Have any of you had to deal with the legal ramifications of the actions of your PCs in the AoW path? For example, even though Filge may have broken some laws (grave robbing, and animating the dead if you make it illegal) unless the PCs have been deputized by the local law, what gives them the right to go into Filge's observatory, steal his things and potentially kill him?
The PCs can't exactly use "self-defense" as a defense against attacking/killing Filge if they shouldn't have broken into his house in the first place! And what about "taking treasure" from Filge's home, especially if Filge survives?
Has anyone had to RP the result of legal proceedings brought against the PCs by Filge, or even Smenk?
I know that in the second adventure teh authour points out that the miners in teh Dourstone Mine aren't criminals/doing anything illegal, and specifically states that the DM should warn players about this before they enter the mine.
Okay, but there are two issues there.
1. Combat with, and capture of Filge.
2. Taking items from Filge's home.
In the issue number 1, if the PCs have no jurisdiction (even though they "allied" themselves with the garrison) how does the garrison feel about them taking the law into their own hands? The garrison may be glad for the help, and do nothing, but depending on the legal system in your campaign, Filge could retain counsel and argue that since the PCs weren't deputized they had no right to enter his home, and not only should all evidence against him be thrown out because of an illegal search, but he might try to have the PCs charged with "Breaking and Entering" "Trespass" and even Assault. Unless the PCs have been given some authority by the garrison, Filge would be within his rights to demand these things, _unless_ you have a legal system that allows vigilantism.
In the second case, _even if the PCs have been deputized_, if they take items from Filge's observatory (money, magic items, etc) would Filge not have the right to have the garrison commander charge the PCs with theft?
Before anyone says "But Filge is a criminal, he should have no rights", remember that it depends on your justice system in your campaign. If you have a law that says "anyone who suspects a person is breaking the law can do whatever they want to stop that person, and the person relinquishes all rights" then my argument is irrelevant.
However, if your campaign world goes by the law that people are innocent until proven guilty, that all people are protected against theft, and that vigilantism is against the law, then whether or not Filge is an "evil" NPC is irrelevant.
Smenk doesn't exactly want all of Diamond Lake to know his necromancer buddy is holed up in the abandoned property of the observatory. (Nothing says Smenk has title--he probably doesn't and wants to keep it that way so that he has plausible deniability if Filge gets caught doing nasty things to corpses on the property). And the building is far enough away from other habitations that battles inside it will most likely go unnoticed (or be wilfully ignored by the watch).
So, as long as the party is discreet and doesn't leave any corpses lying around where the watch is likely to find them, or take the battle to Filge in public, there is no reason for the sherriff to trouble himself about reports of strange noises coming from the Observatory--it's just a bunch of superstitious know-nothings who think the place is haunted.
Edit--if the party takes Filge's stuff but lets him live, he knows that he's likely (as a creepy necromancer-type) to get short shrift from the authorities. His most likely response is to high-tail it back to Greyhawk. IMC he's made a reappearance in the Free City--Zyrxog has fitted him out with an undead graft to replace the arm the party paladin removed during the fight with him. Mwahahahaha!
As for an assault on Dourstone Mine, that is another story. My party killed a guard on the way in--check out my campaign log on these boards for the long story on how I handled it. ("The Company of Light" in the campaign logs section.)
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The law has played a major factor in the flow of my campaign. The party's storming of the observatory and slaying of filge created a legal tangle for them. Smenk, of course, found out who did it and held Filge's murder over their heads.
Heused the threat of handing the party over to the authorities (assuring them that he would make certain they were found guilty), as a means of strong-arming them into taking care of a little problem in the Dourstone Mine.
The characters a fairly paranoid about the law in Diamond Lake these days. The only people they trust to any degree are Allustan and the clergy of (St.Cuthbert) and (Wee Jas).
**My campaign is being played in Kingdoms of Kalamar, so I replaced the Cuthbertians with the Home Foundation and the WeeJassians with the Order of Light.**
This is Diamond Lake!
The Law only applies if you don't have the coin! XD
Have any of you had to deal with the legal ramifications of the actions of your PCs in the AoW path? For example, even though Filge may have broken some laws (grave robbing, and animating the dead if you make it illegal) unless the PCs have been deputized by the local law, what gives them the right to go into Filge's observatory, steal his things and potentially kill him?
IMC, Smenk owns the observatory, having once thought to use it as his residence before acquiring Parin House. Kullen's boys tailed the PCs to the place and watched them break in through the dome windows, then reported the incident to the sheriff.
The PCs captured Filge, but as they exited the building with him in tow, Deputy Jamis, along with four other deputies arrived to arrest them for trespassing on and vandalism of private property, along with assault.
The PCs used the he's-an-evil-necromancer argument. IMC, necromancy is illegal in Diamond Lake, but obscure enough that the deputies have trouble thinking it through for themselves.
The PCs spent several days in jail, during which time, Melinde helped to secure their release after paying a fine for the charges of trespassing and vandalism. The assault charges on Filge were dropped.
This is only a broad summary of the legal implications that arose as a result of the events in the observatory. Our group spent a couple of sessions role-playing the consequences of their "cowboy" raid on the place.
Have any of you had to deal with the legal ramifications of the actions of your PCs in the AoW path? For example, even though Filge may have broken some laws (grave robbing, and animating the dead if you make it illegal) unless the PCs have been deputized by the local law, what gives them the right to go into Filge's observatory, steal his things and potentially kill him?
The assumption here is that criminals have rights. Its perfectly plausible, from a legal theory stand point, that criminals could forfeit their rights from the time of the criminal act. [Not that I can think of a modern system that has this, but jurisprudence can develop in different ways]
Now as to the break and entering of someone else's property, I'm not sure on that unless there is a justification defense.
However, if your campaign world goes by the law that people are innocent until proven guilty, that all people are protected against theft, and that vigilantism is against the law, then whether or not Filge is an "evil" NPC is irrelevant.
I would highly advise against applying Classic Liberal values to a medieval-esque campaign.
Now granted, you might find some such values in densely-populated "enlightened" cities like Greyhawk City, which does have some "property rights" laws in effect (such as invasion of priacy via spells), but it's government still has strong ties to criminal elements. Even in the city, I think most officials would be alright with an "ends justifies the means" approach to justice, even more so in outlying regions like Diamond Lake.
Of course, as a somewhat corrupt government, one can expect to find laws in place that those with economic & political might can exploit, should they find themselves accused.
IMC, Filge was arrested by the Garisson, but Smenk denied any knowledge of his wrongdoing. Smenk then arranged for Sheriff Cubbin to transport Filge to the DL gaol (juristictional issues, of course). The Sheriff also arrested several of the PCs, as Gorvic (bartender at the Feral Dog) & Natalo Bask (employee at the Emporium & brother of Merovin Bask) witnessed the PCs kill Kullen & his gang. Smenk was behind this, too, of course. He then paid off Cubbin to "bail out" the PCs (& Filge!), invited them for Dinner at the Hungry Gar, & made a deal with them--he'd get the charges dropped (which they were certainly guilty of) in return for them taking a look into Dourstone Mine. He sent Filge along to protect his interests.
In the end, the only person who stayed in jail was Ragnolin Dourstone, who was found hanging dead in his cell a day later. Oddly enough, the Dourstone residence somehow caught fire that same night, leaving only the PCs & Filge (who fled to greyhawk asap) knowing of Smenk's involvement.
In an incident in Greyhawk, one of the PCs used lethal force in the barfight at the Crooked House, leaving several dead. Luckily, this was the PC who got doppleganged. She was arrested but a judge (actually another doppleganger) allowed the PCs to bail her out (the cash went to the Doppleganger Conspiracy Fund, naturally). Once they broke word of the conspiracy, she was able to clear her name.
Alhaster should be even more interesting, should they run afoul of the Blessed Angels.