D&D General The Boyz... murder hobo PCs and NPCs and even normal ones

[GMforPowergamers]

It's interesting because the difference between Invincible and The Boys is the difference between "can" and "will", respectively.

not to be too spoilery but I think that between the two is also the 'become what you fight' and 'look too long into the abyss' vs 'i can stop them without becoming them'

 

[jgsugden]

The premise that our D&D heroes go around killing things as their main activity is wavering. It has historically been the core of the D&D experience - go in and kill stuff while telling a story - but there is a lot of pushback developing that is starting to point towards less violence in the RPG and more problem solving.

You may not like it. I'm just saying that you can see it in things like the Call of the Netherdeep and Witchlight.

I think we'll always have a home for violence in the game, but it is moving away from an assumption and more towards an option in the game.

 

[Reynard]

The premise that our D&D heroes go around killing things as their main activity is wavering. It has historically been the core of the D&D experience - go in and kill stuff while telling a story - but there is a lot of pushback developing that is starting to point towards less violence in the RPG and more problem solving.

You may not like it. I'm just saying that you can see it in things like the Call of the Netherdeep and Witchlight.

I think we'll always have a home for violence in the game, but it is moving away from an assumption and more towards an option in the game.

I think it is showing that there is a palce for less "kill em all" style adventure in D&D, but I don't think the main thrust of the game as a whole is moving away from that. I mean, have we seen any UA articles on class abilities NOT built for combat? Frostmaiden is a standard murderfest of an adventure, with inherently evil humanoid foes. I bet the quests in Spelljammer will involve a lot of killing of space pirates and bad dudes.

 

[Stalker0]

Can you remember the last campaign (not single session) where no PC killed anything?

Well if we are going by comic rules, remember that monsters, aliens, and robots (constructs) are always fair game to destroy. So its more a question of "are PCs killing NPCs". And I have played in some campaigns where that was really frowned upon, and the law WOULD come looking for you.

 

[Ancalagon]

The premise that our D&D heroes go around killing things as their main activity is wavering. It has historically been the core of the D&D experience - go in and kill stuff while telling a story - but there is a lot of pushback developing that is starting to point towards less violence in the RPG and more problem solving.

You may not like it. I'm just saying that you can see it in things like the Call of the Netherdeep and Witchlight.

I think we'll always have a home for violence in the game, but it is moving away from an assumption and more towards an option in the game.

I've been thinking a lot about that lately. I do enjoy my violence in D&D, but I feel that one of the problems in north america is the glorification of violence. Why is batman fighting crime instead of oh, I don't know, using his massive resources to help alleviate societal problems (which often lead to crime...)?

In a recent session, our PCs encountered another group that had an opposed mission to ours - we both needed the MacGuffin, we were both convinced that our cause was right. But despite our best efforts, no agreement could be reached... so regretfully, a fight started, and our party's destructive power obliterated them, making the victory feel even worse...

 

[payn]

I've been thinking a lot about that lately. I do enjoy my violence in D&D, but I feel that one of the problems in north america is the glorification of violence. Why is batman fighting crime instead of oh, I don't know, using his massive resources to help alleviate societal problems (which often lead to crime...)?

In a recent session, our PCs encountered another group that had an opposed mission to ours - we both needed the MacGuffin, we were both convinced that our cause was right. But despite our best efforts, no agreement could be reached... so regretfully, a fight started, and our party's destructive power obliterated them, making the victory feel even worse...

Yeah thats tough to do in a timeframe of a batman movie. Its a little more focused on political intrigue and exposition which isn't exciting to alot of gamers. Negotiating a compromise is a likely end to that scenario, but often either the PCs or the GM doesnt want to do that. Often times neither do. So, instead they just take out the opposition. Rinse and repeat.

Currently, I'm running a sandbox in Traveller. The area of space the PCs are engaging in is a buffer zone between to massive empires. The systems and cultures in this zone are exploited and overlooked because of what the have to offer. The PCs have to engage in a series of capers to help gain their independence and get the resources they need to develop. It takes time and effort and you cant just simply go kill a guy and solve the problems.

 

[wedgeski]

The purpose of the stories isnt to examine the powerful and behind the curtain of their actions, its to warn people about their choices and consequences of certain actions.

Which would seem to make The Boyz the perfect modern incarnation of those myths.

 

[payn]

Which would seem to make The Boyz the perfect modern incarnation of those myths.

I'd say far from perfect. The characters in The Boyz rarely, if ever, face any consequences for their actions.

 

[Reynard]

I'd say far from perfect. The characters in The Boyz rarely, if ever, face any consequences for their actions.

Are you watching the same show I am?

 

[Scott Christian]

I don't see this any more or less then people wanting to play merlin, drizzt, or a generic master swordsman... I often have to remind 1 player in particular that "You can't write the entire campaign into your 3rd level back story"

That is a great DM line.

1st, any character can beat any character it is up to the writer...
the big VS arguments often bore me because I could imagine a cross over where Mole Man and Kite Man team up and in the 1st act take down the combined forces of the JLA and Avengers. Would it be hard to write...yes, is it impossible no.
So can Robin beat superman? if the story calls for it yes.

True, it is up to the writer. But writers follow the logical consistency (most of the time) of the world their characters are in. So are there exceptions? Sure. Do many readers roll their eyes when the exception occurs? Sure. And I would argue in fantasy it is even stricter than the superhero realm. It's why Drizzt has never lost a fight to a goblin.

I laugh cause when useing little to no down time I have had PCs I have played go from 2nd or 3rd level (we rarely start at 1st) to 16th+ level in a month or two of game time.

infact playing through curse of strahd we left the FR at level 1, played over a year, but in game it was 6 1/2 weeks... killed strahd, did a ritual to cleanse Vympre... and got back to the realms level 15. To the bartender at the bar we started at we went on a month and a half camping trip as basic peons and came back super powers...

This sounds great. I really-really appreciate that style of play. But can we at least agree that it is not the norm? It's why most campaigns end before eighth level - it takes a long time (for most).

even that... who is to say hulk isn't a 3rd level frenzy bezerker barbarian with a rolled 18 str... don't make him angry you wont like him when he's angry?

With respect, the comic and movie lore say he isn't a third level barbarian. Everything he does is epic, from holding up an entire mountain for days in Secret Wars to literally pummeling a god into submission in the movies.