Killing things or taking their stuff?

[Angel Tarragon]

Stuff is only good because it makes you better at killing more things.

So what does the chicken have to do with it? Or does slaying it allow you to enter a hidden level full of chicken-esque goodies?

 

[Bloodstone Press]

Personally, I go for killing things. Taking their stuff has instrumental value, as it will improve my characters chances of killing more things later, but killing things is the big payoff. So I guess killing things has instrinsic value, and if there was no stuff to take I wouldn't be that put out as long as there were other ways to improve my chances of killing bigger, badder things later.

I agree completely. If you took away the taking of stuff, I'd still like to kill things. But without killing things, taking stuff would become boring and repetitive. What challenge or fun would there be in that?

 

[MonsterMash]

Other - depends on edition - if treasure gives XP then it becomes more important, but in 3e kill them all - after all that 1st level commoner could be worth XP.

 

[S'mon]

For me it's definitely all about the killing things, preferably with the ancestral blade (3e Bastard Sword, 3.5e: Greatsword, natch) handed down from my forefathers... I loved playing Midnight where there's loads of Killing but almost no Stuff.

 

[Zappo]

I go for taking their stuff. Killing things has instrumental value, as it is only done in order to take their stuff later, but taking their stuff is the big payoff. So I guess taking their stuff has instrinsic value, and if there were no things to kill I wouldn't be that put out as long as there were other ways to acquire bigger, better stuff later.

Also, if you took away the killing of things, I'd still like to take stuff. But without taking stuff, killing things would become boring and repetitive. What challenge or fun would there be in that?

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I like both...

Killing stuff is fun. Especially if it's orc children.

Taking stuff is good. But only if it's good stuff. Orc childrens sweets and toys are not worth the effort.


Mmm. Where did I put my copy of 'Blood'?

 

[NimrodvanHall]

i say take their stuff!
all their stuff, bodies includes.
when you come home with your loot, put it all on one big table, kill (torture) the thing with its own stuff. after that animate it and ask:"what did we learn from all this?" if it does not give The correct answer(tm) kill them again. if they do give the correct answer send them ou to lure new things with stuff to you

 

[Hand of Evil]

It just does not matter as long as you are having fun while doing it. It is all about fun.

 

[diaglo]

Overcoming obstacles is where it's at...

 

[Numion]

A good display of firepower combined with tactics for a nice kill .. thats essential to D&D.

Looting is also nice, but it requires less participation. You just scoop up the valuables into your device of holding. Very nice, very useful, but not as exciting.

So I'd say killing is more important