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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Castellan" data-source="post: 70917" data-attributes="member: 639">These are good points. It's probably reasonable to assume that this kind of thing is happening at least somewhere in any game world, especially if you have a mid- to high-magic campaign.Again, though, I think the cost involved (in this case, to the ruling spellcaster) is probably a bit high. I'm not sure I'd want to devote a significant portion of my daily spell slots to various (SKR) Enchantments. I'd also have to be pretty picky about my apprentices, and it'd be vital that they be both Lawful *and* loyal to me. Certainly narrows the field a bit.I'd guess that Wizards would probably be least interested in rulership. I consider them the most scholarly of the spell-using classes, devoting much of their time to spell research and arcane studies, rather than rule of a land.Priests would probably form some type of religion-based government if given the chance (at least the more Lawful ones would), but in a generic setting where polytheism is the norm, that kind of restriction would result in one nation battling the "heathens" for some kind of religious purity. The difference between a fantasy campaign where this happens and real-life history is that Christianity didn't have to deal with Wizards and Sorcerers who might not agree with certain restrictions.In a way, Sorcerers and Bards seem the most likely spellcasters to rule. Sorcerers could claim their "royal bloodline" is what provides them with spells, and gives them some divine right to the throne. Of course, you're likely to have trouble when some peasant's child turns up being a Sorcerer. You might end up seeing mass slaughter of anyone with magical ability not linked to the throne (similar in some ways to the Aes Sedai in Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" novels). And although Bards have the inherent leadership capabilities you'd like to see in a ruler, their wandering nature is probably not likely to lead many of them into a life of sedentary rulership.Regarding non-human races such as elves and dwarves, I agree with your point. You probably *are* likely to see some pretty impressive fortresses from them: something they've had centuries to improve upon and make truly impregnable. My guess, however, is that you'd still only find a handful of these places in a given world. Anything on the border with another nation (elves bordering dwarves or humans, for instance) is probably less likely to have ultra strong magic protecting it. This higher-level magic takes longer to cast and requires a more accomplished spellcaster. You probably don't want them on your "front lines" reinforcing something that might be attacked. And if you're at peace with a neighbor and they find out you're fortifying all your border forts with high-level magic, this tends to lead to serious political problems. It's a fantasy-world arms race (as mentioned above) that will most likely result either in "disarmament" (i.e. Dispel Magic) or war, which is likely to have a similar effect once all is said and done.Obviously, much of this is dependent on your game world. If you have lots of high-level Wizards, Sorcerers, and Priests, you've got less difficulty coming up with better protections. But I subscribe to the idea (presented in the 2nd Addition AD&D "High Level Campaigns" DM's Option book, and perhaps others as well) that for each level you go up, you have half as many characters of a given class than the level below. Thus, for every 100 1st-level Wizards, you've only got 50 at 2nd-level, and only 3 at level 6, with a measly one at level 7. So, out of every 196 spellcasters, you probably have only one who can cast 4th-level Wizard spells. And the number who can cast higher-level spells is even smaller. That's my real basis for my position.Again, as you suggest, it doesn't mean this can't happen, just that it's going to be extremely rare, and a truly spectacular place. A place of legends. It's also likely to become a major rallying-point if your world ever undergoes any kind of "world war." It's definitely the kind of place I'd want to visit as a friend, and not be charged with attacking and destroying!</blockquote>

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