Monsterous/Evil Familiars and Summons

[Ophie Kitty]

Do these creatures such as Assassin Imps, Bone Bats, and other evil familiars, as well as succubus, skeletons, and other vile summons follow under the same regulations as MPCs and the right for players to engage these creatures if they are found out? They're pretty much monsters, and should be allowed to be treated as such, right?

[ethinos]

I don't know about them being the same as MPCs. I'd treat them as extensions of their players, thus following the PvP rules. Set them hostile (if you can), roleplay the encounter out (and not just an instant smashing of the critter), and have an IC reasoning for doing so. But since they are a pain to raise, I'd only kill the thing as a last resort if you can help it.

[Endlessorrow]

Just my opinion but if my ezrite divine champion sees a summoned undead he will most likely give a battle shout for the rp as he aplies the holy gavel to it.  My mages only summoned her assassin imp or Gremshalka in privacy. Both were attacked by players especialy the Gremshalka whos name was Small Humaniod. That gremlin was killed on sight by players about 10 times.

[puckwolf]

To be honest all player characters, including MPCs, should be given the courtesy or RP before PVPing.  While it makes sense for your paladin to jump straight into battle with a vampire harming an innocent, take note of the scene and show some consideration before you do so.  You're not doing anyone any favors OOCly (neither the player of the monster nor of the victim) by diving into PVP with no RP during an otherwise roleplay driven scene.

[Hatsune]

I've wondered this question too. I fully agree that there should be RP associated with this... but what about when courteous is not returned?

My usual situation with these creatures are an invisibly familiar that is tormenting/causing mischief. Possessed, there is no way to hostile the creature (you'd have to manually hostile the owner, which you likely do no know), and any attempts to engage or otherwise interact with the familiar get ignored as the familiar 'flees' instead of RPing.


In such situations, is it allowable to open-fire, when you have a character drastically aligned against fiendish things, and would typically react hostilely to such things in public places.

[puckwolf]

When someone is using their familiar in an antagonistic manner it is their responsibility to set you to hostile.  If they don't, you could ask them to do so oocly. 

[Legion XXI]

Also, keep in mind that the Toggle Hostile Tool works on familiars.  You just click it on the familiar and it sets both the beast and the master to hostile.

[Ophie Kitty]

To be honest all player characters, including MPCs, should be given the courtesy or RP before PVPing.  While it makes sense for your paladin to jump straight into battle with a vampire harming an innocent, take note of the scene and show some consideration before you do so.  You're not doing anyone any favors OOCly (neither the player of the monster nor of the victim) by diving into PVP with no RP during an otherwise roleplay driven scene.

I'm specifically looking at how players who use specific evil familiars, undead, and demons in regards to this rule, considering those creatures are indeed monsters.. even if they are in possession of a player. I definitely agree, should be for the benefit of roleplay, but at the same time, It's inconsiderate to use these creatures in a means that would normally provoke a response from another player, and then claimed to be protected by the rules because there isn't any RP. If an assassin imp started flying around the citidal invisible without saying a word, by that statement, the garda wouldn't be allowed to smack it?

- Monstrous characters are always allowed to engage victims at their own initiative, provided that it's done to serve the roleplay experience. Under the same terms, they are also free to be engaged if identified IC.

Players make their own choices, they can choose to use evil familiars and summons, just as they can choose where they use it. As Hatsune mentioned, I see these sort of things in the outskirts most times. Assassin Imps or Gremiskha running about, sometimes minding their own business, but they're still monsters. I have never had a single player ever preemptively hostile while possessing these creatures, and as mentioned, you as a player can't hostile them unless you know the owner on the player list.

 The other issue is when players react to these monsters running around and presented with RP, and they just ignore and run away. If a caliban ran from the garda after being stopped, the garda probably shoots them, am I right? How is that going to be any different to confronting a creature of evil?

[Avatar6666]

To be honest all player characters, including MPCs, should be given the courtesy or RP before PVPing.  While it makes sense for your paladin to jump straight into battle with a vampire harming an innocent, take note of the scene and show some consideration before you do so.  You're not doing anyone any favors OOCly (neither the player of the monster nor of the victim) by diving into PVP with no RP during an otherwise roleplay driven scene.

I'm specifically looking at how players who use specific evil familiars, undead, and demons in regards to this rule, considering those creatures are indeed monsters.. even if they are in possession of a player. I definitely agree, should be for the benefit of roleplay, but at the same time, It's inconsiderate to use these creatures in a means that would normally provoke a response from another player, and then claimed to be protected by the rules because there isn't any RP. If an assassin imp started flying around the citidal invisible without saying a word, by that statement, the garda wouldn't be allowed to smack it?

- Monstrous characters are always allowed to engage victims at their own initiative, provided that it's done to serve the roleplay experience. Under the same terms, they are also free to be engaged if identified IC.

Players make their own choices, they can choose to use evil familiars and summons, just as they can choose where they use it. As Hatsune mentioned, I see these sort of things in the outskirts most times. Assassin Imps or Gremiskha running about, sometimes minding their own business, but they're still monsters. I have never had a single player ever preemptively hostile while possessing these creatures, and as mentioned, you as a player can't hostile them unless you know the owner on the player list.

 The other issue is when players react to these monsters running around and presented with RP, and they just ignore and run away. If a caliban ran from the garda after being stopped, the garda probably shoots them, am I right? How is that going to be any different to confronting a creature of evil?

One way is that you can not tell if it is evil, besides the obvious. I mean are shadow Cobra evil or are they nuetral? Are pixie evil, they are to barovians....its character perspective that make the reaction not OMG its a bat...is it a familiar, or a vampire...you could not tell and that is what makes POTM great!! Now...few will just be wary of it with out attacking the bat but a few might actually kill the bat.

[Snowflame]

To be honest all player characters, including MPCs, should be given the courtesy or RP before PVPing.

Really wish this were true, but what can you do?

While it makes sense for your paladin to jump straight into battle with a vampire harming an innocent, take note of the scene and show some consideration before you do so.  You're not doing anyone any favors OOCly (neither the player of the monster nor of the victim) by diving into PVP with no RP during an otherwise roleplay driven scene.

+1 Yes. I'm glad to hear someone saying this, way it really should be buuuuuut...

there's rules and things that allow people to move around that it seems

[ladylena]

whether there are rules or not, it is nice to do, besides killing an MPC doesn't net you any exp, but rp does

[Valiant_Destiny]

I think it really depends on the place you are doing this sort of thing.... Familiars in the outskirts at day time will be attacked and killed on sight.  While in a cave and your Gremishka is wounded and lures them into a trap or whatever there is more potential for roleplay to be involved. 


I prefer to think about the placement of these times to create those sort of encounters that will make it fun for everyone.  The more heads, the more likely someone ruins the experience for everyone participating by just attacking on sight.  Choose your locations wisely, or just have allot of diamonds.


By the way... Istvan has a deal with Radu that he gets 5 fang for flying-snake skins.   That means he sees any flying-snakes in the skirts during day... they gonna have a broken wings. 

[dutchy]

look if people plan on letting the named things run around and afterwards complain they didnt got hostiled, didnt the ones that summond the stuff could have figured hmmmmm i might get attacked in the outskirts (for argument sake lets take that place)   they basicly know something that isnt normaly accepted there gets smacked one way or another, so hostilizing those present or just for a brief moment the whole server list could save you allot of trouble.

in my eyes it goes both ways, both sides COULD try to hostile.

// beside rhymo if that was about the succubus i banished your welcome.

[Jeebs]

look if people plan on letting the named things run around and afterwards complain they didnt got hostiled, didnt the ones that summond the stuff could have figured hmmmmm i might get attacked in the outskirts (for argument sake lets take that place)   they basicly know something that isnt normaly accepted there gets smacked one way or another, so hostilizing those present or just for a brief moment the whole server list could save you allot of trouble.

in my eyes it goes both ways, both sides COULD try to hostile

You know, as much as I think that RP considerations and common courtesy should come first... I really have to agree with Dutchy on this one (your name always makes me think of a donut, by the way... though I suspect that only Canadians will get the reference.  ). It works both ways... if you're going to summon a monstrous familiar/creature into an area populated by PCs you know  are likely to react in a hostile fashion, without any consideration to them by either first setting them to hostile or at least RPing with them, I can't really fault other PCs for just outright taking a shot at your familiar.  I've enjoyed playing druid characters that actively use their companions as RP tools and while I understand that a PC would be totally justified in firing a crossbow bolt into a wolf (especially considering the setting and how wolves are one of the most common day-time enemies) without any preliminary RP... I've never had my familiar killed by a PC. Not once. There was always RP before hand, even if it was as simple as [aims his crossbow at the wolf] just to give me a chance to respond. If a player does that, and you can't be bothered to at least respond with some minor emote before running off, then why should anyone else give you the courtesy of not killing your pet? To put it into perspective: If you're going to behave like the NPC creatures do, then why should the PCs treat you any different than them ICly?

[Badelaire]

Using your common sense, which of these creatures wouldn't be looked upon too kindly by the average demi-plane denizen and why you shouldn't be summoning then in camps and built up places without either knowing the consequences or having a plan?


Bat



Imp


Fire mephit:


Ice mephit:


Pixie


Raven


Faerie Dragon
Apparently this is a thing, an actual thing. They're pranksters and tricksters and would probably scare the living shit out of a native as they themselves are not native to Ravenloft.


Psuedodragon


Assassin Imp


Carrion Bat


Death Dog


Gremishka


House Cat


Midnight Cat
(Not cutesy black anime witch cats. These aren't widely known as they rarely show themselves openly but their eyes glow green with no pupils and their breath constantly mists regardless of temperature. Probably inspired by the legend of cats stealing baby's breath or suffocating people in their sleep when jealous. It most certainly does not look like a cute black cat.)


Owl


Shadow Asp


Silver Fox


Skeletal bat


Worg



That's right. Pretty much all of them regardless of nature and alignment.

[Maric Arnand]

The raven would probably be the exception as they are regarded as good luck by native barovians, the house cat is well a house cat.