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View Full Version : Murder of an innocent clone to save the world and PVP



MarkVIIIMarc
2017-07-21, 11:48 PM
Our DM set up an interesting moral dilemma for us last game. The way things went down were plenty interesting and we all seemed pretty happy chatting afterwards but I thought I'd share.

The back story is the bad guy is using specific descendants of ancient clerics to open portals to one of several Hells. He can also clone these descendants by taking their blood so as not to have to kidnap people and raise suspicion.

So we liberated a clone (of a commoner) from the bad guy's prison and my bard used all her persuasion to talk the clone into risking her life to go with us on a raid of the portal we figured she could close. Through the clone the DM asked my character if she'd guarantee the clone's safety. It seemed we needed the clone alive anyway and it seemed like what my character would do so I did.

Wouldn't you know it, after we closed the portal I forget but the DM either mentioned the clone could be used to reopen it or through experimentation we figured out how to "toggle" it open and closed with the clone. Once the portal was closed go figure our Chaotic Neutral Rogue goes and kills the Clone. The DM announces the Rogue's cursed sword even vibrates as he committed one of the evil acts needed to remove the curse from the sword.

The party starts freakin / debating. The Wizard, fighter and I are ready to do SOMETHING to the Rogue, capture and turn him in, kill him, we didn't know. The Cleric steps up and gives honestly a decent speech about how killing the clone was the most efficient way to insure the safety of the many with the sacrifice of the one.
DM decides we should roll Cleric's Persuasion vs our Intelligence. Oddly my Bard rolls high enough to make up for a -1 Int modifier and is the only one not convinced.

So I didn't want to do nothing, I couldn't go postal on the Rogue or the whole party would turn on me and my character already lost one partner so I figured she'd do SOMETHING.

Casting Phantasmal Force on the low Wisdom Rogue and walking away saying, "it probably won't kill you" as the Rogue was up around 30 HP was my answer. It seemed safe. The Rogue had to roll saves for a couple rounds, just enough to start looking worried or annoyed. I didn't do anything like take advantage of him being incapacitated Rogue. If he got close to 0 HP I could drop concentration at will. Or at WORST I could using Healing Word after dropping concentration even if somehow Phantasmal Force got out of hand.

The fellow who plays the Rogue knows I didn't pull out all the stops at my disposal to kill his character. I figure next session my character owes him a "I know why you did it" but remind him about her promise.

Just interesting.

Coidzor
2017-07-22, 01:09 AM
Ultimately the deed is done, freaking out about it and trying to kill one another only leaves you vulnerable to getting finished off by the BBEG.

Also, since the BBEG has the blood and the original is still alive, killing the clone only sets the BBEG the time necessary to make another one, so it was ultimately a futile move.

I'd be more worried about that sword and why it has the curse removed by drinking the blood of the innocent.

SharkForce
2017-07-22, 01:43 AM
yeah, sounds like making the portals inaccessible is going to involve killing every single descendant of those ancient clerics. and also all of their clones. frankly, i don't consider that to be a particularly viable option, particularly considering most of them aren't in your power.

so yeah, i'd say the rogue just murdered an innocent for no good reason.

also, social skills are for influencing NPCs. not for mind controlling the party.

qube
2017-07-22, 01:51 AM
The Cleric steps up and gives honestly a decent speech about how killing the clone was the most efficient way to insure the safety of the many with the sacrifice of the one. Except it wasn't some noble "sacrifice" ofthe clone - it was murder. And murder would be one thing - but doing it while your character promised the safety of the victim ... That means the rogue one-sidedly just turned his back towards a party-member.

As far as I would be concerned, the rogue pays for the clone's revivify/raise dead/ressurection. No more loot until he does. (hey, if you screw over a party member, you don't get party loot until you redeem yourself)

Because, as Coidzor points out - there's the obvious problem that his death didn't actually do anything relevant, as the BBEG can just create another clone. "the most efficient way to insure the safety", to use the clerics words, is to kill the BBEG - not go around and killing innocent people. Heck, as long as the BBEG want to use the clone you were protecting (considering that is the reason the rogue killed him), the BBEG will have to come to you guys -- being both the morally correct choise and the tactical most advantageous




the bad guy tries to abduct the princess, so we slid her throat.
mission complete