Capture and Player Agency

[Chris633]

Hoping to get some advice regarding the start to my new campaign and the issue of player agency. So I am going to be running an AP where the game starts with the players as prisoners following a raid on their home village. So I was originally planning to run it as written with them starting off having to orchestrate their escape. I recently listened to a podcast of a group running the same AP where the GM elected to role-play the prologue. So the players got to play through their inevitable capture. The players seemed ok with it (I suspect they knew this was going to happen).

So my inclination is to start as planned with them already captured. However, I can see some upsides to role-playing the prologue. It could be dramatic. They could gain intel on their enemy that they may not have otherwise. They can potentially do things that may help them later. They can also decide how they lost/got caught. However, players don’t like loosing agency and being in a situation where their choices don’t effect the overall outcome. Having them start already captured bypasses that feeling and starts them off with more agency.

So my question is this: Would you want to role-play the prologue or just start at the actual beginning of the adventure? If I made it clear that we are role playing the prologue and that this isn’t the actual start of the adventure and that the final outcome of being captured is a fixed and unchangeable event, is there still value for the player in this? I feel like some players would like to decide how they failed/got captured or may want the chance to do other things. Or should I just start them in jail and narrate how they ended up there?

 

[Numidius]

Hi. I'd say: skip the prologue, start the AP as written, and, when needed, use brief flashbacks.

 

[Bagpuss]

I would be tempted to start with them captured in a cell, and then roleplay as a flashback how they ended up in the situation. That way since they know it's a flashback, they know they will end up captured. Then during the flashback have opportunities to hide things that they later can use to help them escape, or learn information. So say at the end of the flashback the character pulls a lockpick out of their hair for example, or knows the name of the guard, or how many there are in the next room, the layout of the building, etc.

 

[Chris633]

I love that idea of flashbacks! That really is the best of both worlds. All the advantages and none of the drawbacks of forcing them to be captured to start.

 

[S'mon]

Flashback seems reasonable. The main thing is: Never run a railroaded capture scene. Always be honest with the players. If they are going to be captured, then fade to black & say something like "Two days later, you awake in a prison cell, your village in ruins..."

 

[Lanefan]

I'd think it would be exciting as all hell to start with the raid, see what they do with it, and have 'em all* get knocked out and captured** by the end of it. It'll give 'em a bang-up combat right out of the gate, while serving as a warning that you're not going to pull your punches when things get real later.

* - or hey, maybe one escapes capture and either frees the others later or meets them once they're out.
** - other than those who get killed, of course; the replacement PCs those players roll up join the party by waking up in the cells with the rest of 'em.

 

[5atbu]

Players *hate* the loss of agency this creates.

Skip the prologue.

Let them backfill what happened in narration.

As in 'you could have run, why did you stay and get captured?'

'Who did u save by your actions?'

This allows them to build a heroic back story from a defeat.

OR.. tell them they are going to lose and be carried captured in advance, but not killed so they can go nova!!

 

[Sadras]

I say don't warn the players.
Run the entire capture scene.
Make sure you they can't escape, fudge if you have to and say no often.
Ensure the players know they've been beaten.
Don't fade to black, let them experience the entire humiliating experience.
Watch the frustration build on their faces as they feel immersed in the story.
Break open a case of beers and drink up for a job well-done.
Welcome to method roleplaying.

 

[Nagol]

Running the prologue could be dramatic. It could also be frustrating, boring, or confusing.

Are you and the players experienced? Are the players familiar with your DMing style?

If either of the above are false, start as you mean to continue. This is the players' first impression of your DMing. If you mean to run a heavily fudged, narrative campaign then start with the prologue since in all likelihood, you'll need those tools to make it exciting and dramatic anyway. If you mean to run a "dice fall where they may" campaign then skip the prologue as it is more probable the capture will NOT go nicely and it is easier to frame the starting situation than cause it to happen.

 

[ccs]

How do you think your particular players will react if you play through them getting captured no matter what?

If you think they'd be cool with it, do it.
If not, then just start the adventure as written.