orichalcum

So, I'm writing up each character's individual goals for the Rome module. Since the first crisis is Spartacus' slave revolt, and other possible items on the agenda include a law, for instance, forbidding people to kill their own slaves, I want to have PCs who have stakes in these issues. I've already created the character whose great-grandfather was a slave and is pro-good treatment for slaves. I feel it's necessary to create the reverse, a slave trader character who wants the revolt stomped down and is looking for opportunities to conquer new lands and bring in new sources of slaves. But how do I do this without risking offending people or making the student highly distasteful to other players? I really want to address the larger issue; it's central to an understanding of Rome. But I don't want it to be an easy "slavery is bad" discussion either.

Here's what I have for his description currently:

You are a slave trader. You have made your fortune venturing into newly conquered lands and buying prisoners of war and training and educating them for work in Rome and Italy. From your perspective, you’re doing them a favor. As defeated barbarians, they would have starved or been executed, after short, miserable lives. A talented, intelligent slave who goes through your training will probably spend only 10-15 years in servitude and then be set up in a business by his former master and get to enjoy all the benefits of Roman citizenship. His children might even run for local political offices! Still, you know others don’t always see it that way – and there should be ways for people to deal with recalcitrant, violent slaves. You support the conquering of new provinces which might gain you access to new supplies of slaves; you want the slave revolt put down as soon as possible and that dangerous Spartacus taught a lesson. Finally, you believe that masters should have full control over their slaves; that’s the only way to keep their respect.