Campaign Standards: Slavery yea or nay?

[JoeGKushner]

So in your campaign, is slavery a part of it? Huge part? On the fringes? Used to be in vogue and out?

A lot of fiction I've been reading these days tends to have slavery in one form or another and after recently watching Spartacus, it made me ponder the role of slavery in the campaign.

Biggest problem with slavery in ye old campaign is players tend to hate it in my experience. How about others?

 

[Ahnehnois]

Human slavery is a bit less believable when technology and differences therein aren't really a factor and when powerful individuals can have great influence over world affairs. It also doesn't really fit with D&D's generally modernized/sanitized world (gender equality is a given, for instance). That said, it is a significant part of human history and a subject rich for exploration, with a group that is mature and willing.

There are also a lot of weird borderline cases with intelligent monsters and such. Dragon Age does a big thing on golems as slaves but that's a bit more muted in D&D (though present).

Slavery is a part of FR; haven't seen much in other D&D worlds.

Personally, I haven't used it. My campaign world is fairly socially modernized and the common man has way too much power and knowledge and wisdom to let anything like that stand. I'm sure it's a part of my world's history though, and one of many I might explore in the future (by future I mean campaign set in the past). I do have a lot of illithids, but that probably isn't what you were getting at.

 

[TarionzCousin]

But drow are slavers, and everyone loves drow!

[sblock]Except the twelve people who will post below me about how they hate drow, have always hated drow, and don't allow drow in their campaigns even as monsters. [/sblock]

 

[Snoweel]

I think, in the default D&D world, that slavery would be commonplace.

However, as you say, you obviously have to allow for most players' liberal democratic paradigm; it's probably easiest on yourself and the players to have slavery just be a part of Evil societies.

You could always hide slavery behind the guise of serfdom. There's not really much difference between slaves and feudal peasants.

 

[weem]

In none of my games has there been slavery of any kind...

...until now, with my new setting.

Even then it is not widespread, but merely something that tends to happen to this particular race of beings when it is convenient. In other words, there is no slave trade or anything, but if they get in the way and are not killed or chased off, they are sometimes taken as slaves.

 

[Woas]

Yeah sure why not? If cold blooded homicide for pure material and selfish gain has been cool for the past 30+ years I don't see why slavery would be a big deal.

 

[Rechan]

Human slavery is a bit less believable when technology and differences therein aren't really a factor and when powerful individuals can have great influence over world affairs.

Slaves aren't just for the rich. One could be for instance fairly poor, and have one as basically a right-hand man. Could have been a family heirloom (the slave/slave''s family being owned by the owner I mean). Could be due to punishment ("You have killed this man's son. You are now his slave, to replace the boy he lost").

Also, settings with lots of magic/tech do lend themselves to slavery in a sense: Eberron has the Warforged. The warforged were created as slaves, and only recently received their freedom. Not to mention you get into the topic of mental domination and thralls. Again Eberron, the Riedrian humans are slaves to the Quori/Dreaming Dark, they just don't know it. They're kept in a constant state of passivity to be the easiest to mentally dominate/possess.

Slavery is a part of FR; haven't seen much in other D&D worlds.

Dark Sun. But then, Dark Sun is gritty like the Sahara.

You also saw slavery in Conan media. I think Slavery is likely a trait of swords and sorcery, not epic fantasy.

A non-D&D source, a little nugget I found out: in Dragon Age: Origins, elves were once slaves. They were freed a few centuries ago. In another country, elves are still slaves, but they are considered prized possessions. They're well groomed to serve nobility.

 

[Chainsaw]

Working on a new setting now, actually. Slavery will be a part of it, along with gambling, drugs, kidnapping, murder and all the other nasty things that can exist in gritty, sword and sorcery type settings. If my players have a personal problem with the inclusion, they can find another game. If they decide their characters have personal problems with it, they can crusade against it and help create a memorable campaign.

Note: I love Vegas - didn't mean to equate gambling with slavery and murder!

 

[Rechan]

I do wonder about slavery, too. It's generally the very brutish, abusive type (well, that's how it's been in history). But I also wonder about spinning it in an alternative method.

A culture where being a slave is revered. Or at least, being a good slave is something to strive for, at least among slaves. Not just a well-trained one, but one who's well behaved, who is "cultured" and socialized as a proper slave (the correct etiquette, the proper attitude and behavior). Slavery might also be an alternative to harsher circumstances: poverty, death, homelessness/worklessness, etc. So being a slave of a rich House is a better fate than farming dirt and dieing hungry. Slaves would be in a social class above the peasantry.

You also have the possibility of not slaves, but indentured servitude. Or slavery for a given number of years. Working for your freedom, etc.

Another route to take is slavery-ish type situations. To give an example, you have a Caste system. At the very lowest caste, you have the Untouchables, who are the whipping boy of society. You're born into this caste, you're destined to be a latrine mucker, a garbage collector, an undertaker, and other undesirable jobs. The highest respect you can get is still lower than a person in an entry-level position in the Caste(s) above you.

 

[Stormonu]

Slavery, sexism & racial prejudice (even against other members of the same race/faith/etc.) all exist in the games I run and have run since D&D began.

In my home campaign world, the two major kingdoms often make (non-violent) lawbreakers into slaves for the duration of their sentence. There are even some folk who make a profit off falsely accusing people to get them enslaved. Another (nearby) country was even founded by runaway slaves and criminals.