Brian Rogers (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
subplotkudzu) wrote2006-09-29 10:59 am
subplotkudzu) wrote2006-09-29 10:59 am
Entry tags:
Emirikol and the Dwarf Slave Tumblers
Further thoughts on the setting (and characters).
In an effort to make use of some of the less used races, I'm stressing for Humans, Elves, Halflings and Gnomes. I haven't seen much of those in 3E, and for some reason Halfling Swashbucklers appeals.
Characters should be built with the point build system given in the DMG, with 26 points to spend. Sorcerers are getting Short Sword added as a basic proficiency, just because. They might also get extra meta-magic feats at higher levels, but I'm still working on that.
One idea that bubbled up in the concept of nobility only being able to lease their land in perpetuity rather than sell it: people can do the same thing themselves, as a form of indentured servitude. Slavery as such is illegal, but people can indenture themselves either for cash up front or to pay off debts. The law has some clear rules on how such servants must be treated (like, not tortured or killed), and it gives room for personal servants like Mika or the famous Mr. Karpinski.
The generally clannish Dwarvish people from some distance away make use of this to get investment money from humans - young dwarves will indenture themselves to tradesmen or farmers for 10-20 years, give the money to their clan, work out their time and return home with some education and time among the Sun Folk under the beards. This means any dwarves found in Emirikol will be indentured servants of this sort.
Part of this is to emphasize the importance of Law in this setting: such a system works because the Law enforces it. The Republic/Empire is inherently Lawful, but not always Good. There are Lawful Evil people who are upstanding citizens and treat their indentures as poorly as possible just on this side of the law. The Lawful Neutral guards won't intervine in that. The Lawful Good Paladins will interpret the law in such as way as to bring justice and mercy along with it - finding ways to trap such Lawful Evil people out, make us of loopholes to see justice done, and so on. What they can't do is just kill them for being Evil. That would be against the Law - and while the last emperor was, Aurthur like, emblematic of all that was good, even he acknowledged the necessity of the law.
In an effort to make use of some of the less used races, I'm stressing for Humans, Elves, Halflings and Gnomes. I haven't seen much of those in 3E, and for some reason Halfling Swashbucklers appeals.
Characters should be built with the point build system given in the DMG, with 26 points to spend. Sorcerers are getting Short Sword added as a basic proficiency, just because. They might also get extra meta-magic feats at higher levels, but I'm still working on that.
One idea that bubbled up in the concept of nobility only being able to lease their land in perpetuity rather than sell it: people can do the same thing themselves, as a form of indentured servitude. Slavery as such is illegal, but people can indenture themselves either for cash up front or to pay off debts. The law has some clear rules on how such servants must be treated (like, not tortured or killed), and it gives room for personal servants like Mika or the famous Mr. Karpinski.
The generally clannish Dwarvish people from some distance away make use of this to get investment money from humans - young dwarves will indenture themselves to tradesmen or farmers for 10-20 years, give the money to their clan, work out their time and return home with some education and time among the Sun Folk under the beards. This means any dwarves found in Emirikol will be indentured servants of this sort.
Part of this is to emphasize the importance of Law in this setting: such a system works because the Law enforces it. The Republic/Empire is inherently Lawful, but not always Good. There are Lawful Evil people who are upstanding citizens and treat their indentures as poorly as possible just on this side of the law. The Lawful Neutral guards won't intervine in that. The Lawful Good Paladins will interpret the law in such as way as to bring justice and mercy along with it - finding ways to trap such Lawful Evil people out, make us of loopholes to see justice done, and so on. What they can't do is just kill them for being Evil. That would be against the Law - and while the last emperor was, Aurthur like, emblematic of all that was good, even he acknowledged the necessity of the law.