Govt' sponsored adventuring groups... charters...

[magnusmalkus]

I'm fleshing out a new campaign setting inspired by the 4e setting approach "Points of Light".

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drdd/20070829a

In a nutshell, civilized areas are far and few between and the surrounding countryside is mostly quite dangerous.

I want to start my players in a small walled city where people need to pay taxes to the governing body for protection from the evils outside the city.

Maybe if they don't want to pay taxes, they need to turn in bounty showing they're doing something about the evils that threaten the city.

I'm thinking of things like governemnt sponsored adventure groups and non-government sponsored adventure groups like the difference between pirates and privateers. But why should the governing body step in and regulate adventureing companies in a setting like that? Wouldn't adventuring companies be a good thing, ridding the surrounding countryside of various evils? is there a benefit to goverment sponsored adventuring as opposed to privateering?

 

[Tangent Loki]

It could be that the government wishes to regulate weapons; especially such as ons that could be dangerous inside the city walls. So they hire people of particular talent to serve in the town militia, and it is possible that if they hear of large enough threats afar off they end their 'swat'.

or it could be a more 'knights of the round' set up.

The Pc's are squires who handle small quests at the behest of the crown until they reach a position of prominence where they embark on 'real quests'

If things are regulated by the lord benefits in working for him include legal protection, access to the weapon stores available to militia, supplies, horses, a berth and a bed. Also the possibility for an acceptance into another community based upon the word of the liege.

As for private adventuring companies these could be like the trade stock groups.

Out for the cash but only comisshioned for the sake of the good of the kingdom.

 

[Cyberia]

Perhaps the government is looking to colonize new land beyond the city wall. With sanctioned and controlled groups, the govenement can be assured of setting up friendly villages, towns, etc since any group would be claiming land in the name of the sponsoring gov't, not their own concerns.

Private groups may have more autonomy, but might not be able to provide all the additional benefits and resources that the government could to either adventuring groups or upstart villages.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

The local lords might sponsor adventuring groups in order to promote themselves - and to build relationships with powerful PC-types who can back them in their political and military struggles. They'd invite the PC's to their dinner parties to tell outlandish tales of danger and magic, and to make sure the other nobles know that they have powerful people at their beck and call.

In that sense, it wouldn't be the government as a whole that sponsors the adventurers, but individuals who comprise the government who sponsor them. The added benefit for the nobles would be that powerful PC's are a danger to them - their power means that they could overthrow the government - but if they co-opt that danger by allowing them access to political power they can (ideally) control the PC's. Or at least mitigate the danger.

 

[Robbs]

Don't forget the down side of heroes. While they are good at going in attempting to whack various and sundry evils, let's not overlook the fact that oftentimes they unleash (always unintentionally I hear!) horrors that other (let's call them smarter) people leave alone...They also tend to stir the pot, rile up the local monsters and such, then get sidetracked by something shiny that catches their eye, and they are off again. Meanwhile, the local city gets to suffer from whatever big baddie has been released or whatever foul beasties have been riled up! At least that is the opinion of some local government types!

 

[Tangent Loki]

it could be that they are sanctioned to bring back brigand heads/ears, ditto for goblins, or even big nasties.


like 'go slay that dragon'

or they could be the duke's drinking buddies on retainer for 'services' that finally have to actually go and show their worth.



Duke jestingly 'Who ever heard of a dragon 'round here...'

a page comes in burned and weak, half of his hear missing and one eye milky white.

"dra...dragon" he wheezes.


Now lest the duke lose face... someone has to go out and slay the dragon.

And he is collecting taxes for his hero's on hire.

so.. It's time to slay the dragon.

 

[Shades of Green]

Adventurers can grow very, very powerful. And the government would want these powerful characters on its side rather than doing what they want and potentially causing trouble. On the other hand they could be pretty useful - give that monster-infested region as a fief to the newly-knighted (and battle-proven) heroes, and not only would they clear the area but subsequently do the king's job for him by colonizing and developing it. All while being very grateful to the king for his "gift", that is...