A 'Kill' List

[Byrn 102]

So I and a few friends are working on an original supers rpg with a heavy focus on villainy. A random thought occurred to me while already plotting the imminent death of a character I am working on. This type of rp definitely lends itself to an atmosphere where killing things is the norm and that if things came down to it, I would totally be okay with killing my character simply because I am well aware of the themes this rpg will have. I know not everyone will bolster the same willingness so I thought maybe pinning a 'kill list' in the plotting forum would be a helpful tool? Obviously, it is not to give way to freely killing another person's character, just an easy way to identify those who are cool with it if that is a plot you would like to pursue. 

 

I would love thoughts on this and how you would feel seeing a list like this!

 

On the chance, someone has done this maybe some insight? Did it work for you? Create problems?

[Marina 5]

I think this is a great idea tbh! My friend has a site and is working on something similar (though it's not death, just a super major plot-point that some players may be unwilling to go through with their character). Some people are super attached and/or have plots planned for their characters, so being able to opt out of being randomly killed is a good way to go 👍

[Byrn 102]

Definitely! And I would definitely discourage completely random killing but more of a, "Want to kill someone's character? Well great! Here is a list of individuals who would be interested so you can orchestrate dramatic plots!" Sort of encourages communication between players.

[clipsed 231]

Maybe allow players to list on a character-by-character basis as well as player by player, or allow players to add themselves "except X"? The only potential issue I can see with a kill list is players feeling pressured to kill someone they might not want to, and such a caveat would help to head that off!

Edited February 23, 2019 by clipsed

[Byrn 102]

27 minutes ago, clipsed said:

Maybe allow players to list on a character-by-character basis as well as player by player, or allow players to add themselves "except X"? The only potential issue I can see with a kill list is players feeling pressured to kill someone they might not want to, and such a caveat would help to head that off!

Yes. And I can see viewing the list as a living thing subject to gaining and losing. I would imagine even characters on that list could wind up being removed if they develop and wander down a path that the player wants to see through.  Some people can’t even consider adding to this list and I hope to present that as not a big deal in the least. Others have an ability to create characters with the end goal being to kill them.  And then the gray area are those who sort of fall in the middle. Not opposed to the idea but would like substantial planning and communication ahead of time. 

 

I dont think i could ever allow pulling the rug out from beneath other members, which is essentially what completely random killing is.

[Brie 51]

I have a roleplay I'm currently prodding away at creating while busily adminning another and since it's a PVP animal roleplay with a hefty focus on hunting, there's a profile section specifically for this. There's literally the question of Can I kill this character? The answer is Yes, No, or Ask First and it's visible on every post that every account makes. The default setting is to no in case someone misses it, but it's a required field. Basically, it's so if say a dog is hunting a rabbit, the dog's player knows just how far they can take this post in the event it goes there. To be fair, there's also dice and people have the ability to counter using points they earn per post so they can lessen or nullify if they don't want to be bitten/eaten. So it's pretty fair and clear all around for whoever is down for whatever.

[Elena 546]

We do it in the plotting threads for each battle. As for duels or other adventures involving 2-3 writers only, we trust they collaborate between themselves on this matter.

[Josie 198]

I admit, if I saw this on a site it would get weird looks from me.

 

Which is not at all to say that I'm against killing characters and can't conceive of why it would ever be a thing, etc. I love it when characters die. I frequently volunteer mine for killing LOL.

 

But to me it feels more like... for a site focused on villainy, it seems kind of odd to me to have a list of characters it's okay to kill. Because villains don't give a shit about that. If Bobo severely wronged Jergon and Jergon is the sort of person who would wholeheartedly go after Bobo to destroy them... but Bobo isn't on the "I'm okay to kill!" list, then... Jergon's kind of neutered here. The only hope Jergon has of fulfilling the vendetta is if Bobo eventually gets added to the list. But if not...? What if a character does something terrible and can't ever be killed for it because they're not on the list?

 

Having a list like this puts less focus on IC actions = IC consequences, and while I appreciate that it could potentially lead to more plotting and communication, it also might... not. It might just be giving free passes out to characters and players to do whatever they want with their characters without repercussion. 

 

Which isn't to say that these two things couldn't be combined; it wasn't mentioned in the original post and so perhaps IC consequences would also be important to the game. A kill list would seem more like a plotting device to me then, instead of something that would confuse me.

[Byrn 102]

@JosieExcellent point it would water down a character but I will be honest, I’m naturally a firm believer in IC actions amount to IC consequences so it doesn’t consciously cross my mind. 

 

I definitely see it as a plotting device, the plotting forum is precisely where I plan on pinning it.

 

Those who opt a character out of the list I might assume to naturally steer away from trouble if they can or wouldn’t take actions that would warrant a strong consequence (such as invoking impending rage and vengeance from a villain). Granted there is a margin of risk depending on who their character interacts with. But yeah its a hella NOPE to any character getting away from the consiquences of their actions just because they are not on a list. They are certainly not to be protected, that would hardly be considered fair I think. 

 

The fact that this was pointed out was a nice reminder that perhaps I should be

more explicit in my expectations in regards to this.

 

 

Edited February 24, 2019 by Tartle

[Josie 198]

6 hours ago, Tartle said:

The fact that this was pointed out was a nice reminder that perhaps I should be more explicit in my expectations in regards to this.

 

 

That is exactly it! It wouldn't take much either, though it is something I would probably put someplace more prominent (in addition to the kill list thread). 

 

I think something short and sweet like: "We have a living LIST OF KILLABLE CHARACTERS to encourage plotting and character development, however not all characters excluded from this list are necessarily safe. IC actions still have IC consequences, and punishments will be served to those who commit the crime." Or something along those lines.