Can a Slave be Lawful Evil? Can a Slave own Slaves?

[Zhentarim]

Can a Slave be Lawful Evil?

Can a Slave own Slaves?

[Venger]

yes and also yes

[Crake]

Can a Slave be Lawful Evil?

Can a Slave own Slaves?

Yes, and it depends on the local laws, but most likely not officially, they may be gifted "control" over other slaves by their master, but most slave laws state that slaves cannot own property.

[SirNibbles]

It depends on the type of slave. A contractual slave (such as one who goes into slavery to pay off a debt, or for security) may still be able to own property. Slavery doesn't inherently mean you don't have rights, such as the right to own property.

[Satinavian]

Yes, a slave an be lawful evil.

And it depends on the laws. Most more complex historical versions of slavery would allow this. Slaves being able to have property was even so widespread that exceptions become noteworthy.

[Sian]

I see no reason why they shouldn't be able to, other than misconception of how slavery could be represented, European Colonial slavery was, if not perhaps quite an extreme, then far to one side of the scale

See Greek 'luxury'slaves in Rome which sold themselves into slavery as highly skilled labour.

[hamishspence]

Even in the context of D&D - it happens. The Neogi, a very LE slaving race, enslave one another, and the slave neogi own slaves too.

If they accidentally create a loop (the slave at the bottom of the chain has managed to get the guy at the top of the chain into debt and own them) then they all become slaves of the neogi ruler.

So they do their best to avoid loops.

[Nifft]

It is tragically human to embrace & internalize the system that is keeping you down.

So yes, a slave can be Lawful Evil, even if that slave is not permitted to act as an oppressor.

[hamishspence]

It is tragically human to embrace & internalize the system that is keeping you down.

So yes, a slave can be Lawful Evil, even if that slave is not permitted to act as an oppressor.
I can imagine that, often, they will be permitted to act as an oppressor, too - the Master delegating most of the oppression duties to senior slaves - and junior slaves eagerly hoping for the chance to rise to the rank of senior slave and do some oppressing themselves.

As Blackadder The Third puts it:


(Baldrick is kneading dough as Blackadder enters, picks up the cat, and kicks it across the room; the cat meows in pain)
Baldrick: Aw, poor little Mildred the cat! What's he ever done to you?
Blackadder: (walks across the kitchen) It is the way of the world, Baldrick. The abused always kick downwards. I am annoyed, and so I kick the cat, (watches something scurry across the floor) the cat (loud squeaking) pounces on the mouse, and finally the mouse...
Baldrick: (jumps up in shock) Agh!
Blackadder: ... bites you on the behind.
Baldrick: Well, what do I do!?
Blackadder: Nothing. You are last in God's great chain. Unless, of course, there's an earwig around here that you'd like to victimise.

[ExLibrisMortis]

I was going to mention neogi, but hamishspence beat me to it!

Yes and yes, clearly.

[Castilonium]

Slaves owning slaves owning slaves is pretty much what Baator (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baator) is.

[NomGarret]

Even a slave at the bottom of the chain can firmly believe in slavery as an idea, even if that person believes that the particular system that led them to be enslaved was wrong. Slavery as punishment vs slavery of goblins because they're goblins, for example.

[Necroticplague]

Yes. One's status in life does not dictate one's alignment. A slave is just as capable of being Evil as his master is.

Depends on how exactly the slavery laws for the region are. Some forms, definitely (i.e, you might have an indentured servant farmer who owns a housemaid). Some other forms, definitely not (if the slave isn't considered a person, having them themselves own slaves makes as much sense as a cow owning slaves).

[Braininthejar2]

Every lawful evil afterlife - you end up at the bottom of the pecking order among your god's servants, and wait for new arrivals to let you advance

[Mordaedil]

A slave can be any alignment they want to be, enslavement doesn't mean that their outlook is gone. They can be utterly mindbroken and lose their identity, but that doesn't mean their alignment is gone, but it might register as neutral while broken.

Slaves cannot own property, that is the difference between a slave and a serf. A serf can own minimal property (which can include other slaves or serfs, but they technically also belong to their master) while being paid only enough eat and drink and they become basically "legal slavery" during a dark time in between civilized eras.

[redking]

Yes, slaves can be lawful evil or any alignment.

As for slaves owning slaves, it would depend on the laws or the society. For example a high government official might be styled as the 'slave' of the King and live in luxury, and have hundreds of slaves under him.

[Sagetim]

Can a Slave be Lawful Evil?

Can a Slave own Slaves?

A Slave can be any alignment, and yes, a Slave can own Slaves, we even have real life historical examples of daisy chains of slaves owning other slaves in Greek/Roman culture. In the real world example, a Vicarius (Body Double) was a slave that you could own who would basically do your job for your. Anything from cooking to managing a financial portfolio of investments could be handled by a Vicarius (obviously depending on the slave's capabilities), but generally part of the deal was that a Vicarius would be given access and authority over some amount of your wealth to accomplish the tasks you set them to, and when they made a profit they could keep some of that profit. Which is how you could wind up with a minor bureaucrat who owned a large number of Vicarius', who could further micro-manage by owning their own Vicarius' instead of buying their own freedom.

[Zhentarim]

A Slave can be any alignment, and yes, a Slave can own Slaves, we even have real life historical examples of daisy chains of slaves owning other slaves in Greek/Roman culture. In the real world example, a Vicarius (Body Double) was a slave that you could own who would basically do your job for your. Anything from cooking to managing a financial portfolio of investments could be handled by a Vicarius (obviously depending on the slave's capabilities), but generally part of the deal was that a Vicarius would be given access and authority over some amount of your wealth to accomplish the tasks you set them to, and when they made a profit they could keep some of that profit. Which is how you could wind up with a minor bureaucrat who owned a large number of Vicarius', who could further micro-manage by owning their own Vicarius' instead of buying their own freedom.

Sounds like Indonesia.