D&D General Extract information from hostile NPCs - DM tips?

[aco175]

One of my players recently (5e) started bribing more people and throwing around gold. The lack of things to purchase with tons of gold makes him use it like water. This works for minions and such, but not as much on the big guys. Another thing the group does is let people go with their lives if the prisoner is helpful. Maybe he is tied up to a tree or something that may take a few hours to escape from, but he is alive with a few provisions.

Being helpful to prisoners is also a mind trick on the DM who will most likely be helpful back instead of everyone fighting to the death.

BBEGs can also die cursing something or crying out to something.

 

[Campbell]

What I try to do is build NPCs like they are real people. They should want things, have relationships that can be leveraged, and have genuine emotional responses. When you do that it becomes a lot easier to have conversations where stuff can come out. If you always have NPCs act rationally generally you are not going to have a very interesting story.

 

[iserith]

Read this article: Interrogation: How about we don’t make a game of torture?

Then consider that the only thing that really keeps information out of the hands of the PCs is the DM. Once that is internalized, you can start from the position of "The villain is going to tell them this..." then the only thing you have to think of is why and how. And even that isn't all that important if the alternative is the players have no information on which to move forward.

 

[Stormonu]

This is something I find myself struggling with in many games (probably THE thing I have the most issues with) - how to balance charismatic PCs vs. captured enemies with possible secrets. I want the players who invested in Intimidate, Persuasion, Sense Motive and other such skills to feel like the effort was worthwhile, but not let it break the game either. Where do you draw the line? In your games, how much onus do you put on the Players, and how much do you let the Character's skill come into play? And in the latter, what's some good DC's, tricks and whatnot you use to handle things?

 

[Dausuul]

I am a huge fan of using letters for this; messages received from other NPCs, or prepared to send to such NPCs. There are several advantages:

• It's Plausible. Almost all BBEGs have to communicate with distant minions and allies, and many don't have access to sending. You don't have to rely on convenient-but-silly tropes like the Villain Monologue or the Diary of Insanity.
• It's Pre-Written. You won't inadvertently give away more information than you need to during an interrogation scene, and you can take time to think through the details.
• It's Short. You don't have to write a whole diary, and you also don't have to convince the players to quit asking about the parts of the diary you didn't bother to write. Here's the whole entire letter, guys; what you see is what you get.
• It Survives the BBEG. If the BBEG gets killed earlier than expected, the letter survives.
• Built-In Plot Hooks. Not only does the content of the letter provide useful clues, but the sender or addressee is now a connection that the PCs can follow up on. The messenger who delivers the letter could also be useful info.

 

[Oofta]

Whenever I have information that needs to be revealed I have a sliding scale. Highest level of success gives you a direct easy to follow answer that let's the PCs know one or more route to success along with relative risks and rewards. Lowest level of success may give a clue to where to look for further information or a high risk low reward option depending on the situation.

The highest level of planning is generally due to careful planning, potentially along with luck (although I try to avoid a single die roll). Some examples of what I might try

• Try to infiltrate the BBEG's organization. This might involve a lot of work and planning, and my not suit the group.
• Find an ex member of the BBEG's organization and convince them to cooperate.
• Through research or rumors, they find out info about one of the lieutenants. Maybe they have a bad drug habit and sneak out to get their supply, maybe they're unhappy with the BBEG. That opens up a couple other possibilities
  • Trick them Mission Impossible style. Make them believe something is true at isn't using disguises, illusion and other magic. Maybe lead them to think the group will help them overthrow the BBEG and put this guy at the top.​
  • Kidnap them and try to get them to talk. I don't allow torture, so there still has to be motivation for the lieutenant to give info. Withhold the drugs, threaten to expose them and so on.​
• Have an informant that may or may not be totally on the up-and-up

Anyway, so those are some of my ideas to get info to PCs.

But that doesn't answer your question directly, just other avenues for thought. So there's always the ubiquitous diary which admittedly I do use sometimes. But there are other options as well.

The eavesdropping servant. Too often the only denizens of the BBEG's lair are the level appropriate warriors. Sometimes that make sense, but frequently I have to ask - who cooks the food? Is Brog the Destroyer going to do his own dishes? Maybe, maybe not. So instead of getting info from the BBEG, get it from his steward who is always within earshot just in case his master calls.

The evil guy monologue. Also a cliche', but bad guys like to taunt their enemies, before during and even after the fight. The bad guy may be bleeding out, but still believes in the cause and gloats, letting something slip unintentionally.

Paperwork. Not nearly as exciting as the diary, but even evil organizations need the proper forms filled out. Maybe researching the billing paperwork leads to a supplier who could give leads.

The message. Big bad just died? Well the carrier pigeon flies in, the courier knocks on the door or the sending stone pings with details that leads to the next clue. Includes correspondences that were previously received but not destroyed.

Of course there's always the diary or logs, and there's nothing wrong with that. Can make for some nice handouts.

So those are my 2 coppers in addition some other good ideas.

 

[iserith]

This is something I find myself struggling with in many games (probably THE thing I have the most issues with) - how to balance charismatic PCs vs. captured enemies with possible secrets. I want the players who invested in Intimidate, Persuasion, Sense Motive and other such skills to feel like the effort was worthwhile, but not let it break the game either. Where do you draw the line? In your games, how much onus do you put on the Players, and how much do you let the Character's skill come into play? And in the latter, what's some good DC's, tricks and whatnot you use to handle things?

What skill proficiencies the players have chosen isn't really my concern as DM. What matters to me is what they describe their PCs as doing. If what they say they want to do has an uncertain outcome and a meaningful consequence for failure, their skill proficiencies may come into play when I ask for an ability check. For DCs, the DMG says the game runs fine if you never choose anything other than 10, 15, or 20.

 

[Scott Christian]

This is something I find myself struggling with in many games (probably THE thing I have the most issues with) - how to balance charismatic PCs vs. captured enemies with possible secrets. I want the players who invested in Intimidate, Persuasion, Sense Motive and other such skills to feel like the effort was worthwhile, but not let it break the game either. Where do you draw the line? In your games, how much onus do you put on the Players, and how much do you let the Character's skill come into play? And in the latter, what's some good DC's, tricks and whatnot you use to handle things?

The question always seems to be: does this information move the story forward? If the answer is yes, then you give it to the players. If it not that important, then their skills could come in handy. If the answer is no, then you never hint at it in the first place. This (imo) holds true for all skills. Do they need to open the door? Then why am I having them roll a skill check? (Unless of course it is trapped.) Do they need to scale the cliff? Will the adventure end and the characters die if they don't? If the answer is yes, then they scale the cliff. I can find middle ground in them taking damage or suffering exhaustion from poor skill challenge rolls.

 

[EpicureanDM]

Read this article: Interrogation: How about we don’t make a game of torture?

Then consider that the only thing that really keeps information out of the hands of the PCs is the DM. Once that is internalized, you can start from the position of "The villain is going to tell them this..." then the only thing you have to think of is why and how. And even that isn't all that important if the alternative is the players have no information on which to move forward.

This is exactly right. The OP's starting position, that there's information that the BBEG would never reveal, needs to be retired. If there's information that will help move your game and story forward, it's the DM's job to think of multiple ways that it can get into the players hands.

 

[Quartz]

The true advantage of the written scheme (other than who knows what the murderhobo's will do..) is that you can create a hand out, which allows the PCs to read it three weeks later and remember key pieces of the plot. Oftentimes as DM, you're thinking about these details daily, but PCs only heard it over 30 seconds three weeks ago, and forgot. If it is actionable to the main plot, definitely create a hand out!

Then consider that the only thing that really keeps information out of the hands of the PCs is the DM.

The question always seems to be: does this information move the story forward?

it's the DM's job to think of multiple ways that it can get into the players hands.

Key points all.