Adventurers: "We don't want your kind around here."

[VirgilCaine]

IMC, you are either...

A) Welcomed. Some places can always use more manpower.
B) Arrested. Walking around armed and armored in some countries is just as banned as it is some places today.
C) Noticed, then ignored. So what? If they get out of line, theres the Militia and, at worst, the Guild to deal with them.
D) Interviewed, then watched.

 

[AuraSeer]

There's a theme like this in "March of the Sane", an adventure from the WOTC website. The suggested hook is that the PCs begin to find themselves shut out of taverns and whole villages, because the people believe adventurers are always followed by trouble.

As written it's only as long as you'd expect from a free adventure, but it could easily be expanded into a running theme over the course of a larger campaign.

 

[Turanil]

So does anyone run a game like this? Have you tried it in the past? What is it like when the PCs are pariahs?

This is what I do in my D&D games! Well, a paladin is a Knight, and a priest belongs to a Church, and anyone could just be a respectable traveler. That said, I created a city where adventurers were unwelcome. They were seen as potential robbers and people who bring trouble. They are intersted in stealing money, and if possible, seducing the daughters of honest citizens then departing forever leaving a fatherless child behind. In my games, someone who pretends to be an adventurer is asking for problems. However, most of the PCs had backgrounds tying them in the community, and were "adventuring" not for its sake, but because of their duties (such as a knight sent by his liege to solve brigand problems).

Think about this: unless they are of the Robin Hood type, adventurers are thieves:
-- So, the brigands have stolen money from the villagers for years, but at least they prevented gobelins incursions. Then the adventurer come, kill the brigands, take the money which originally belonged to the peasants, then depart. Now nobody stands between the peasants and the gobelins.
-- For ages there was this tomb near the village. Adventurers came, intrufders the tomb, and did who knows what. They left full of gold that the peasants had come to think (whether it's legitimate or not) as belonging to them. Now rthe peasant are fearing that some unknown supernatural forces are going to retaliate on them because of what the adventurers did.

 

[Von Ether]

There's a theme like this in "March of the Sane", an adventure from the WOTC website. The suggested hook is that the PCs begin to find themselves shut out of taverns and whole villages, because the people believe adventurers are always followed by trouble.

As written it's only as long as you'd expect from a free adventure, but it could easily be expanded into a running theme over the course of a larger campaign.

You know, now that I think of it, this may be an attitude to consider for an Eberron game. WotC recently had an article that says the PC start to stand out from their common man as early as 6th level. It doesn't hlep that eyewitness accounts will end up in the national newspaper sooner or later.

Yep that warforged with the big Cannith mark on his left shoulder is going wonder why all the village doors are shut before he even makes it into town.

 

[Squire James]

I think the DM needs to have a discussion with his players if he wants to run this sort of campaign, especially if their reputations are impossible or very difficult to change for the better. Some get enough disrespect in their normal lives that they want to avoid that sort of thing in their games. Others might like this sort of thing.

"They always look at me as if I'm going to steal their purses, and that makes me very uncomfortable. It makes me want to steal their purses." Kiera - "Orca" by Steven Brust

 

[Chimera]

Depends on the area and the government in my setting.

For example, in the Kingdom of the Coast, only government troops and constables may carry and display weapons. Two PCs spent six months in prison (during some down time) for refusing to pack up their weapons after being warned by an outlying patrol. In the Duchy of Harmony (theocratic feif of the Prelate of Tambri, pacifist Goddess of Peace) in the southern part of the Kingdom, the mere *sight* of a weapon is considered a vulgar breech of public ettiquette and law. Even the constables go about unarmed there. (And don't even ask if there are any weaponsmakers or armories around. There aren't.)

In the Republic of Freetown, they have no real issue with weapons - outside of town anyways - but want to regulate "Adventurers". Got a bunch of people together carrying weapons? You must be Adventurers. Register as a Company and pay a 10% tax on weapons and treasure, or get out of the Republic. You can carry your weapons openly, but you'll pay a 1 silver dollar tax per weapon each time you pass through the town gates, cross the town bridges, or enter certain public buildings. Oh, and since you're registered as a member of an official Adventurer Company, you can be conscripted in times of war...or whenever the local commander thinks he needs your services.

In the Duchy of the Sandoval, you'd be a fool NOT to be carrying as many weapons as possible. Not out of fear of your fellow humans, but in fear of the neighboring Formian Empire and the terrors surrounding the ruins of Sanctuary.

In various other towns, you may find it to be like some towns in Western Movies. Probably a good idea to go about armed, but you'd best surrender them (or put them away) when you come into town. We don't want swordfights in the town square or the local tavern...

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

I can't stand the term "adventurer".

It is almost a metagame term in that it springs from the fact that the adventure must happen to these characters and all the PC's have to do is go to the tavern and wait for the panicked Mayor to rush in with a big bag of gold.

My recent most campaign required PC's to start play hungry and tired. The result of that was everyone having the means to feed and shelter themselves, which was a great place for 1st level characters to begin.

 

[ThoughtBubble]

I don't really buy this as a truism.

How much of the player's enjoyment in a typical D&D campaign really depends on the accolades of the general populace? Not much, in my experience. I think a fair share of the treasure and some XP trumps a key to the city presented by the Mayor every time.

Plus, D&D characters are superheroes, transposed into a fantasy genre.

Well, or me, it's proven to be a large part of the difference between good and bad games. The more enjoyable expierences have always been the ones where the PC's are getting props for risking their lives for (generally) the betterment of others. A general lack of recognition is an easy way for a DM to turn me to evil. "So, we rescued them from the orcish army. Then they run away from us and ask us to leave. Why'd we risk our lives again?" By about the second or third time, I'd either just not bite at any more hooks .

I think a lot of is is about feedback. If the townsfolk don't like the heroes, then it feels like a failure. They did something wrong. Enough of that and the game just becomes frusterating.

Not everyone needs to be a fan, but there are only so many times I can be driven out of town before I just stop dealing with it.

It seems like a good idea to help re-enforce bad behavior too. Forget the townsfolk. I mean, why not steal from them? Why worry about collateral damage? Take what you want, and go. Maybe bad behavior isn't the word, but more anti-social behavior.

I think that the actions of the general populous really helps set the feel for the game. Be sure you set one up that prompts actions that you like.

 

[Blue_Kryptonite]

Marvel's approach to mutants of having them universally feared and hated has always seemed a little implausible to me. Especially when everyone loves the Avengers.

Espescially since Beast, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, two of which are former terrorists, are well-regarded frequent members.

I can't stand the term "adventurer".

As stated abiove, though, there are still a few people running around with that job. Heck, its what Thor Heyerdahl did all his life.

So does anyone run a game like this? Have you tried it in the past? What is it like when the PCs are pariahs?

Yes. And, well...

it bores the heck out of me.

Relly, I did try once or twice, but in most cases was informed that if we were running that game again next week, people would stay home and wash their hair or clip their toenails, because it was more fun and heroic. So back to the regular campaign we went.

Of course, my bias and that of my group tends towards silver-age comics, absolute morality, and a total lack of grit or angst. We play heroes, plain and simple.

 

[nameless]

You know, now that I think of it, this may be an attitude to consider for an Eberron game. WotC recently had an article that says the PC start to stand out from their common man as early as 6th level. It doesn't hlep that eyewitness accounts will end up in the national newspaper sooner or later.

Yep that warforged with the big Cannith mark on his left shoulder is going wonder why all the village doors are shut before he even makes it into town.

Funny you mention that. In my Eberron game, the party did get famous right around 5th level because of their heroics. First we killed a giant centipede that attacked the Lightning Rail, and then tracked back through the wilderness to its lair and wiped out the hatchlings. The drooling masses very much liked not being eaten.

The PCs were small-time heroes by the time they got to the next town, thanks to the newspaper. When they went on at successive stops to kill/arrest a cabal of evil mages who were controlling the parliament and save the Prime Minister from an assassin, beat back an army of Ashbound who attacked a village, and then donate tens of thousands of gp to the families of the dead when Orien wouldn't take responsibility, they became larger-then-life heroes.

Of course, the PCs fostered this image on purpose. It's easy to get access places when everyone knows that you are a selfless hero. You naturally seem to attract dinners with the King, the best room at the inn, and invitations to the best parties. There are dangers to being famous, but when are there not dangers to an adventurer?

The point is, heroes can fight back against the "dirty mercenary" image by not being dirty mercs. If they're greedy and intimidating, nobody's going to like them. If they make a point of spreading the wealth and helping people on principle, they're the bees knees.