Halfling PC behaving like Kender

[mirzabah]

I say pop him on the head and use him for landmine disarmament. No matter how useless they are, you can always use them for landmine disarmament.

That's where you're wrong, buddy. 3E halflings are sooooo useless that they aren't even heavy enough to trip a landmine.

Cheers,
Mirzabah.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I'm actually surprised that the other players are taking this so badly, and getting so uptight about the situation.

In a SWd20 campaign I play in, I have a character who wantonly siphons off party funds into her own accounts, charmingly and diplomatically mentioning a lower figure from the transactions she has been performing for them.

All the players know what is going on, naturally, and they laugh at the PC with its particular "character flaw", pulled off with either panache or bald-faced cheek.

Assuming that the halfling is only stealing trinkets and nothing valuable (the prized magic ring, for instance), then what is the harm in that? A party could be adventuring together because the're, you know, friends? And prepared to overlook and laugh at a friends pecadillos and character foibles?

So Buttercup - in my opinion, I don't see that the player is "wrong" and deserving of being slapped down. Furthermore, to all the people who've chimed in on the thread about appropriate penalties for stealing being applied... most D&D is about committing violence to other beings and stealing their stuff, right?

Some of the best fiction deals with flawed heroes - and disagreements normally need one person to give offence and another to take offence. If the other party members decide not to take offence, where is the harm?

</ soapbox >

 

[Hypersmurf]

And prepared to overlook and laugh at a friends pecadillos and character foibles?

And if one of the dwarf's foibles is chopping the hands off anyone who touches his stuff? Shouldn't that be overlooked and laughed at as well?

Why should the halfling be allowed to violate the dwarf's personal rights, and not vice versa?

-Hyp.

 

[Plane Sailing]

And if one of the dwarf's foibles is chopping the hands off anyone who touches his stuff? Shouldn't that be overlooked and laughed at as well?

Why should the halfling be allowed to violate the dwarf's personal rights, and not vice versa?

well Duh, injury and agression is worse than theft

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

well Duh, injury and agression is worse than theft

So you don't; believe in punishing people for wrong behavior? the dwarf was only going to chop off the hand of the thief, if he stole some thing? so what should the party do . what would you do in real life if one of your friends ripped you off? would you still hang out with them, or would you call the law, and tell them to stay away/ why should PC be expected to act any differently then?
Ken

 

[Plane Sailing]

Gosh, there are some uptight people here today!

Have you never read Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser? Don't you separate a fantasy world from the real world?

 

[Buttercup]

A party could be adventuring together because the're, you know, friends?

Dude. Your friends steal from you, and you still think of them as friends? We live in remarkably different worlds, then.

If someone I called friend stole from me, I would never have anything to do with them again, at the very least. Depending on the value of the stolen goods, I might also press charges.

And were I living in a lawless society, and possessed of the means to do so, I probably would cut off their hand, like the party's dwarf threatened to do. But then, that character is played by my husband, and we have the same outlook on life. No doubt that's why we've been married for 14 years.

 

[Buttercup]

Don't you separate a fantasy world from the real world?

I sure do. For one thing, there aren't dwarves, elves and halflings in the real world. For another, magic doesn't work.

But my players and I are interested in role playing in a world where things are at least just slightly rational. So every action has consequences.

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

Have you never read Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser? Don't you separate a fantasy world from the real world?

Yes I've read Fafhrd and the grey mouser, and there is to my mind a subtle difference between friends who practice a friendly rivalry, and understand the game they are playing and a person who takes something from me, and I tell them not to do it again and they keep doing it. Yes fantasy world and real world are different, but should the psychology of the character be that much different? If the party doesn't; have a problem with it, that is fine but from the initial post it seemed to be that th party did have a problem with the thief's behavior. In the games we play in I as a player assume the thief will skim a little off the top, but my characters depending upon their personalities may re act differently to proof that one of my partners had been skimming off the top.
Ken

 

[Plane Sailing]

Very interesting, to see the differences in approach. I wonder if it reflects a national difference at all (as I'm UK)?

Doesn't really matter, after all. I'd no more try to insist that you saw things my way as expect that you'd do the same for me!

Not that this is your situation, but if my players and I were sitting around a table and one guy said "I'd like to play a rogue who is continually stealing little trinkets from everyone else - he doesn't mean to, but he is just a bit of a kleptomaniac" and everyone else said "OK, if that is the kind of character you would like to play I can live with that. It is not going to materially harm my character in any way after all" then everyone could get on and play the game with character personalities which they enjoy, recognising that they are participating in a group game experience which is fun for everyone.

Naturally, if one of the other players said "Not OK... I'd hate to adventure in a party where someone acted like that" then the first player would adjust his RPing plans accordingly (although around my gaming table the other players might wonder why someone would feel so strongly about this).

\cheers