Vlad Drakov's biases

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The Lesser Evil
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Vlad Drakov's biases

Post by The Lesser Evil »

There's been a lot of talk recently about Vlad Drakov's aversions to firearms, magic, etc. as coming purely from personal bias/outdated codes of honor/etc. basically- irrational ideas. However, I would like to argue that these biases have some basis in rationality (based on the data available to Drakov) and may even provide a function.

First of all, let's look at Drakov's background. He's a mercenary captain, which means his job is to go kill people/win battles- referred to as a "henchman", meaning doing what he's told. As such, the core of his company are fighters- canny and very elite/well-trained fighters, but men-at-arms nonetheless. He comes from Hith, a place dominated by evil clerics, necromancers, and other spellcasters. One of the big reasons he wants to be king is to prove he can be just as legit a bigwig as they are, having been disrespected and looked down upon for all of his life.

Drakov also comes from Krynn, a place where firearms are not well known. Coming to Ravenloft is really his first exposure to them. Even Drakov's domain is a Medieval domain with technology predating (and therefore, alien to) firearms. Now, when Drakov comes to Ravenloft, pretty much all of the domains around him that aren't ruled by spellcasters are ruled by fops and other people Drakov disrespects. Guns played not an insignificant role in defeating his troops.

From Drakov's perspective, it would make sense that, given that all the weakling-ruled domains somehow tenuously hang on given the use of firearms or magic, that these forces might result in similar forces taking over Falkovnia if introduced. And to a certain degree this is objectively true. Drakov's strategy is based upon well-trained, elite fighters (with some walls of poorly armed civilians to serve as cannon fodder.) D&D rules notwithstanding, guns are relatively cheap to make and easy to learn. Hence, if you let the commoners get a hold on them, the commoners might have something to hope with (and thus resist Drakov's decrees or even get a fop into power like all the neighbors.) Similarly, relying on magic puts you at risk of encountering a foreign agent or group that might one day displace you.

So basically, if i take into consideration the above, Drakov is not that irrational for sticking to his guns on not using guns or magic. From all the in-world evidence he could see, I think Drakov made a fairly understandable decision.
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Re: Vlad Drakov's biases

Post by ewancummins »

OR
Use the guns as described and priced in D&D rules (3E or 2E- expensive either way, but let's assume 3E).

3E boomsticks require exotic weapon proficiency feat, cost a lot, and are not especially powerful.

He's actually smart for not using them, then. Guns (3E) kind of suck. They look cool, but crossbows get the same job done more cheaply and reliably.


Now, cannon...
But if an arquebus costs hundreds of gold coins, how much does a cannon cost? And if powder is an expensive alchemical item that can only be prepared by spell casters with the alchemy craft skill (3E rules) then the amounts burned by big guns will be that much more costly.

Yeah, so you may be right. Not using (or just not relying on) guns could be an entirely rational, pragmatic choice.

The question this raises is: why would guns (3E) be an advantage for Drakov's enemies?
Maybe they are not, anymore. The first few battles, it seemed like magic. Horses and men may have been spooked. But it became apparent pretty quickly it was alchemical 'para-magic.' Not something Drakov wants to rely on.


Note that he is from Taladas, where lots of gnomes whose inventions actually work live. A whole civilization of them. Not in his part of the continent, but he presumably would have heard stories of gnomish technology. The concept of a mechanical weapon is obviously something he understands; crossbows, trebuchets, etc.
It's more likely the reliance on spell casters to make powder that limits guns for him, not the technological aspect of the weapons.

It also suggests Lamordians might be using crossbows and halberds, rather than guns. Not many spell-casters to do the alchemy to make powder.
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Re: Vlad Drakov's biases

Post by Mistmaster »

I would like to point out that Gazetteer II states that there is a Ministry of Arcane in Falkovnia, so one would think, that, no matter how biased Drakov is with magic, he still thinks it can be an usefull tool.
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Re: Vlad Drakov's biases

Post by ewancummins »

Mistmaster wrote:I would like to point out that Gazetteer II states that there is a Ministry of Arcane in Falkovnia, so one would think, that, no matter how biased Drakov is with magic, he still thinks it can be an usefull tool.
Yep.

And you'd think making gunpowder would fall well within his 3E-canon approved preference for superweapons and magic widgets of battle.

Unless guns kind of suck.

Then maybe the Falkovnians use power only for mines and petards.

Wait till he creates his Peter Jackson half-orc suicide bombers.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3127/5692 ... 3fe16b.jpg
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Re: Vlad Drakov's biases

Post by brilliantlight »

I think it is largely both an economic and social issues. Guns are relatively expensive in RL and he can equip a force much cheaper without them and firearms are nothing to write home about. The advantage of guns is their ease of use allows someone to train new troops fairly quickly. For Drakov this is a bug not a feature. The last thing he wants is having his peasants get their hands on easy to use missile we peons. That would be certain to happen if he armed his huge army with them.

The problem with casters are that they are expensive and hard to control. To get them to work for him he has to pay them a substantial wage. They are an internal threat as a group of mages could get together and stage a coup. In any case he needs hoards of troops to hold any of his conquests. Troops he has no way of paying for if he hires a bunch of very expensive mages.
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Re: Vlad Drakov's biases

Post by ewancummins »

brilliantlight wrote:I think it is largely both an economic and social issues. Guns are relatively expensive in RL and he can equip a force much cheaper without them and firearms are nothing to write home about. The advantage of guns is their ease of use allows someone to train new troops fairly quickly. For Drakov this is a bug not a feature. The last thing he wants is having his peasants get their hands on easy to use missile we peons. That would be certain to happen if he armed his huge army with them.

The problem with casters are that they are expensive and hard to control. To get them to work for him he has to pay them a substantial wage. They are an internal threat as a group of mages could get together and stage a coup. In any case he needs hoards of troops to hold any of his conquests. Troops he has no way of paying for if he hires a bunch of very expensive mages.

There's also the question of where all these mages for hire are coming from.

Is Ravenloft as high magic as Eberron?
Or Forgotten Realms?

I'd say not.

I'd say no domain should field large numbers of mages, even Darkon.


But YRLMV (Your Ravenloft may vary).
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: Vlad Drakov's biases

Post by brilliantlight »

ewancummins wrote:
brilliantlight wrote:I think it is largely both an economic and social issues. Guns are relatively expensive in RL and he can equip a force much cheaper without them and firearms are nothing to write home about. The advantage of guns is their ease of use allows someone to train new troops fairly quickly. For Drakov this is a bug not a feature. The last thing he wants is having his peasants get their hands on easy to use missile we peons. That would be certain to happen if he armed his huge army with them.

The problem with casters are that they are expensive and hard to control. To get them to work for him he has to pay them a substantial wage. They are an internal threat as a group of mages could get together and stage a coup. In any case he needs hoards of troops to hold any of his conquests. Troops he has no way of paying for if he hires a bunch of very expensive mages.

There's also the question of where all these mages for hire are coming from.

Is Ravenloft as high magic as Eberron?
Or Forgotten Realms?

I'd say not.

I'd say no domain should field large numbers of mages, even Darkon.


But YRLMV (Your Ravenloft may vary).
For me it varies from domain to domain, depending on the Dark Lord. Darkon has a good number of them, Bavoria less but some most of whom are vampires, Tepest has none of course.
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