How to capture a bad guy (need help!)

[Wrain]

While we were trying to uncover the plan of the a new cult of the Elemental Evil we got in a pretty bad situation that almost cost the life of my cleric of Tyr. After a fight, we got ambushed by a group of 20 or so people (badly armed) plus a mage (let's call him the boss) and we decided to flee.

We manage to escape and now we are tinkering a plan to capture the boss of this particular group. Since we know where he sleep we were thinking to ambush him during the night.

We are all new to d&d we don't have any clue how to approach correctly the situation. The party is composed by 3 people: a cleric, a warblade and a rogue (all level 5).

Any suggestion?

[SirNMN]

Do any of you have ranks in use rope?

If so just beat them senseless with nonlethal attacks then tie them up with the other to using the aid another action. you take 10 + ranks + dex + 1 from each of you allies and they need to beat your roll by ten make sure you gag them since they might have still spells or silent spells, but it is unlikely then have both. There are anti magic chains in the Book of Exaulted Deeds, but they cost a lot so unless you are planing to make this a normal thing were you capture the boss not worth the investment

[Gildedragon]

The cleric could use stone shape to gag/bind the prisioner.

[Goaty14]

Do any of you have ranks in use rope?

If so just beat them senseless with nonlethal attacks then tie them up with the other to using the aid another action.

This. Except the DC to escape or whatever is 20 + 4 + DEX + Ranks, since you should take 20, and your buddies aiding the rogue should take 10 (aid another is +2 each).

[Wrain]

Is there a spell to magically tie a person ? Using silence should be pretty good against the mage or I'm missing something obvious (other then silencing myself too)?

[Albions_Angel]

You are going to want to use silence anyway. And have sleep and colour spray on hand (if you are all level 5, chances are the mooks are below level 5, and therefore probably below 5HD). But all this assumes you have someone else casting spells on your team. Animate rope can tie people up, but just knock them out and manually tie them up. If the mage ends up spotting you when you are halfway across the floor, the plan is over anyway. Time for glitterdust and darkness, see if you can salvage, but bug out.

As people have said, shape stone is a good "stuff you, try casting with both hands sunk into the wall" spell.

Of course, if you have a level 5 rogue, then things get interesting. Level 5 is about the time that a players character will start to seriously outstrip npcs. Chances are, those mooks, that mage, they wont have good spot or listen. Chances are, a level 5 party rogue has very good hide and move silently. Load him up with some buffs, watch from the entrance, let him sleep in, drug the mage, or leave a message, and sneak out again.

Ropes, shackles, manacles, bags of holding, even prison wagons exist in the game. Capturing this guy, transporting him, it should be a cake walk.