When most people say "You always remember your first time," they're usually talking about sex. It's true, you do. But I want to talk about losing a different kind of virginity. I want to talk about the first time you kill someone - the first time you make a deliberate decision to take another's life.
Killing someone is no simple thing. It's a big deal and it changes a person forever. A piece of you dies with your opponent, and you lose a great measure of innocence. While the gaming experience is generally centered around the struggle of good and evil, with monsters slavering to stamp out everything the player characters hold dear, it still involves the stories of presumably "human" beings. How are these characters effected by the violence they participate in?
It might be an interesting question to put to your players.
- Has Bobby ever killed someone before?
- Who / what was it that he killed?
- Did he provoke the fight, or was it in self-defense?
- Did this effect his relationships with his family and friends?
- Does he ever find it hard to be in similar situations?
You get the picture.
As a Pc in a roleplaying game, Bobby will likely take more than one life before his character sheet is retired. The first one is always important, however. A DM could use that as a hook, or in a later encounter, to make the game more engaging for that player.
While the first kill of a character's life is certainly a good opportunity for roleplaying, it's not likely to be a huge event in the characters life, simply because of the violent world they live in. Death and killing are part of the worlds of many RPGs, and, as in real historical times, in such settings death isn't as big of a deal to most people because it's so common. IMHO.
I have no idea what you are talking about; I barely remember my first time for sex and am unclear about the rest.
Twilight 2000 has an interesting mechanic, where the more firefights you survive, the better your "coolness under fire" rating gets, until you don't hesitate at all.
One of my favorite games, ever!!
I have no idea what you are talking about; I barely remember my first time for sex and am unclear about the rest.
My Nana is truly sorry to hear you say that.
Interesting idea. In my campagin the players actually role-played their first kill (it started when they were 12) but it is defintly something I'll take into consideration from now on
I played a wizard, who was very emotional after his first combat experience. A childhood friend died (NPC), It was his first life and death experience and he actually killed someone.
That was the only time I role played such situation, but will have to do it again.
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Excellent - I am playing a rather eccentric Favored Soul in the World's Largest Dungeon. He went for several sessions and almost all the way to second level before he finally landed a killing blow.
My character danced around the room and then performed a solemn naming ceremony for his mace - calling it a portmanteau from the elvish words for Stirge and bane.