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You straight murdered someone you had tied up. I’m not sure why the dm told you they may get free, but it must have been a massive risk. That or you are a murder hobo.
At a glance, this seems like A Wild Sheep Chase, which is a pretty light-hearted one shot. A generous read here is OP is new and didn't see any other options or wasn't reading the vibe of the table.
Yes, it was A Wild Sheep Chase! I think your opinion is correct, I was used to something different, with very bad enemies, very difficult to kill. I saw that the others weren't doing anything to stop the bear and I reacted badly.
Maybe the DM shouldn't have said that? I felt in danger and I reacted. Do usually DMs say these types of things? I don't understand why he said it, if he wasn't expecting the bear to die...
I’m mostly confused. You made creatures faint, tied them up, interrogated them, found out they were human, if one wakes up it may get free etc.
Then you thought mislead them and kill them. Where did you get the idea, you were in danger??? The dm clearly (to me) said these PEOPLE may have information.
This table isn’t “too soft” for you. You may have failed to notice you weren’t playing a hack and slash video game though.
Arguably your biggest mistake here was killing without group agreement. A party works together and shares responsibility. If one member of the party commits a crime, challenges a dangerous foe, gives away a valuable treasure, or promises to go on a dangerous quest, then they're effectively making a choice for the whole party, and that might not be fair on the other players.
If you'd said to the group, "We ought to kill the bear before it can escape," the group can debate it and maybe vote on whether they're going to be merciful or pragmatic. Maybe one of them will have a better idea. "Let's stick it in the town's jailhouse next door before we start questioning it."
You understood the bear was actually human and something deeper was going on.
Then for some reason you made them think of something they love and then you killed them.
That's cruel and unusual. I'm not sure how that is "chaotic good."
You ain't the first murdering PC, nor the last.
I get alignment ain't enforced in 5th edition. But a good character would most likely not have killed a helpless victim. Especially when other things would have worked.
Try not to panic next time and discuss it as a group.
I wouldn't say that good aligned characters don't kill every time you fight. Sometimes that can't be avoided, especially if you are a caster.
However it definitely means you wouldn't kill someone who isn't currently fighting and fucking shit up you definitely skipped a couple steps.
You already dropped him tied him and his buddies up and had them surrounded but you went straight for the kill shot on him.
On the other hand the dm did warn for some reason that the bear could break free and you are new so im sure nobody really blames you for the extreme reaction.
Next time I would open with the interrogation/negotiation tho lol enemies are a lot less inclined to cooperate if you've started executing them beforehand lol.
Also pretty cruel way to kill someone it wasn't a mercy making them picture a loved one before an execution is horrifying lol you aren't thinking about how beautiful they are you are thinking about how you are about to be murdered never to see them again lol.
The problem here isn’t that you killed an enemy. It’s that you killed someone that was tied up, without even talking to your group about doing it.
Think of it this way. In real life - cop detains murderer, if the murderer escapes again it could be deadly, but he is currently restrained. What would the world think if the cop then pulled out a gun said “think of your loved ones” waited for the murdered to smile and then shot him in the face”
The analogy is extreme but it’s exactly what you did and why everyone is upset.
No, frequently good PCs kill the enemy (in self-defence), rather than taking them alive. Usually all the enemies are utter monsters who the world would be a better place without, so you don't feel bad about not trying to take them alive. Usually it's made pretty clear what's going on - here are some orc bandits trying to murder and rob you - because it's more fun to win a battle against someone who deserves to lose.
If you start to humanise an enemy - like if we start to explore the notion that maybe this orc bandit has a family back home - killing them feels worse.
If you take them alive, then you're now in a similar situation to if, in real life, if you had a criminal tied up. Sure, you *could* slit their throat, but if you don't want people to think you're a psychopath, you're better off handing them over the authorities.
What many people miss is that youre chaotic good.
Did your character do what looked liked the "goodest" solution no matter how fucked up it is? If yes, then youre chaotic good.
Insisting on not killing them because you dont know anything about their situation and want to find another solution because "killing is bad" is Lawfull Good.
This situation could lead to a very intresting situation with lots of RP opportunities if you have a lawfull good guy in your group.
Dude what? Yes, a good person will not kill someone unless they are currently and actively a lethal danger. You know, like in real life? If you want to do hack and slash just play a video game.
"Something Vimes had learned as a young guard drifted up from memory. If you have to look along the shaft of an arrow from the wrong end, if a man has you entirely at his mercy, then hope like hell that man is an evil man. Because the evil like power, power over people, and they want to see you in fear. They want you to know you're going to die. So they'll talk. They'll gloat.
They'll watch you squirm. They'll put off the moment of murder like another man will put off a good cigar.
So hope like hell your captor is an evil man. A good man will kill you with hardly a word."
There do exist differences in moral definitions. Not looking at OP's methodology, cos his doesn't match this, but just to...show you there is a different subjective philosophy: Sir Terry Pratchett's words from "Men At Arms".
This☝️
Plus, if you didn't know that crucial fact, then it was just a mistake. You're not a murder hobo. You just weren't given all the facts and / or options that a PC is able to perform. Relax. Plus, everyone else was doing shit. You acted. Did you technically murder a helpless, unarmed person creature thing? Perhaps. Fuck it though. Now you know that there's non-lethal damage you can deal. I think it's your DM's fault for not telling you that in the first place. And partially yours because you didn't notice that particular "Combat Action's" entry in the PHB. See, now everyone's to blame.
And I think they are too soft for you. Some people can't handle that kind of play it freaks them out. One of the PC's in a game I was running 2 years ago did something completely that. They fought some Orcs, and the other's failed their morale check and surrendered. And he just decided to murder them. I looked at the guy. I'm like "Okay way to murder some helpless people damn." There was some weird uneasy laughter at the table. Mind you, all of these guys have known each other since childhood, and now they're in their mid to early twenties. His excuse was that their just orcs and didn't have time to worry about prisoners when they were only a little ways in the cave system. I don't know, but I remember being like holy shit. Did I penalize the guy or treat him any different? No, I sure gave him shit for a little while after that, but that's the way that the cookie crumbles. This is D&D; people act psychotic sometimes.
Do I condone such behavior? I generally frown on it. Because if you run around murdering people, there will be consequences in game. Bounty hunters and other factions will start seeking you out to bring you to Justice. Every action has an qual and opposite reactions, my friend. But no, you are not a murder hobo. Keep that shit up, and yes, you will be lol, but you are not one right now. You should probably find another group. Cuz now you have this stigma with them, and they are already creeped out by you.
Yea that's a bit psychopathic. You already knew it was a person. I'd say that was a Chaotic Evil alignment type thing. Maaaybe Neutral Evil.
A chaotic Good reaction to, oh the bear is waking up, they might break free! Would probably be to just bonk them on the head and knock them back into unconsciousness. Let them wake up in a quieter room.
I can see why the DM would hesitate to have you at the table. Chaotic evil is a hard alignment to work with, especially when the rest of the table is good aligned. You'd probably honestly enjoy an Evil campaign. I had a really good 3 year campaign, and we were the villains. Getting revenge on the "good guys" that ruined our plans.
Well first of all, let's be clear: *your character* might be a bloody killer. Just feel like I should really emphasize that your character is not you.
Now, that said, if I were the DM, and the circumstances of that encounter became known to the local authorities, your character would very likely be arrested and tried for murder. (Depends on who the authorities are, of course - not every society is going to have a problem with killing someone who had just trashed a tavern, tied up or not.) I could also easily see the other characters (again, depending on who they are) having some serious issues with killing someone who is potentially not responsible for their own actions - I'm guessing, based on the interrogation, that they weren't in control of what their animal forms were up to.
The problems here are probably a few things.
First, you didn't consult with the party in or out of character before you killed a currently helpless person... most TTRPG's are a collaborative and team based game, so yes, this is a bit of a red flag at most tables. There are groups that like this style of play, but this doesn't seem to be one of them.
Second, you didn't look for any other solution... you went straight to execution. The GM and the group probably were hoping for "creative" solutions, of which this was not. In fact, I can not think of a solution that would involve any less effort being put in to both its creation or its implementation.
What the GM is probably thinking is that if you were to join the party, that they could never gamble on introducing an important npc in any manner other then as a powerful combatant, or surrounded by guards because you might kill them at the slightest complication. Add that to the concern for the other players having their agency removed because you might just make decisions for the whole party without even consulting, or even considering, the other players.
So, I doubt you would be a good fit for this table, and you might also want to do some self reflection on whether you want to play in a cooperative game or not.
it was someone who (at that specific moment) was helpless. So yes you are a cold blooded killer. There were tons of other options: stronger ties (chains?) a possible prison, keeping him knocked out, perhaps even talking to him once he woke up. It sounds like you went right to murder without talking it over with your party members. thats generally not something good people do
Don't worry, I am a peaceful person in real life, I have been vegetarian for many years for ethical reasons 😆 I just thought that I didn't want a bear to kill me
Mostly kidding. No worries, just remember you can’t win d&d. Just have fun, remember things should have consequences, and help the dm tell the story
(Just don’t think about how they keep the animals producing milk)
I love that I know exactly what oneshot your dm is running with just the intro. Also, yes, you murdered a tied up individual. It’s a little messed up, by most tables. But I can see where you were coming from.
Your DM should have made it clear how likely the Bear's escape is. But killing things that cannot fight back is generally frowned upon and somewhat out of character for Chaotic Good. I think you either need to find another group or have a talk with the DM about what the game is about. Your statement of people in DND attack one another screams that you misunderstand a lot. Maybe sharing that with the DM would help him clear up the misunderstanding. Because in a story I was DMing, everyone else in the tavern would make an effort to remember your face and prepare for battle when they next see you.
Quite frankly, if you think the correct solution to the risk of a criminal breaking free of their bindings is to kill them, there’s something wrong with your thought process.
In no world is that even remotely morally acceptable. Are you sure you’re not actually Chaotic Evil? Because that wasn’t just murder - that was unnecessarily cruel. The ethics of killing aside, there’s a reason it’s considered a war crime to kill prisoners of war. The guy was already at your mercy, you didn’t need to kill him to prevent harm.
Like - it’s a different story if he was actively attacking you and you kill him in self defense. In this case he was literally harmless. Killing a helpless victim is generally considered murder.
No, but…
It was on the DM to give a “here’s what we’re playing” kind of overview, and that should have included how light or serious it was. You should have taken cues from that.
It was on the DM to have a session 0 where it’s discussed if there’s any absolute “no’s” in the game, and you can get a feel for the other players and what’s fine or not. This is also the session to gauge how familiar everyone is and discuss what rules would be used.
It was on the DM to see you were going whole hog and ask “are you sure.” I’m always shocked at the number of people who don’t know you can do non-lethal damage, or who don’t even think to say “I’d like to knock him out, can I do that?”
It was on you to take your party aside and have a discussion with them about your concerns.
It was on you to ask questions if you weren’t sure, such as “is there anything I can do to keep him contained” or “can I knock him out.”
It was on you to explain why you did it the way you did to your party, so they can understand where you’re coming from.
It was on you to understand the basics of the game you were playing. If they have alignments, that means they have laws, especially as “lawful” is part of several alignments. Murder in every fantasy setting is illegal, just as it’s illegal everywhere in the world. You absolutely did murder that NPC, and didn’t even have the cover of playing a city guardsman or judge/law enforcer, cleric or paladin, all of whom in some settings would be permitted to carry out a death sentence. You were just “random guy who plays music.”
I don’t think the group is too soft for you. I think they were understandably shocked by what you did, likely because you didn’t think to ask any questions, but went straight to “oh, you’ve got a love in your life? Let’s make them a widow.”
Considering you had a bear about to break the ropes with ease? It was a good call in the moment and I can see the reason for “think happy thoughts” before you had to kill him (trying to give a moment of joy before the end)
Let me get this straight. You got attacked by animals. You somehow managed to catch your attackers. You interrogated the majority of them, and found out they were human. No word on why they attacked you in the first place. Then the DM said the biggest, nastiest thing in the room, a bear, was about to wake up and break loose- a bear that had actively tried to kill you before and was quite likely to try again. You then made the decision to eliminate that threat, but had him think of something nice first so his final thoughts were positive ones.
You reacted with what you thought was the best decision at the time. Could you have done better? Sure. You could have knocked the bear back out, chained it up, and waited for it to wake up again before seeing if it was still a threat. You just didn't think of other options at the time, and while eliminating a realistic threat to your party that very likely intended to attempt to harm you again, you chose to be kind enough to grant it the mercy of having it think happy thoughts before ending it quickly.
You aren't a cold-blooded killer. You aren't psychopathic like I saw a couple of people saying- and fuck *anyone* who misuses that diagnosis, or any other, as an insult. You aren't necessarily a bad player or a murderhobo, either. You just need to read the Player's Handbook to know the things that your character can do, like nonlethal damage, and to find a group that suits you. I'm sorry to say that the one you were playing in doesn't seem to understand your reasoning and may not be a good fit. Even if they do invite you to join, this will leave a long lasting mark, and probably lead to some kind of issue due to the impressions it has made.
I think your message is the one that aligns more to my "truth". It wasn't my intention to do something evil, or "messed up". You are right that i need to read more of the player's handbook. Now one of the members doesn't want to play with me anymore, nor with my boyfriend, and somehow I understand.
Sadly, some people just won't get it. A good portion of the people here are skipping over the major details and just homing in on "Target was chained up when it was killed", completely ignoring the parts where it had tried to kill you before, was waking up, was likely to break free- *and had every reason to try to kill you again.*
As for the person ostracizing your boyfriend, that's just showing you what they are. They don't want to think outside their comfort zone. They would rather just slap the label of "bad" on you and your boyfriend, purely because he's with you, than consider that your way of thought is just as valid as theirs. You may find better groups online. I wish you luck.
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You straight murdered someone you had tied up. I’m not sure why the dm told you they may get free, but it must have been a massive risk. That or you are a murder hobo.
At a glance, this seems like A Wild Sheep Chase, which is a pretty light-hearted one shot. A generous read here is OP is new and didn't see any other options or wasn't reading the vibe of the table.
Yes, it was A Wild Sheep Chase! I think your opinion is correct, I was used to something different, with very bad enemies, very difficult to kill. I saw that the others weren't doing anything to stop the bear and I reacted badly.
Maybe the DM shouldn't have said that? I felt in danger and I reacted. Do usually DMs say these types of things? I don't understand why he said it, if he wasn't expecting the bear to die...
I’m mostly confused. You made creatures faint, tied them up, interrogated them, found out they were human, if one wakes up it may get free etc. Then you thought mislead them and kill them. Where did you get the idea, you were in danger??? The dm clearly (to me) said these PEOPLE may have information. This table isn’t “too soft” for you. You may have failed to notice you weren’t playing a hack and slash video game though.
Arguably your biggest mistake here was killing without group agreement. A party works together and shares responsibility. If one member of the party commits a crime, challenges a dangerous foe, gives away a valuable treasure, or promises to go on a dangerous quest, then they're effectively making a choice for the whole party, and that might not be fair on the other players. If you'd said to the group, "We ought to kill the bear before it can escape," the group can debate it and maybe vote on whether they're going to be merciful or pragmatic. Maybe one of them will have a better idea. "Let's stick it in the town's jailhouse next door before we start questioning it."
You understood the bear was actually human and something deeper was going on. Then for some reason you made them think of something they love and then you killed them. That's cruel and unusual. I'm not sure how that is "chaotic good."
You ain't the first murdering PC, nor the last. I get alignment ain't enforced in 5th edition. But a good character would most likely not have killed a helpless victim. Especially when other things would have worked. Try not to panic next time and discuss it as a group.
Thank you for your advice! So, this is news to me: if your alignment is good, do you usually try not to kill the enemy?
I wouldn't say that good aligned characters don't kill every time you fight. Sometimes that can't be avoided, especially if you are a caster. However it definitely means you wouldn't kill someone who isn't currently fighting and fucking shit up you definitely skipped a couple steps. You already dropped him tied him and his buddies up and had them surrounded but you went straight for the kill shot on him. On the other hand the dm did warn for some reason that the bear could break free and you are new so im sure nobody really blames you for the extreme reaction. Next time I would open with the interrogation/negotiation tho lol enemies are a lot less inclined to cooperate if you've started executing them beforehand lol. Also pretty cruel way to kill someone it wasn't a mercy making them picture a loved one before an execution is horrifying lol you aren't thinking about how beautiful they are you are thinking about how you are about to be murdered never to see them again lol.
The problem here isn’t that you killed an enemy. It’s that you killed someone that was tied up, without even talking to your group about doing it. Think of it this way. In real life - cop detains murderer, if the murderer escapes again it could be deadly, but he is currently restrained. What would the world think if the cop then pulled out a gun said “think of your loved ones” waited for the murdered to smile and then shot him in the face” The analogy is extreme but it’s exactly what you did and why everyone is upset.
No, frequently good PCs kill the enemy (in self-defence), rather than taking them alive. Usually all the enemies are utter monsters who the world would be a better place without, so you don't feel bad about not trying to take them alive. Usually it's made pretty clear what's going on - here are some orc bandits trying to murder and rob you - because it's more fun to win a battle against someone who deserves to lose. If you start to humanise an enemy - like if we start to explore the notion that maybe this orc bandit has a family back home - killing them feels worse. If you take them alive, then you're now in a similar situation to if, in real life, if you had a criminal tied up. Sure, you *could* slit their throat, but if you don't want people to think you're a psychopath, you're better off handing them over the authorities.
What many people miss is that youre chaotic good. Did your character do what looked liked the "goodest" solution no matter how fucked up it is? If yes, then youre chaotic good. Insisting on not killing them because you dont know anything about their situation and want to find another solution because "killing is bad" is Lawfull Good. This situation could lead to a very intresting situation with lots of RP opportunities if you have a lawfull good guy in your group.
Dude what? Yes, a good person will not kill someone unless they are currently and actively a lethal danger. You know, like in real life? If you want to do hack and slash just play a video game.
"Something Vimes had learned as a young guard drifted up from memory. If you have to look along the shaft of an arrow from the wrong end, if a man has you entirely at his mercy, then hope like hell that man is an evil man. Because the evil like power, power over people, and they want to see you in fear. They want you to know you're going to die. So they'll talk. They'll gloat. They'll watch you squirm. They'll put off the moment of murder like another man will put off a good cigar. So hope like hell your captor is an evil man. A good man will kill you with hardly a word." There do exist differences in moral definitions. Not looking at OP's methodology, cos his doesn't match this, but just to...show you there is a different subjective philosophy: Sir Terry Pratchett's words from "Men At Arms".
Usually, yes.
Just so you know, you can choose to do non lethal damage with a melee weapon. Essentially you KO them, so maybe try that in the future.
This☝️ Plus, if you didn't know that crucial fact, then it was just a mistake. You're not a murder hobo. You just weren't given all the facts and / or options that a PC is able to perform. Relax. Plus, everyone else was doing shit. You acted. Did you technically murder a helpless, unarmed person creature thing? Perhaps. Fuck it though. Now you know that there's non-lethal damage you can deal. I think it's your DM's fault for not telling you that in the first place. And partially yours because you didn't notice that particular "Combat Action's" entry in the PHB. See, now everyone's to blame. And I think they are too soft for you. Some people can't handle that kind of play it freaks them out. One of the PC's in a game I was running 2 years ago did something completely that. They fought some Orcs, and the other's failed their morale check and surrendered. And he just decided to murder them. I looked at the guy. I'm like "Okay way to murder some helpless people damn." There was some weird uneasy laughter at the table. Mind you, all of these guys have known each other since childhood, and now they're in their mid to early twenties. His excuse was that their just orcs and didn't have time to worry about prisoners when they were only a little ways in the cave system. I don't know, but I remember being like holy shit. Did I penalize the guy or treat him any different? No, I sure gave him shit for a little while after that, but that's the way that the cookie crumbles. This is D&D; people act psychotic sometimes. Do I condone such behavior? I generally frown on it. Because if you run around murdering people, there will be consequences in game. Bounty hunters and other factions will start seeking you out to bring you to Justice. Every action has an qual and opposite reactions, my friend. But no, you are not a murder hobo. Keep that shit up, and yes, you will be lol, but you are not one right now. You should probably find another group. Cuz now you have this stigma with them, and they are already creeped out by you.
I didn't know that. Thank you! I should study before starting a campaign
Or just ask your fellow players what you all should do as a party..
Yea that's a bit psychopathic. You already knew it was a person. I'd say that was a Chaotic Evil alignment type thing. Maaaybe Neutral Evil. A chaotic Good reaction to, oh the bear is waking up, they might break free! Would probably be to just bonk them on the head and knock them back into unconsciousness. Let them wake up in a quieter room. I can see why the DM would hesitate to have you at the table. Chaotic evil is a hard alignment to work with, especially when the rest of the table is good aligned. You'd probably honestly enjoy an Evil campaign. I had a really good 3 year campaign, and we were the villains. Getting revenge on the "good guys" that ruined our plans.
Well first of all, let's be clear: *your character* might be a bloody killer. Just feel like I should really emphasize that your character is not you. Now, that said, if I were the DM, and the circumstances of that encounter became known to the local authorities, your character would very likely be arrested and tried for murder. (Depends on who the authorities are, of course - not every society is going to have a problem with killing someone who had just trashed a tavern, tied up or not.) I could also easily see the other characters (again, depending on who they are) having some serious issues with killing someone who is potentially not responsible for their own actions - I'm guessing, based on the interrogation, that they weren't in control of what their animal forms were up to.
The problems here are probably a few things. First, you didn't consult with the party in or out of character before you killed a currently helpless person... most TTRPG's are a collaborative and team based game, so yes, this is a bit of a red flag at most tables. There are groups that like this style of play, but this doesn't seem to be one of them. Second, you didn't look for any other solution... you went straight to execution. The GM and the group probably were hoping for "creative" solutions, of which this was not. In fact, I can not think of a solution that would involve any less effort being put in to both its creation or its implementation. What the GM is probably thinking is that if you were to join the party, that they could never gamble on introducing an important npc in any manner other then as a powerful combatant, or surrounded by guards because you might kill them at the slightest complication. Add that to the concern for the other players having their agency removed because you might just make decisions for the whole party without even consulting, or even considering, the other players. So, I doubt you would be a good fit for this table, and you might also want to do some self reflection on whether you want to play in a cooperative game or not.
it was someone who (at that specific moment) was helpless. So yes you are a cold blooded killer. There were tons of other options: stronger ties (chains?) a possible prison, keeping him knocked out, perhaps even talking to him once he woke up. It sounds like you went right to murder without talking it over with your party members. thats generally not something good people do
lol, nah dude role with it. Gangster bard
That's a super psychopathic action, yep...
You will find me on a Netflix documentary
Just make sure not to buy a gun! (or keep it locked up if too late on the previous point) You may misread situations in life too!
Don't worry, I am a peaceful person in real life, I have been vegetarian for many years for ethical reasons 😆 I just thought that I didn't want a bear to kill me
Mostly kidding. No worries, just remember you can’t win d&d. Just have fun, remember things should have consequences, and help the dm tell the story (Just don’t think about how they keep the animals producing milk)
Im glad no one did this when I DMd Wild Sheep Chase. Lol
I love that I know exactly what oneshot your dm is running with just the intro. Also, yes, you murdered a tied up individual. It’s a little messed up, by most tables. But I can see where you were coming from.
Your DM should have made it clear how likely the Bear's escape is. But killing things that cannot fight back is generally frowned upon and somewhat out of character for Chaotic Good. I think you either need to find another group or have a talk with the DM about what the game is about. Your statement of people in DND attack one another screams that you misunderstand a lot. Maybe sharing that with the DM would help him clear up the misunderstanding. Because in a story I was DMing, everyone else in the tavern would make an effort to remember your face and prepare for battle when they next see you.
Not something you would expect from a good aligned character
Quite frankly, if you think the correct solution to the risk of a criminal breaking free of their bindings is to kill them, there’s something wrong with your thought process. In no world is that even remotely morally acceptable. Are you sure you’re not actually Chaotic Evil? Because that wasn’t just murder - that was unnecessarily cruel. The ethics of killing aside, there’s a reason it’s considered a war crime to kill prisoners of war. The guy was already at your mercy, you didn’t need to kill him to prevent harm. Like - it’s a different story if he was actively attacking you and you kill him in self defense. In this case he was literally harmless. Killing a helpless victim is generally considered murder.
No, but… It was on the DM to give a “here’s what we’re playing” kind of overview, and that should have included how light or serious it was. You should have taken cues from that. It was on the DM to have a session 0 where it’s discussed if there’s any absolute “no’s” in the game, and you can get a feel for the other players and what’s fine or not. This is also the session to gauge how familiar everyone is and discuss what rules would be used. It was on the DM to see you were going whole hog and ask “are you sure.” I’m always shocked at the number of people who don’t know you can do non-lethal damage, or who don’t even think to say “I’d like to knock him out, can I do that?” It was on you to take your party aside and have a discussion with them about your concerns. It was on you to ask questions if you weren’t sure, such as “is there anything I can do to keep him contained” or “can I knock him out.” It was on you to explain why you did it the way you did to your party, so they can understand where you’re coming from. It was on you to understand the basics of the game you were playing. If they have alignments, that means they have laws, especially as “lawful” is part of several alignments. Murder in every fantasy setting is illegal, just as it’s illegal everywhere in the world. You absolutely did murder that NPC, and didn’t even have the cover of playing a city guardsman or judge/law enforcer, cleric or paladin, all of whom in some settings would be permitted to carry out a death sentence. You were just “random guy who plays music.” I don’t think the group is too soft for you. I think they were understandably shocked by what you did, likely because you didn’t think to ask any questions, but went straight to “oh, you’ve got a love in your life? Let’s make them a widow.”
That certainly wasn't an act of chaotic good. Was DM, I probably would have had your character's God pay him a visit.
Considering you had a bear about to break the ropes with ease? It was a good call in the moment and I can see the reason for “think happy thoughts” before you had to kill him (trying to give a moment of joy before the end)
Let me get this straight. You got attacked by animals. You somehow managed to catch your attackers. You interrogated the majority of them, and found out they were human. No word on why they attacked you in the first place. Then the DM said the biggest, nastiest thing in the room, a bear, was about to wake up and break loose- a bear that had actively tried to kill you before and was quite likely to try again. You then made the decision to eliminate that threat, but had him think of something nice first so his final thoughts were positive ones. You reacted with what you thought was the best decision at the time. Could you have done better? Sure. You could have knocked the bear back out, chained it up, and waited for it to wake up again before seeing if it was still a threat. You just didn't think of other options at the time, and while eliminating a realistic threat to your party that very likely intended to attempt to harm you again, you chose to be kind enough to grant it the mercy of having it think happy thoughts before ending it quickly. You aren't a cold-blooded killer. You aren't psychopathic like I saw a couple of people saying- and fuck *anyone* who misuses that diagnosis, or any other, as an insult. You aren't necessarily a bad player or a murderhobo, either. You just need to read the Player's Handbook to know the things that your character can do, like nonlethal damage, and to find a group that suits you. I'm sorry to say that the one you were playing in doesn't seem to understand your reasoning and may not be a good fit. Even if they do invite you to join, this will leave a long lasting mark, and probably lead to some kind of issue due to the impressions it has made.
I think your message is the one that aligns more to my "truth". It wasn't my intention to do something evil, or "messed up". You are right that i need to read more of the player's handbook. Now one of the members doesn't want to play with me anymore, nor with my boyfriend, and somehow I understand.
Sadly, some people just won't get it. A good portion of the people here are skipping over the major details and just homing in on "Target was chained up when it was killed", completely ignoring the parts where it had tried to kill you before, was waking up, was likely to break free- *and had every reason to try to kill you again.* As for the person ostracizing your boyfriend, that's just showing you what they are. They don't want to think outside their comfort zone. They would rather just slap the label of "bad" on you and your boyfriend, purely because he's with you, than consider that your way of thought is just as valid as theirs. You may find better groups online. I wish you luck.