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[Skill] Profession:Torturer
- Thread starter DM with a vengence
- Start date
Jared A. Sorensen
First Post
Missing the point of torture.
You guys have some good ideas, but I think the fundementals of this skill are flawed.
Distasteful, yes. But if you want to develop it as a skill, check out the facts. Nobody can withstand torture forever. Even Navy SEALS and other special units of the armed forces and government are taught to resist as long as possible, but be aware of your breaking point...because you will be broken. No matter how much of a badass you are...everyone has a breaking point.
The trick for the torturer is not to extract information. That just requires the 3 P's: Patience, Persistance and Pressure. The trick is to keep the guy alive long enough for the torture to produce something valuable.
So the way I'd do it would be thusly:
Knowledge (Torture) gets a +2 Synergy bonus if the torturer has X ranks of Heal (and/or some kind of anatomical knowledge skill). Penalize the torturer (-2) if the subject is not human or demihuman. -4 for a non-humanoid. Possibly more for extraplanar/elemental creatures (?).
The immediate benefit is that the torturer can inflict subdual damage with any weapon if he makes a DC check of...say, 15 (he knows to avoid major organs and arteries). The long-term benefit is that the torturer's victim will "break" (whatever that means in terms of the situation) if the victim fails a Will save with the target number being, oh heck...you can do a lot with this...let's just say you need to roll a Will save every round at a DC equal to the number of hitpoints you've lost during the torture.*
*I'd also allow the torturer to break down an opponent by verbally torturing him. 1d2+torturer's Cha modifer subdual damage, but only when the victim is restrained. This could work well as a way to handle verbal interrogation during an adventure.
You guys have some good ideas, but I think the fundementals of this skill are flawed.
Distasteful, yes. But if you want to develop it as a skill, check out the facts. Nobody can withstand torture forever. Even Navy SEALS and other special units of the armed forces and government are taught to resist as long as possible, but be aware of your breaking point...because you will be broken. No matter how much of a badass you are...everyone has a breaking point.
The trick for the torturer is not to extract information. That just requires the 3 P's: Patience, Persistance and Pressure. The trick is to keep the guy alive long enough for the torture to produce something valuable.
So the way I'd do it would be thusly:
Knowledge (Torture) gets a +2 Synergy bonus if the torturer has X ranks of Heal (and/or some kind of anatomical knowledge skill). Penalize the torturer (-2) if the subject is not human or demihuman. -4 for a non-humanoid. Possibly more for extraplanar/elemental creatures (?).
The immediate benefit is that the torturer can inflict subdual damage with any weapon if he makes a DC check of...say, 15 (he knows to avoid major organs and arteries). The long-term benefit is that the torturer's victim will "break" (whatever that means in terms of the situation) if the victim fails a Will save with the target number being, oh heck...you can do a lot with this...let's just say you need to roll a Will save every round at a DC equal to the number of hitpoints you've lost during the torture.*
*I'd also allow the torturer to break down an opponent by verbally torturing him. 1d2+torturer's Cha modifer subdual damage, but only when the victim is restrained. This could work well as a way to handle verbal interrogation during an adventure.
Bonedagger
First Post
I dunno.. This is supposed to be roleplaying. And just stating a torture somehow seems to easy... to distanced (Yes I'm talking about moral- not something I do often
).
If the players really want to torture somebody I wouldn't give them a good success unless they roleplayed it. By that I mean mental torture I would want to have an opportunity to show them that what they are doing is inhuman. Not that I can't tolerate it (GM'ed a few Vampire games).
To many rules often make people focus on them, forget that just because the rules allows it dosn't mean it's a good idea. Ok now I'm just bitching.
).If the players really want to torture somebody I wouldn't give them a good success unless they roleplayed it. By that I mean mental torture
I would want to have an opportunity to show them that what they are doing is inhuman. Not that I can't tolerate it (GM'ed a few Vampire games).To many rules often make people focus on them, forget that just because the rules allows it dosn't mean it's a good idea. Ok now I'm just bitching.
DM with a vengence
First Post
The difference between this skill and intimidate is intimidate involves scaring and threatening people into doing something, and tortue involves hurting people, which makes them more easily scared.
Under my system, missed checks deal more damage, which is bad because you want the subject alive as long as possible. Also, higher level characters, even ones with poor will saves are a lot harder to torture than low level. An experienced mid-level character, (such as a typical navy seal) must be tortured for several hours before they begin to crack.
And of course, these rules are for NPC, especially the clerics of elemental evil, and not for PCs.
Under my system, missed checks deal more damage, which is bad because you want the subject alive as long as possible. Also, higher level characters, even ones with poor will saves are a lot harder to torture than low level. An experienced mid-level character, (such as a typical navy seal) must be tortured for several hours before they begin to crack.
And of course, these rules are for NPC, especially the clerics of elemental evil, and not for PCs.
CRGreathouse
Community Supporter
Re: Missing the point of torture.
So a 20th level fighter is easy to torture, but a 1st level Expert (3 hp) is nearly impossible to torture? Will save, DC of 3 or less...
Jared A. Sorensen said:
So a 20th level fighter is easy to torture, but a 1st level Expert (3 hp) is nearly impossible to torture? Will save, DC of 3 or less...
Deranged Youth
First Post
Arg, this is getting annoying. =)
You know what I do if some villain is torturing my PC(s)? I make them eat salty food and take away their drinks. Bwahahaha!
You know what I do if some villain is torturing my PC(s)? I make them eat salty food and take away their drinks. Bwahahaha!
CRGreathouse
Community Supporter
Deranged Youth said:
So the characters give in right away?
