Player Character Conflict

This page is a draft and feedback is being welcomed so this shouldn't be taken as the final version while this notice is on it.

PvP = Player vs Player, conflict between player characters (PCs), often referencing to violence between PCs.

PvE = Player vs Environment, where the primary conflict is between PCs and Non-Player Characters (NPCs).

Death Unto Darkness is a primarily PvE game, not a PvP game, and it aims to represent the struggles of the beleaguered Agents of the Holy Ordos against an ever-multiplying number of threats within and without.

We generally discourage player-initiated violent PvP between characters, especially as a method of conflict resolution as it detracts from the PvE-driven narrative central to our events. The threat of killing another character can be a potent tool for silencing social conflict roleplay as the time, cost and emotional commitment to a LARP character means it places significant psychological weight on encouraging the player to stop engaging for fear of being robbed of that.

This does not mean DuD never see's Player Characters turn on eachother violently. This is a setting where telepathic domination, spiritual corruption, malfunctioning technology and minds collapsing into madness can result in violent outcomes. So be aware that while we discourage players from initiating violent conflict it can easily be provoked.

Social Conflict

Social conflict is a natural part of the Imperium, with religious conflict and discrimination against people hailing from specific social castes or perceived as having genetic aberrations being themes of the DuD setting, these conflicts exist to create depth for roleplay interactions and are heavily encouraged and something someone should be aware of before playing our game.

The Imperium is not a nice place and most of the people within it are not, by our standards, nice people - the challenge of the Imperium is that ultimately monstrous personalities are normalised and common, especially amongst the servants of the Inquisition. The trouble is that with the multiplying threats to the Imperium, Inquisitors and their agents are forced to cooperate against the rising tide - even with those they hate and despise.

Inter-Character Violence

Because we use a cinematic narrative system with a ‘death spiral’ mechanic, our combat rules do not translate well when players come up against each other as the cinematic nature begins to break down. Thus, we decided to introduce specific rulings regarding violence between players.

• Where Player Characters are attacking other Player Characters then it is always assumed that when you hit 0 Endurance you become Subdued rather than Bleeding.
  • A player may choose to become Bleeding if they wish to - if you wish to take another character alive rather than killing them you can use the I'm taking you, alive call to make them Subdued instead.

• If you have Subdued another character you must hand them over to Inquisitorial Authorities (the Game Team) immediately or allow them to recover from the condition.
  • If they are possessed however you may attempt to Exorcise them instead.

• If you choose to become Bleeding then if you die as a result of players resolving to execute you or place you in a lethal situation (such as throwing out of an airlock) you may not use Fate to avoid your fate unless the Game Team agrees - by becoming bleeding you have accepted a lethal fate.

• A character handed over to the Game Team with sufficient proof of wrongdoing will likely be removed from play or returned to play with some corrective measure (like a bomb collar) but that decision lies exclusively with the Team and their judgement IC represents the sanction of Inquisitorial Authority.
  • A player who wishes for their characters story to end in a very public execution can always request it while talking to the team.

This system allows for violent conflict to be resolved in a fashion that is not directly lethal in any permanent fashion while equally allowing the Game Team to quickly resolve consequences for characters who have actually turned against the Imperium. The Imperium and Inquisition are swift and uncompromising, the Game Team will always try to steer you away from making decisions that can doom your character but if you don't want to face those concequences DuD may not be the right game.

Reporting Crimes and Heresies

Sometimes you lack the ability to enforce your will when you notice wrongdoing - in such a circumstance where you believe that a character is up to no good you may pass on information to Inquisitorial Authorities (the Game Team) who will react appropriately to the news based on presented evidence. This may result in punishment during the downtime between events or an Inquisitorial edict for the individual to be subdued and brought to the Inquisitorial Authorities.

Unjustified Use Of Force

It might be tempting to beat someone who doesn't agree with you into a pulp or get friendly muscle to do it for you - especially if they're loud and obnoxious - but the Inquisition expects its Agents to conduct themselves like civilised individuals, not Orks. Agents who cannot work together without coming to blows with their fellow Servants of the Inquisition rapidly find themselves released from service or posted to isolated posts where their lack of decorum presents no threat to the mission of the Holy Ordos.

This says nothing of what happens those found to be guilty of murdering another agent in Cold Blood either directly or via executions with manufactured excuses.

Provoking the Use of Force

Even the Inquisition understands the primciples that sometimes violence occurs when one side was 'asking for it'. Most often then not this is when one party involved is actively attempting to betray the Imperium or Holy Ordos or do something that would critically endanger the other.

An Agent is generally considered to be deserving of the use of force against them (thus absolving their attackers) if they;

• Willingly and knowingly aided and abetted the enemies of the Imperium without proof of Inquisitorial sanction.

• Actively sought to harm the Holy Ordos and the Imperium or attempted to rebel against their spiritual authority.

• Actively engaged in the worship of the Dark Gods or Daemons

• Intentionally summoned a Daemon into reality without proof of Inquisitorial sanction to do so.

• Attack another member of the Inquisition without proof of Inquisitorial sanction.

• Became possessed by a Daemon.

• Denounced the God-Emperor.

Inevitably you should know that if you do things that lead others to believe that you are working against the Holy Ordos, Imperium and the mission you have been assigned to there are concequences and these will be enforced.