Gareth Martin:
>The problem with the argument "you can always leave if you don't like
>it" is that it appeals to an ideal situation which does not exist.
>Especially in low-tech societies, which run pretty close to subsitance,
>survival is about tools: for making fire, for making houses, for making
>war. Authority is functionally exercised by restrictions on access to
>these tools, such as the restrictions placed on who can own and carry
>weapons - usually class-based. To say "you can always leave" is merely
>to place the burden of freedom an those who are un-free: you imply that
>they voluntarily collude with their own repression, when in actual fact
>their freedoms are so limited that striking out on their own is not a
>practical proposition.
Such issues are eloquently explored in Mike Dawson's excellent MGF-style scenario, "Embarassment of Riches", wherein oppressed Jonatelan peasants discover a huge treasure trove. This does offer them the chance of striking out on their own, but they must weigh up the risks and consequences of doing so in a land where a serf caught possessing gold is punishable by amputation. You might have heard of greener pastures elsewhere, but how do you find them when,
I have enjoyed running this scenario at various cons, and think it would make an excellent low level HW adventure.
Cheers,
MOB
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