I'm also of the realism camp. I love playing out realistic injuries, preferably without healer instant cure-alls. I have a hard time with interacting in combat situations with people who exaggerate mortal capabilities without reason or consequence. They're definitely not in the wrong though, it really comes down to a matter of preference.Â
I can't speak for the defender so I hope they're okay with the way things proceeded IC. If their character outright acknowledged the possibility of death I think this consequence was fair game. And I applaud Nat for managing to take IC consequences so seriously while still being considerate enough to be open to retconning the shooter to an NPC. I suppose I'm playing devil's advocate, but even as someone who would prefer a world in which injuries were taken as seriously as Nat has I can understand where the definition of 'lethal force' can be subjective in a fantasy world.
Full out physical confrontations using real weapons and magic between players are not unheard of in the slightest. But I think there are many out there who don't consider death as a probable outcome for such interactions. Especially considering the healing powers available in this universe. While yes, I prefer to be heavy-handed on realistic, perhaps even exaggerated, consequences for the sake of drama, I can see where things could get messy.
For example: Let's say Faolan gets in a barfight. He's not a trained fighter, so I would assume he's no where near capable of seriously maiming someone, let alone killing them. Maybe he gets lucky enough to land a hit just strong enough to knock someone back. But I would be extremely uncomfortable OOC if the character he hit fell over a nearby barstool and cracked their head on the counter, later dying of a concussion- Even though it's a completely plausible consequence.
I think the hardest thing about this is that no one is really right in the objective sense. We're all just drawing our own lines in the sand and none us have any better say than another. I think the only thing you can do is consistently communicate OOC to make sure both players are on the same page when it comes to potential consequences. Especially when it comes to character death, which has both IC and OOC consequences for both players, as well as those associated with their characters.
I hope everyone uses this as an opportunity for some really powerful roleplay!
I can't speak for the defender so I hope they're okay with the way things proceeded IC. If their character outright acknowledged the possibility of death I think this consequence was fair game. And I applaud Nat for managing to take IC consequences so seriously while still being considerate enough to be open to retconning the shooter to an NPC. I suppose I'm playing devil's advocate, but even as someone who would prefer a world in which injuries were taken as seriously as Nat has I can understand where the definition of 'lethal force' can be subjective in a fantasy world.
Full out physical confrontations using real weapons and magic between players are not unheard of in the slightest. But I think there are many out there who don't consider death as a probable outcome for such interactions. Especially considering the healing powers available in this universe. While yes, I prefer to be heavy-handed on realistic, perhaps even exaggerated, consequences for the sake of drama, I can see where things could get messy.
For example: Let's say Faolan gets in a barfight. He's not a trained fighter, so I would assume he's no where near capable of seriously maiming someone, let alone killing them. Maybe he gets lucky enough to land a hit just strong enough to knock someone back. But I would be extremely uncomfortable OOC if the character he hit fell over a nearby barstool and cracked their head on the counter, later dying of a concussion- Even though it's a completely plausible consequence.
I think the hardest thing about this is that no one is really right in the objective sense. We're all just drawing our own lines in the sand and none us have any better say than another. I think the only thing you can do is consistently communicate OOC to make sure both players are on the same page when it comes to potential consequences. Especially when it comes to character death, which has both IC and OOC consequences for both players, as well as those associated with their characters.
I hope everyone uses this as an opportunity for some really powerful roleplay!