Why don’t players surrender... would we want them too?

[Dannyalcatraz]

I disagree. If the PCs can't die, IMO, what is the point of combat? Save a lot of dice rolling, and just announce a victory, hand out the loot, and move on.

It feels like a 'participation trophy' sort of thing. If the PCs can't die, what success can they claim? This is not a rhetorical question.

I'm not saying it is wrong, I'm pointing out that I don't understand.

When my PC was surrounded, the DM said the outriders “had the drop on me”.

When I surrendered, the DM told the group to note that particular phrase meant a PC would be considered helpless in that situation, and could be killed at will. IOW, had I not surrendered, that PC would have died.

 

[TheSword]

I will say this. The rules for D&D do not lend themselves to capture and escape. If the NPC's are able to capture the PC's, then once the PC's are without weapons or spells, they would have a very difficult time overpowering their captors. Same with stealth, unless you make the guards all minions with 1 hp, odds are many would just escape and get the group that had originally captured them.
I am sure there are workarounds. But, I am speaking from the most general perspective.

I agree with capture being challenging. Hence this concentrating on surrender rather than being KO’d, entangled, paralysed etc.

Not sure I agree about escapes though. The principal is that the guard is lessened and instead of facing foes en masse you can explore the lair and deal with the enemy piecemeal.

I have seen prison escapes done very well in modules. The start of Way of the Wicked is based on the premise an in my current Baldurs Gate: Descent game the players were captured instead of killed and locked in the Vampanthur dungeons.

In some ways 5e is far more suitable for this than other editions.

• Irreplaceable magic items are relatively rare.
• Most kit is fairly generic and not expensive to replace. The stuff that is expensive would take time to sell.
• Abilities aren’t dependent on specific weapons - like 3e weapon focus and weapon specialization. A fighter can pick up any weapon and pretty much be as good as any other. Or at least a broad category of weapons, two handed, polearm etc.
• Lock picking skill is trivially easy to get and be good at if you have respectable Dex without needing to be a rogue.
• Spells don’t need to memorized everything day. You keep all the spells you know in memory and get slots back when you sleep... this is very handy for balanced parties.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And here we disagree.

You’re essentially saying only the cultures you listed could be used to model cultures in an RPG, then.

Not taking that too seriously.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Surrendering feels safer if there hasn't been bloodshed immediately beforehand. I'm guessing there wasn't in your case: did you find yourself surprised, alone and severely outnumbered?

My PC was scouting solo, and was outnumbered 4-1.

 

[Jd Smith1]

When my PC was surrounded, the DM said the outriders “had the drop on me”.

When I surrendered, the DM told the group to note that particular phrase meant a PC would be considered helpless in that situation, and could be killed at will. IOW, had I not surrendered, that PC would have died.

OK, he would have died. That happens.

This is why PCs never go anywhere alone, and why scouts maintain a travelling overwatch.

(Side note: As a GM, I wouldn't have suggested anything akin to what your GM said, unless they literally had a gun to your head)

 

[Jd Smith1]

You’re essentially saying only the cultures you listed could be used to model cultures in an RPG, then.

Not taking that too seriously.

Not what I'm saying at all, as my posts clearly show. I'm just losing interest in explaining colors to the blind.

 

[TheSword]

OK, he would have died. That happens.

This is why PCs never go anywhere alone, and why scouts maintain a travelling overwatch.

(Side note: As a GM, I wouldn't have suggested anything akin to what your GM said, unless they literally had a gun to your head)

Why did he need to die? He surrendered.

 

[FrogReaver]

I disagree. If the PCs can't die, IMO, what is the point of combat? Save a lot of dice rolling, and just announce a victory, hand out the loot, and move on.

It feels like a 'participation trophy' sort of thing. If the PCs can't die, what success can they claim? This is not a rhetorical question.

I'm not saying it is wrong, I'm pointing out that I don't understand.

It’s not cool to invent a position no one holds and repeatedly knock it down. They have a word for that but it has a rather snarky connotation.

no one here is saying PCs can’t die. Once you accept that youll find your interactions going a lot more smoothly.

 

[cmad1977]

Not what I'm saying at all, as my posts clearly show. I'm just losing interest in explaining colors to the blind.

Says the guy who only sees in black and white.

You should stop making up points against arguments no one is making.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Says the guy who only sees in black and white.

Your mind-reading skill roll did not meet the DC.