Very simple mercy possibility to create moral complexity

[6934637]

In the vanilla game humanoid foes will beg for mercy when hp drops and 100% of the time they will try to spill your guts for doing so. What if 10% of bandits are sincere? You offer healing or let them recover then they in turn offer to become a follower. They would be a very basic under-powered follower but that's not the point. The point is that every single time you slay a bandit you have to weigh the possibility that this person has redeemable agency.

[DirebearCoat]

I like your idea, but I think maybe add a kind of twist to it.

Perhaps maybe make a special encounter, where one of these guys who you showed mercy to, does become a follower, but the vast majority of them go a different route.

I'd like to see them turn over a new leaf, and become some kind of farmhand or laborer at a smithy or store.  You won't recognize them, and you don't see them everywhere, but every once in a blue moon, one of them will see you on the road and stop to say say something like,

"Dragonborn, thank you for sparing my life.  You had come as Thane, in the name of the Jarl, to clean us out of Silver Moons Camp (or some other place that's full of bandits).  Thanks to you, I've seen the error of my ways and have changed my ways."

Or maybe, they joined a different gang.  Then you show up.  Then they'll say something like,

"It's the Dragonborn!  Run for your lives!" and he or she will run off, throwing their weapons away and getting the hell out of dodge.

Since the other bandits don't know what he or she is babbling about, they'll just call him/her a coward or traitor and swear to hunt him/her down.  Only they won't, because you'll wipe them out completely.  Meanwhile, your follower/s won't pursue the fleeing bandit, instead concentrating on taking out the bandits who decided to stay and fight.

I think there should be some who will cry for mercy, and when you take a chance, they'll try to stab you in the back, but your ever wary follower will strike him/her down before the scoundrel can betray your trust.

However, there should be some who will have these life changing experiences.  I think, however, you shouldn't see them very often.  You should only see them very, very rarely.  This way, when it does happen, it will be a very pleasant surprise.

[anjenthedog]

Nice idea. I sometimes use Defeat's "tie up" option, but it'd be better if there was a more humane way than leaving them in the wild unable to move

[6934637]

Early game it kinda makes sense that you'd be struggling to acquire gold, loot, craft better weapons etc but at some point those stats are kinda irrelevant because you're not struggling anymore. That's an opportunity for more "choices matter" type mods where you have to make trade-offs, maybe put weapons forging on that back burner and forge a reputation.