What constitutes cannibalism in a D&D world?

[diaglo]

Orc is the other white meat.


i guess it is dependent on your culture background.

if the cleric feels his culture views eating flesh as evil... then that is his perogative.

but if you are raised to not waste what nature has provided. well meat is meat.

 

[Tetsubo]

As others have said I would rule eating a creature with an Int score of 3 or higher would be cannibalism. I would argue though that cannibalism is not evil. Killing a sentient life form for the purpose of eating it would be murder. But the act of cannibalism itself in my opinion is not evil. Some real world research has shown that cannibalism has been very common throughout human history. Once something is dead it is just so much meat.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Thanks for all the thoughts so far.

Just to reiterate, it is a survival situation and the PCs are not killing for food. Only those things already dead are up for consideration.

As a survival issue, our DM is fine with it (only because it's for survival), so the group is in agreement "in game." Everyone just wanted some more thoughts on the issue. Thanks again for the feedback. And the funny comments, too.

 

[Xath]

I know I'm chiming in a bit late but...

I think this is a cultural thing. Many cultures and tribes used to believe that eating the flesh of their enemies would give them their knowledge.

 

[LiKral]

In roguelikes you can often eat what you kill. You often gain stat bonuses and powers from eating appropriate monsters.
A character in a game I played was concieved as a crazed halfling chef who would cook anything that he killed. However the GM was revolted when he started barbecueing orcs, and threatened to slap alignment changes on all of us.
In Midnight, dwarves have a custom of eating fallen orc foes, both from neccessity and as ritual.
The definition of cannibalism in game must be related to the cultures of the game and the sensibilities of the players.