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Aaron · **06-09-2015, 03:12 PM**

Only if my kidnapper is hot and /not/ into BDSM.Â

But APPARENTLY the world doesn't work like that. Nooooooo the hot ones gotta always be dressed in black leather or some shit.

Faye · **06-09-2015, 03:13 PM**

In TERA, one of my characters was kidnapped and held captive for a couple months. I didn't mind, since I didn't have much to do with her otherwise, so it actually gave me more role-play for her. Here in XIV, for part of a storyline, Faye was kidnapped for two weeks. Obviously I'm not wholly opposed to it, but I do have to agree with some of what Armachia touched on.

Mostly for me, I hate kidnapping arcs where a character is only kidnapped for a day or two real time and then returns and back to their normal selves within a day. It kinda cheapens the drama of it for me. It feels like a "hey look at me!" if it doesn't last a decent amount of time and/or leave a lasting impact on the character, like someone wants to have the trauma happen but lose no time RPing their character as his or her normal self... having your cake and eating it too, I guess. And there's nothing inherently wrong with that either; it's just not how I like to do things.

Zelmanov · **06-09-2015, 03:14 PM**

Closest to it has been holding someone at bladepoint to incur a stalemate in combat.

Flickering Ember · **06-09-2015, 03:16 PM**

I'm currently involved in one but I think after this, it might be the last time I do it. I've been involved in several kidnapping plots over the years. But I always run into problems with them. The main problem is that it is very easy for whoever has been kidnapped to get bored. Even if there are plans to RP while in captivity, that person is dependent on scheduling RP for it to work. If schedules don't mesh very well, it quickly becomes problematic.

I love kidnapping in RP plots though. I would love to find a way to make it work. It would probably kill the tension of it, but I think if I ever got involved in this again, I would want the story line to exist on an alternate timeline. That way at no point does the person have to feel barred from random RP and those close to whoever was kidnapped don't have to feel constantly stressed IC for as long as that person is missing. While it is only natural that those important to whoever was kidnapped would feel emotions over it, it can be something that not everyone wants to RP out over days.

I am definitely interested in hearing if anyone has a good way of going about these kinds of plots. But even going into the plot with intent to combat some of these problems, I always run into the same ones.

Aris · **06-09-2015, 03:29 PM**

I've never done anything like this, but would like to if it made sense and there was character progression out of it rather than just for the sake of it. I could see it being very fun, if constructed well. Smile

I really need to jump and and get involved with everyone. ._.

Martiallais · **06-09-2015, 03:37 PM**

I've been a part of these in CoH mostly. Once my main (awww yeah Max Impact) was the rescuer and twice he was the kidnappee (is that the right term?), but it was used as a vehicle for a bigger story. I was also involved in a few in GW2.

They can be done well, though I agree, too often and one begins to feel a Mario/Princess Peach dynamic forming which I pretty much loathe.

Qhora Bajihri · **06-09-2015, 03:52 PM**

Ish?

I've never had a character kidnapped for more than a day, always just long enough to RP out some horrible thing happening to them while they were vulnerable then waking up in a tub of ice (Can we say black market organ trading? I think it got eaten in the end) or with blood all over their hands.

I've been on the sidelines of other characters' stories when they've been kidnapped for weeks and it was just soul-grindingly painful, especially when they did the hardcore thing of not playing OOC while they were IC out of commission. After watching others go through it and feeling exceptionally awkward about not being able to approach them or even communicate with them IC, I think I'd pass on any opportunities to do something like that. Unless it was highly convenient, like I had to be away from the computer RL for that time anyway, or something.

Ciel · **06-09-2015, 03:56 PM**

As a story device, use it sparingly. This should not be something which happens on a regular basis. Communication is an absolute MUST between kidnapper and kidnappee, and have a timetable for things to happen. There is nothing worse than having your character get kidnapped and then bring left holding the bag and sitting in limbo for weeks or months if something happens to take your captor away from the game for an extended period of time. Also PLEASE don't assume your target is willing to roll with being kidnapped... please ask first and accept it if the answer is no.

Telluride · **06-09-2015, 03:56 PM**

I've been made sour about kidnapping plots.

In one of my previous guilds, in a previous game, we had an individual who would simply decide for herself that she was kidnapped, and that other RPers had to come and rescue her. The first time, we played it out, but it was a bit off-putting not to have been privy to the plotline before it impinged upon other things, but kidnappings don't wait, we supposed.

The player did the same thing again in the middle of some other storylines that needed addressing, derailing a lot of people's progress in order to tend to hers. This time, the guildleaders gave a warning.

The third time... half the group got mad, and the other half basically decided that if she was going to be this way, we didn't want to play with her, anyway.

It's a potent trope, and always good for drama, but it has massive, massive abuse potential.

Jana · **06-09-2015, 04:18 PM**

I've had my character captured in battle and made a prisoner before back on TERA, but it was only for a RL-day of RP. I wouldn't be okay with someone taking my character out of the picture for an extended time, unless I knew I wasn't going to be around or able to RP or something.

TheLastCandle · **06-09-2015, 04:32 PM**

(06-09-2015, 03:56 PM)Telluride Wrote: I've been made sour about kidnapping plots.

In one of my previous guilds, in a previous game, we had an individual who would simply decide for herself that she was kidnapped, and that other RPers had to come and rescue her. The first time, we played it out, but it was a bit off-putting not to have been privy to the plotline before it impinged upon other things, but kidnappings don't wait, we supposed.

The player did the same thing again in the middle of some other storylines that needed addressing, derailing a lot of people's progress in order to tend to hers. This time, the guildleaders gave a warning.

The third time... half the group got mad, and the other half basically decided that if she was going to be this way, we didn't want to play with her, anyway.

It's a potent trope, and always good for drama, but it has massive, massive abuse potential.

Your first mistake was roleplaying with Princess Peach

Spethah · **06-09-2015, 04:32 PM**

I like properly planned kidnapping RP with proper consequences. I hate kidnapping events where the person comes back a-okay after a day or two, "oh hey I was kidnapped but I used my suppppper powers to get out" or they get saved and it's allll okay or whatever.Â

In all honestly I've never had any of my characters kidnapped because every time I was offered it, there was no real consequence for either the victim or the kidnapper. I outright decline if I see that. I do wish to experience that kind of event from a writing point of view and would like to actually write about it, but again no one is willing to put some thought into what happens after the kidnapping.Â

Shame I can't do any of that right now, since my character is a ghost and I don't know if anyone can really kidnap a ghost.

Arter Wood · **06-09-2015, 04:35 PM**

I don't really remember if I had or not. I haven't had any characters that had bad run-ins with evil doers, but I've had submissive characters.

Virella · **06-09-2015, 05:06 PM**

Only did it once! Was some server wide event where people started to go mad about some magical artefacts. My char's husband had one in possession, and seeming my elf was an useless civilian, they sought to kidnap her in return for the magical shard.

Sadly enough for the kidnappers all they got was a Walder Frey response of "I will find another" from her husband. They set her free due to it finding it a more cruel fate to toss her back into the arms of her husband instead of keeping her away from him. What was sadly enough very much true!

I do not mind it at all, as long both parties are clear on how and what Smile

Nako Vesh · **06-09-2015, 07:37 PM**

I've only had one character kidnapped and that was my Rogue in Burning Crusade. I wouldn't mind exploring it again, as long as it wasn't happening all the time or something. Though I don't see why anyone would want to kidnap Nako. Laugh

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Character Kidnapping - Do you do it?

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes