"You die at first light!" -- 101 reasons not to kill captive PCs straight away

[Electric Wizard]

65) Captors' fortress is under attack. They keep the party as prisoners in case they prove useful for ransoming or information.

66) A slaver shows up. He specializes in selling gladiators to faraway patrons, has an eye for talent, and pays well for fresh meat.

67) Captor admires ability or reputation of one of party members, and cannot resist having dinner with him.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

68) the Idi Amin version of 67), namely Captor admires ability or reputation of one of party members, and cannot resist having dinner of him- "A warrior* like you, a warlord like me does not eat at just one meal!"







* wizard, rogue, etc.

 

[Kaodi]

69) A prophecy insists that if you kill the heroes before an appointed time then something bad is going to happen to you anyway.

 

[Sunseeker]

70: An ancient curse upon the heroes means that only a specific person or object can kill the hero(s), or perhaps they can only be killed by each other. That object or person is either not in your possession, or playing the heroes against each other will take some time.

 

[darjr]

71. The bad guys know the future, but only the one that has the PC's in it, alive. They want to keep it that way.