Player looting

[oldgrayrogue]

Many good and valid points in this discussion. My two cents is that telling someone where your PC died is just as meta as acting on that info, whether it's so they can get you rezzed or your IC friend can get rich. If there is an IC reason why PC friends would go searching for you, ask a DM to get involved. I did this once with a PC that was killed and the DM turned it into a nice event for the other players involved.

Another pet peeve of mine is seeing PCs "patrol" areas regularly where noob PCs might get themselves killed to mine the PC corpses. I've heard of this phenomenon but never actually seen it. While I'm not sure if its meta or not, depending on the circumstances, I'd say its cheesy.

[Spider Jones]

This is a bit of a problem in PnP as well, and it's JUST as easily correctable, using the very same method. You give out smaller rewards to the PC to compensate for the loot spike. In the case that a PC is continually looting corpses all day long, they are played by Creslyn.

[Tegid]

If you have a PC die out someplace alone, it's completely your prerogative to drop a PM to your local DM team, describing the situation. Hey, band of goblins / gargoyles / skeletons / whatevers smoked my guy at insert location.

The chances of a DM acting on that in some fashion are much, much higher than some universal "NPC looting... yet somehow keeping the possibility of junk being in play" scripting ever being implemented.

DM hears the local sewer thugs got a score, well, maybe that enriches some thieves' guild that you don't know about, funds some goals of theirs for some plot movements... or just becomes "part of a hoard" for way later.

DM hears skeletons killed you, well, maybe they know their necromancer master doesn't personally visit that area too often, and the dead may lay where they fell for a long while, the skeletons being mindless, non-greedy etc.

You get the picture.

There may also be cases where DM just says "thanks", does nothing about it, decides a 100% "intact" corpse will just be there for some lucky soul.

Dropping a line to a DM is about 100x more appropriate than dropping hints to buddies (whether to enrich 'em or for hope of raise), or replying to requests for hints. I suppose once in a blue moon a death could even end up "adjusted" to less than one if some bug was discovered (oops those ogre barbs were triple spawning, there should've been only one there...) or if the foes were doing a lot of taking of prisoners rather than killing, for their secret slave filled mine plot or something.

+1
This stuck.

[Castano]

we are discussing a system to make sure that player corspe looting is run by DMs only.

this way we can account for what would be on a body you find...as opposed to the current system which leaves all the loot on the corspe forever, even if they were ambushed by a tribe of loot hungry goblins....

*waits for screams of I never see a DM, my corpse hunting, I mean solo RPing will be impacted* <-- we can handle these rare situations via PM and bic edits if need be.

[Lokan]

Well I feel this topic kinda aims at me. I will try to think out a good answer to give.

I can see how it might, but it doesn't. Honestly. The death of my own Pc and his wealth distribution was part of what was on my mind when started the thread, but I have thought of this subject long since I started playing here.

I am not pristine in my own following of rules. I have skirted the gray area between rule braking and community norms with meta. Never maliciously or with intent to gain by breaking rules, but you know ... I had to take a moment and resist the temptation to use meta to gain benefit a few times especially surrounding death of the PC.

But no matter what, I have always found that the story behind a PC is always more interesting, and everything always turns out well when you let some of those things happen that you might not like at the time. So following the rules is always more preferable.

It took me a little while to truly appreciate that.

[Castano]

I must say 90% of the above posts miss the points:

(1) what killed the PC will usually loot the corpse (unless it is a skeleton, wolf etc.).

(2) Other predator monsters mangle some gear while feeding on your soft flesh - so your fine silk cape is now tatters.

(3) If the body is out long enough other NPCs may find it.

All of this needs a DM and is not scriptable.

Basically the only instance where you are 100% sure to get 100% of the loot is if they die next to you and you win the fight. Otherwise you should be getting a piece of it. Currently, unless a DM is around, PCs are retrieving 100% of the loot, and it is hellishly rare for any DM to get a PM saying "I just looted uber gear off a 1 month old corspe please nerf the drop pls..."

By forcing all players to send that PM to get their reward, we increase the player experience to a more realistic level.

and no dark this is not about you...it's about a bunch of data we have been gathering over the years...and our own realization that the PC death thing is currently not IC. NWN1 saw experimentation with looting monsters...for those who may recall...and temple priests too!...NWN1 BG had this iirc.

[kid]

I know I had a toon who worked hard to gain welth for his family accros the sea.
I also know some goodly toon found my toons corpse, and the will he had on him
in which it states that all his worldly possessions be sent to his wife in case of his death, and said goodly toon looted him and frolicked along its merry way.
it seems that when it comes to a large amouts of gold many of us forsake RP
and just cant resist the temptation. guess thats just the way it is.

[Blindhamsterman]

NPCs looting would be cool! - very realistic!

but in that case, can all NPCs drop EVERYTHING they have as well? - as this would be equally realistic!

no half measures please? want a realistic looting thing on one hand, make it work in all directions. Have NPCs loot corpses of players and npcs alike. but have whatever dies, actually drop every piece of gear they had (and make them disarmable too - it's just a tick box).

thing is... probably the reason players are unlikely to often say 'hey I looted a corpse and made 300 gold!' or however much... is because it's hugely unusual for players to make a whole lot of gold in other situations, as Swift noted... DMs will regularly give out exp at end of sessions, be it a small or large amount. but very few in my experience give out even close to the amout of loot they should for monsters slain.

[Lokan]

I Agree with Castano.

When I said that the PC was the biggest source of riches, I also meant it somewhat devalues everything else. Finding certain PCs is more like finding a winning lottery ticket than it is finding 20 dollars.

Your PC sends all that time RPing a big quest to get your specialized sword, months are spent dealing with the DM, Rping your prayer time, doing all the right things, and you finally get your sword. Or, you delve into a difficult dungeon and find a great piece of armor, and nearly die. Or you spend hours and hours of game time forging your sword, after you spent months saving your coin to pay for the materials.

Then, the next day, you find a dead PC...who needs to go through all that other stuff?

I appreciate that the journey and not the destination is the point...but can you see what I mean?

To not allow player looting seems harsh, I agree, now.

But, Should there be some sort of change?

[kid]

I say we should notify a DM on each death,
make a DM come and look over the scene and make a call.
some stuff can stay others go.
maybe a bear eats the corpse, maybe the orcs cock him and take the stuff,
maybe a hobo comes and take only the gold and gems, ect.

we can just make it a rule to notify a DM where and what killed you
and make them make the call in each case as they see fit.

Edit: just now read Castanos post. was too lazy before.

so ya. what he said.

[Castano]

I say we should notify a DM on each death,
make a DM come and look over the scene and make a call.
some stuff can stay others go.
maybe a bear eats the corpse, maybe the orcs cock him and take the stuff,
maybe a hobo comes and take only the gold and gems, ect.

we can just make it a rule to notify a DM where and what killed you
and make them make the call in each case as they see fit.

kid i'd agree with the rule as we don't waste time scripting a lock onto corpses - *looks up to ban thread* but....

[NESchampion]

NPCs looting would be cool! - very realistic!

but in that case, can all NPCs drop EVERYTHING they have as well? - as this would be equally realistic!

no half measures please? want a realistic looting thing on one hand, make it work in all directions. Have NPCs loot corpses of players and npcs alike. but have whatever dies, actually drop every piece of gear they had (and make them disarmable too - it's just a tick box).

thing is... probably the reason players are unlikely to often say 'hey I looted a corpse and made 300 gold!' or however much... is because it's hugely unusual for players to make a whole lot of gold in other situations, as Swift noted... DMs will regularly give out exp at end of sessions, be it a small or large amount. but very few in my experience give out even close to the amout of loot they should for monsters slain.

Definitely.

[Keryn]

NPCs looting would be cool! - very realistic!

but in that case, can all NPCs drop EVERYTHING they have as well? - as this would be equally realistic!

no half measures please? want a realistic looting thing on one hand, make it work in all directions. Have NPCs loot corpses of players and npcs alike. but have whatever dies, actually drop every piece of gear they had (and make them disarmable too - it's just a tick box).

thing is... probably the reason players are unlikely to often say 'hey I looted a corpse and made 300 gold!' or however much... is because it's hugely unusual for players to make a whole lot of gold in other situations, as Swift noted... DMs will regularly give out exp at end of sessions, be it a small or large amount. but very few in my experience give out even close to the amout of loot they should for monsters slain.

Definitely.

Oh yes... Its soo easy to claim corpses are easy loot and are far from ICly since etc... lots of situations could mean PCs could not find them with everything.

On other hand... the goblin attacks me with a sword, and I get nothing, some Orc shoots a crossbow and I get nothing... All critters use a weapon, where does it go? Puffs vanishes by miracle? If we want to fix it, lets fix it both ways, because I can certainly state many PCs were only able to reach average wealth after having such luck.

[johnlewismcleod]

As much as I recall the satisfaction had while playing from occasionally finding a dead PC THAT MY PC DIDN'T KNOW and getting a nice gold/goods infusion, I have to go with Lokan, kid, and Castano on this.

The under-wealth PC issue (and believe me I personally understand and feel for you lot) is a DM issue that can be addressed by DM's. I am as guilty as anyone of holding back for the big payoff, and then the PC dies before getting it, but we as DM's can set up good gold/loot finds for under-wealth ed PC's quite easily if we notice.

Finding PC corpses intact when they should not be can cause over-wealth issues and deprives DM's of an opportunity to make the death meaningful via quest if we are notified.

[Brokenbone]

I<SNIP>
maybe a bear eats the corpse, maybe the orcs cock him and take the stuff,
<SNIP>

Take your stuff he may, but Rhaggot will never cock a corpse.

***

Anyhow, corpse placeable is presumably just like any other container at the moment, just that it's probably cooked into the haks (ie a placeable container thing that is universal-looking everwhere).

Stick a unique key lock on it, and spawn it locked, that'd presumably be a two minute "edit" of that type of container, right? Whoever finds it will be GREATLY INCENTED to email a DM pronto, since if they're the first finder, well... they get to find out what's there. Could be nothing. Could find out you're the 4th person to find it and jeez would the DM please go and destroy the item so that they don't get PM'd to death?

No, this means you wouldn't "haul the dead body to church or wherever", not without the DM's help. But I don't see anyone too stressed about the billion dissolving NPC corpses our butchery heroes encounter day in day out, even when it's for NPC goodguys like guardsmen and whatnot.

Ta da. Solved. Next?