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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nagol" data-source="post: 6279901" data-attributes="member: 23935">Slaves are cheaper than magical constructs (much cheaper -- look at the cost of a single flesh golem!) -- mass production is typically beyond the capacity of presented magic. Similarly, negative reinforcement is cheaper than getting spells / magic items to enforce compliance.My last campaign had a variety of slavery/indentured servant types that ran the gamut.The typical nation had slavery, but everyone is born free.  Typically slaves are criminals or prisoners of war for whom ransom was not paid.  Though their treatment varied dramatically with the owner, the cultural norm is slaves can buy or win their freedom and expect sufficient food and care.  The evil empire had a typically dark and horrific version of slavery and serfdom.A shard of the empire that split in a civil war tempered many of the excesses of slavery.  Slaves could be freed at their master's whim, but there were fewer cultural expectations regarding freedom and care unlike the typical nation, above.A very Lawful and somewhat Good society rented convicts out as part of their penance to society.  Those whom took advantage of the labour had to care for and account for their charge's well-being with periodic checks to verify health and status being performed by the state.  The service was up when (i) the sentence completed, (ii) the renter returned the servant, (iii) the servant requested the return through the check ups, or (iv) the state detected negligence or mistreatment.  Since the punishment is mistreatment is the renter is forced into indentured servitude to pay for the harmed servant's injury, it was rarely a problem.  A servant who was problematic was returned to the state who added a charge to the servant's account for the trouble.The northern barbarians occasionally had criminals and prisoners of war work for their captors, but that is more for survival of the group than entrenched slavery.</blockquote>

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