[DF] PCs in town with thieves stealing their loot

[chandley]

Originally Posted by martinl

I generally don't. When I'm playing DF I don't want to pay any more attention to town than I need to.

[...]

But generally, I avoid town plots. Taxmen, plague, war, politics, thieves and all that jazz shouldn't interfere with the players' plans to find a hole full of fantastic and/or magical beings, murder them, and take their stuff.

Im with martinl here, it has been my experience that if you inflict the above on your players, they inflict themselves on the above. Taking their stuff is what monsters do, and PC's have a ready response to monsters. Especially in DF, where social weapons where _specifically excluded as choices_. The characters all have hammers, but no saws or wrenches. Lots of stuff is going to get pounded like a nail in that situation.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by chandley

Im with martinl here, it has been my experience that if you inflict the above on your players, they inflict themselves on the above. Taking their stuff is what monsters do, and PC's have a ready response to monsters. Especially in DF, where social weapons where _specifically excluded as choices_. The characters all have hammers, but no saws or wrenches. Lots of stuff is going to get pounded like a nail in that situation.

This is quite true. As "[DF]" is in the subject line, we have cause to be literal-minded and limit discussion to the contents of supplements with GURPS Dungeon Fantasy on the front. In the series to date, the Town Watch and King's Men just win against the PCs; the Merchants', Thieves', and Wizards' Guilds come out on top of any dispute; and shadowy NPC forces have a complete monopoly on power-item recharges, potions, scrolls, etc. Until GURPS Dungeon Fantasy ??: Town Adventures is written and released, the PCs have a right not to be hassled in town, because there are no rules for avoiding the hassle or seeking recourse against it, and few templates that offer any social abilities at all.

—

The GM keeps PCs from getting too rich by not giving out too much loot in the first place. If he misjudges, that's his problem – making the game less fun for the players, who doubtless feel that they've done well and deserve the reward, is no solution. This is doubly true if the GM plans to have the loot vanish into the night, never to be seen again, and have attempts to track it down result in facing off against an entire Thieves' Guild or even the legitimate authorities. The time-honored way to remove loot from delvers is to give them something to spend it on: accommodations (if only $150/week at the inn), better gear, consumables (arrows, potions, power-item recharges, etc.), overpriced magic items, training, and so on.

[b-dog]

I am also curious about how you would handle a theif ring that uses a distraction to interact with the PCs while the others attempt to steal. Examples might be a begger asking for money, a beautiful woman, a fake bar fight, a person dressed like a wizard and casting showy magical spells, a person dressed as a town guard, a fake magic shop ect.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by b-dog

I am also curious about how you would handle a theif ring that uses a distraction to interact with the PCs while the others attempt to steal. Examples might be a begger asking for money, a beautiful woman, a fake bar fight, a person dressed like a wizard and casting showy magical spells, a person dressed as a town guard, a fake magic shop ect.

Those are all clear-cut cases of Quick Contests of deception skill (Acting, Disguise, Fast-Talk, Propaganda, Sex Appeal, Sleight of Hand, etc.) vs. Perception or Per-based skill roll (Detect Lies, Observation, Per-based Streetwise, etc.). It's plausible to give the NPCs +1 or +2 for home-ground advantage and/or associates' complementary skill rolls, but at typical NPC skill levels (10-12), 250-point PCs won't fall for this easily.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Those are all clear-cut cases of Quick Contests of deception skill (Acting, Disguise, Fast-Talk, Propaganda, Sex Appeal, Sleight of Hand, etc.) vs. Perception or Per-based skill roll (Detect Lies, Observation, Per-based Streetwise, etc.). It's plausible to give the NPCs +1 or +2 for home-ground advantage and/or associates' complementary skill rolls, but at typical NPC skill levels (10-12), 250-point PCs won't fall for this easily.

Unless our clever NPCs get them drunk, first!

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Those are all clear-cut cases of Quick Contests of deception skill (Acting, Disguise, Fast-Talk, Propaganda, Sex Appeal, Sleight of Hand, etc.) vs. Perception or Per-based skill roll (Detect Lies, Observation, Per-based Streetwise, etc.). It's plausible to give the NPCs +1 or +2 for home-ground advantage and/or associates' complementary skill rolls, but at typical NPC skill levels (10-12), 250-point PCs won't fall for this easily.

But I mean suppose a begger comes to the PCs and begs for money. I would imagine it would not be too hard to have a high skill pretending to be a begger but even if the person was found by the PCs to not be a begger then the PCs are distracted though and if other parts of the thief ring try to swipe some objects it still should be easier for them to do so?

[Mathulhu]

Complimentary Skills, a successful roll on the first skill gives +1 to the second skill.

[PK]

Originally Posted by b-dog

But I mean suppose a begger comes to the PCs and begs for money. I would imagine it would not be too hard to have a high skill pretending to be a begger but even if the person was found by the PCs to not be a begger then the PCs are distracted though and if other parts of the thief ring try to swipe some objects it still should be easier for them to do so?

Since this is a DF-centric discussion, let me recommend adapting the rules on p. 10 of DF10: Taverns. A beggar seeking to distract the PCs would impose -2 to their perception checks to notice the skullduggery.

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by PK

Since this is a DF-centric discussion, let me recommend adapting the rules on p. 10 of DF10: Taverns. A beggar seeking to distract the PCs would impose -2 to their perception checks to notice the skullduggery.

Thanks. I am starting to think that a town near a dungeon will be very sketchy instead of being a sleepy town like Homlet. Gygax was right when he made the Temple of Elemental Evil and he had the town of Nulb near the evil temple. I feel that the evil from the dungeon would attract the more unsavory types like bandits and brigands and those who may practice questionable religions or practice unholy magic. The good folk would not likely want to live near a dungeon so the town would likely be filled with less moral people. That is why I am curious about small scale thief rings and that sort of stuff for PCs to encounter in a town.

[DanHoward]

In the DF universe a town doesn't seem to be anything other than a plot device to let the players dispose of loot, buy more gear, and to help them get started on their next expedition.