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<blockquote data-quote="nopantsyet" data-source="post: 1703572" data-attributes="member: 3109"><p>Very nice, KM. This is how I have felt about D&D for a long time, but have never articulated as such.</p><p></p><p>Another point is the tendency of power to concentrate. There is practical benefit to power, whether physical strength or magic. Those who cross the power threshold are likely to get picked up and pulled into the greater power structure. If that Cleric reached 4th level, he might be asked by the church to officiate over a larger congregation. The 4th level warrior might be brought into the King's standing army. There would not be much transience among the commoners, but every village would have it's stories about the few who have "made it." The children of those have greater opportunity and likely advance further than their parents, likely starting out with PC rather than NPC levels. But they've already been leeched away to the larger settlements and few of the villages are ever able to grow as a result.</p><p></p><p>I don't strictly follow the rules as-written. Cities tend to have fewer power bases unless they have achieved some type of balance, which is typically tenuous at best. Think of the relationships between Eurpoean kings and Catholic popes. There was constant tension. Imagine if the Catholic church was wielding divine spells. So there is the strong city, the pious city, the magical city. Each has a primary power base, and the other two elements are far weaker. In the strong city, there are lots of high-level fighter-types, but the high-level mages are few and try not to draw attention to themselves. Of course, this does not in any way preclude the sorceror advisor to the warrior-king. It just draws the balance.</p><p></p><p>Also, just as power concentrates, the wielders of power like to hoard it. In the magical city, magic is strictly regulated by an association of high-level arcane spellcasters. The strong city doesn't let its people run around with weapons. The pious city imparts the divine gifts, brings the willing gifted into the priesthood and brands the unwilling as heretics.</p><p></p><p>Letting power balance itself this way lets me use the full spectrum of D&D rules while still allowing me to adjust the feel of any particular locale. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>And then, the relationships between Kings and Popes were never</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="nopantsyet, post: 1703572, member: 3109"] Very nice, KM. This is how I have felt about D&D for a long time, but have never articulated as such. Another point is the tendency of power to concentrate. There is practical benefit to power, whether physical strength or magic. Those who cross the power threshold are likely to get picked up and pulled into the greater power structure. If that Cleric reached 4th level, he might be asked by the church to officiate over a larger congregation. The 4th level warrior might be brought into the King's standing army. There would not be much transience among the commoners, but every village would have it's stories about the few who have "made it." The children of those have greater opportunity and likely advance further than their parents, likely starting out with PC rather than NPC levels. But they've already been leeched away to the larger settlements and few of the villages are ever able to grow as a result. I don't strictly follow the rules as-written. Cities tend to have fewer power bases unless they have achieved some type of balance, which is typically tenuous at best. Think of the relationships between Eurpoean kings and Catholic popes. There was constant tension. Imagine if the Catholic church was wielding divine spells. So there is the strong city, the pious city, the magical city. Each has a primary power base, and the other two elements are far weaker. In the strong city, there are lots of high-level fighter-types, but the high-level mages are few and try not to draw attention to themselves. Of course, this does not in any way preclude the sorceror advisor to the warrior-king. It just draws the balance. Also, just as power concentrates, the wielders of power like to hoard it. In the magical city, magic is strictly regulated by an association of high-level arcane spellcasters. The strong city doesn't let its people run around with weapons. The pious city imparts the divine gifts, brings the willing gifted into the priesthood and brands the unwilling as heretics. Letting power balance itself this way lets me use the full spectrum of D&D rules while still allowing me to adjust the feel of any particular locale. And then, the relationships between Kings and Popes were never [/QUOTE]
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