Should the DM "kill" a character?

[Hypersmurf]

Now if your orcs have a habit of sticking a sword etc into dead corpses in the middle of combat, then sure, that action is fine. But I think that action isn't going to be that common. Orcs and most monsters are going to make sure there are no more threats before CdG'ing dead people.

I've started doing that while Raging Particularly on a Full Attack - I don't wait to see the outcome of my first attack before deciding between a second attack or a move action, I just roll all my attacks at once

-Hyp.

 

[BASHMAN]

The DM was right. I once had the same thing happen, when a pack of velocoraptors attacked the party. Everyone was pissed when instead of attacking the next able PC, one of the pack members carried a downed PC away, while the others fought the party. That PC got eaten-- but the velocoraptors were TRYING to eat them!

Just like those orcs were TRYING to kill the party!

I once had a DM in AD&D who was viscious. And we loved it. I once walked into a session late--as soon as I walked in: "make a save verses death or die!"... "hello?" I died. I was hit by a poison arrow. (As soon as I showed up, my character was now fair game for attacks). Later, after being raised, we had still another, worse thing happen. The party encountered an enemy wizard who was there to deliver a message from the arch nemesis-- He incidentally detected a thief in the party sneaking up on him. He turned to the thief and calmly said, "Let me show you something my master taught me"-- and Power Word Killed his @$$. No saving throw. Dead.

The fact is that enemies who are evil, are EVIL! They will kill you! And why not? You certainly try to kill them often enough! Look, if there were no peril involved, would this game be any fun?

 

[res]

I don't have a problem with an "enemy" attacking someone whos down and unconsious. In fact, I've never really viewed unconsious as being actually knocked out, but just severly wounded and you're incapacitated. Look in movies like Lord of the Rings when a guy is dieing is still awake but can't defend himself. An orc there never hesitated to stop and hit him again.

But, because the PCs are supposed to be heros and not the "extra" that was killed by some urk-hi I'd give them a chance to save their comrad. If a bad guy drops him in one round to the negitives, I'd make it clear right away that the orc/goblin/whatever is preparing to Coup des Grace their friend. This gives them a round to do something to save the character from their impending doom.

We have similar situations with monsters with Grapple attacks. Some huge creature might grab a PC who has no Escape Artist and has no chance of winning a grapple check. The rest of the party can now attack the monster and risk striking their friend, or they can stand and watch their guy be squeezed to death. Its a real bad situation to put the PCs in as a DM, but it does keep them from getting over-confident and keeps the fear of death in them.

 

[Bismark]

In spite of the common misconception that it's unrealistic for monsters to leave unconscious PCs alive, it is technically more realistic for them to move on to more threatening opponents as the situation dictates.

Unless this is stated as a rule somewhere pertaining to monsters in general, I'd like to submit that you are talking out of your ass. This is a dismissal of several people's opinions (ie, that it is not unrealistic), and since I don't know of any real life monster authorities to clear it with, I'm going to leave it in the realm of opinion. Stating it is a misconception as some sort of fact is...just kinda weird.

Personally, I would love it if my DM did this to my character. That is hard-core. If you didn't want to die adventurer, you shoulda stuck at home. Playing D&D, we're already coddled with all the raise dead options. It's like playing a videogame.

 

[sellars]

The question kinda surprised me. In our campaign the characters had to learn the hard way that the world is a dangerous place, and that they can't beat every encounter.

Characters die, it's as simple as that.

I think a certain amount of players vs. DM flavour in the game isn't bad either, if it leads the characters to use better tactics in fighting to beat the DM at his own game. (of course this applies mainly to combat). That way it could be more fun for the DM to play, and more challenging (hence more fun) for the players as well. Everybody wins (excepth that cleric who died, but you can't have them all can you )

Looking from the orcs' perspective, probably it was agreed upon in the first place to take out anything that wears a robe and bears a cross, because those make the fighters last a good deal longer (otherwise known as "GO FOR THE CLERIC").

Oh, and I don't believe that orcs should follow a morality that a DM gives them that includes being nice to PCs or pick flowers.

 

[ThoughtBubble]

Here's my question. Did the orc know and understand that the PC was a cleric and what that entailed?

'Cause if he did, then I'm fine with it. You kill the healers DEAD. Otherwise you're going to have to fight the same guys 100 times as they're rejuvinated. If he didn't understand, then it does seem a little arbitrary and shocking.

 

[StalkingBlue]

Here's my question. Did the orc know and understand that the PC was a cleric and what that entailed?

'Cause if he did, then I'm fine with it. You kill the healers DEAD...

Good point.

I'll usually have NPC enemies move on to deal with the remaining threats after downing a foe, but that doesn't apply to foes identified as the major threat of the group.

Predator types IMC will usually stop to feed (further attacks that round or CDG next round) once they take someone down, unless immediately threatened by other opponents within melee range.

 

[sellars]

Here's my question. Did the orc know and understand that the PC was a cleric and what that entailed?

I see no reason at all why the orcs should be ignorant of this, I mean they *are* intelligent humanoids who probably fought humans, elves, dwarves or what have you before

 

[Faerl'Elghinn]

Unless this is stated as a rule somewhere pertaining to monsters in general, I'd like to submit that you are talking out of your ass. This is a dismissal of several people's opinions (ie, that it is not unrealistic), and since I don't know of any real life monster authorities to clear it with, I'm going to leave it in the realm of opinion. Stating it is a misconception as some sort of fact is...just kinda weird.

Personally, I would love it if my DM did this to my character. That is hard-core. If you didn't want to die adventurer, you shoulda stuck at home. Playing D&D, we're already coddled with all the raise dead options. It's like playing a videogame.

Excuse me, but I definitely believe that this statement qualifies as rude and uncalled-for. I won't defend the fact that I mistakenly forgot to add "IMHO", but IMHO, everyone- monsters, animals, oozes, whatever- comes equipped with a survival instinct. IMHO, this survival instinct would be telling him, "Go kill the guy who's trying to stick you with the pointy thing. Don't waste your time trying to mutilate the guy who's probably already dead..."

I will submit that I also added "as the situation dictates", meaning that a creature who didn't really have the option of doing anything else, whose party wasn't necessarily threatened, or who was content with its kill and ready to leave, would realistically go ahead and kill the character. I believe in killing characters- I just don't believe in doing it gratuitously and unrealistically. IMH, HO...

And yes, it is my opinion that it is a fact that the viewpoint you have championed is mistaken.

 

[sellars]

IMHO, this survival instinct would be telling him, "Go kill the guy who's trying to stick you with the pointy thing. Don't waste your time trying to mutilate the guy who's probably already dead..."

I really do believe that orcs are somewhat smarter than that. I don't see orcs as predators with an aminal-like intelligence. I think your average orc is able to reason and react at least as well as a large proportion of the inhabitants of this world, especially in combat situations.

At least that is the way I prefer to play my orcs against my PCs