D&D: Five Things to Try When You’re Caught Red-Handed
Adventuring is a risky life – sometimes, you take a chance and get away with it, but other times you’re caught red-handed “adventuring.”
Even the most lawful and good adventurer will end up doing something they’d prefer to keep secret from at least someone. Whether that’s something fairly formulaic, like not wanting to be caught sneaking through the goblin camp because you don’t want to fight fifty goblins. Or sometimes you’re pilfering treasure from the king’s treasury so you can fund a goblin revolution.
Whatever the case, if you find yourself caught red-handed, here are five things you can try.
Lying
This is a classic. Pose the age-old question “who are you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?” You’re not there stealing a cup from the dragon’s hoard, instead, there’s a reasonable explanation that will surely not get you crunched up by a dragon. Yes, a simple Deception check can make it, though you’ll probably need to make sure to follow up your lies with some kind of action. But it can buy you enough time to figure out what’s next.
Run Away
Depending on what you’ve done, you might just be able to run away. Sure, adventurers usually cause creatures to run away rather than the other way around, but they can’t make you face consequences for your actions if you’re not there. It’s just science. Of course, if you can’t get away, there are a couple of other things to try.
Bribery
Life is cheap in D&D and adventurers–adventurers are rich. And in a terrible world full of monstrous violence, a little gold goes a long long way. You might be able to turn the person who thinks of you as interlopers into a newfound friend with a promise of some of the treasure you’re holding. After all, die-hard loyalty is usually the result of careful cultivation, not pointing your sword at a bunch of goblins and saying “kill anyone who comes through here, especially if they’re more powerful and better armed and armored than you.”
Create a Distraction
Sometimes, there are more pressing matters to consider. If you’re confronted by a guard who has questions about what you’re doing in the restricted area, and all of a sudden a dragon attacks, well there are bigger things to worry about. And all you had to do was subtly cast an illusion spell. Or a summon spell, depending. But give them something bigger and badder than you to worry about, and just make sure you’re not around when all is said and done.
Ask the Cleric’s God to Help You
You need a Cleric for this one–but Divine Intervention means there’s a slight chance that you’ll have a literal deus ex machina show up to get you out of whatever it is you’re into right now.
Or you can always just roll for initiative.
Happy adventuring!
