Good Slaves?

[TarionzCousin]

What races would make good slaves in D&D and why?

Suggested criteria, but please chime in:
1. High constitution
2. High strength
3. Not too Intelligent
4. Docile – I don’t know if any race qualifies as this, per se
5. Lawful alignment – are they more likely to not try to escape?
6. Small humanoids would be good slaves for some things, notably mining
7. Large humanoids would be good for heavy lifting

Some races that might make good slaves:
Orcs
Half-Orcs
Dwarves
Kobolds
Ogres
Goblins
Hobgoblins
Other Underdark humanoids: Pesh, Duergar, Derro

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Truth!

Warforged.

-Samir

 

[Kafkonia]

Any humanoid with the Thrall Bred feat (Lords of Madness.)

Intelligence isn't an issue, so long as they have low Will -- so a low Wis or some sort of trait that makes them fail will saves. Indeed, it might be better to have high Intelligence slaves as they'll be more useful.

 

[Drowbane]

What races would make good slaves in D&D and why?

Suggested criteria, but please chime in:
1. High constitution
2. High strength
3. Not too Intelligent
4. Docile – I don’t know if any race qualifies as this, per se
5. Lawful alignment – are they more likely to not try to escape?
6. Small humanoids would be good slaves for some things, notably mining
7. Large humanoids would be good for heavy lifting

Some races that might make good slaves:
Orcs
Half-Orcs
Dwarves
Kobolds
Ogres
Goblins
Hobgoblins
Other Underdark humanoids: Pesh, Duergar, Derro

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

Maugs

Be afraid of the BBEG who can afford to use Maugs as slavelabor!

 

[Shane_Leahy]

Zombies of any race?

 

[mhensley]

Zombies of any race?

Undead FTW. I think skeletons would be better just due to how bad zombies must smell.

 

[Immak Antunel]

Hobgoblins are lawful and have good Con, and are probably fairly used to being ordered around (by bugbears, Tiamat worshipers, Xykon, etc.) However, I suspect they would eventually get unruly if they were denied combat for too long.

Orcs are impressively strong, and their penalty to Wisdom (and thus Will saves) would be handy. However, they are bloodthirsty and lazy, so they would need constant supervision.

Derro would be just about the worst slaves ever. They are small, unpredictable, and megalomaniacal, and possess special abilities which would make them hard to control. Even worse, they seem to have a very strong culture of madness, and are prone enough to sorcery that one might just spontaneously develop the power to start magic-missiling the guards.

Skum are great, but unless you are the aboleth that created them, their ultimate loyalties are going to lie elsewhere.

Kobolds may be small and weak, but they are industrious and easily cowed.

 

[frankthedm]

It would take patience, but Dwarves raised from childhood to be slaves would be the best for any labor purpose. Otherwise they would be too stubborn to be efficent slaves. It is no Axe-ident many dwarven weapons are also tools.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Gnomes would be great slaves, once you broke their will. They are not as strong or hardy as dwarves, but darned if they aren't industrious little buggers. Human make great slaves as long as beat them into submission to crush their spirit every so often. Kobolds and goblins would be easy to cow after a show of force and are pretty handy to.

 

[Cyronax]

....tongue in cheek friends....

Good slaves? Realistically? .. how about breeding a group of people (mainly men with superb technical skills and a knack for understanding history and other esoteric subjects) that will spend copious amounts of money each month on rulebooks of diminishing quality and/or power-creeping feats/skill tricks/what-have-ye?

Another good slave would be someone who takes the time to weigh individual boxes of 'War of the Dragon Queen' in the vain hopes of getting his (less likely her) dreamed of Huge mini.

And let's not forget the upcoming master: 4th edition.


C.I.D.