OMG! The PCs are murderers! Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh

[Dausuul]

This happens? Regularly enough to be an example? And outside of comics like KotDT? I mean, I assume it happens somewhere, but does it happen to everyone and I'm just missing out?

I've seen it a few times, although usually from novice players and/or evil-aligned parties.

It would horrify me, mostly because the PC's turning criminal would probably lead to a very short campaign unless the PC's were really high level and could survive what a nation could throw at them (including rival mercenaries).

A whole nation? Seems a touch excessive for a case of attempted murder. I'd have the town watch come after them, certainly, but if they had the sense to skedaddle and not come back to that particular burg, that'd be as far as it went.

Of course, PCs with that kind of sense don't usually try to murder people in public to start with. If they tried to stand their ground and make a fight of it, they'd soon be fighting the whole town. If they slaughtered the town, then it would start escalating...

 

[Crothian]

Does it really matter if the pcs are considered good guys or bad guys?

Yes, it does. Campaigns run differently depending who the PCs are and NPCs react differently when meeting them.

 

[Derren]

PCs are murderers.
That carries about as much information as "Water is wet".

D&D is build around the PCs mudering pretty much anything they come across.

 

[rgard]

Anybody know if there is a 3.x update of this module?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Crothian]

Satlmarsh is presented in DMG2 but I don't recall any official updates to the module. It would be really easy to convert though.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

D&D is build around the PCs murdering pretty much anything they come across.

Murder?

I love it when folks try to apply modern, civilized mores (and legal constructs) to D&D.

A closer analogy would be the lawless frontier towns of the Wild West. Those with power set the rules. Life is cheap.

Even so, the common folk will quickly get a feel for whether or not the PCs are on the side of right or not, by reputation alone. If the local drunk picks a fight with the PCs and ends up dead, the reaction is far more likely to be a shrug than a hangin'.

 

[Scott DeWar]

What about every time a PC gets into a "fist fight" in a tavern, and chooses to use a weapon or spell against the unarmed drunk instead of using his fists like the drunk is doing? Even if the PC doesn't kill the guy, isn't that attempted murder? Of course, I'd just claim the guy is a monk and his fists are lethal weapons

PCs do a lot of questionable things and are still called heroes. I get a kick out of seeing players do this type of stuff as if it's completely normal

This gives me a great idea though. I'd love to suck a PC into a bar fight with a drunk and if the PC pulls out a weapon, then the drunk would say, "Oh *hicup*, using a blade in a fist fight huh? *hicup* Ok then, let's tangle..." as he pulls out a sword. He turns out to be the town drunk who happens to also be the local weapon master.

that sounds like a book sieries (the barbed coil, i think) where one of the heros is a sword master named capio, a 'purvayer of fine wines' (iirc), just to let you know ... in case you may need some inspiration on that idea.

 

[Sanzuo]

Chances are your PCs are murderers anyway. D&D character's modus operandi are basically breaking and entering, murder and theft.

I can't remember the last time someone in my regular group made a "good" character.

 

[falcarrion]

Yes, it does. Campaigns run differently depending who the PCs are and NPCs react differently when meeting them.

My point was if everyone is having fun it really doesn't matter.
Of course campaigns run dfferently depending on pc and npc reactions. You can have the same group run through the same campaign and it will never be the same. Thats what makes this game so much fun.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Chances are your PCs are murderers anyway. D&D character's modus operandi are basically breaking and entering, murder and theft.

I can't remember the last time someone in my regular group made a "good" character.

Not quite D&D (but D20/OGL), I took to calling my recently ended Steampunk/Spycraft game 'Scoobypunk' - There was no doubt that they were the good guys, and that there was a mystery to solve, gang! (Not my doing, either - they just gravitated towards it. No fatalities in combat, only three combats, spread over 18 levels - two of them fisticuffs, and a great scene avoiding combat that involved ballroom dancing, two partner swaps, and some minor illusion magic. Even the Soldier actively sought ways to avoid battle....)

The Auld Grump, the whole nihilistic edge of steampunk went *poof!*