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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wingsandsword" data-source="post: 2315666" data-attributes="member: 14159">The "Adventurer paradigm" may not work well in the modern world, but the idea of leaving home for a strange new land full of danger and opportunity, probably some violence, and the chance for great riches has a long history in humanity.In the 19th century, there was the Wild West out there for easterners to go and make a fortune in gold (or any one of various get-rich-quick schemes), thanks to dime novels it held the allure of danger, riches and opportunity that drove people there.  The gold rush in the Yukon was another time people were willing to throw it all away to go to a strange land and face great hardship to get riches.  The entire westward expansion of the United States from beyond the Appalachian mountains was driven by the adventurers of their time.  A few centuries ago, you could be a European commoner who saw the New World as a chance for a new life, land, wealth, relative freedom, and getting there and making your living there would be tough.  Military service is another form of "adventuring", to give up your normal life for danger, combat, possibly some wealth, fame, glory and see strange new lands you might never see otherwise.  It might be the Foriegn Legion, the Crusades, the Roman Legions, or the Marine Corps, but the concept has been the same for millennia.  Military or naval service is an excuse for "adventuring" in many campaigns.  In the modern culture, "adventuring" has less of a role because much more of our world is explored (and what isn't cannot be explored without expensive technology), and our culture is far more "risk adverse".  Everyday risks and dangers (unhealthy foods, carcinogens, crime and public safety) that would have been overlooked as insignificant or unavoidable in prior decades or centuries are now serious concerns.  "Adventuring" probably was never the most illustrious career in the world, but the D&D model of "I'm leaving home with just some basic stuff, some friends, and we're going to try to get rich and powerful beating up some orcs and zombies" works in a world with savage aggressive humanoids, restless undead, giant dungeons filled with treasure, and plenty of magic and unexplored regions.  A medieval culture combined with the apparently economics and conditions of a normal fantasy world make adventuring as common as its analog would be on Earth."Hey, let's join the Crusade, go across the known world to a place we've only heard about in legend, fight an entire army, and try and become heroes and save the most important city int he world!""Hey, let's give up our boring and abusive life in the factories of this crowded city to go out west and mine for gold, buy some land, risk indian attack and bandits, and become fabulously wealthy!""Hey, let's go with one of those colonies that are forming over in the new world, leaving behinid the strict social order of our homeland for a new land with boundless potential.  The natives are a little hostile and the trip itself is frought with peril, but think of what we could accomplish!""Hey, let's give up our boring life here on this dying farm, take up those old swords over the mantle, go into that old abandoned dwarven keep in the hills and see if we can bring back some treasure, and maybe go to the big city with it afterwards.  Sure there are probably monsters, but we're tough and strong, and we've got some sharp swords, and think of all the money in there!"</blockquote>

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