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RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 09:18 AM |
I think most of you would agree that the level of RP in Vives is second to none with some of the very best roleplayers it has been my privilige to interact with.
However (here comes the moan), it irks me considerably (and some others I have spoken to) when injuries are not RP'ed correctly.
For example, when someone is 'Badly wounded' or worse still, 'Close to death' they wouldn't greet other players with a cheery wave and a bright "Hello", just because they are in a safe haven or town.
If you don't have the healing potential to mend your wounds you should RP them accordingly until such time as you can.
I view the four categories as follows.
Barely injured: PC has recieved a nasty blow leaving heavy bruising or small cuts
Injured: PC has recieved a heavy cut, maybe a six inch long gash on themselves which is bleeding profusely. Needs attending to.
Badly injured: After a blow from an ettins club or blunt weapon this would mean broken bones, a slashing weapon would leave a severely bleeding wound of life threatening seriousness if not attended too.
Near death: Need I say more? PC would be unable to walk, stand etc. in desperate straits.
While injuries themselves do not slow your PC or cause any great inconvenience with regard to moving about etc I would suggest you go in close with the camera when a giant or ettin hits you with his club. A blow that hard would (if it were RL) knock the combatants head clean off their shoulders, probably clean over the nearest mountain range too.
Please. please, RP your injuries. Maybe with an announcement to other PC's when meeting them along the lines of *is bleeding heavily from a wound on his head*
This would also alert the PC's you meet to react accordingly. It would also stop picky bitches like me doing the *watches a pool of blood form at his feet* thing too.
Ok, rant over. |
Nos laetus epulor is quisnam mos onero nos: Dana's family motto, if she had one
(Translation) We gladly feast on he who will oppress us |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 09:26 AM |
I tend to, but sometimes my characters are far too proud to admit that they're in pain. Bognar, for instance, will walk around cheerful and fine with broken ribs and torn up flesh because he's a dwrf, and he's a warrior, and he'll be damned if he admits that he's not a tough guy.
But still, it is something to consider, but I'm much more interested in seeing people RP their ability scores a bit more extensively. |
- [Rob], Balthor, Jake, and Thomas. |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 09:30 AM |
Ok, I'm a bit of a ranter too, but I'm on your side...
But, I'd like to improve upon Vulpina's argument and say that you have to remember that head wounds wouldn't be that common of an occurance in a situation that is Role playable. A smash from an Ettin club that might bring you down to badly injured would leave you in a crippling state of affairs, but a blow that would normally only bring you down to injured would probably kill you if you got hit in the head. Even a blow from a wily kobold or goblin would put you down (or at least knock you out) if struck in the head, so, automatically, if you're not dead, and are in fact, walking about, It should be safe to assume that the injuries you're about to roleplay (Badly injured) would statistically, be in other places than your head. The Small few that might have injuries on their head would not have as serious injuries on their heads. A blow to the head that would/could very easily cause permanent brain damage or a concussion would not only be survivable, if struck to another place on the body, but might even be bearable to walk around without excessive bleeding, or signs of pain.
on the other hand, minor wounds from the head often bleed excessively due to the large amount of blood traffic. So, I'd think a "*is bleeding heavily from a wound on his head*" would be a perfect action for an injured, or even barely injured character to make, on ocassion, in place of another relatively minor amount of damage received. |
The Legacy Saga |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 10:07 AM |
Please. please, RP your injuries. Maybe with an announcement to other PC's when meeting them along the lines of *is bleeding heavily from a wound on his head*
This would also alert the PC's you meet to react accordingly. It would also stop picky bitches like me doing the *watches a pool of blood form at his feet* thing too.
I usually do say so when Londo has some kind of scar or wound on his body. Sometimes however, I feel it disrupts RP if I say it every time a new character walks in the conversation. Makes me feel as if I want 'attention' to my oh-so-sad state of body.
I would like to emphatise the fantasy aspect though. There are people that can bring Goblins down with their 'Curse Song'. Nobody in RL can kill you with a song (okay, some ALMOST ). Nobody would survive a full blow from an axe, whilst the 500+ hp warriors can survive perhaps a hundred of those hits. I don't like the idea that I have to roleplay every injury as if it was in RL - Londo would be nothing more then scars.
Me, I try to balance it. I sure do let Londo walk when he's injured, although with one hand on his side to stop the bleeding somewhat and wants to get it healed as soon as possible because "Mom will kill me when she sees I'm walking like this!". If Londo gets a knock on the head from a club, he sure wobbles and drops down eventually and have a splitting headache for the rest of the day, but I am NOT getting him in a coma and be forced to wait a week before I can play my character again.
However! I agree with this point > "For example, when someone is 'Badly wounded' or worse still, 'Close to death' they wouldn't greet other players with a cheery wave and a bright "Hello", just because they are in a safe haven or town."
That just doesn't sound right. |
-Londo Bywater, halfling warchanter
Londo's diary
Definition of a warchanter: A warrior that likes to sing a rhythm so he can hit harder and more accurately. |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 10:13 AM |
On the other hand, according to the game, "Near Death" is considered still alive enough to run full speed and engage in combat with no penalties.
If you're really dying and bleeding out, the mechanics exist for that condition.
"Near Death" should be considered very bloody, very beaten, but not beyond the capacity to live and function. |
- [Rob], Balthor, Jake, and Thomas. |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 12:23 PM |
As with many aspects of the game based on the NWN engine, I find it can really be a challenge to RP the running stats of a character. But certainly I think Vulpina's main point is that having your stats showing your character as being injured or worse definitely calls for rp. However, I think that, depending on the character you are playing and the situation at the time, the options of how you RP that is within the player's prerogative.
RPing seems to fall into an even deeper gray area when you involve items such as bandages. Are first aid kits magical? If they aren't--if they are just salves and cloth and other medicinal items--then using them should have more of a slow regen effect than a heal effect. Squirting some ointment and wrapping a cloth around your mangled, bleeding arm will not "heal" that wound, but simply prevent the wound from getting worse and start you on the slow road to recovery. Hence, if you are knocked down to half or less of your hitpoints and use bandages, a more realistic roleplay would force you to rp your condition for days or weeks after the fact.
Right or wrong (and I think many would disagree with me) I tend to see that hit point bar generally as a condition of my armour and my fatigue due to a battle, because I too, as some have stated, believe that it would only take one penetrating blow from axe, sword or club from most creatures in Vives to kill Willom completely and absolutely. If I referenced that stat bar every time as an actual physical wound, Willom would spend most of his rp days in the infirmary.
Like DiabloStan mentioned though, there are special conditions coded into NWN that specifically refer to physical conditions: (Poison, disease, wounding, etc). These seem to me more apt for rping physical wounds or conditions.
That said, there are still times when, because of the flow of the rp or the particular situation, there are very appropriate or fun times to play out an injury.
This gets into a whole other topic of rping "death." But I don't want to get off-topic.
Just my thoughts on a very valid subject. |
Willom Wilde--Actor, Playwrite, Head of Wilde's Vials, and fearful of all things cheesy
Califus Sarten--Mercenary for Hire
Bennigan Songsinger--Brooding bard. |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 12:34 PM |
Right or wrong (and I think many would disagree with me) I tend to see that hit point bar generally as a condition of my armour and my fatigue due to a battle, because I too, as some have stated, believe that it would only take one penetrating blow from axe, sword or club from most creatures in Vives to kill Willom completely and absolutely. If I referenced that stat bar every time as an actual physical wound, Willom would spend most of his rp days in the infirmary.
This is the way NWN has to opperate as many people would die from one hit, even a well seasoned barbarian.
If you get hit by a giant with a sword, then what actually happened was it just grazed you even though you lost "50 hp". Thinking any other way just won't work since the giant really should have sliced you in two. |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 12:56 PM |
A few random thoughts from me (my personal opinion rather than DM concensus) ....
- Yes people should RP their wounds in a general way according to how badly injured they are. But because this is a magical world, recovery is often very quick (with a spell or a bandage). Some people may want to RP still feeling wiped out / wounded etc. after a particularly nasty fight, or after being ressed. Some people won't. But you should always treat being wounded as an IC thing. And while it's reasonable for someone to run around (for example) Midor being barely injured, it's not appropriate to run around anywhere as near death.
- Players should make sure they have enough rations so that they can heal up before leaving re-spawn points. I've seen players run straight out from re-spawning as if nothing had happened. That's not particulary good RP in my book.
- Bandages are magical (in my opnion) something that you can use a few of and become fully healed and un-poisoned & un-diseased -has- to be magical I reckon. I tend to RP the healing kits to be just that, kits of bandages & magical salve.
- Because this is a magical world, and the players here are playing heros, that's why you don't die from one blow from a giant. Most heros have magical armour, or the toughness or agility to avoid the brunt of the blow (or some other explanation that explains not being killed out-right )
- Vulpina has brought up a great issue and made some very valid points. But as with anything RP orientated, there is no perfectly right way that people should RP their injuries, it will vary from player to player. But please do bear this idea in mind and think about how your character would react to various states of injury and how best to RP it out with others.
A few gold pieces,
Sol |
- Solitaire, Wizard
- Ilyana Fiirhaart, High Priestess of Naruth |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 01:07 PM |
Bandages are bugged, OOC, and should be taken out altogether.
That's what bandages are.
(IMHO.)
-Barnas |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 03:28 PM |
I'm not sure exactly how to say what I'm thinking, because I just sort of have some vague-ish impressions anyways, but I'm just going to bring up thoughts that came to mind as I read through:
Bandages have to be magical, hence the +1, +3, +6, +10
Lockpicks have +1 - 10, but that could just be better quality metals it's made out of, or more tools to get the job done properly...
Resting for 30 seconds will bring you from 1 to an infinate number of hitpoints
RPing health bar as armor status is a good idea, but some people fight in plain clothes :o
Being grazed/avoiding brunt of blow is generally a good idea, unless the poor sod got a critical hit on you and still only knocked you down a quarter of your hitpoints
OK, that probably wasn't very helpful... Here's to more sensible health in NwN2! |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 03:41 PM |
well i like to RP bandages as some general healing and patching up by my chrs to another, which perhaps takes longer than the IG time...
yes i hate the magic bandage thing..healng kit or first aid is better |
If you catch a butterfly.
You can either keep it and watch it die.
Or let it go and watch it fly away.
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 03:47 PM |
Here's to more sensible health in NwN2!
Sensible? who want's sensible? I don't play this game to be sensible... otherwise, I'd be playing a farmer who never got into any trouble. ;P |
"I'm not closed-minded, you're just WRONG." - Bucky Katt
My characters n portraits |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 05:40 PM |
Here's to more sensible health in NwN2!
Sensible? who want's sensible? I don't play this game to be sensible... otherwise, I'd be playing a farmer who never got into any trouble. ;P
*Hastily deletes his Neutral Neutral stats 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12 Barlimow CHR.*
yeah and who'd want that |
If you catch a butterfly.
You can either keep it and watch it die.
Or let it go and watch it fly away.
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 08:57 PM |
Whether it be armour or physical health is obviously a matter for the player to decide, and I am not for a minute saying players should be out of action for weeks on end recovering from their injuries.
The point I was trying to make in the original post is that if a PC has 6hp's at full health as a level 1 mage, or 500hp's as an epic barbarian, if they are showing a wound on their status bar then they are wounded.
A badly wounded level 1 wizard is going to be feeling as bad in themselves as a badly wounded epic barb.
The fact that one lost 300hp's and the other lost 3 is irrelevant. |
Nos laetus epulor is quisnam mos onero nos: Dana's family motto, if she had one
(Translation) We gladly feast on he who will oppress us |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 09:02 PM |
| If you want to learn the best way to roleplay being injured in NWN, simply watch 'Professional' wrestling. |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 10:49 PM |
The point I was trying to make in the original post is that if a PC has 6hp's at full health as a level 1 mage, or 500hp's as an epic barbarian, if they are showing a wound on their status bar then they are wounded.
A badly wounded level 1 wizard is going to be feeling as bad in themselves as a badly wounded epic barb.
The fact that one lost 300hp's and the other lost 3 is irrelevant.
I completely disagree.
An epic barbarian will be able to take the pain much better than a wizard and may not show it all...
And the way a character may RP injury may be different, they could just RP it as fatigue, or Armor damage. |
Torim
Me beast walk upright, me clomp you. |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 10:56 PM |
If you want to learn the best way to roleplay being injured in NWN, simply watch 'Professional' wrestling.
*laughing, chokes on his drink as he reads this post* |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 11:08 PM |
Injuries... A youch.
Actually, I tend to rp injuries the best I can, although reasonnably. If Blanche has a hit that brings her to let's say badly wounded (ok first i would say "ACK" then do the following!) in a single hit, the greatest way to rp it would be to fall on the ground screaming and not be able to stand up for a time...
Buuuut,
I am not that masochist, and yes I do make her run like hell emoting the blood and all, that is when I am able to do so! I think it is more because of the adrelanine (whatever, sorry the spelling!) that makes me, Kim, scream behind my computer because let's face it, I totally am a newbie in fighting in games *blushes*
That said, people should indeed roleplay their injuries when it is "Safe" to do so (exemple, not in the middle of the dungeon when 15 let's say demons run after you, it is not a good place to stop and type *Is bleeding like a snowman would melt in the midday sun* unless you -want- to die! hihihi!) And when I see that someone is injured, badly or near death, I won't even wait for them to emote them and ask them "You seem rather pale...are you sure you are alright?" and it is usually well accepted.
My advice is : try to bring yourself the rp to others when they are injured, and I am sure they'll accept it gladly! |
Frodo : What are we holding on to, Sam?
Sam : That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.
-The Two Towers |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 11:14 PM |
...you have to remember that head wounds wouldn't be that common of an occurance in a situation that is Role playable... a blow that would normally only bring you down to injured would probably kill you if you got hit in the head... It should be safe to assume that the injuries you're about to roleplay (Badly injured) would statistically, be in other places than your head. The Small few that might have injuries on their head would not have as serious injuries on their heads. A blow to the head that would/could very easily cause permanent brain damage or a concussion would not only be survivable, if struck to another place on the body, but might even be bearable to walk around without excessive bleeding, or signs of pain.
I held my tongue in the new items thread, but I cannot any longer. Thanks for mentioning that the head is pretty durned vulnerable. By implication helmets are just about the single most important thing you can have to stay alive in melee. Helmets should add to AC like shields do. With a closed-face helmet (that's all the helms available for purchase IG) and a good-sized shield, 80% of your armor needs have been met.
On that note, consider the weaknesses in the armor you're wearing IG. To Veran's gushing-cut-on-the-head, I'd like to add missing fingers. A shallow cut on the body will expose fatty tissue, and gut wounds, though painful, are far from lethal in the short run. Knights in the crusades lost ears and noses and kept running around. Then there's the classic defensive injury to the forearm, which goes back quite a ways. People will sacrifice an arm to ward off a blow... they will grab a blade with their hands, too.
So much for gruesome (y'all probably have as good an imagination for that as I do). Heroic injuries, a.k.a grazes and grit-your-teeth gashes aren't hard to imagine either and are more fitting to the environment, I suppose. How about ideosyncratic injuries, ala David Lynch? That is to say, people act in funny ways when injured, sometimes do not know they are injured, and sometimes injuries are grotesquely unlikely, ironic, subtle, mysterious, shocking, etc.
Shucks. I like this thread...
Edit:
Arrows in NWN - nothing like getting an arrow stuck through your face in the middle of a fight. Ouch! |
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about dying."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means lying in the ground with dirt on your face and holding your breath forever."
-Burt Reynolds, "The End" |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 05 Jan 2006 11:48 PM |
uh..
the HP system is an abstract system. It is not just a measure of actual physical wounds, but also a measure of the characters luck, skill and who knows what else.
A character "near death" might not have anything other than scratches, but their luck, or their fatigue might mean that the next hit they take actually runs them through, rather than being deftly sidestepped, or sidestepped with a scratch. Or it could mean that their legs have fallen off. That choice is up to the player.
This is a debate that has been going on for over 25 years and I doubt it will end anytime soon.
Just because you want to play a character with his bowels on display for the rest of the world to see because you have been knocked to 1 hp, doesnt mean another player at 1 hp has to.
- Paul |
Purpose in life: finding better ways of allowing players to kill themselves. Repeatedly.
--
"...Cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good."
--
<@James42> Lawful good isn't in your vocabulary, it's on your menu.
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 06 Jan 2006 06:17 AM |
uh..
the HP system is an abstract system. It is not just a measure of actual physical wounds, but also a measure of the characters luck, skill and who knows what else.
A character "near death" might not have anything other than scratches, but their luck, or their fatigue might mean that the next hit they take actually runs them through, rather than being deftly sidestepped, or sidestepped with a scratch. Or it could mean that their legs have fallen off. That choice is up to the player.
This is a debate that has been going on for over 25 years and I doubt it will end anytime soon.
Just because you want to play a character with his bowels on display for the rest of the world to see because you have been knocked to 1 hp, doesnt mean another player at 1 hp has to.
- Paul
EWW! *laughs* This thread is starting to resemble a horror movie with the descriptions of guts on display! |
-Londo Bywater, halfling warchanter
Londo's diary
Definition of a warchanter: A warrior that likes to sing a rhythm so he can hit harder and more accurately. |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 06 Jan 2006 09:54 AM |
When you have been gaming as long as I have, the old arguments become to resemble something from Jason XIII, part 9373639690 complete with Gore and all the old Cliches
- Paul |
Purpose in life: finding better ways of allowing players to kill themselves. Repeatedly.
--
"...Cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good."
--
<@James42> Lawful good isn't in your vocabulary, it's on your menu.
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 18 Jan 2006 08:18 PM |
I guess this is the counterpoint to the opening post of this thread.
I find it disconcerting when other players look at my injured status and assume that my guts are hanging out. Case in point: when I traveled to Ferein today I took a wrong turn and got hit with about 30 magic missiles. I woke up in the temple garden and headed to the gathering. During the course of the evening I had to beat people off with a stick who kept telling me things like "better tend those wounds!" or even coming up to me and healing me, without any IG conversation whatsoever.
Personally, I always RP magic missiles to leave little or no trace of the damage they cause, and any redness of the skin or anything would have been obscured by the full plate armor my character was wearing. If you'd really like to RP the situation, approach folks and say "are you all right?" or "You look tired.. is something wrong?". Allow the player to emote their condition (i.e. "holding his intestines in with one hand* or *sporting a compound fracture in his arm*) before you assume anything - RPing that I am bleeding on the floor just because my HP are low is metagaming and gets annoying after a while.
I'm sorry if I seemed brusque to anyone IG, but I had just died for the third time today and I was a bit on the edge. ;)
-VK |
"You know, a gong. Large, flat object that you hit when you want things. Sort of like a waiter, but less portable."
-Radra |
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Re: RP'ing injuries
Posted: 18 Jan 2006 11:47 PM |
I find it disconcerting when other players look at my injured status and assume that my guts are hanging out.
I have to agree with this, though I understand both sides. If I'm playing Willom, I rp him dodging and running alot. I've played him injured, but I like to do it selectively, otherwise the injuries just become mundane for a character that even the slightest scratch would be a major drama. For him, another character asking him"Are you all right?" is preferrable to saying "Let me tend to your wounds" because I'd often prefer him to look frazzled, tired, dirty, whatever. If I'm playing Cal, it's a pretty good chance he really is bleeding all over the place.
That said, and this still harkens back to Vulpina's original post, it is the player's responsibility to address that lowered stat bar ASAP if they find themselves with others. If your stat bar is low, you've just been through something, and it would show.
The best RP situations, to me, is when neither side assumes anything until the player announces the condition. But the condition should be addressed in some way to give other players a clue as to how to react, even if the character is making a strong point to hide his condition. |
Willom Wilde--Actor, Playwrite, Head of Wilde's Vials, and fearful of all things cheesy
Califus Sarten--Mercenary for Hire
Bennigan Songsinger--Brooding bard. |
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