The Psychology of a Killer

[Nachende]

Just been thinking lately after watching Dexter (awesome show, go watch!), so here ya go:

Obviously, the grand majority of characters in any RPG have killed someone -- if not loads of people -- in their lifetime. A lot of characters, however, have nothing to show for it.

From what I've seen and heard, there are a few kinds of reactions, depending on the character's background -- but there is never no reaction. Perhaps he goes crazy and tries to kill himself. Maybe he screams or vomits or won't move for a few days. Nightmares are common. He will thereafter feel empty, a little more disconnected from humanity. Maybe the kill tears something from inside him, making him feel hollow and the need to take drastic measures to feel something ... anything. Each kill may drive the character farther and farther away from the ability to empathize and associate with fellow human beings, until he's completely unable to have or express emotion. This doesn't mean the character is badass and growly and short-tempered with everyone. On the contrary, the emotionless void of a character simply wouldn't care about anything, wouldn't bother with anger unless it was something drastic. Or, maybe the disconnected character will begin to deviate from society, believing himself godly and above the law and humanity as a whole. He might see other people as animals without any more right to live than a mosquito.

There are probably many more that I forgot. ^^

Basically, think about how killing people affects your character. For example, a young boy skewers a thief with a sword to save his mother. You think he'll feel relieved after that, happy that his mom is fine? Hell, no. Depending on his personality, he'll be horrified at what he's done, at the appearance of death and blood on his own hands. Imagine how you would feel if you ever killed someone in close-range, when you can see the person's face. I know I wouldn't be fine. Neither should your character.

Unless, of course, someone has an argument. ^__^

[Seth_Rahl]

Lets see. I've bassically made four characters who are so used to killing from experience that it doesn't bother them any more. Some may prefer to kill more than others, but my characters all have great experience in death and killing, so I guess I can say I don't have to worry about that.

But I understand what your saying. A happy- go-lucky teenager shouldn't be able to brutally slay another human being and not be psychologically affected in any way. Ataraxis, I have to say, does a good job in this aspect. Check out the thread "The Demon and the...Librarian?" in my sig for reference.

[Elijah_Morendale]

Suppose that your character suffers from dissociative identity disorder (with some minor liberties taken) like my character does. Elijah himself is more mild-mannered and would rather stay away from violence, but Nadia is a straight up sadistic killer.

Whenever she "assumes control", Elijah has no recollection of what happens during that time. For instance, if Nadia killed someone, then the only way he'd know is if she told him afterwards. How would you react that way, discovering that you killed someone, yet you didn't?

[Corvus MacCallum]

Of my characters only Corvus and Goji have killed previously, though The Mime has witnessed death and Hauns almost caused it to himself.

With the Highlanders its a hunting society, killing for survival isn't just a job its a talent they have, he had issues on his first human kill but it was that or die and he feels no guilt for doing it. Corvus isn't a cold emotionless killer, but if he feels he did it for the right cause, such as slaying a slaver or breaking the neck of a murderer then there is no problem in his mind and he feels that.

Goji is a merc, professional and veteren of many conflicts and while his first kills upset him he really has become desensitised, not to say he won't crack up at some point, but his current predicament of being the size of a typical fairy in this world does prevent him thinking too much about morality.

The Mime after witnessing the death of his 'dad', a peaceful one it has to be said, hes not looking to injure people in case it causes even a smattering of the same grief he felt when he lost his creator.

[Viola Darkstalker]

Viola is one of those strange characters that has no reservations with killing. If you've read any of her posts, you will notice that she actually calms herself by thinking about past murders and prior massacres. Yeah, she's more than a little messed up in the head. Her first kill was at age eleven when she pushed someone she was fighting with into a river of blood and tears that corroded his body and soul together. Something in her mind found an insurmountable pleasure in his blood-curdling screams, and since then she has only taken time off from killing recently due to circumstances beyond her control.

Personally, I could only justify the use of lethal force against someone if they were planning on killing me or if they were going to kill my two-year younger sister or future wife and kids. That doesn't explain why my first thoughts when I got a foot-long mag-light were "I could beat someone to death with this" or why I carry a pair of switchblades with me at all times.

[Caden Law]

If Caden killed anyone, he'd just end up feeling a little numb from it; it wouldn't actually impact him until he had time to think about it. A few good stiff drinks and a hard night's sleep later, he'd be fine. Really!

D:

[Rayse Valentino]

Obviously, the grand majority of characters in any RPG have killed someone -- if not loads of people -- in their lifetime. A lot of characters, however, have nothing to show for it.


This stems from lack of realism in the way Althanians play their characters. They don't really show the long-term effects of killing, and most simply have their characters dismiss it the way they dismiss killing someone in a video game. Also, is it possible to survive on Althanas as a pacifist? Back when it first started, it was unthinkable that there would be characters who refused to kill, or even refused to fight. 99% of threads would involve serious violence, and so characters who didn't want to engage in mindless bloodshed found themselves not participating in many threads they were otherwise interested in. As Kylin Rouge was more or less a moral character that only fought to protect others, I found myself left out of a lot of 'killing' and otherwise 'needlessly violent' quests. He was seriously freaked out anytime he seriously injured someone, and generally the attitude of the site ruined him, because I couldn't participate in anything without making him violent.

While I'm sure things have changed for those who have characters that don't wish to fight, the other characters- the killers- typically find themselves to have severe superiority complexes. As you said, they're "badasses" and not "murderers". Sometimes the two words are used interchangeably. It is not a rare supposition to have no guilt over murder, it's very common around here. Playing an "insane" character is easy, because now you have no inhibitions and absolutely no reason to consider the character's feelings, because they make no sense anyway. They can be what THE WRITER currently feels at the moment, for all they care. You can join whatever you want, act however you want, and there are simply no consequences.

To put it simply, the psychology of a killer on Althanas can be broken down:
1) Insane - They enjoy or simply don't care about killing. It is like a reflex to them, or a whim.
2) Rational - They don't want to kill, but they feel they have to in order to accomplish their goals/survive/they had no choice.
3) Moral - They will attempt to avoid killing, attempt to avoid violence, and generally only use combat abilities to protect themselves and others if they can.

The last one is ambiguous at best. I'd have a hard time believing even the most ardent "good" characters on here have gone five levels without giving another near-fatal injuries, even "moral good" types. They have to be desensitized, and really, that's all RPing is. A lack of sensitivity, inhibitions, and realism. People can try to get as close as possible to those lofty ideals, but often they do not put that much thought into things.

[Reiko]

wow this a neat subject. It's a bit tough but it makes sense. Well Althanas is primarily a sword and sorcery fantasy where battle is romanticized and honorable and death in combat is different than murder. It's not realistic but that's kind of the point about the genre, it's a place that good needs to be fought for and the like.

As for Ki, well she's a samurai and was raised one as a kid. She had her first kill when she was young and had some problems there, heck that was the reason why she was captured was that she was dumbfounded about taking a life. But Samurai are taught that killing for honor and what's right is right and that dying in battle is the best way to go. So you can say it's kinda been programed into her to kill with the blade. But of coarse she'll only do it with good reason.

[Saxon]

Saxon and Jack kill on a regular basis, and the results depend on the victim. Saxon kills because he has the impression and the role of a force of nature, and although murdering the 'bad guy' rarely affects him in a way your suggesting, he does exhibit emotions aside from guilt. As for Jack, he's a hitman and he is very good at what he does. When taking into account that he is a contract killer, it should be understood and acknowledged that such killings are often buried, brushed aside, or not even registered due to the perception needed to take another human life, especially more than once. Although these two will kill with little hesitation, it doesn't make them any less realistic, only less sympathetic.

I admit that a reaction may be necessary, but psychological mindsets such as Dexter (I watch the show, thoroughly enjoy it, and base a lot of the first person dialogue in Jack's thoughts off of it) aren't vital. Emotions in a person can range from anger problems in one person to a lack of emotions in another, it varies. To possess remorse, sorrow, or some sort of tempered change from a kill is something we as human beings do to ourselves unconciously for the most part.

I understand your use of Dexter for the linchpin of your argument, but I'd like to remind you that he was accustomed to slaughter ever since that drug dealer mutiliated his mother and left he and his brother in a pool of blood in that storage crate for three days. It was a psychological impression put upon him that followed him, and although how he kills does indeed affect him, he doesn't express the sort of radical warp of personality from each murder that I think your referring to. Remember that he follows the Code of Harry in his killings, that he is now being hunted by the FBI, and that he replaces the need for sexual satisfaction with that of murder. Everybody is different, and no one is wholly alike.

The problem your going to run into with killing, and what I've found with Jack, is that if you were to kill say an NPC, thats all well and good, but when it comes to another character it takes on a whole new meaning. There are countless ways to bring a character back from the brink of death, both legitimate, realistic means and those attributed to fantasy. The reason why on this site characters are less likely to be affected by a murder is the idea pressed upon the writers that on the world of Althanas death is not the punch line. Keep in mind that although people affect the world they are in, the world built around them affects them doubly. So when considering the psychological aspect of a character when it comes to murder it is important to know that when writing the only justification of an end to anything is yours and yours alone to make.

[AdventWings]

dipwood really nailed that one. :)

EDIT: So did Saxon.

Man, I'm useless. :D

[Nachende]

Touche, Saxon! True, the problems plaguing Dexter and Brian stem not from the killing but from childhood memories.

I'll now reference soldiers who come back from war. Some do indeed return void of emotion. Some suffer from PTD, some are simply very different people than they were before they went into war. Whether this is a result of killing, of seeing death, or being in danger of dying (probably a combination of all that and more) depends on the situation.

How killing affects your character also depends on the situation of the kill. For example, historically, people would have no problem killing people of different races, simply because those other people were considered less than human. Killing someone in battle or to save your own or someone else's life will have a different effect than killing someone simply out of anger.

Characters who are labeled "insane" should have a reason they're insane -- something that happened to them, something so severe that their minds are now quite broken. Because these people just kill on a whim and feel no remorse for it nor empathy for the victim, these people should also not be able to feel empathy nor emotion toward living people, right? Either that, or they only kill people who look or act or talk a certain way, and thus feel justified.

The other reasons for killing are harder. For example, the normal person would avoid killing -- especially if he had enough control over his abilities to just injure his opponent. Someone who would rather not kill should be aiming to cripple, not to destroy, shouldn't he?

[Typheus]

That's the great thing about fantasy. Your characters can be total badasses without any of the psychotic side-effects.

[Nachende]

That's true, but character development is a part of great writing -- and that's what we're trying to do here, right? If a character is simply a stereotype with no lasting reactions, he's just flat and uninteresting, no matter how badass he is. ;)

[Typheus]

Just because they don't evolve from killing doesn't mean they can't evolve from other experiences.

The Punisher, after losing his family, felt killing the badguys was all there was and he did it in a way without remorse or any of that good stuff. He didn't change his views on killing them.

Eventually, though, because he found some other people in the world to care about, that also cared about him, he found a new reason to live, and to not kill himself like he had been planning to do throughout the entire movie.

Now, the comics may be a whole nother story, but you get what I'm saying.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Here's another take on the subject. When you're talking about killers, sometimes the most "bad-assed" killers are the most psychologically detached characters around. I play a character who is a homicidal maniac, but in turn, he developed a deep and profound respect of life. Due to his leech-like existence. Lorenor kills to sustain his very existence. If he doesn't kill he can't get food, it's a basic predatory truth. I think that's another way of looking at it too. Some characters (Like those who play the Vampires around here) need to kill in order to get blood or flesh, souls or whatever it is they feed from. So that's my thoughts on it.