Code vs NOT Killing

[Michael Hopcroft]

Here's a Complication no player would want for a superhero: "Code Against Not Killing". To this character, the death of an enemy is the only successful resolution to a crisis. He NEVER turns criminals over to the authorities (perhaps he doesn't trust them), believing that the only suitable punishment is death for just about any crime you can think of (maybe not jaywalking or littering, but just about anything worse).

 

Not a playable complication for a hero. But for an opposing vigilante who thinks everyone secretly shares his sense of "justice"....

 

[kahuna's bro]

the harbinger of justice would have this compliation i think

[Tigereye]

Probably not a Complication or disadvantages suitable for a PC except in the darkest campaigns, unless his/her criteria is very limited.

 

I can see it though - I have a character who has little conscience after the fact after killing, although his standards are pretty high for this dubious honor. He will kill in self-defense or in a situation where the villain either has, or is about to, destroy or enslave innocents. Turning over an enemy in this case to other authorities is not really in his mind. He can also be very vindictive and vengeful when his friends are concerned.

[Zen Archer]

I once saw a guy try to use "Code vs. Taking Prisoners" as a disad similar to what's described above. He didn't have any takers at the time, since none of the available were using an approprialtely dark setting.

[assault]

Narrative poison. Basically, the character can never do anything but kill "enemies". Foolish kids who get into trouble? Dead. Ex-cons trying to pay for their kid's medical care? Dead. Any of a zillion other classic plotlines? Dead.

 

I wouldn't even use it for an NPC. Not even a raging psycho.

[Clonus]

Gurps called it "Bloodlust". Although it would allow you to spare supervillains who just surrendered when you showed up.

[Matt the Bruins]

This is basically how Wolverine has been written in recent years.

[CrosshairCollie]

This is 90 percent of modern comic book characters (note I didn't say 'heroes') in a nutshell.

 

And, yes, I have had players submit PCs with that exact phrasing. Needless to say, rejected.

[DusterBoy]

Nope. Never. Not in a million years. It's just an excuse for maximum carnage and minimal roleplaying

 

 

 

Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say "minimal"? I meant "zero". The guy would basically be a gun on legs.

[Opale]

To any player asking me to put this thing on his character, i'd politely ask him to leave the campaign and return playing FTS online games.

 

Now, everyone needs to do some mistakes to learn so.. if you're up for some wasted time, do try.

 

Without any offense, Opale.

[Brother Jim]

I dislike code vs killing and will not put it on a character at more than 5 points, unless it's required and I really want to play.

I normally wouldn't even put it on the sheet. My characters tend to have a soldier's or a 00 level agent's attitude toward killing.

 

This code vs not killing sounds like a villain's disad to me and would not be used on one of my characters.

In fact, if a player had this disad my typical character would bring him/her to justice....or be explaining to a Judge why it was necessary to use lethal force to stop them.

[Vanguard]

I'll join my voice with others here. This isn't a super-heroes complication/disad.

 

Like Brother Jim and Tigereye, I have a couple of characters that see the need, on occasion, to take some one out. But certain specific criteria have to be met before the gloves come off and it"s on.

 

Creating a character, not even going to call him a hero, with this complication is just to give you an excuse to kill while still being "in-character". Not only that but as assault said, it severely limits your options while playing him.

[Zen Archer]

the harbinger of justice would have this compliation i think

 

Probably, though I think it gets defined as "Vigilante Mentality" or whatever. As others have pointed out, it isn't appropriate if your hero campaign is "four-color" or similar. The long-term complications probably make it difficult, but not impossible, for Dark Champions games as well.

[Kirby]

Here's a Complication no player would want for a superhero: "Code Against Not Killing". To this character, the death of an enemy is the only successful resolution to a crisis. He NEVER turns criminals over to the authorities (perhaps he doesn't trust them), believing that the only suitable punishment is death for just about any crime you can think of (maybe not jaywalking or littering, but just about anything worse).

 

Not a playable complication for a hero. But for an opposing vigilante who thinks everyone secretly shares his sense of "justice"....

Wasn't there a comic book series with this about a decade or so ago? One where every villain was killed, even while in jail?

 

[Kirby]

Here's a Complication no player would want for a superhero: "Code Against Not Killing". To this character, the death of an enemy is the only successful resolution to a crisis. He NEVER turns criminals over to the authorities (perhaps he doesn't trust them), believing that the only suitable punishment is death for just about any crime you can think of (maybe not jaywalking or littering, but just about anything worse).

 

Not a playable complication for a hero. But for an opposing vigilante who thinks everyone secretly shares his sense of "justice"....

Wasn't there a comic book series with this about a decade or so ago? One where every villain was killed, even while in jail?

 

[Kirby]

Wasn't there a comic book series with this mentality about a decade or so ago? One where every villain was killed, even while in jail?

 

[Kirby]

Wasn't there a comic book series about a decade ago where the protagonists had this mentality? Every villain was killed off, even if they were behind bars?

[bigbywolfe]

Someone needs to switch to decaf, lol

[Tigereye]

I'll join my voice with others here. This isn't a super-heroes complication/disad.

 

Like Brother Jim and Tigereye, I have a couple of characters that see the need, on occasion, to take some one out. But certain specific criteria have to be met before the gloves come off and it"s on.

 

Creating a character, not even going to call him a hero, with this complication is just to give you an excuse to kill while still being "in-character". Not only that but as assault said, it severely limits your options while playing him.

Just as a few additional comments, Deuce has killed exactly one character - twice. (Different universes; it's a long story...) He was a demon - I don't think a lot of my fellow party members, even the ones with CvK, really minded. The second time around, the party needed his ground-up jawbone and eye sockets to assist with a multiverse-spanning threat, and he was handy. (We brought the rest of the body to a Catholic Cardinal; he didn't even ask for a confession.)

 

Deuce has no problems with arresting villains and bringing them in, most of the time - for one thing, it gives him a ton of respect from law enforcement authorities. It also salves his remaining conscience a little bit. (Of course, a lot of the villains are beat to hell when they're finally brought in...)

 

It also is helpful that he has one of the weaker offensive suites in the group (if one of the more flexible ones).

[Oruncrest]

Here's a Complication no player would want for a superhero: "Code Against Not Killing". To this character, the death of an enemy is the only successful resolution to a crisis. He NEVER turns criminals over to the authorities (perhaps he doesn't trust them), believing that the only suitable punishment is death for just about any crime you can think of (maybe not jaywalking or littering, but just about anything worse).

 

Not a playable complication for a hero. But for an opposing vigilante who thinks everyone secretly shares his sense of "justice"....

 

That's not even a playable comp for a vigilante. Vigilantes consider themselves Judge, Jury, and Executioner and have the Vigilante Mentality to represent that. Someone with a Code vs Not Killing can't interact with anybody without at least trying to kill them. In fact, killing everyone he meets would be the bulk of his interactions. This is an even nastier psyche lim than Casual Killer (at least a Casual Killer can decide you're not worth killing right now).

 

Not even The Joker would want to be near this guy.

 

It might make a good psyche lim for Doomsday, though...

[Oruncrest]

Here's a Complication no player would want for a superhero: "Code Against Not Killing". To this character, the death of an enemy is the only successful resolution to a crisis. He NEVER turns criminals over to the authorities (perhaps he doesn't trust them), believing that the only suitable punishment is death for just about any crime you can think of (maybe not jaywalking or littering, but just about anything worse).

 

Not a playable complication for a hero. But for an opposing vigilante who thinks everyone secretly shares his sense of "justice"....

 

That's not even a playable comp for a vigilante. Vigilantes consider themselves Judge, Jury, and Executioner and have the Vigilante Mentality to represent that. Someone with a Code vs Not Killing can't interact with anybody without at least trying to kill them. In fact, killing everyone he meets would be the bulk of his interactions. This is an even nastier psyche lim than Casual Killer (at least a Casual Killer can decide you're not worth killing right now).

 

Not even The Joker would want to be near this guy.

 

It might make a good psyche lim for Doomsday, though...

[Tom Carman]

I dislike code vs killing and will not put it on a character at more than 5 points, unless it's required and I really want to play.

I normally wouldn't even put it on the sheet. My characters tend to have a soldier's or a 00 level agent's attitude toward killing.

 

That sounds like what my brother-in-law refers to as "code vs loose ends".

[Tom Carman]

My characters tend to have a soldier's or a 00 level agent's attitude toward killing.

 

That sounds like what my brother-in-law refers to as "code vs loose ends".

[Tom Carman]

OK, something is not right with the quoting function. I keep seeing an "empty response" message after I hit 'post', so I hit it again.

[bigbywolfe]

OK, something is not right with the quoting function. I keep seeing an "empty response" message after I hit 'post', so I hit it again.

Don't hit it again, that's how we're getting all these double posts.

 

Copy what you typed, then refresh. If the post isn't there then paste and try again. Hitting post over and over just keeps multiplying the double (or in some people's case quadruple) post issue.