I F!@#ed up.
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Thomas,
Lets just start this off with Thomas I'm sorry. Borivik was a crazy fun pc who had some awesome plotz going on and I made a mistake. A big one. I'm making this open instead of just a pm to him as I hope it will turn into a discussion about how to handle situations like this/creative solutions as well as something newer players (like myself) can read up on.
For those not aware Borivik was capture by a gank squad and being hauled off to the citadel for a bounty. As he was being dragged off Bjorn IC'ly wanting the extra gold for bringing him in dead as well as a few other IC reasons killed him. This was wrong. While I think his IC reasons for doing so were correct the OOC courtesy or lack there of was absent. In Polaris's spot on words "brutal efficiency is awesome in the real world. This is not the real world." He went over with me a few different scenarios on which I could have handled the situation differently. I could have demanded a duel or untied him to prove my strength. Either of those would have been better. Ive been so focused on separating myself from my character and their decision making and being intent on acting as they would that I completely dropped the ball with creating a story and being OOC courteous. Thomas on my continued journey of becoming a better player and storyteller Borivik paid the price for my inexperience. So I apologize to you and those that took part in the story you were creating for ending it abruptly and poorly when he had so much potential. Also to the DM team who spent their time developing his story and watch their time go to waste in preparing things for him I also too am sorry.
Also to quote Polaris here " It's always irritating when a player who is generating so much story is killed by one not really doing so. (no offense)"
He is completely correct.
I often make PC's when floating between concepts or ideas that I play to merely to become mechanically and rping wise a better player. They offer little to the ongoing story of arabel other than to take a small part and assist other players in their ongoing stories. This is what Bjorn was. Merely my first serious trip into monk land and how they "feel" in the city. I had no right with Bjorn who offered little to nothing to the story to intervene so drastically into another players story who offered much to the community.
Lastly Bjorn is mechanically the strongest PC by far i've ever personally played. The amount of physical power he has is overwhelming and I am far to inexperienced of a player to be wielding it. With that Bjorn will be retiring and I will be thinking up something from the ground up from this point forward. I merely hope the stories and adventures I bring in the future as I develop as a player make amends for the one that I ended yesterday. The lesson more than anything I think to take away is that the story always comes first. While our own connections to our PC's are important the overarching story of the server must be the highest priority. Its what makes Arabel special and keeps us playing a game that is over a decade old. Until next time. See you IG!
Anamorata
P.s. Thomas ill totes be your errand boy for whatever plot you choose. Want 10000 Oak seeds. You got it. Wait outside the spire to tail that one guy your sort of kinda have a rivalry with? You betcha. Build a refugee camp just to spite the DM team and your amusement. DONE. Seriously tho youre the catz pajamaz and I iz sorryz.
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My only question is… who in their right mind sets "brought dead" bounty higher than "brought alive"?
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We are all assuming Mortui is in his right mind. I leave you all to decide how accurate that may be.
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This thread is not necessary.
Borivik had a bounty, it was collected, it was legit. There is no question about that, or I would never have allowed it to go through to begin with.
As for the bounty, Cormyr may tolerate lycanthropes under the law as long as they don't make trouble, but monsters don't get penal legion or second chances. They mess up, they dead. This is also perfectly IC.
What people (including DMs) personally feel is irrelevant to the correctness of the action itself.
The end.
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If you need advice on how to handle situations like this,
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Stop thinking about winning. It's not going to help. See how your conflict is making things fun, and not as a competition to win at all costs. People doing this may "win" one or two, but will lose any interest DMs or other players ever had in their characters.
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Brutal efficiency in PvP and PK makes complete logical sense in the real world. This is not the real world. This is an interactive novel. The only thing that should make logical sense here is what makes interactions more fun, not less.
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Give people a chance to escape as well. This ties in to point 2. Just use common sense. If you've been enemies for a long time, to the point that PK is the only option, discuss it with a DM and then do it. This is not an arena server.
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Tasteful PK and PvP is a difficult topic. When in doubt, ASK. Don't assume. If you think that asking before every action will take away the spontaneity, you should be asking well before, when you think your conflict is approaching PK levels. Non lethal PvP is probably fine if done tastefully and within the rules even without a DM's say so.
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