Slaves/Peasents :)

[LegionError121]

So my character has become a slave to the party she's in by debt They basically saved her twice and now she feels compelled to return the favour but finds it difficult to as she's a Necromancer

The peeps I'm playing with are very nice and we're like "WTF" but they didn't say no


So how would you go about getting the most out of a Slave/Peasent character?

 

[MNblockhead]

Read John Norman's Gorean Chronicles and become a kajira.


...


No. No, don't do that.

 

[Igwilly]

Is slavery common in the game-world? Is the party "good-aligned"?
That may shape this case.
Also remember that, according to popular wisdow, slavery can be a quite problematic thing, easy to start fights.

 

[Morrus]

How does party members saving each others lives make them into each others' slaves? That's what adventuring parties do, constantly.

 

[3ArmSally]

Autocorrect correct

Is this like a "Life Debt" kind of thing? That can be fun especially if saving their lives is the only escape. A fun angle could be semi betrayal where you arrange to allow them to fall into peril so you can save them and free yourself.

 

[was]

...You could try treating it more as a patronage thing than a slavery thing. Basically your PC would view them as respected mentors.

...Try addressing them formally at all times, defer to their judgement and insist that they take a larger share of the loot. Always try to help them out, including doing mundane things for them and threaten anyone who you think doesn't properly respect them.

 

[ccs]

So my character has become a slave to the party she's in by debt They basically saved her twice and now she feels compelled to return the favour but finds it difficult to as she's a Necromancer

The peeps I'm playing with are very nice and we're like "WTF" but they didn't say no

Explain to them that the role of Chewbacca is now being played by ________.

So how would you go about getting the most out of a Slave/Peasent character?

I'd sell them.

 

[LegionError121]

If it helps. I can say this. My character wasn't a part of the current party to begin with. She was just a wondering Tiefling Wizard trying to achieve things on her own and then all of a sudden, she gets knacked and saved in what feels like 10 minutes to her. She then proceeds to try and escort the players to their destination, get's cocky cause she's doing a good job and then right towards the end, she's her arse kicked by something she's never seen before and feels something like guilt for thinking so little of them.

So it's kind of like a Life Debt but in a very literal sense. So far, she won't ask for things from them, does take a 'you before me' approach and insists on sitting aside from the party to save them costs e.g. Sleeping outside to avoid costing anyone the 5 silver that it would take to get her a room. (Did I mention she's currently broke?)

I guess I'll be adding being a "meet shield" and "servent" to the list of todo's as well.

 

[MNblockhead]

More serious reply. The wikipedia entry on "life debts" give lots of fictional examples that may be useful.

For something somewhat analagous that has real-life precedent, check out Wikipedia an other readily googled sources on "voluntary slavery." The oldest recorded laws, the code of Hammurabi covered voluntary slavery: "besides being able to borrow on personal security, an individual might sell himself or a family member into slavery." The Wikipedia article also mentions the practice in Russia and how it as one of the most direct ways to achieve Greek or Roman citizenship.

But these examples are not really on point to your situation. Most writing on self-sale and self-rental concern themselves with financial arrangements, forms of labor and sexual contracts and philosophical discourse on the legitimacy of modern employment contracts.

Problem is most examples of life debts are macguffins used in adventure writing. Usually a "primitive" person vowing to serve the Western savior. A slave the modern white man can feel good about. I don't know that it was common practice in any culture, though I suppose the literary device may be based on some example of this in real life.

 

[LegionError121]

Thanks That's some genuinely good stuff As for a more personal response though, do you feel there is anything Taboo that I shouldn't have my character enact?