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<blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 331363" data-attributes="member: 812">*shrug*My suggestion is that groups like that would never form in the first place. The power of magic rewards selfish action because your power is not increased by working with others. People who are willing to share power will inevitably be consumed by those who are not. World history certainly suggests that such is the nature of human, er, nature.Exactly my point. In OUR world, power is social. Without society, you have no more power than the reach of your arm. This acts as a limiting effect on the nature of power that can be wielded. You have to have support from SOMEONE in order to have any power at all. You can't afford to alienate or frighten everyone around you.Magic throws that right out the window. The worst sort of monster in the world can become a 20th-level wizard, as long as he overcomes enough challenges and gains the needed amount of experience. He doesn't need ANYONE else. His power&nbsp; isn't social, and because of that it's not subject to the checks and balances that power always has in our world.Exactly. And unlike a political/social leader, they're not likely to be concerned over what happens to you or anyone near you as a result of that smack. There's no reason for them to try and preserve anyone -- in fact there's good reason for them to try and destroy anyone who looks like a threat.What's scarier: someone who wants to rule everyone&nbsp; else in the world, or someone who doesn't care one iota whether or not there IS anyone else in the world? The idea of human beings manipulating the kind of power that D&amp;D provides frankly terrifies me.Now, I'll admit, that's a pretty bleak view of human nature. Sue me. It also makes for a really stressful and exciting campaign.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="barsoomcore, post: 331363, member: 812"] *shrug* My suggestion is that groups like that would never form in the first place. The power of magic rewards selfish action because your power is not increased by working with others. People who are willing to share power will inevitably be consumed by those who are not. World history certainly suggests that such is the nature of human, er, nature. Exactly my point. In OUR world, power is social. Without society, you have no more power than the reach of your arm. This acts as a limiting effect on the nature of power that can be wielded. You have to have support from SOMEONE in order to have any power at all. You can't afford to alienate or frighten everyone around you. Magic throws that right out the window. The worst sort of monster in the world can become a 20th-level wizard, as long as he overcomes enough challenges and gains the needed amount of experience. He doesn't need ANYONE else. His power isn't social, and because of that it's not subject to the checks and balances that power always has in our world. Exactly. And unlike a political/social leader, they're not likely to be concerned over what happens to you or anyone near you as a result of that smack. There's no reason for them to try and preserve anyone -- in fact there's good reason for them to try and destroy anyone who looks like a threat. What's scarier: someone who wants to rule everyone else in the world, or someone who doesn't care one iota whether or not there IS anyone else in the world? The idea of human beings manipulating the kind of power that D&D provides frankly terrifies me. Now, I'll admit, that's a pretty bleak view of human nature. Sue me. It also makes for a really stressful and exciting campaign. [/QUOTE]

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