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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hammerhead" data-source="post: 712305" data-attributes="member: 73">Ignore feudalism. Pretend it never developed. Instead, think what system D&D WOULD develop, not how to defend a specific system.Well, one also must remember that according to D&D framework, a normal army is ineffective for fighting a war. Policing the peasantry-yes, but a group of experienced adventurers will be more effective and cheaper than an army of soldiers.A group of 12th level adventurers will massacre an army. With Improved Invisible, Protection from Arrows, etc. spells, combined with summoning, Fireballs, Cloudkill, Great Cleave, Whirlwind Attack and other devastating attacks, and with rapid transport like Teleport, an adventuring party will be able to kill quickly. First, inside a Hallowed-D-Anchored sanctuary, they Scry this approaching army. Buff spells are cast, and then the adventurers teleport into position. While this hapless army marches along, suddenly men start dying from invisible attackers, getting cut down and murdered by unknown, undetectable assailants. Then, murderous fumes butcher a company, and lightning blows apart huge groups of guys. Again, nothing these poor grunts can do to fight back, really. Finally, things get mobilized, somehow the adventurers are detected, and then...hey! They just teleported out, and they're going to do the exact same thing tomorrow. They can teleport inside cities, perform acts of sabotage, assassination, etc. With little to no possibility of being stopped. Even if stopped, a Raise Dead will restore these adventurers to near full fighting effectiveness.As for the cost of these adventurers, how much does an army cost to clothe, feed, supply, and pay? Alot. How much does four people cost, especially when you can give them land or other honorifics like medals or noble titles that don't cost you the king anything?Further, adventuring, or wandering around killing monsters, is really the only way to effectively level. Sure, you can get experience for repelling enemy armies or negotiating treaties or whatever as an aristocrat, but compare that with an adventurer's daily struggle with the most fiercesome creatures in existence? Turnover's high, but not compared to fighting in a war. That noble's not gonna come anywhere close to the XP or magic gained by adventuring.Also, be reminded that little to no equipment is required to begin one's career as an adventurer, just motive, some amount of training, and a nearby ruin to kill stuff in. And by adventuring, anyone, noble or peasant, can amass great wealth and great power, power to change the world.And adventurers, even ones employed by rival kingdoms, might decide that they have enough being mere weapons, and instead fight against and annihilate both warring kingdoms, setting themselves up as rulers.I'm sure you can whine "But that's not the way things work in my world. There is no dungeon where people fight monsters, and nobles are able to get high levels through their training." And that's valid, but it's ultimately not supported by a D&D rules framework.</blockquote>

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