PCs in jail

[Angelsboi]

What would you do if 2 of your PCs were arrested for something they didnt do, although, Zone of truth would say both parties were right?

 

[arwink]

In rich cities, I've let the watch have access to truth magic from various temples. IT's not something they do often, but if there's enoughd doubt about the situation, they'll send for a cleric. Naturally, the more serious the crime the higher level caster and spell will be required before it can be considered "Official" that the PC's aren't lying.

If you want to tie it in with some plot, simply have the cleric casting zone of truth side with one side or another and lie about the spells results. If it's for the PC's, the church has some very obvious reasons for wanting them free. If it's against the PC's, they're probably going to be very interested in the church's doings should they ever get free.

 

[Strider The Ranger]

There's an interesting way to solve this, and it is both the fantasy thing to do and a fair thing to do. If the pc's didn't commit the crime but have been accused of it, turn it into an adventure! Have the court, judge, marshall, whatever, give the PC's the opportunity to solve the mystery, albeit under supervision. This way, you can get your PCs to have some fun and get some experience. Some examples of supervision are: require that the party check in every (insert time allotment here) to ensure that they haven't left town and to compare notes so to speak. Have a few qualified or more experienced guards watch over the PCs and help them. Hope this helps!

 

[Kilmore]

Maybe the PC's have to pay for the clerics to cast detection spells to set them free, just like their accusers can pay for clerics to convict them. This system is assumed to be foolproof. Therein lies another adventure hook.

 

[Sir Whiskers]

If I understand correctly, a Zone of Truth spell has verified that the PC's don't think they're guilty, but also verified the account of their accuser. Therefore, one of the two (accused/accuser) must be mistaken, though he/she/they truly believe what they're saying.

Possible responses by the party are:

1. Unless the pc's are in imminent danger of hanging or something equally severe, investigate and try to solve the crime.
2. Alternatively, if that isn't feasible, convince the accuser to drop the charges. There are, of course, honorable and not-so-honorable ways of accomplishing this.
3. Break them out of jail (or leave town). Lots of complications with this course, as the entire party becomes wanted by the authorities. Naturally, this is the option most groups I've gamed with would select (sigh...)

If you're asking the question as a GM (not a player), then how the authorities respond is critical. If the pc's are new in town, and their accuser is an upstanding citizen, guess who's likely to be believed? On the other hand, if the pc's have never caused trouble - maybe even helped out at times - the authorities would be far more likely to give them the opportunity to prove their innocence. Either way, I suggest leaving it up to the players what to do, but make sure they understand there will be consequences to their actions. Maybe they'll take the hint and not immediately attempt to use force to solve the problem. Sounds fun - unless the pc's end up getting hung, of course

 

[LostSoul]

Let the PCs solve it on their own.