General Discussion Thread IX

[Bront]

That's an interesting take, Bront. It does make sense in some ways, but then I have to ask, would it have been different if a party of NPC bounty hunters showed up?

(by the way, didn't I mention this to you a few weeks ago? I could swear I did)

Well, sorta, only in that PvP is quite likely to end in a player's death, while PC vs NPC may not.

And yes, and I said the same thing then.

 

[Rystil Arden]

I tend to think gunning for a PC--actively trying to kill him--is bad form, particularly when the PC isn't given choice. Though, it isn't against the rules. I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall listening to the rationale when the adventure was approved, though. Did this issue come up at all?

Give the party encounters they can overcome. If you're pitting two parties of PCs against each other, that just causes more problems.

Actively trying to kill a PC on the part of NPCs or metagame, do you mean? I would think that NPCs who have reason to want to see a PC brought in for justice (or even assassinated) were actually fairly typical in most campaigns, particularly living worlds. I think I understand the concern, which is (if I sense correctly) that if the bounty hunters were NPCs, then there is a chance that the PCs will win, and if both groups are are PCs, then some human-controlled party loses out. While I'm not convinced this will necessarily lead to the death of either side, I can see how that could be a concern.

As to adventure approval--like A Teacher for Laynie, this grew out of the 'NPC on adventure comes back to the RDI and PCs possibly organise an adventure' category. So like aTfL, it was a part of IA and thus never approved. And of course, thankfully, Laynie was convinced that getting people to come after Scun was not the best thing to do next

 

[Rystil Arden]

Yes, that's different. If you send in 3 20th level bounty hunter NPCs, you're good to go with the pvp rule. 3 first level PCs would be a no-no, though. The pvp is entirely an out-of-game issue, completely seperate from any sort of game balance.

If the players don't want to get involved in pvp, you might want to have a team of npcs walk into the RDI and outbid the players on taking the job.

I figure it will be more interesting (and more likely to go somewhere I haven't expected) if it is PCs rather than NPCs, since PCs tend to do things that are more unexpected, but I am certainly open to the fact (and partially expecting, really) that a PC group may never be assembled. BigB's goblin would be veeery interesting for this, though, I think.

 

[BigB]

I am not sure what RA has in mind here. He has stated the possibility of the roleplay leading to PC bounty hunters changing sides so to speak. If Jdvn1 is against PvP and this is what it is leading into perhaps it is better to use NPC's. If there will be info available or some experience that the PC bounty hunters learn to make them change their minds I would be ok with even turning against NPC bounty hunters whom still go after the bounty. Like I said Im not sure where this is going but I do not wish to put anyone in an uncomfortable position.

 

[Rystil Arden]

I am not sure what RA has in mind here. He has stated the possibility of the roleplay leading to PC bounty hunters changing sides so to speak. If Jdvn1 is against PvP and this is what it is leading into perhaps it is better to use NPC's. If there will be info available or some experience that the PC bounty hunters learn to make them change their minds I would be ok with even turning against NPC bounty hunters whom still go after the bounty. Like I said Im not sure where this is going but I do not wish to put anyone in an uncomfortable position.

I'm confident that both groups can interweave in a way that is interesting, but I am not sure that it won't lead, at least eventually, to a player vs player conflict (though I'm also not sure that it will). Whatever the case, what I can say for sure is that I don't expect significantly more PC casualties than if the PC bounty hunter group never materialises.

(KO, if you want to waive all possible slim remaining chance to enter your third character into this, I can outline what I have in mind)

 

[Velmont]

If you send a bunch of NPC against a player, your know that:
- He has a chance to escape alive or
- He has a chance to kill his hunter.

Now, if you send a bunch of PC, he might (and should) react teh same way than if you send a bunch of NPC, which mean, if you kill an NPC who try to kill you, you would do teh same to a PC. I am not sure what you want to do, but you must keep that in mind.

I do it with my characters, and it is for that reason that Rinaldo use as much his sap than his rapier... I really need a merciful weapon, I would stop to waste time at switching from one weapon to another.

 

[Rystil Arden]

If you send a bunch of NPC against a player, your know that:
- He has a chance to escape alive or
- He has a chance to kill his hunter.

Now, if you send a bunch of PC, he might (and should) react teh same way than if you send a bunch of NPC, which mean, if you kill an NPC who try to kill you, you would do teh same to a PC. I am not sure what you want to do, but you must keep that in mind.

I do it with my characters, and it is for that reason that Rinaldo use as much his sap than his rapier... I really need a merciful weapon, I would stop to waste time at switching from one weapon to another.

And I'm sure the NPCs of Living ENWorld thank Rinaldo for it--heck, if everyone shared Rinaldo's sentiments and tried to do unto NPCs as they would do unto another PC or human being, LEW would be a happier kinder world, I think.

 

[Knight Otu]

(KO, if you want to waive all possible slim remaining chance to enter your third character into this, I can outline what I have in mind)

I thought I made my stance clear?

 

[Rystil Arden]

I thought I made my stance clear?

Just making sure--I hear I e-mailed my original adventure out to all the Judges when a few had characters who could have participated had I not E-mail pending.

 

[Rystil Arden]

E-mail sent. As you can see, it twists into the ongoing plot and is somewhat more complicated than it seems on the surface, but I think it should be at the least very interesting for all involved.