|
5 months ago ::
Jan 11, 2013 - 10:55AM
#11
|
Date Joined:
Mar 28, 2010
|
I actually had my players thrown in prison in the last 4 sessions. The campaign is set in EberronHere's the why and hows and the current results:
WHY:
The why is based off of many decisions the party made and a major villains plans. In the beginning of the campaign the party was hired by the nation of Breland as secret agents. The module Seekers of the Ashen Crown served as the first step into the campaign. Unfortunately they never returned the Ashen Crown to Breland or the group they were supposed to be helping. Instead they ignored the summons from Breland, used and wore the Crown in public view. Many people also died in circumstances that pointed the blame to the party (who was actually innocent but never bothered to go clear their names). So Breland declared them traitors to the Brelish crown.
Some time later, the party found itself in the nation of Aundair (a close ally of Breland). They were invited to the palace for an audience with the Queen who informed them that they had been branded traitors. The Queen further explained that since Aundair and Breland had an economic trade alliance, she could not simply let the party go since it could harm relations. She gave them a mission to complete and in exchange for completing it, she would send an official envoy to Breland along with them to help clear their names and vouch for the party. However the party again failed to complete their mission and didn't return to Aundair or Breland. Things were getting more and more complex.
Afterwards, they found themselves in Thrane, another nation of Eberron. They were there for a short stay and yet still managed to cause a major disturbance and burn down nearly 1/4 of the capital. They managed this by causing a distraction for the city guard while other players set multiple fires in key buildings (read as they identified buildings that would burn better). They were then chased by the zealots of Thrane. They crashed the lightning rail between two major cities. They then escaped into the Mournlands.
Inside the Mournlands they encountered crazy stuff. Two players got killed so they needed an out. The wizard had a brilliant idea. Using his ritual of Lehmund's Secret Chest he summoned the large box and they took turns going back and forth. The risk involved was that they didn't know where the chest was since it had been confiscated by Aundair (they had a dead body inside of a Breland spy ... ). We then had a 2 week break for the holidays.
HOW:
I had two of the party members wake up on a boat, tied to the floor and to each other. Forced to row for hours and whiped if they did not comply. They tried to escape but were unsuccesful. They then spent the next 2 years in-game time in Dreadhold. The maximum security prison of Eberron. I gave them a free level for the stay. The campaign jumped back in as a group of people attacked the prison and in the chaos, the players managed to free themselves. The two from the boat roleplayed it very well (they had gone semi insane from the solitary confinement of 2 years) and the other players roleplayed their roles very well (they played some of the people attacking the prison). They escaped after scrounging for weapons and armor in the prison off dead guards and dealing with the crazy prisoners.
So as you can all see I didn't do the whole capture thing, favoring instead to just move forward. I left that to the unknown and for them to discover or not to depending on if they actually care. I had the two players wake up on the boat with their last memories of being transported in the wizard's chest. The two dead PC's have dissapeared (and will return shortly in surprising ways). The wizard has also dissapeared but her situation was complex to begin with.
Currently they are working at learning the world they are now in. The next great war has begun. Aundair has been taken over by the secret police of their nation, it's now a dictatorship and the Queen has apparently been murdered. Thrane is having an all out war against Karrnath (they used to be allies). Breland is under heavy economic stress since all of it's allies have turned against them. Some nations are still neutral and are trying to avoid being dragged into the conflict. Droaam is trying to be recognized as a nation proper. And so on... Meanwhile the villains are growing in power and influence and yet there's an even bigger shadow lurking in the shadows.
----------------
I'm curious what the forum thinks, was it correct to throw them in prison ?
"Non nobis Domine Sed nomini tuo da gloriam" "I wish for death not because I want to die, but because I seek the war eternal"
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 11, 2013 - 11:00AM
#12
|
Date Joined:
Jun 22, 2010
|
Getting *out* of prison is lots more fun than getting in. The only time I ever used a prison scenario was as the *starting point* of a new campaign, where it was very successful.
I'd also strongly consider a prison escape scenario as a way of moving the story forward after a TPK. In that case the "disempowering" event is already in the past, so they're ready to start their climb back to the top.
I'd be very leery of trying to throw the party into prison during a normal session unless it was their idea (i.e. a scheme to collect the bounty on themselves, going inside to contact or rescue an NPC prisoner, etc). Most parties would not go quietly, and you'd have to beat them down in combat or just flat out rail-road into the cells, neither of which are much fun for them.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 11, 2013 - 11:26AM
#13
|
- Forum Guide
- Hero Craftsman Gold Medalist
- Master Dungeon Master
Date Joined:
Jun 23, 2005
|
I would find a prison break a fair response to what might otherwise be a TPK. Party goes up against a tyrant and loses. Wakes up in a dungeon. Seems pretty straightforward. I'd still probably ask if they want to continue or start a new campaign. Most of my players would choose the prison break.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 11, 2013 - 2:25PM
#14
|
Date Joined:
Jul 21, 2004
|
I would find a prison break a fair response to what might otherwise be a TPK. Party goes up against a tyrant and loses. Wakes up in a dungeon. Seems pretty straightforward. I'd still probably ask if they want to continue or start a new campaign. Most of my players would choose the prison break.
My issue with it would be coming up with a reason (as a play or the DM) why the tyrant didn't just kill them, and instead put them in a prison it was possible for them to escape. Shows and stories have used this cop out so many times, that it's pretty cliche now, and the bad guys just end up looking like morons for not killing the PCs immediately.
[N]o difference is less easily overcome than the difference of opinion about semi-abstract questions. - L. Tolstoy
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 11, 2013 - 2:43PM
#15
|
Date Joined:
Sep 25, 2011
|
I had a DM once who had us thrown into a pit in a goblin lair, where we stayed for 2 sessions with nothing happening, as we tried everything possible to get out and the goblins urinated on us. Eventually my cleric was able to use command to make the urinating goblins "fall" into the pit, then I'd sleep and recharge it, then use command again, until we eventually built a mound of goblins and climbed out (the stupidest solution every). After escaping, we asked him how the hell we were supposed to escape from there, and he shrugged and said, "I didn't see a way out. I just wanted to see what you'd do." We quit en masse and never gamed with him again.
So...while you should be flexible to the players' original ideas, you should also have several possible escape outlines in your head and provide the necessary clues/items/whatever to use them.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 11, 2013 - 2:47PM
#16
|
|
|
I agree you need a really need a good reason for them not to be dead.
They could have have some unknown powerful allies. There could be a contact they need that is in the prison itself, or this could be test for a powerful backer who uses the prison as a testing group for the people her hires. Whatever the reason is going to be you need one.
The only additional suggestions I have for this type of game if the game you as the DM need to give all the player's characters a way to be helpful here in some way, espically if breaking out is going to take some time.
I would look at the trained skills and good untrained skills that each player has and make sure they are going to be useful somehow in the game.
Also I would look at your players powers too and see if they are going to need certian gear to make them work.
The issue with prison games is that some players only the negative of being removed of their freedom. If they have too many unsucessful escape attemps they might just get angry. If its going ot be hard be sure go give them small victories.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 11, 2013 - 2:57PM
#17
|
Date Joined:
May 25, 2012
|
I would find a prison break a fair response to what might otherwise be a TPK. Party goes up against a tyrant and loses. Wakes up in a dungeon. Seems pretty straightforward. I'd still probably ask if they want to continue or start a new campaign. Most of my players would choose the prison break.
My issue with it would be coming up with a reason (as a play or the DM) why the tyrant didn't just kill them, and instead put them in a prison it was possible for them to escape. Shows and stories have used this cop out so many times, that it's pretty cliche now, and the bad guys just end up looking like morons for not killing the PCs immediately.
It might be cliche, but you have stated many times on these forums that, as a DM, you allow the players to do what they want. If they want to find a way to keep going after a TPK, you need to find a way to make that happen. That usually means, embracing the cliche of capture instead of death. Would you force an entire group of players to create new characters if/when a TPK occurs, even though the players want to find a way to keep going?
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 11, 2013 - 3:03PM
#18
|
Date Joined:
Jul 21, 2004
|
I would look at the trained skills and good untrained skills that each player has and make sure they are going to be useful somehow in the game.
Careful about relying on this. You might see a way for a player to use their powers or skills, but the player might not reach the same conclusion.
[N]o difference is less easily overcome than the difference of opinion about semi-abstract questions. - L. Tolstoy
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 11, 2013 - 8:46PM
#19
|
|
|
I would look at the trained skills and good untrained skills that each player has and make sure they are going to be useful somehow in the game.
Careful about relying on this. You might see a way for a player to use their powers or skills, but the player might not reach the same conclusion.
Excellent point.
My reasoning is that if you don't look at the players skills and only consider the skills needed some players will feel useful while others will not.
|
|
|
|
5 months ago ::
Jan 11, 2013 - 9:09PM
#20
|
Date Joined:
Jun 19, 2004
|
One of the other things here is to make sure you use a prison to mean what it means in the world, not just what we consider prison. For us prison is just a building where we lock everyone away behind bars and they sit there. What do they do with their convicts in your setting? Here are some examples from my setting of what the "prisons" are like:
- The prisoners are slaves in the strictest sense. They do manual labor and the jobs nobody else wants them to do. They have their memories wiped and constructed memories of an obedient slave put into their heads. If my PCs go into this area I'm going to have them talk about how the person in charge of making those memories gave them the tools they needed to mentally resist (And why she/he did so) An example would be a psion in charge of making the memories for everyone but doesn't think the system is right so will use these powerful PCs as a way to bring the system down from within. Since the system is designed around imprisoning them in their mind and not in their bodies they are free to do as they want, but they are missing key parts of their old persona.
- The prisoners are sent to the front lines. The idea of "joining the Night Watch" from the Game of Thrones series. Prisoners are used as cannon fodder for a buffer against the crazy wilds.
- The prison is a literal pit. Nobody cares what happens down there as long as the prisoners don't escape. The city that created the pit has gotten so huge that the pit itself is a miniature city with it's own rules and adventures.
- Lots of other things. Basically just figure out what the best use of free bodies would be and design around that.
Currently working on making a Dex based defender. Check it out hereSpoiler:
Show
Need a few pre-generated characters for a one-shot you are running? Want to get a baseline for what an effective build for a class you aren't familiar with? Check out the Pregen thread here
If ever you are interested what it sounds like to be at my table check out my blog and podcast here
Also, I've recently done an episode on "Refluffing". You can check that out here
|
|
|
