How do you handle monsters surrendering in your games? I catch myself doing this in a variety of systems: when it gets to the point that the last one or two goblins or henchfolk or whatever are clearly going to get slaughtered, I’ll have them lay down their arms.
Now, I’m torn on this, because on the one hand I’m following “give every monster life,” but on the other hand it also feels like I’m either giving the PCs a burden or making them feel like total dicks if they don’t take the surrender, which doesn’t feel like being a fan. When I do it, I try and have the surrendering party offer some kind of boon, usually information, but I’m unconvinced this is adequate.
What about you, how do you approach this problem?
sub, because I got nothin’ and want to know what others may have.
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In lieu of running away? Because my first move would be to make them flee instead of surrender, unless they were members of the prevailing society to which the character belong. I usually only have foes surrender because the characters demand it, which lets me be a fan at the same time as it leaves any ensuing burden in the PCs’ hands.
I usually have a surrendering monster offer something immediately useful to the party, especially information, and then ask if they can flee for the hills.
Pull the heartstrings. The surrender is from a kobold and its litter of half-starved pups, the smallest clutching a ragged doll of a human.
Macho goblins don’t surrender.
Oney Clavijo Sure it isn’t half starved kobold pups, smallest clutching a ragged small human…?
Storn Cook My kobold puppies are born with spears and hunger makes them more resolute towards macho-ness and no-surrender-ness.
Heartless adventurers could take -1 forward for the next time they are at the mercy of an opponent, or on the losing side of a bad deal.
If your adventurers feel like they HAVE to kill the monsters, it MIGHT be because they’re afraid of them coming back to screw them over, which GMs will often do. Let your players know you’re not out to unrealistically punish them for every act of mercy.