Pain Effects

[Luguolo]

Hey, I was just reading up in the Book of Vile Darkness, and one of my players took an effect that gives them a bonus to avoid pain effects. I was curious what falls under a pain effect. i hope you guys can help me cause i have NO idea.

 

[coyote6]

I don't think "pain effect" is a well-defined term in 3.x; you probably have to play it by ear, and go by the description of effects.

Regarding the edit, shoot them in the back of the head; death should be nigh-instantaneous, no "freaking out".

However, posting your intention to commit homicide is probably a bad idea, though I'm sure the police will find it very helpful in convicting you after the fact.

 

[ValhallaGH]

*edit* and if anyone wants to help, i am trying to figure out the best way to kill a player without them freaking out on me.

Fast poison, knife in the neck, or gunshot to the brain-pan are your best bets.
The key to killing folks without freaking them out is to make the entire event a surprise. They shouldn't even be aware that they are in danger (this is why sleepy-time is a good choice), and you should use a method that kills them before they can realize anything is happening.
Of course, killing your friends (or even just players) is terribly rude, highly illegal, and shouldn't be done.

Now, when it comes to killing characters, the real deciding factors are 1) maturity of player, 2) method of demise.
1) Some players cannot stand to have a character killed. Ever.
Other players have so many character ideas that they really don't mind losing a character every couple of sessions, since it gives them a chance to play something different.
Decide which kind you're dealing with, and how much "freak-out" you're willing to deal with. That will give you an idea of how mature the player is and how careful you'll have to be during the killing.
2) For most players, how their characters die is crucial to how accepting the player is. Going out heroically, as part of a great battle against evil; dying in a cool, stylish, and very final way; making a heroic sacrifice; all can work tremendously well, especially if it feels climactic. Suddenly knocking their heads off with a random and nameless giant is a lot less cool.
For your purposes, the real trick will be to make it seem fair, instead of looking like you're trying to kill the character. This will be especially challenging since you are trying to kill the character.

Good luck.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I don't think there's an actual definition of a "pain" effect in 3.5. You might just have to play it by ear: if the description refers specifically to pain being the reason for a given effect/penalty.

- BoVD p.81 describes a Pain domain, the power and spells of which likely qualify as "pain" effects.
- Symbol of Pain and the psionic Inflict Pain cause "wracking pain" that results in the target suffering -4 on attack rolls, skill checks and ability checks.
- The incorporeal instability attack of the chaos beast in part refers to a "searing pain" that...

...courses along the nerves, so strong that the victim cannot act coherently. The victim cannot cast spells or use magic items, and it attacks blindly, unable to distinguish friend from foe (-4 penalty on attack rolls and a 50% miss chance, regardless of the attack roll).

- psionic power Painful Strike cause extra pain, dealing an extra 1d6 non-lethal damage.
- Pipes of Pain leave the victim "stricken by intense pain at even the slightest noise", which deals damage and makes the victim shaken-- though maybe a DM could consider this a sonic effect, rather than a pain effect?

There doesn't seem to be a defnitive answer, so I'd just carefully look at an effect's description to make sure a result specifically comes from Pain, and not merely a painful condition (like an injury, disease or whatnot). Sounds tough, good luck

btw, I'd suggest killing the player's character, not the player. You'll have a stronger case in court.

 

[Dross]

2) For most players, how their characters die is crucial to how accepting the player is. Going out heroically, as part of a great battle against evil; dying in a cool, stylish, and very final way; making a heroic sacrifice; all can work tremendously well, especially if it feels climactic. Suddenly knocking their heads off with a random and nameless giant is a lot less cool.
For your purposes, the real trick will be to make it seem fair, instead of looking like you're trying to kill the character. This will be especially challenging since you are trying to kill the character.

I agree with this, try to make it so the player decides the sacrifice is something the PC would do (not easy in many cases).

Although I have to ask why you would want to deliberately kill a particular PC (because the player is being a pain??).

 

[Luguolo]

I don't think "pain effect" is a well-defined term in 3.x; you probably have to play it by ear, and go by the description of effects.

Regarding the edit, shoot them in the back of the head; death should be nigh-instantaneous, no "freaking out".

However, posting your intention to commit homicide is probably a bad idea, though I'm sure the police will find it very helpful in convicting you after the fact.

well atleast someone has a sence of humor lol, i worked it out, made a spell caster watch him murder his team mates and focus on him while he was in a web. thanks for the pain thing though, i am trying to figure it out so they dont feel like it was a waste.

*edit* i am killing him because he was an orc barbarian with 22 str and a ton of armor. my encounters were 2 or 3 CR above the party, and he was almost always killing them solo, and i couldnt balance him with subtraction creatures, i tried wights, driving him insane with a wendigo, and a few other tricks, but it didnt work. so instead, i had them go on a quest, and while he was trying to save a team mate, his rage ended, leaving him tired and weak, a very likely target. so it seemed more fair in death.

 

[Dandu]

*edit* i am killing him because he was an orc barbarian with 22 str and a ton of armor. my encounters were 2 or 3 CR above the party, and he was almost always killing them solo, and i couldnt balance him with subtraction creatures, i tried wights, driving him insane with a wendigo, and a few other tricks, but it didnt work.

Really? Really? You couldn't handle a tier three class? Here's a hint, go to the part in the PHB labeled "Spells" and cast one of them. Perhaps Grease. Or Web. Or Resilient Sphere.

 

[Luguolo]

Correcting my error

 

[Dandu]

did i say i couldnt handle it? i

*edit* i am killing him because he was an orc barbarian with 22 str and a ton of armor.

This is not the way to handle the issue unless you want to hurt feelings.

no i am doing it because it isnt fair to the rest of the party, and i TRIED those, but he has a team that doesnt leave him to die

Why are you fixated n him dying? Can't you just incapacitate him?

, and if i make a scene SPECIFICALLY to kill him, he is going to get mad. and if you read, i managed to kill him off

when you say "I am killing him", it implies that you haven't quite done it yet.

dont talk to me like i am some moron

Would you consider using proper grammar? It makes the process much easier.

i am here for stability, not a quick easy kill.

Emotional stability, or...?

 

[Luguolo]

Correcting my error