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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Runesong42" data-source="post: 2143578" data-attributes="member: 10578">It's only a gameWell, first of all, way to introduce moral dilemmae into your game.  A lot of players I used to play them with wouldn't even consider taking prisoners, since Zhentarm are evil and they're good and good guys are supposed to kill the bad guys.This reply may seem fragmented, but it's only because I'm addressing everything at once.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> First of all, what "good" alignments did you have?  Second, where is the Spiderhaunt woods located: in "home" (PC's) territory, Zhentarim territory, or 'neutral' ground?  Third, just how 'moral' do you expect your players to be?IMO, as a DM:Lawful Good: The LG guy negotiated a peaceful surrender with the opposition, and treated them fairly.  If the bad guys could not be brought to justice to answer for their crimes of war, they would have to be released.  If releasing the prisoners would result in a threat to the party, they would have to be rendered ineffective, even if it means killing them.  The LG guy left that task to the Neutral guy, disgruntled that there was no other option but repulsed by the action nonetheless.  BUT... did these Zhentarim actually commit slavery, or did they just serve an army that condones slavery?  Without such things as Know Alignment, they LG guy can't know for sure...Chaotic Good: The CG guy wouldn't care if they were taken prisoner or not.  As members of a known evil organization, the CG guy would gladly use, abuse, and execute them so long as he got what he needed.  They're evil, after all, and "what's wrong with street justice?"  No sense letting them live.  Releasing them into the wild with a sword and flask seems fair enough, and somehow fitting.  "Let the monsters kill one another, God willing."Neutral Good: The NG guy is ambivalent.  As far as he's concerned, his "mission" is to protect the party and defeat the Zhentarim's evil regime.  Knowing that the Zhentarim soldiers would be a threat to the party left alive, the party's decision to execute the soldiers seemed a viable option.  Releasing the third soldier to his fate in the woods seems fair as well.  What if the Zhent soldier knew of a stronghold he could retreat to, inform his commander of the PC threat, and return with a greater force?  More's the better - let the soldiers come to him so he may dispatch them one at a time. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />If I were in a similar situation, I would have let the guy go and had him followed to see if he could lead me back to a base camp.  Who knows?  Perhaps if I saved his life enough times, he would quit the Zhen army and join us - especially if the soldier isn't evil.  If I DM'd and the PC's tried a similar tactic, I probably would have fudged the guy's alignment to good or at least LN and allowed the PC's attempt to convert him.As for your reaction, yes, I do believe it was a little much.  It is only a game, after all.  We enjoy games because we can do actions in game that we would not have the opportunity to do or even consider doing in reality.  It seems pointless to argue with the players' actions and punish them, unless they were all Paladins of the U.S.A. *LOL*  War is war, and even the nicest, most moral soldier kills because he must.  If the players are guilty that their military mindset sinks into their role-playing, so be it.  Let 'em be soldiers.  If they actually have a commanding officer, and they reported the event (like Good guys would), it'd be up to the CO to mete out punishment.Just my take on the situation.  Sorry if I offended.- Dru</blockquote>

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