A moral dilemma amidst ice and snow--what would you have done?

[Plane Sailing]

I would go with Pielorinho's plan, not least since this statement was originally made

even the human residents--wild barbarians called vitlings, who are said to kill foreigners on sight.

Definitely worth testing the truth of that rumour IMO.

 

[ForceUser]

The fact that you said they surprised you tells me that they let the boy go and left the area. I'm guessing you had expected a fairly involved sidetrek as they took the fight to the cold ones and nipped the whole thing in the bud.

Bingo. They floored me by sidestepping the entire issue, and letting the boy wander off into the woods to die. That doesn't completely extricate them from the situation--the wolves are now hunting them for the slaying--but they quickly, and without much discussion or any expressed reservations, dumped the kid and continued on their way without so much as a backward glance. Surprised the hell out of me.

 

[ForceUser]

As for the kid running away... hell, even as a sacrifice, a kid is going to be scared when a winter wolf is coming right at him. I can't blame him for running.

And, for all we know, the "hunt" could be part of the sacrifice ritual.

Exactly.

 

[Enkhidu]

Bingo. They floored me by sidestepping the entire issue, and letting the boy wander off into the woods to die. That doesn't completely extricate them from the situation--the wolves are now hunting them for the slaying--but they quickly, and without much discussion or any expressed reservations, dumped the kid and continued on their way without so much as a backward glance. Surprised the hell out of me.

Considering the party makeup, I'd have been surprised too. The Snarwookins' self-serving nature's aside, you've got yourself a predominantly CG party, and CG parties positively thrive on helping the underdog. The fact that they usually have little respect for other' laws and cultures just feeds it.

As an aside, I'd likely make this come back and bite them, eventually, by taking the advice of one of the above posters and making the winter wolves and cold ones in cahoots, with each sacrifice becoming another one of the cold ones. If you do, then you suddenly have an all too familiar face as a very dangerous enemy (and one, coincidentally, with a greater degree of info on the party, making him even more dangerous).

 

[monboesen]

then you suddenly have an all too familiar face as a very dangerous enemy

Evil minds think alike

They floored me by sidestepping the entire issue, and letting the boy wander off into the woods to die.

But as I wrote you should not be so surprised. Especially if you have presented your world as gritty and in shades of grey.

In such games there aren't absolute right or wrong and players have to look at the big picture (even though some of them maybe should be bumbed an inch closer to neutral).

 

[ZuulMoG]

Wow. Lawful and Evil behavior from a CG party. I guess when it's on the line, it's every gnome for himself. At the very least, the cleric should have to atone.

 

[Pielorinho]

Wow. Lawful and Evil behavior from a CG party. I guess when it's on the line, it's every gnome for himself. At the very least, the cleric should have to atone.

I disagree. One interpretation of Chaotic Good is that everyone's free to choose their destiny, even if they're choosing a dumb, superstitious, self-destructive destiny, as this boy was doing.

That doesn't mean their choice can't come back to bite 'em in the butt, though.

Daniel

 

[John Morrow]

Deacon Jebeddo Nacklethorpe, a 6th-level NG male gnome cloistered cleric of Garl [...]

Xaephod Snarwookins the Fantabulous, a 6th-level CN male gnome illusionist [...]

Mrs. Snarwookins, a 6th-level N female gnome evoker [...]

Louis, a 6th-level CG aelfborn bard. [...]

Tharon, a 6th-level NG human psychic warrior from a distant land. [...]

Rurik the Trollborn, a 5th-level CG half-ogre fighter who can't seem to get rid of Frostmourne [...]

Looking just at the alignment, I'd assess the situation based on the RAW description of Good and Neutral on the Good to Evil axis:

"Good characters and creatures protect innocent life."

"'Good' implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. Good characters make personal sacrifices to help others."

"People who are neutral with respect to good and evil have compunctions against killing the innocent but lack the commitment to make sacrifices to protect or help others. Neutral people are committed to others by personal relationships."

The boy is "innocent life" and it would be difficult to argue that turning him into a prey animal for the wolves isn't an affront to his dignity. I'd argue that the Good characters were obliged to make personal sacrifices to help the boy or to at least argue in favor of helping him. Nobody ever said that being Good was easy or safe. Sounds like a perfectly reasonable response for the Neutral characters, though. And, no, this probably shouldn't turn into an alignment debate. I'm just giving you my thoughts on the matter.

 

[helium3]

The boy is "innocent life" and it would be difficult to argue that turning him into a prey animal for the wolves isn't an affront to his dignity. I'd argue that the Good characters were obliged to make personal sacrifices to help the boy or to at least argue in favor of helping him. Nobody ever said that being Good was easy or safe. Sounds like a perfectly reasonable response for the Neutral characters, though. And, no, this probably shouldn't turn into an alignment debate. I'm just giving you my thoughts on the matter.

Yeah, but this is where all the alignment stuff breaks down with this game. On the one hand, per alignment most of the characters should have wanted to help the small boy. But on the other hand, they knew that the challenge (based on what the DM has told them) was probably too much for them to handle without outside intervention. On the other other hand, this being D&D, the challenge being presented to the players probably has a solution unless the DM is a real jerk.

That's why I hate it when DM's force players into situations that require these kinds of alignment debates. Ultimately, the players have to make a decision that requires them to either do what their alignment dictates and die (if the challenge really is impossible) or expect to be bailed out by some as of yet unknown force that must exist for this to be a reasonable challenge. Either that or act in opposition to their alignment simply out self-preservation. Sure this is "realistic", but the game is also supposed to be about having fun. I for one, don't enjoy being put into impossible situations.

 

[ForceUser]

Yeah, but this is where all the alignment stuff breaks down with this game. On the one hand, per alignment most of the characters should have wanted to help the small boy. But on the other hand, they knew that the challenge (based on what the DM has told them) was probably too much for them to handle without outside intervention. On the other other hand, this being D&D, the challenge being presented to the players probably has a solution unless the DM is a real jerk.

That's why I hate it when DM's force players into situations that require these kinds of alignment debates. Ultimately, the players have to make a decision that requires them to either do what their alignment dictates and die (if the challenge really is impossible) or expect to be bailed out by some as of yet unknown force that must exist for this to be a reasonable challenge. Either that or act in opposition to their alignment simply out self-preservation. Sure this is "realistic", but the game is also supposed to be about having fun. I for one, don't enjoy being put into impossible situations.

To me, D&D is a storytelling adventure about heroes. I love presenting players with tough moral situations and watching what they choose to do. Sometimes I'm disappointed with their decisions, but sometimes they really impress me when they choose to be daring and selfless. For me, that is where the game comes alive--in those moments that player characters act like heroes. Many of my adventure hooks are structured to encourage heroic behavior, like the one presented above. Choosing to be a hero isn't easy, because choosing to put oneself in mortal danger--to place the welfare of a stranger over your own--isn't easy. If it were, then everyone would be a hero, not just those few selfless people like the NYFD and NYPD on 9/11.

But those are the best stories.

Thanks for the responses, all. Interesting commentary all around.