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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 3614503" data-attributes="member: 2020">Read ThisOk guys, listen:  The From the Ashes Boxed Set, which detailed the destruction of Medegia, was 2nd Edition Canon.  So, we are going to use 2nd Edition Canon, and in 2nd Edition you gained experience *primarily* from killing.  You *could* gain experience in other ways in 2nd Edition, but killing opponents was the primary way.  Again, as per Canon, the people of Medegia were a primarily human people.  Although beaten down by the Holy Censor, and enduring harsh living conditions, these people - mostly serfs and peasants - most certainly did not see killing as fun and games.  The armed forces of Medegia also did not see killing as fun and games, in general.  The clergy and worshippers of Hextor were perhaps an exception.  However, the powerful army of demons, orcs, and marauding humans and others arrayed to destroy Medegia by an insane Ivid, *DID* view killing as fun and games.  They viewed killing as fun and games so much, that they fought each other for the right to despoil particular regions of Medegia, for the right to slaughter the people in those areas.  This force obliterated Medegia.  The mortality rate for Medegia's populace was greater than 95%.  All cities, towns, and villages were completely leveled or reduced to ruins.  Ok?  Get the picture?  Now, consider what happened to Medegia, in the light of 2nd edition game mechanics.  Killing, gains you experience.  Killing, gains you levels.  Killing, makes you more powerful, and thus able to better kill (or defend, as the peaceful people of Medegia found out the hard way, as they could not defend themselves, having no power to do so.)  The killer, advances in power.  The non-killer, does not advance, or does not advance nearly as rapidly.  In 2nd Edition game mechanical terms, the only way Medegia *could* have built a force strong enough to protect itself was *if* it had been a land of warmongers, people constantly trying to kill each other, people constantly at war with each other, until enough high level NPCs existed in Medegia to gather a credible defense of the realm against the outside invasion (assuming, obviously, that they would cooperate.)  Since Medegia was composed of humankind, and normal humankind at that, this was impossible.  Had they been worshippers of Lolth, had Lolth set them against each other, had they participated in the kind of society Lolth imposed on the drow, then they - like the drow - might have become militarily powerful (the drow constantly war with each other and everyone else, under Lolth's tutelage, which is why they are so strong, within the game mechanics.)  What, then, could have saved the people of Medegia?  You will answer:  outside aid.  But no outside aid was forthcoming within the Canon, so let's discard that.  You might answer:  they could flee.  But that proved futile in the Canon, so let's discard that.  You might answer:  they could stand and fight.  But they were overwhelmed militarily within the Canon.  Let's go back in time, to a time a hundred years in the past.  Let's give the people of Medegia a hundred years to prepare for the armaggedon that faced them in the Greyhawk Wars.  In this scenario, let's assume:  The people of Medegia *KNOW* that in one hundred years time, a colossal attack will be aimed at their country, and they alone must face it.  They do not know exactly what this attack will be like, or who will be attacking, only that there *will be* an attack.  No outside aid is forthcoming.  No flight is considered.  Hiding in fortified secret places is feasible only if a successful defense is also mounted, since the attackers are seeking out such hiding places.  No internal aid (such as Faerie living in Medegia) is forthcoming.  NO artifacts or relics will be discovered!  If Medegia wants those, they will have to become strong enough to make their own!  The people of Medegia must, on their own, figure out a way to become powerful, become capable of throwing back the attack.  Now, PCs and NPCs and Commoners and others In-Character are *not* aware of levels or experience points.  But if they kill on a regular basis, they *might* become aware that for some reason they are becoming rapidly more powerful (as character classes:  fighters, wizards, clerics, thieves, etc.) than those who are not busy killing things.  If they figure this out, they will see that being evil, is a path to power.  Because evil advocates killing, and killing - for some arcane reason not understood - leads to rapid power.  Will the people of Medegia, then, turn to evil, in order to obtain the strength they need to defend their country?  Or can the people of Medegia, while still neutral and even good aligned, find a way, within the game mechanics (even though they know nothing of the game mechanics) to obtain the strength necessary?  Which leads again to the question I posed:  Is there a way for a good (or in this case neutral) aligned people to learn to view killing as fun and games?  Because, within the game mechanics, that is the *only way* for the people of Medegia, to survive Ivid's assault!!  Edena_of_Neith</blockquote>

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