Kill On Sight: Is it realy?
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I would personally (not the DM team view) want to see many more subraces be kill on sight. Or at least, there be no consequences for committing any crime except murder against them.
I think that there is a compromise position somewhere between "kill on sight" and "Can I touch your wings".
Something along the lines of unarmed beating up of a "unwelcome" not being a crime… yet stealing from them might involve those doing it being forced to give back the items - (but no jail term/fine).
And the "unwelcome", if they defended themselves might find THEY are the ones spending time in jail, or minor exile for a couple days.In other words, make life miserable for them, but not unplayable.
Wtuff like being stopped on the street by every guard/retainer/bannerman and questioned/searched would be commonplace.
wearing armor on the street might be heavily frowned on, leading to confiscation for a short time.And I can't imagine any of them would be allowed any kind of position of influence, such as retainers/bannermen/knights/etc with the very very rare possibility of House Maleen and appropriate goals to justify it from Maleen's point of view. And then, they still might be dissuaded from being seen on the streets in his colors.
Note that this may well include not just racial, but religious and/or affiliation reasons based on whatever happens to be going on.
(e.g. Sharrans, Talonites are almost always unwelcome. Banites sometimes are, sometimes aren't.) -
I would personally (not the DM team view) want to see many more subraces be kill on sight. Or at least, there be no consequences for committing any crime except murder against them.
Well, what's DM team's view on this issue?
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Standard Arabellan attitudes towards certain races or powers:
Lyssans: KoS permitted, as they are heretical and have been abandoned, if not outright condemned, by the gods themselves. Religion forms a key foundation in most people's lives, given that there is tangible evidence that the gods exist.
Warlocks (Abyssal, Infernal, and Star): KoS permitted as they have essentially sold their souls to malignant entities. Demons, devils, and alien creatures of the Far Realms are universally reviled among those who are not thoroughly evil.
Warlocks (Fey): Difficult to say whether they are KoS. Those whose powers derive from more benign entities will probably be tolerated, although this would be accompanied by a healthy dosage of caution and wariness, at least among the adventuring community. For the most part, commoners imagine pixies, dryads, and nymphs to be the norm as such are more prevalent in the dense forests of Cormyr. In their ignorance they may consider such beings to be no different from elves.And the big question, at least given what I've read so far in this thread:
Planetouched: Aasmar, genasi, and tieflings fall into this category. Not KoS, as planetouched are not that uncommon in the Forgotten Realms. They do not incite the awe or terror that is so common in confrontations with half-celestials and half-fiends, respectively. However, this does not change the fact that they are clearly not "normal," and even the most uneducated peasant will realize on an instinctive level that to a certain extent, they do not "belong" in this world (as in the Prime Material Plane, but what's the difference to them?). As such there will always be a measure of distrust and fear, especially from commoners. In general, the severity of this reaction is proportionate to how pronounced the outsider traits are (horns and tails are tolerable; horns, tails, claws, fangs, cloven feet, fiery eyes, red skin, stench of brimstone, lack of shadow, and a hulking figure will likely send most commoners boarding up their windows).
One thing to note is that commoners don't like to stand up to these beings. Partially because they expect the Purple Dragons, War Wizards, or whoever is currently protecting them to deal with any real threats, and also due to fear. The average adventurer is already capable of mowing down commoners like a scythe threshes wheat; a powerful warlock would be capable of unspeakable carnage. The latter is not unique to the Forgotten Realms, but is an almost universal psychological trait.
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I would personally (not the DM team view) want to see many more subraces be kill on sight. Or at least, there be no consequences for committing any crime except murder against them.
Well, what's DM team's view on this issue?
That's a good one for an Ask A DM post.
However, I think our standard view is this:
1). We won't approve a concept that we want to have Killed on Sight without making it clear to the player, it is Kill on Sight and that that is what the player wants to experience.
2). Typically, we'll instead figure out ways to ensure the concept can have a modicum of protection. This is easier in Arabel, which is a city where Zhentarim, orcs, and even drow have been allowed to walk openly (albeit under constant watch) when times are peaceful and they approach with apparently benevolent intentions.
3). Even when a KoS concept is approved, it strikes me as almost jealous pettiness when someone who didn't get the concept approved, immediately kills that character on sight (at level 1). I'd frown on this and likely consider it a violation of the spirit our PvP rule.