Do Your Characters Engage in Slavery?

[Tiefling]

After repeatedly mentioning the option of enslaving the captured women and children of defeated human or humanoid tribes, I've come to realize that not many people seem familiar with the idea. I'm just trying to gauge how many people do this sort of thing, and how often.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

I'm sure my group would be considered "wussy" by others, but this would easily qualify as an evil act for us. We've banned evil characters and characters who would reject the idea of being in a group. This would violate our first rule and argueably the second (as it would almost certainly create a rift).

 

[LostWorldsMike]

I don't go in for playing evil characters, and - along with BiggusGeekus - I think of slavery as evil. Ergo, not gonna happen with one of my characters.

Although, one of my characters was sold INTO slavery once. By the other PCs. Royally ticked me off.

 

[Tiberius]

My last character was a Thayan wizard. He was no stranger to slaving, and considered luring the other characters into his enclave so he could sell them a couple of times when they were irritating. Fortunately, it never came to that. In retrospect, I suppose that character should have been named Black Mage, though I was not at the time familiar with 8-Bit Theatre.

If it makes sense for the character, then I will entertain the notion of buying or selling slaves. After all, PCs are not bound by the same moral standards our societies impose upon us today. They may well hail from or be visiting a land where slavery and indentured servitude is commonplace and accepted.

-Tiberius

 

[The_Gneech]

I have been considering something of a more "ancient" style world rather than the standard "quasi-renaissance" style, and in that context, keeping slaves might be an issue that players would have to deal with one way or the other.

I suspect the general player reaction would be one of "Slavers! GET 'EM!" -- which is certainly my own reaction. It might be fun to be a band of Robin Hood-esque outlaws who go around liberating slaves, in violation of the laws of the land...

-The Gneech

 

[Tiefling]

Yes, it would definitely create problems for generally good parties who think of slavery as evil under any circumstances. It works for me because many of the cultures in my world condone slavery in general, or at least think of humanoids (and sometimes humans of other cultures) as possessing fewer rights than themselves and therefore fit for thralldom.

 

[Fenes 2]

In one of my campaigns, set in a modified Mulhorand/Unther, the party, led by a priestess of Mulhorand, engages in slavery frequently. They sometimes don't kill or execute opponents, but enslave them. The priestess also buys slaves for her temple. I don't see the campaign as evil, rather as amoral.

In any case, I don't count slavery as evil per se in my games - at least not as more evil than absolute monarchy, feudalism with serfs, and corporal punishment (death penalty, mutilation, branding etc.) for minor crimes.

I have to add that modern values are not common in my campaigns anyway. My knights and noble NPCs are not egalitarian, they defend their "divine right" to rule over commoners with the sword if needed.

 

[diaglo]

pretty much evil act. and like some other campaigns...no evil characters allowed.

so no slaves for or enslavement by the PCs.

tho, the PCs have been slaves.

 

[Olive]

definitely an evil act, but i allow evil characters. they haven't but they could i guess...

 

[thalmin]

My characters STARTED as slaves.