Topic: How do you run role-playing encounters?

[Druss_the_Legend]

How do you run role-playing encounters?

Example. party of PCs is accused of being wanted criminals by city guard.
As GM do you give them a chance to talk their way out of it.
their story seems plausible but they are not that convincing - probably due to the fact they are dressed like assassins and are caught in room associating with other known criminals. (they claim they are there on behalf of someone else - the captain of the guard... this is true but proving it without him present is hard)

1.Do you let them talk, ask them for a few skill checks and then see what happens?
2. Do you use dice at all?
3. Do you use dice with modifiers for outlook of NPC's they are talking to and any Presence mod the PC has?
4. What are your rules for running roleplaying encounters like this?

[RandalThor]

I would give them the opportunity, but the difficulty would be appropriately hard (at the very least, Very Hard if not Extremely Hard. I would also state that failure, particularly a really bad one, could make things even worse.

I could also see allowing no roll, the situation you describe makes it highly probable that the guards would not believe anything the group says, and assume any "wrong move" will result in an immediate attack by the guards.

[Druss_the_Legend]

I would give them the opportunity, but the difficulty would be appropriately hard (at the very least, Very Hard if not Extremely Hard. I would also state that failure, particularly a really bad one, could make things even worse.

I could also see allowing no roll, the situation you describe makes it highly probable that the guards would not believe anything the group says, and assume any "wrong move" will result in an immediate attack by the guards.

good advice. this is one of those cases where the dice would likely be overruled by the situation. just use common sense. if the players come up with something Really good then give the a sml chance to succeed otherwise just ignore what they say due to the outlook/demeanour of the NPCs.

[MisterK]

What are the stakes ? Not for the PCs (who are in deep), but for the guards ?
On one hand, they might have arrested criminals who try to con their way out of trouble. Are those people well-known ? Do they have connections ? Can they make life difficult for the guards if this is a "misunderstanding" ?
On the other hand, what happens if the guards believe them and let them go ? What is the risk for the city ? What is the risk for the guards themselves ? Can they be fired ? Can they be accused of conspiring with criminals and be arrested themselves ?
Weigh the risks and the advantages. The guards will go the more reasonable way unless they have a good reason to go the other. This might be that the PCs remind the guards they *do* have connections. This might be that the PCs sweeten the deal - a not-so-little bribe might go a long way. If their story is convincing enough, or if there is "reasonable doubt", then let them roll to see if they can convince enough guards to make a difference.
Otherwise, the guards will go the safest way. Arresting someone is not a big deal when there is no public pressure to make it an abuse of power. Most citizens would applaud that "criminals" have been arrested. If they are innocent, they have nothing to fear from the judges, right ? (right).

[Druss_the_Legend]

What are the stakes ? Not for the PCs (who are in deep), but for the guards ?
On one hand, they might have arrested criminals who try to con their way out of trouble. Are those people well-known ? Do they have connections ? Can they make life difficult for the guards if this is a "misunderstanding" ?
On the other hand, what happens if the guards believe them and let them go ? What is the risk for the city ? What is the risk for the guards themselves ? Can they be fired ? Can they be accused of conspiring with criminals and be arrested themselves ?
Weigh the risks and the advantages. The guards will go the more reasonable way unless they have a good reason to go the other. This might be that the PCs remind the guards they *do* have connections. This might be that the PCs sweeten the deal - a not-so-little bribe might go a long way. If their story is convincing enough, or if there is "reasonable doubt", then let them roll to see if they can convince enough guards to make a difference.
Otherwise, the guards will go the safest way. Arresting someone is not a big deal when there is no public pressure to make it an abuse of power. Most citizens would applaud that "criminals" have been arrested. If they are innocent, they have nothing to fear from the judges, right ? (right).

What are the stakes ? Not for the PCs (who are in deep), but for the guards ?
>>> pretty high, their capt is in the room badly wounded along with a dead crime-lord and wounded body guard. so doest look good for party tbh.

>>>On one hand, they might have arrested criminals who try to con their way out of trouble. Are those people well-known ?
two of the party are wanted criminals

>>>Do they have connections ?
***yes but not high up enough to make a difference.

>>>Can they make life difficult for the guards if this is a "misunderstanding" ?
***not really. the guards are elite palace guards (new recruits). their primary job is to stamp out crime in the city. using force or questionable methods is their calling card.

>>>On the other hand, what happens if the guards believe them and let them go ? What is the risk for the city ? What is the risk for the guards themselves ? Can they be fired ? Can they be accused of conspiring with criminals and be arrested themselves ?
***the guards are incorruptible. the risk to the city is high if they are spies or working for any number of criminal organisations that are known to them. the guards cant be fired but their boss (the capt of the guard) will be unhappy with them if they let them go without proof of who they are.

>>>Weigh the risks and the advantages. The guards will go the more reasonable way unless they have a good reason to go the other. This might be that the PCs remind the guards they *do* have connections. This might be that the PCs sweeten the deal - a not-so-little bribe might go a long way. If their story is convincing enough, or if there is "reasonable doubt", then let them roll to see if they can convince enough guards to make a difference.
***there is reasonable doubt but the guards are in a hurry so might let them go on the condition they report for questioning the next day to prove their identity/story. failure to do so will result in a warrant for their arrest.

>>>Otherwise, the guards will go the safest way. Arresting someone is not a big deal when there is no public pressure to make it an abuse of power. Most citizens would applaud that "criminals" have been arrested. If they are innocent, they have nothing to fear from the judges, right ? (right).
***they could arrest them on the spot and escort them to the nearest guard tower/checkpoint but they are probably more concerned with getting their wounded boss back to the barracks. The party are wanting to avoid any entanglement so will likely go along with being let off on condition they report for questioning. The guards will want to take a close look at each of them before letting them go. they might even confiscate something they have and ask them to collect it when they report for questioning?
might take their weapons?

[pastaav]

How do you run role-playing encounters?

The difficulty of the skill check depends on how convincing the excuse the player presented...of course modified by the gear of the group, the location etc. 

The only exception would be if the players fail to come up with any excuse. As a general ruling, this would be an auto-fail but sometimes the mood of the table is more can-I-please-use-skill-check-so-we-can-continue-with-the-fun-stuff. In such cases, I might let them do the skill check with low difficulty.

[jdale]

If the players say all the right things for the personality and objectives of the NPC, I might dispense with the roll. If they say all the wrong things, they would get a roll with a penalty, and if successful they will learn something about what they are doing wrong in time to try something else -- but just a good roll by itself might not carry the day. For cases where what they say is not all correct or wrong (i.e. most of the time), then a roll might decide the outcome, or a couple rolls.

[Spectre771]

I let the players give me their story/excuse first.  If it's plausible and "true", I let them roll Diplomacy and I'll give it a moderate-ish difficulty.  If it's complete BS and they want to lie their way through it, they have to roll Acting vs. Lie Perception.  I lie to see what excuses the players come up with and I base the difficulty on the plausibility.  The PCs have the skills and ultimately, the PC is in that situation, not "John who works with me at the shop and comes over every other weekend." 

Besides... John is not a very good liar, but Killadon the Darkblade has 25 ranks in Acting and plans on lying his way through life.

[intothatdarkness]

I let the players give me their story/excuse first.  If it's plausible and "true", I let them roll Diplomacy and I'll give it a moderate-ish difficulty.  If it's complete BS and they want to lie their way through it, they have to roll Acting vs. Lie Perception.  I lie to see what excuses the players come up with and I base the difficulty on the plausibility.  The PCs have the skills and ultimately, the PC is in that situation, not "John who works with me at the shop and comes over every other weekend." 

Besides... John is not a very good liar, but Killadon the Darkblade has 25 ranks in Acting and plans on lying his way through life.

I do pretty much the same thing. The players need to frame whatever cover story/excuse they're going to use, but in many cases you do need rolls because there's a disconnect between what the players can do and what their characters can do. I had a player once who was a brilliant storyteller, but their character was essentially Lurch (big, slow, big....you get the picture), so the story as told by the player wouldn't really work coming from the character. But the story was the basis for the DF of the roll. Language also can factor in, too (my setting doesn't have common). A good story doesn't work as well when the character's language skill is about up to the "where's the outhouse?" level.

If it's low stakes, winging it works quite well, though.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

I'd go with what the law of the location says. Regardless of what the PCs say, I'd rule that the guards are more concerned about the law that their words, except if, of course, they have reasons (for instance, being high nobility) to make the guards think they are above the law... and even then.
In a medieval setting, it'd probably all end being social status. If a PC is nobility or, better, high nobility, they may have the benefit of the doubt and given the chance to meet another nobility who would decide. Otherwise... I doubt any guard would take any risk, so the guards would merely do what the law says they should, which is most certainly to arrest everyone and throw them into jail, having someone of a higher status decide what to do with them.

Honestly, in a fantasy thus medieval setting, most people, being commoners don't have rights. Nobility has, clergy has, citizens (of the city) have, merchants may have. Adventurers? No rights, so I doubt the guards would give a damn about what they say and take the risk of letting wanted criminals go away...

In other words, "Keep your explanations for the judge, in jail you go."

[Druss_the_Legend]

I'd go with what the law of the location says. Regardless of what the PCs say, I'd rule that the guards are more concerned about the law that their words, except if, of course, they have reasons (for instance, being high nobility) to make the guards think they are above the law... and even then.
In a medieval setting, it'd probably all end being social status. If a PC is nobility or, better, high nobility, they may have the benefit of the doubt and given the chance to meet another nobility who would decide. Otherwise... I doubt any guard would take any risk, so the guards would merely do what the law says they should, which is most certainly to arrest everyone and throw them into jail, having someone of a higher status decide what to do with them.

Honestly, in a fantasy thus medieval setting, most people, being commoners don't have rights. Nobility has, clergy has, citizens (of the city) have, merchants may have. Adventurers? No rights, so I doubt the guards would give a damn about what they say and take the risk of letting wanted criminals go away...

In other words, "Keep your explanations for the judge, in jail you go."

 love it. thanks for your input.

[RandalThor]

I just thought of an argument the PCs could try that might work: make the guards believe they are trying to arrest the wrong individuals - and that doing so will just be a matter of a few hours inconvenience for the PCs, but possibly a lifetime of inconvenience for the guards...

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

Actually, once again, except if the PCs are at least nobility or high members of the clergy, there's absolutely no reason why that would even inconvenience a bit the guards. After all, except for the above case, the PCs are just nobodies. It's a freaking medieval world: if you don't have anyone to vouch for you, you're a nobody and most guards don't give a doodoo about you or what happens to you if it doesn't impact their city... which, if the PCs may be wanted criminals, won't.
Sure, if they start to arrest or kill people not from the city for no reason, that'd be bad for its reputation, but arrest nobodies that may be wanted criminals? No inconvenience for them, and days of inconvenience for the PCs, al the contrary. Honestly, really, if there's any doubt and the PCs cannot find anyone to vouch for their innocence, I wouldn't be surprised that even the judge would just condemn them to the death penalty, just in case... So, yeah, "a few hours inconvenience for the PCs, but possibly a lifetime of inconvenience for the guards", hardly, mayhap in a modern society but absolutely not in a medieval one. In a modern society, where your appartenance to a country can be proven, if you're wrongly arrested in another country, you can expect your country to take measures to defend you. In medieval times, when the PCs cannot prove anything about their citizenship or whoever is willing to defend them? No one cares if they're wrongly jailed or even put to death.

[RandalThor]

While I tend towards more serious games, sometimes you need a little levity. And, like it was mentioned above, read the table, if the table doesn't seem to be into the whole getting dragged off to jail storyline, I suggest you shift gears.

[Druss_the_Legend]

While I tend towards more serious games, sometimes you need a little levity. And, like it was mentioned above, read the table, if the table doesn't seem to be into the whole getting dragged off to jail storyline, I suggest you shift gears.

good sage advice

im leaning towards they will be arrested but another 'event' will allow them to escape before they reach the dungeon.
will make them wanted criminals and they will be on the run from the guards but no time in jail for now. This will up the intensity of future sessions since their descriptions will be given to the city watch and circulated throughout the city - likely attracting the attention of the off bounty hunter keen to collect a reward for rounding them up.

[Druss_the_Legend]

While I tend towards more serious games, sometimes you need a little levity. And, like it was mentioned above, read the table, if the table doesn't seem to be into the whole getting dragged off to jail storyline, I suggest you shift gears.

good sage advice

im leaning towards they will be arrested but another 'event' will allow them to escape before they reach the dungeon.
will make them wanted criminals and they will be on the run from the guards but no time in jail for now. This will up the intensity of future sessions since their descriptions will be given to the city watch and circulated throughout the city - likely attracting the attention of the off bounty hunter keen to collect a reward for rounding them up.

odd Bounty Hunter...