So the Dark Brotherhood's standards dropped that day...

[MidbossVyers]

Well, I was fighting in the arena, and my weapon's enchantment can sap morale from an enemy. I killed my opponent, and a message popped up saying that someone saw this "murder". I was visited by Lucian Lechance and was invited to the DB. Well, as everyone knows, the DB only hires murderers, but since when did gladiators equate murderers?

[dimidimi]

Demoralized opponent aren't hostile. They become murder then but give no bounty.

 

It's the game logic =P

[MidbossVyers]

Does the Dark Brotherhood have eyes in the Shivering Isles? Does murdering someone there count? Speaking of the Shivering Isles, is entering Sheogorath's court supposed to increase lag significantly? Because it does that for me.

[shaklee1]

Does the Dark Brotherhood have eyes in the Shivering Isles? Does murdering someone there count?

 

I haven't had this experience first-hand but I read on uesp.net that there's a bug if you trigger the first DB quest in the Shivering Isles then Lucien will have the "I have no greeting." glitch (though according to uesp.net, the bug is fixed with the Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch).

[FramkeGuderian]

I had something similar happen, only my 'murder' happened in either closing the first oblivion gate or taking back Kvatch(I must have delivered the killing blow accidentally to a militia/legion NPC when going after Scamps). Since I have no bounty, or anyone looking for me, is it 'safe'(I will remain basically 'good') for me to follow the Dark Brotherhood thread now(I just finished escorting Martin to 'hidden fortress') or should I wait until later in the game?

[TomTesoro]

Taking an innocent human life through any means counts as murder in the eyes of the Night Mother.

 

Note I said innocent. Therefore, Necromancers, Bandits, Highwaymen and the like do not count.

[Ferryt]

ZUSwiftblade, this is not altogether correct. A close friend who plays Oblivion told me of a quick, relatively easy way to get into the Dark Brotherhood. Clean out Vilverin, but when you enter the last chamber to confront Jalbert attack him before he sees you and it will count as "murder" and get you a visit from Lucien Lachance. Jalbert is a member of the "Necromancers Cult", "Necromancers", and "Undead" factions. The key seems to be that it is "murder" if you kill any non-hostile named NPCs after attacking them, whether they are Bad Guys or not, although I could be mistaken about this. Just because they're "necromancers" doesn't mean they're safe to kill if you want to avoid getting tagged as a murderer, although this is likely the case for the majority of them, since they aren't "named" NPCs with scripted dialogs. Jalbert, for instance, will attack you on sight, if he sees you first. You can then kill him with impunity. Attack him before he sees you, though, and the game handles it in an entirely different way.

[Axxaw]

ZUSwiftblade, this is not altogether correct. A close friend who plays Oblivion told me of a quick, relatively easy way to get into the Dark Brotherhood. Clean out Vilverin, but when you enter the last chamber to confront Jalbert attack him before he sees you and it will count as "murder" and get you a visit from Lucien Lachance. Jalbert is a member of the "Necromancers Cult", "Necromancers", and "Undead" factions. The key seems to be that it is "murder" if you kill any non-hostile named NPCs after attacking them, whether they are Bad Guys or not, although I could be mistaken about this. Just because they're "necromancers" doesn't mean they're safe to kill if you want to avoid getting tagged as a murderer, although this is likely the case for the majority of them, since they aren't "named" NPCs with scripted dialogs. Jalbert, for instance, will attack you on sight, if he sees you first. You can then kill him with impunity. Attack him before he sees you, though, and the game handles it in an entirely different way.

 

I've done that before, It didn't count for me, unless it's because of the Unofficial patch and your friend doesn't use it.

[Ferryt]

Axxaw, both of us use all the unofficial patches. The only mod I had installed when I did this, myself, that affects Vilverin in any way is the Bag of Holding, which does nothing but place a single item in the world. It shouldn't have affected him. I also use COBL, which alters a lot of things, but I doubt that it touches this aspect of the game. I asked my friend, and to his knowledge he had nothing installed that could have altered Jalbert in any way. I'm getting ready to test something that I need to have Oblivion unmodded, except for the official add-ons and unofficial patches. When I get around to Vilverin I'll try this, again, and if it doesn't work I'll report back here.

 

Keep in mind that when I did this I was completely undetected by Jalbert. I don't remember what my Sneak was up to at the time, but it was high enough, boosted by a couple of items (the armor you get in Deepscorn Hollow, as I recall), that I could almost hide in plain sight. Jalbert had no clue I was even there and I killed him with one shot from a bow. It's possible that might have made a difference, too, but I don't see how. It did work, though, because that's how I got inducted into the Dark Brotherhood in my last game, and Lucien visited me right after that when I took a one-hour nap on Jalbert's bedroll. The salient point, here, is that Jalbert is not hostile until he sees you and I believe he even has some scripted dialog. I vaguely recall him saying something to me during my very first playthrough of Oblivion when I managed to get that far through Vilvern, but he then proceeded to mop up the place with my lifeless body. The unnamed Necromancers may be scripted differently. Perhaps someone else could shed some additional light on this.

[phaz]

i've had this happen in the arena too, but i think it had something to do with deadly reflex, i lopped his head off, he wasn't the first one though