Rule eight in the Crone.

[scrappayeti]

The Crone lacks the touch of danger it really needs. To make it more like the horrible hive of scum and villainy it should be, I suggest that fistfights become legal in the Crone without DM oversight, within certain parameters.

a) No weapons, if you want to draw a weapon you need a DM.
b) No offensive spells. If you want to cast a spell on someone, you need a DM.
c) Subdual damage only. If you want to do lethal damage, you need a DM.
d) No looting downed players. If you want to yank and loot, you need a DM.

Obviously this would make some work for DMs, who would have to manage when this scheme went wrong (and it surely would sometimes), but I think it would be well worth it for the opportunity for players to go mano-a-mano at the drop of a hat.

Drunken patrons can sling insults in the hope of provoking a brawl; competing gangs could have a full on PvP without having to wipe a faction; known flunkies from upper could be pounced upon at will etc etc. If the Crone was a powder keg of violent activity, just waiting for someone to look at someone the wrong way, it would be a more fun place to hang around in.  

Finally, and this would ideally be an organic, player initiated thing, but rule eight could become a local tradition, part of the hazing rituals of lower. If its your first time in the Crone... you have to fight!

[tala_kai]

I guess it can happen? But I don't think it's necessary.

I mean, if there's one rule Bill keeps kicking out people, it is that they're gonna fight / fighting. Everytime I've been there and something like this happened he just said to them that if they're gonna fight, then take it outside.

Also there's the arena in the backroom. So if one really wanna fight, they can fight in there.

And one last thing, I actually think DMs might also wanna get into the fun of drunken brawls, making the other drunken NPCs participate as well, with Bill just dusting the floor with those who left standing when it's more or less over.

A neat idea, though it can go badly alot, causing more work for the DMs and might cause some players some grief

[Knight Of Pentacles]

This is an awesome idea.  Also no abducting people who are KO'd would be a good rule.

[HerDarkMajesties]

You wouldn't ever know if the other person had gotten a DM beforehand or not. Maybe it's perfectly IC for the victim to pull out a weapon in a fist-fight scenario for example - but they couldn't, because they wouldn't be certain a DM is there to respond.

A policy of always requiring DMs in NPC areas to ensure the proper reactions and responses to fluid pvp situations is good policy IMO.

[Knight Of Pentacles]

Give it a trial period and see how well it works.  If it's truly that hard to obey, then axe it.

[Mortui]

I agree with KoP, it's a good idea, but might very well need a trial period.

[scrappayeti]

I would say like all PvP, you should throw the DMs a tell that the Crone is erupting into an orgy of pugilistic wrath, but you wouldn’t need a reply to do the man dance.

Yes is it artificial to have to use fists if your character would really pull a knife, just because there is no DM on. But no more artificial than getting to combat point and then mysteriously backing down because no DM is on: "What did you say about my mother? WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY MOTHER? (no reply from DM channel) Oh. Well, that’s alright then, I thought you said a ‘ducking hunt’, and I strongly oppose Malar. My bad, please enjoy your beer”.

[Nuclear Catastrophe]

This is a very bad idea for a lot of reasons.  I think if you really want to fight someone in a bar, in efu as in real life, you can easily just ask them to 'step outside for a minute'.

[tala_kai]

I forgot. Except for all of the PVP rules, after being in the Crone for months now, last thing I can see Bill putting up with is people fighting right under his nose. (So except for making this rule one of the PVP rules, this also needs to go with Bill IC, and I really don't see him allowing that sort of thing)