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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Galfridus" data-source="post: 73526" data-attributes="member: 119">The differences between medieval feudalism and the type of society that might exist in D&D is the issue. If the DM decides that there's a social hierarchy, then it's there, like it or not. ChrisM makes an excellent point, however:Far greater than this, however, is the fact that some players just don't want to participate in this kind of system. A lot of people role-play to fantasize, to play a larger-than-life action hero who doesn't have to report to his boss, follow the speed limit, or fill out tax returns. If you have too many players who are like this, it's hard for a DM to run this sort of society.Moreover, a lot of DMs have the tendency to create a double standard: PCs are expected to follow these rules, but NPCs, as often as not, will not. Suddenly, the players feel like they are being made to jump through hoops at the DM's whim, not because it's part of the culture. Lastly, there's player-player issues: some players might create a "lord" just so the other players have to pay him homage, which is a very unpleasant form of metagaming. For those of us who enjoy roleplaying this type of societal relationship, it's annoying when others don't play along. Ultimately, it is up to the DM to communicate how the world will work (and to enforce it!) -- and to ensure that the players buy in to that style of play.</blockquote>