Interrogations Can Be Tough (But Very Rewarding)

One of the biggest blind spots DMs have, in my experience, is that they forget not every enemy is going to be killed when the PCs roll initiative. The undead will fall to pieces, the constructs will be smashed apart, and the animals may be driven off, but what about the myriad of other foes they might face? Those human toughs sent around to rough up the party, the orc mercenaries hired to cut off caravans to a town, or the cultists trying to stop the PCs from meddling in their plans? Sure, some of them are going to get killed, because that's the nature of fast and furious combat when steel is swinging and spells are flying. But what about the rest? What about the enemies who get knocked out, captured, or who just plain surrender because they aren't willing to die?

Well, that's when it's time to run an interrogation.

Look, we're gonna ax you a couple of questions, and we'd 'preciate it if you was honest with us, okay?

Having been on both ends of the screen for these scenes, there are a few things I'd like to recommend both to DMs, and to players out there to really make these scenes shine.

DMs, Don't Just Stonewall Your Players

This is probably the most frustrating thing you can do as a dungeon master when the party manages to capture an NPC. You don't have to immediately tell the party everything there is to know about this NPCs' life, history, and actions, but give them something. A name, a face, a location, some scrap of evidence the party can use to go forward from this point. Reward them for taking the time to take prisoners, and question them to find out what the hell is going on.

The man you seek wore the threefold mask of the shadow jester. A pity you lived, for your death will be worse, now.

For example, let's take the group of street toughs someone decided to send at the party to rough them up, and discourage them from completing their current task. The code of the streets may very well mean the toughs keep their mouths shut when it comes to giving out information... but what can the party learn from what they do let slip? Does the bard's Linguistics check pick up an accent unique to a particular block in the city, telling the party where they could start looking for these toughs' friends? Does the rogue manage to get the thugs talking about the poison they were using, purposefully misidentifying it so that one of them blurts out it's actually red fang venom, which is the calling card of a particular cult, or order of assassins, giving a hint as to who hired them? If the paladin separates the survivors, talking to them individually, can he diplomacize his way into the lapsed faith of the younger prisoner, getting him to admit what little he knows as long as the others aren't watching?

Hell, the party might just provoke an anger response from one of the prisoners, who sneers and tells them, "Just wait till the Man Eater comes looking for you. He'll eat your hearts, and pick his teeth with your finger bones." At that point all it takes is a decent Knowledge (Local) check to know that these toughs are part of the infamous Butcher's Boys gang, and that if the party wants more answers they can work their way up the food chain.

The Man Eater, along with a bunch of other NPCs, can be found in my 100 Random Bandits to Meet supplement, for those who are interested.

The key to remember is that you need to give the PCs clues, and you should make allowances for all the various skill checks the party has. Whether it's the party face trying to open up a dialogue, the tracker putting together observations about the prisoners' weapons, tattoos, and the mud on their boots, or the muscle putting the fear up them by cracking their knuckles and making not so veiled threats, everyone should be able to get in on the action.

Players, Remember, Social Skills Aren't Mind Control

This is something I've said time and time again, but it bears repeating. Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate... these are all useful skills that give us a number we can use to measure how effective your interaction with a character is. This is particularly helpful if your character is far more frightening, persuasive, or just charismatic than you are as a player. At the same time, however, these skills are not on-par with magic. You cannot use the raw force of a social skill to compel someone to do something. You can only change their standing toward you, or persuade them to believe something you're telling them. What they do with that information is up to the DM.

They might kill you, deary, but I will turn you into a newt and feed you to my fox. Now, who sent you?

Also, while we're on this subject, too many players seem to think that torture is also just as good as magic. The problem is (and I so rarely say this so please listen) torture doesn't work in the real world, and there's no reason it should work in a fantasy one, either. Psychology Today touched on this fact, but generally speaking if you choose to try to beat the information out of someone they're just going to tell you whatever they think you want to hear so that you'll stop. And for the DMs reading this, you should absolutely have that kind of action reflect both on the alignment of players (as was suggested in the Inquisitor's Guide for 5th Edition), as well as in the quality of the information they're given.

Now, with that said, what players should do is figure out how they participate in an interrogation scene, and what role they fill in what amounts to a social encounter.

Generally speaking there's going to be the "bad cop" and the "good cop" here somewhere. Perhaps the cleric or the paladin, speaking in reasonable tones and trying to make the prisoner think they are the only thing stopping the barbarian from crushing their skull, or the necromancer from using them for parts. However, instead of leaving the rest of the party as onlookers, get other people involved in the scene as much as you can. Have the rogue watching while they hunker down, acting as the lie detector with their high Sense Motive skill, watching how someone answers as well as what they say. While the interrogation is going on, have the ranger examining the corpses, trying to gain some insight about where the enemies came from, and who they are like a combination of Sherlock Holmes and CSI.

Give everyone a moment in the spotlight, and you'll have more fun, while also getting a more complete picture of what's happening.

Lastly, Mix It Up

As a final note to the DMs out there, mix up these interrogation scenes based on who is being interrogated, what they believe, and what happened before the end of the combat. Because the more organic the prisoners' responses are to what's happening, the more authentic and involving the scene will be.

And for extra points, include aspects of the party's Small Legend to show that the NPCs know who they are, and they've heard the stories about the PCs reputations.

Look, I've heard the tales. Just tell me what you wanna know.

For instance, does your fighter have a reputation as honorable? Do they bear the iconography and endorsement of a particular knightly order? If so, then a prisoner might invoke parley under the established code they're known for, agreeing to talk under terms of protection. Did the barbarian split two men in half with a single swing of their ax with a critical cleave in the last combat? If so, consider having the prisoners view that character with a substantial level of fear, having seen what just happened to those who opposed them. Do wizards or shamans have a particular reputation among the traditions of these prisoners? Or would a captured wizard consider talking to another master of the arcane arts when they wouldn't share their secrets with a common sellsword?

All of these things, combined with the unique history, personality, motivations, and fears of the particular characters who were taken prisoner can lead to unique, interesting scenes that will make an impression on the PCs. And in some cases these prisoners could be used as guides, as future informants, or even as converted allies.

For an example of how this can be used in text, check out my most recent module, Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh!

Good fun all around, this one.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

"Edgy" Games Require Trust

There are some players out there who like simple, cut-and-dry games. They like to be heroes, doing heroic things... or maybe just adventurers doing whatever comes their way that they can make a profit off of. But there are some gamers who like to push the envelope when it comes to subject matter. People who like to descend the dark staircase into the taboo, the wicked, and the macabre.

Those kinds of games aren't for everyone. However, if you expect people to play them with you, then you need to establish some kind of trust with your group. Otherwise you're not going to get anywhere.

Open yourself up to the knife. Trust me.

Maturity Applies To The Players and Storyteller, Too

We're all adults here (or, at least, we like to think that we are), so I'm going to use a metaphor to make a point. Stick with me, this will make sense by the time we get to the other side.

A standard RPG is like having normal, conventional sex. Maybe you were awkward your first time, you weren't really sure what all the bits involved did, but you were having fun and you wanted to keep doing it. Then you figured out how it worked, what you were good at, and what you could bring to the game.

Edgy games, though, are more like a BDSM encounter. They tend to be darker, and seen as more taboo. They cater to a very specific kind of play style, and include elements that you usually won't find in conventional games (psychological trauma, more brutal depictions of violence, sexual themes... you know, 18+ kinds of stuff). The most important way that these more mature, adult games are like BDSM though is that you need to open up to the potential of the story in order for it to actually affect you... and to do that, you have to trust the people you're playing with.

Without trust, this whole thing falls apart.

Take Vampire: The Masquerade, for example. The game has a Humanity tracker, which is actively affected by your actions, and how you struggle to maintain being the person you were while filled with animalistic hungers. The game often deals with the loss of self, with the struggle of the human mind to cope with the idea of infinity, as well as the sheer body horror that comes with having your skin warped, bones restructured, and your form remade by an angry Tzimisce.

That's far from the only example, either. One of the central themes of Werewolf: The Apocalypse is the balance of trying to turn Rage into a weapon against your enemies, and to avoid it splashing onto your friends and loved ones. And if you lose control of that Rage, you might truly turn into a monster; brutalizing those you care about, and in some circumstances feeling compelled to dismember them, eat them, or to sexually assault them (in case you think I'm making that up, it's in the Thrall of the Wyrm section for Metis characters). Changeling: The Lost deals with the question of identity and losing your grip on reality as you witness (and sometimes commit) atrocities, and try to find your place in a world you know is a half-truth at best, and an outright lie at worst.

My point is, there are a lot of games with dark themes, horrible subject matter, and which are meant to dig around in the bleaker parts of the human psyche. That's not a flaw... that's the feature! And even games that aren't expressly meant to touch those darker places can still be made to do so. Drow cities in Dungeons and Dragons, the existence of dark gods like Zon-Kuthon and his cults in Pathfinder... you get the idea.

However, you can think of these games as the collars, the whips, the paddles, and all the other accessories that come with a BDSM-style session. They're the most visible part of the play that's going on, but too often people mistake them for the play itself; as with any good tabletop game, the play is going on inside your mind. In order to have the proper experience, you need to open yourself up to it. Play along, in other words. That means making yourself vulnerable to the experience, because without allowing it to get inside you and affect you, you're missing out on what it's supposed to do. At that point it's just words, dice, numbers, and a whole lot of empty wind.

What's Trust Got To Do With It?

It's a common misconception that if you put a crop into someone's hands that you want them to beat you with it. Sometimes you just want the threat of it looming over you as a potential for punishment. Maybe you want to be teased with it, but not actually hit. Or maybe you want a sharp strike, but just enough to sting, and not enough to do any permanent damage.

Ugh, guy, are we still talking about roleplaying that actually involves dice?

The crop, in this case, is a metaphor. For example, say you're playing a Werewolf game, and to increase the dramatic tension you have a kinfolk partner who's your responsibility (kinfolk, for those not in the know, are normal people related to lines of werewolves, so they aren't affected by their presence the same way other humans are). Maybe the two of you even have children. Now do you, as a player, want your character's family to be at-risk, but not really harmed (a driving threat, but something you can prevent fairly easily), do you want them to be in danger (the potential for something bad to happen to them that will be tough to avoid), or do you want that sensitive spot to be lashed (your spouse is killed or crippled, or your children kidnapped, etc., etc.)?

These are the sorts of questions the person running this game should be asking. Just because someone wants to play a more "mature" game with darker themes, that doesn't necessarily mean they want you to strap them up on St. Jacob's Cross and go whole hog on them. You need to judge what your players want, what they don't want, and you need to discuss areas that are off-limits.

Just because you're all right with implied torture and some psychological distress being part of the game, that doesn't mean you're down with literally having your character flayed and made into an amputee when you get captured by a villain. There are degrees of awfulness (or "maturity" as I guess we'll continue to call it), and you can think of it like a hot sauce scale at a wing restaurant. Just because a player wanted something with a little spice, that doesn't mean the next order should be spiked with the Atomic Tongue Melter just because they were enjoying the heat from the Mildly Dark sauce you gave them.

If Players Don't Trust You, They Won't Open Up

If you can't get your players to trust you, they aren't going to engage with the game you're running. For darker themes to work, players have to be participating. Not just present and taking actions, but allowing it to wash over them. It's like a horror movie; if you're only half paying attention, you don't really care, and you take out your cellphone anytime the angry cello starts threatening to eat you, then it's not going to affect you. Even if it's a visceral, horrifying experience to some people, if you're not engaging it's just a mildly upsetting piece of background noise.

"You can feel your bones break as he... Brandon, are you even listening?"

The same thing happens if you handle the mature elements of your game poorly. To go back to our example, if your players hand you a crop, and you immediately start beating them with it without a lead-in, a discussion of what's okay, and what isn't, then it is very likely that all you're going to do is ruin their fun. This is especially true if you just start hammering on red buttons to purposefully try to get a reaction out of a player. If someone tells you not to push something, don't push it. You have other tools to work with as a storyteller.

And if something does go wrong, and you end up introducing an element that upsets a player? You stop the game, apologize to them, and assure them that it's okay. You make sure they know you take their concerns seriously, and that you respect them as a part of your table. What you do not do is shrug your shoulders and say, "Well, that's the rules. Why did you show up to play this game if a little bit of blood/trauma was going to make you cry?"

The storyteller is not the antagonist, and shouldn't make it their goal to upset their players. Because they're not here to be upset. Scared, maybe. Tense, sure. On edge, definitely. But the goal of these games is the same as their more conventional cousins; to tell a story that everyone at the table enjoys. If people at your table are not enjoying your story (or even just the way you're telling that story), then it's on you to fix it.

If your players aren't having fun, they aren't going to stick around and keep playing. And if they don't trust you to handle that crop, they aren't going to make themselves vulnerable to it. As soon as that happens, you can't affect them anymore, and the whole thing just falls apart.

How Do You Get Players To Trust You?

I've had my share of experiences at the head of more mature-themed games, and there are some things I did right, and some things I did wrong. So I'll end this article out with some tips that I'd recommend taking to heart to help prevent unnecessary awkwardness and problems at the table.

- Put Together a Character Creation Document: These things are lifesavers when it comes to getting a complete look at a PC, and you can ask right on the form what your players' no-go topics are, which ones they're lukewarm about, and which ones are absolutely okay. Provide a list of examples (torture, sexual assault, gore, traumatic events, children being killed, etc.) and pay close attention to the results. More about these at 10 Questions To Put On Your Character Creation Document.

- Communicate: Reach out to your players, and talk with them about the content of your game, and their characters. Ask them the sorts of directions they want to go with their backstories, and provide examples. Be pointed (so, your PC's dad is missing; do you want him to come back, do you want him to be dead, do you want him to be a villain... what are you thinking?), but don't just give the game away entirely.

- Give Some Warning: In the groups I've been in, it's considered good form to let the group know, "Hey, the chance of your character dying tonight is a serious one. Gird yourselves, we're getting serious!" The same thing should apply if you're going to unusually dark places. Let your players get into the proper mindset, and make sure they're down for that sort of content that night. Because they might be having an off night, or just one where they aren't ready for that fast ball. It's better to know that before the game starts than to realize it in the middle of your scene.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Inquisitor's Guide, A 5E DND Review

As I've alluded to before, sometimes the folks reading this blog happen to be game designers themselves. And when the stars align, I get a message asking me if I'd like to review their latest releases. I'm always down for checking out new material, and when I'm done giving it a look, I'll tell folks what I think of it.

And, honestly, I didn't expect what I found in The Inquisitor's Guide.

Because honestly, who expects this?

What Is This Supplement For?

As it says on the cover, The Inquisitor's Guide is basically a new paladin oath, a new background, and some detailed options for torturer's implements and skills. The new oath is presented clearly, the background is comparable with what you find in the rest of the game, and the rules for confessions... eh, we'll talk about that part later.

We always talk... eventually.

The rest of the word count is taken up with setting-specific flavor that will either help you a lot, or be less-than-useful for you. It's going to depend entirely on if you're running your game in the Forgotten Realms setting or not. Because if you are, great, this provides you a solid starting point for seeing how inquisitors can be organized, and the gods they tend to serve (it's Tyr, in case you were wondering). If you're running in another world with different gods... well, that part is largely going to be set aside for you. Though it's straightforward enough you could change a few names and cannibalize it if you want.

Honestly, I Expected More

It might have been a miscommunication when the creator was telling me about this project, but I thought it was going to be a lot more in-depth than this. When I saw it wasn't a guide for an entirely new class (as I love Pathfinder's inquisitors, and I was hoping to see some really expanded options for 5E along the same lines), and that it just gave a single option for paladins (rather than, say, one for paladins, one for clerics, one for rogues, and so on and so forth to give you a diversity in inquisitorial choices), I felt like an opportunity had been missed.

However, it is unfair to judge something by what it isn't rather than what it is. And what The Inquisitor's Guide is happens to be a useful, straightforward supplement that isn't going to break the bank, and provides you with a new option, and a little support.

What About That Torture Thing You Mentioned Earlier?

Oh, right. That.

One of the major selling points of this guide for some players and DMs is going to be that it details the use and DCs for torture implements. While the guide does take pains to point out that this kind of enhanced interrogation is an inherently evil act, and that those who serve good gods should be penalized for participating in it, these implements do exist, and they are available for those know know how to use them.

Which is a bit of a mixed message, honestly.

The supplement paints inquisitors as fanatical devotees of their gods, but also goes to some pains to assure the reader that the organizations who boast these members are usually good and just, only going to extremes when truly called upon. Which is sort of at-odds with the whole, "And here's how they torture people to extract information," section. And even apart from how dicey it is to have a non-magical means that accurately forces facts out of people (as torture isn't something that works, which is why on a practical sense it's a bad tactic), giving ostensibly good characters access to an in-the-text evil skill set is a problem.

Personally, I would have given that technique to another class archetype (perhaps an Inquisition rogue who was all about ferreting out lies and interrogation), or pairing it with a cleric who could detect lies at-will as an ability. Or, barring all of that, making the inquisitors more about getting results, and less about methods and goodness, showing them as wide-eyed, bloody-handed warriors that are seen by the faiths of the world as weapons of last resort. The ones given permission to lock the doors of hell from the inside if that's what it takes to keep the demons at bay, so to speak.

Overall, 3 stars. A solid start, and I would really like to see it expanded into some of the options I mentioned. But if it's not, I won't lose any sleep over it.

Interested in Other Stuff?

I've gone through a surprising amount of stuff over the past few years. If you're looking for more fun supplements to add to your table, might I recommend some of the following?

- Want a D10 System That Does More Than Monsters? Try Era!

- Is Pugmire Worth Playing? Short Answer, Yes!

- Just How Adequate is "The Adequate Commoner"?

- Big Stompy Robots: A Fun, Rough-Edged Minis Game For Mech Enthusiasts

And if you've got something you'd like me to review, feel free to reach out! I'm always up for taking a look at new, unique stuff.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed the film, and it provides you all with the same sort of inspiration it did me!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!