Advice/Help Pacifist Characters Dos and Don'ts

[Foxtrot4504]

So, I'm wanting to create a character for roleplay, and I want to make him a pacifist. As I was thinking about it, I had an uncertainty. Can a pacifist hire people to defend them? And are there any other things a pacifist character can and cannot do?

 

[laceanddoodles]

Pacifism doesn’t have to be just a “I won’t fight” kind of deal. In fact, I think that’s kind of a weak form of it. If the character is like “I won’t do violent things, but I will stand back and watch as my hired guards do violent things” then the character isn’t really pacifistic, they just... don’t like to get their hands dirty.

A pacifist is probably better defined as somebody who doesn’t want to do any harm. They may be provoked to fight in extreme situations, you decide what those limits and lines are and what justifies what actions in their view, but until you cross the line... they aren’t going to act violently at all. Solve issues through words and reasoning, show kindness and mercy in the face of cruelty. A pacifist’s power often comes from the power of their endurance. How much can they be put through before they get angry? Before they fight back? In the case of famous pacifists like MLK and Ghandi, the answer is quite a lot.

That catches people’s attention. When somebody is cruel or belligerent, and are met only by gentleness, patience, and calm, people will sympathize with the pacifist, and watch a little more closely.

I love playing pacifists, personally. I love the sense of quiet dignity they tend to exude. So, have fun! And remember, nothing’s quite as terrifying as the anger of a gentle soul.

 

[Churl]

A true pacifist objects to violence, not just killing. They oppose intentionally bringing harm to another, and there are no loopholes, such as paying a thug to break legs or the Batman approach of “I don’t have to save you.” The exact specifics of what gives them this philosophy shapes how they perceive and act on it. A pacifist can still be with fighters, such as a medic who does not interfere with their fellow soldiers hurting or killing others but will never raise a hand against an enemy and may even help an injured one if they are able to. Or maybe a pacifist absolutely refuses to work with anyone that would willingly take a life, and only work with non-confrontational people and uses guile, intelligence, trickery or gathered information to get through every encounter someone else might simply resort to violence in. If they eventually do commit violence, it should be something big enough to go against the code they’re devoted to for a good enough reason, and they should not simply shrug it off afterwards. Whether they’re idealistic or cynical, or comfortable with their friends committing violence or not ultimately depends on what drives them to accept this code.

 

[Lorsh]

just make him do whatever makes sense based on his personality, he doesn't have to fit the definition perfectly.

 

[Zeev]

pacifism has many forms and many levels, though I'd say at its core it's weak, it flies in the face of many great thinkers and people wiser than us, to be a pacifist you must depart Shakespeare, Socrates and Plato, Albert Einstien (who claimed pacifism but dropped it in the face of Nazi Germany) or Orwell, of all the great kings and noble lords, of George Washington and Winston Churchhill, of senators f the great roman republic and later empire, of British royal blood, of King David, of Nietzsche, of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. to conform or believe in true pacifism is to denounce these people and a good percent of their sage advice and views.

I write all this, not to sway or discourage you from writing or even choosing that path, but to make a point, true pacifism at its most toxic and pure form is born from one of three things, trauma, blinding passion, or cowardice. Of trauma this makes the most sense, it is often how pacifist characters are betrayed, they had a brush with death or violence which left them shaken, hurt, broken, and swore and denounced violence entirely, believing that they were awakened to some truth, what they really came into contact with is the reality of human nature, violence is inevitable, as inevitable as gravity and thermodynamics and are in ways a result of such, by the nature of our baseline violent universe, chemicals, and atoms wage atomic war with one another, trying to reach a more stable state by cabalizing their neighbors for energy, it is the nature of entropy, they stare into the abyss unknowingly, and blink.

Of blind Passion, this is a far more simple affair, in the throes of passion and "moralism" they buy into an unattainable ideal, and scorn those who cannot live up to that standard or those who are sane enough to reject that standard altogether.

Of cowardice, while not wholly an independent reason, it tends to disguise itself as the other two, and in reality, is purely selfish instead of mislead. all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing, and cowardice embodies this truth.

Again, don't take this as me bashing pacifism as a whole, but purest I would personally treat as mislead or damaged in some way, some past pain which rippled and cracked their mind, some wars are not worth fighting, some acts of violence are purely prosaic, and in those cases, I could understand the reasons not to engage, but I would find it silly to not prevent a mugging or a rape because I had some pacifist moral code, I would never seek violence, but I'd be hard-pressed to stand on the sidelines and I like to believe most people are like that, and for those who aren't I'd believe something was mildly wrong with them.

there are loopholes, I quite admire and enjoy the pacifist of the Hippocratic oath, we saw this in world war 1 and 2, people who have sworn only to heal under the Hippocratic oath, and both sides respecting that, honoring agreements and traditions not to harm medics because they weren't soldiers nor deserved to die, people who within themselves had no capacity for violence but wanted to make an effort, by providing and healing those who had the stomach and will to destroy in the name of a greater good, that is a character and pathos I find highly interesting.

same with the scientist of peace, a man sworn to never take up arms or use his technology for good or bad, not because he doesn't think violence is wholly bad no matter the reason, but more because he recognizes that his inventions can be used for bad and refuses to sell or make any weapons of war, like Tony Stark. these I would call rational or pseudo pacifists and are far more stable and logically than their purest counterparts and I'd say a bit more interesting as well.

 

[Crayons]

Go for it. I love pacifist characters, especially in war settings. There's no set code to follow, just put yourself in the character's shoes and decide why they reject violence or war and then logically follow through how they would act in different situations. The most important thing is to think of them as an individual with a personal moral code that does not match the society or situation they are in. Have fun!

 

[still watching fma]

So, I'm wanting to create a character for roleplay, and I want to make him a pacifist. As I was thinking about it, I had an uncertainty. Can a pacifist hire people to defend them? And are there any other things a pacifist character can and cannot do?

There aren't any concrete do's and don'ts. You are choosing a character who will be applauded by some and reviled by others. You will sit back possibly and allow marauders to harm you and your friends. It is a very selfish type of mindset that doesn't stand up to reality when things get bad. I don't mean this as an insult, but if you would not act to protect your child ic from a viking based on your principles(and the fact that you'd let him slice you in half without a struggle personally), it means you are selfish and not taking her into account. It's okay to be selfish. I didn't sign up for the military despite being deeply patriotic because I'll fight tooth and nail to protect my home. But I won't be sent as cannon fodder for the interests of political elites. And I'm sure there were plenty of these folks during the vietnam war.

PROTECT THE WORLD FROM COMMUNISM SPREADING PHYSICALLY, or turn the other cheek because you don't trust the senses of the person sending you to the jungles of a foriegn land.

So there really is no right answer except to have an internal struggle and external struggle with your gm's npcs and your fellow pc's. As long as someone gets mad at you ic and punches you in the face for not coming to defend the wall from the orks, you've done your job.

 

[Idea]

Can a pacifist hire people to defend them?

Unless you're talking about hiring someone to like, hold a shield or give them information to go around undetected, probably not. Like others have pointed out in this thread, a pacifist would, if not outright stand against violence in general, at least not seek to directly contribute to violence. Well, this is if they are actually a pacifist of course. A character can believe themselves or claim themselves to be a pacifist, and in actuality be a hypocrite.

 

[natsukashii]

"the belief that any violence, including war, is unjustifiable under any circumstances, and that all disputes should be settled by peaceful means. "

This is the barebones definition of pacifism, the art of which a pacifist abides by. To me, this does not mean they aren't a fighter nor does it mean they aren't strong. In fact, to not resort to violence might be braver than using violence for every scenario. I think as long as you maintain that ideology, you should be aces. They choose not to fight/commit atrocities of violence, but when push comes to shove and it is the only way, they will fight. They won't enjoy it and it will definitely be a classic case of "this will hurt me more than it'll hurt you", but it will be their necessary evil.

 

[Quiddles]

One dictionary definition of a pacifist is "a person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable." How your specific character defines it is up to you. Depending on the specifics, it could be argued that certain martial arts are 'pacifist', in that they seek not to harm others but to protect the practitioner (and those s/he defends) from harm in a way that restrains rather than damages the one who is attacking. It could be argued that initiating violence is unjustifiable, but protecting yourself is okay. Perhaps violence is unjustifiable but so is a failure to protect dependents/innocents from harm so you have to choose between two unjustifiable courses of action- which do you deem the least bad? It's up to you WHY the character refrains from violence and war, that will then frame their own flavour of pacifism.

 

[Malozing]

As an example of pacifist character, Vash the Stampede of Trigun comes to my mind.

 

[Purr]

So, I'm wanting to create a character for roleplay, and I want to make him a pacifist. As I was thinking about it, I had an uncertainty. Can a pacifist hire people to defend them? And are there any other things a pacifist character can and cannot do?

Hi F Foxtrot4504 !

I like I like a lot of the answers presented here, but instead of repeating what others have already said, I would like to add that I think the best kind of pacifist is the one you are most excited to play! I think other players here have done a great job and showing the different types of pacifists from those involved in the war, to martial arts, to those bent on changing social beliefs without the use of violence, and beyond.

So where does your character stand? Does your character concept have a line in the sand that they will not cross? Will they honestly stand by while a vicious atrocity is taking place in front of them and do nothing to prevent it, or will they step in an act for the good of the victim? Do they believe in not causing harm themselves but are okay with people on their side causing harm to others (hence the bodyguards)?

When making these decisions, I highly recommend keeping the fun factor at the forefront of your decision-making process. Games are all about fun, especially role-playing games. A lot of inner searching may be required of you for you to find the kind of pacifist you feel comfortable playing, and better yet, the kind of character that you feel genuinely excited to play!

One of my favorite characters to play is one I've spent a lot of time developing. she is my kind of pacifist. She continues to surprise me with just how good-hearted she is! She's the kind of character that does everything she can not to cause damage herself, but does everything she can to support the party she is with, well-knowing that they are all damage-dealers and therefore not pacifistic. She is balanced in that she understands that some creatures can be talked out of their evil ways while others cannot be. Above all, she is completely at peace with her own beliefs, and is not trying to change anyone else out there. Over the years, I have learned a lot about myself through role-playing her. And that makes me feel great!

I say let your curiosity guide you, Foxtrot4504, and keep asking the kinds of questions that bring you closer to your goal. Good luck!

Honor and fun,
Dannigan =)

 

[Myot]

Make a situation where violence leads to nothing and negotiation is the only way.
Let's say those that tried the violent approach are all dead. They never considered diplomacy and paid for it.