A way out of some no-win scenarios...

[Zarm R'keeg]

Hey there, ladies and gents- I wanted to pick the brains of experienced GMs on a scenario where my charaacters may well have 'written themselves into a corner,' to see if anyone else may have any ideas on resolving things that I don't...

Here's the setup: the characters had a bounty placed on their heads (Domain of Evil tied into this- Ihad them all excited to go look for a missing scouting mission in Hutt space, but it was just Crutag and Co.'s trap). After several close enocunters, they went to sort things out and find out who had the bounty on their heads. They turned a bounty hunter ambush (at the 'ol Whistler's Whirlpool tap cafe) into an ambush of their own, clashing with a large group, and elected to take a captive whom they could interogate and determine who had put a price on their heads. (I alluded to this on another thread, I think.)

Unfortunately for them, they chose Djas Puhr, who in this portrayal is a psychopathic murderer. Technically he was a licensed bounty hunter on a legitimate job whom they abducted; during the fight, he was never able to take any hostile actions against them, as he was caught in the crossfire and a flying tackle before he could get close enough to anyone to attack- in actions, he is an inocent.

The PCs took him back to their ship, interrogated him (including one agravating his fractured leg to get him to talk), got their information (though glitterstim-incuded telepathy by one of the group members), and then were faced with a dilema about what to do with Puhr. In the end, they mixed up a drug cocktail (the glit user also had some basic Medical skill) and sedated him, and locked him in one of the cells aboard their ship (a former bounty huinter ship stolen from the aforementioned Crutag during Domian of Evil, so it has some prisoner containment facilities).

Fast forward to 12 hours later. The PCs are on Bothawui, the glit user is now dead, the source of the bounty dealt with, and the group's one NPC member critically wounded in a hospital- and now the group has a choice to make. It seems like a no-win scenario- that they've gotten themselves into something that they can't easily get themselves out of. However, I am trying to think of any kind of a creative story 'out' I can give them beyond the consequences that I have envisioned. The dilema is what to do with Puhr. Essentially, they've injured him, abducted him, interogated him, and antagozined him to the point that he WILL hunt them down wherever they go. Now, they might be able to dissapear to their rebellion base and only be at risk when they're in public places for long time, but, the way I see it...

If they let him go on Bothawui, he will go for the hospital and kill their NPC in his convalesence- the start of his vengeance. Then he'll hunt them down.

They cannot kill him without a dark side point- potentially, one for everyone complicit in the murder. He hasn't done anything to them yet, nor has he threatened to, and he is an unarmed prisoner- killing him because they 'know' he will come after them is not justification enough; technically he hasn't done anything wrong. (One PC secretly going off and murdering him and taking the DSP 'hit' may be the easiest solution, in some ways, sparing the whole group the most harm.) I don't think they have the dark character to do so, and even if they did, their newly force-sensitive pilot would be obliged to try and stop them.

They can't imprison him- they don't have the long-term resources, no one else wants to see him locked up that they could turn him into, and the rebelion would not want him brought to one of their secret bases, much less taking the time and expense to imprison him. (This is beyond the fact that, unless they hide him, when they try to lift off, he'll be found by an inspection- as, likely, will the deceased player's glitterstim stash they don't know about and the cash and jewels they extorted from the former bounty-offerer- getting them in kidnapping, theft, and illegal narcotic posession trouble!)

Bypassing the 'sneaking him off Bothawui' issue, they can't drop him off on an uninhabitted planet or deep in the jungle- marooning him to get a head start- with his injured leg, survival odds would be slim, and thus this would also incurr a DSP as they would be more or less leaving him to die after kidnapping him. If they leave him on another planet, he will still start to track them, and likely find the wounded NPC (unless he is removed to a rebel base for care) and kill him in the interim- or perhaps just as they return for him, for dramatic purposes- a race to save him.... anyhow, it probably wouldn't turn out well.

They can't really bribe or negotiate with them that I can think of; he is a cold-blooded killer, and they have made themselves definitive targets of his rage- and there's nothing he really WANTS- certainly nothing that would sate his current rage against them. If they just let him go without taking precautions, he will probably attack them then and there.

I feel that, between the character that was developed, their choice to grab him out of the dozen members of the bounty hunter squad, and their actions, they've worked themselves into a no-win scenario; everything will either result in a DSP or a crazed killer after them (which, knowing that it probably will, they'll be hesitant to consider as options anyway). I'm trying to think of any other option- or narrative convenience- that could give them a 'good' option; otherwise it may feel like I threw them into a no-win trap, which I don't want to do. Any thoughts on this sticky situation? (More sucinctly- a killer in the closet. Kill him, you go dark. Let him go, he kills your friend. Let him go somewhere else, he'll hunt you down. What can you do?)


Likewise, the characters will soon be returning to Trinta, the swamp world of DOE- where Crutag the Hunter was simillarly marooned- with a broken leg, lashed to a tree- when the characters stole his ship and left (unexpectedly). When they land again in the area (a recently force-sensitive character looking for advice from the spirit of Halagad Ventor), Crutag will almost undoubtedly attack- now a wild man with a deformed leg, having been surviving in the harsh environment. He will likewise be rage-filled and on the hunt for blood when he sees who has landed, and likely ready to do anything to get off-planet. The encounter will take place just after the force-sensitive PC is first briefed on the Jedi Code he must now follow- in soem ways, it will be his 'first test.' I'm trying to formulate both different possibilities (attacking and killing Crutag will be a DSP, or any agressive action. Fighting defensively and subduing him without harm will be a minor victory- being able to talk him down or resolve things without fighting a major victory.) My dilema there is simillar to the Puhr scenario- what could actually talk down such a rage and vengeance-filled, angry, ahlf-crazed individual? (An appology for their treatment of Crutag and acknowledgement that he was wronged? An offer to return his ship? That would be likely to be a lie anyhow, so maybe not the most Jedi thing to do...) And then, the question also becomes what the major and minor rewards would be. A starting die in Control even though he hasn't been trained yet? Finding Ventor's old lightsaber? I feel like their ought to be some major or minor reward available that will aid him along his path to Jedi-hood following his first test in this strong Force-nexus (with proportional DSP risk if he handles it badly), but I'm not sure exactly HOW he can resolve the situation in the Jedi way (realistically, as this guy would be hard to reason with in his current state) and what an appropriately proportionate reward would be. Any thoughts on either scenario?
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[Fallon Kell]

If they know Djas will kill your NPC, they could set up an ambush at the hospital. I would use blaster-diffusing gas canisters (available in Gry's sourcebook) if I had the time to get them, to ensure that my friend survived.

If they just know that letting him go will end up bad, and soon, then they could tail him or pay a local Private Investigator to do so. (If only could they find someone on Bothawui with that skill set! )

Essentially, they could kill him red-handed and narrowly avoid a DSP.

As for Crutag, your players are gonna have to figure that one out. Fallon Kell wouldn't go back to that planet for any mystical quest whatsoever, and he left crutag a ship to escape on!
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Or that excessively long "Noooooooooo" was the Whining Side of the Force leaving him. - Dustflier

Complete Starship Construction System

[garhkal]

Only issue i see is how does Djas know they took a wounded comrade to the hospital? Let alone which?
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Kaloth Varsk]

How long will their friend be in the hospital? Perhaps arrange to get the bounty hunter in a hospital (heavily sedated) to recover from his injuries until they have time to leave.

[Raven Redstar]

Does Djas have a rep for being a psychopathic murderer? If so, he may have warrants out for his arrest on some world, the PCs could turn him in for no bounty, but he goes to jail and the PCs get a bit of a head start, unless he manages to escape from custody.

Is this Djas more skilled than your PCs? If the PCs know about his rep for being a murderer, they could always drop him and one other PC (preferably the one with the best blaster skill) off in some secluded area. They drop a gun for Djas and settle it out like men in a quick draw competition. Djas has a sporting chance of escaping after gunning down the player, and it's a fair fight.

The only person that should be getting a DSP for killing this guy would be the force sensitive. You've already described this guy as a killer, so as long as he's not being killed while unarmed and sedated, he should be fine.

Since he was grabbed by accident anyway, the right thing to do is to let him go. Maybe he'll come after you, maybe he won't. But sometimes the right thing is the scary thing, you know? If he comes around and throws down on the players, they can gun him down in a fair fight and their conscience is clean.
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RR
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[Bren]

Some good ideas and questions so far.

In a situation like this is helps to be very specific about what the PCs know about Dejas - and how they know it. If they have used telepathy they may have good reason to know he is a threat. Similarly his reputation may provide a clue.

In addition, what does Dejas know. If he has been drugged and imprisoned he may be unware of a lot of the PC activities. He may think they have been more successful than they actually have been and he may think they are more competent or a bigger threat than they actually are. After all what does he have to go one...well the PCs defeated him so they must be pretty tough/clever/etc. And do the same exercise for Crutag.

Another thing to think about is that if the PCs have already handily defeated Djas and Crutag once it is possible that either Djas or Crutag is as scared as he is angry. It's easy as a GM to get into the trap of playing NPCs as being without fear or with less fear than a PC would have, but that is seldom realistic. And if either one of them has some fear, then rather than immediately trying to kill the PCs (who outnumber a lone hunter) Djas or Crutag may take a longer term approach. This would allow him to become a long term menace rather than an immediate kill or be killed situation. Which delays any confrontation and in effect makes the corner that the PCs are in bigger.

In addition to legal problems that Dejas may have had, he may have other enemies who might be able to help the PCs either for the right price or for reasons of their own. I've got to think that a psychopathic murderer who has been operating for a while must have caused a lot of collateral damage and made some enemies.

[Downstrike]

Add a twist to the psycho. He really loves his mom and gets a message that she is sick. The players give him a lift and emotional support. He sets the clock to zero.

He escapes. Players don't have to make a decision. They just have to be ready for the next dark alley.

Mutual ground. He follows the same team or book series or whatever and becomes a friend to at lest on of the players.


High noon. He issues a challenge to a player. Life for a life.

Heart attack. The bounty hunter is sick and or dies of natural causes.

[Bren]

[garhkal]

[Downstrike]

Always mess with them Lucas style and have him be some long lost relative of a player or maker of a droid in their company?

Maybe the dude owned the characters ship in the past and was only getting involved to get some goods hidden on the ship the players don't know about.

The guy could be working an entirely different contract to get one of the mysterious origin players back to their rightful kingdom on planet X.

Maybe he is a killer to those he doesn’t know and a slaver to those he really hates. Death is a release sort of attitude.

Have him be wired to some buddies who rescue him and he swears vengeance but not for this adventure.

Over the top red herring is that he is not even a bounty hunter but an actor researching a role who happens to look like your bounty hunter. The guy is just sick for method acting. Funny way to drop it on them is a call from his agent.

Have him get tired and spill the beans about a treasure map or some such. Bargain just enough until he gets a blaster and then the fight is on.

If he is really messed up….have him escape, take a limb from a player and get re-caught eating it or doing other less than social things.

Have him start crying. Get all Hitler like in that he just wanted to paint watercolor in some old fishing village blah blah blah. The dumber the better. Maybe it’s a lie or maybe it’s the truth, whatever works best for your story.

Cheers
DS

[Zarm R'keeg]

[Zarm R'keeg]

[Crimson_red]

[Orion]

[Downstrike]

Contagion. The bounty hunter has something like HIV or cancer which is being treated with a cocktail. Unlike HIV or cancer, the disease is airborne without the drugs that keep the bounty hunter working. You start off with some coughing and an obvious fever. It grows into something more horrible. The up side is the players all have it now. Give one a cough and another a mild fever. The bounty hunter goes into a coma before the players find out what he has. The doctors are speechless because it is a wholly uncommon disease.

Third party is involved. You said that the bounty hunter may have his own legal issues. Not all planets have synonymous laws. Add the power of criminal underworld. You could have any number of third parties from planetary government federal marshal types to Mel Gibson in Payback who just wants the money he is owed. Either way, the third party thinks the players are hiding their target. Wasn’t there a bounty hunter that hunted bounty hunters. Also if someone was AWOL from a small planetary defense force that prides itself on itself.

Mutual enemies. The bounty hunter overhears that the players are having a static with some jerk he also hates. An offer is made and the players think they are home free.

Farscape rip-off. Have him run out of the drug that makes him a jerk. He goes through a couple of days of DT’s and then becomes something of a hippy. You still get hints of angry dude but otherwise he’s all “let me sit in the cockpit so I can watch that amazing sunrise dude”

Have a group that can handle uncomfortable? have the bounty hunter take a liking to your most homophobic player. You have to be pretty discrete early on and don’t get graphic but use body language that might make you feel uncomfortable in real life. Try to make and hold eye contact, especially when you are talking to other players. Compliment how strong his hands are while running your hands on their thumb, palm and wrist. Hold the hand for a longer than normal time. Ask about girlfriend or wife and respond appropriately. Want to make it real obvious, play something like ‘its raining men’ in the background.

You said he is a psychopath, make him OCD or savant on top of it. Add a bipolar element. Have him accidentally tell one of the players his future like a fortune teller. Give him back-story depth as a war hero or something that makes him a bit more three dimensional. Saved a kitten in a burning building but spent the hero award on alcohol or a fetishism. Make him the shopping cart full of basket cases. Like crazy times infinity squared. Give them a reason to want to help him do whatever he does besides killing. Maybe he gets all Zen like when working on Dodge Neon’s and the players need to encourage that to avoid his homicidal wrath.