One of the general assumptions of fantasy RPGs (and, okay, many RPGs in general, but it's far more visible in fantasy-historical settings than, say, modern mystery campaigns) is that there aren't really any laws.
No, wait, hear me out.
A quick review of earlier posts tells me I wrote stuff along this line in several previous posts, so some of it's probably repetitive. This includes a skint new world,
I have neither the expertise nor the inclination to ramble on about the actual laws of actual historical settings. Suffice it to say that laws have been a fundamental part of societies since we started having them, right back to Hammurabi and Menes, in ancient Rome, in all the dynasties of China, in pre-colonial societies with purely oral traditions, in the medieval societies that fantasy lit loves to riff off (boy did they have a lot of laws), and in the frontier settings that inspired a lot of the pulp literature that fantasy RPGs spool off from.
No matter where your fantasy campaign takes place, unless it's a genuinely undiscovered place to which nobody at all has any claim - and possibly not even then, laws could readily extend to actions committed outside the nation in question - you are subject to laws. If there are gods of a law-making inclination around, you are even more subject to laws.
The basics are easy. Okay, easy-ish. There are going to be some kinds of laws about killing other people. They might differ wildly in their definitions of "kill" and "people", have or lack distinctions of self-defence or unintentional killing, and possibly place a strong emphasis on your own social standing, but they'll exist. Similarly, unless the GM has specifically put together societies with no notion of property rights (entirely possible), there are going to be some kinds of laws about theft. Violence towards others is probably restricted in some way, but it might be alarmingly lax.
There are probably arms control laws. Astonishing as some people always seem to find it, societies in general tend not to like everybody being able to wander around everywhere with tools of murder. It might be allowed to only certain groups of people. It might be allowed only in certain places, like "away from settlements". It might be forbidden in specific places, like temples, markets, politically-sensitive areas, the poor district, and so on. There might well also be laws requiring citizens to own and practice with weapons, if the society relies on citizen soldiers rather than on professiona armies. Both of these can exist in concert: you might be required to own and practice with a spear and shield (if you own at least two goats), but not permitted to carry them around in day-to-day life.
These laws might not be particularly detailed or "legalistic", instead relying on common sense and tradition, especially in societies with relatively low literacy or where writing isn't considered the be-all-and-end-all of truth. Guards and important personages might restrict people in ways that aren't specifically defined in law, on the basis of generic rules about keeping the peace or serving the public interest. Egyptian law, for example, seems to have had very little patience with fine detail, emphasising common sense and reaching agreement in resolving disputes. On the flip side, "messing with the way we do things here" is a good broad-brush law for keeping people in line.
For an example, let's come back to weapons (both because people love to argue about arms control, and because weapons are a big part of most fantasy campaigns). You're legally required to own and practice with spear and shield, because you own three goats. At the same time, you are forbidden from going about the town equipped for battle. When you carry them down to the fields where people spar and drill, everybody understands that's what you're doing and you don't have any trouble. If you walk around the streets carrying a spear, a guard might stop you and confiscate your weapons. "But I'm on my way to spar!" you cry. The guard points out that it's not a time of day when anybody spars, and you're going in the wrong direction, and you don't live anywhere around here. "Nevertheless," you protest, "I am taking my spear to practice as legally required, and the law does not specify precisely the circumstances under which that must occur; you cannot prove me wrong, and thus must allow me to proceed without hindrance." The guard doesn't care, because that's not how the law works and you are clearly up to no good, sunshine.
Not From Around Here
Even in modern, complex, written legal systems, there's usually an expectation that "ignorance of the law is no excuse". Adventurers may travel far and wide (or not), but if they don't know the rules of whatever nation, city, or township they're in, that's their fault.
Being Nobody in Particular
Societies with a big emphasis on social position tend not to tolerate people who don't fit in. Settled, remote communities are suspicious of armed, dangerous-looking strangers who wander in; a sheriff might decide to tell them to move along. Cities might be welcoming, or conversely, might tightly control who gets to come in and out on grounds of taxation, avoiding unrest, closeness to the border with an enemy nation, or concerns about crime.
In feudal states, everyone has a direct social superior, and that includes the PCs. If they don't have one, why the hell not? If they do have one, they need the liege's permission to leave their land and their day jobs, probably in the form of a letter or token.
Answering Questions
Being a cool and enigmatic badass on a mysterious quest is a favourite pastime of many adventurers, in both games and general fiction. Authorities tend not to take kindly to strangers with no apparent fixed abode and uncertain loyalties, particularly if they're talented warriors or have sorcerous powers, and want to know who they are and what they're up to. Just as a modern-day government might quibble at letting a known special operative from a hostile power through passport control, and take them aside for intensive questioning, city guards and town mayors might do the same to adventurers. In settings with truth-detecting magic, it's likely to come into use here.
Looting
In fantasy games, taking the gold, weapons, and armour of your defeated foes, and ransacking ancient tombs for treasure, are proud and noble traditions. In any other context* those are crimes. "I see, sir, you obtained this magical sword and sack of gems from a person you murdered. Oh, he attacked you first, I see sir. Well I suppose I must take your word for it; have a good day, sir." is not how that conversation goes. That sort of behaviour worries everyone, because if people can trivially enrich themselves by killing people and taking their stuff, they might do it to you. That's pretty classic bandit-marauder-viking conduct, and gets you hanged sharpish. Of course, the law only matters if anyone can find out what you did. A plausible legal model might be that anything taken from bandits, outlaws, etc. is confiscated by the authorities, but the attackee can claim a portion of it in recompense for their trouble. If the goods are identifiable, it's likely they'll be claimed by the original owners or their next of kin.
*obviously Western museums have a long tradition of ransacking other people's ancient tombs, and indeed modern tombs and actual houses, for interesting treasures, or at least cheerfully buying things off whoever did that. But that's a specific niche and fantasy PCs are rarely employed as archaeologists.
Magic Items
Adventurers love to wander around equipped with magic items they have unearthed, found in the depths of ancient tombs, or taken from fallen foes. These are often valuable enough to support an ordinary citizen for years on end, dangerous, present serious risks to peace and good order (ring of invisibility, anyone?) or otherwise not the sort of thing that powerful rulers feel some sellsword should be inexplicably wandering around with.
Any nation worth its salt is likely to rule that magical items are treasure trove - that is, they are automatically the property of the nation (or the king, high priest, etc.) and simply discovering them does not confer any right of ownership. You receive a small share of the item's value after it is turned in to the authorities and valued, confirmed that it isn't simply stolen, etc.
Any time the PCs are arrested, imprisoned, etc., their gear is going to be examined and put in storage. Any rules restricting magic item ownership or usage will be applied then, so they might not get all their equipment back, even if they're innocent on the actual charges.
Settlement Law
If magic is widespread, or particularly dangerous, expect magic detection to be deployed at city gates. It would make sense to ban any form of illusory disguise or transformation for those trying to enter, since that undermines inspections and makes it easier for criminals or monsters to slip inside (or out). Magical weapons, wands, and powerful items are obvious targets.
No armour to be worn except by the appointed guards. Armour may indicate that you intend to partake in violence. It certainly makes you a more serious problem for any guards attempting to arrest you, makes it more likely that you will survive long enough to assassinate an important leader, etc. Modest amounts of protection - a reinforced jerkin or an armoured cummerbund - might be acceptable. Helmets, particularly if they cover the face, are an easy target for bans. Face coverings in general might be forbidden, at least in certain areas or inside official buildings. More leniently, there may be laws that anyone must uncover their face and remove their armour when instructed by an appointed official or guard, with failure to do so indicating they're intent on crime.
No weapons to be brought into the city without sealing. Sealing is probably a magical process. It won't be something that can be trivially undone by a mid-level PC, because that's part of the exact problem they're trying to deal with. No, peacebonding weapons is probably performed by the Gods of Cities and Order, and ordinary spells like dispel magic or remove curse have no effect on it whatsoever. It's expensive, too. Much better to leave your weapons in an approved storage location. Being found walking around the streets armed when you're neither leaving the city, nor heading to your tavern to deposit it with the certified weaponkeep, is a good way to get into legal trouble.
Fun fact: that is exactly how the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral happened.
The vast majority of spellcasting is illegal within the city. When you think about the range of spells that exist in most games, it's heavily focused on hurting people or doing things that, in daily life, are crimes. Authorities (and fellow citizens) don't want people hurling combat spells around, but they're also concerned about the entire spread of mind-altering spells, all the spells that let you avoid being detected, the ones for passing through barriers or breaking into things, probably the entire concept of conjuration, absolutely anything related to dead people, the spells that discover secret information, turning yourself into almost anything else (both "mouse" and "giant tiger made of stone" present problems of their own), scrying and clairvoyance. Authorities will have concerns even about healing magic (which one can do discreetly), in the same way that modern authorities want to know who's getting treated for gunshot wounds. Anything that boosts a normal person's capabilities to monstrous levels will also alarm those in charge of law and order, who want citizens to be subdueable by their guards.
I'd expect to see serious punishment for a wide variety of dubious activities, including unauthorised invisibility, flight, teleportation, summoning of any creature, use of mind-altering magic, laying of curses, etc. Getting around a city's barriers and controls by flying, transforming into a bird, etc. will be just as illegal as climbing the walls. That kind of behaviour undermines the entire point of things like gate inspections and taking names (and weapons) at the gate, or quarantines. It also makes it harder to identify threats, like invaders or bandits flying over the wall to attack.
Guilds
Fantasy games love guilds! You know what guilds love? Enjoying legal protection from competition and enforcing it against non-guild practitioners! If it's possible to work without guild membership at all, that may require a license or fee paid to the guild. Either way, work is likely to be worse-paid, less attractive, and possibly with the underworld. Guilds may offer training and useful contacts, mutual protection, and social and political prestige, but protectionism is often a key part of the model and a reason people pay to join up. If you have guilds and they don't restrict competition, what are they actually for?
If there's a wizards' guild, expect to have real trouble finding unaffiliated magicians or - even worse - trying to earn money that way yourself. Selling magic items is encroaching on the territory of the Guild of Arcane Artificers, who not only have a strongly-negotiated contract with the Duchess, but are legally permitted to send people to beat you into a pulp for trading without a licence. The Adventurers' Guild, increasingly beloved of people who got really into isekai novels and CRPGs, has strong views on who is allowed to take quests and how they must comport themselves.
Duties
Something games rarely enforce is a duty to serve the authorities. Historical societies are full of this, from spending a few days a year repairing the roads to serving in the local lord's armies when they decide to have a pointless squabble over a village and get some peasants murdered.
If you're a local lord, peasants do valuable work producing food for your people. Artisans do valuable work producing tools and goods for work and trade. Freemen of the City do valuable work in commerce, administration, building, and industry. You know who can be conveniently roped into your army without damaging the local economy? Adventurers!
Anywhere unsettled or prone to raids, it's entirely reasonable for adventurers to be called up to serve in the militia or go to war. That's true even if they're wandering from hundreds of miles away - which is to say, vagabonds. If they're powerful adventurers who consider themselves to have much better things to do, they're an even more valuable addition to the army, and it's even more important that they do their duty.
Sumptuary Laws
Boy oh boy, do fantasy settings like ignoring sumptuary laws.
Restrictions on who can wear what, eat what, and use what products are fairly common in history. That adventurer from a humble farming background is definitely not wearing silken wizard robes, because silk is restricted to the upper classes. The noble from a distant province, on the other hand, is legally required to wear silk or muslin with fur trims, and at least one signet ring, and her plan to disguise her aristocratic background and pretend to be a humble warrior is literally a crime. Half the party are forbidden from eating in "common serving-houses", while the other half aren't permitted to enter high-class restaurants.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, part of the point of these laws is often to funnel wealth from the middle classes towards the old established authorities, normally the nobility. Even if it doesn't do so directly, it forces unnecessary expenditure, just as requiring nobles to maintain one home in the capital and one at their seat of power, and to attend court under very specific requirements of (ruinously expensive) dress, and to give hospitality to visiting officials and to the travelling parliament or courts, served to keep nobles from getting too wealthy and powerful.
In that case, adventurers are exactly the sort of person who the laws want to catch and strip money from, and they'll be shaped to do so. Requirements for travelling sellswords to stay in particular types of hotel, or at the Adventurer's Guildhouse, at great expense. Requirements to tithe to the gods. Travel permits. Monster-slaying permits. Special hats made with really expensive silly feathers. Special cloaks to be worn in town (which, not coincidentally, really get in the way if you're trying to fight or to run away). Brooches made from monster teeth (and imbued with spells that help the authorities detect, identify, and track down rogue adventurers).
Got any other ideas?
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