Or you could use several things to 'mildly' punish players, for example, you could put a noob-thief in stocks or in the gallows for a couple of days.
The problem is that killing is the only 'punishment'. You could grief them by destroying their stuff, but game-time is what's truly valuable, and putting someone in the gallows will take up that game time.
Obviously putting someone in these punishment things is only possible if you have scents. For the length of the scent expiration? Thats up to others to decide.
But yeah, humiliating a player by putting him in the stocks in the middle of the town would be nice.
Funner then going to him and asking them 'stop stealing nananana'