Pathfinder 1E How do you keep spellcasting slaves from casting spells?

[Alzrius]

I haven't read the entire thread, but has someone mentioned that you can use shackles, ropes, or some other form of arm-binding to simply prevent the use of somatic components in spellcasting, which most spells have? Mix that with some sort of gagging to defeat verbal components, and you've defeated the vast majority of spellcasters.

Yes, Silent and Still spells (and those with Eschewed materials) can get around this, but it at least puts a damper on the highest-level spells they can use. If you're 9th-level, needing to use both of those is going to put that teleport spell out of your normal reach anyway.

For those spells that can still be used by a bound and/or gagged spellcaster, well...no form of restraints that are cheap and easily-applied are going to be foolproof.

 

[NewJeffCT]

While I agree there is a possibility of railroading, the OP did not make us aware of the entirety of the situation. It's possible the players had tried to free some slaves and, in turn, lost the battle. As a consequence of losing the battle, the players were captured and are now being sold into slavery. (Maybe the players killed a few slavers and/or damaged some slaves, so the slavers need to get their money back - by selling the PCs). Similarly, maybe the players were on a ship and attacked pirates and lost the battle, and the pirates are looking to sell the PCs into slavery.

Also, being sold into slavery doesn't necessarily mean being enslaved. Things can happen between capture & sale and right after sale that prevent enslavement from being fully implemented.

Allowing the PCs a back door to escape the consequences of their actions and not be captured/sold into slavery could be considered bad DMing by some.

 

[knottyprof]

Allowing the PCs a back door to escape the consequences of their actions and not be captured/sold into slavery could be considered bad DMing by some.

LOL.
Haven't gotten my copy of the DM etiquette book.
Bad DMing I think is a matter of opinion, ultimate litmus test would how long the group stays together.

 

[NewJeffCT]

LOL.
Haven't gotten my copy of the DM etiquette book.
Bad DMing I think is a matter of opinion, ultimate litmus test would how long the group stays together.

well, several years back, I posted how most of my major encounters had a "back door" way for the PCs to be saved if things went bad through no fault of their own (i.e., some bad dice rolling on their part, unusually good rolling by me, one or two PCs get isolated during combat, etc). An NPC covertly following the group decides to intervene, a secret door that wasn't there is suddenly spotted, etc. Even though I think I used it once during a 2 1/2 year long campaign, I was soundly criticized on here for even creating what was called "DM Ex Machina" techniques.

 

[ImperatorK]

Allowing a back door and using Deus Ex Machina are two different things. The former lets the players correct their mistake by themselves, while the later is basically DM fiat and the players don't have to do anything. With a back door, yes, the players avoided something bad, but they did it, with their own power and ideas, they earned it.

 

[Radiating Gnome]

I'd be looking for ways to leave the PCs their spellcasting abilities (they're much more valuable slaves that way) and their free will (so they're still playable) but they're in a position where they CHOOSE to be slaves, at least for the time being. Hostages were suggested, but there are other ways that a slavemaster can hold a dire consequence over the heads of the PCs should they revolt or try to escape. Blackmail can work, hostages work, but even an oath might be enough to make the right PC usable as a free willed slave.

At the same time, if you've got a cleric or a sorcerer as slaves, you're either going to do your best to preserve their spellcasting abilities or not bother keeping them as slaves. They're much too valuable, and much too dangerous.

Of course, where this ends up is with the PCs serving a master who becomes a sort of patron for them -- and there are all kinds of story possibilities there -- as they both work for their master and seek ways to work against him and for their own freedom on the sly.

-rg

 

[Argyle King]

Depriving the cleric of their holy symbol worked in 3.5; not sure if the same holds true for Pathfinder.


A simple ball gag would be enough to block verbal components.



As others have said, sleep deprivation works as well.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Geas, curses, dominate or charm effects or unique magic items, polymorph, not sure on the pathfinder rules on this but if the spell is now too limited then cursed items that have the effect of long term polymorph would work.
Turn them into horses and have them sold to some wagon master. There is a whole adventure there.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Allowing a back door and using Deus Ex Machina are two different things. The former lets the players correct their mistake by themselves, while the later is basically DM fiat and the players don't have to do anything. With a back door, yes, the players avoided something bad, but they did it, with their own power and ideas, they earned it.

well, according to the thread from several years back, allowing any sort of back door is DM Ex Machina.

 

[ImperatorK]

well, according to the thread from several years back, allowing any sort of back door is DM Ex Machina.

Not everything you read on the internet is true. And, as you said, it was years back. Opinions evolved since then.