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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ExploderWizard" data-source="post: 5275094" data-attributes="member: 66434">There can be a variety of reasons for the 'kill everything' style of play: 1) It's simple. Players don't have to worry about thinking too much. They just enjoy kicking in the door,killing and looting.  2) Players learned from past games that leaving anything alive just brings more grief and trouble than it's worth.  3) Players think that more killing results in better in-game rewards. If this is actually true, then change this answer to "Duh. Why not?"  If the main reason is #1 and it rubs your DMing style the wrong way then that's just plain old playstyle incompatibility. The other two reasons can be addressed and corrected in play. Why spare the villains? If the PC's are merciless toward the bad guys and that is upsetting your preferred style of game then assume the role of the PC's for a second and, based on their experience and knowledge, think of a good reason to show compassion or mercy.  Many villains are portrayed as rotten to the core, evil bastards with few if any redeeming qualities. Add on to that service to some inhuman vile demon or whatever and death seems like the only viable option to adventurers with half a brain.  Some of the best villains can be important and influential members of society that might actually do a great deal of good things apart from their nefarious activities. Crime bosses that have legitimate businesses, and employ a large number of regular people, give generous donations to charity, and sponsor medical centers and orphanages, are a perfect example. Sure they are evil, and do terrible things, but they also have a human side and perhaps even a family.  The point is, that these types of bad guys are not just two dimensional paper targets.  NPCs as people: Provide the players with a variety of NPC's to interact with that do not have ' make the PC's lives hell' as a top priority in their lives. The players need to know that interaction with an NPC can generate in-game rewards beyond the XP they may get for just killing them.  Once the ongoing, living NPC's can start generating better rewards than dead ones, the players will see the benefits of less killing firsthand. If you make the players regret sparing most of the lives they do then the killings will resume in short order.  Let the players see the effect that they have on people throughout the campaign. Perhaps that desparate thug the PC's let go changed his life and became an honest man. Later in the campaign this guy can reappear in a position to provide the PC's with much needed aid.</blockquote>

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