PCs vs. The Law -- my players stay out!!

[atom crash]

The PCs in my game have gotten into trouble. Big trouble. They attacked a very prominent member of the city government in a very public place; they were being awarded a medal of honor by the crooked city lord in a gala ball in front of the city's social and political elite when they decided to take him down. Now, of course, the city lord is as crooked as they come. He's secretly an evil cultist as well. The trouble is, the PCs can't really prove what they know.

The PCs are in "protective custody," along with the injured city lord, until the captain of the city guard (a straight-up no-nonsense kinda guy who doesn't take kindly to vigilantes on the loose) can figure out what happened. He's sent for the city magistrate (another stickler for the letter of the law who won't be happy to be roused from his house at night) and is busy interviewing witnesses.

As far as all the witnesses are concerned, the PCs attacked the city lord without provocation. The city lord taunted the PCs as he prepared to decorate one of them with the first medal of honor, but no one else at the event heard his comments. The party levelled some accusations at the city lord, but the only thing they can prove is that he bears a tattoo they found on some other cultists. The city lord's story is that long ago he was captured by pirates at sea and was branded.

Even if they can prove that the city lord is a bad guy, the fact remains that they brandished weapons in front of all the most important people in town. They attacked unprovoked, and the party wizard webbed many dignitaries on the stage with them (half of which were cronies of the city lord who haven't yet been identified as villains but half of which were innocent bystanders). During the fight, four or five city guardsmen were killed and a few more injured. Also, five innocent minor dignitaries were killed in a fireball blast aimed at city guards.

The PCs have at least one important NPC -- the high priest of the temple of knowledge -- who can vouch for them, but he can't get them out of trouble completely. At the very least, if they don't hang for attacking the city lord, they'll be tried for the deaths of the city guards and minor dignitaries as well as disturbing the peace. They had made a few allies among the city's elite, but those people won't touch the PCs now, much less stand up for them.

I need some sources for info/guidelines on city government and the law, especially crimes and punishment, in order to adequately plan for Friday's session. I need to decide some fitting punishments for their crimes. I'm thinking they'll at least be saddled with some healthy fines and be watched closely for a long time. But if they are sentenced to prison or run out of town the campaign will pretty much be over (the cultists are trying to bring on the end of the world and the clock is ticking).

I have FFG's Cityworks and seem to recall there being something in there. I also seem to recall something in a recent (within the past 2 years) Dragon magazine, though I don't recall which issue.

Anyone got any other suggestions?

 

[Crothian]

I'd confiscate all their weapons and armor that they used in the assult. I'd then place a very heavy fine that they have to pay or face a very stiff prison term. After that I would have then escorted to the most hostile border and left with nothing.

 

[S'mon]

Well, given that they massacred loads of people, I would tend to think a death sentence might be appropriate... following torture, of course. if you don't want to end the campaign, run an "escape from jail" scenario. Anyway, the PCs are now dead or outlaws, or both. Sorry but I really don't think "saddled with some healthy fines and be watched closely for a long time" is going to cut it here...

 

[S'mon]

"M'lord, I put to you that the accused did fireball or otherwise slay five minor dignitaries and four or five city guards."

"In our defence, we would like to point out that they were only NPCs."

"In that case, I believe a hefty fine is in order, and we'll be watching you!"

It doesn't cut it, does it?

 

[Anabstercorian]

Yeah, suddenly attempting to kill a cultist works a LOT better when you don't splat a dozen innocent bystanders in the process. Execution, or rather, condemned to execution and forced to escape for their lives.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

The PCs must pay for their actions. I'd also spring the "escape from prison" scenario on them. Perhaps special agents from the Priest of Knowledge could help them escape. Perhaps, even, that they'll be able to recover some of their equipment. There SHOULD be consequences for their actions.

AR

 

[krichaiushii]

Aside from execution - with or without torture - there are also the following options, all very dependent on the city's location and customs, and the overall feel of the campaign.

Exile, with or without clothes and gear on back.
Weregild - blood money, with cost per death depending on rank of person in society.
Slavery/indentured servitude; either for a set period of time or for life.
Public torture with no execution, to include branding and removal of certain body parts (tongues and hands, mostly).
Fight in an arena - victory means innocence.
Other "trials by fire", wherein surviving some onerous or painful task unharmed means innocence.

A title that may prove useful (though not in time for Friday's game) is Atlas Games' Crime and Punishment.

This link to curious punishments of bygone days is good for inspiration AND a chuckle.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Line them up for execution, make sure they know that it's coming, and make sure you allow small opportunities to escape.

And if they don't take the opportunities, have an ally resurrect or raise them all. Most likely with some missing equipment.

 

[WayneLigon]

What kind of cultist is the bad guy? If he's like a lot of 'secret cult of evil' types, then the PC's first meal will probably be their last as the guard that carries the food to tem is also a member of the cult. Or something gets summoned into their cell and in the morning they are all found to have hanged themselves, proving their guilt

Probably don't want it to end quite like that, though. I'd say at this point that escape is about their only option. The captain of the guard, alerted to the PC's suspicions, probably becomes a target of the cult. If the cult is /really/ resourseful, they might make it look like the PC's killed the captain.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Why can't they use spells to find out if he is evil/lying? I'm sure he has procausions against such things, but they should be able to find out something. At the very least that the PCs arn't lying when they say he's evil, which means that that's at least what they believe to be true.

Can the PCs have the killed guys raised? That might help their position. Although, really, they deserve what's coming to them if they killed them, and I'd look toward alignment changes for them. Killing innocent people because an enemy taunted them... that's more than toeing the line.