Slave/Prisoner/NPC Containment

[Gwazi Magnum]

Basically, say you are holding someone against their will.

May they be a prisoner, a slave, a hostage etc.

If a Slave maybe you want to make use of them (force them to cast spells, be cheap labour, if in a more dark/mature campaign they could be a sex slave etc.)

What I'm wondering are what are good/effective ways to properly control/contain certain creatures as pets, prisoners, slaves etc?

To list some examples...

1. Fairy/Pixie
2. Nymph
3. Dragon
4. Demon
5. Hydra
6. Giant

There are far more examples from Monster Manuals and such I can imagine people would want to own, in slave and control (as an evil character). But what would be the main ways to control and manage slaves? Making them unable to break free or turn against you if you chose to use them to aid you in combat or something?

[EugeneVoid]

Cast Mind Rape

[Kelb_Panthera]

Basically, say you are holding someone against their will.

May they be a prisoner, a slave, a hostage etc.

If a Slave maybe you want to make use of them (force them to cast spells, be cheap labour, if in a more dark/mature campaign they could be a sex slave etc.)

What I'm wondering are what are good/effective ways to properly control/contain certain creatures as pets, prisoners, slaves etc?

First thing's first, you have to consider cost/benefit of actually keeping the creature you're after. If keeping the creature is going to cost more than selling it is going to bring in, don't bother. To this end, it's generally not worth the trouble to keep much of anything with significant magical ability if you plan on selling it. The cost/benefit ratio is either much too low or outright backwards.

That out of the way, let's see.


1. Fairy/PixieFairy's not a thing so I'll do pixie. Small creature capable of turning invisible at will, once per day dispel, detect thoughts, and lesser confusion.

A normal steel cage can keep them from getting away but the invisibility is annoying and capable of deceiving less intelligent guards so you'll need to keep it in a chamber of seeing, a 7500gp cost. They might dispel it but that only lasts a couple rounds so it shouldn't be too problematic. Confusion's range means you need to keep guards at least 45 feet away from the pixie to prevent them from flipping out and it might not be a bad idea to keep something mindless around for clearing waste and bringing in food. Not a terrible cost but the useability of the creature as anything but a curiosity is pretty low.



2. NymphBlinding to look at, spells as a level 7 druid, excellent saves and AC. IMO, simply not worth the effort to capture. It will take a ridiculous amount of effort to contain and, again, not useful beyond a curiosity. 66k gold pieces to inscribe the chamber it's kept in with an sigils of anti-magic and it'll make your day hell if you ever take her out of the warded chamber.



3. DragonAs long as it's young enough that it can't cast spells you just need a cage strong enough and to keep the area its breath can reach clear of anything you don't want destroyed. Relatively cheap and useful for labor as long as you can keep it from flying away



4. DemonNot enough data. Different demons are different and will required different considerations. Again, only useful as a curiosity and it will rend you to shreds at the first opportunity regardless of which type of demon it is.



5. HydraBig dumb brute, perfect for labor if you can harness it without getting eaten. Simple well made cage and chains are enough for containment unless you're looking at pyro- or cryo-, then you need something a little sturdier to stand up to the breath attacks and you'll need to keep it away from anything vulnerable to fire/cold.



6. GiantSame as a human but bigger except for storm giants. Treat accordingly. Storm giants will attempt to fry you with lightning bolts but are otherwise no different than their kin.


There are far more examples from Monster Manuals and such I can imagine people would want to own, in slave and control (as an evil character). But what would be the main ways to control and manage slaves? Making them unable to break free or turn against you if you chose to use them to aid you in combat or something?

Like I said, if you're going for lucrative slave trading just stick to the dumb brutes that can be managed with mundane equipment. The magical creatures are going to be more trouble than they're worth.

[Eldest]

A tub of quintessence will do wonders for your purposes if you just want to transport. Alternately, I think there is a some sort of collar that dominates (the spell) people that wear it in BoVD? Can't recall the name, only that it's one of the methods used by people that want to make sure their frenzied berserker doesn't cause a TPK.

[hymer]

@ Kelb: Impressive analysis! I think that the traditional place to keep a pixie is in a lamp. A hooded one lets you block line of sight and prevent confusion attacks for a while, but you absolutely need the mindless thing. The hooded lantern doesn't really need anti-magic, just (have your mindless minion) rattle the thing if it looks like nobody's in there. If you hear a small body tumbling around, the pixie's still in his cage. He should learn soon enough not to go invisible when you have visitors come to gawk.

[cakellene]

Whatever those anti-magic shackle thingies are called.

[Brookshw]

A tub of quintessence will do wonders for your purposes if you just want to transport. Alternately, I think there is a some sort of collar that dominates (the spell) people that wear it in BoVD? Can't recall the name, only that it's one of the methods used by people that want to make sure their frenzied berserker doesn't cause a TPK.

That rings a bell, are you thinking of the armor of the dread emperor (iirc) perhaps?

[Greenish]

Hydra only has 2 Int, so you could train it using Handle Animal. Properly trained, it shouldn't even need a cage (though one might be advisable anyway).

[Kelb_Panthera]

That rings a bell, are you thinking of the armor of the dread emperor (iirc) perhaps?

Master and slave rings is probably what he's thinking of. Both are on BoVD page 113.

[Greenish]

Whatever those anti-magic shackle thingies are called.They're called Antimagic Shackles, appropriately enough. 132k gp from BoED.

[cakellene]

They're called Antimagic Shackles, appropriately enough. 132k gp from BoED.

Cool, thought it sounded right, but wasn't sure.

[Greenish]

They're on page 116. They only have one problem: apparently adamantine antimagic manacles are easier to escape than normal (non-masterwork) manacles. Even the pixie could do it by taking 20 on Escape Artist.

But, hey, if you never leave the prisoner unguarded for longer than 20 minutes, you're golden!

[SowZ]

Items you only need to invest in one of for your whole dungeone are, in order of importance:
Robe of Powerlessness Wear it once then take it off, you have a permanent -10 to both Strength and Intelligence. Costs 5,500.
Flask of Curses Open it near someone to give them -2 to all rolls forever. 2,100.

For extra special customers, especially ones you are afraid will escape their bonds, Give somebody a ring of clumsiness, (-4 to Dexterity,) and then slide Gloves of Fumbling over them, (another -2,) making the ring impossible to take off. Sovereign Glue the glove to a Tower Shield that doubles as some work tool, (a built in shovel and bucket and such.) Standard uniform is leather. Total cost for this is 4,260. Also, makes sure a heavy load is chained to everyone at all times. With the ACP and Dex penalty, that's already a -11 to escape artist. Not to mention a 100 percent arcane spell failure chance.


So an investment of 7,600 + 4,260 per extra special customer.

[JeminiZero]

A tub of quintessence will do wonders for your purposes if you just want to transport.

If you do not have psionics, an alternative is to just render them comatose. Use Summon Undead to get an Allip, Wis Drain them to 0, and they will remain in that state indefinitely, or until somebody casts Greater Restoration or the like on them.

[Greenish]

Most efficient cheap labour would be mindless undead and constructs. They don't need light, food, rest, they don't fall ill, they don't plot against you, they wouldn't rather be doing something else…

If there's something that requires more initiative (and certainly if you want spells cast), hiring people is usually safer and more efficient.

[Edit]:
If you do not have psionics, an alternative is to just render them comatose. Use Summon Undead to get an Allip, Wis Drain them to 0, and they will remain in that state indefinitely, or until somebody casts Greater Restoration or the like on them.Ring of Sustenance so you don't have to manually feed them. (Even if you can't technically die from thirst or starvation, you can't restore them to consciousness before healing the non-lethal damage, which you can't do before feeding them.)

[Gwazi Magnum]

First thing's first, you have to consider cost/benefit of actually keeping the creature you're after. If keeping the creature is going to cost more than selling it is going to bring in, don't bother. To this end, it's generally not worth the trouble to keep much of anything with significant magical ability if you plan on selling it. The cost/benefit ratio is either much too low or outright backwards.

Some of them are meant for trophy/bragging rights, I realize a number of them can be more of a cost than an aid.

But thanks for all the ideas :)


Hydra only has 2 Int, so you could train it using Handle Animal. Properly trained, it shouldn't even need a cage (though one might be advisable anyway).

I never thought of that... Clever... :smallbiggrin:


Master and slave rings is probably what he's thinking of. Both are on BoVD page 113.

Thanks, I'll give it a look :)


They're called Antimagic Shackles, appropriately enough. 132k gp from BoED.

These too :)


They're on page 116. They only have one problem: apparently adamantine antimagic manacles are easier to escape than normal (non-masterwork) manacles. Even the pixie could do it by taking 20 on Escape Artist.

But, hey, if you never leave the prisoner unguarded for longer than 20 minutes, you're golden!

That... sounds too risky :/


Items you only need to invest in one of for your whole dungeone are, in order of importance:
Robe of Powerlessness Wear it once then take it off, you have a permanent -10 to both Strength and Intelligence. Costs 5,500.
Flask of Curses Open it near someone to give them -2 to all rolls forever. 2,100.

For extra special customers, especially ones you are afraid will escape their bonds, Give somebody a ring of clumsiness, (-4 to Dexterity,) and then slide Gloves of Fumbling over them, (another -2,) making the ring impossible to take off. Sovereign Glue the glove to a Tower Shield that doubles as some work tool, (a built in shovel and bucket and such.) Standard uniform is leather. Total cost for this is 4,260. Also, makes sure a heavy load is chained to everyone at all times. With the ACP and Dex penalty, that's already a -11 to escape artist. Not to mention a 100 percent arcane spell failure chance.


So an investment of 7,600 + 4,260 per extra special customer.

So basically every slave has a Tower Shield? Interesting.
Though this wouldn't work with divine magic at all, or anyone who could apply the meta-magic feat "Still Spell"


Most efficient cheap labour would be mindless undead and constructs. They don't need light, food, rest, they don't fall ill, they don't plot against you, they wouldn't rather be doing something else…

If there's something that requires more initiative (and certainly if you want spells cast), hiring people is usually safer and more efficient.

[Edit]: Ring of Sustenance so you don't have to manually feed them. (Even if you can't technically die from thirst or starvation, you can't restore them to consciousness before healing the non-lethal damage, which you can't do before feeding them.)

Very True. I'm mostly just asking for the sake of the big catches and trophies. The majority of the slaves would be typical commoner or those like undead and constructs.