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<blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 330897" data-attributes="member: 812">Well, no, not really. There may be SOME, but like I say, I see very few settings that offer any.Sure, IF his arch enemy is watching he'll be pretty careful. Paranoia, as you noted, is a necessary component to survival in the high-level game. Which makes it difficult for GOOD characters to survive to be high level.Of course, a campaign where there actually are GOOD gods running about is easier to justify since even a 20th-level wizard will think twice before attracting the wrath of any god. So your basic D&amp;D world perhaps doesn't have this problem -- the good gods take care of things for everyone by enforcing a moral code.The problem for me is where do high-powered GOOD beings come from? Of course, you can just say, &quot;Oh, la la, the gods come into being for no reason and some of them are good, la la.&quot; *yawn*I'm much more interested in the question of what would happen to human society in a world much like ours (where basic cosmological questions don't have answers) where people gained access to the kind of power that D&amp;D wizards have? I believe it would shatter human society and lead to no end of suffering and horror as the rules of engagement basically led to only the worst of the bunch getting ahead. Since they would have no restrictions on their behaviour (unlike politicians or other leaders in our world, who are constrained by public opinion and the social construct that supports them), there would be no reward for being &quot;good&quot; -- people who work by rules of honour or dignity or respect would get trampled by those with less scruples.In the end, only the least honourable or moral or compassionate would survive.Which makes for LOTS of adventuring fun.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="barsoomcore, post: 330897, member: 812"] Well, no, not really. There may be SOME, but like I say, I see very few settings that offer any. Sure, IF his arch enemy is watching he'll be pretty careful. Paranoia, as you noted, is a necessary component to survival in the high-level game. Which makes it difficult for GOOD characters to survive to be high level. Of course, a campaign where there actually are GOOD gods running about is easier to justify since even a 20th-level wizard will think twice before attracting the wrath of any god. So your basic D&D world perhaps doesn't have this problem -- the good gods take care of things for everyone by enforcing a moral code. The problem for me is where do high-powered GOOD beings come from? Of course, you can just say, "Oh, la la, the gods come into being for no reason and some of them are good, la la." *yawn* I'm much more interested in the question of what would happen to human society in a world much like ours (where basic cosmological questions don't have answers) where people gained access to the kind of power that D&D wizards have? I believe it would shatter human society and lead to no end of suffering and horror as the rules of engagement basically led to only the worst of the bunch getting ahead. Since they would have no restrictions on their behaviour (unlike politicians or other leaders in our world, who are constrained by public opinion and the social construct that supports them), there would be no reward for being "good" -- people who work by rules of honour or dignity or respect would get trampled by those with less scruples. In the end, only the least honourable or moral or compassionate would survive. Which makes for LOTS of adventuring fun. [/QUOTE]

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