Lopping off tyrants' heads to get them to behave.

[Lago PARANOIA]

This is a very standard fantasy adventuring trope, but it also seems like it would be extremely ineffective in even 'realistic' roleplaying, let alone D&D.

In real life, even when the threat of getting your head lopped off or getting a bullet put between your eyes for being a bastard doesn't stop people from being a bastard; nor does it deter people who come after them from being a bastard.

In the end, you're sort of playing some kind of murderous lottery where if you lop of Baroness vonPuppyeater's head you hope her son becomes Baron vonPuppykicker--but you're just as equally likely to get Baron vonBabyeater. But no matter how many times you cut off their heads you'll never get Baron vonPuppypetter.

So what's the fucking point?

[Bigode]

Last I checked, you become President Babyeater after killing President Dogkicker, and it's extremely debatable whether you previously had any intention other than getting hard-to-achieve nutrition.

EDIT: why do I feel this actually belongs here?

[Lago PARANOIA]

Ack, I meant to put this in My Humble Opinion. Terribly sorry.

[Ganbare Gincun]

So what's the fucking point?

As a means to promoting justice and freedom, it's utterly pointless. Anyone that violently deposes a tyrant is going to have to spend at least a decade stabilizing the country, ensuring that a viable government can be created, and fending off the depredations of the tyrant's former followers, friends, and family. However, if you're just looking to exact revenge, make off with all of the tyrant's treasure, or if you want to take over the position of tyrant yourself, an execution works out very well.

But the perpetuation of this trope isn't about realistic outcomes - it's a simple ending that allows authors to end a story with on an uplifting, blood-soaked high note. It's supposed to demonstrate that justice reigns supreme and that good ultimately triumphs over evil, but all it really does is reinforce the idea that might makes right when you really think about it.

[Bigode]

It's supposed to demonstrate that justice reigns supreme and that good ultimately triumphs over evil, but all it really does is reinforce the idea that might makes right when you really think about it.

So, when you think hard about it, you find an actually true lesson? Better than intended by most authors, I guess.

[Ganbare Gincun]

It's supposed to demonstrate that justice reigns supreme and that good ultimately triumphs over evil, but all it really does is reinforce the idea that might makes right when you really think about it.

So, when you think hard about it, you find an actually true lesson? Better than intended by most authors, I guess.

Maybe so, but it's still no Seven Samurai, that's for sure.

[Username17]

Lopping off the head of the Sun King is a necessary step towards the creation of modern France. Yeah, it's an ugly period, but not uglier than the period right before that.

-Username17

[Count Arioch the 28th]

Frank, off-topic, but are you doing alright? I keep reading articles about how the Czech Government collapsed...

[Username17]

Frank, off-topic, but are you doing alright? I keep reading articles about how the Czech Government collapsed...

Oh, I got arrested. I spent the day in a Czech jail because the Czech government lost my visa and then when I came in to sort it out they arrested me for not having my visa. It's pretty fucked up. My perp card is even in Russian. I don't even know why that would happen.

-Username17

[ckafrica]

Frank: There aren't agencies that sort these things out or your school at least help with the process? In Vietnam I just pay a guy to get my visas sorted and he makes sure all the right people are bribed so that I can get my visa quick and seemlessly.