When I originally created this concept I envisioned that all parties would be seeking to become the Monarch and that would be the end-state for the game, in a competitive way.
But I’m not so sure that’ll suffice, now, or at least not as the only goal. I think players need more by way of orthogonal goals to keep things juicy, and more reasons to make other characters beyond the Monarch targets for wrath, revenge or overthrow.
So what might motivate characters to participate in Intrigue? Stealing from Apocalypse World (Hx at chargen rules) and The Mountain Witch (Dark Fates), I’m envisioning handing out cards to players (or maybe just letting them pick from options for their character) along these lines:
* You are an elder, illegitimate child of the King/Queen with (name other character) and as such are the true heir to the throne! Name a character – they know the truth.
* You are an elder, illegitimate brother/sister to the monarch and as such ought to be the true monarch! Name a character – they know the truth.
* Your parents/lover/sibling were killed by (name a character), whether through malice aforethought or neglect of friendship, loyalty or duty. However, they do not realize this! You swear revenge.
* Despite your separation in rank and title, you and (character) are lovers.
* Your are in unrequited love with X.
* Secretly, you are not who you say you are. You have assumed your current identity to avoid prosecution for your crimes.
* Someone dear to you is imprisoned in the palace under sentence of death. You wish to seem them be granted mercy, be proved innocent, or escape.
* You owe someone a vast quantity of money. You must find a way to acquire this sum.
And so on and so forth.
Each will then have fiction-conditional rules attatched, e.g. for the illegitimate heir:
IF you can give testament to your bloodline in open court, construct strong legal argument as to your legitimacy, and the Monarch is dead, you succeed to the throne.
