Wanted: Disads for Underclass Dwarves

[Luke Bunyip]

Originally Posted by tanksoldier

Plenty of alcoholics have no significant income. They buy booze instead of food, instead or rent, instead of clothes.

The PCs are teenagers/twentysomethings, in what is effectively an orphanage. Consider it similar to institutionalised state care. The only RL lens I have for this is the local Juvenile Detention Centre. Two things:

• they get their food, lodgings and clothing provided for them, and
  
• the kids don't just wander around by themselves, and adults don't just wander in and offer alcohol or drugs to them. Given their circumstances, the only thing which the teens etc have to trade is not money, but sexual services.

I am not that interested in developing a setting where some of the characters are effectively potentially child prostitutes, especially as one of the players will be the 13 year old son of a mate of mine.

I apologise if the above seems harsh, but I trying to present a mechanism for care for the children which is better than them just living on the street. I've down that in my illspent youth, and I don't feel that I want to present a version of it in a game.

And in case you feel that I am painting an idyllic society for dwarves, I can see room for a criminal class, with thieves, gambling, and drug dealing. In actual fact, for later ventures into this setting, I can see former thieves having an active role.

So, to sum up: yes, in the course of time, alcoholism would be valid, especially if a dwarf becomes adept at looting, scavenging etc.

Just not yet...