So there have been some sightings of goblins in town. There's been some graffiti which nobody can read, some vandalism, some theft, and they caught and killed a group of goblins. Our Heroes get contacted by the guard captain to Do Something, that something being, find out what's going on and, while you're at it, if you happen to kill any goblins, we'll pay you 5 gp an ear.
Is that per goblin, or per ear?
But that's not the real question. The real question is, does graffitization, vandalism and petty theft normally carry the death penalty in Cauldron? Bear in mind that the party has already been privy to a certain amount of destruction of private property in their attempts to hunt down the kidnapped children in Chapter 1.
Even better, does just being the same race as some other people who are suspected of graffitization, vandalism and petty theft carry the death penalty? The exalted character in my party was Quite Concerned at the abject racism involved.
The answer is that only people of intelligent races are seen as being able to be given a sentence. In this case goblins are seen as little better than vermin... more like an animal nuisance than a crime wave. So in the minds of city officials this is like asking the PCs to cull the overpopulation of stray dogs that are causing a problem, sure only a few are attacking people but if we take down the population as a whole there won't be so many attacks or so much unpicked up poop.
If you wanted to throw racism in a minor theme in Cauldron, this would be a great opportunity to do it. In fact doing so might be a great way to emphasize the issues around the half-orc guardsman who are brought in later in the campaign.
Sean Mahoney
I've been thinking about this a little. Although my players went right allong with the whole ears for gold thing, it's not really behaviour that fits into the 'Good-guys' theme. If you apply modern standards to the situation, the humane solution would be to get the goblins to relocate, or work out a way for them to remain in their lair without causing a nuisance.
You might even get that kind of reaction off the street. A few goblin rights activists protest the meaningless slaughter of innocent creatures. Meanwhile shopkeepers, who have to deal with the nuisance, boo them away. Perhaps using unsellable fruit and other wares the goblins spoiled.
Yes, but...then aren't you trying to apply 21st century morals to D&D? Historically, the goblins/orcs/kobolds/whatever are the bad guys, and the PCs are supposed to take them out. If you start moralizing over goblin deaths, how long before the players are standing around debating the morality of killing anything?
I do, however, agree about the ear thing. I'm going to have to come up with something else for my party. They're never going to go for the ears.
--Fang
The problem with not applying 21st century morals is, mostly, the Exalted PC. Fortunately for him, even though 5 gp each is a princely sum by the goblins' standards, it's pocket change for the PCs so I would guess they're not going to be adding mutilation to their genocide.
Of more long-term issue is that the Guard Captain, Terseon, is supposed to be a long-term friend and ally of the PCs and for him to present this to them as a job offer is a little off-putting.
Well, you could steal from the Star Wars: Knights of the Old republic game. In that game you are commisioned on Tatooine to hunt the Sand People who have been raiding the Czerka mining operations. The Czerka field rep who gives you the task tells you that you need to bring back their ceremonial sticks. When you ask "Why not their heads?" The answer is, "Each warrior crafts a customized stick for themselves as part of their rites of passage, so they are individualized and just as good. Besides, which would you rather have sitting on your desk?"
You could easily make this similar in that it requires the ceremonial weapon of each goblin or something similar.
Sean Mahoney
That's a good idea! Thanks for the tip!
--Fang
I'm currently trying to remember if there's some behind-the-scenes important stuff, in that the party is hired by a city official (theoretically under the tenuous control of Lord Vhalantru) to go interfere with Drakthar's operation (also, theoretically under Vhalantru's control)... I believe in the long run some heads may roll, and not in the bored-beholder way...
I just wanted to post an update that the party chose to deal with this by... not dealing with it... after each of the fights vs. goblins, there were a bunch of unconscious goblins on the floor. The cleric of Pelor, the exalted PC and the druid went around and bound their wounds, then the party tied them up and dragged them out of the underdark and handed them over to the city guards.
The guard captain didn't say that the ears couldn't still be attached to breathing goblins, you see.
Of course, at the beginning of Flood Season, the Stormblades were able to use this as ammunition against the party...