De-nerfing Pacifism: Cannot Kill

[PK]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

But sometimes accidents happen (well, more than sometimes) and the result is another body on the floor.

Wait. Your pacifist character accidentally kills people on a regular basis? I have to ask -- how does that happen?

[blacksmith]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

I've had a bit of trouble playing a character with Cannot Kill.

Not doing anything likely to kill someone, and trying to prevent companions killing, is fine and leads to some fun party tension. But sometimes accidents happen (well, more than sometimes) and the result is another body on the floor. When this happens, you have to play "morose and useless" for 3d days, so an average of 10 days. That's often 10-20 gaming sessions where you have to act depressed.

Not in most games I play in. That is the rest of the current adventure/plotline, but those rarely go on that intense for that many months of real world time

I think this might be more of an artifact of the kinds of games you play, rather than the disadvantage. I mean combat paralysis is a fine disadvantage in a free trader type game, but in a dungeon fantasy game it is a killer.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

Wait. Your pacifist character accidentally kills people on a regular basis? I have to ask -- how does that happen?

I meant that figuratively, as in "s*** happens."

He's not some kind of Inspector Clouseau of assassins.

[RedMattis]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

I meant that figuratively, as in "s*** happens."

He's not some kind of Inspector Clouseau of assassins.

I'm curious as to what this "s***" that frequently occurs typically is. :P

[cccwebs]

Pacifism: Cannot Kill doesn't need to be "de-nerfed". There are five different options for Pacifism. If Cannot Kill isn't really feasible in the campaign, whether due to the player not being able to roleplay the disadvantage or the campaign setting not really allowing for it, then the GM should have the player change the Pacifism to a different option and have the player use earned points to buy back any difference (no "free" points). (Of course, the GM should know if the campaign is going to be rather violent, and should disallow disadvantages that do not fit into the setting in the first place.)

[PK]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

I meant that figuratively, as in "s*** happens."

He's not some kind of Inspector Clouseau of assassins.

I understood what you meant, but I still don't get how that happens. Can you give some examples of times when your PC did something that accidentally led to someone being killed?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

I've had a bit of trouble playing a character with Cannot Kill.

Not doing anything likely to kill someone, and trying to prevent companions killing, is fine and leads to some fun party tension. But sometimes accidents happen (well, more than sometimes) and the result is another body on the floor.

You realize I trust that the fit of depression only happens if you personally kill, right? Yes, you are supposed to discourage killing among your companions as much as possible, but there isn't the same personal involvement when they do.

[Last Pawn]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

...you have to play "morose and useless" for 3d days, so an average of 10 days. That's often 10-20 gaming sessions where you have to act depressed.

The first time it happens is okay- your character hits the booze, doesn't want to adventure, etc. But the 3rd or 4th time it happens it gets to be a bit of a drag.

If it's taking 10-20 game sessions to cover a 10 day time span and you're up to 3 or 4 sessions of acute depression because you've accidentally or directly killed someone; I have to ask about the rate at which you're doing people in. 'Cause really, even if you're gaming every week and you've been playing for say, two years, then you've deliberately or accidentally killed 3 or 4 people in a little over three months of adventuring time. And that doesn't cover the time you were being useless because you killed someone. (Note that each additional full year you've gamed adds 26-52 days and the above was calculated in the most lenient way.)

I think the problem is either a) you're being held too accountable for the deaths that happen around you, b) the game you're playing is too violent for Pacifism: Cannot Kill, or c) you shouldn't be playing Pacifism: Cannot kill.

[Langy]

Possibly he just meant 'the third of fourth session I have to be completely useless and not contribute anything to the game' rather than 'the third or fourth time I accidentally kill someone'?

Being effectively kicked out of the game for 10 sessions (possibly an entire year of gaming time, if you're gaming about once every month) is not cool.

[cccwebs]

Originally Posted by Langy

Possibly he just meant 'the third of fourth session I have to be completely useless and not contribute anything to the game' rather than 'the third or fourth time I accidentally kill someone'?

Being effectively kicked out of the game for 10 sessions (possibly an entire year of gaming time, if you're gaming about once every month) is not cool.

It's not like the disadvantage and its consequences aren't spelled out carefully. Besides, the pc isn't effectively out of the game, he's supposed to roleplay being morose and useless for the 3d days, and "During this time, you must make a Will roll to offer any sort of violence toward anyone, for any reason," would indicate that the PC can interact in the campaign.