Effective Imprisoning of PC's, how can you do it?

[darkadelphia]

Depending on the magic/technology level you want in your campaign, one way glassteel is an option. Guards can look in, but PCs are trapped in a dark cell with no line of sight to anything. Perhaps have the walls lined with some sort of anti-magic. PCs don't usually build prisons, so prisons don't have to play by the same rules.

 

[nittanytbone]

I would treat extended imprisonment as either:

(A) A skill challenge. I imagine that several skills could be relevant to surviving a lengthy imprisonment and interrogation. Bluff and endurance jump to mind immediately.

(B) A disease. Being tortured regularly could very well have similar effects to the diseases described in the DMG.

(C) Focus on the key encounter. This could relate to (A). Perhaps if the PCs do well in the skill challenge, their escape attempt/trial/whatever is easier. If they failed the skill challenge, then the guards are alert or whatever.

Don't focus on the details. Instead embrace the black box. Treat the prison environment as a skill challenge, an encounter, or something like that.

 

[Wotansman]

I would treat extended imprisonment as either:

(A) A skill challenge. I imagine that several skills could be relevant to surviving a lengthy imprisonment and interrogation. Bluff and endurance jump to mind immediately.

(B) A disease. Being tortured regularly could very well have similar effects to the diseases described in the DMG.

(C) Focus on the key encounter. This could relate to (A). Perhaps if the PCs do well in the skill challenge, their escape attempt/trial/whatever is easier. If they failed the skill challenge, then the guards are alert or whatever.

Don't focus on the details. Instead embrace the black box. Treat the prison environment as a skill challenge, an encounter, or something like that.

Another nice one. That's one heck of a way to deal with things. Together these are very good ways to deal with things.

 

[Ydars]

If there really are no rules for this, then I would either rule that a spellcaster DOES have to have free hands and be able to speak to cast a spell (I think the rules imply this; you need a standard action to cast a spell afterall) or else create a meta-system to deal with it.

Here is my favourite one; Kervor, a metal that, when close to the skin of a mage completely suppresses his powers. Just make Kervor reasonably abundant in your game and have enemies and authorities have manacles made out of it and the problem is solved. Slap on the cuffs and the mage is shafted.

Or there could be a special stone that does the same thing and magic users are put in cells made of this stuff (I used Kervor ore for this purpose). Basically, if something (magic) is common, a common system will have evolved to deal with it or else it would run riot. I like the idea of natural materials that interact with magic because it allows the DM to make up low magic solutions to magical problems like this one.

 

[RangerWickett]

In my setting, it is impossible to teleport through a line of gold. So if you want to imprison someone that can teleport, put a gold ring around his cage. Not cheap, but I wouldn't use this option except at high levels.

And I'll probably make magic so that you need to be able to move your hands and talk to cast any encounter or daily spell or prayer.

 

[Benly]

Seriously. Think of the PCs like epic heroes or, if you must, super heroes. A world with these sort of things is going to come up with some sort of system to deal with them, so having "PC Prisons" isn't that unreasonable. Hell, maybe you just need to consider that, after a certain point, imprisonment as we see it (throw 'em in a cell) just isn't suited for the PCs anymore.

Then you start chucking them in pocket planes or something.

Seconded and more.

You know all those "we couldn't kill it and no prison could hold it, so we banished it to the Pit Of Eternal Storms and hoped it wouldn't crawl its way back out" plots?

At epic tier, as far as the world in general is concerned, you're that guy. If the police need to hold you, they will enlist heroes to try to bind you with arcane implements. If a villain wants you out of the way, he'll summon archdemons to chain you and drag you into the bowels of the earth.

Likewise, you know how in comics you'll have the occasional scene where you see how a supervillain is detained, and it's this amazing mess of forcefields and lasers? That's you at heroic tier. They're getting the most expensive wizards and priests they can hire to Magic Circle you in, probably in a couple of layers, and setting experienced guards around you. Evildoers are probably using much the same tactic, except their guards are whatever horrible unpleasant thing you want to deal with.

Honestly, thinking about it Magic Circle is probably one of the better options for dealing with this problem.

 

[WayneLigon]

In my setting, it is impossible to teleport through a line of gold. So if you want to imprison someone that can teleport, put a gold ring around his cage. Not cheap, but I wouldn't use this option except at high levels.

Cool idea. So, what happens if you make them swallow a gold ring? Or make an iron manacle that has a gold thread worked into it? Can they teleport then?

 

[thalmin]

Most spells (or prayers) list Implement. Though the rules specifically say otherwise, I am thinking of requiring an implement or holy symbol to cast. Gandolph lost most of his power without his staff, and Harry Potter and company needed their wands. Since it is no easier to disarm a wizard than a fighter (in fact, there are no rules for disarming or sundering weapons that I have found) it shouldn't seem like I am picking on the spellcasters. But it does allow for a non-lethal way to deal with spellcasting prisoners.

 

[RangerWickett]

Cool idea. So, what happens if you make them swallow a gold ring? Or make an iron manacle that has a gold thread worked into it? Can they teleport then?

Hehe. I like it. It really would discourage gold teeth.

 

[The Grackle]

Solitary confinement. Lock them in the bottom of a well and drop food down to them through a slot. Then they have nothing to shoot.

Also, if the conditions are bad enough, rule the PCs can't properly rest, so they only have their at-wills and whatever encounters or dailys they saved.