History Main / NonCombatantImmunity

* Oh-so-very much averted at the beginning of VideoGame/DeadSpace2.

* You don't actually fight any Covenant at the beginning of ''HaloCombatEvolved'' until you get a weapon. It ''is'' possible (by breaking the scripting) at the beginning to end up in the same room as the armed Covenant, but they do significantly reduced damage and you'd literally have to stand still for several minutes for them to kill you.

* ''VideoGame/HalfLife''

* ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life|1}}'': Just as everything goes to hell you find a crowbar on the floor, ready to help you fight through the beginning.
** Although there are a few enemies first- 2 in glass tubes and a lone headcrab that spawns right in front of you. Luckily, it's fairly easy to dodge.

** Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}''. The guards start attacking you before you've reached Kleiner and been handed your crowbar, and can kill you if you hang around.

* ''{{Singularity}}'' and Metro2033 both feature an extended sequence in which your weapons are taken away from you, and you must flee throughout the level from pursuing enemy troops.

** The fan mod ''VideoGame/BlackMesa'' zigzags this trope. You don't get the crowbar until much later in the game, but you can find some [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity flares just lying around]] that you can use to [[KillItWithFire set enemies on fire]], and you meet a guard who you can take with you to provide some covering fire up to that point. If you don't know how to use the flares or recruit the guard, though, prepare for one hell of a trip there.

* ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'': Just after exiting the bathysphere you're able to "Find a crowbar or something".

* At one point in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' the party is captured and stripped of their gear. You are free to sneak around the ship, although getting caught will get the party thrown back in jail. Once you find someone's equipment, though, getting caught by a guard triggers a battle.

[[folder: Action Adventure]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'': You're handed a pistol on the same day your father escapes and the vault's guards are instructed to attack you on sight, assuming you promise you won't murder anyone with it.
* Subverted in ''EternalDarkness''. During the hubworld sections, the mansion is free of any enemies. However, to keep the players suspicious and tense, you not only pick up a weapon, but also several upgrades that make those weapons obsolete, just so you know the game could send enemies after you, enhancing the NothingIsScarier effect.
** [[spoiler:You do however encounter a few enemies there towards the end.]]
* Averted in ''VideoGame/CallOfCthulhuDarkCornersOfTheEarth'', where you spend the first several levels completely weaponless and must flee in terror from the hordes of angry villagers trying to kill you.

* ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'': Although you meet enemies before being armed, they can't actually kill you.
** Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Dead Space 2}}'' where the enemies can gore you gloriously while you are still in your straight jacket.
* ''[[WorldOfWarcraft World of Warcraft]]'': During the Death Knight starting quest, the quest that provides you with your first weapon comes just before a quest in which you must duel a failed initiate. Applies to the initiate too, as they're chained right next to an equipment rack, and you can't attack them 'til they're geared up.

* PVP mode in ''[[VideoGame/{{Terraria}} Terraria]]''. Both you and the other person need to be in PVP mode to kill each other.

* When you first enter the Forsaken Fortress in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', you lose your sword on the way there and you have nothing else in your inventory that you can use as a weapon. The whole fortress is played in stealth mode and being spotted gets you thrown into a [[CardboardPrison flimsy jail]] instead of attacking you. Once you do get your sword back, you can effectively kill the mooks patrolling around but they will fight back as well.
* At one point in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' the party is captured and stripped of their gear. You are free to sneak around the ship, although getting caught will get the party thrown back in jail. Once you find someone's equipment, though, getting caught by a guard triggers a battle.

When video games [[BlackMesaCommute don't start you off armed]], they equip the player before they meet an enemy who can kill them. This is reasonable, since no one wants to fight a battle they not only [[HopelessBossFight can't win]], but can't even fight. However, it does make it obvious when you can expect your first fight, since if you see a [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity pistol lying on the floor]] in front of a closed door, you know you'll have to use it. Also occurs at the end of a NoGearLevel segment. When you get your inventory back, you know it's because you'll have to start relying on it again.

* ''{{Bioshock}}'': Just after exiting the bathysphere you're able to "Find a crowbar or something".

* Averted in ''Call of Cthulhu: DarkCornersOfTheEarth'', where you spend the first several levels completely weaponless and must flee in terror from the hordes of angry villagers trying to kill you.

* At one point in ''ChronoTrigger'' the party is captured and stripped of their gear. You are free to sneak around the ship, although getting caught will get the party thrown back in jail. Once you find someone's equipment, though, getting caught by a guard triggers a battle.

* When you first enter the Forsaken Fortress in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', you lose your sword on the way there and you have nothing else in your inventory that you can use as a weapon. The whole fortress is played in stealth mode and being spotted gets you thrown into a [[CardboardPrison flimsy jail]] instead of attacking you. Once you do get your sword back, you can effectively kill the mooks patrolling around but they will fight back as well.

* You don't actually fight any Covenant at the beginning of ''HaloCombatEvolved'' until you get a weapon.

** [[spoiler:You do however counter a few enemies there towards the end.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life}}'': Just as everything goes to hell you find a crowbar on the floor, ready to help you fight through the beginning.

* ''{{Fallout 3}}'': You're handed a pistol on the same day your father escapes and the vault's guards are instructed to attack you on sight, assuming you promise you won't murder anyone with it.

Related to SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity. Falls off the bottom of the scale of the SortingAlgorithmOfEvil and the SortingAlgorithmOfWeaponEffectiveness. When it's averted, it's usually a case of a NoGearLevel for your first level.

** Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}''. The guards start attacking you before you've reached Kleiner and been handed your crowbar, and can kill you if you hang around.

* ''{{Fallout 3}}'': You're handed a pistol on the same day your father escapes and the vault's guards are instructed to attack you on sight, assuming you promise you won't murder anyone with it.
* Subverted in ''EternalDarkness''. During the hubworld sections, the mansion is free of any enemies. However, to keep the players suspicious and tense, you not only pick up a weapon, but also several upgrades that make those weapons obsolete, just so you know the game could send enemies after you, enhancing the NothingIsScarier effect.

* The first three or four hours of ''DragonQuestVII'' are infamous for the fact that they contain ''no combat'', just walking back and forth between two towns and solving a puzzle.

* When you first enter the Forsaken Fortress in ''TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', you lose your sword on the way there and you have nothing else in your inventory that you can use as a weapon. The whole fortress is played in stealth mode and being spotted gets you thrown into a [[CardboardPrison flimsy jail]] instead of attacking you. Once you do get your sword back, you can effectively kill the mooks patrolling around but they will fight back as well.

* ''DeadSpace'': Although you meet enemies before being armed, they can't actually kill you.

* Subverted in ''{{Xenosaga}}'' Episode 1 when the Gnosis attack the ''Woglinde''. If you get caught in a battle against a Gnosis before Shion can get her weapon, it will kill her in a single attack. The game actually makes it a challenge in this early area to distract or remove the Gnosis ''without'' fighting them.

** Averted in {{Dead Space 2}} where the enemies can gore you gloriously while you are still in your straight jacket.

* When you first enter the Forsaken Fortress in ''TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', you lose your sword on the way there and you have nothing else in your inventory that you can use as a weapon. The whole fortress is played in stealth mode and being spotted gets you thrown into a flimsy jail instead of attacking you. Once you do get your sword back, you can effectively kill the mooks patrolling around but they will fight back as well.

* Subverted in ''{{Xenosaga}}'' Episode 1 when the Gnosis attack the ''Woglinde''. If you get caught in a battle against a Gnosis before Shion can get her weapon, it will kill her in a single attack. The game actually makes it a challenge in this early area to distract or remove the Gnosis ''without'' fighting them.

* ''HalfLife'': Just as everything goes to hell you find a crowbar on the floor, ready to help you fight through the beginning.
*** Although there are a few enemies first- 2 in glass tubes and a lone headcrab that spawns right in front of you. Luckily, it's fairly easy to dodge.
** Averted in ''HalfLife 2'' The guards start attacking you before you've reached Kleiner and been handed your crowbar, and can kill you if you hang around.

* PVP mode in [[VideoGame/{{Terraria}} Terraria]]. Both you and the other person need to be in PVP mode to kill each other.

When video games [[BlackMesaCommute don't start you off armed]], they equip the player before they meet an enemy who can kill them. This is reasonable, since no one wants to fight a battle they not only [[HopelessBossFight can't win]], but can't even fight. However, it does make it obvious when you can expect your first fight, since if you see a [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity pistol lying on the floor]] in front of a closed door, you know you'll have to use it. Also occurs at the end of a WarringWithoutWeapons segment. When you get your inventory back, you know it's because you'll have to start relying on it again.

Related to SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity. Falls off the bottom of the scale of the SortingAlgorithmOfEvil and the SortingAlgorithmOfWeaponEffectiveness. When it's averted, it's usually a case of WarringWithoutWeapons for your first level.