Unless it involves, as the victim, a convicted rapist or child abuser, murder isn't what I would think of as "fun". And it DEFINITELY isn't funny. Ninety nine percent of the time there is no savior, no hero, and no glory....there is simply death. Usually the death of somebody innocent.

In the world of fantasy role-playing it's frighteningly easy to forget too much of reality, not the reality of technology and time and physics and so on, but the reality of human emotions. I understand that not having to deal with this reality is part of the pleasure playing an alter ego and, perhaps, my opinions on violence and murder within the fantasy world are off base. But I'll tell you straight up that a murderous PC does not last long with me at the helm.

Now I've read the articles defending violent role-playing actions as being a cathartic experience and that it helps the individual work out their aggressions in a fantasy world as opposed to reality. I believe this is only half true. Sure it allows them to blow off some steam by hammering away at imaginary enemies with a large firearm but, at the same time, I firmly believe that in most role-playing situations, under the direction of many gamemasters, it cauterizes the player to the point that they commit to such actions without really thinking about exactly what that action entails. More often than not these actions and their results can be summed up in one word: Murder.

I've always divided the term "murder" into two categories: Guilty and innocent. The two categories depend on the morality of the victim of a murder (or the target, if they have yet to be killed), not the individual committing the act. These categories are also independent of laws and are based upon the perception of the murderer in regards to their target. When referring to a target as being "guilty" the word "murder", as used as a verb, is usually replaced with something a little less ominous, as "murder" is generally associated with doing something bad. If the target is perceived as being guilty then the individual committing the act commonly referred to as "murder" isn't really doing anything wrong. If the target is "innocent", however, the player should have at least a momentary debate with him or herself over how to act, react, and deal with the situation.

As for the exact definitions of who is "guilty" and "innocent", that depends on the individual. In the world of Shadowrun it's easy to have a character run under the "everybody's guilty" philosophy. Any player who decides on this philosophy should take a course in creativity. I personally am sick to death of cold as steel, built a wall between him and his emotions, one hundred percent "professional" shadowrunners. They always fall back on the stupid "it's his job" or "he can't feel remorse" lines which, in my opinion, means the players either can't or don't want to deal with the wonderfully multifaceted and gloriously flawed human mind. It should not be possible for a character to kill somebody and not think about what they've done. When a character levels his Manhunter on a convenience store clerk who's refusing to give up a password, the image of the clerk's pathetic body writhing in a pool of blood as a family member tries to plug the hole in his head with a handkerchief should at least flash through their mind before the gun goes off.

The gamemaster must also put some thought into what it means to murder. In the world of Shadowrun a player should rarely be put into a position where they'll have to take innocent lives. When they are placed in such a position time after time it doesn't allow them to have anything but a "no remorse" personality. They would have to acquire such an attitude or they'd never be able to participate in the game. If the gamemaster does set up such a scenario it should have the primary goal of testing the players role-playing ability. If the gamemaster sends the players on a run which involves killing a young girl's father in front of her for the sick pleasure of a high paying client the players should show at least a bit of a moral struggle over the situation. If my character was placed in such a situation, and I may come off as a hypocrite when I say this, I would carry out the assignment. But a twenty rock a day crack head wouldn't be able to hold a candle to the drug induced mess my character would be for several weeks afterwards.

All I'm really asking is that players and gamemasters put a little bit of thought into the way they run, or run in, the world of Shadowrun. And what it means to murder. Nobody's going to buy you a beer or pat you on the back for plugging a zoo security guard. Especially not his kids.

(Article shown in image reprinted from the Philadelphia Daily News. Used without permission.)