Using the rules: how do you handle those hard to reach scenarios?

[Mistah J]

Just a general question,

Certain scenes, tropes, situations, etc. that you can find in entertainment and stories are classic but difficult if not impossible to re-create using the RAW of D&D - despite the fact sometimes, a D&D campaign story-arc is exactly where you would want them to occur.

An example, to make myself more clear:

The Hostage situation: Baddy McEvil has an innocent captive and at knife-point. He threatens to kill them if the PCs don't do as he says.
The problem is of course that, by RAW, it is not that simple. The best chance of an auto-kill is a Coup de Gras which requires a helpless target. So the bystander is going to have to be unconscious? held? or something else that may not be viable at the time. Otherwise, the villain will just get to make an attack, usually while grappling the target - so light weapons only and therefore not a lot of damage.

Another one is the Dying Clue: An NPC on death's door manages to give the PCs a short, possible cryptic, message before passing on and leaving the players a mystery. Of course, by RAW a dying person can't talk (they're unconscious for being in the negatives), and any healer can simply fix the problem by tapping the NPC with any curing magic.

So, what do you do to have these situations in your games? You could simply handwave it all way with your DM license but some players may feel cheated or "railroaded". What are some legal, or even semi-legal, ways to put these iconic scenarios back into the game? Heck, what are some other ones to be aware of?

Please, feel free to brainstorm with me.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I like using something like Action Points, but usually more like Hero Points (from M&M, renamed Fate Points) or Conviction (from True20).

Anyway, long story short, perhaps NPC classes (or hey, NPCs in general, if one prefers) could have an equivalent [or possibly weaker version of such a] thing, but usable say, once per week? (or whatever suits; just an example)

This way, commoners and the like could occasionally do something quite extraordinary - even if not *as* extraordinary as 'real' _____ Points. . . like, say, coming to for a moment so as to say something, using 'extra effort' (per M&M) to lift a wagon off their child, and so on.

Just some thoughts that came to me right away.

 

[Kask]

Baddy McEvil has an innocent captive and at knife-point. He threatens to kill them if the PCs don't do as he says.
The problem is of course that, by RAW, it is not that simple.

And, IRL it isn't that simple either. If the hostage isn't being very still, you aren't going to get an instant kill either...

 

[Rackhir]

The Hostage situation: Baddy McEvil has an innocent captive and at knife-point. He threatens to kill them if the PCs don't do as he says.
The problem is of course that, by RAW, it is not that simple. The best chance of an auto-kill is a Coup de Gras which requires a helpless target. So the bystander is going to have to be unconscious? held? or something else that may not be viable at the time. Otherwise, the villain will just get to make an attack, usually while grappling the target - so light weapons only and therefore not a lot of damage.

So have the hostage be subject to Hold Person or have been rendered unconscious by subdual damage. There are a number of ways of rendering a character helpless. Stat drains could also work. Both Str or Dex, when drained to zero render the person helpless and immobile.

Another thought would be several Delayed Blast Fireballs placed just around the hostage, so that if they move one or more would be set off.

Perhaps a necklace of fireballs with something to set them all off at the same time.

Another one is the Dying Clue: An NPC on death's door manages to give the PCs a short, possible cryptic, message before passing on and leaving the players a mystery. Of course, by RAW a dying person can't talk (they're unconscious for being in the negatives), and any healer can simply fix the problem by tapping the NPC with any curing magic.

Well there's always the note scrawled in the character's blood. Something that inflicts damage over time, like a con damaging poison, could also work, At least if the party doesn't have curative magics for the condition. Some of the curative spells do have casting times that make them unusable in combat situations.

Ex. Restoration lesser, has a three round casting time and Greater is 10 min. So if the PCs are trying to cure something with one of those spells, you just need to make sure the fatal effect takes place before they could finish casting the spell.

There's rarely an insurmountable problem coming up with these sorts of situations, but you do need to get more creative. Especially when you are hitting the higher levels

 

[prospero63]

Two words:

DM's Fiat

Simply put, if it progresses the adventure/story/game it's my prerogative as the DM to do whatever I want, regardless of RAW.

Edit: Players that feel "railroaded", etc. don't last long in our games. It's a ROLE playing game, not a RULE playing game. Most of the folks I game with have little patience for rules lawyers.

 

[stevo the yak]

I would require a grapple and a pin, which would allow a coupe de grace. I use my own houserules that are more compatible with that type of situation but RAW just can't handle that.