Torture in a magical world (Rated R)

[Hand of Evil]

Mental - just have one watch as the others are tortured.

One that the Inquisition used, gause was placed in the mouth of the victim, them water was poured onto it. Effect was that of drowning and said to be very very effective.

 

[Sejs]

To add a bit of spice to that, make the other one watch...

Heck, use the Dominate spell - make the other one do it.

Others: Amateur dentistry. Joint breaking. Planar Binding - imps with Fiend of Possession levels, let them be host to a demon. Creatures that can look like them running around free while they're imprisoned - destroy that which they love. Illusion of freedom is great. Illusion of vindication.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Recently IMC, my PCs were recently captured and tortured. I pretty much just said "you were tortured for two days, the details of which are best left undescribed." However, that didn't satisfy them, masochists that they are.

The characters probably need game reasons as well as story reasons to feel that the "torture" was "real". In any RPG, I have found, the worst torture players experience is losing control of their characters.

Torture should cause both HP and ability point damage. Depending upon the damage, and the length of torture, force Will saves (or maybe Fort for the tough guys), repeatedly. Not too high a DC, but often enough that saves fail. Eventually, the DC goes high enough that its almost impossible to save.

Every time a save fails, the character blabs (even if the villain isn't after information), or offers something to stop the torture. Anything. As in, "Take them, not me" or "Just kill me" or "Yes, I confess, I am a witch".

Ie, torture assaults dignity as much as body. Assault their control of their characters, and they will respond. Extend that assault beyond the actual torture session as others have suggested (ie, becoming shaken when hearing loud noises, etc.) and they will do what they can to avoid it in the future.

Raven Crowking

 

[Raven Crowking]

Stat drains are similar. Go for the primary stat of each character. Make sure it's an actual drain and not just stat damage, so when they ask if they healed it back overnight, you can say 'Hahahahaha!...no.'

Remember that if the characters are not allowed to rest, they are not allowed to heal either.

 

[Whisper72]

Hmmm... all very uuhmmm... creative ways to torture PC's, but from the original question, I think the main problem is not that the torture itself was or wasn't nasty enuff, but the reaction of the players was very 'relaxed'.

It seems as though the Players are more roll-players then role-players, and as long as the stats of their PC are unharmed, they don't care. Apparently the simple humiliation of capture, gloating BBEG, torture etc. done to the PC has no effect on the Players, they apparently have little empathy/connection with the PC they play.

This means that the only torture they will fear is something that has LASTING damage effects on the stats / XP's etc. of their PC's. Some of the abovementioned torture methods where lasting damage is done to the PC's are therefore good ideas. Also the total destruction/removal of beloved magic items, or simply have the BBEG give them away to vassals / friends whom the PC's cannot ever trace, so their toys are irrevocably lost to them.

Have disfigurement type side effects of the damage (regardless of cures) be such that CHA is lowerd so dramatically that initial reaction effects are always negative and ppl are disgusted by them etc.

You need to get the PC's where it hurts the PLAYERS's feelings...

 

[mmadsen]

If you briefly acquaint yourself with real historical torture techniques, I think you'll come up with more (and worse) fantasy tortures than you'd like. In reading about the crusades recently, I came across a passage where a fellow had his hand cut off. Then they poured boiling pitch over it -- burning him terribly, but, as you might imagine, cauterizing the wound. Then they cut off his other hand. More pitch. Foot. More pitch. Other foot. More pitch. Now they cut off the lower portion of his arm. And so on. Truly cruel.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

If you briefly acquaint yourself with real historical torture techniques, I think you'll come up with more (and worse) fantasy tortures than you'd like. In reading about the crusades recently, I came across a passage where a fellow had his hand cut off. Then they poured boiling pitch over it -- burning him terribly, but, as you might imagine, cauterizing the wound. Then they cut off his other hand. More pitch. Foot. More pitch. Other foot. More pitch. Now they cut off the lower portion of his arm. And so on. Truly cruel.

Do that to a Fighter who has spent significant feats in being the baddest Two-Weapon Style specialist in the lands and you are going to have a VERY pissed player. The same goes for a Ranger because no matter what fighting style he went for he won't be using paired weapons or a bow ever again if he only has one hand.

 

[Hand of Evil]

You need to get the PC's where it hurts the PLAYERS's feelings...

Also think about mental illiness, player may now be a drinker, or have a fear of fire (or become a pyro), all because of the treatments.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Also think about mental illiness, player may now be a drinker, or have a fear of fire (or become a pyro), all because of the treatments.

The only problem is that these are all Role-Playing issues. I think it has been established that the Players don't care what happens to their characters as long as their stats are unchanged. The DM could always impose a role-playing penalty if they don't take mental issues into account. Hand loss is a great one. Eye loss is even better, without depth perception there is no reason not to assign a penalty to ranged attacks. That would be great for archers and wizards (ranged touch attack spells).

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Crucifixion is unpleasant. If they've seen Passion, you can just say "Hey, remember The Passion? That's you." Suspended by hooks in skin, lighting a bit of magnesium over them so it burns right through, burying alive (possibly with unpleasant creatures in the grave), and castration (with regeneration you can do it over and over again...) would all suck. Have you seen The Cell? A man's belly was cut open, the end of his small intestine pulled out and attached to a bar above him. The bar was then turned, slowly pulling it out.