I am making a dnd campaign about the party rising in infamy as the the most deadly criminal organization. The players will be ranked on how evil they were that session. That ranking is changed based off of real life punishments for the crime. (What are the most likely laws that the party would break?)
Murder of first and second degree, stealing, assault, aggravated assault, arson, vandalism, trespassing, kidnapping, torture, blackmail, harassment, treason, smuggling, fraud, counterfeiting, animal cruelty, bribery, impersonation, involuntary manslaughter, slavery, and many, MANY, MANY MORE!!!
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In the words of the great philosopher, Unicorse, "Aaaannnnd why should I care??"
Best quote from a book ever: "If you love with your eyes, death is forever. If you love with your heart, there is no such thing as parting."- Jonah Cook, Ascendant, Songs of Chaos by Michael R. Miller. Highly recommend
I am making a dnd campaign about the party rising in infamy as the the most deadly criminal organization. The players will be ranked on how evil they were that session. That ranking is changed based off of real life punishments for the crime. (What are the most likely laws that the party would break?)
Depends on what laws the setting has. The staples of dungeon crawling are going into someone's home, killing them, and looting, which when the target has rights amount to some combination of murder, burglary, and robbery... but 'monsters' may not have any rights.
Arson. For some reason many of my games have someone in the party lighting something on fire. Sure, they’d say it was “accidental” but it happens a bit too often. Also, murder, generally, shouldn’t be that cut and dry. Killing bandits and there’s usually an element of self-defense involved, if not Good Samaritan rules because they were protecting the village or rescuing the blacksmith. And then factor in complications, like if they kill a demon, they basically banish it back to hell, so did they really “murder” it? And are aberrations protected by anti-murder statutes? How about sentient plants?
Terrorism hasn't been mentioned, but should be. A textbook reading is violence to induce political change, and members of a criminal organization would be all about those sort of killings.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
It varies somewhat by jurisdiction, but you're not going to find a lot where justifications such as "I killed him because he was stopping me from stealing stuff" or "I killed him because he was a witness to me committing other crimes" or "I killed him for fun" will make that difference.
I'm not sure about murder. Manslaughter for sure, but premeditated killing isn't really in a party's playbook.
Definitely theft and harassment.
It kinda is. You can't really think the kobolds are just going to let you in their house to steal everything... Those PCs have already determined to kill the kobolds as soon as they know they are there.
This is where it gets ethically tricky - how do you define murder? Here on earth it can generally be defined as taking another human’s life outside the rules of law - with things like war, capitol punishment, defense of self/family/property generally being allowed by the laws of the land. But we have only one ?intelligent/sapient? Species, how it works on a world with a multitude of such species gets a whole lot trickier. It could be all sapient species willing to live at peace with each other are considered citizens and murder is the taking of a citizen’s life without legal justification. So a band of goblins ( or humans) raiding a trail are not considered citizens so it’s open season on them since they aren’t living in peace with everyone else. Or it could be just a single species ( think Hillsfar’s anti- Demi- human laws in FR) .
This is where it gets ethically tricky - how do you define murder?
There's a reason I specified that it depended on the local laws. Murder is basically unlawful killing of a person -- but definition of person could exclude certain species, or just state that what's illegal is different.
Mass murder, any war crime, any crime at all. its a party of mostly "chaotic goods" (they are all delusional and very chaotic evil, because CHAOTIC GOODS DON'T JUST COMMIT MURDER FOR FUN!)
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I am making a dnd campaign about the party rising in infamy as the the most deadly criminal organization. The players will be ranked on how evil they were that session. That ranking is changed based off of real life punishments for the crime. (What are the most likely laws that the party would break?)
This would be my answer even if they weren't criminals.
Murder. Most likely, your party will d some unlawful killing, and get away with it.
Murder of first and second degree, stealing, assault, aggravated assault, arson, vandalism, trespassing, kidnapping, torture, blackmail, harassment, treason, smuggling, fraud, counterfeiting, animal cruelty, bribery, impersonation, involuntary manslaughter, slavery, and many, MANY, MANY MORE!!!
In the words of the great philosopher, Unicorse, "Aaaannnnd why should I care??"
Best quote from a book ever: "If you love with your eyes, death is forever. If you love with your heart, there is no such thing as parting."- Jonah Cook, Ascendant, Songs of Chaos by Michael R. Miller. Highly recommend
Depends on what laws the setting has. The staples of dungeon crawling are going into someone's home, killing them, and looting, which when the target has rights amount to some combination of murder, burglary, and robbery... but 'monsters' may not have any rights.
I'm not sure about murder. Manslaughter for sure, but premeditated killing isn't really in a party's playbook.
Definitely theft and harassment.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Arson. For some reason many of my games have someone in the party lighting something on fire. Sure, they’d say it was “accidental” but it happens a bit too often.
Also, murder, generally, shouldn’t be that cut and dry. Killing bandits and there’s usually an element of self-defense involved, if not Good Samaritan rules because they were protecting the village or rescuing the blacksmith. And then factor in complications, like if they kill a demon, they basically banish it back to hell, so did they really “murder” it? And are aberrations protected by anti-murder statutes? How about sentient plants?
Premeditation isn't required, just intent.
Terrorism hasn't been mentioned, but should be. A textbook reading is violence to induce political change, and members of a criminal organization would be all about those sort of killings.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
These are great base pentalies I can use. Thx for the ideas and happy holidays
Depends on your jurisdiction.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
It varies somewhat by jurisdiction, but you're not going to find a lot where justifications such as "I killed him because he was stopping me from stealing stuff" or "I killed him because he was a witness to me committing other crimes" or "I killed him for fun" will make that difference.
It kinda is. You can't really think the kobolds are just going to let you in their house to steal everything... Those PCs have already determined to kill the kobolds as soon as they know they are there.
I'm not certain that the majority of modern campaigns/adventures are based around go to the monsters' house and kill them.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
This is where it gets ethically tricky - how do you define murder? Here on earth it can generally be defined as taking another human’s life outside the rules of law - with things like war, capitol punishment, defense of self/family/property generally being allowed by the laws of the land. But we have only one ?intelligent/sapient? Species, how it works on a world with a multitude of such species gets a whole lot trickier. It could be all sapient species willing to live at peace with each other are considered citizens and murder is the taking of a citizen’s life without legal justification. So a band of goblins ( or humans) raiding a trail are not considered citizens so it’s open season on them since they aren’t living in peace with everyone else. Or it could be just a single species ( think Hillsfar’s anti- Demi- human laws in FR) .
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
There's a reason I specified that it depended on the local laws. Murder is basically unlawful killing of a person -- but definition of person could exclude certain species, or just state that what's illegal is different.
Yeah, I was just trying to expand on that idea a bit more
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Act of treason against the crown or ruler, and murder of official or very important figure would be among the most harshly punished crimes to me.
In a Theocracy, most odious act contrary to religion ethos could also be major crime.
A Kingdom with a specific creature for emblem could also severely condemn their slaughtering.
The stealing of a reknowned object sacred to the court or organization in power, such as a Kingdom's sword or shield, could rank high as well.
Mass murder, any war crime, any crime at all. its a party of mostly "chaotic goods" (they are all delusional and very chaotic evil, because CHAOTIC GOODS DON'T JUST COMMIT MURDER FOR FUN!)