Hi guys,
my group recently finished Iron Gods and I'm preparing Hell's Rebels right now (this is my first thread about Hell's Rebels, but I'm sure many others will follow).
We wanted to start next week with the AP and the first character ideas have been coming in. Two of them want to play halflings, another an half-elf and another wants to be a dwarf. I have no problem with these choices, but I can't find much information about the status of the different races (besides the prejudices against tieflings and strix) in Cheliax (or just point to me where to look, I have most of the resources for Cheliax).
Kintargo is supposed to be more cosmopolitan and open so the dwarf and the half-elf should have no problems, but my 2 Halfling players asked me if they have to be by default slaves or ex-slaves, as they found a line on the wiki that says most halflings are slaves. I looked it up in the Inner Sea World Guide and I only found a throw-away line about it.
I'd like to know more about why all or most halflings are enslaved to so my players can come up with a solid background story and so that I can react properly to them in the Cheliaxian environment. Are all Halflings born into slavery? Are halflings considered lesser beings, so that anyone can enslave them? Can they get out if they fullfill some terms of a contract? Are most of the criminals so that they become temporary slaves? Do they have to survive (or kill) their master to become free (like one of the NPCs)? How would Chelian people react to a masterless Halfling?
Hopefully someone can enlighten me. Thanks!
Thanks!
Not all Halflings in Cheliax are slaves, it just so happens, they're easy to enslave, so they're more likely to be enslaved.
Halflings of Golarion is a wonderful source book for Chelaxian Adventure Paths.
Unrelated, we seem to be following the same paths, running Iron Gods now, with Hell's Rebels in as the second campaign.
Creative Director
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In Kintargo, halflings are generally not slaves, and slavery, while technically legal, is not practiced by many of Kintargo's citizens. Halflings are free to wander the streets and be citizens in Kintargo, and in fact there are a few key halfling NPCs in the adventure who do just this.
That sounds much more mundane than I expected... Well I guess that makes it less problematic to run with a diverse group. Still I might make up a reason why Halflings tend to be enslaved in most of Cheliax, because their weakness just sounds to boring... (on a side note: Wouldn't you rather want strong slaves instead?)
That sounds much more mundane than I expected... Well I guess that makes it less problematic to run with a diverse group. Still I might make up a reason why Halflings tend to be enslaved in most of Cheliax, because their weakness just sounds to boring... (on a side note: Wouldn't you rather want strong slaves instead?)
Halflings are strong for their size and upkeep requirements. Even though they are individually weaker, you can get as much work at less expense out of a group of halfling slaves than from a smaller group of human slaves collectively capable of performing the same amount of work.
on a side note: Wouldn't you rather want strong slaves instead?It depends on why you're enslaving them... I get the impression that heavy-duty manual labor isn't the point of halfling slaves. They presumably make fine servants for most household tasks.
Indeed, but I imagined most slaves in Ravounel being on Deepmar (slaves or prisoners?). Yeah, but I've read to much Cheliax stuff lately, so that's why I might confusing some stuff...
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Indeed, but I imagined most slaves in Ravounel being on Deepmar (slaves or prisoners?). Yeah, but I've read to much Cheliax stuff lately, so that's why I might confusing some stuff...
Deepmar is strictly a penal colony. Nobody actually lives there.
As for a situation where halflings make good slaves, look to the sea. You can house the same crew compliment in a smaller space, leaving more room for cargo.
As for a situation where halflings make good slaves, look to the sea. You can house the same crew compliment in a smaller space, leaving more room for cargo.
Ah, this makes a lot of sense, I'll use that!
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In my own campaign I'm running Core Races + Tiefling and Tengu (both of which are common and/or visible enough) as open to anyone. Any other races, if not taken precautions to hide their unusual race, will find the Silver Ravens' notoriety increasing a little bit more than standard (+1 Notoriety each time notoriety is gained).
Got the idea from someone else on the board and I think its a fantastic way to allow other races with adding a 'tax' for using them.
As for halflings.. was already answered heh.
That being said, having a renegade halfing from another region in Cheliax might be a good hook to add additional encounters to the campaign.
That sounds much more mundane than I expected... Well I guess that makes it less problematic to run with a diverse group. Still I might make up a reason why Halflings tend to be enslaved in most of Cheliax, because their weakness just sounds to boring... (on a side note: Wouldn't you rather want strong slaves instead?)Halflings are strong for their size and upkeep requirements. Even though they are individually weaker, you can get as much work at less expense out of a group of halfling slaves than from a smaller group of human slaves collectively capable of performing the same amount of work.
Doesn't really make sense, since you (unlike you run a heavily slave-keeping society like ancient Rome, where slaves could be specialist artisans or even teachers ) want slaves mostly for strong and intensive labour (fieldwork, mines, transportation aka galleys ). Or as housekeeping staff. Or as an erotic diversion...which I cannot envision the chelians going for. No.../brainbleach
Even if just going by the rules (and not common sense), small creatures can carry only 3/4th of the normal weight load, have reduced strength and walk at 60% speed..... which makes them mostly a less capable workforce. and basically a 16 STR halfling weighing in at roughly 40lbs (by the rules) carrying a medium load that is between 1,5 to 3 times (app. 120lbs) his own weight (nevermind heavier loads) is faintly ridiculous
Nevermind being a race which allegedly loves its freedom, loves trickery, is more resistant to fear (and intimidation) and is better than average at hiding.
Besides Gnomes... I think Halflings are the least useful race to enslave (unless for light physical labour ).
Let's not even go into "realistic" territory, which makes the notion even feel more absurd.
Best choice for the campaign seems to be to blend in, and be as hard to spot as possible (no horns, no wings, no halflings or gnomes), no exotic skin colours) . It's not that easy to stay incognito in a town of merely 12k people.
Mines.
You want smaller people to work the mines as that way you don't need make the shafts as large.
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Mines.
You want smaller people to work the mines as that way you don't need make the shafts as large.
Indeed. Like shipping, mining is an industry where space is at a premium.
Actually, think of any industry where child labor was widespread IRL, and (assuming the technology exists to support the industry) you'll probably find halfling slaves doing that work in Cheliax. The University of Iowa lists, along with mining: glassmaking, weaving, farming, canning, and domestic work.
To explain the "strong for their size" bit -- adjusting for size and relative strength, a halfling has slightly over half the carrying capacity of a human, but equipment made for them (including food and living space) amounts to only half that of a human. So, if (for example) an individual halfling can do 60% as much work as a human, you can have five halflings do the same amount of work as three humans at about 5/6 of the upkeep cost of those three humans.
The ratio is even better in cases where you would have been tempted to use (human) child labor.
They're also commonly used to do less-than-legal retrieval tasks and other work that values finesse because of their natural dexterity.
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Are you suggest we uses our halfling slaves... to commit CRIMINAL ACTIVITY!?
Hot and fiery HELLS, man, this is supposed to be a civilized discussion on slavery!
To explain the "strong for their size" bit -- adjusting for size and relative strength, a halfling has slightly over half the carrying capacity of a human, but equipment made for them (including food and living space) amounts to only half that of a human. So, if (for example) an individual halfling can do 60% as much work as a human, you can have five halflings do the same amount of work as three humans at about 5/6 of the upkeep cost of those three humans.
The ratio is even better in cases where you would have been tempted to use (human) child labor.
Well. I have not yet seen the rule that gnomes or halflings eat only half as much as full sized humans/half orcs or elves.... Realistically yes, but then one also have to face the muscles and bonestructure, plus biomechanics of a 3' person (as dmeonstrated by the size penalty for CMB and CMD ). Who just cannot put "mass" (aka "larger inertia") into many activities. Consider the force of a pick swung by a 3' tall person instead of a 6' tall person ?
As for mines: the workface determines the size of the tunnel, not workforce. Children were used in mines purely because you could pay them far less than adults and their resistance could be far more easily broken. Plus the adults wages were so low that the children had to earn as well. Same goes for the other industries where comparatively light physical labour in narrow confines was required. Just speaking as an industrial-historian, but actually looking up the appaling abuse of child labour in Great Britain or Germany and all through the continent is educative.
Shipping : about the worst employment for small sized persons, because you need raw physical strength and mass in most sailing activity. Like hauling up 12'+ yards with sails on them (usually when these are also tossed about by ship movement and wind)^^ Nevermind that no Halfling can actually reach up to a capstan bar !
Using slave labour as thieves... well.... that strikes me as a positively problematic use of halflings Unless we go all out Dickens !
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Who doesn't like Dickens.