Could we make Civilized Humanoids drop separate CORPSE items?

[Slaog]

  I was recently thinking way back to when I used to slaughter villagers if they tried to attack me going out and about, boosting the OCR I'm waiting out nowadays. Aside from the OCR, it struck me as a largely inconsequential action IC unless other players, AMPCs, or a DM was in the area to witness the body before it despawns. Even then, someone of similar OCR could easily nod at the body thinking, "Ha, SAME!"


  I was wondering if it'd be possible in the foreseeable future to implement one of two possible features:


A. Villagers and the like drop a corpse item ON THE FLOOR--not too unlike that of PCs in appearance and weight--but without the option of resurrection (maybe even include the zombie option for necromancers if it doesn't break the game). Heck, you could even include the option of EATING part of it for the more ravenous appetites out there (say, for a PC on the path to becoming a ghoul).


or


B. Villagers and the like drop said corpse item IN THEIR INVENTORY, thus unable to despawn as quickly as an otherwise "empty" body unless someone relocates the item.


  I don't claim to know how complicated it is to modify drop lists for such a broad category as, "the citizens of every domain," but I'm sure implementing such a thing would really ground PCs in the idea that they've CREATED A BODY by slaying an otherwise inconsequential serf under the nose of their lord.


                 Thoughts?

[Slaog]

One possibility for those demented enough to resort to cannibalism would be to have the heavy body be cookable for unlimited rations, but still remain in your inventory.

What this would mean for a cannibal: You either carry around a heavy body everywhere you go for food, or you SET UP A DEN like any other reasonable monster of a considerable appetite so you can come back to feast.

This could also lead to a situation like Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop where the cooks go into a shady back-room to produce more meat pies

[modderpunk]

You are not suposed to kill npc's without a dm around.

[Miuo]

To be fair, it is at times unavoidable with those of hostile level OCR. Which is what Slaog said, but I do like the idea if you are forced to kill them to save yourself that some evidence remains behind to actually make it an ic thing rather then. "Lol, I just killed this nublet npc who tried to attack me." and then just basically sweep it under the rug. A corpse means you leave actual evidence behind of your choice to kill to escape, as well as means there is more weight to the choice and more repercussions for not being more cautious. It also allows for said hostile person to choose between hiding said corpse to try and make sure no one finds out. Or just leaving it in the open for the next passerby to deal with.

[Slaog]

To be fair, it is at times unavoidable with those of hostile level OCR. Which is what Slaog said, but I do like the idea if you are forced to kill them to save yourself that some evidence remains behind to actually make it an ic thing rather then. "Lol, I just killed this nublet npc who tried to attack me." and then just basically sweep it under the rug. A corpse means you leave actual evidence behind of your choice to kill to escape, as well as means there is more weight to the choice and more repercussions for not being more cautious. It also allows for said hostile person to choose between hiding said corpse to try and make sure no one finds out. Or just leaving it in the open for the next passerby to deal with.

Miuo has the right idea! And to be candid, in the first week of playing ANY game I'll beat up any villager that tries to pick a fight with me; most people are of the same mind without a clear grasp of what's expected.

[Iluvatar / Madness]

If you want to leave a body behind, you just have to not loot the dead body after killing the NPC. I don't think adding a corpse item drop is necessary in my opinion. Just don't look the corpse and the body should stay.

Also an item that can be cooked for unlimited rations doesn't make sense because eventually there would be nothing left of the body.

[Miuo]

On the topic of cannibalism, I thought it was much the same way as killing npcs. We weren't supposed to unless a DM saw because the act is so evil it requires a dp check o..o?

[MAB77]

To be fair, it is at times unavoidable with those of hostile level OCR. [...]

You really need to force it willingly to put yourself in a situation where "you have to kill an NPC". Even a newcomer would understand fairly quickly his "outlaw" has to stay clear of garda and other NPCs, to not enter towns or approach settlements he is not welcomed in. If you have a high OCR character, it's your responsibility to either get DM supervision or to stay clear of areas where you would "have" to kill NPCs. A decent hide/move silently check, or a potion of invisibility is usually more than enough not to get caught and travel around. And if, when being really careless, you are actually seen by an NPC while a DM is not around, you simply need to run and flee the area.

[Slaog]

Regardless, it would help in grounding any player into the setting, would it not? Whether it be pre-meditated murder or an unruly newcomer's wrath, they'd be introduced into a world of consequences both intriguing and dour, both mechanically contextual and magically intrinsic

[wildflame]

Late to the party, but this seems like an excellent idea, Especially in a Gothic Horror setting.

[Pav]

The amount of lag this would cause would be incredible.

[Iridni Ren]

As Iluvater said, doesn't this happen already unless you loot the corpse? I've seen dead garda on the wall many times, as well as victims of wererats in the Vallaki streets.

[booksarefun666]

All this would do would make it work like meat does on actual animals.  Skinned, but piles of meat lying around...

someone call peta pls