Interrogations

It happens.

At the end of an exciting fight, the party has taken a prisoner: a minion of the villain.

PCs want to interrogate him.

They are all around him, asking questions, pretending answers.

How do you run such a situation?

As DMs, it's truly up to you.

Rolling Dice

You can simply keep rolling dice.

Have a DC, based upon NPC's behaviours,  the situation and what has happened.

Give advantage or disadvantage according to what PCs will:

- are they trying to bribe an avid NPC who cares only about gold? Advantage.

- are they using wrong ways which lead the NPC to be more defensive? Disadvantage.

You can also have an impossible DC (35 or more) if you're sure the NPC will never speak.

This is a quick method to deal with interrogations, better suitable with players who love rolling dice.

However remember about this Rule of the Good DM

Never make a die roll the only way to go ahead.

If you have planned PCs need the prisoner's informations to solve their quest then you must give them the chance to discover them without rolling dice.

Role-playing

This method is opposite to the previous.

Put away the dice and let you act as the prisoner.

You will answer to players' questions, according to NPC's behaviours, her feelings and her fears.

You'll give false or true answers too.

This method is really fun and interesting but requires good acting skills, which simply many haven't.

For a help, you can decide what PCs' questions or actions will trigger the answers of the NPC.

Decide them and then wait for players' moves.

You can decide she won't reply at all: you will simply always reply "No" or don't reply neither.

If you know it's necessary the NPC will speak then she will eventually have to speak.

Alignment and Moral Code

Eventually, in all interrogations a PC or more will tell "I'm going to hit her" or "I'm going to torture her".

You can decide if these actions can improve the chance to get informations but you can consider some consequences according to PC's alignmnent.

In my opinion, you mustn't be too strict, unless the PC has made a very heinous action for his moral code.

Even a Lawful Good character isn't a saint. I'd allow some punches while interrogating someone. After all, maybe a few minutes before he killed some of his companions.

Change

In some situations it will be better to roll dice. In other to roleplay.

During your campaign try to have both: offer to players different styles of play and test them.

They'll be satisfied.

It's your goal.

Bye.

The DM.