Rope Use

Andreas · Post by **Andreas** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 6:02 pm

I'd like to propose the addition of the Rope Use skill.

There have been several instances where I wish I could have used a rope to bind another PC as a prisoner without having to depend upon them to actually agree to that line of roleplay. In table top, if you knock someone out you can easily bind them.

Rope Use falls under the General skill set (2nd Edition) and would be available to anyone. Skill use is dependent upon dexterity with no modifier to the skill check.

A PC who has a rope in their inventory could then choose to BIND a stunned foe (PC only). Bound PCs are then helpless to defend themselves or move and may be shoved or dragged by their captor. Bound PCs may attempt to ESCAPE (str and dex checks) but without the Rope Use skill, they would suffer a penalty to dice rolls for the attempts. Those with Rope Use attempting to escape are not penalized. Anyone may attempt to FREE a bound PC (wis and dex checks) but without the Rope Use skill, they would suffer penalties to the attempt. By using the FREE command, the rope would be left intact. Otherwise, a PC may CUTROPE to free the bound PC.

Additionally, a PC with the Rope Use skill gains a +2 bonus to all attacks made with a lasso and a +10% bonus to climbing skill checks (2nd Ed. PHB, p. 84).

I think this would add a great deal to the RP of the game and encourage the taking/ransoming of prisoners vice just pkilling (which can lead to a vicious cycle).

Bragbub · Post by **Bragbub** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 7:05 pm

I like the idea a lot myself. I'm not a big fan of PKilling just because of the stress it may cause to the PC. And I would often rather tie up PCs and take them to be kept as "prisoners" ( to be released after some role play of course ) instead of leaving them stunned or dead in the wilderness somwhere.

Gratey · Post by **Gratey** » Fri Nov 28, 2003 9:47 pm

But that does not sound like a good Idea maybe the rope only last about 3 hours IC time beacause it lasting until you un tie them does not sound fair maybe your comp is messed up (no offense granel

) and you get kicked off and cant get back on so will that PC have to wait there for someone to un tie them?

Lathlain · Post by **Lathlain** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 12:19 pm

It's an excellent idea, the ability to bind a foe would come into some character's roleplay at times, and would enhance it no end.
Unfortunately, such things are open to such things as Gratey's examples. It also makes the matter of having to quit in a hurry a problem for the captive etc.

I would generally be willing to roleplay being tied up, were the rope produced and a feasible level of roleplay put into it, despite a lack of code on the matter. As with many things, this is one of those areas where I would be inclined to trust in the other party's capacity for roleplay and their compliance on the matter, and to handle it without the use of code.

I'm in two minds, because I really like this idea.

Solaghar · Post by **Solaghar** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 7:31 pm

I played for some time on a MUD where rope-based tying up of characters who had been stunned was introduced and it actually worked quite well. It actually helped both evil and good players out quite a bit, evil because they were able to quickly tie up and drag off a good person to commit unspeakable acts upon the good fellow, good people because it allowed them to give evil people a punishment outside of simply slaughtering them, as the place had no justice system like here. They added in gagging and blindfolding as well after some time to complete it, because a few wizards would teleport out after waking up and then end up dying of starvation as they were tied up in one of their teleport spots they thought to escape to, blindfolding so that they couldn't just automatically tell all of their friends where they were so that they would immediately come rescue them. But in the end it definetely opened up the door for more post-fight RP to work out between players. I believe breaking out of ropes there ended up being a dexterity or strength based skill, with wisdom or intelligence modifiers that increased the longer you were tied up... of course someone could always knock you out and tie you up again, but there wasn't so much the danger of being left to die because they forget to log on for an hour or two to feed you. I say go for it, although I'd suggest that with increased RPing possibilities that come along with this, might make a few code changes that allow a stunned person to actually be carried for a little while, allowing people to have a bit more leeway about where they are going to take the body.

Balek · Post by **Balek** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 10:09 pm

Can you remove their weapons and armour? For instance, amulets of communication, so they can't call their friends. I think this would be important for the capture.

I like the whole idea in general. It adds options for both good and evil. It could also add something for theives guilds to do...they can kidnap and ransom instead of just stealing/ransoming/fencing items.

Balek

Glim · Post by **Glim** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 7:40 am

I would think there would be a problem with someone just typing ESCAPE over and over again until they got loose.

Perhaps it could be made so that they can only try and escape once or twice and after a certain amount of time, there could be an echo that the knot has loosened up and they can escape.

Mingus · Post by **Mingus** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 9:19 am

Have the ropes decay in one RL hour like how a slice of raw meat does. Have one of the escape criterias be that the captee has to have 51%+ hp so that is all the captor has to do to keep you from escaping, just keep the HP at 50% or under. As far as ropes, they will either have to become cheaper or make them like an everlasting spell component, ie the holy symbol. If it is not done other wise no one will cough up the cash just for an RP chioce and that would be for most of the PC, wasting the time it took to implement these commands cause no one has the coin or care to spend the coin.

This is an RP mud and a game at heart, if the captee call out his friends for help then they should play along. The more the merrier. Even to the point of where you untie them let them put on an amulet, yours if the don't have one, and tie them up again. If some can't seem to play along, then you know not to RP with them the next time. Simple. This is just a way to avoid PK. We all know how it sux when we die, even with a priest at hand (most often there isn't) there's no guarantee that you either get all your hard earned stuff back or even get raised. So it would be a nice change from the regular routine when you confront your dire enemy. Even to the point of giving favor like if you had done them in.

There was a simular post on the old EZboard, where I asked not just for PC's but also for mobs. Just think about it, evil PC's can capture mobs as slave for market. No more just hacking them up but tie them up and take them to your nearest slaver for double the profit, what you stoll from them and what you get for them in market.(Since only rogues can steal, then the slaver would give you what ever was on the mob, coin/eq) Lets say you can handle one slave for ever 10 levels so a level 50 PC can capture a max of 5 slaves. At the time of capture the command changes the mob so it neither aggressive or assist in fights.(assist either you or your opponents) Have the orderable like pets/mounts. And have a free command that frees a slave if your good PC happens upon one.(with some religions giving favor) Freed slaves melt away into the wood work so as not to then have a potentialy freed aggresive mob wandering about.

Dominik · Post by **Dominik** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 12:36 pm

I tend to both like, and dislike, this entire idea. I think that the rope use should really just be RPed out. I've done it a few times before, and it works quite well. Especially if you don't have rope, yet there is some other material you can use either in the room, or in your pack. Too, I think that someone being tied up for extended periods of time would just really irritate the player, if he or she hadn't agreed OOCly to it all. Because, if it is made into a skill and able to be used on, say, anyone stunned....that obviously doesn't require OOC permission. Which I am not a big fan of anyway, of coruse. I think characters should just go with whatever RP is given them, so long as it doesn't violate any certain...rules of the game, or offend them. In which case I would hope the player would say, OOCly, that this or that is offending to them, and give an explanation. Anyway, my point is...if this were made into a skill, I would fear it might become almost common to challenge someone to a spar with killmode stun, stun them, bind them, and drag them off to whatever horrible or not-so-horrible fate awaits them. And in becoming common, it may lose whatever effect it had in the first place, and it may turn some people off from RPing what they otherwise would, for fear of not being able to get back on their character and do anything without the other person's presence. And having the rope decay in so many hours would make the original idea of the skill moot. And...has anyone else ever been stuck in a dungeon? It's not fun to sit there and wait. Or a pixie? That lasted six RL months, for me. Granted I was at boot camp half that time...but my point is, would anyone really want to be tied up for six months, awaiting another's presence to do anything?

Glim · Post by **Glim** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 5:16 am

Perhaps that could be fixed, it could be treated as a crime maybe in most cities, i.e. kidnapping maybe?

Talon · Post by **Talon** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 3:17 am

I was thinking, as I was stuck down a hole that I needed to fly out of...

What about if someone (in the room above) could have a rope and lower it down to the person below? They could hold the rope then use a LOWER ROPE command. Of course to get out, the person below would have to have checks versus climb, or however that works.

This could also be applied to rope weapons if they were deemed long enough. And maybe even whips? Indiana Jones always did all kinds of cool stuff with his whip!

Anyways, just thought I'd throw that idea out there.

Drakenor · Post by **Drakenor** » Wed May 26, 2004 6:15 am

Have the ropes fall off of the tied PC after a little bit of game time. Maybe have the captor tighten the ropes on the captive so he doesnt escape. (skill rolls etc.) After a littl ebit of game tim the captive could recieve a echo *the rope loosens and falls to the ground* giving the captive time to RP a escape, or if the caprtor goes LD they can at continue to RP.

Tretch · Post by **Tretch** » Wed May 26, 2004 1:28 pm

how much would this binding cover? Would it just be hands bound? Or are we talking entire body? If it was just hands....and you ran away....other PCs could free you. Assuming there is an UNTIE skill. Then you wouldnt have to limit the time. If the person's feet were bound they should be able to easily untie themselves. Now if it was an entire full body tie up....that gets a bit more interesting. Maybe make it so you can move but only at a CRAWL pace? That would drain your stamina bad, and would make sense. Then, you can still squirm your way to a PC to untie you. I dont think it would be that hard to find one. Also, as a backup plan, you could set Good aligned guards to help PCs of a certain alignment range, and Evil aligned guards to help PCs of that range of alignment. That way, you have a way out if its the middle of the night and noone is around. Neutral alignment could be helped by either and neutral NPC guards would help out any alignment as well. I think this works well. You would get the RP requirement as PCs would actually have to sit tight for you as your RPed, BUT...if they tried to run and they are fully tied up...they wont get far

CRAWLing takes heaps of stamina. That could even add to rp as you laugh and point at them.

Thoughts?

Tretch, Viscious Emu O' Malar

Lerytha · Post by **Lerytha** » Wed May 26, 2004 4:06 pm

I think it is a brilliant idea.

I think all of it is a good idea anyway, and what Tretch just said combats most of the arguments against this idea... I think it would be great.

After all, yes, we can RP almost anything, and we can easily RP being bound, but there are those who, when RP goes against them, will turn around and just walk away, because they are not "held" by code.

This way, you get the RP potential, and the code to back it up.

And no, I do not have any interest in tying people up. Honest.

Rhemy · Post by **Rhemy** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 8:45 am

I did a search and didn't find anything, but was wondering about the idea of being able to do bounty hunting as a paying job.

I'm proposing being able to check the crime list in various cities and tracking them down, and bringing them in. I'm not sure exactly how it would work, but like all ideas, it has to start somewhere.

Any ideas anybody?

Mele · Post by **Mele** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 9:04 am

Hired assassins = no go. I believe. I think same story here.

I could be very wrong...since I'm good at that... ;)

Danica

Zilvryn · Post by **Zilvryn** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:19 am

An excellent idea in practice, though how many people would submit to being brought to justice without a fight to the death?

That's where I can see the problem lying...

Although, there would be many opportunities for RP after tracking down a wanted criminal..

So I guess an imm ruling would be needed on this one..

Elenthis · Post by **Elenthis** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:12 pm

I dont think he is looking for a ruling as much as a development of ideas. Since such a system doesnt exist yet (In any RP mud that I've ever heard) it could be an interesting prospect. I'll wait a few posts then add my two cents... (This was like US gas...always 9/10ths of a penny too much).

~Elenthis.

Mele · Post by **Mele** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:37 pm

I perfectly understood the initial post, and my first post is indeed in responce to that.

Danica

Zuldere · Post by **Zuldere** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:33 pm

I have seen this on othere muds it involded first off rping it than more than likely have to knock the person out than the code would let you cuff them once cuff they automaticly follow the person that cuff them they can not attack or flee. Downside it would take time to code it.

Rope Use

Rope Use

Another Rope Use

...

Mercanery Bounty Hunters