Ortho and Pacification

Here are my thoughts on adventuring on a pacified planet. At it's heart, the Ortho Campaign setting is about politics. No published setting (except maybe Birthright) has had as strong a political bent as what we've put together. Not Greyhawk, not Eberron, not even Planescape. It is, to put it plainly, a non-traditional setting. That's not to say that it doesn't have other aspects -- certainly you could play an Ortho game that focused on Hack and Slash or non-political roleplay, but, at it's core, the Ortho Campaign Setting is about the state, the province, and the individual. This is fortunate, because a setting based around pure roleplay or hack and slash wouldn't work with a "pacified" world, but one based on politics will work quite nicely. Here are a few guidelines:

*Most Conflict on Ortho is Politically Motivated:
On Ortho, all politics are power politics and power comes on the end of a sword. Even perfectly mundane problems like a high tax on Coconuts or land use disputes in a river valley can be the impetus for espionage blackmail, or even assassination. You don't have to overdo it, but the PCs should run into enough corrupt land owners, amoral politicians, and over-zealous revolutionaries to keep things interesting.

*The Harmonium Drive Plots:
The Harmonium may try to keep things quiet on Ortho, but it does so through violence and more than a few people resent them for it. Whether you are working for or fighting against them, the Harmonium make a perfect catalyst for conflict. Virtually every party will fight for or against the Harmonium at some point. Most will do both.

*Ortho Isn't Wholly Pacified:
Even on a world as peaceful as Ortho there are still plenty of hidden or sequestered wilderness areas. Wild Hazkhan jungles, lawless Thaeran isles, and unexplored Hekan caverns all provide perfect opportunities for the PCs to kill monsters without worrying about getting sued by bereaved relatives. Just remember that the OCA has eyes everywhere and no one can hide from the Harmonium forever.