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My last post in the favorite scenarios thread got me thinking: Have any of your characters ever refused to do a faction mission?
My post in that thread was about my gnome from Taldor who plays along and feigns loyalty to his home country, but doesn't care enough to get hurt in the line of duty. He wasn't there for the particular mission that requires intentionally getting yourself beat up, but he wouldn't have done it if he were.
The only time I actually did refuse a faction mission, it was with my Silver Crusade cleric of Sarenrae. It was a season 2 adventure, so I got an Andoran faction mission which involved making up and spreading nasty rumors to discredit some slave traders. As a lawful good priestess to the goddess of honesty, my character couldn't bring herself to invent and spread lies like that. There were two Andorans at the table who had no such moral dilemma, though, so the mission still got done, and I still ended up with full PA.
Anyone have their own stories of a PC refusing to do a faction mission?
Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant
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Yeah, a paladin in one of my groups occasionally refuses to do part of his mission. He's Silver Crusade, and there are some questionable older faction missions for Andoran that doesn't set well with many paladins.
Back when my Magus was in Qadira, he didn't really refuse missions, but many were impossible for him to complete, but thankfully others were also Qadiran and were able to do them.
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Absolutely. Any lawful character is going to have problems with some mission in seasons 0-2 at some point, regardless of faction. Whether it's Baron Steal-Crap-for-Me, Captain Assassinate-Someone, or any of the multitude of "plant false information" missions, you really have to consider if it's stretching too far outside your character's moral boundaries.
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I've intentionally skipped missions that didn't mesh with my character's, er, character. Not necessarily on moral grounds, but just because the mission was something my character wouldn't care to do.
My characters are more important than my PA. :)
...that said, I had a great time getting beat-up for the greater glory of Taldor!
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As is the case with most, my paladin has decided to forgo some prestige for the sake of avoiding questionable missions. I also have a couple of characters that have prejudices against a rival nation. There are a few missions that include in/directly assisting that rival faction. They have/will refuse to do so. One character has gone as far as to refuse healing, amongst other types of help, from characters who are of that ethnicity or national affiliation.
There were two Andorans at the table who had no such moral dilemma, though, so the mission still got done, and I still ended up with full PA.
This has always stuck me as odd. IMO, the point of prestige is a reward for doing something notable in service of your faction. If you are refusing to complete a mission, why would you earn any prestige even though the task was complete by allies? I'm not saying we should deny prestige for those who try, but lack the appropriate skills and the mission is completed for them, just saying intentionally not participating should not award any prestige.
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there was an instance (in the seemingly common silver crusaders doing an andoran mission) where the party was required to kill someone. They were defeated them and left them alive because while they were slightly misguided, their roaring rampage of revenge was pretty justified given the evidence that they had.
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This reminds me of a conversation with a friend one time.
"I'll pay you back. Thieve's honor!"
"What? Thieves have no honor!"
"Moreso than you wizards!"
"That's a lie! We're very open about being lying, deceitful bastards!"
But, back on topic, I've yet to refuse one, but my main is Lantern and my alternate is Shadow Lodge. I've yet to come across the more controversial of their missions. If I did, I surmise they may or may not turn them down based on the contents.
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One will never rise to the lofty heights of Godfather is one cannot be relied upon to honour their word. Of course honouring your word sounds good and noble in theory, right up until people realise your word was that you would feed their family pet to a crocodile if they were late with the payments again.
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I'm not saying we should deny prestige for those who try, but lack the appropriate skills and the mission is completed for them, just saying intentionally not participating should not award any prestige.
I agree it makes sense, but by the rules they get the Fame even if it does not make sense.
You could post on your super secret VC forums about this to bring it up there and convince mike to change the rule. ;)
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I actually had a player receive a faction mission. Refuse the entire mission. Pay the prestige to join another faction (he was playing at 7th level) and join a completly different faction.
He was playing a complete pacifist who kept getting sent on missions to kill people. He finally had one of those 'last straw' moments.
It was some glorious in character RP.
Come join us in San Diego. We have a good thing going here.
My titular character pretty much had the same thing happen, but on the law vs chaos aspect. Mr Damocles is pretty much a rules lawyer, and the darned Andorans kept telling him to liberate slaves and do all sorts of lawless acts. Finally, he got tired of their claims and went and had a nice lunch with Amenophus. They hit it off, and Mr Damocles now works for Osiron, the land of the wise and lawful.
there was an instance (in the seemingly common silver crusaders doing an andoran mission) where the party was required to kill someone. They were defeated them and left them alive because while they were slightly misguided, their roaring rampage of revenge was pretty justified given the evidence that they had.
I've just finished a mission like this. Old scenario so Silver Crusade gets the Andoran assassination mission. Quite strange but in the end it didn't matter since our target was trying to kill us anyway so it was less of a problem.
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there was an instance (in the seemingly common silver crusaders doing an andoran mission) where the party was required to kill someone. They were defeated them and left them alive because while they were slightly misguided, their roaring rampage of revenge was pretty justified given the evidence that they had.I've just finished a mission like this. Old scenario so Silver Crusade gets the Andoran assassination mission. Quite strange but in the end it didn't matter since our target was trying to kill us anyway so it was less of a problem.
My LG Silver Crusade cleric of Sarenrae hasn't really had a problem with this. She's gotten a couple of those faction missions, and she's waited to form her own opinions about whether or not the person in question should be killed. But she's always ended up agreeing with Major Maldriss that the enemy is truly evil and deserves to be executed for their crimes.
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My LG Wizard refused a mission once. Asking for a cold blooded assassination.
There were three Andorans at the table. The paladin refused on moral grounds. I couldn't see my character doing that. I can't remember what the third character was playing and what the reason was.
None of us three would have prevented the other from doing it but we collectively decided to rather forgo the prestige and stay in character.
Yes - that was quite memorable as it wasn't a single persons decision.
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I did have a funny way someone got a faction mission across "quietly", and yet the entire bar heard him. And yet it still qualified.
"OY YOU! I've got a message from Uncle Andor and Aunt Ann. Uncle Andor wants to know if that eagle he sent you still flies high as it used to? He's a proud falconer you know...."
