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The Lash
A netbook dedicated to the imprisoned and
enslaved and others of indentured servitude.
Slavery Defined
(based on a excerpt taken from Wikipedia.com, 2010.)
Slavery is best explained as when one person is the property of another
person. Slaves are not allowed many if any freedoms and can almost never
choose to do things for themselves or their wellbeing. All of this is forced upon
the ‘slave’ without any form of compensation.
Evidence of slavery predates written records, and has existed to varying
extents, forms and periods in almost all cultures and continents. In some
societies, slavery exists as a legal institution or socio-economic system, but it is
formally outlawed in just as many nations. Nevertheless, the practice continues
in various forms around the world.
Sages have attempted to model which circumstances slavery (and milder
variants such as serfdom) appear and disappear. One observation is that slavery
becomes more desirable for land owners when land is abundant but labour is
not, so paid workers can demand high wages. If labour is abundant but land is
scarce, then it becomes more costly for the land owners to have guards for the
slaves than to employ paid workers who can only demand low wages due to the
competition.
Another observation is slavery is more common when the labour done is
relatively simple and thus easy to supervise, such as large scale growing of a
single crop. It is much more difficult and costly to check that slaves are doing
their best and with good quality when they are doing complex tasks. Therefore,
slavery was seen as the most efficient method of production for large scale crops
like sugar and cotton, whose output was based on economies of scale. This
enabled a gang system of labor to be prominent on large plots where field hands
were monitored and worked with factory-like precision. Each work gang was
based on an internal division of labor that not only assigned every member of
the gang to a precise task but simultaneously made his or her performance
dependent on the actions of the others.
How to Become a Slave
Slavery depends on a system of social stratification. Slavery also requires
economic surpluses and a high population density to be viable. Due to these
factors, the practice of slavery would have only proliferated after the invention of
agriculture.
Such institutions were a mixture of debt-slavery, punishment for crime,
imprisonment due to religious views, the enslavement of prisoners of war, child
abandonment, and born into slavery.
Any of the ways above can lead the adventurer into life as a slave.
Although, the list provided is in no way complete.
To Revolt or Not?
This is a view usually exhibited in direct relation to the treatment of the
slaves who contemplating revolt.
Archetypes of the Indentured
Classes already produced with relation to the guidance in this publication
can be found in DnD Wikia. Those are listed, but not limited to; Slave Driver and
Farmer (serf).
This chapter reveals three new core classes to use when play is related to
indenture. All three can be used in any setting.
Slave
Slaves come from all walks of life. There are several ways for one to end up a
slave and the event can entirely change the life of a player character from
several weeks to a lifetime. Slaves can serve in several aspects of physical labor
and not all the labor accomplished by slaves is menial.
Abilities: A slave is taken for two purposes; to work and work long hours
through the day with minimum rest. Thus, Strength and Constitution are most
valued.
Races: All races can find themselves as slaves though races involved in war can
become prisoners of war and thereby, become slaves.
Alignment: All slaves are open to becoming enslaved.
Starting Gold: None
Starting Age: Slaves can be of age from adolescence to mature, however once
one becomes too old, they are considered un-useable.
A Slave who escapes or is provided his freedom is allowed to retain the traits he
has gained while ascending levels in the Slave class. Ex-slaves find that their
reputation among the lower classes has increased (+1 to CHA/Reputation), and
while they may be considered less than honorable, they are grudgingly
respected by the middle and some upper class folks. The ex-slave can return to
slavery at the level they departed, however, they gain another increase to their
reputation.
Races: Slave Herders tend to be found among evil and neutral races.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Slave Herder is proficient with all simple
weapons, bang stick, and whips; however they are not proficient with any armor
or shields.
Bang Stick: The Slave Herder uses a special control item to ensure his
enfluence over others when the tendency to become unruly is evident. This
ability can be used as many times per day as need be used. The Bang Stick is a
rod whose end is charged with two stones. Slave Herders learn how to craft on
at 5th level. The damage caused by the bang stick is non-lethal and after each
successful strike a -2 FORT save must be made to fight off paralysis.
Harness: The Slaver can impose his will on others and, if need be, gain or
regain limited mental control over a slave. This also allows the Herder to realize
weak points in the given slave after one round of observation be they physical,
biological, or physiological weak spots. This ability will progress to other classes
of slave as long as the Slave Herder progresses. When making a check against
the Slave Herder’s Harness ability a +5 syngery bonus is added to Intimdation
rolls versus the slave’s creature type.
Assistant: Henchmen associate with the Slave Herder who tend to be slaves or
former slaves in order to allow themselves a closer sense of freedom. The
Assistant need not be a slave. This individual is usually the same or similar race
as the Slave Herder, though not always, and can be of any class. The Assistant
and Slave are usually the same alignment.
Primp: A Slave Herder is a salesman, that being said the ability to make his
‘product’ look more-so is highly imprtant to gaining top coin during the purchase
action. This ability is much the same as the Disguise skill, however it works off
of the Slave Herder’s CHA versus the slave’s.
Alignment Challenge: The Slave Herder gains the ability to change others
around him to his line of thought. He can speak in such a manner where the
slave’s he is looking to sell want to be placed to work for the betterment of a
goal. This mental domination works very similar to a limited form of the Charm
spell, as if cast from a spellcaster of the same level, and lasts for 1d4 days after
the slave leaves the services of the Slave Herder and is ‘sold’ to another.
Ex-Slave Herder
A Slave Herder who decides to leave the profession or finds it hard to find
buyers, or decides not to pursue the slave trade any further finds his Assistant/s
also gone along with his selling locale. Trust becomes an issue in this
profession. The Slave Herder can return to this business a one leve lower than
when he left the business, again it’s a trust issue.
Harem Consort
The Harem Consort is an individual who can pleasure others and read the desires
of others. The Harem Consort can make a very skilled spy or assassin as they
often can gain access into very secure locations.
Class Features
Subtle Learning: The consort learns the ability to gain the knowledge of
several skills via hidden tactics and the availability of the target skill. Thus all
skills become open to the consort’s learning ability. The consort may spend skill
points gained through advancement on Class skills and Non-class skills. This
ability is cumulative and the added values are added to the accumulated skill
points.
Subtle Tutor: This ability allows the consort to tutor others in any skill they
have in their repertoire and bestows upon the consort the ability to Tutor the
numbered amount of consorts.
Alluring Dance: The Harem Consort can weave a dance where her features are
more pronounced than in an average performance. The ability provides a bonus
to the Performance skill. During the Alluring Dance, others within sight and
hearing of the dancer it takes a WIS roll to resist watching the performance. As
the Consort becomes more experienced the Alluring Dance gains bonuses.
Presence: The Harem Consort whom reaches this level draw attention to her or
him with their obvious physical and meta-physical charms. Those in a twenty
foot radius of the Harem Consort must make a WILL save to resist staring.
However, this affect does not hold anyone via magic, psionics, or other similar
powers. The failed WILL save only lasts for the round, but it is a distraction that
can buy some crucial time.
Suggestion: The talented Harem Consort gains the ability to murmur certain
phrases. These are simple phrases in accordance with what a prospective taret
may already be thinking, i.e. commands like kiss me, or look at that, or your
shoe is untied. A failed WILL save in this respect not only can cause a
distraction, it can cause others to do things that don’t warrant a charm spell, and
can be performed simply and without thought.
Calm Authority: This ability bestows the Consort the rank among their fellows
and masters as a person who has enough status to speak openly. It gives them
the ability to sway the local authority figure as if casting a charm spell cast by a
wizard of the same level.
Powerful Patron: The Consort gains a patron whom has some degree of
political, magical, or physical clout. The contact is cumulative per each level that
the aility is gained. Thus the Consort will gain an additional Powerful Patron.
This patron will is succceptable to all the Consort’s abilities at all times, and will
even go so far as to designate assets to the Consort’s welfare.
First Consort: At this level of experience the Harem Consort gains the position
of First Consort and often becomes a very dear addition to the court of the
Consort’s master. At this point the Harem Consort is possibly regarded as the
master’s spouse or affair. Thus speaking, she or he gains the masters ear, and
may even become a trusted advisor.
Ex-Slave Herder
A Slave Herder who decides to leave the profession or finds it hard to find
buyers, or decides not to pursue the slave trade any further finds his Assistant/s
also gone along with his selling locale. Trust becomes an issue in this
profession. The Slave Herder can return to this business a one leve lower than
when he left the business, again it’s a trust issue.
Subtle Learning
This section details the acquired ability to learn without appearing to learn
anything. Granted some skills can be learned through study and on-the-job
training, however here in lay optional rules allowing the slave to learn skills and
feats that may be outside their usual freedoms.
First off, in order to do thus rely on the amount of time the slave culture has had
to practice the art of subtle learning. Each of the skills listed below has a time
period associated to it. This reflects the span of time required to learn the skill
or feat well enough to be awarded the skills given ability. The Time
Requirements are represented by the designator ‘short, limited, and long’.
List of Subtle Skills
• Balance (short)
• Climb (short)
• Craft (limited)
• Escape Artist (long)
• Handle Animal (long)
• Heal (long)
• Hide (limited)
• Jump (short)
• Knowledge (long)
• Move Silently (short)
• Open Lock (limited)
• Perform (limited)
• Ride (long)
• Spellcraft (long)
• Swim (limited)
• Tumble (limited)
• Use Rope (long)
• Use Magic Device (long)
Time Designator Explanations
- Short –
This designator represents a period of time where only a few years of
enslavement have followed the culture’s or individual’s capture.
- Limited
This period marks the time spanning a few year and no longer than a
single generation of the given culture or individual.
- Long –
Finally, this designator is used for moments when a given culture’s
enslavement has spanned more than a single generation.
Feats
A special rule exists for feats. All feats possess the Long time
requirements to learn. This is because the acquirement of a feat takes a
bonafide training and learning process. Feats are not impossible to learn, they
can be taught by sympathetic masters, or former freemen, or any number of
routes. However, in general it takes a very long time for a slave or prisoner to
learn any feat.
Optional Rules
Determination
This rule allows the slave to roll any undesirable check or result a second
time once a day. It operates a lot like the Luck ability, however this is based
solely on the slaves determination and force of willpower to accomplish the set
task at hand. This focus is so intense that the slave will work to accomplish the
task even if it results in the slaves’ death. Mental commands and psionics
designed to change the slaves mind in reference to this focused task
automatically fail.
Resilience
The slaves’ amazing willpower at accomplishing desired tasks is
remarkable; however it’s their undying resilience that has afforded them as
valuable assets. This ability allows the slave to take a beating and keep on
going, performing the task to the best of his ability regardless of the damage
that he sustains.
In game mechanics, when the slave is brought to the bottom of his hit-
points, and said slave would be pronounced dead, the DM using this rule may
allow the slave to survive as if they had a small reserve of ten (10) HP. This will
allow the slave to suck-up damage from a physical or mental attack.
Also, the prisoners with this ability do not have to make a FORT save if
they suffer massive damage. The strength of their resolve will see them through
the pain.
Races of Slavery
Any race can be related to slavery and imprisonment. The short list below
is some of the best known practitioners of slavery. While this list is not even a
closely complete list it provides different methods where slavery is imposed.
Those known for imprisonment however are to numerous to mention here.
• Underdark Races
- Nearly all of the underdark races take part in the practice of
slavery. This is probably due to the fact that they have very large
civilizations and established power bases.
- The drow use slaves as common servants and retainers.
- The illithid use slaves as mental food and fodder for psionic testing.
- The svirfneblin use slaves on occasion for labor, however their
inherent greed forces the slave labor to remain working on
common knowledge areas of their civilizations.
• Neogi
- This spider-kin race is mainly known for slave running. They traffic
slaves for resale to other races or cultures.
• Human
- Humans have practice slavery since their time began. As all of
slavery the human’s had probably adopted slavery as a penalty for
capture in times of war.
Human use of slaves have run the gambit from gladiatorial
arenas to harems to common slave labor; even as a
sacrifice.
• Lower Planar Races
- Slaves among the Lower Planar denizens are mostly used for trade
or food or both; almost as readily accepted as common currency in
most Prime Material Planes.
• Vampire
- This is not a race per-se. Vampire is an acquired template however
they hold slaves for much the same reason that humans do
however, vampires like using slave ‘ghouls’ to do their bidding
among the more common races.
- ‘Ghouls’ are used by a vampire for the purpose of disguising their
master’s true identity.