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<blockquote data-quote="Spatula" data-source="post: 3896726" data-attributes="member: 2198">Cerebus: High Society is a good example of what should happen when your average D&amp;D character tries to get into high-level politics.&nbsp; Physical power and cleverness won't get you very far when you upend an active political system without a thorough plan to deal with all the various power groups that actually get things done.Someone already pointed out the difference between personal power and institutional power.&nbsp; It's an important distinction.&nbsp; Sure, you can lay waste to armies and beat anyone in a fight.&nbsp; But that won't save you if you piss off the wrong people.&nbsp; Say the High Pontiff of the One True Church witholds services for all of the faithful within your newly-acquired borders, unless and/or until you bow to his wishes (this happened at one point in Europe's history).&nbsp; The fact that you can easily kill the Pontiff doesn't help much in that situation.&nbsp; As you try to assert power and change the system, established interests (that you need on your side in order to run the place) will fight back if they feel their power is threatened.&nbsp; Not necssarily by trying to kill you (which can have unpredictable consequences, and in the case of a high-level D&amp;D character is virtually impossible anyway), but by undermining your rule whenever they feel they can get away wtih it.&nbsp; That's politics.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Spatula, post: 3896726, member: 2198"] Cerebus: High Society is a good example of what [i]should[/i] happen when your average D&D character tries to get into high-level politics. Physical power and cleverness won't get you very far when you upend an active political system without a thorough plan to deal with all the various power groups that actually get things done. Someone already pointed out the difference between personal power and institutional power. It's an important distinction. Sure, you can lay waste to armies and beat anyone in a fight. But that won't save you if you piss off the wrong people. Say the High Pontiff of the One True Church witholds services for all of the faithful within your newly-acquired borders, unless and/or until you bow to his wishes (this happened at one point in Europe's history). The fact that you can easily kill the Pontiff doesn't help much in that situation. As you try to assert power and change the system, established interests (that you [i]need[/i] on your side in order to run the place) will fight back if they feel their power is threatened. Not necssarily by trying to kill you (which can have unpredictable consequences, and in the case of a high-level D&D character is virtually impossible anyway), but by undermining your rule whenever they feel they can get away wtih it. That's politics. [/QUOTE]

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