TPK Your Entire Party

[Lonely Tylenol]

I STRONGLY disapprove of PCs killing each other off except in the most extraordinary circumstances. You absolutely did not state this was "hypothetical" or "for discussion only," and, even if you had, my comments stand. It's a very bad thing to have happen in a game.

The tactic as presented cannot work anyway, as explained above.

The discussion ought be about generically how to kill off (coup de grace) mutiple sleeping characters and not about one PC killing off other PCs.

Haven't you noticed the threads on evil PCs and evil campaigns? One of the most fun campaigns I ran involved three players who were constantly trying to kill each other off, but were so paranoid of each other that none of them could manage to kill any of the others. They couldn't come right out and just murder each other, since someone more powerful was watching. It had to be covert. And it was amazing watching them plan each others' deaths while simultaneously running missions for their boss. Since each one of them had a crucial task in each mission, they couldn't arrange for the other group members to meet with "accidents" on the mission, or it would fail and they'd be killed for their failure.

You know, sometimes people like to do things the way they like to do them, and they have fun doing things in that manner. Becoming upset about people doing things the way they like to do things is kind of insulting. You can demand that players do things in your game the way you want things done, but the OP's game isn't your game.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

True ... however, in addition to avowed disciples of evil (e.g., Richard Ramirez), there are neurotic moralists who believe that they are evil (e.g., Carrie's mother).

There are also amoral sociopaths who do not have the capacity to be truly reflective (e.g., Patrick Bateman).

-Samir

It's much easier to view yourself as evil when you're a follower of a god of evil, naturally. Interestingly, D&D is full of these people.

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Logos!

Just for the record, he never said you were a bad person.

Agreed; I don't even know the guy.

-Samir

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Sophia!

I'm done discussing it with you ....

That's fine.

Alignment is still a vital statistic, even without a paladin in the group. As other posters have ably pointed out ... it determines eligibility for core classes, spell effects, and access to prestige classes.

Alignment also starts more arguments than anything else in D&D.

-Samir

 

[The Thayan Menace]

3PK Forevah!

Anyway ... on with the 3PK.

sam500 needs a quickened scorching ray and three adjacent sleepers to pull it off.

Good luck, bro!

-Samir

 

[Seeten]

Why not just silence the area and slit throats, or use a scythe?

 

[KarinsDad]

Simply put, its obvious the reason most groups don't allow evil is most of the players, and most of the DM's are not mature enough to handle it, or do not trust the rest of their group to be able to handle it, which is not to say "Everyone who doesnt agree with me is immature" simply the reaction on this thread to the very idea of it is, I believe indicative of where gaming groups clearly breakdown on the issue.

I opine that this is total crap.

The problem is not necessarily with the maturity level of players. The problem is that well played Evil PCs is an Oxymoron.

In order to maintain harmony with the other players, the player of any evil PC is forced into certain "well behaved" modes of behavior. He must get along with the other PCs to some extent. He must not try to kill them, even though it is in the very nature of Evil to harm and kill others.

That's the problem. Mature players are not ones who kow tow to metagaming concepts of "group play", mature players are ones who roleplay their character according to the character concept, regardless of whether that means harming or killing another PC.

Unfortunately, that means that PC conflict will eventually occur and PCs will eventually kill each other.

And since it does take quite a while to create a new PC, PVP hampers the game.

It is not about maturity. It is about Evil eventually not behaving within group dynamics. Sooner or later, an evil PC should turn on other PCs, even if they are "friends" (as long as one is not metagaming).


So yes, one can pretend that it is mature to play Evil PCs, but that's nonsense. One is forced to be a good little evil PC when playing an evil PC, at least in regard to the other PCs, and that too is nonsense.

Evil is not limited this way. That's Evil skewed by metagaming.

 

[Darklone]

KD: I disagree about evil PCs to opt to harm and kill others.

There's so much beauty in making the others kill themselves. Or each other.

Or you might have an evil PC on a vengeance trip. Nothing matters to him except to kill the guy who killed his family. Preferably the BBEG.

That character will not be too trustworthy... he'll most likely leave wounded friends behind to get away or follow the BBEG or a minion that might lead him to the big boss.

Yet that's a valid evil PC that can be played without leading to too much group trouble.

 

[werk]

Why not just silence the area and slit throats, or use a scythe?

Not kewl enough!


"No, you guys all go to bed, I'll keep watch while I prepare my spells...for your deaths."

That's more fun for an evil caster than silence and execution...it's all about the kewl...

 

[0-hr]

This may not kill off the party, but it will certainly kill off the campaign.

Good luck with your next group.