• Allonzee@lemmy.world
    1171·
    4 months ago

    Reminds me of why torture as a means of information gathering is ridiculous.

    I will absolutely tell you what I think you want to hear when you start stabbing me, whether its the truth or I ever knew it at all.

    But I also hate you for torturing me, so If I do happen to know the thing then I also know enough about the thing to alter the answer to something false but plausible for a moment of relief while you act on it, because we all know if you’re torturing me, you have no intention of letting me out alive.

    This is why the lets be pals/wine and dine approach is more effective.

    • GBU_28@lemm.eeEnglish
      211·
      4 months ago

      Well, real pros say:

      “Thanks for finally providing some info. We are going to go corroborate it. If you lied, or if we can’t find convincing evidence your info was right, we will take this conversation up with your wife/kid/family”

    • ObstreperousCanadian@lemmy.caEnglish
      16·
      4 months ago

      This is why I liked the how Torture skill in Burning Wheel does just this: you decide what the victim says. It’s not true, it’s just what they admit to.

    • skulblaka
      141·
      4 months ago

      Yeah but I have a friendly cleric. Zone of Truth doesn’t care about how you feel regarding your interrogation.

      • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
        7·
        4 months ago

        Zone of truth removes the need for torture. You can interrogate someone without causing physical or psychological harm.

        • skulblaka
          11·
          4 months ago

          They do still have the option to remain silent, though, as per the spell text. It doesn’t compel an answer, it only compels any spoken word to be the truth as you know it.

          • Scubus
            5·
            4 months ago

            Speak with dead + zone of truth, I now have an incentive to kill you if you don’t cooperate

        • leftzero@lemmynsfw.com
          5·
          4 months ago

          You don’t torture for the truth, though… causing physical and psychological harm is the whole point.

    • NegativeInf@lemmy.world
      121·
      4 months ago

      Which is why you get the deets, stab anyways, check for accuracy. If incorrect, revive, repeat.

    • loaExMachina
      5·
      4 months ago

      Read the manual.

      Pain can be efficient or counterproductive depending on the individual. The threat or pain is usually more efficient than the pain itself. Your “let’s be pal” approach is not far from the KUBARK’s recommendations, but it is not incompatible with coercitive methods: On the contrary several of these consist in putting the interrogatee in a state where the interrogator is perceived as a reassuring presence.

      Context about the kubark manual on Wikipedia

  • Bytemeister@lemmy.worldΕλληνικά
    17·
    4 months ago

    You can either tell me what I want to know, or your corpse can. slaps Speak with Dead Scroll against palm

    • redisdead@lemmy.world
      2·
      4 months ago

      Speak with dead doesn’t mean the corpse is going to give the informations if the living person hated you.

  • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
    122·
    4 months ago

    Reasons why I like systems that have rules for this sort of thing.

    “Sure, you can torture the captive. That’s a rank 8 check against Violence, so go ahead and roll. Oh, you don’t want to risk any mechanical consequences for your horrible actions? Ok then”

    I feel like there’s a lot of overlap between powergaming min/maxers and war crime doers. It really keeps players in check without having to resort to hand wave-y deus ex machina like “it turns out the bartender is a level 20 barbarian lol”