A PC who wont kill

[Psychic Warrior]

No Player I have ever had ever gimped themselves with the comic book code. The worlds D&D takes place in have a place for mercy, but utter refusal to kill is a mental sickness of the modern world that has little place in a world ruled by strenght of sword and spell.

Mental sickness?

Uh, ok.

Anyway a monk player in my game has a code against killing sentient life. He uses non-lethal damage to puthis opponents down (although occassionally other party members have killed an enemy he was fighting) but he has no compuctions about destroying undead, constructs or evil beings not of this world and other such creatures. Mind you with some of the feats he took he is much better dishing out non-lethal damage but still holds his own against undead and the like. He's actually one of the better fighters in the group with his enhanced speed and ability to drop spellcasters so easily.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Yeah, I know what the experience can be like. Not all bad, but. . .

Unless the players and GM are all fine with it, this is a type of character that can cause absolute havoc in (standard) fantasy games.

 

[WayneLigon]

But have you ever DMed for or played with, or played as a character who refused to kill Anyone. I mean, not even killing that evil to the core Drow, or even the rampaging Orc Warlord? Did the PC try to redeem these evil villains? If so, how did it go?

I've had (and played) PC's who would capture villains they thought they could hold, but I've never seen anyone play a character that would not kill under any circumstances.

 

[Agent Oracle]

I once had a monk in one of my games who wouldn't kill. He'd destroy outsiders, constructs, or undead, but if it was alive he'd go nonlethal.

I was a monk who did the same thing.. I had a bag of holding with ten pairs of masterwork manacles and heavy-duity chain.

 

[Vrecknidj]

I've played two characters that were this way. One was a psionicist (from 1e and 2e days), and one was a LG fighter who hoped and dreamed of some day becoming a paladin.

Both were a great challenge to play. The fighter came from a very backward area and he was almost perpetually afraid of being under-prepared so he always carried as much gear as he possibly could (making him a serious drain on the party's speed). And then, when the fight broke out, even though he was the tough guy, he'd always refuse to do anything beyond subdual damage. He'd get really upset when another character finished off someone he'd been working on knocking out. It was a blast.

Dave

 

[Nomad4life]

I had an adept/medic player in a Shadowrun game who refused to kill anyone. He could beat the snot out of them, of course, and he flung stun grenades around like beads at Mardi Gras. He just would just not kill (for very good RP reasons.) Interestingly, he was one of the few characters who survived that campaign, as he wasn’t a target of corporate reprisal killings after a ROYALY botched mission in the end.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

When my wife first started learning to play, she didn't want to kill, so she created an enchantress. She charmed people or put them to sleep, but would not kill (but had no issue with the rest of us doing it). Then one adventure, the rest of the party had been dropped and she had no choice but to kill the final foe or be killed. She scored a critical, the DM described the strike in detail and my wife's reaction was, "...cool!" She became a bloodthirsty little thing after that.

 

[lukelightning]

The problem is that if the rest of the party has no problem killing there could be tension if this pacifist refuses to allow them to kill their enemies, and I wouldn't allow them in my party if they insisted on controlling the other PCs actions.

And if this pacifist doesn't care if the rest of the party kills, then the vow is kind of irrelevant.

Pacifist cleric: "I refuse to kill my enemies!" *Hold Person*
Rogue: "Thanks for the assist, Pelorboy!" *coup de grace*

 

[Black Omega]

I've played characters with no kill codes for years. All in Champions. It was alot of fun. I can imagine it would be...interesting in DnD but would not suit my style.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Not in D&D. As a DM, I don't think I'd allow it -- too annoying for everyone else, and not a good fit for how I run my game.

I'd have no problem with it in a supers game; it'd be part of the genre, there.