It’s really hard for NPCs to lie to players when they have no status. Players can lie to NPCs using the Falsehood skill. NPCs can do the same, but it’s a little lame since the players know they’re lying. (I mean, if players are really in author stance it could work beautifully, but mine aren’t totally there and the stakes are huge.)
Luke’s advice for lying NPCs is to simply tell the players the NPC is lying, and say, “What are you going to do about it?” Last night revealed that while this works wonders, it doesn’t work very well if the NPC has no leverage*. I have a powerful NPC in the players’ hands, and I’m wishing I knew a way to make her seem really devious, but lying isn’t working well for me.
Last night in Burning Grunweld 21, the players unexpected managed to capture Queen Cuvas, who is a major villain in the setting. She’s a powerful sorceress and one-time member of the ruling dynasty of a powerful empire. Through body-swapping she has lived many (e.g. a dozen) lifetimes, accumulating knowledge and skills (magical and mundane) along the way. Centuries ago, however, her empire was destroyed by earth magic - she’s spent the intervening time stored in a soul jar, from which she has been scrying. So she’s deadly, a social powerhouse, and her information about the political scene is up to date (in fact, much more complete than the players’).
The surprise was the players managing to evict her from her soul jar, forcing her into the body of a captured hill man. This body isn’t Gifted, so Cuvas has no access to her magic. She has no social leverage, at least; I tried a couple of lies but the players just kick her in the teeth. Any ideas on how to play this?
Since Falsehood isn’t working out, I’m planning on playing her like Scorpius from Farscape. Telling the truth, making herself useful - so useful, in fact, that she becomes indispensable. There’s always a reason you can’t kill her.
- As it happens, in real life, lying has negative physiological consequences - these are worsened if you’re low on the totem pole, and nearly insignificant if you’re in a position of power. It seems that these are due to the stress of having to anticipate being found out.