What should I do with PC prisoners?

[mirzabah]

OK. A little more detail...

The orcs are a group of bandits that moved into a cave complex a few months ago and have since been raiding caravans and nearby farms. The PCs have had two encounters with the orcs, both times the orcs came out worse and in one encounter the party took out the orcs' cleric. Basically, the orcs are outclassed. They know this, but they are also pissed about the loss of their cleric.

However, the orcs happen to have a couple of prisoners which they will use as hostages in the next encounter and demand the party's surrender. The party is almost entirely good (the exception being one LN character) with the key PCs being a paladin and a LG cleric. So, they will almost certainly comply.

Thanks everybody for your suggestions so far. Keep 'em coming. The slavery idea is one I should have thought of myself. Unfortunately I don't think it's terribly practical in this case. Too many of the PCs have a level in cleric or sorceror, making them more trouble than they are worth as slaves. Mind you, the orcs don't know this - they are only aware of two spellcasters in the party (wizard & cleric).

The hunt idea is good also.

The orc band is pretty low-rent so elaborate schemes aren't really appropriate. I think that the "correct" thing would be for the orcs to simply kill the party (maybe after a little fun), but I'd rather not do this. It would be a serious downer for my players for one thing, and for another, I have a pathological aversion to using insta-kills ... especially when the party hasn't actually done anything monumentally stupid.

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

[Massive Edit] Doh! That's what I get for missing the last post and going on about 'need details' and what-not.

They capture the PC's and decide that a little torture/fun is appropriate, at least for the 'dangerous' caster types. The rest they may just enslave and/or torture/torment.

The key would be to let the PC's know what's going on ahead of time. Then you need a 'bolt hole', an opportunity to escape. One idea for the 'excuse' for escaping would be that the Orcs, feeling quite full of themselfs for defeating thier dangerous foe, decide a little celebration is in order...

How graphic you get in describing what's happening to the 'main courses' (probably the Caster types) is entirely up to you, based on the 'gritty factor' you and your group's used to... You have an opportunity to realy drive home the point that getting captured is a bad thing, and to be avoided at all costs in the future. Mabye this is a lession thier 'decendants' will learn, again it's up to you.

Hatchling Dragon

 

[mirzabah]

... One idea for the 'excuse' for escaping would be that the Orcs, feeling quite full of themselfs for defeating thier dangerous foe, decide a little celebration is in order...

I like this idea. I'm not sure I'll use it in this instance, but I like it

... You have an opportunity to realy drive home the point that getting captured is a bad thing, and to be avoided at all costs in the future ...

That's good advice, but they're not "green" players. They know it's bad to get caught. Trouble is they're not going to have much choice. This is not a situation I've engineered, by the way - it just kinda happened.