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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheSword" data-source="post: 9836501" data-attributes="member: 6879661">One of the things I like about the gritty, grimdark world of the Witcher is how the local people fear and dislike Witchers. It keeps them on the road, keeps them moving and provides a reason for them to stay adventurers instead of settling down with the fortune they acquired in that trolls horde. It’s always seemed strange to me that adventurers who saved the village wouldn’t capitalize on this with free accommodation in the local inn. Discounts at local traders. Free spell casting at the temple etc.I spent a while thinking about how to make the world a little grittier to make this not the case. Maybe a class that locals might fear but still need. Or an organization that the party could belong to that would bring this out. But then I realized that ALL adventuring parties by their very nature could already fall into the same social niche that a Witcher does. If you look at it from the perspective of an ordinary villager—someone who just wants their crops to grow and their children to stay alive—adventurers can be just as unsettling as the monsters they fight.They bring trouble with them: Monsters, curses, bandits, and dark forces often follow adventurers. A village might think: “If these people show up, something terrible must be nearby. ”Even if the adventurers solve the problem, the collateral damage can be enormous.They’re touched by the unnatural: Adventurers handle cursed relics, ancient magic, forbidden knowledge, and strange creatures. To common folk, that makes them… not quite normal. Someone who casually carries a demon-slaying sword or chats with spirits is inherently suspicious.Their motives are unclear: Adventurers often work for coin, not charity. That makes them look mercenary, unpredictable, and potentially dangerous. A farmer might wonder: “If they can kill a troll for gold, what stops them from killing me for what I have?”They’re too comfortable with violence: Adventurers are used to killing—monsters, bandits, sometimes even people. That level of desensitization can be terrifying to civilians. A group that laughs over ale about “that time the ogre exploded” is not relatable to a baker or shepherd.They don’t fit into society: Adventurers are rootless, transient, and often strange in dress, speech, or species. They don’t follow local customs or laws very strictly. They’re outsiders by definition, and outsiders are easy to fear.They upset the balance: A village might fear that adventurers will anger the local lord or attract rival factions. Even if the adventurers mean well, their presence destabilizes the fragile equilibrium of rural life.They remind people of the world’s horrors: Most commoners try to ignore the dark things lurking in the world. Adventurers are walking proof that those horrors are real. People often fear the messenger as much as the message.What would this mean? In small isolated communities folks would likely encourage adventurers to move on. Maybe by providing clues to other adventuring activities - ideally a ways off. They might withhold hospitality. Inflate prices or claim they are out of stock to get them to move on. Similar could happen in larger settlements, but with added complications. Adventurers would garner attention as soon as they arrive. Local law enforcement and authority figures would take note of them and perhaps have them watched carefully. Ultimately the resources of the settlement could be marshaled to ensure their threat is neutralized.None of this stops the adventurers forming strong bonds of influence and loyalty with key NPCs. But the every day Joes would want them at arms length. They remain outsiders.It isn’t fair, but it is plausible. What do you think? do you prefer your adventuring parties to be local celebrities or like the above suggests the equivalent of a Witcher?</blockquote>

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