D&D 5E (2014) Paladin just committed murder - what should happen next?

[FrogReaver]

The only bad choice is not choosing!

I would say the only obviously not good choice was just handing over the NPC.

The point I was making in the post you replied to was that players make bad choices all the time. I forgot sarcasm doesn't work well on forums.

 

[Hussar]

Then players must never make any bad choices

Well, there's the rub isn't it? The player makes a choice based, not on what's in the DM's mind, but, what's in the player's mind and how the player understands the situation. A "bad" choice generally comes from a position of knowledge that the player doesn't have. The player doesn't know that he could negotiate with the dragon. He apparently doesn't recognize that as an option.

So, is it a bad choice or not to not negotiate when you don't know that negotiation is possible?

 

[FrogReaver]

Depends on which movie universe. Old Kirk talked about getting a commendation and almost thrown out with order to never talk about it. IIRC (and I may not since I didn't like the movie) new Kirk got a commendation and a command right out of school. Who gets that? No one! No one gets that!

Have we really fallen so low that we are going to quibble about a Kobyashu Maru fictional example so much that it matters which universe it's set in... seriously?

 

[Nagol]

I would say the only obviously not good choice was just handing over the NPC.

The point I was making in the post you replied to was that players make bad choices all the time. I forgot sarcasm doesn't work well on forums.

Pulling on the dragon, getting yourself and the NPC killed and having the world destroyed pretty much ranks 'bad' in my book.

 

[FrogReaver]

Well, there's the rub isn't it? The player makes a choice based, not on what's in the DM's mind, but, what's in the player's mind and how the player understands the situation. A "bad" choice generally comes from a position of knowledge that the player doesn't have. The player doesn't know that he could negotiate with the dragon. He apparently doesn't recognize that as an option.

So, is it a bad choice or not to not negotiate when you don't know that negotiation is possible?

Maybe. You do things to find out if it's possible. If after those things you still don't know or now know it isn't then try a different approach to solving the problem.

 

[Nagol]

Well, there's the rub isn't it? The player makes a choice based, not on what's in the DM's mind, but, what's in the player's mind and how the player understands the situation. A "bad" choice generally comes from a position of knowledge that the player doesn't have. The player doesn't know that he could negotiate with the dragon. He apparently doesn't recognize that as an option.

So, is it a bad choice or not to not negotiate when you don't know that negotiation is possible?

Yes it is a bad choice. One should try talking. It won't hurt.

That said, it's not necessarily an obvious choice to pursue in the heat of the moment when faced with a losing situation.

 

[FrogReaver]

Pulling on the dragon, getting yourself and the NPC killed and having the world destroyed pretty much ranks 'bad' in my book.

But that wasn't bound to happen... Giving the NPC to the dragon was bound to get him eaten.

 

[Nagol]

The situation was winnable. The DM even provided his preaccepted solution.

You can win this discussion with me: I even have a prescripted solution! My bet is you won't find it!

 

[FrogReaver]

You can win this discussion with me: I even have a prescripted solution! My bet is you won't find it!

Maybe if you didn't reply to my responses to other people so antagonistically

 

[Nagol]

But that wasn't bound to happen... Giving the NPC to the dragon was bound to get him eaten.

Was it? Is the dragon real? Is it all just a test? Does the dragon really want to eat the man or rescue a confederate? Or maybe the man knows something and the dragon needs the information! Maybe the dragon actually wants to help the man but doesn't think anyone will believe that in his current colour. Who knows?