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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kesh" data-source="post: 1493143" data-attributes="member: 1308">Physical torture is the slowest, most inefficient method of getting compliance from someone in a magical world. Spells of various types provide better methods. Sure, Book of Vile Darkness is good for some of the physical tortures. However, you probably want to look at the Guide to Unlawful Carnal Knowledge online. Yes, it's a sex supplement, but it makes a few good observations on the uses of spells for coercion.Illusions: So many opportunities here. Force them to experience horrific things, or simply to watch terrible things happen. Use an illusion to force them into full sensory-deprivation. A simple ghost sound made permanent can be used for sleep deprivation. They can experience a full range of physical sensations without taking a lick of real damage. And it doesn't all have to be bad... treat it like an abusive spouse situation. The prisoner is "punished" for misbehaving in some way, and rewarded with pleasurable illusions when they obey, leading to a cycle of dependence.Charms: Again, lots of possibilities. A simple suggestion to one PC to torture his companions can cause horrible pain for all involved. Charm person and dominate person simply gives you better fine control over their actions. And modify memory can be horrific: implanting memories of betrayal from other PCs, or a memory that changes their opinion of a loved one; even memories of torture, or obedience to the enemy. ("Don't you remember? You work for me... you always have.")Others: There are lots of inventive ways to use other spells, too. Use polymorph other to turn them into something that can experience terrible misuse. You can make them feel quite helpless... especially if turned into a mouse and left in a locked room with a cat. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> A combination of charms, illusions and other spells can be effective in brainwashing a subject.Keep in mind that pleasure can be used just as effectively as pain. Addiction is a powerful thing, and can be brought about through spells, drugs or simple sexual manipulation. Remember, the idea is to gain the subject's acquiescence, whether it's for information or obedience. And there needs to be a reward for doing so, even if it's simply to make the torture stop.The real horror is finding out what would break the PCs into obeying their torturer. In your case, it sounds like the torture didn't go to completion. So, you need to just figure out what the individual PCs would find horrible enough they never want to experience, and show how their captor was digging into that for torture.Of course, it's possible they don't have enough character development for that. In which case, pop in a copy of the Hellraiser and Nightmare on Elm Street movie series, and take inspiration from there. When all else fails, go for the gross-out. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>

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