Chains and Misery: The Slave Lords of Scythae

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From the earliest days of civilization, the greatest empires in the world were forged through the efforts and labors of those least regarded by the cultures that held them under whip and chain. Slaves, those who have been forced against their will to toil for their masters, have served as much an important role in history as those who have been exalted by their sacrifices, and the world of Scythae exceeds this a hundredfold.

Although the background material clearly discusses the social, economic, and political effects that such widespread slavery has within the Maidenheim Campaign Setting, the new d20 rules presented within are easily adaptable to any other d20 setting.

New d20 rules include:

*How to locate, purchase, or sell slaves on the open market, as well as the costs of maintaining them in good condition.
*The ongoing relationships slaves have with their masters and the effects when slaves revolt.
*Putting slaves to work as leased servants or as laborers on plantations, mines, or quarries.
*The potential for profits received from the forced labor of slaves and establishing a slaving guild.
*Optional ways for players to become involved in the slave trade with the Slaver core class or the Slave Lord Prestige Class.
*Additional slave-class options that allow for slaves to be used as adventurers: the Slave-Warrior, Gladiator, Slave-Guard, and the deadly Slave-Assassin.
*New weapons, equipment, poisons, restraints, spells, and magical items used by slavers and those involved in the trade.

For anyone who has ever imagined what it would be like to either take on the role of a slaver or slave owner in a roleplaying game, even to experience the life of the slave himself, Chains and Misery delivers many possibilities for entire adventures and campaigns to be based upon the fates of slaves and their masters.

At the time of this publication, Chains and Misery contains no interior artwork. Chains and Misery is available for sale as a PDF at RPGNow.com, or on an attractive CD at skaldbooks.com.

 

[Messageboard Golem]

Since the Scourge of the Slave Lords, fantasy role playing games have incorporated slavery as a game element. Furthermore, what player has not had a PC, who at one time or another considered the possibilty of owning slaves, human or otherwise? Chains and Misery, a supplement for Skald Books' Maidenheim setting, considers the impact of slavery in a setting where slavery is an acceptable practice.

This is a 94-page PDF document, retailing for $7.50. It is laid out in a black and white, two column format with a modest single-line border. Beyond the front plate, there is no interior artwork. Thus, for those of you who don't like reading off the computer screen, this supplement is printer-friendly.

Chains and Misery is broken down into eleven chapters. Each chapter deals with different aspects of slavery as it pertains to the Maidenheim setting. Unless you play in that setting, much of the material in chapters one (history of slavery), six (slavery guilds), seven (gods), and ten (masters and servants) as well as many of the examples in the supplement will be of little use to you. If you utilize Skald Book's setting, then you'll find those chapters extremely useful.

The remaining chapters provide a good system for dealing with slavery in a fantasy world where slavery is an accepted practice. Chapter two provides a look at how slaves come to be slaves, stats for average slaves and overseers; while chapter three looks at the various Players' Handbook classes' attitudes toward slavery. Chapter three also provides several specialized classes for slave PCs. These include the slave-assassin, the slave-guard and the slave-warrior. It also contains a slave lord PrC. Dispursed among chapters three. eight and nine are 15 new feats, 7 new spells, 13 new magic items and a bunch of mundane equipment associated with slavery.

Chapters four and five give an extensive look at how slavery might work in a fantasy role playing world. Chapter four provides rules for the acquisition, sale, and maintainance of slaves as well as chances for revolt. Chapter five considers the economies of slave ownership. It provides rules for plantations and mines operated using slave labor. The rules include a master trade table that looks at various slave produced goods and provides market prices and units of measure for those goods. It also discusses the prices of leasing various types of slaves having specialized skills.

This supplement is an valuable source for anyone looking to include slavery as a component in their campaign worlds. While you have to look through the setting specific material for general use, Chains and Misery really strikes the mark with its look at slave ownership and the economies thereof from a game mechanics point of view. It also provides interesting new classes, spells, and equipment. I would rate this supplement above-average.

Caveat: I was provided a free copy of this supplement by Skald Books to review. I do not gurrent play or GM in a game using Skald Books' Maindenheim setting.