Help me capture my party.

[Darkwolf71]

If you absolutely need 'someone' captured, run your encounter and if the PCs get the clear upper hand, have a grapple specialist snag a random PC and then the enemy spellcaster jopins the grapple and Dimension Doors or better teleports the three of them and as many of his companions as possible.

 

[shilsen]

OK, how does this sound: I'm not saying they will be captured, but I'm having my bad guys attempt to do just that. In other words, the bad guys understand the PCs are much more valuable (to them) captured instead of killed. Ergo, the bad guys want to prep themselves for a non-lethal assault - which is different than their normal schtick.

So the PCs certainly can (and likely will) evade capture. I won't use ELs out of line with the party level. But I would like to shift from a "destroy PCs" mindset to a "capture PCs" mindset. That's legitimate, no?

Completely legitimate, IMO. It's not much different than any other group of enemies attacking the PCs with a particular agenda in mind. Most of the time it's with the aim to kill the PCs. This time it's with the aim to capture them. Not a big difference, and frankly, for a PC enemies trying to capture you is an advantage, since that means they're pulling their punches somewhat and you don't have to.

That being said, how about some info about the PC types and the NPCs involved, so we can suggest ways for your NPCs to succeed at capturing them ?

BTW, good to hear about the high-trust environment you game in. Personally I can't see it ever being worthwhile to game without that, as player or DM.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

OK, how does this sound: I'm not saying they will be captured, but I'm having my bad guys attempt to do just that. In other words, the bad guys understand the PCs are much more valuable (to them) captured instead of killed. Ergo, the bad guys want to prep themselves for a non-lethal assault - which is different than their normal schtick.

So the PCs certainly can (and likely will) evade capture. I won't use ELs out of line with the party level. But I would like to shift from a "destroy PCs" mindset to a "capture PCs" mindset. That's legitimate, no?

Yes. The goals of the enemies can be set as you like. But in every other regard, you need to be fair.

It's still unlikely that it will succeed fully. Consider this:
1) Total failure of the NPCs.
2) Total success of the NPCs.
3) Partial success - at least one of the PCs is captured, but at least one is not. What can the PCs do? You just split the party, which is always difficult to handle. The most important question is to give every player enough to do, and if in any way possible (think about that very hard) he should be controlling his character, not a temporary replacement PC. The latter is never as satisfying (unless the player always wanted to try out a new character, in that case, it might be fine.)

 

[Presto2112]

I'm seeing all of these "DON;T DO IT!" replies, and I can't help but think this is an opportunity wasted if you do not do it. I tried it a while ago, with a trio of formians and an imp (poison that inhibits Dex) and a dominated silver dragon (sleep breath weapon) their intent was to capture and return to their lair. They managed to capture two of the PCs, and the rest of the PCs tracked and followed the collection squad to the intended destination. In the end, I didn't need to capture the WHOLE party, but I still got the PCs to where I wanted them to go.

 

[Ravilah]

Well, I captured my players' PC a while back, and it worked out fine. Only one guy got kinda pouty, but that was because his cool new spell didn't go off, not because they got taken.

What made it work was that I had them taken by a band of paladins and half-celestials. The party's actions had--unwittingly--caused the death of an innocent girl and the band was sent out to bring them before the Court of Ebarak for justice (or absolution depending on the results of the trial). In fact, the party had the opportunity to come quietly right away (though I didn't expect that to happen. heh heh)

The party fought back, but knew that if they killed any paladins, every church, temple, and pious city in the world would be after their heads. So in the end they surrendered when they saw a getaway wasn't going to work for everyone.

(BTW, whatever you choose to use, make them VERY MOBILE. PC are, as has been said, very slippery, and your captors need to be fast and flexible: ie. flight, teleport, see invisibility, high run speed, etc.)

R

 

[Carpe DM]

There is only one time you can capture your PCs: Before the campaign begins.

Don't do it, other than that. There are two reasons. First, because your players will be pissed that they could do nothing to win the fight in which they were captured. Second, because capture limits player choice and seems arbitrary, no matter how well it is done.

Capture is the single hardest thing (other than fear and eros) for a DM to do well in D&D. It's a pile of work, and not worth the candle.

Of course, none of the above applies to turning a TPK into a capture. If you didn't plan it, then the players won't be as angry, since the battle loss was not preordained. Turning a kill into a capture when all PCs are unconscious (but not yet dead) is a time-honored tradition.

 

[Yalius]

A few options come to mind.

Blackmail. "Surrender now or (person important to one or more PCs) dies!"

PCs have heard a rumor that (person important to long-term goal) is a prisoner. Nobody knows where. PCs arrange to let themselves be captured in order to find out where the McGuffin is being held.

Their capture is ordered by someone they know and trust. He asks them (discretely) to play along, they need to be captured for the Greater Good, even if he doesn't explain the details.

 

[Slapzilla]

Capture is hard. But be honest about the scene. SPoD is dead on about it, for real. The capturers can prepare the ambush site, (scry and divine to prepare for likely reactions) and should be ready to make a quick getaway with one or two of the party, but certainly be ready for all. In any case, a hostage/jailbreak is a great game session too. Only one person needs to hear the information that needs to be passed on, right? This one ends up sneaking out as the rest of the party pounds in, they meet and thrash about in vengeance. You get what you want and they get the visceral joy of being dominant/throwing a tantrum.

There is a fine line between players who feel like their characters should do whatever they dang well please (just try to impose an income tax) and DMs who have BBEGs who feel the same way (again with the tax). There comes a point where somebody is going to get pissed and goes to DEFCON2. Successful balance requires the DM occasionally bringing in a monster that beats the snark out of the PCs-who barely scrape out a victory and also staging events where they wade through 200 orcs without fear. Capture is one of those events that will annoy players. Reminding them that their 11th level party is about 141-2 in the win/loss column will annoy them too. Funny thing, that.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Good thread. The issues have been covered pretty well. The capture bit can work in the following ways:

1) Get player acceptance from the start through honesty. Don't roll any dice. "I've got a cool adventure prepared where you guys start off as prisoners. Are you okay with that?"
2) Don't have capture as the only option. Play it out, roll the dice, roll with the punches. Interesting things happen whether some*, all or none of the PCs are captured.
3) You have unusual players that don't mind railroaded encounters. Then you can roll the dice but there's really only one outcome. This seems to be Wisdom Penalty's situation.


*This can however lead to the problem of the party being split which could mean a non-session for the players of the captured PCs. In my book that's a huge, huge no-no. It can be partly solved by having interesting things happen to the captives, or, better, let them play temporary PCs helping to free their main PCs.

 

[the Jester]

It is very difficult, but not impossible, to pull off a capture scenario. Part of the secret is being willing to let the attempt fail.

At the end of the first arc of my low-magic campaign, I ran a game where I hoped to capture the party. Some got caught, some got away; then the ones that got away came back- and got caught. It was a perfect set-up for the second arc of the campaign, though. When I decided to try to run it, I was nervous that it would feel like railroading, or that the pcs would kick the bad guys' asses so hard and so fast that they couldn't get them unless I cheated. Fortunately, it didn't play out like that; I think I would have let the pcs win if it had. Shrug.