Capture those PCs

[Henry]

WARNING:

Do not hinge your plot on their capture. Chances are that (1) They'll resent you for it, or (2) At least one of the PCs will manage to escape no matter what, and destroy said plans. Remember: a 20 always saves.

If you plan to do it, either (1) write it into the story as in "you all wake up from the powerful sleep poison, and are captured. What do you want to do to escape?" or (2) be sure you've planned for the eventuality that SOME will escape, and some will be captured or killed. It's a great story element for "Prison Break" stories and movies, but I've rarely seen it work well for role-playing games. (In fact, the only time I saw it work well was for Gary Gygax, and he just wrote it into the plot. Back then, it was original for RPG's, so few people complained.)

 

[hexgrid]

I had my players captured once, and boy were they grumpy about it. One of the players came to the conclusion that they were "suposed" to be captured, and player happiness just kept going down from there.

Since then I've just accepted the fact that "the good guys get captured by the bad guys" is a fine plot hook for books and movies, but doesn't work well in the context of D&D.

 

[der_kluge]

I got to side with some of the others here. As a player, I totally hate it when the DM captures us. It's just railroady, and heavy-handed. Find an alternative. Really.

 

[OfRiceAndHen]

Perhaps if the guard really wanted to capture the PCs, they could out-source it; hire a bounty hunter or another adventuring group. If the PCs find they have a price on their head now, they might wanna found out why and from whom.

 

[Crothian]

I got to side with some of the others here. As a player, I totally hate it when the DM captures us. It's just railroady, and heavy-handed. Find an alternative. Really.

I think it depends on how they get captured. If it happens like I said and the DM just says it happened, it feels bad. But if it happens in the course of a normal combat it doesn't feel as bad.

I never understood the player perspective that is rather be dead then captured.

 

[Stormborn]

1) Have a favored NPC betray them.
2) Have a sympathetic Captain of the Guard explain that he knows the charges are false, but that if they don't come in there will be lots of his men needlessly harmed.
3) Bounty Hunters. If they have an enemy influential enough that he can trump up charges that might stick, he probablly can hire someone other than the town guard to do it.
4) Have an NPC leak to them that there is an important person/artifact/insert Macguffin located in the town's prison. Which they can probablly break into an out of even w/o their gear. When they hear the guard is coming for them they can just surrender and walk in. Combine this with 2 and you might have the making of a plot to take down the BBEG.

 

[schporto]

I got to side with some of the others here. As a player, I totally hate it when the DM captures us. It's just railroady, and heavy-handed. Find an alternative. Really.

If I was going to outright capture them and railroad the whole thing, I'd agree. But I'm not. I'm going to put them in a situation where they will probably piss off the local lord. Him being a jerk will probably yell for the town gaurd to capture them. Considering most miltia is a 2nd level fighter, and 4 1st level warriors. They'll wipe the floor with em. And leave. OK. That's fine. But really its pretty damn boring. Considering how often the town gaurd must run afoul of adventurers, I was thinking they'd have some kind of plan as to how to handle them. I mean really. Adventurers are powerful. Any 6th level group will take out most 'towns' of size "Small town" or smaller. So I'm looking for some suggestions about law and order. I'd like to capture the group. But in no way shape or form does my plot hinge on it. They can escape that's fine. I'd just like to make a challenge.
-cpd

 

[Henry]

Taking an example from Eberron, the town may have wands, scrolls, or devices that deal subdual damage. Also, the town's lord might be paying fealty to a dragon, or a more powerful lord. Finally, don't forget that if the PCs take over the town, who says the town will submit to their rule, but evacuate instead? Why rule if there's no one to rule over? But most likely, if they threaten the rule of law, then those they threaten will band together to stop them, with traps, poisons, etc. Gotta sleep sometime!

 

[alsih2o]

It seems that a smart city guardsman would slick the palms of a few local thugs. Said thugs could then attck the party, draining a good bit of their resources before the "legitimate" authorities arrived.

OR

Make them also wanted by a very powerful bad guy, someone out of their league. This will make the safety of being under arrest seem a little more advantageous. Maybe?

Also, make it clear a session or three before that killing a member of the town guard comes with a much harsher penalty than just killing. This will make it more difficult for them to choose to fight. Beware, this could backfire and take you into celebrity fugitive plots.

Good luck.

 

[yennico]

If I was going to outright capture them and railroad the whole thing, I'd agree. But I'm not. I'm going to put them in a situation where they will probably piss off the local lord. Him being a jerk will probably yell for the town gaurd to capture them. Considering most miltia is a 2nd level fighter, and 4 1st level warriors. They'll wipe the floor with em. And leave. OK. That's fine. But really its pretty damn boring.

It is boring if the actions of the PCs are without any further consequences.
If the Pcs kill a guard who is no real danger to them because of being a low level, they can be in serious trouble. Rumors can be spread that the PC kill a city guard and killing a city guard is not a small crime. If they PCs enter a new city where this rumor is known, they must fight against better guards to avoid an execution because city guards do not like their fellow guards killed or they can be approached by the dark elements of the city.
Perhaps the pissed local lord pays a bounty if the PCs are killed and this bounty will attract bounty hunters or other adventurers.

Adventurers are powerful. Any 6th level group will take out most 'towns' of size "Small town" or smaller. So I'm looking for some suggestions about law and order.

If a group of adventures take out a town this will create rumors. Some are good, some are bad. The government of the town will not be pleased with the situation and the government mostly has connections and enough money to buy appropriate help to change the situation to their advantage.