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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 6119179" data-attributes="member: 22779">Because of genre conventions.D&D is often played in a Faux Medieval European setting (note, certainly not exclusively, but, certainly often enough).  That means that you would expect to see certain things and not others.  Seeing fields being tended by serfs would be pretty common enough in many D&D settings.  Having Kings and Queens and nobility and aristocracy ruling would be pretty common in many D&D settings.  These are all genre conventions and pretty much stock trappings.But, we don't have to go into the details of any of this.  We don't need peasant uprisings and whatnot to establish the setting.  The serfs don't have to try to co-opt the PC's into their rebellion in order to establish the setting.  All of the things above are setting elements, just like the desert.  It paints the backdrop.Seriously, you don't have any nobility or aristocracy in your D&D games?  IF you do, you have included medieval social oppression in your game.  Class structure and whatnot.  It's when you start drilling down that you fall into rabbit holes.  When you start extrapolating elements you spiral down further and further until you eat your own tail.  Wood is so rare that you cannot make spears?  Really?  How did you build this city in the first place?  How is anyone farming?  What are they using for tools?  They have almost no metal and no wood, so, how is this city actually surviving?  For that matter, why is there is a city in the desert?  After all, there are no reasons for cities to be somewhere where there is no wood or metal.  On and on and on.  When you start kicking the scenery, it's going to fall down.  But, because Pemerton and I are not simulationists at heart, we simply accept the scenery as is, and get to the stuff which does interest us - character and plot development.  We don't ask the questions that you are asking, because we don't care about that.  "Why are there so many crazy wizards" isn't an issue for us.  It just isn't a consideration in this style of play.Sorry [MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION] for putting words in your mouth.  I think you'll agree with what I said though.</blockquote>

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