Do you allow murder within the party?

[takasi]

Last night we started a new d20 Call of Cthulu campaign, following our one-shot game a few weeks ago:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=186576

Instead of playing a lumberjack, I decided to play a white collar worker (Global Air manager, ex-WWI pilot). We're in 1925 San Francisco.

A few of us were investigating the death of my character's mistress at a hotel when two of the other PCs get kicked out due to discrimination. (One is an African American little person carnival worker and the other is a Native American fighter.) Another PC (a magician) had given them an address and told them to meet up with us later.

The midget offered to show the big chief around town, but then decided to have some fun with the Native American and led him to a busy trolley car, pickpocketed $10 from him, got caught and then ran into an alley. The player victim pursued, caught up with him and (rather than use nonlethal damage) got out his knife and killed him.

Our group has been together for about two years now and we're at the point (I think) that we trust each other well enough for party 'fratricide'. Now in my campaigns I run I normally don't allow it, but I had no problem with the DM allowing it last night. In fact, the two players seem to be pretty good friends, and had no hard feelings afterwards.

I just wanted to see how often others here at EN World view PVP in RPGs.

 

[Nightfall]

Pretty much never...but I'm considering for a character in an Age of Worms game that is a) a pacifist and b) the party tank.

 

[the Jester]

"Allow"? As a dm, it is NOT my job to tell the players how to play their characters.

 

[Nightfall]

Jester,

True but you try not to let people get away with murder right?

 

[Grymar]

Our campaigns always feature (or suffer from) a lot of intra-party conflict. It usually doesn't involve blades, but there has been blood drawn in the past.

If there is a good reason, then I tend to allow it. No one has outright killed another player, but it has been close.

As a DM I really don't like it. I want to concentrate on other things outside the party, but there are times when it does happen and as long as the players are ok with it then I'll let it happen.

 

[takasi]

"Allow"? As a dm, it is NOT my job to tell the players how to play their characters.

At the table, how often is there an unspoken (or spoken) gentlemen's agreement that in-party murder is off limits?

 

[DaveyJones]

"Allow"? As a dm, it is NOT my job to tell the players how to play their characters.

true dat.

 

[Nightfall]

Grym,

If they are being stupid, my advice, use inevitables to deal with bloodshed.

 

[Vanuslux]

If a player tried to have his character kill another character over $10 I'd have to smack him.

 

[Presto2112]

How would you not "allow" it? It either happens or it doesn't! As GM it's up to you whether the PC pays dearly for it or not, but there's really nothing you can do to stop one PC from killing another. Plus the players would probably have a few heated words, too.