When Characters Never Negotiate

Sometimes, when PCs and NPCs are thick in combat, an NPC may try to calm things down, call for the two sides to part and cease fighting—at least for a while. It may be that the NPC has figured out that the two parties should be allied, or that he wants to bribe the PCs, or even conduct surrender negotiations . . . from a position of strength.

If your characters never negotiate, once again your campaign options are limited. You have to brute-force some sense into them. A good way to do this is to have the PCs fight an NPC group who have a hostage or artifact crucial to the PCs. The NPCs say they will kill the hostage or destroy the artifact if the PCs don't stop fighting for a minute. And they're telling the truth . . .

Once the PCs have lost several hostages or artifacts dear to them, they may start reconsidering their reactionary policies. And once they get in the habit of doing a little talking with the enemy, they may figure out that they can also initiate such communication in future combats.

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