Scripted Events

[TheCrowing1432]

How do you guys feel about scripted events in DND? If you dont know what that means, Ill give you an example.


Im currently writing an adventure for my group, this adventure involves a bandit leader who, depending on the parties actions can be part of a questline and can be a huge asset in the main story.


Course, hes surrounded by blood thirsty bandits, and the PC's are just as likely to waste him. So, in anticipation of this, when he receives the deathblow, I was just going to put him at 0 and have him collapse on his knees in surrender, too injured to continue fighting.

Now if the party still decides to execute him, the quest will continue and the PC's will find out about him post mortem through in world context clues, journal entries and such.

Do you think my scripted event of automatically putting him at 0 regardless of damage dealt is too gimmicky? Immersion breaking?

[Yahzi]

I was just going to put him at 0 and have him collapse on his knees in surrender, too injured to continue fighting.
This is the best possible form of scripting, as it doesn't change or force the PC's choices, just gives them more.

That said, it's still too much. Your players will then assume that anyone that can be negotiated with is safe to attack. Foreverafter they will shoot first and ask questions later, because you've shown them that they don't have to be discriminating in their targets.

Can't you have him surrender when it's obvious he's going to lose, but before you have to fudge the dice?

[fishyfishyfishy]

This is the best possible form of scripting, as it doesn't change or force the PC's choices, just gives them more.

That said, it's still too much. Your players will then assume that anyone that can be negotiated with is safe to attack. Foreverafter they will shoot first and ask questions later, because you've shown them that they don't have to be discriminating in their targets.

Can't you have him surrender when it's obvious he's going to lose, but before you have to fudge the dice?

This. Have the villain surrender when they're low on health or the fight obviously starts to turn against them.

[Troacctid]

Considering that your players don't actually know how much HP he has or what sort of magical contingencies he might have up his sleeve, I think your plan is entirely reasonable. It's not like they'll ever know the difference.

[Edenbeast]

Do you think my scripted event of automatically putting him at 0 regardless of damage dealt is too gimmicky? Immersion breaking?

I don't think it is. However, if you don't like the idea of "cheating," then this is what I would do: set a minimum amount of HP. As soon as the damage received passes this threshold, have him surrender. Then the players won't feel like you cheated with hitpoints, and to be honest you offer them a realistic NPC: not one that fights to the death like a robot, but one that shows character and cowers when the situation looks dire.

[Uncle Pine]

This is the best possible form of scripting, as it doesn't change or force the PC's choices, just gives them more.

That said, it's still too much. Your players will then assume that anyone that can be negotiated with is safe to attack. Foreverafter they will shoot first and ask questions later, because you've shown them that they don't have to be discriminating in their targets.

Can't you have him surrender when it's obvious he's going to lose, but before you have to fudge the dice?

I usually employ this method, but that's simply because I like to play by the book. There's no particular reason to not do that unless your players know that their enemy who "collapsed on his knees" couldn't possibly survive the attack. Just don't do that too often, or it'll become boring.

[Grod_The_Giant]

There's no particular reason to not do that unless your players know that their enemy who "collapsed on his knees" couldn't possibly survive the attack. Just don't do that too often, or it'll become boring.
+1 to this.

[TheCrowing1432]

I wasnt planning on making this a regular thing, just for this one particular npc.

As far as the health threshold, im mainly worried about crits. I mean, it is possible to hit someone from full to dead with a well placed crit or some other action, especially since this is low level (1-3)