PCs Captured?

[Aholibamah]

My pcs are likely to be captured at the start of the next session--they simply haven't been cautious enough. I'm going to let the game speak for itself, with the villains simply having the upper hand. (if the pcs are extremely clever or roll amazingly then I'm not going to force the issue) However I'm wondering if other gms have had this kind of thing happen and how they resolved it--I'm thinking of enslavement and interrogation frankly if they do get captured.

 

[Oly]

Packing them off in chains as slaves works well, it also gives them a good reason to seek revenge on the people that did it to them. Nailing them to a tree it also a tried and tested Conan style solution to the problem.

Or if you'd like to be a bit softer have them fight until they "die" and let them use their fate points to save them. They can wake up later when the "victorious" bad guys have looted their corpses of everything of value.

 

[Spectator]

Aye Shipwrecks and capture!
What a lovely GM you are, no just kidding, itis a great way to start from scratch. This is when the scholar with the telekinesis spell to lift the gate keys from the jailer's table comes into handy!
Now everybody in the party loves the scholar!

 

[Halfbat]

I'd let it happen.

In one of our games the PCs had to jump off a cliff into a gorge to escape a _horde_ of ravening Picts. Several failed their rolls and went unconscious as they hit the water, but "Fate" intervened and it just happened that a few logs from a dam upriver came by and they ended up precariously draped over the logs. They were washed up on a beach, at which point the only character still conscious was unable to stop them being captured by slavers and taken to the block.

The slave pens and hte block proved to be an interesting diversion, a barbarian PC giving loads of trouble and, even yoked, managed to knock the salesman off the sales-dais (at which point the salesman, through a bleeding nose and clutching his head just shouted to the crowd something along the lines of "See how strong he is! Such a magnificent brute! Surely he is much more desirable! What am I bid?"...).

The PCs were sold to a ship as slave-crew and rowers. This ended up as an excellent bridge to another adventure.

 

[kintire]

PCs being captured has a long and glorious tradition in the source material. Just look at Scarlet Citadel or A Witch Shall Be Born or Shadows in Zamboula. Conan lends itself to this kind of twist much more than d20 because equipment is much less important.

 

[Aholibamah]

I'd let it happen.

In one of our games the PCs had to jump off a cliff into a gorge to escape a _horde_ of ravening Picts. Several failed their rolls and went unconscious as they hit the water, but "Fate" intervened and it just happened that a few logs from a dam upriver came by and they ended up precariously draped over the logs. They were washed up on a beach, at which point the only character still conscious was unable to stop them being captured by slavers and taken to the block.

The slave pens and hte block proved to be an interesting diversion, a barbarian PC giving loads of trouble and, even yoked, managed to knock the salesman off the sales-dais (at which point the salesman, through a bleeding nose and clutching his head just shouted to the crowd something along the lines of "See how strong he is! Such a magnificent brute! Surely he is much more desirable! What am I bid?"...).

The PCs were sold to a ship as slave-crew and rowers. This ended up as an excellent bridge to another adventure.

Haha, very quick on his feet, that slave dealer! Good example in general too, thanks.

PCs being captured has a long and glorious tradition in the source material. Just look at Scarlet Citadel or A Witch Shall Be Born or Shadows in Zamboula. Conan lends itself to this kind of twist much more than d20 because equipment is much less important.

I thought only Zabibi was captured in "Shadows in Zamboula"?

BTW I ran my adventure tonight--two of them are now part of a slaver caravan. One has been badly beaten while another is chained in a coffle. The other is trying to call in favours to get some help. (who evaded capture)

 

[kintire]

I thought only Zabibi was captured in "Shadows in Zamboula"?

Yes, but she's a major protagonist. I think she qualifies as "PC".