D&D General The child stealing food to survive scenario, for alignment

[FrogReaver]

I would just end the conversation with flamestrike. All he is doing is reasserting the same thing repeatedly. There’s no value in that. We all have sufficiently countered it such that anyone undecided can reach an informed opinion.

 

[DnD Warlord]

Alignment is notnpersonality...

Some LG people are jerks. Some CE people are nice
Some LG people are understanding and compassionate....some are stern and strickt.

Alignment is not enough to choose.


I could see being LG and stopping the child. I could see being LG and letting child go just to go pay for the food. I could see being LG and stopping the child making him return the food, then after punishment helping lift child out of poverty... all are valid ways to play a D&D LG character.

 

[Flamestrike]

You keep saying it's impossible for the character to think it could be done completely safely.

Of course I can think it. Like; I can think (and be super confident) that I can jump a chasm successfully. I eyeball the chasm and think 'yeah man, I got this; I can jump a lot further than this easy'.

I cant know I will be successful though. I could mess it up pull my hamstring at the last moment, or slip or whatever, and find myself at the bottom of the chasm.

The Dwarf could have been all 'Yeah, I'm the greatest hammer thrower in the world, I got this. There is no way I can hurt this kid'

Next minute: Gets the throw wrong, crack, thud... kid with broken leg.

We (at the table) know that this is impossible. The DM doesnt have fumble rules, and there is no chance of hurting the kid. Your characters in the game cant know this for sure.

 

[Cadence]

The Dwarf could have been all 'Yeah, I'm the greatest hammer thrower in the world, I got this. There is no way I can hurt this kid'

So, the character was doing something that he thought had no way of hurting the kid in order to get the kid an apprenticeship and be saved from a life of poverty and then crime or death.

Excellent.

And I certainly, in terms of impossibility, I would not advise anyone in my games attempting it (or even attempting to just grab the kid) that it has a 100% chance of not severely hurting the youngster.

 

[Flamestrike]

So, the character was doing something that he thought had no way of hurting the kid in order to get the kid an apprenticeship and be saved from a life of poverty and then crime or death.

No, he knew it would hurt the kid. Tossing a warhammer at a kids legs with enough force to knock him to the ground hurts. Its like whipping the back of their legs with a cane.

And thats the best case scenario. The throw could have possibly seriously injured or even killed the kid.

 

[Cadence]

No, he knew it would hurt the kid.

How do you know he knew that if he thought elsewise?

You said:

Of course I can think it.
...
The Dwarf could have been all 'Yeah, I'm the greatest hammer thrower in the world, I got this. There is no way I can hurt this kid'

I agreed as indicated by mimicking your use of "think" and not hurting the kid.

So, the character was doing something that he thought had no way of hurting the kid

And added what the character was allowed to do by accomplishing this thing that he thought would be successful and was successful:

to get the kid an apprenticeship and be saved from a life of poverty and then crime or death.

And declared victory. (And please, we both know we both meant "no chance of seriously hurt" as had been discussed before. This is obvious since even the thing you approved of - grabbing the kid - would have a good chance of "hurting" them to some extent if you're being pedantic).

Have a good rest of the rest of the day sir.

---------

"That’s impossible.”

“No, it’s not, because I did it and if you do it it means it’s not impossible because doing something impossible means doing something that can’t be done so if you can’t do it it’s impossible or it might be possible but it hasn’t happened yet but if you do do it it means it’s possible since you did it and that’s what it means to be possible which is the opposite of impossible and if it’s the opposite it means you can do it and I did it, so it’s not impossible.”

Dad growls

“Hey, Dad?”

“What?”

“Can I have a cookie?”

- Bill Harley, A Walk Around the Block

 

[Charlaquin]

Stop the child, scold them for stealing, then purchase the food and give it to them on the condition that they promise to make amends for their crime and change their ways.

 

[Coroc]

Is English your first language?

Serious question.

Nope it isn't. I know the "concerns to short" is probably wrong phrasing, I hope you did get the meaning anyway, and that I did not write something insulting by mistake. What I wanted to express, is that the nat. 1 ruling could also have disadvantages for other party members, even if it applies more often to those characters, who got to roll for attack.

I could do better, and I am even able to think in English but sometimes, especially when I post from my phone, I am a bit lazy, I beg your pardon.

 

[Flamestrike]

How do you know he knew that if he thought elsewise?

He hasn't said it wouldn't hurt the child. He said he thought (and was told by his DM) that it was a non lethal attack, that he was 'sure' wouldn't seriously injure or kill the child.

Obviously hitting a fleeing childs legs with a thrown warhammer with enough force to knock him to the ground is going to hurt the child, and cause the child pain.

Hence why the Dwarfs comrades were (as he puts it) 'aghast'.

And added what the character was allowed to do by accomplishing this thing that he thought would be successful and was successful:

His ends were not important. Only the means were.

I could flog a child daily, with the intent that he turns into a Good man. My ends may be noble, but my means are not. Accordingly, I'm evil.

 

[Flamestrike]

I could do better, and I am even able to think in English but sometimes, especially when I post from my phone, I am a bit lazy, I beg your pardon.

No, you're right mate. I only speak (Australian) English, so it's barely English either