Opt-in Permadeath Change

[Unsilken]

Original Discord player support ticket was titled: The opt-in/opt-out permadeath situation


Summary:
Concerns about the current permadeath system for opt-in characters.

• Potential for PvE permadeath (solely environment/monster damage) due to technical misadventure/act of god(s)
• Potential for PvP permadeath by characters that ARE NOT opted-in

There's a lot of reasoning in the Discord thread about why these two aspects in particular are disliked. If you want reasoning appended here, let me know and I'll round some up.


Context for newcomers:
Due to code limitations it is not feasible to detect, reliably, whether a player dying is due to PvP, PvE, or a bug. The system was changed to the current one as a result, which eliminates any ambiguity, at the cost of having no discretion and being theoretically exploitable by bad actors. The suggestion takes these limitations into account.


Suggestion: Coup De Grace widget/command

• Opted-in characters no longer face an automatic permadeath roll when reaching -10HP
• Opted-in characters now make a permadeath roll ONLY when a widget/command is used on them during the bleeding out phase
  • DMs can use this freely at their discretion
  • PCs can ONLY use this if they are flagged for opt-in
    • e.g. you only receive the widget if you're opted-in, or the command only fires if you pass the state check for being opted-in
    • Grant the widget/command an obfuscated time after opt-in, to prevent players fighting while opted-out and toggling-in just for the kill
    • Players may only be targeted with this once per bleeding out instance
  • Note: opted-in characters should still die outright with sufficient grim wound accrual, as with any other PC

Thoughts:
I think this suggestion is code-feasible. It eliminates the need for detection through the combat system.

• It still isn't entirely perfect, but would be a big improvement on the current implementation.
  • It alleviates the brutality of PvE permadeath by consigning it to DM fiat/grim wound accrual.
  • PvP permadeath is now only performed with intent, and requires the executing PC to have the same mechanical stakes as the target.
• If this were to be implemented, it would likely be worth reviewing the opt-in XP gain incentive and either reducing it or removing it entirely.

Thank you for your consideration!

 

[Richord]

I absolutely, a 100%, approve of this suggestion and the idea of a Coup De Grace widget is very good.

The one obvious downside to the system, as it is being suggested here, would be that theoretically nothing would stop 4 individuals, out of whom only one is opted-in, to gang up on somebody they want to take out. That one opted-in person then serves as an executioner to apply the widget.

But even with this room for "abuse" being open I'd prefer this opted-in system a thousand times over what we have right now.
The current system is, in my opinion, so flawed that if I was approached by a DM and told "hey, if you want to continue your current plot you must opt-in" I'd rather not do that and go find something else to do with my character. That is how much myself and many others do not like the current iteration.