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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arkhandus" data-source="post: 3923039" data-attributes="member: 13966">Odd, my games tend to have a lot more democracy, republics, and social mobility in general.  Not in all places, but still.  Heck, my first campaign as a DM was set in a homebrew, Azeria, in the Kingdom of Dargoth.  Which was really just a loose republic under the control of a king, whose ancestor was elected leader of the original settlers by democratic process.Eventually his position as leader was just cemented well enough, through his effectiveness and commanding presence (it didn't hurt that he was a Paladin, yet humbler than most), that the settlers crowned him King of the new land they had settled (he did a lot for them by that point, in settling disputes, keeping the other community leaders in-line, and warding off monsters).  The sorta-democratic, sorta-republican government the first King of Dargoth put in place ensured that folks would have fair say in their own communities and could, if they ever felt it necessary, demand that the King step down (if enough of them sought to do so).  Didn't hurt that the first King, in his wisdom, set forth laws that would limit some of the power the Kings would have in Dargoth.I don't restrict PC social status much in my games....  If folks wanted to start off playing kings or something, I'd have to tailor the game to fit that, but I don't generally object to PCs being knights, samurai, or other sorts of noble.  And I don't really get in the way if they try to reach higher status, though it hasn't come up yet in my games.  The PCs might have to move to a particular region or something if they want such status, since some nations might not allow the kind of advancement they seek, but that's only the case with a few nations.In my Rhunaria campaign, out of the 8-11 actual governments across the land (in addition to the numerous tribal societies around them), 2 are democracies, 4 are republics, and 3 or so are monarchies or empires of some sort.The dwarves have a Romanesque republic, the gnomes and halflings each have democracies, the elves are split between tribes and two republics, orcs and goblinoids and others are generally tribal, kobolds have a sort of loose republic, hobgoblins have a sort of empire, and humans are divided amongst tribes, one theocratic monarchy, one empire, and one loose kingdom.There are tons of independant towns and such, and the PCs have been through several of those independant places.  One such area is ruled by a Duke who's just a retired adventurer, popular in the region and successful enough previously to gather the support of the locals into forming a small Duchy, giving himself the title of Duke even though he wasn't a noble (just a peasant, who went off adventuring and forged his own little territory with the plunder and his own social talents).The PCs are fully aware that they can gather people into a new kingdom or whatnot if they really want to, once they're successful enough to get the kind of recognition and wealth to build their own keep or castle, like Duke Baram did a few decades earlier (as an NPC, but an example of what adventurers can do if they put their minds to it).  The party's even involved in an adventure now that may open up an area and its locals to their influence, to where they could lay claim to the place and build their own little kingdom right there if they felt like it.The PCs could even just become local heroes, maybe receive their own keep from a local lord as a gesture of gratitude (and a bribe for their continued efforts in protecting the region).  If the PCs stayed in the Majestic Kingdom, they could rise in status there to being merchant lords (though still not quite nobles, but close enough for most intents and purposes).  Under the right circumstances they could even be knighted, joining the landed nobles.  However, if the party tried to get similar rewards in the other human nations, they'd get nowhere; the Hirotashi Empire and Theocracy of Riza are both strict caste societies, with only minimal capacity for advancement between castes (and no such chance for foreigners).One of the PCs in my Rhunaria campaign was a deposed noble from the Majestic Kingdom, trying to acquire enough wealth and power to move against the treacherous fellow that had taken over his family's land.  That player had to quit though, for some unexplained real-life reason (I never really found out why).</blockquote>

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