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Message: <blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 1253348" data-attributes="member: 812">Trickstergod, you seem to be misunderstanding two ideas that are central to my argument:1. D&D power is fundamentally different from social power. A king who gets other people to do stuff can have plenty of power in OUR world, because that's the only kind of power there is. But in D&D, where one person can literally go up against an army and come out on top, those rules aren't going to fly. A king who relies on others is sooner or later going to run afoul of someone who doesn't, and that someone is going to win.So it's kind of my whole point that kings CAN'T delegate stuff. You can't reliably recruit other powers -- because if I'm a real paranoid what I'm doing is LOOKING trustworthy while I manipulate the others into destroying each other.2. It doesn't matter if MOST people won't follow the paranoid route. All that's required for my argument is that ONE person does. That one person is capable of ruining everything. And probability alone suggests that sooner or later that person will arise in any environment.So to say that most people wouldn't want to become a lich is beside the point. I'm not FORGETTING the human element, I'm saying that for some people, it doesn't matter. And therein lies the danger. It's not the normal people that worry me -- it's the freaks.Here's another way to look at: Power relations (especially in a D&D context) can be viewed as multiple individual contests. One person's power gets pitted against another person's, and somebody comes out on top. ALL OTHER THINGS being equal, of two persons contending with D&D power, the MORE paranoid one will always win.If two fighters are scrapping, ALL OTHER THINGS (skill level, strength, etc) being equal, the more paranoid one will win, because he'll be able to take advantage of an opening the less paranoid one doesn't see. Being paranoid is all about seeing opportunities to eliminate threats -- and seeing EVERYTHING as a threat.So if two 20th level wizards go at it, the more paranoid one will always win, because she'll be trickier, sneakier, more well-prepared and nastier than the other.D&D power selects for paranoia. This is the fundamental difference between D&D power and "social" power -- in social power paranoia will only get you so far. But not in D&D power.Follow that logic and you end up with the MOST paranoid people acquiring the most power. Which strikes me as an unpleasant state of affairs.Again, I'm not arguing that this is the way it MUST be. Of course as DMs we can structure our world to operate under any rules we like. The question of the gods and their involvement in things, the idea of alignment, one's basic view of human nature -- all these things deeply influence what might happen.My ideas are just that -- ideas. I think they're interesting ones, and Barsoom is a pretty unique campaign as a result.</blockquote>

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