A Respect Scenario To Consider

[Wik]

All I can think of is the Beatles. "Hey Jude" was written about Julian Lennon. So, I'd spent my time quoting Beatles' lyrics to this guy.

Because that's the type of player I am.

 

[Sorrowdusk]

Some of my characters have developed "names" for BBEG's, my characters tend to do it with anyone whom becomes their rival (in friendly or unfriendly manner). For example, IMC there was a wizard from an almost exstinct noble family. He and his sister were the only ones left in their line after the death of their parents. One of the other members of the party respected them and called them "Lord."

In contrast, my character came from a caste society and he left all that behind. He had self styled titles, but they were all things he had done and he didnt like most nobles because they didnt earn them. The wizards name was Lucius, but he always called him "Lucy" -which he (and actually his sister and said other party member didnt like.) To which he said "Dont direspect Lord Lucius like that-" to which I objected, "Lord of What? Lucy's a Lord of Nothing."

It never escalated to anything like the OP, but anytime PCs fight there is a major chance someone will die.

XD

My character was a Warlock/Hellfire Warlock Abyssal heritor whom Lucius called "Snake" because of his scaled skin so it went both ways.

 

[korjik]

Yes, in game characters.

Didn't know that, hasn't been telling you this.

I would give him an impromptu lession in interparty civility at the next convienent time. Should he survive the fall, and realize that pulling the weapon was a bad idea, then the issue would be settled.

I would be calling him Julian tho...

If I even had a hint that it wasnt over at that point, I would leave his immolated remains for the local scavengers.

 

[hafrogman]

See, it's kind of funny to consider. . . If this HAD been about players, and not characters, the one universal response would be "stop associating with the guy at all." Don't call him Chase, don't call him Julian, don't talk to him at all, don't go near him, and don't go to places where you know he'll be, etc.

So why should your character's response be any different? Ah, the good of the game, right. Honestly, I don't like characters who draw weapons on other characters. Kinda defeats the point of the game for me. But assuming you're stuck with Julian, my response would be to REALLY antagonize him.

Don't call him Chase, since that's offensive in his culture.
Call him something offensive in ALL cultures. springs to mind.

 

[Mircoles]

His character would never get the dagger to my throat and I'd kill him for just trying.

Threatening to kill me trumps me calling him by his last name, regardless of his cultural taboos.

 

[kitsune9]

I'm probably reading waaaaaay too much into this given little information, but here's my take (with added info!).

Player A (Julian Chase) decides that in his character's culture he would become seriously insulted should Player B continues to call him by his last name that he reacts angrily through the threat of violence. This makes for interesting scene of tension in a movie or book, but tends to come off awkward or as doofus-like if it's just out of the blue with no clue to the player and character to expect such a reaction.

For example, if the players know (metagame) the fact that Julian's culture would be offended and roleplays a character who is ignorant of it, then that's an interesting or normal scene to rp out. I know if I was the offending character, then I would then roleplay out the appropriate reaction and move on.

However, if the players don't know that Julian's culture would be seriously offended and obviously roleplaying a character who was ignorant of it, then as a player of the offending character, my first reaction to player A would be, "Dude WTF?!? How would I know that your culture would be offended? I didn't take Mind Reading 101 y'know." To me, it falls under the same kind of boorish behavior as a PC who just attacks another PC because "I'm chaotic neutral, it's my alignment dude."

Of course, I'm also speaking from the standpoint that the campaign is about a group dynamic as well. Maybe if we're all rp'ing jerks, cutthroats, or scum then that kind of outburst would be more of the norm than the exception.

I know, I know...probably read too much into this.

 

[BryonD]

I don't see how anyone can answer this.
Obviously the character we are playing already exists and is involved in the action, and yet you have not told us anything about his person, background or history with the other character.

 

[Diamond Cross]

Because I prefer to keep things simple and am not beholding to a ream of paper to describe a black carpenter ant. It actually says more about people who get impatient and upset at these kinds of questions and demanding this kind of level of details than the person who asks it.

 

[Cyronax]

Because I prefer to keep things simple and am not beholding to a ream of paper to describe a black carpenter ant. It actually says more about people who get impatient and upset at these kinds of questions and demanding this kind of level of details than the person who asks it.

Brevity for simple questions is not something a good number of responders are known for on these boards. (I'm guilty of this too).

Anyway, in this situation, if I were playing the PC with the knife to their throat, I'd probably back down and figure out the situation. If I wanted to regain my 'face' over his aggression, I'd challenge him openly at a later date. That, or I'd merely say that "the next time you draw your weapon on me, there will be blood -- Julian."

C.I.D.

 

[Coldwyn]

So let's say a member of your party is named Julian Chase. Along the way you get in the habit of calling him Chase.

He doesn't like it. He gets really upset with you. Then one day he shoves you against a wall and puts a dagger to your throat and says:

"Stop calling me that. In my culture it is considered extremely rude to call somebody by their last name, and only close friends are allowed to do so. You have not earned my friendship yet, so call me by my first name."

So, do you show him respect and back down and not call him by his last name or do you threaten him in someway and not show him any respect at all and risk never earning his friendship?

Well, first things first, I´d call for a little OOC time-out and talk with the other player and the gm about that stuff, whether it really is so, if it´s common knowledge, if my character could know all that and so on.
Based on the information given (and maybe the rolls I had to make for it), I´d react.

But to be fair, if I´d be an armed and dangerous guy and somebody would put a dagger to my throat, I´d respond by putting a dagger to his testicles and say "First off, , call me Mr. Coldwyn, as is custom in my land, second off, we use the word "please" in my culture and now put that ing dagger away and let´s talk, idiot".