Shattered Kingdoms

Depression is a side effect of killing/attempting to kill another sentient being. When one attacks and/or kills another pc the innate humanoid instincts make one depressed for a period of time. Mental attributes are lowered similar to spirit disorientation and when stacked enough physical attributes become affected.

would this only effect lighties, and would darkies get buffs?

Effects everyone, nice way to cut down mindless attacks and preserve the right to pk anyone you want

I'm not really a fan of this idea.

I just think it would work. The problem is not being killed 3-4 times in a short span. the problem is being killed once every time you log on.

Most people doing the killings are doing them close together, if there were a start penalty to attacking someone it would make many people chose to be more careful with whom they attack or get left vulnerable to an enemy attack

While group would get kill penalty, multiple if you kill more than one person. Attack penalty less than kill penalty but have them stack

It just doesn't make sense thematically that a diabolic barb is going to be getting depressed because he killed his enemy.

I also don't see why we need to discourage pvp. I know you got attacked and stuff, but imo there's not enough pvp because there are already mechanisms such as the law code that greatly discourage it.

Alignments principled, scrupulous and dogmatic get 'depression', with it being longer lasting the more pure the alignment.
Unprincipled and anarchist types stay as is.
Aberrants and miscreants get 'kill thrill' with the more evil, the longer lasting.
Diabolics get to be like treants.

Deep rooted into our subconscious not to k kill each other, call it cosmic link, divine depression, whatever.
Law code is useless with certain abilities. Yes and my constant complaint is the mindless pk because people are bored and can role play nothing more than a serial murder..