How do you capture monsters??

[rootbeergnome]

Greetings all, I am going to be running a game soon involving the PC's being hired to subdue and capture several monsters. Any suggestions on ways to subdue, capture and transport monsters of all sizes (without killing them) would be extremely useful and thoroughly appreciated. I will let the PCs try to come up with some things first, but I would like to have some suggestions on hand to avoid anyone being stumped about what to do.
thank you,
RB gnome

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Well, in combat, you can take a -4 penalty to your attack rolls to do nonlethal ("subdual") damage to your target.

After you've knocked out your target, you can pretty easily tie them up. If you knock them out for long enough, you can probably Take 20 on your Use Ropes check to tie their bonds.

Consider buying a wagon with a cage on the back of it.

 

[Thanee]

Grapple/Pin/Rope Use would work as well, but against many monsters that's rather futile.

There are spells to subdue creatures as well, like Sleep.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Targos]

Or use non-lethal weapons. There's a feat somewhere that allows spell damage to be converted to non-lethal damage.

 

[Ringmereth]

Depending on level, I'd take a combination of the following:

-Front-line-combat types wacking at the monster in question, taking the penalty to hit for nonlethal damage. If any of them can trip or grapple well, that's a good option as well. If you're mid to high level, you might want to invest in weapons with the Merciful enhancement, which gives bonus damage but converts all damage from the weapon to nonlethal.

-Spellcasters 'spamming' the creature with their best non-lethal spells. Options include anything that weakens the creature (Enerviation), immobilizes it (Entanglement), or messes with its head (Charm). At lower levels, good choices include Ray of Enfeeblement, Sleep, Hold Person and Charm Person (for humanoids), Hold Animal (for animals), Bestow Curse, and Blindness/Deafness. At higher levels, Enerviation/Energy Drain can weaken monsters, Wall of ___ spells can trap them, improved Hold, Charm, and Dominate (as well as Power Word Stun) spells let you neutralize anything with a brain, and Polymorph spells can render the creature harmless (ditto for Flesh to Stone/Stone to Flesh). Reverse Gravity could be very useful (and a lot of fun).

-Rogues sneak attacking with saps, which deal nonlethal damage. They should then take a flanking position to keep getting sneak attack damage. Improved or Greater Invisibilty would help a lot, too.

 

[zepherus]

Since you don't list the PC's levels or classes, I don't know if this is available to you or not, but one of the players ( Src15 ) in one of my groups is fond of using Polymorph Other to change NPC's into things like chickens or toads, cage them up, and transport them back to the keep.

It is there they realize the true meaning of hell...they are preached to incessantly by the cleric, in an effort to "reform" them ( i.e. brainwash ) to be Followers of the Light.

My ex-necromancer wizard doesn't mind killing them, but the whole "reformation" thing just gives him the willies!



Zeph

 

[Three_Haligonians]

Get a few of these..

If your DM allows of course..

J from Three Haligonians

 

[Bryon_Soulweaver]

A small-colossal net made of a flexible metal(any kind you want) with a hold/paralyze/sleep enchantment on it.

 

[VorpalStare]

For intelligent and really dangerous monsters, use Sepia Snake Sigils to keep them really wrapped up (for 1d4 +1/level days). This is kind of expensive at 500 gp a pop, so you want to make sure that it doesn't miss.

Subdue the monster and immobilize him (so that he can't make a dex save, or at least has a large penalty). Tell the monster that you will release it if it agrees in writing to certain terms. Give the monster the 'contract' containing a sepia snake sigil, possibly also with a Secret Page cast on it containing language it understands and ... "POOF!"

The creature needs no food, air, etc. for the duration. If the party has a portable hole, they might be able to carry around most of the captives there for truly convenient transport.

In the case of a non-intelligent/illiterate monster, the party is probably stuck with sapping it regularly to keep it unconscious as it takes hours to recover nonlethal damage. This is problematic for more than a day or two, however, as the monster might starve.

 

[LeapingShark]

The party arms themselves with Saps, which deal nonlethal damage. The sap is the easiest method, it does a fair amount of damage (d6+str) and is usable by many.

An unarmed monk can also choose to deal (alot of) nonlethal damage at no penalty.

The party could also use regular damage (swords, etc) to knock the creature into the dying state (below 0hp), then use a wand of cure minor wounds to stabilize it before it's dead (bleeds to -10).

Once the monster is unconscious, they chain it with masterwork manacles fitted with amazing locks. They can also put the monster in a large cage (from Arms & Equipment Guide).