New @ this: Slavery(right Forum?)

[Wyldemage]

What I'm looking for is an idea if anyone has done anything as far as quantifying the worth of various species(i.e. goblins, kobolds, ogres, etc.)? If so, where can I find this? My campaign is going to contain a party member from Thay, and he wants to include a slave(in character) as part of his starting equipment, but I'm stumped on $$$. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks!!

 

[alsih2o]

welcome to the boards.

decide a base cost for a human and then extrapolate from that based on str, and maybe intelligence (there is more than one kind of slave)

 

[Kahuna Burger]

What I'm looking for is an idea if anyone has done anything as far as quantifying the worth of various species(i.e. goblins, kobolds, ogres, etc.)? If so, where can I find this? My campaign is going to contain a party member from Thay, and he wants to include a slave(in character) as part of his starting equipment, but I'm stumped on $$$. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks!!

Are we talking indentured servant, broken soul or magically compelled? How long he has him for, the willingness of service and the possibility of getting killed in his sleep would all figure in I would think...

Kahuna Burger

 

[frankthedm]

tricky subject since a fair amout game publishers are scarred nowadays to even tackle the issue. and even if P-cat and other mods lets this stay open it may get flamed.

I remember seeing a topic on this on the wotc bovd board last year

It can get very subjective since the factors that would govern it vary so greatly from a campain / region to another.

> if slavery has to be kept hush-hush this drives prices up

> if slavery is al least partialy accepted but slaves have rights by the state then their value may not be as high. but finding a slave that unaware of those rights may cost more

> a person who is properly raised as a servant may be just as good as a slave if they are not smart enough to understand thier true situation.

> what part would levels play into a slaves price? a higer level slave while likely able to do more work but on he other hand that extra capabillity may be more difficult to control. and are't levels an intagible thing?

 

[drnuncheon]

What I'm looking for is an idea if anyone has done anything as far as quantifying the worth of various species(i.e. goblins, kobolds, ogres, etc.)? If so, where can I find this? My campaign is going to contain a party member from Thay, and he wants to include a slave(in character) as part of his starting equipment, but I'm stumped on $$$. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks!!

I seem to recall that Green Ronin's Plot & Poison sourcebook had some sample prices for slaves. I'll check at home if I remember and indicate it.

I would expect that the price would depend on the class, level, and skills of the slave - a 1st level commoner would be much cheaper than a 1st level Expert. I'd probably base the price on how much the slave could earn in X years as a free person - X being adjusted for the campaign and situation.

J

 

[Wyldemage]

I appreciate your candidness. Based on the character description, I assume that all he is looking for is nothing more than a typical man-servant/Knobby Foot type to tote his bags, etc. that is fairly treated(open to interpretation, I know). As far as campaign, I'm waffling on whether to even allow it, however, as long as the player is willing to accept the ostracism of the other party members, as well as the reaction of the general NPC population(the campaign is geared good/neutral), I think maybe it would discourage the character from endorsing slavery, and perhaps eventually lead to freeing his "attendant".

But, again we come to the part of what is the relevant worth of a goblin pack mule? Is he worth as much as Destrier? I don't think so, but though the carrying capacity is greatly reduced, what about the capacity for rational thought? Is an Underdark goblin going to be aware of the laws against slavery in Cormyr? I doubt it. Is a cowardly goblin that hasn't been beaten, is well fed and clothed liable to run-off, or murder his master? Doubtful, especially if he realizes that this life is much better than the one he could expect amongst his own.

So, many questions.......why arent there any easy answers?

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I appreciate your candidness. Based on the character description, I assume that all he is looking for is nothing more than a typical man-servant/Knobby Foot type to tote his bags, etc. that is fairly treated(open to interpretation, I know). As far as campaign, I'm waffling on whether to even allow it, however, as long as the player is willing to accept the ostracism of the other party members, as well as the reaction of the general NPC population(the campaign is geared good/neutral), I think maybe it would discourage the character from endorsing slavery, and perhaps eventually lead to freeing his "attendant".

I'd go the indentured servant route. At some point, he was in the wilds helping a trader who dealt with a goblin tribe. He wandered into a situation where a goblin was going to be executed for a variety of petty crimes because he couldn't pay his fines (or maybe a hardcore punishment for some sort of fraud). The PC paid the fines in exchange for the goblin's services for five years (long enough to last most campaigns, but short enough to not seem harsh to most npcs) and taking him well out of the area where he now has a bad rep. Make the goblin a commoner with only those levels (or he should be paying a feat for a cohort), loyalty as a servant but no willingness to risk his life, and come up with a ballpark figure of what the PC had to pay in fines without worrying about bulding a huge economic model around it.

Kahuna Burger

 

[Wyldemage]

Thanks Kahuna!!!

I belive that is the best piece of DMing advise I've personally ever received.

I believe I'll charge him a feat, plus x amount of gold, for fines or back taxes per your suggestion. Thanks!!! You really got me out of a hole I wasn't wanting to dig to begin with.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Thanks Kahuna!!!

I belive that is the best piece of DMing advise I've personally ever received.

*kahuna baskes*

 

[DerianCypher]

Thanks Kahuna!!!

I belive that is the best piece of DMing advise I've personally ever received.

I

Gawd- Don't encourage him! Now he'll think he can get up on the furniture like people!

DC