From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Carrying weapons around (was Re: META:  Swords, etc)
Date: 11 Nov 92 03:25:14 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@unixd1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <40833@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike) writes:
>In article <9349@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>>not a few months hence, but generally within a matter of minutes. So
>>attacks on ordinary folk are very rare, and even collateral damage is either
>>rare or immediately compensated for by the combatants... or once more
>>the Justiciars show up.

>	What about innocent bystanders getting hurt?  I can think of
>after a combat injured several innocents (not by our spells, but
>still).

	If it wasn't by your spells, then you don't have to pay. Your
opponents (or what's left of them, or their bosses) will have to pay.

>	And what's the guarantee that the combatants will have the
>money to compensate for damages?  (Or are the poor ones not allowed
>in?  Heh)  From past experience, our parties have been more broke
>than not...

	Nope, but you're expected to then start doing some kind of
work to refund the damages. If the damages are things like "dead bystanders"
you could be in hock for a long time  to repay for either resurrection (very
rare) or weregild. That's assuming YOU are to blame. 

	Of course, the Justiciars frown on the use of area effect weaponry
inside the limits of the city unless the participants have either cleared
the area of bystanders or have resources to pay for ANYTHING they might
do. And believe me, NO ONE screws around with the Lords Justiciar. They're
chosen by a very painstaking process, voluntarily submit to spells to
keep them impartial and incorruptible, and they are ALWAYS some of the
very best at what they do...

>>	The world isn't that dangerous IN the cities... outside, however,
>>it can be pretty rough. There weren't many wars, or such things. It's just
>>a dangerous world.

>	What bothers me, though, is whether or not there's a
>guarantee stopping the danger from coming into the city!  You
>stated yourself that an unarmed adventurer in the city was asking to
>get him/herself into a ton of trouble (or at least dead).  That
>means that there's a daily threat to an adventurer's life -- even
>while within supposdly "safe" cities (walled or not, I guess).

	There are safe places IN the city -- most Inns carry all 
sorts of safeguards (and guards, too). A good inn probably has paid
the city for actual City Guard duty (Zarathanton is completely pay-
as-you-go -- taxes do not exist, so you don't get guard duty or military
protection unless you pay, but justice costs are tailored to the
person needing justice, so no one is ever denied justice). And remember
that "trouble" has to worry about the Justiciars (and the Sauran King
and the Council over tham) as well. Usually there are a number of 
assaults and duels, etc., but both sides are usually VERY careful to
keep innocents out of it. Even the Hannibal Lecters of the world will
consider their actions carefully if they know that retribution is 
virtually certain. (The few psychotics who cannot restrain themselves
at all generally end up either dead or captured and cured clerically or
psychically.)

>	"Trouble" can come in a variety of forms, including the old
>Enraged Dragon.  (Did Bilbo and co. have enough money to refund THAT
>city of its damages?  Hmn...guess they did, actually...)

	"Enraged Dragons" still would (at least in my world) much rather
NOT nuke a city and get the WHOLE COUNTRY out after them. Instead, they
wait for the little buggers to LEAVE the city, then attack. Of course,
the number of parties in my world who CHOOSE to fight REAL dragons
is awfully low. The number of survivors of such parties is even lower.
The same rationale goes for demons and so on. The cities do have defenses,
and the outlying towns generally have defense pacts paid for. If something
big stomps a town, well, it had better be REALLY big. The Sauran King
can call out awfully big guns if he really needs them... Imagine our
world, but imagine that you had a device that allowed you to trace a 
murderer or a terrorist almost instantly, 90%+ of the time. I think
terrorism and murder would be a lot scarcer...


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;