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How do YOU flesh out a chaotic society?
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<blockquote data-quote="J.Quondam" data-source="post: 8313483" data-attributes="member: 7030100"><p>No fleshing out here yet (sorry), just a brainstorm of possible broad starting points...</p><p></p><p>I'm ignoring what the word "chaotic" may or may not mean in D&D, and just thinking about it in terms unpredictability, instability, and/or lack of codification. I'm also focusing on how it's <em>perceived</em>, rather than the underlying reasons for the chaos. (That allows cases where there are strict laws, but the society still feels chaotic for whatever reason.) </p><p></p><p>Putting those sorts of things together in various ways, i'm imaging a few categories of ways a society might appear chaotic:</p><p>[SPOILER]</p><p><strong>No rules.</strong></p><p>violent, mob-rule-style anarchy</p><p>sparse, small peaceful anarchist communities</p><p></p><p><strong>Rules have been erased, or are meaningless.</strong></p><p>"survival of the fittest"</p><p>disaster areas, war zones</p><p></p><p><strong>Rules are little more than ruler whim.</strong></p><p>the capricious monarch</p><p>"jealous gods" trope</p><p></p><p><strong>Rules frequently change.</strong></p><p>the governing authority always in flux, such as by coup, election, etc</p><p>external condition imposes different rules at different times? (eg, weather-based governance? omen-based laws?)</p><p></p><p><strong>Rules are unreliably/unequally enforced.</strong></p><p>run by criminals or corrupt politicians</p><p>occupied lands?</p><p></p><p><strong>Rules are secret.</strong></p><p>no one knows what is/not legal (eg, secret police; frequent disappearances; paranoia is rampant)</p><p></p><p><strong>Rules are nonsensical or "weird"</strong></p><p>alien logic that cannot be understood (eg, "fairy logic") </p><p>"outsider looking in" trope </p><p></p><p><strong>Too many rules.</strong></p><p>the vast, unfeeling, pointless bureaucracy <em>(eg, "Sir, you need Form D2-1; this is Form AA." "You told me yesterday I needed Form AA." "Sir, this is today, not yesterday. Form D2-1, please.")</em></p><p>[/SPOILER]I suppose some of those might technically be considered D&D "Lawful"? But the end result of a lot of those would probably <em>feel</em> chaotic.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="J.Quondam, post: 8313483, member: 7030100"] No fleshing out here yet (sorry), just a brainstorm of possible broad starting points... I'm ignoring what the word "chaotic" may or may not mean in D&D, and just thinking about it in terms unpredictability, instability, and/or lack of codification. I'm also focusing on how it's [I]perceived[/I], rather than the underlying reasons for the chaos. (That allows cases where there are strict laws, but the society still feels chaotic for whatever reason.) Putting those sorts of things together in various ways, i'm imaging a few categories of ways a society might appear chaotic: [SPOILER] [B]No rules.[/B] violent, mob-rule-style anarchy sparse, small peaceful anarchist communities [B]Rules have been erased, or are meaningless.[/B] "survival of the fittest" disaster areas, war zones [B]Rules are little more than ruler whim.[/B] the capricious monarch "jealous gods" trope [B]Rules frequently change.[/B] the governing authority always in flux, such as by coup, election, etc external condition imposes different rules at different times? (eg, weather-based governance? omen-based laws?) [B]Rules are unreliably/unequally enforced.[/B] run by criminals or corrupt politicians occupied lands? [B]Rules are secret.[/B] no one knows what is/not legal (eg, secret police; frequent disappearances; paranoia is rampant) [B]Rules are nonsensical or "weird"[/B] alien logic that cannot be understood (eg, "fairy logic") "outsider looking in" trope [B]Too many rules.[/B] the vast, unfeeling, pointless bureaucracy [I](eg, "Sir, you need Form D2-1; this is Form AA." "You told me yesterday I needed Form AA." "Sir, this is today, not yesterday. Form D2-1, please.")[/I] [/SPOILER]I suppose some of those might technically be considered D&D "Lawful"? But the end result of a lot of those would probably [I]feel[/I] chaotic. [/QUOTE]
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