How would you handle brainwashing?

[cobrazarro]

We have acquired a goblin that we want to be our butler. We want to brainwash him so we don't have to worry about him killing us in our sleep or sneaking off with our stuff. We have access to an iron maiden, rack, and red hot coal pit. How would you handle how to brainwash this dude? I'm thinking it'd be some kind of long skill test.

 

[LostSoul]

Skill Challenge.

The number of successes needed should depend on how much resistance he has against the PCs.

I suggest a "reaction roll" table.

 

[the Jester]

I'd start by making sure the party is evil.

 

[Mesh Hong]

We have a kidnapped goblin that we want to be our slave. We want to brainwash him so we don't have to worry about him killing us in our sleep or sneaking off with our stuff. We have access to an iron maiden, rack, and red hot coal pit. How would you handle how to brainwash this dude? I'm thinking it'd be some kind of long skill test.

I don't really think an Iron Maiden, Rack, or Red Hot Coal Pit would be suited for brainwashing. Torture yes, brainwashing no.

Brainwashings goal is to change a persons mental attitude or core belief system towards a defined path. You are going to need psychological and mental stimuli, not really physical stimuli.

The easiest way to run this would probably be through a protracted skill challange that included both stick and carrot approaches and centered on skills like Intimidate, diplomacy, bluff and insight.

Stage 1:
Breaking the individual down to a pliable state, this would probably take between a day and a week depending on the endurance or mental stability of the subject:

Insight - to understand the subjects motiavtion and core beliefs
Nature/Dungeoneering/Arcana/Religion - secondary skills to understand the subject
Intimidate/Bluff - to physically wear them down to reduce their will
Diplomacy/Heal - secondary skills to counter act any negative effects of the treatment and keep the subject in a fit state or in an extreme case alive.

Stage 2:
Build-up or reprogramming, this would probably take between a week and a couple of months depending on the mental resolve and cultural baggage of the subject. It would also depend on the behaviour you were trying to elicit from the subject.

Diplomacy/Bluff - to assert your intended replacement behaviour model
Insight/Heal - to check that your methods are having the desired effect
Intimidate - to maintain the negative aspect of the subjects previous behaviour

Stage 3:
Monitoring, this would be long term. Probably checking daily, then weekly then monthly depending on the behaviour of the subject. I would also make a mental note that the brainwashing alone will eventually breakdown in some way or other if it is not reinforced through positive action. Even then it is likely that the trauma will manifest in some other way over time, probably as a psychological effect; nightmares, phobias, aggressive behaviour etc.

Insight - to assess if the subject's new behaviour is set in place or if the subject is breaking its conditioning.
Heal - to make an assessment of the subjects mental health.

Anyway they are my quick ideas, I hope you find them interesting.

 

[Stumblewyk]

I'd start by making sure the party is evil.

This. Even assuming your party doesn't go for the torture route it sounds like you're hinting at (which, as stated above, wouldn't constitute brainwashing in the least bit), I'd have to assume the conscious act of forcibly destroying an individuals identity and then rebuilding it to more closely suit your own aims is a deplorably evil act. Even if you'd have the noblest of intentions in mind.

Brainwashing is how people are induced into joining cults. Not how they're convinced to be friendly.

 

[marli]

really?
if they are evil they have an evil ideollgy.
your just trying to (re)educate them in the ways of goodness.
education=re-education=brain-washing?

what makes us adults is the knowlege that as a child adults lied to us(people die, babies come from sex,father christmas.....is out sourced to toys r us HR and you face wont stay like that if the wind changes etc etc )
yet we live by many of these lies, half truths and un proven ideolgys. that combined in turn make each country of humans unique......are we ourselves not brainwashed?

 

[Stumblewyk]

really?
if they are evil they have an evil ideollgy.
your just trying to (re)educate them in the ways of goodness.
education=re-education=brain-washing?

I disagree. "Re-education" would be showing the goblin how much better off he could be by participating in "civilized" society in a way that was conducive and productive for them, and for their close friends and allies.

Brainwashing implies stripping that goblin of identity, and reprogramming a new one, of *your* choosing.

I guess it boils down to whether you believe that people should have the right to choose their own course regardless of right or wrong, or whether you think it's appropriate for someone to choose *for* someone else, when they believe they know better.

 

[Mesh Hong]

We have a kidnapped goblin that we want to be our slave.

Putting all other comments aside the words Kidnapped and Slave are more suited to evil rather than good.

 

[cobrazarro]

Putting all other comments aside the words Kidnapped and Slave are more suited to evil rather than good.

Duly noted! I changed the op for ya!

 

[cobrazarro]

The easiest way to run this would probably be through a protracted skill challange that included both stick and carrot approaches and centered on skills like Intimidate, diplomacy, bluff and insight.

Stage 1:
Breaking the individual down to a pliable state, this would probably take between a day and a week depending on the endurance or mental stability of the subject:

Insight - to understand the subjects motiavtion and core beliefs
Nature/Dungeoneering/Arcana/Religion - secondary skills to understand the subject
Intimidate/Bluff - to physically wear them down to reduce their will
Diplomacy/Heal - secondary skills to counter act any negative effects of the treatment and keep the subject in a fit state or in an extreme case alive.

Stage 2:
Build-up or reprogramming, this would probably take between a week and a couple of months depending on the mental resolve and cultural baggage of the subject. It would also depend on the behaviour you were trying to elicit from the subject.

Diplomacy/Bluff - to assert your intended replacement behaviour model
Insight/Heal - to check that your methods are having the desired effect
Intimidate - to maintain the negative aspect of the subjects previous behaviour

Stage 3:
Monitoring, this would be long term. Probably checking daily, then weekly then monthly depending on the behaviour of the subject. I would also make a mental note that the brainwashing alone will eventually breakdown in some way or other if it is not reinforced through positive action. Even then it is likely that the trauma will manifest in some other way over time, probably as a psychological effect; nightmares, phobias, aggressive behaviour etc.

Insight - to assess if the subject's new behaviour is set in place or if the subject is breaking its conditioning.
Heal - to make an assessment of the subjects mental health.

Anyway they are my quick ideas, I hope you find them interesting.

very interesting. I love it! As far as this alignment issue that keeps coming up... I use action movie logic when it comes to monsters. For example, in an action film even the most deplorable of acts is entirely fine when done to a Nazi or death cult member. That's my opinion, sadly only one other guy in my group seems to share it. That said, we don't really have anything deplorable planned for this goblin. He's going to pretty much carry things for us and open doors. We have goblin food and intend to treat him well. The thing is, we can treat him a lot better and give him a much higher standard of living if we don't have to constantly worry about him killing us in our sleep or stealing all of our stuff. We want to brainwash him as an alternative to keeping him chained up all night. His servitude is a much better sentence than death I think.