Wants to play a Necromancer - Help!

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

marius4

Sep 04, 2014 5:47:28

One of my players wants to play a necromancer.   I'm not sure it fits the campaign, but I want the player to have fun and play a character they like.  What do you think?

 

In my campaign:

A.  Animating undead is generally evil.  It requires binding a soul and subjecting it to torment.  There may be a little room for grey/neutral activity there, but repeatedly or non-temporarily animating undead seems pretty evil.  Having said that...

 

B.  Necromancy and undead are not really central to the main storyline.  There or not, they don't have much effect.

 

C.  PC's cannot be evil, at least not without a great story and not permanently.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.  Keeping in mind the campaign/house rules above, the Undead Thrall ability makes the necromancer subclass generally evil by default, doesn't it?  (I guess some would say it's supposed to?)  Do I have to change A for this character to work?

 

2.  Is it viable (fluff-wise) and balanced (rules-wise) to let the player play a necromancer but just never use Undead Thrall?  (I feel like this could be interesting like Dark Sun defiling...an easy option that's always there to tempt you.)

 

3.  Is it un-fun and unfair to the player to have a major ability that can't be used?  (I'm especially interested in how necromancer fans feel about this.)

 

4.  Is modifying or replacing Undead Thrall with another ability a viable alternative...rules-wise and fun-wise?

 

Show
Possible options:

a) Undead Targeting:  Modify Undead Thrall as follows...You gain animate dead or disrupt undead (a new hypothetical wizard spell).  You can target one additional corpse or pile of bones with the former, or one additional undead creature (i.e. one more than a non-necromancer wizard) with the latter.  If you choose animate dead, whenever you create an undead using a necromancy spell, its hp max increases and it does more damage.  If you choose disrupt undead, whenever you disrupt an undead creature it's hp max decreases and it does less damage (or something like that).

 

b)  Channel Spirits.  Instead of Undead Thrall, you can speak with spirits and channel their traits (think mediums, vestiges, willing possession, etc.).

 

c)  Undead Companion.  Instead of Undead Thrall, you gain a ghostly spirit, non-evil flesh golem, or summonable corpse companion.

 

d)  Life Transfer.  Instead of Undead Thrall, you can transfer hp from one thing (plant, animal, undead) to a willing ally in order to heal or grant temporary hit points.

#2

Macv12

Sep 04, 2014 7:14:03

I won't push this point, but seeing as necromancy is not a significant plot point, why does it have to be evil? I've never really understood the die-hard absolute conviction the necromancy must be objectively evil, beyond taboos. If you didn't need to trap the souls, or the souls didn't experience any torment, the moral problem is at least greatly mitigated. The vast majority of people might see it as evil (unnatural, desecration, defiling the target's memory, etc), but the necromancer could at least defend their actions on the grounds that other people are just overreacting. To them, it's no different from animating a golem or plant or something, but more efficient, since corpses are already equipped to move around and do stuff without a lot of alteration.

 

As for mechanics, if you're set on that flavor, my favorite is the ghost companion. It depends on what the player wants to get out of being a necromancer, though. Personally, if I didn't have my primary minion-generating mechanic, that path would lose a lot of shine. The companion changes the "feel" of the class a bit, but it's still a necromancer in essence.

#3

onceMoreIntoBreech

Sep 04, 2014 7:48:50

You have to change A. Necromancy doesn't have to be objectively evil. Taboos and social norms may object to using corpses, but that doesn't make it evil.

#4

iserith

Sep 04, 2014 8:07:23

marius4 wrote:
#5

Eris.Shrugged

Sep 04, 2014 8:18:45

Before I get into the business of offering advice, can I ask a couple of questions.
 

 

1. Why is animate dead considered evil in your campaign


2. Why do you not what evil character in your campaign.

#6

Centauri

Sep 04, 2014 8:46:09

marius4 wrote:
#7

iserith

Sep 04, 2014 8:49:46

Centauri wrote:
#8

Kentus

Sep 04, 2014 10:17:29

First of all, necromancy and the likes are more evil from a more traditional western point of view. If we look at the bound to the dead the Voodoo shares (practically that no one ever truly cease to exist) or some of the old far east death cults, we see that reanimating a corpse can also be considered as an act of divinity. And of course we don't want to forget Eberron's Aerenal Elves.

 

But using a corpse is at least macabre. ;)

 

Asking your player is a great first step, but asking your entire group would be more appropriate, since it would suck, if someone says: "My character would never accept such a thing" after deciding to let the player have his/her necromancer. Some good compromises would be:

 

1.) Play a good/neutral necromancer. Like the Aerenal Elves use positive energy to make their people to deathless or the voodoo priests (down to the simplest core) try to awake a god in the corpse, the necromancer could be using a less evil way to revive the dead and have a different point of view regarding necromancy.

 

2.) Actually be evil: As long as you have a good campaign which enforces the idea of joining forces with those who are available (like when running Tyranny of Dragons), having one evil character won't really disturb the party balance, as long the players keep the evil deeds in check. "Murdering someone for the cause? My hands are already dirty, you are not able to do the necessary!"

 

3.) Having a party of antiheroes: If the heroes aren't as good either, there shouldn't be much disturbance, if necromancy comes into the play.

 

;)

#9

Centauri

Sep 04, 2014 10:28:31

Kentus wrote:
#10

iserith

Sep 04, 2014 10:41:16

Kentus wrote:
#11

Kentus

Sep 04, 2014 10:50:02

Centauri wrote:
#12

Centauri

Sep 04, 2014 11:03:59

Kentus wrote:
#13

Ansbach

Sep 04, 2014 12:39:49

I'm going to take the opposite view from some of the others: 

 

OP, I think you should ban Necromancers from being PCs in your campaign if you don't like them and they don't fit your ideas of player characters.

 

Your campaign restrictions seem perfectly reasonable, cohesive and well thought out - and in my opinion, I think your gut instinct is right and a Necromancer player-character doesn't fit within them.

 

As the DM, it's important for everyone to have fun and enjoy the campaign world - but it's most important that you do so since you are the glue holding everything together.  If you don't like something, you don't feel it fits or it makes you uncomfortable - don't use it.  Sure, there's a chance that you might not mind the player being a Necromancer, but based on your intuition about it already - there's a greater chance that you won't be happy with it and could lose enthusiasm for the character or even the game, which is no good for anyone.

 

The idea that "a player is not going to enjoy themselves unless they get to play the pre-conceived character concept that they are initially interested in bringing to the game and should therefore be allowed to play exactly what they want to play" is complete nonsense in my experience.  It is usually very easy to help them find another concept that they will enjoy just as much, if not more.

 

That being said, there is a right and wrong way to go about this, and in my experience the sure-fire way to do it successfully is to spell it out ahead of time, when you are looking for players to join the campaign.  That way there are no surprises.  If it's too late for that, just have an honest and open conversation with the guy and I'll bet you a million bucks you can find another character concept he would be just as happy with.  "Look, I should have mentioned this before I invited you to play, but in my world Necromancy is pure evil and I don't want the PCs to be able to use it.  Is there another cool character concept we can figure out for you?"  No one with any level of maturity is going to say, "What? I can't be a Necromancer?  Screw that - I don't want to play now."

 

To give you an idea of what I mean, in my new 5E game I'm not allowing Monks, Warlocks, Dragonborn or Tieflings because they don't fit my idea of hero PCs - so they are left to be NPCs.  I'm also not fond of short races played as comic-relief (and that also includes bards), so if they player want to play one of those I "challenge" them to make it a cool character concept and they typically love that challenge.  I have noticed no reduced interest in finding players - I still have to beat them off with a stick, just like always.    

 

I've been GMing for about 30 years now and I've never had a person express anything more than mild displeasure at my pre-campaign house rules - not being able to be a silly Bard has never been a deal-breaker for anyone.  Most players are just looking to have fun game with a good group of guys, and have several character concepts that interest them with a little prodding.

 

While my post may seem at odds with some of the others in this thread, I can guarantee you there are tons of DMs who ban classes, races and other stuff from their campaign that they don't like - and it's with good reason.

 

 

#14

Ansbach

Sep 04, 2014 11:56:12

Centauri wrote:
#15

iserith

Sep 04, 2014 11:40:20

Kentus wrote:
#16

Centauri

Sep 04, 2014 11:55:23

Ansbach wrote:
#17

Ansbach

Sep 04, 2014 12:41:20

I'm not trying to change your mind Centauri and I'm not going to get into a thread-hijacking, line-for-line semantics debate - too many of those on the internet already.  

 

Just relating my personal experience and viewpoint, and letting the OP know that it is perfectly acceptable as the DM to dictate what is and isn't allowed in your campaign - it's done sucessfully all the time, and in fact most games encourage it for homegrown worlds.  Don't let anyone tell you that your are having wrong-fun if it's not the same way they would do it.

#18

Centauri

Sep 04, 2014 12:08:06

Ansbach wrote:
#19

Mechatarrasque

Sep 04, 2014 12:11:46

Kentus wrote:
#20

Centauri

Sep 04, 2014 12:11:58

Ansbach wrote:
#21

Timborama

Sep 04, 2014 12:33:46

marius4 wrote:
#22

baronspam

Sep 04, 2014 15:04:40

While it is true that undead are generally cast as villians, the recent rash of sparkly vampire movies should show that it is not always the case.  Animate dead might not actually enslave a soul, it just might use a former body as raw materials, infusing it with arcane engery, or energy from an outer plane. Or you could re-skin the spell to create a construct, small golem, or soemthing similar.  In Jewish folklore a golem was seen as a protective spirit who watched out for the community.  It might be more of a "life from lifelessness' thing than a "arise servant of the bones" kind of thing.   Just as warlocks are not necessarily evil or connected to demonic/devilish powers, a necromancer could be of any alignment.  In fact, good "necromancers" might be something like a master of kaballah, one who delves into the mysteries of creation and existance, and as a biproduct has magical powers.

 

 

#23

pukunui

Sep 04, 2014 16:06:39

marius4 wrote:
#24

Centauri

Sep 04, 2014 18:27:30

What if the undead are just rising all the time? Clerics deal with a lot of this issue, but necromancers serve a valuable social service by putting this menace to work.

#25

muppet1

Sep 05, 2014 3:27:04

Does the player want to be an undead raising person or just have the powers of a necromancer?   If the latter you can refluff it totally.  E.g.  his raising the dead spells simply cause the dead person to come back as a good angel type being.  If not commanded and had been mudered or slain by evil in some manner they might have some self automation until the deed was avenged.

#26

Captain_Kobold

Sep 05, 2014 4:21:30

It can depend a lot on the campaign that the DM is running.

For example for a campaign that I was going to be running was set in Thrane, as a group who came together when a village was under threat and who are seeking out the source, it was tricky.

Being a Necromancer wizard type casting necromantic spells? No problem. Raising lots of undead? Big problem. Doing so would bring the the character into direct conflict with the people, the authorities and the national religion.

 

For a different campaign set in Karrnath for example? That character concept would be fine.

 

There may be ways to fit the character in without disrupting the existing party or the campaign. If you can't find one though, it may be best to tell them that the concept is unsuitable rather than them playing a crippled version of their concept or losing the character early.

#27

Noon

Sep 05, 2014 17:49:23

Did the player know about A and C when he came up with the necromancer idea?

 

If he did know, why'd he still come up with the idea? Charitably assuming he has more reasoning to it than 'I just want to ignore what the DM said'?

 

Is he even listening to you, if you told him about A and C?

#28

Atheosis

Sep 05, 2014 20:17:13

iserith wrote:
#29

Ramulf

Sep 05, 2014 20:55:15
Tweek the spell and the ability for the player so that he is summmoning willing spirits to animate the body. perhaps former members of and oder of  necro and familiy who have die coming to his aid. If your set on animated dead as evil make him the one exception and use it as a plot. other necro are out for those souls and he is there keeper and gaurds them and for this they willing come to his aid.
#30

iserith

Sep 05, 2014 22:22:02

Atheosis wrote:
#31

Noon

Sep 05, 2014 22:42:15

There is nothing weird about taking full control of your character and roleplaying him in such a way so as to not negatively impact the game experience for another player.
#32

iserith

Sep 05, 2014 22:43:37

Noon wrote:
#33

Atheosis

Sep 05, 2014 22:56:43

iserith wrote:
(Reply to #33)

Macv12

Atheosis wrote:
#35

Centauri

Sep 05, 2014 23:06:13

Atheosis wrote:
#36

Atheosis

Sep 05, 2014 23:08:19

iserith wrote:
#37

Centauri

Sep 05, 2014 23:34:53

Atheosis wrote:
#38

Atheosis

Sep 06, 2014 0:04:36

That's fine Centauri.  What I was referring to was each player creating their respective character in isolation, and then meeting in game.  That was what I was warning against.  Iserith's take is that you can just have your Paladin accept this strange Necromancer, just because, and I find that ridiculous.  If the players work out a way to make it work beforehand that pretty much equates to what I suggested in terms of players figuring out how to make their characters so their isn't any fundamental incompatability in the party.  I do not and will never subscribe to the notion that players should just cast their characters' motivations aside whenever they might get in the way.  That is not roleplaying to me.  And it's not about method acting.  I certainly do not engage in method acting and neither do my players.  Of course that's the key.  Me and my group play characters to the hilt as their overall motivations and personality dictate, and we do not take it personally because, as iserith said, we are not our characters.  Some of the most fun I've ever had is PC conflict in a party (as a player mind you).  Just hand-waiving things away that might give rise to conflict is weak in my eyes, but I'm really starting to think there is a whole breed of entitled gamer with very thin skin that you guys play with, and, fortunately, I don't.

#39

Centauri

Sep 06, 2014 1:03:33

Atheosis wrote:
#40

Captain_Kobold

Sep 06, 2014 4:34:30

Just being a Necromancer isn't a thing that most Paladins will have issues with. Neither is casting most necromancy spells. Its quite possible for a Necromancer and Paladin to work together.

 

Of course if the Necromancer, or any other character does something that the Paladin is required to prevent, that can lead to conflict. In the rules though, its quite easy to render someone unconscious rather than kill them.

To be fair though, the Paladin is probably more at risk than the Necromancer or other evil character. She is more likely to give the benefit of the doubt, allow for redemption, or accept a promise that it won't happen again. The evil character may have very few compunctions about killing her in her sleep.

 

Thats one reason that unless I'm running an evil campaign, if someone wants to play an evil character, I put the onus on them to avoid conflict. As Iserith says, it should be possible to come up with a reasoning as to why your character doesn't take the obvious course.

#41

iserith

Sep 06, 2014 7:13:16

Atheosis wrote:
#42

iserith

Sep 06, 2014 7:14:35

Macv12 wrote:
#43

iserith

Sep 06, 2014 7:19:47

Atheosis wrote:
#44

iserith

Sep 06, 2014 7:28:03

Atheosis wrote:
#45

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 06, 2014 8:47:44

Proabably a bit late to the party on this one, but I thought I'd stick my oar in.

 

marius4 wrote:
#46

Beldak_Serpenthelm

Sep 06, 2014 11:29:45

A player who wishes to play a paladin can choose from one of the 1000s of potential paladin concepts that can work with the necromancer, or he can choose from one of the 100s of potential paladin concepts that can't.

 

If the paladin player chooses one of the paladin character concepts that disrupts the game - instead of one of the paladin character concepts that doesn't - then the necromancer character and player are not the problem.

#47

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 06, 2014 13:01:05

Beldak_Serpenthelm wrote:
#48

Atheosis

Sep 06, 2014 16:37:41

iserith wrote:
#49

Ansbach

Sep 06, 2014 20:19:11

Atheosis wrote:
#50

Captain_Kobold

Sep 06, 2014 17:08:57

Beldak_Serpenthelm wrote:
#51

Ansbach

Sep 06, 2014 17:41:05

If it were really turning into an issue - which I doubt it would with mature players in the first place - I'd be inclined to have the players figure it out themselves.  Tell them they need to work together to determine a reason that each other's characters are an exception to the rule, or roll new characters.  

 

I'd also explain to both of them that a little bit of character conflict can be great and add to the group dynamic, but if they aren't careful it can be disruptive - so the players need to stay socially aware and keep their characters in check.

 

All that being said, it's a lot easier (and perfectly acceptable) to head the problems off at the pass and just not allow evil classes/races in your campaign, if that is your preference.

#52

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 06, 2014 17:22:35

Captain_Kobold wrote:
#53

Atheosis

Sep 06, 2014 19:37:02

Ansbach wrote:
#54

Chaosmancer

Sep 06, 2014 20:18:12

My two cents for the OP

 

Easiest way to do this is to say the character studied or developed a new method for Necromancy. You don't need to change anything in your world, and you can even have the player (if he wants) confronting other necromancers on their improper usage of the souls of the dead

 

It'd actually be a bit cool, having a necromancer being the guy who hates people creating undead because they see the bodies of the dead as a precious resource to be utilized and the other necromancers see them as tools or opportunities to torture people's souls after death.

#55

Ansbach

Sep 06, 2014 20:39:33

Atheosis wrote:
#56

Ansbach

Sep 06, 2014 20:40:09

Chaosmancer wrote:
#57

iserith

Sep 06, 2014 21:22:34

Anyone who gives another player a hard time and hides behind "It's what my character would do" or "My character wouldn't do that," isn't roleplaying in good faith. They're holding the game hostage, violating the metagame (and too often unspoken) agreement that the party will work together to accomplish their goals. This is jerk behavior and they should be called out for it as well as anyone advocating this as a good practice.

#58

Atheosis

Sep 07, 2014 2:54:33

iserith wrote:
#59

Captain_Kobold

Sep 07, 2014 3:08:56

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#60

Noon

Sep 07, 2014 4:06:17

iserith wrote:
#61

Noon

Sep 07, 2014 4:30:08

Beldak_Serpenthelm wrote:
#62

Noon

Sep 07, 2014 4:34:59

Centauri wrote:
#63

Raez_Daevan

Sep 07, 2014 5:57:28

As a variant to the usual type of necromancy, I'd like to see magic that calls on the aid of dead heroes or warriors to take a temporary physical form to fight against your enemies. 

 

The summoned warrior or warriors probably would use a different stat block than the zombie or skeleton, maybe something like the Guard statblock from the DM Basic rules.

 

Of course these would be temporary summons.

#64

marius4

Sep 07, 2014 6:55:35

Ansbach wrote:
(Reply to #63)

marius4

Raez_Daevan wrote:
#66

iserith

Sep 07, 2014 7:01:36

Atheosis wrote:
#67

iserith

Sep 07, 2014 7:06:54

Captain_Kobold wrote:
#68

iserith

Sep 07, 2014 7:09:27

Noon wrote:
#69

Captain_Kobold

Sep 07, 2014 7:49:57

iserith wrote:
#70

Atheosis

Sep 07, 2014 8:06:10

iserith wrote:
#71

iserith

Sep 07, 2014 8:09:49

Captain_Kobold wrote:
#72

iserith

Sep 07, 2014 8:24:21

Atheosis wrote:
#73

Atheosis

Sep 07, 2014 8:29:00

iserith wrote:
#74

iserith

Sep 07, 2014 8:33:39

Atheosis wrote:
#75

Atheosis

Sep 07, 2014 9:03:48

iserith wrote:
#76

Atheosis

Sep 07, 2014 9:14:59

iserith wrote:
#77

iserith

Sep 07, 2014 9:17:59

Atheosis wrote:
#78

iserith

Sep 07, 2014 9:22:45

Atheosis wrote:
(Reply to #77)

grendel111111

iserith wrote:
#80

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 07, 2014 9:54:10

iserith wrote:
#81

DLfan

Sep 07, 2014 9:54:54

I have to disagree with a variety of posters on the animate dead issue. That is by far evil. How would you feel if some necromancer animated a corpse of a loved or pet and it was shambling about town with its new master? What if some unscrupulous family member sold the corpse to said necromancer? Would a family member have any claim to prevent said abuse? What regulations would a town or city have in place to prevent wandering dead roaming the town, spreading disease and pestilence in their wake? The other necromancy powers except clone & magic jar really don't seem too bad.  I could see playing a "white" necromancer that did not use animate dead but made use of other powers. Kind of like playing with fire. I would suggest giving the player an alternative power  such as speak with dead or allowing the necromancer to detect memories of a dead person such as the last events in its life. That way you could play a detective and use your powers of death to uncover murder mysteries and help others. That was the original intent of necromancy after all, to summon shades of the dead for prophecy and insight. The mad necromancer animating dead is very much a voodoo doctor aspect and is not very indicitive of western concepts of necromancy.

(Reply to #73)

DLfan

Atheosis wrote:
#83

Captain_Kobold

Sep 07, 2014 10:06:38

iserith wrote:
#84

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 07, 2014 10:10:48

DLfan wrote:
#85

Captain_Kobold

Sep 07, 2014 10:19:32

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#86

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 07, 2014 10:20:25

Captain_Kobold wrote:
#87

Ansbach

Sep 07, 2014 10:42:08

grendel111111 wrote:
#88

Ansbach

Sep 07, 2014 10:38:38

DLfan wrote:
#89

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 07, 2014 10:40:23

Ansbach wrote:
#90

Ansbach

Sep 07, 2014 11:00:33

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#91

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 07, 2014 10:59:38

Ansbach wrote:
#92

Ansbach

Sep 07, 2014 12:29:33

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
(Reply to #89)

grendel111111

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#94

Ansbach

Sep 07, 2014 11:28:18

grendel111111 wrote:
(Reply to #94)

grendel111111

Ansbach wrote:
#96

Ansbach

Sep 07, 2014 12:27:57

grendel111111 wrote:
(Reply to #84)

DLfan

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#98

DLfan

Sep 07, 2014 11:45:00

Ansbach wrote:
#99

Ansbach

Sep 07, 2014 12:32:57

DLfan wrote:
#100

Atheosis

Sep 07, 2014 11:52:01

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#101

Ansbach

Sep 07, 2014 12:19:33

Atheosis wrote:
#102

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 07, 2014 12:34:40

DLfan wrote:
#103

Atheosis

Sep 07, 2014 16:15:44

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#104

muppet1

Sep 08, 2014 3:54:47

How about Fungomancer.   He takes the bodies and makes giant fungus monsters out of them.  He isn't touching their souls they already left for whatever after life they have in the game.   Are we saying its evil to use bodies or its evil to trap souls in them.  Does it matter if the animated thing looks like an undead or a giant fungus monster?

 

I am actually about to start a character who is a wizard but he was taught entirely by reading from an old possibly dodgy bunch of books in an old abandoned temple.  He might yet turn to necromancy I am not quite sure yet how tainted the source of his magic is going to have been.   I think one of the other players is thinking of being some sort of paladin.  But fortunately I will have a few levels to find out exactly how the other players behave so I can decide what happens then. 

 

I am often suprised how much people plan their characters from level one to infinity.  I much prefer to play the game level up and decide what to do then.  This was admitedly almost impossible in DDO online without gimping the character but 5th seems to have much less massively dependant branches that this approach will be fine.   I like my characters to react to the world they find themselves in.

#105

DLfan

Sep 08, 2014 4:13:21

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#106

muppet1

Sep 08, 2014 4:22:07

it seems that religon probably has a lot to do with how corpses are treated.   It would be possible today to set up a utopian atheistic society where corpses could be treated simply as the resource they are,  but because of how societies evolve and the fact that in most d&d games gods and souls actually exist animating dead is much more likely to be considered evil.

#107

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 08, 2014 5:40:04

DLfan wrote:
#108

Sorxores

Sep 08, 2014 7:20:23

marius4 wrote:
#109

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 10:43:03

grendel111111 wrote:
#110

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 11:01:40

Captain_Kobold wrote:
#111

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 12:28:44

iserith wrote:
#112

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 12:28:20

Ansbach wrote:
#113

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 12:30:59

Ansbach wrote:
#114

Atheosis

Sep 08, 2014 12:31:20

Ansbach wrote:
#115

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 12:44:23

iserith wrote:
#116

Atheosis

Sep 08, 2014 12:46:00

Ansbach wrote:
#117

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 12:53:25

iserith wrote:
#118

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 12:56:48

Ansbach wrote:
#119

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 12:57:26

Atheosis wrote:
#120

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 13:00:53

Ansbach wrote:
#121

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 13:24:14

iserith wrote:
#122

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 08, 2014 13:27:01

Ansbach wrote:
#123

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 13:34:57

iserith wrote:
#124

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 13:34:29

Ansbach wrote:
#125

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 13:38:28

Ansbach wrote:
#126

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 13:39:56

iserith wrote:
#127

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 13:53:00

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#128

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 08, 2014 13:51:22

Ansbach wrote:
#129

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 14:02:38

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#130

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 08, 2014 14:01:54

Ansbach wrote:
#131

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 14:12:57

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#132

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 14:05:19

Ansbach wrote:
#133

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 14:10:39

iserith wrote:
#134

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 08, 2014 14:11:48

Ansbach wrote:
#135

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 14:13:38

Ansbach wrote:
#136

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 14:21:33

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#137

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 14:20:32

iserith wrote:
#138

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 14:29:07

Iserith, I respect your right to have your own opinion, even if I think it's wrong.  :P

 

I just don't think we have much more to discuss, because we keep coming back to this:

 

I think that you see it as erasing the act of breaking character into non-existence, wheras I see it as trying to meta-game justify breaking character.
#139

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 14:28:56

Ansbach wrote:
#140

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 14:34:30

iserith wrote:
#141

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 14:41:04

Ansbach wrote:
#142

Ansbach

Sep 08, 2014 14:47:42

iserith wrote:
#143

Captain_Kobold

Sep 08, 2014 15:34:49

iserith wrote:
#144

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 15:39:02

Ansbach wrote:
#145

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 15:58:24

Captain_Kobold wrote:
#146

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 08, 2014 16:17:27

Ansbach wrote:
#147

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 16:48:34

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#148

DLfan

Sep 08, 2014 18:05:12

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#149

Captain_Kobold

Sep 08, 2014 18:31:02

iserith wrote:
#150

iserith

Sep 08, 2014 18:49:27

Captain_Kobold wrote:
#151

Centauri

Sep 08, 2014 18:55:26

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#152

Centauri

Sep 08, 2014 19:18:57

The "breaking character" discussion is an interesting one. Whatever the terminology, I believe what's being discussed is someone saying "My character is this way," and then not playing the character that way. If someone says "My character will immediately kill any undead he sees," and then he sees undead and doesn't kill it, that player is doing something that a lot of people would take issue with. I think this is because groups like to see players drawn into dilemmas or at least into trouble because of what they declared about their character, and when the player makes the unexpected choice to avoid the trouble the other players feel ripped off. It's very much akin to cheating, when looked at like that.

 

I don't think anyone really wants anyone's game to be boring as a result of the trouble caused by their lets just call them aspects. I think they just want to see something cool arise. Either there will be trouble, or the player will figure out a way out of it, while being consistent with the character. Just sidestepping it robs them of that.

 

To drive this point home with one of those gunpowder driven bolts, think of a time when a character in a story did something you didn't expect them to do. Gave up. Got scared. Turned traitor. What do people say when this happens? "They'd never do that! There must be some reason!" In fictional stories, there usually is. It was a ruse. There's a secret in his past. The enemy's got something on him.

 

D&D players don't generally allow those kinds of reasons, unless the GM is involved and usually not unless they've been worked out in advance. Doing something other than what's expected can and does throw wrenches into plans, so not only does the player come off as cheating, they come off as disruptive.

 

I'd be interested to know if the "you must always act this way" crowd is the same as "the rules are the physics of the world" crowd. Both crave predictability and want any abnormalities to have fascinating explanations that leave the predictability intact.

#153

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 09, 2014 5:25:13

iserith wrote:
#154

Atheosis

Sep 09, 2014 12:36:25

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#155

Centauri

Sep 09, 2014 12:46:25

Atheosis wrote:
#156

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 09, 2014 12:59:35

Atheosis wrote:
#157

Atheosis

Sep 09, 2014 13:09:50

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#158

DLfan

Sep 09, 2014 17:06:57

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#159

Centauri

Sep 09, 2014 17:57:22

DLfan wrote:
#160

Noon

Sep 09, 2014 19:30:36

iserith wrote:
#161

iserith

Sep 09, 2014 19:41:44

Noon wrote:
#162

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 10, 2014 7:50:53

DLfan wrote:
#163

Llenlleawg

Sep 10, 2014 12:51:10

Is the OP still here?

 

If so, here are my two cents. I don't think there's anything wrong or unusual about your A, B and C re: the moral nature of animating the dead, the (non-)centrality of necromancy and undead, and having no evil PCs. After all, in 5th edition, skeletons and zombies are in fact evil, so animating the corpses of the dead with evil spirits does seem at least problematic and worrisome.

 

However, that's precisely your way to invite the player to help you out. That is, explain to the player that animating dead is morally problematic, even if it *might* be justified. Then, let him come up with an interesting idea for a PC that will account for his being a good or neutral necromancer. In the old Ravenloft setting, there was a variant (a "kit") for spellcasters called an "arcanist", who was a dabbler in forbidden lore (necromancy and summoninig magic), but there were "white" arcanists, as well as grey and black ones. The good (white) ones were studying the forbidden lore so as not merely to understand it, but also to oppose it. Maybe the PC is something like that. Or, maybe he's like a paladin who swore and oath of vengeance, and is willing to do what needs to be done, to do what others can't and shouldn't have to do (i.e. this necromancer might practice dark magic to oppose greater evils and risks his own soul so that others don't have to). You can even have a good person who is a warlock with a fiendish pact. In all of these cases, there's something morally/spiritually problematic, and it might make the PC something of an oddity in your world. Still, if the player knows this, and can come up with some ideas that don't violate the basic set-up you have, then why not let him give it a go?

#164

Kallas

Sep 10, 2014 16:10:28

[quote="Thoughts_My_Aim"]Everything[/quote]

 

Just wanted to say,as someone who is currently playing a Necromancer (Level 3 at the moment) in HotDQ, your comments have been amazing to read and very helpful in helping me flesh out my character (essentially a Dorf clan historian who's been studying necromantic energy as a way to help improve quality-of-life, and after producing a paper about the potential benefits of Undead labour left his clan to prove his point to stick-in-the-mud traditionalists; especially since a key part of their beliefs involves invoking ancestor spirits for divinatory purposes!)

 

So thank you Thoughts_My_Aim, you are very much appreciated

#165

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 10, 2014 16:11:22

[quote="Kallas"]

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#166

MasterVelles

Sep 10, 2014 16:21:19

My advice is to make him come up with an interesting reason he has necromancy, but isn't evil. When I run characters like this, usually they were evil at one point, but have since changed, and are now simpley using the weapon of the enemy against them. 

 

"A.  Animating undead is generally evil.  It requires binding a soul and subjecting it to torment.  There may be a little room for grey/neutral activity there, but repeatedly or non-temporarily animating undead seems pretty evil.  Having said that..."

 

Lets break that down:

- "Animating undead is generally evil." That is fine, you're not saying it's always evil, just most of the time.

- "It requires binding a soul and subjecting it to torment." Does the soul have to be one that belonged to the corpse? If so, then maybe the character discovered a way of using the souls of murderers ect. to inhabit the corpses instead of the original ones. Maybe he has some kind of soul orb he fills up when there are executions or when killing monsters, that he uses to animate his undead. Using this method he woudn't need to keep track of these things, it's simpley adding an extra material component to the spell, that he's concidered to have on hand.

- "There may be a little room for grey/neutral activity there, but repeatedly or non-temporarily animating undead seems pretty evil." It definitly isn't a Good act, but it's not really evil either. What he's doing with the corpses is really what drives the morality.

#167

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 10, 2014 16:23:11

MasterVelles wrote:
#168

Noon

Sep 10, 2014 22:25:25

iserith wrote:
#169

OrwellianHaggis

Sep 11, 2014 4:25:28

Much like Thoughts_My_Aim, I've created a non-evil necromancer for my game. He's a gnome barbarian/wizard, a member of the noble class in his society who maintain their position by fighting for that society. But, because gnomes aren't big, strong people, for centuries they've buried their dead in two separate graves. One contains the sanctified flesh etc, the other contains the sanctified skeleton and any weapons and armour. When threats come to the town the nobles gather their weapons, raise some dead, and head off to defend it.

 

In this society raising the dead isn't just acceptable, it's something that's celebrated. People go to the grave with a small measure of consolation that they'll continue to benefit their society long after they're gone (up to ten years after, to be precise: remains are permanently interred after that period).

 

In our world, this gnome might be taken into custody of he walks into town with undead in tow. But it's the kind of world that isn't black and white. Goblin and orcs and ogres aren't automatically evil, and neither are undead. Of course I imagine my gnome will have some pointed questions to answer from suspicious watchmen, and he may even have to have his undead locked away (depending on how the town feels), but the conversation will be there so the characters can work it out to mutual satisfaction. And that's great.

 

Getting on to the feelings of families whose dead are raised... well, that's another in-game conversation to have. I imagine my gnome would try to explain the rites he'd performed to raise the dead, explain his cultural celebration of such a raising, and perhaps offer some compensation (even if it's just to bless the dead against further raisings). If nothing could console the family then at least we'd have some conflict and possibly character growth to look forward to.

#170

iserith

Sep 11, 2014 6:53:38

Noon wrote:
#171

Ansbach

Sep 11, 2014 8:50:14

Wow, isn't this horse at the glue factory by now? 

#172

Centauri

Sep 11, 2014 13:49:43

MasterVelles wrote:
#173

DLfan

Sep 12, 2014 16:06:22

Centauri wrote:
#174

DLfan

Sep 12, 2014 16:27:36

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#175

Centauri

Sep 12, 2014 17:12:53

DLfan wrote:
#176

Atheosis

Sep 12, 2014 18:18:34

DLfan wrote:
#177

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 12, 2014 18:27:06

DLfan wrote:
#178

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 12, 2014 18:31:42

Atheosis wrote:
#179

DLfan

Sep 13, 2014 18:20:20

Atheosis wrote:
#180

DLfan

Sep 13, 2014 18:25:05

Centauri wrote:
#181

DLfan

Sep 13, 2014 18:49:06

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#182

DLfan

Sep 13, 2014 18:56:23

[quote="DLfan"]

 

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote:
#183

Atheosis

Sep 14, 2014 10:39:00

DLfan wrote:
#184

Centauri

Sep 14, 2014 12:16:55

DLfan wrote:
#185

OrwellianHaggis

Sep 14, 2014 15:18:25

DLfan wrote:
#186

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 15, 2014 8:21:21

DLfan wrote:
#187

Thoughts_My_Aim

Sep 15, 2014 8:23:00

Centauri wrote:
#188

Ansbach

Sep 16, 2014 11:05:45

Atheosis wrote:
#189

onceMoreIntoBreech

Sep 16, 2014 12:20:42

Don't forget the wergild. Some societies don't consider killing a person an objectionable thing.

(Reply to #188)

Llenlleawg

Ansbach wrote:
(Reply to #187)

Llenlleawg

Thoughts_My_Aim wrote: