Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
"Never go for the most obvious joke." Gallagher, fruitlessly.
How often do you enforce laws in your games?
"Never go for the most obvious joke." Gallagher, fruitlessly.
Ralif Redhammer
Legend
Right now, in my one group the PCs are part of the city watch, so enforcing the laws is on them! But in general, I try to be guided by a balance of consequences and fun. If the PCs get caught stealing or outright just murder a high-ranking NPC, they're going to have to deal with the consequences. It might be hard labor, fleeing, or being conscripted into undertaking a specific task - whatever it is, it has to lead to more adventure. I'm not likely to enforce a death penalty, as that doesn't generally lead to more adventure. If the laws indicate you lose a hand for thievery, well you can bet there's going to be an adventure to get a cool prosthetic.
Now, if it's a problem player going out of their way to get into trouble, or a PC that persists in disruptive behavior, the law will come down hard on them and only them. That won't lead to more adventure, only a quick cut scene of "you've been arrested, you have to pay this fine (GP or a magic item), and okay, now we're back in the main narrative." They will also get an out-of-game warning.
Now, if it's a problem player going out of their way to get into trouble, or a PC that persists in disruptive behavior, the law will come down hard on them and only them. That won't lead to more adventure, only a quick cut scene of "you've been arrested, you have to pay this fine (GP or a magic item), and okay, now we're back in the main narrative." They will also get an out-of-game warning.
Grogg of the North
Adventurer
Like @Umbran my players, for quite a while now, have been playing white hats. They're typically motivated to better the environment around them and understand that their actions have consequences. So they don't murder, steal, burn down inns and orphanages.
The last time taxes came up for me was in Shackled City because 1) the party was in one location for the entire campaign and 2) the taxes was a way to show the growing corruption in the city. Now two of my players were associated with the Church of St. Cuthbert and convinced the tax collectors that they were tax exempt. The third player argued that his previous gambling losses offset any taxable income or gains for this year. He rolled an insane bluff check and the tax collector left bamboozled and confused.
The last time taxes came up for me was in Shackled City because 1) the party was in one location for the entire campaign and 2) the taxes was a way to show the growing corruption in the city. Now two of my players were associated with the Church of St. Cuthbert and convinced the tax collectors that they were tax exempt. The third player argued that his previous gambling losses offset any taxable income or gains for this year. He rolled an insane bluff check and the tax collector left bamboozled and confused.
aco175
Legend
Large cities have more cops and rules that the PCs can get caught up in. Villages and such may have a constable that shows up and might act, or take a bribe. A local guy shows up and and an adventuring party is staring him down. He likely backs down and sends message to neighboring towns. Eventually it catches up to the PCs. Cities have a forcs there that can escalate things.
I usually have PCs forced to do a mission on behalf of the lord to get out of crime- to an extent. I even once trumped up charged from the lord to get an adventuring party to go on a mission.
I usually have PCs forced to do a mission on behalf of the lord to get out of crime- to an extent. I even once trumped up charged from the lord to get an adventuring party to go on a mission.
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
Most of the time the PCs are part of Mercenary Guilds, Church Templars etc that are commissioned to investigate a situation, that means their actions are generally sanctioned by the legal authorities. |
PCs will also meet guards at the gates who might require them to check their weapons and state their business, but otherwise if PCs behave, they'll not fall afoul of the Law.
Of course if the PCs start a bar fight or are playing Thieves or such, then being harrassed by the Coppers is part of the game.
PCs will also meet guards at the gates who might require them to check their weapons and state their business, but otherwise if PCs behave, they'll not fall afoul of the Law.
Of course if the PCs start a bar fight or are playing Thieves or such, then being harrassed by the Coppers is part of the game.
I use laws as a way to characterize a setting and as a plot device when it makes sense. I certainly don’t want to bog the game down with legal minutia. If the PCs flagrantly abuse laws, I would have an OOC conversation with the players to make sure we were all on the same page about the style of game we were going for.
I use he threat of laws that could be enforced pretty often, but they are often "enforced" by extremely corrupt law enforcement types beholden to some other politically or economically powerful possibly corrupt person who is not the PCs. Actually needing to "enforce" laws is rare unless doing so is something that adds interesting elements to the plot. If the players do something that goes far enough beyond the pale, wanted posters & NPCs reacting to having seen said posters is often better than some kind of heavy handed response. If the players just do something stupid like try to rob a store in a well off part of town after being warned it's easier to just skip ahead to the sentencing
edit: Ironically I find that lilly white "lawful/neutral/chaotic good" players & parties are much more likely to be subjected to this kinda stuff than the sadistic evil ones with the good sense to roll out the plastic in a remote location before crossing the line civilized people would shake their heads and gasp at
edit: Ironically I find that lilly white "lawful/neutral/chaotic good" players & parties are much more likely to be subjected to this kinda stuff than the sadistic evil ones with the good sense to roll out the plastic in a remote location before crossing the line civilized people would shake their heads and gasp at
DrunkonDuty
he/him
As a stick to discourage crazy murder hobo antics? I have in the past. Nowadays I'd just have a discussion with the players about game styles and expectations.
As a plot point or a bit of window dressing? Yes. Pretty regularly. In one of the games I run just last session I mentioned the gate guards of a city being extra strict when the PCs returned there. This was to give the sense that things in the city had gotten tense since they'd last been there.
As a plot point or a bit of window dressing? Yes. Pretty regularly. In one of the games I run just last session I mentioned the gate guards of a city being extra strict when the PCs returned there. This was to give the sense that things in the city had gotten tense since they'd last been there.
MGibster
Legend
It comes up in a few games I've run. In Nights Black Agents, there's a mechanic called Heat wherein the actions of the PCs can attract unwanted attention from authorities. In the majority of games I run the PCs don't have to worry too much about law enforcement. It happens on occasion, in Deadlands a shootout involving the PCs attracted the attention of a deputy. And in my TMNT game the PCs ran into the NYPD and proceeded to murder a few of them (that pretty much ended the campaign for me).
In my Classic Traveller game, law (and associated phenomena like officals, paperwork etc) come up a fair bit. The game has an Admin skill (there is also a Legal skill in one of the supplements, but we don't use that) and every world has a Law Level. One of the PCs has been arrested and tried twice: the first time she was convicted and banished; the second time she blew up the proceedings with her hitherto-concealed grenade before a verdict could be reached.
In my Prince Valiant game, we use feudal tropes/motifs from time-to-time but law isn't a big part of things.
In my 4e D&D game it didn't come up much, but at mid-paragon the PCs ran a court case to claim possession of a particular abandoned building.
In one of my long-running Rolemaster games one of the PCs was an expert lawyer as well as a powerful sorcerer. He ended up being appointed a magistrate of his home city (but only after he conspired with invaders and helped them take it over - the magistracy was his reward).
So I would say it is something that comes up from time to time.
In my Prince Valiant game, we use feudal tropes/motifs from time-to-time but law isn't a big part of things.
In my 4e D&D game it didn't come up much, but at mid-paragon the PCs ran a court case to claim possession of a particular abandoned building.
In one of my long-running Rolemaster games one of the PCs was an expert lawyer as well as a powerful sorcerer. He ended up being appointed a magistrate of his home city (but only after he conspired with invaders and helped them take it over - the magistracy was his reward).
So I would say it is something that comes up from time to time.
