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<blockquote data-quote="ferratus" data-source="post: 3886348" data-attributes="member: 55966">I don't know if I would play up all the McFarlane elements of 4e in my games.&nbsp; I understand where it is coming from with bronze age comics and 80's metal and all the other influences on the designers, but I understand where it is coming from.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'm not so sure that D&amp;D has no influence on people, particularly young people.&nbsp; I know plenty of people who have become rather unhinged because of their obsession with D&amp;D.&nbsp; I also know plenty of people&nbsp; who talk to spirits and believes in magical spells are real because of D&amp;D.&nbsp;&nbsp; So while I don't think it will lead to a rise of evil among gamers, I do believe it will lead to a rise in suburban shmuckism.Speaking of which, it wouldn't kill D&amp;D books to portray the middle ages more accurately as well.&nbsp;&nbsp; The worst offenses against history involve the portrayal of the western European medieval justice system, where they always show a brute holding a big axe or a torture chamber.&nbsp;&nbsp; In fact, except for the most serious offenses, people paid by means of fines.&nbsp; They also paid those fines on a sliding scale according to what they could pay (using their social class as a measure).&nbsp; The reason they did this was to pay for their courts, and because executed and maimed people don't work.&nbsp;&nbsp; Corporal punishment did exist, and torture rose among the lower classes as a result of reintroduction of the Justinian Law Code (in late Roman and Byzantine law torture was mandatory for the lower classes).It would be a great benefit to the game as well.&nbsp; If someone is caught breaking the law (as long as they didn't murder anyone) it would ensure that the game could go on.&nbsp;&nbsp; Instead of executing or maiming your thief PC, take away all his valuable magical items and equipment, then banish him from the city.&nbsp;&nbsp; Trust me, he'll be much more subtle and better behaved next time, and the campaign can continue.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="ferratus, post: 3886348, member: 55966"] I don't know if I would play up all the McFarlane elements of 4e in my games. I understand where it is coming from with bronze age comics and 80's metal and all the other influences on the designers, but I understand where it is coming from. I'm not so sure that D&D has no influence on people, particularly young people. I know plenty of people who have become rather unhinged because of their obsession with D&D. I also know plenty of people who talk to spirits and believes in magical spells are real because of D&D. So while I don't think it will lead to a rise of evil among gamers, I do believe it will lead to a rise in suburban shmuckism. Speaking of which, it wouldn't kill D&D books to portray the middle ages more accurately as well. The worst offenses against history involve the portrayal of the western European medieval justice system, where they always show a brute holding a big axe or a torture chamber. In fact, except for the most serious offenses, people paid by means of fines. They also paid those fines on a sliding scale according to what they could pay (using their social class as a measure). The reason they did this was to pay for their courts, and because executed and maimed people don't work. Corporal punishment did exist, and torture rose among the lower classes as a result of reintroduction of the Justinian Law Code (in late Roman and Byzantine law torture was mandatory for the lower classes). It would be a great benefit to the game as well. If someone is caught breaking the law (as long as they didn't murder anyone) it would ensure that the game could go on. Instead of executing or maiming your thief PC, take away all his valuable magical items and equipment, then banish him from the city. Trust me, he'll be much more subtle and better behaved next time, and the campaign can continue. [/QUOTE]

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