Keeping a Prisoner "Medicated"

[Tom Cashel]

So my players have captured their archnemesis. They want to interrogate him, but they know he's psionic and they need to rest up from the fight. Naturally, they had the idea to zip-tie his arms and legs, and "dope him up" until they see fit to question him.

They have access to a small medical bay (in their TARDIS, of course): "A medical centre is provided in case the occurrence of injuries, sickness or travel fatigue, either with the personnel or pilot of the timeship. Several sleeping couches are fitted as is a comprehensive medicine cabinet."

One of the PCs is a field medic and pharmacist.

So on to my questions...

What sorts of drugs would likely be handy in that "comprehensive medicine cabinet"? Morphine, I'm sure, maybe Valium...what else? How would you stat pharmaceuticals vis a vis the poison table? Do you know of any resources out there for this kind of thing?

Thanks!

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Anaesthesia is a real real touchy business. The difference between keeping somebody out and killing them is somewhat narrow.

I've not heard of any rules on using real-world medications to control psionic prisoners. Usually games with psychic powers end up creating psychic dope-ups and boosters to keep prisoners from using their powers (and invariably somebody wants to then use drugs to enhance their powers).

I guess you have to rule: When is intoxication and impairment enough to render psychic powers unusable? Drunk? Unconciousness? If you can keep somebody awake but too impaired to work their mojo, it's easier. The key is keeping them awake. Most drugs of that "doping" sort are depressants. Enough makes you sluggish, confused, and high. Too much you pass out. Too much more and you stop breathing.

I'd say that a pharmacist could use existing depressant drugs to administer a dose to impair "judgement" but keep somebody awake on a DC 15 craft pharm. I'd say knocking somebody out safely would be DC 18 and a DC 15 Treat Injury check every hour to keep them stable. That's what they'd probably want. And a DC 25 check to get that magic number that will keep Phillip Psion from using his mojo while keeping him awake enough to be interrogated (? as much as anybody with that much narcotic in them can answer questions intelligently) or just not having to worry about him slipping away on them on the drive back to base.

--fje

 

[Tom Cashel]

Heap, thank you. That's some great advice...make it an action of the field medic, rather than statting out pharmaceuticals.

But assuming I use that system, how can I also factor in the psion's Autohypnosis skill?

Tolerate Poison: In response to being poisoned, you can make an Autohypnosis check on your next action (at the DC of the poison). A successful check grants you a +4 morale bonus on your saving throw to resist the poison’s secondary damage.

Seems to me this skill could also be used where drugs and intoxicants are involved...maybe an opposed roll between the medic and psion?

 

[Yuan-Ti]

Not to complicate the issue, but given the real-life issues Heap mentioned, it might be fair to make this an opposed check. The Medic's Craft check against the Psion's Fortitude save? I would say the advantage goes to the Medic on this one, so maybe give the Psion an additional penalty... OR, to really complicate it, consider the psion "impaired" even if he wins the check and force him to make a concentration check each round in order to actually use his powers. Would make things more interesting and might give the PCs a few rounds of "Whew! It worked!" before the Psion mind-thrusts one of them.

Edit: I realize it is mixing things a bit, but thinking about it more, I decided an initial Fort save with the DC set by the Medic's craft check makes more sense. Then you can add the concentration check, since even a successful save would probably still mean the Psion is in some way impaired.

 

[Tom Cashel]

I like the idea of the opposed check. The PC and the Prisoner both get to do their thing, spend AP, etc., and the best roll "wins."

Of course, if the Medic fumbles and overdoses the Prisoner...he'd better roll a heck of a FORT save.