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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Gender
    Male

    Default Think like a commoner

    Imagine your a commener. You just heard a group of basic D&D adventurers are approaching your town, what are your thoughts on this? How do you plan for their arrival? Are you happy or afraid?

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    GreenSorcererElf

    Join Date
    Aug 2016

    Default Re: Think like a commoner

    Depends on their reputation and what kind of person I am. If they're known for causing trouble in other towns and villages, I make a generous donation to the temple for some magical healing insurance and lock and bar the windows. I might also gang up with my fellow commoners and demand the mayor/town guard/other turn them away at the gate. If they are heroes by what I've heard, I look through my diary and underline any 'quest hooks' I find (lost sheep, rat infestation, and the like). If I sell goods I will stock up on equipment they might need, and when they arrive I will be sure to offer my services to them. If their names are sung by bards from all over, I might even plan a festival in their honour with my fellow commoners, with jesters, and games, and much drunkenness.
    If I am genre-savvy I will visit my cousins in the next town over, no matter their reputation. If I have never heard of these adventurers, I base my opinions on any other adventurers I have heard of, possibly including the innkeeper. If I'm xenophobic I will automatically mistrust them and default to ignoring them if I can't keep them out of town. If I'm naïve I may engage in hero worship or badgering them for stories of their travels. If there are powerful people already in my area who might be disgruntled by wandering adventurers, I will stay out of their way (all of them). If my local authority figures like the adventurers, will extend my feelings toward said authority figures to said adventurers.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Troll in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jul 2015

    Default Re: Think like a commoner

    How have you managed to hear that a group of adventurers are approaching your village? Unless the adventurers are deliberately taking their sweet time, or your village is somehow connected to a fast post horse system that chooses to disseminate information among the masses (unlikely), the average commoner's awareness of the arrival of adventurers is almost certainly going to be when they ride by. If the adventurers are of any decent level their overland travel rate rises very rapidly through the use of phantom steed, flying mounts, and various more powerful spells until it asymptotically approaches infinity once teleport comes on line. So advance notice is likely to be very, very limited - especially if the adventurers have a bad reputation and take any steps at all to avoid notice.

    Given the power disparity between adventurers and commoners in D&D the likely reaction is either adulation - if you're absolutely certain that they're on your side and don't mean you any harm - or near-terror, if you lack confidence in their attentions. The similar real-world situation is what you'd do if someone chose to drive an unlicensed, privately-owned tank with live rounds loaded down the main street of your town.
    Now publishing a webnovel travelogue.

    Resvier: a P6 homebrew setting

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    SolithKnightGuy

    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Think like a commoner

    If I saw them coming across the field I'm presumably working in, I'd alert the village that 4-6 armed strangers are approaching. Even if it was a regular occurrence. In fact, especially if it was a regular occurrence. Having regular groups of armed strangers approaching your village (soaked in goblin blood and carrying three times the value of my country in gold coins) brings into question the concept of 'monopoly on violence'.
    If the strangers weren't average D+D murder-hobos, took the precaution of concealing their weapons and appeared non threatening, they might get grudging hospitality, but still distrust. Depending on the frequency of travellers passing through, they might get indifference. The more impressive they appear (shining Armour, magical powers, power tattoo faces) the more likely I'd avoid them altogether (because they're clearly trouble).
    This is assuming the adventurers have no reputation. I might react differently if I've heard of them.
    I admit full culpability for Phyrnglsnyx

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    HalflingPirate

    Join Date
    Oct 2014

    biggrin Re: Think like a commoner

    Quote Originally Posted by NecroDancer View Post
    How do you plan for their arrival?
    Is it not obvious?

    giantitp.com/comics/oots0122.html

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Bohandas's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2016

    Default Re: Think like a commoner

    I think the song Big Iron gets it about right

    Quote Originally Posted by HlynkaCG View Post
    Is it not obvious?

    giantitp.com/comics/oots0122.html
    Yes, price gouging is another thing that crossed my mind
    "If you want to understand biology don't think about vibrant throbbing gels and oozes, think about information technology" -Richard Dawkins

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  7. - Top - End - #7
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    BlueKnightGuy

    Join Date
    Sep 2016

    Default Re: Think like a commoner

    Really depends on their reputation, as a group and as individuals.

    Lets say a dwarven Fighter, an halfling Rogue, a human Cleric and an elven Wizard return from slaying a dragon. They're heading to the lord to claim its bounty (you did specify "basic") They're celebrities. I might go out of my way to get close to them, to speak to them, to hear a bit of their story, so their fame might rub off on me, and so I can win a pub over.

    But lets say the Fighter is famous for generosity. She's been known to fling spoils into alleys, and the bards joke she keeps pockets with holes that trail silvers as she walks.

    Let's say the Rogue is infamous. He's a convict adventuring on parole. His bit of the bounty is going to pay his bail, and any day now he might be turned loose, "reformed".

    Let's say the Cleric has a reputation for overdrinking, gabbling, generally making a mess of himself now that he's left the cloister and seen worldly pleasures.

    Let's say the Wizard's trade is quite expensive, demanding components and wares for study. The Wizard intends to settle in town for a bit, to shop and study around, before she goes.

    These things will change how people react. People might chase the Fighter for change and favours. People might protest the Rogue's release. The church might urge the Cleric out of town, lest he disgrace them, and the bars might beg him to stay, just a night, just one toast on the house. Ever arcane shop in town will send a runner for the Wizard, and every hedge witch for a day's walk will come to beg a lesson from her.

    Tailoring your commoners' reactions to the situation is what will keep things interesting.
    Last edited by GalacticAxekick; 2016-10-17 at 11:01 PM.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    DwarfClericGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2016

    Default Re: Think like a commoner

    Some answers to my scenario:
    The Party is well-known enough for those who travel occasionally to have heard of them. They were overheard in a nearby town indicating that our village was on their path to their final location, but they were to spend a day or two in the place it was overheard first. The party has no outstanding reputation for being rapacious or particularly malevolent, and while not much has been heard, what has been heard has been positive. The region in which I live is fairly quiet the majority of the time, with little issues with anything outside of the occasional highwayman or monstrous humanoid wandering around. (Orcs in the hills, but direct conflict is so rare as to be unheard of).

    My reaction would apprehension and a bit of excitement. The world just doesn't offer much a commoner like myself, especially nothing truly miraculous or adventure filled. I take care not to spend my meager wealth on anything too extraneous so that I might be able to go into the Inn and buy a few drinks should they stay over and not just pass through. In the Inn, I'll stay back but close enough to hear them talk should they tell tales of their adventures, and dream of a life outside of toiling in the fields and another season of farming.

    When they depart, I'll tell tales of having 'met' them, likely embellished a little, to my children and grandchildren and to the occasional traveller, if I think it will score me a free drink or two one night at the Inn.

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