conquest.
All I've got so far is a note to maybe repurpose BitD's gang rules for our union. But even that seems like phase two. I want to start at the start; how do you get a bunch of worn out and frightened goblins to act in their collective interest? How do you make an interesting and fun game out of it? How do you keep players coming back when private security hobgoblins are threatening their PC's family?
And this has started a big discussion in my group about the role of race and racism in our games. My thought was to use a full d&d race pallette, then reveal that the races are biologically the same, and the racial attributes are just common cultural prejudice. We all liked the idea for about a minute before it felt too real. And while I trust my players, I fear that some people would get really into it in a way that reveals too much about the player's character (and not just the players's character, if you follow). But if we're not leaning into the fantasy racism, what does the fantasy genre really bring to the table? The only answers we came up with are escapism and union-busting mind flayers.
And, of course, I have (history) books full of horrible things to throw at the PCs.
But the truth is I have never even questioned that all the rpgs I play are about taking stuff and doing violence, and I don't know how to support gameplay where those things are tangential to the characters' goals.
And what goals? My inclination is to let the players set them, but can the same set of rules support both "The Revolution" and "nights and weekends off" as victory conditions?
It shouldn't be very difficult, these links could give you some ideas:
The trade unions of the Middle Ages - People's History Museum: The national museum of democracy
Labor Organizations in Ancient and Medieval Times – Brewminate: A Bold Blend of News and Ideas
Guild | Trade Associations & Their Role in Medieval Europe | Britannica Money
Guilds are very much not unions. Unions are about employees uniting to have a stronger negotiating positions with employers.
Guilds are associations of business owners. Or maybe like a chamber of commerce. Very much not like a union.
Of course, unions as we know them are a product of 19th century, and the guilds became less important.
But in some of unions' characteristics evolved from the guilds, as can be read in Organized labor | Definition, Movement, History, Examples, Unions, & Facts | Britannica Money.
It should be noted that if you want to organize the workers into a strike they need some organization and in medieval era a guild can be a way to do it, or could be other means of self-orgnization, see the links below:
Deir el-Medina strikes
Secessio plebis
Peasants Revolt