![]() ![]() If you come from a Civil Law background (that is derived from ancient Roman law as most European countries do) then the judge is going to play a high active inqusitive role, while a Common Law (derived from British law and found in Commonwealth countries and the United States) the judge is very passive and there to enforce the rules between the antagonistic attorneys and interpret the law for juries.This is a good point. If nothing else the provisions of testifying against oneself that many people in the US are used to don't at all apply. You can turn piecing together the varying accounts into a puzzle.Īlso, don't forget that medival, or even D&D quasi-medival, trials probably shouldn't operate on the same principles of law that most people are used to. Have the witnesses hear someone give an account of the event with slightly changed details, and they will tend to agree with that person - to the point of actively remembering the false details. Similarly, it's surprisingly easy to change people's memories. ![]() Alternatively, perhaps they failed their spot check and were mistaken about what they saw - remember, they can only say what they believe. Perhaps they heard a scream and saw the accused fleeing from the scene. You can also have various NPC witnesses to the alleged crime see only certain parts of it. Perhaps there are various formalities that must be followed, otherwise testimony is inadmissible (all claims must be preceded by "may it please the court, I submit that" or all written testimony must be read aloud, that kind of thing). Perhaps the accused is not allowed to testify, only other witnesses - they are pretty biased, after all. Start with some of the real world ones (no leading questions except in cross examination, no hearsay, no opinion evidence, etc) then branch out a bit. I assume one of the PCs will be representing the defendant, or are they smart enough to get an NPC lawyer? If the PCs are involved, consider imposing various rules about what questions can be asked. A zone of truth spell forces them to answer truthfully, but it doesn't ensure that the lawyers ask the right questions. ![]()
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