Prisoners

[Jd Smith1]

Again, that's a genre choice, not an absolute truism.

Pretty absolute to any student of history or current events. Not to mention government policy in something like a hundred nations around the globe.

But we are drifting far from the thread topic.

 

[Jd Smith1]

I am just trying to see where that logic goes...the paladins would fund magical research to prevent the births of more orcs, goblins, etc. Drow too, presumably?

They'd make sure to hunt down babies of these species and kill them; after all, it's more logical, efficient and less dangerous. Paladins aren't supposed to be stupid.

The surest way to keep the innocent safe would be campaigns of genocide against a frankly long list of races...

I mean, sounds like things villains would do, but whatever.

Give that the alternative is to wait and sustain assaults by the evil races, there would seem to be no other viable option, given the weird patchwork that is the usual fantasy setting. If you know that the Orc tribes exist purely to raid, slaughter and enslave, then hitting them before they can hit you would be the only possible course of action.

Of course, the entire fantasy setting concept of scores of intelligent races with diametrically opposing cultures living cheek-to-jowl with each other makes very little sense. Historically, when two cultures with mutually-incompatible cultures/goals developed, only one would survive. Rome and Carthage being the perfect example, or even the Cold War.

 

[Sir Brennen]

For 5E, we pretty much go with the idea that NPCs are dead unless a player specifies the "killing blow" is subdual. And one game the GM ruled many attacks can't do subdual damage (arrows, fireballs, etc.) Because prisoners can be as much of a headache for the GM as the PCs.

However, my players often offer surrender as an option, and purposely subdue combatants for interrogation. However, they do not execute prisoners (unless it's an irredeemably evil creature, like a demon). How they do end up handling them depends on circumstances. Some they take to the local jail in a nearby small town (which got crowded fast), leave them tied up where they know they'll be found and released later, or let them go with "next time I see you..." warnings.

In the Princes of the Apocalypse game I'm running, there was a bit of a running joke, as they captured the same guy three times. He kept leaving and joining up with the next cult the party attacked. He really was just trying to find work and wasn't necessarily that evil, so they kinda grew fond of him.

 

[Derren]

If you want to have the PCs take prisoners make the ransom they get from them part of the expected reward from a dungeon.

 

[Shiroiken]

My current group tends towards taking prisoners, then giving them over the proper authorities. Usually this means they have to taken along until they get there, but they often force them to provide work. Torchbearers became common, and one time they used a "torchbearer" as a "trapfinder" (it did not end well for him). When dealing with mercenaries, they often force them to join the party, offering their freedom afterwards. In both cases they take the risk they might betray the party, but they try to take precautions to prevent it.

Sometimes this can create a great situation over the course of a campaign. In my first campaign, the party found a bandit gang in an abandoned castle they were exploring and captured the leader, Edmund. They were going to turn him over to the authorities, the party was captured by cultists, where Edmund joined the cultists. After seeing how messed up the cultists were, he decided to help the party escape instead. Afterwards, he left with some bad feelings between him and the party. He returned several times over the campaign, becoming a rival of the party; never quite an enemy, but never fully a friend. He was a fun addition to the campaign, one that wouldn't normally have happened if the players hadn't taken him prisoner.

 

[pemerton]

In our fantasy games the players often let enemies go free after promising or swearing an oath to repent or otherwise no longer do the stuff that made them enemies in the first place.

In our Classic Traveller game a good part of the crew of the PCs' starship were first encountered as enemies. Other defeated opponents have been handed over to authorities.

As a general rule we don't have prisoner-killing in our games.

 

[Wasteland Knight]

In our fantasy games the players often let enemies go free after promising or swearing an oath to repent or otherwise no longer do the stuff that made them enemies in the first place.

So how do they deal with someone like CE demon worshippers, who aren’t known to be very good with following oaths?

Also, what if the enemies are particularly vile?

In last night’s session, the PC’s defeated a gang of thieves running a “Fagan” operation. The leader snd a henchman survived the battle, both of whom begged fir their lives and swore they’d go on the straight and narrow path. They were clearly child molester, child murders and child slavers, bothwere tossed to the sharks.

 

[Jd Smith1]

So how do they deal with someone like CE demon worshippers, who aren’t known to be very good with following oaths?

Also, what if the enemies are particularly vile?

In last night’s session, the PC’s defeated a gang of thieves running a “Fagan” operation. The leader snd a henchman survived the battle, both of whom begged fir their lives and swore they’d go on the straight and narrow path. They were clearly child molester, child murders and child slavers, bothwere tossed to the sharks.

This is the situation my players routinely encounter. Very seldom do they get into combat with nice people.

 

[Wasteland Knight]

This is the situation my players routinely encounter. Very seldom do they get into combat with nice people.

Exactly.

Imagine this scenario:

“Yes. we are vile CE cultists sworn to our demon lord master.
We kidnap innocent villagers so they can be horrifically tortured to death in a ceremony of human sacrifice to capture their souls. Which we then use to fuel rituals that, once completed, will tear apart the fabric of reality allowing our demon master to manifest upon this world and bringing about the end of all things.
I totally promise this is all behind me and now I’ll walk the straight and narrow path if you just let me go”

 

[Eric V]

So how do they deal with someone like CE demon worshippers, who aren’t known to be very good with following oaths?

Also, what if the enemies are particularly vile?

In last night’s session, the PC’s defeated a gang of thieves running a “Fagan” operation. The leader snd a henchman survived the battle, both of whom begged fir their lives and swore they’d go on the straight and narrow path. They were clearly child molester, child murders and child slavers, bothwere tossed to the sharks.

Can't speak for @pemerton but I have never had a game where the villains were child molesters/traffickers, so, thankfully, that has never come up. I can't imagine the game made better by the inclusion of that kind of thing, but YMMV.