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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ptolemy18" data-source="post: 2776933" data-attributes="member: 24970">Hello everybody,I'm running a no-alignments game, so I'm used to player-characters behaving in some fairly "evil" ways (in the sense of self-centeredness). However, I'd like to get them involved in some real moral dilemmas which will force them to basically either choose between good & evil.(I'm not running a no-alignments game *so* the PCs can be evil and self-centered... I just like the moral ambiguity... but for instance, look at the average Call of Cthulhu game; there's no alignments in Call of Cthulhu either but the adventures generally all work around the concept that the PCs are willing to act 'good.' I guess D&D just brings out people's evil side.) <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> For an example of the PCs' shameless behavior....* The PCs get in a fight with three NPCs who they know are semi-bad guys (they're working with a bandit lord).* After a brief fight in which none of the PCs are injured, one of the NPCs is killed, one is knocked unconscious, and the other one surrenders. The PCs accept the surrender of the still-conscious NPC.* The still-conscious NPC says "I say, would you mind healing my unconscious companion before he dies of blood loss?"* One of the PCs goes over and breaks the unconscious PC's neck.Here's where it gets really weird... after talking to the surviving NPC (who has a high Bluff skill and is being very, very accomodating to his captors), they actually seem to be inclined to WORK WITH HIM and TRY TO MAKE HIM AN ALLY. But of course, for his own part, he will be waiting for any opportunity to brutally kill the PCs in return for their callous killing of his companion. If they're dumb enough IC and OOC to forget that they killed one of this guy's friends in cold blood, then maybe they'll get the point when he coup-de-graces one of them while they're sleeping and runs off.Personally, I think this kind of setup is pretty frickin' perfect, since it seems to follow realistic human behavior & motivations, and I don't have to have anything blatantly supernatural & unfair happen, yet it punishes the PCs for being evil. (Of course, I'm not saying this is definitely gonna happen... the guy might not get the drop on the PCs after all... etc.) I guess the lesson is "NPCs have feelings too." <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> If they were mean enough to kill somebody just because he's an NPC, then they will SUFFER! THE FOOLS! MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!... cough... *ahem*(Rest assured that I don't spend *all* my sessions trying to punish the PCs for immoral behavior...) <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />But anyway... I want to see how far the PCs will go down the path of evil. I'm trying to come up with a situation where they have to make a choice between "Do we do the easy/convenient route and commit a horribly evil deed, or do we actually make a sacrifice to do a good deed for some NPC?"Basically, it's entrapment. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> Heh. I guess I could just have them hired to kill somebody who's obviously innocent. Any other ideas?Jason</blockquote>

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