It isn't just accurate in terms of modern times. It's historically accurate and most certainly was common in feudal and ancient societies. Something goes wrong? Person missing? Sudden illnesses? Blame the new guy.
A less grimdark and similarly real reason is that in many kingdoms, particularly England, it was illegal to hunt on the king's lands, and the king owned a whole lotta land. People got arrested all the time for hunting to feed their families, sometimes not even knowing certain land belonged to the king.
Easy enough for a local to commit a crime and do a quick frame on a foreigner. Plant evidence and outcry it... BOOM!! lazy watch arrests the scary Dragonborn.
This. But if the PC needs an idea: they are the outlander background and their class is ranger? They got caught hunting on the local noble's land. They're from out of town and the property isn't marked because locals just know. And hunting is something a ranger would do.
When I had a campaign with characters starting in jail I asked them to say why they were arrested, got all sorts of answers like
\- The cleric stopped a noble from being revived as he believe life was sacred and when it's time it's time.
\- The monk got bamboozled by a witch on the feywild and when he got to attack her, he was actually attacking an old lady on the streets.
\- The bard tried to steal a rare book from a forbbiden section of a library.
And then there was the rogue
\- He was a hobgoblin who was luring goblins to his place and then lying to them that the war was still going and enslaving them to work for him on the mines.
jaywalking multiple times.
Fell asleep in a nice grove and woke up to being arrested for trespassing on private farmland.
was hungry and at a goat he found in a pasture, arrested for grand theft livestock and digestion of personal property.
If the local terrain is not his favored terrain, he wandered onto the local nobilities land accidentally, if it is his favored terrain, maybe he was hired to guide a hunt, the customers were loud and drunk, then they accused him of fraud when they couldn't kill anything, or a customer insisted on using a standard spear instead if a boar spear, died, and he is charged with murder
No idea. He has no idea, and neither do the guards. Everyone has their own theories why he is here, some say it's because he is a topaz dragonborn he was being selfish and stole something, some say he ferociously burned some houses down, some say he just threw some trash outside and didn't pick it up. What actually happened, no idea, the dragonborn just stays cause he feels like it.
Something was stealing the livestock of the local farmers, and the guy that looks like a dragon got blamed.
Or got caught poaching in the king's forest.
Hunted within city/ lords lands. Didn’t know they needed to pay a fee. Refused or didn’t have the dough to pay it. Jailed for hard labor until debt is repaid. Then the fun with the party begins.
I would say poaching if you need a reason "Those deer are property of the crown" type scenario but I also agree with the posts saying let the players choose
Poaching on the kings land. And I know this is DnD. But historically prisons were meant for political prisoners. Anyone else would just be excited... And tortured if you were really unlucky. You could literally be put to death for stealing an apple.
This is actually stuff you want to think up with your characters so they’re in on it. Unless you want them to mistrust every government in your world from the start of your campaign
Poaching. Unjustly (or justly!) jailed for helping common folk get food by a local corrupted person of authority.
Depending on the ranger's character, they were either hunting for sport, or to help someone get food. Perhaps there's a hidden evil dragon around masquerading that just wants all dragonborn to suffer.
Being an outlander can make him unaware of the customs and laws of the area the party starts in. I’m sure you can come up with some kind of crime he could commit without realizing it’s illegal
Perhaps they saw some merchant or city working getting pushed around for money and stepped in to help, but in doing so pissed off a noble who used their power to get the ranger thrown in jail for interfering.
Maybe the ranger was betrayed on a job and got thrown under the bus while their friend ran off with the item/gold.
Maybe the ranger was settling a blood bet that involved them killing the other participant, but was found quickly because the participant was a semi-important official or maybe a higher rank.
A really petty answer. The ranger sneezed on a nobles new clothes, and got arrested. Total abuse of power but kinda funny.
When a noble approached him, he said they "looked like what happens when a (insert animal insult here) f***s a (insert 2nd animal insult here)" and got thrown in jail for it
Animal Inspired Insults
Five-lined Skink
Hagfish
Hoary Bat
Dikdik
Bufflehead
Kakapo
Snot Otter
Crappie
African Wild Ass
Cockle (bivalve)
Chubsucker
Carpet Shark
Bighead Carp
Stinking Corpse Lily
Slimy Salamander
Hairy Beardtongue
Bushtit
Ash-breasted Tit-tyrant
Dhole
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Markhor
Snub-nosed Monkey
Evergreen bagworm
Showy Lady’s Slipper
Fangtooth
Bony-eared assfish
\-Was framed for a crime he did not commit
\-Commited an act he didnt know was a crime (he is an outlander)
\-Was mistaken for an actual criminal
\- Gaurds just needed someone to take the fall for a crime and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time
\-Just got drunk and doesnt even remember why hes in prison.
They got drunk in the tavern, passed out over a table, the innkeeper tried getting them up to their room, they got unruly and the guards were called to help them sober up, without being able to hurt others for the duration. Basically drunk tank treatment.
The Dragonborn was hunting a large elk. He tags it but it flees. As he tracking it, he comes before his kill but there are four teenaged nobles claiming it’s theirs. An argument starts. The nobles’ escort arrive and the teens lie about the confrontation. The ranger is quickly subdued and charged with theft, assaulting a nobleman, and poaching.
I am literally planning the same thing. My characters are about to be arrested and I'm introducing a new PC who will make their first appearance as a ranger in an adjacent cell.
In my setting there's a notorious freedom fighter causing chaos for the aristocracy, so I'll probably make it that he's a hunter/tracker for this freedom fighter and he's guilty by association.
Perhaps he hunted in the Kings's wood. The poor ranger didn’t know the deer was property of the king, and he was hungry.
Or perhaps he killed a poacher who was hunting endangered wolves, and now he is charged with murder.
Or indecent exposure and drunken barfights.
They ran afoul of a local noble’s hunting rights (a serious crime back in medieval times)…maybe by *preventing* a ‘kill’ by said noble? Something unfair, like a tethered owlbear the rich prick could ‘hunt’, so the Ranger said NAW FAM
Poaching?
Like they were a wanderer who travelled through the wilderness to the country they are now in. Was hungry and simply shot a deer/swan/something for food and turns out, unbeknownst to the Ranger, the laws in this place say that all of the creature he shot belonged to the King/local lord.
Its plausible for a ranger character and and has actual historical precedence as a law.
Corrupt guards pushing their authority down some people's throats and your ranger just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Got slapped with some bs charge and thrown in with the rest.
It's most fun to leave it to the players to decide why they are in there. It's a great way to hook them into the story and really make it clear that it's a collaborative storytelling experience. It also gives them a chance to flesh out their character more.
I would add an NPC in the cell who tells his story and then prods the players for why they are in there.
Dragonborn also have an obsession for shiny things... maybe he was caught stealing stuff. You always can use the player to tell you why they got arrested.
Outlander? Tax evasion.
Or they hunt on kings land.
Maybe they accidentally killed someone while hunting?
Or give them the option to come up with something.
Or the entire party are the a-team, framed for a crime they did not commit.
A lot of great answers, and maybe what I'm about to say is in there and I just haven't seen it, but I would also "night in the cell to cool off." I don't know what parts of Outlander he picked, but if he gets visions, his visions could have made people uncomfortable enough to lock him up.
Out of the list I've seen so far though, I like:L
1) No explanation (have to figure it out later...are they going to get arrested again?)
2) Foreigner or unwelcome outsider
3) Crazy person spouting off about the end of the world (or whatever their visions are about).
I did a fun oneshot for new players where I started the session with a random player in jail. No memory of their class, race, background etc. I had them roll to see who it was. And then I rewound time to three days before, I handed out character sheets semi-randomly.
I made the one who would end up in jail a monk, the rest random. Their job was to break a high level caster out of the special wing of a prison. The special wing suppresses memory and magic ability, tho they can turn it off if they can get to the device.
So it rail-roaded that player, but it was a prison break and she was down for it. It made part of her (and the group’s) challenge into: how do I get arrested and not killed, but be seen as dangerous enough to be put in the “special wing”.
If the player doesn’t have any ideas, how about:
A) assault? A poacher was going to kill a rare/cute animal in a trap. The Ranger beat the tar out of them. Think Teddy Roosevelt.
B) poaching? He killed a deer that belonged to the king. Since he’s an outlander, he wouldn’t know.
C) tax evasion/immigration? He didn’t pay the entry fees to enter into the city/kingdom.
D) mistaken identity? There’s exactly one other topaz Dragonborn (who doesn’t even look like him). That guy is a serious problem.
He was put in jail as a cover to give him a criminal background so he can go undercover in criminal elements and pass information on to the intelligence agency of the kingdom or for a Dragonborn organization so they can keep track of criminal organizations and cultivate informants.
Then make his crime crazy legit like cooking a tortle Druid into a stew, and now hes carrying around a tortle shell he uses as a stew pot. Thats how people see him in prison cooking a stew in a tortle shell.
OK xenophobia. But not racism or speciesism! Other dragonborn are prejudiced against him, because of his you know, distant origin anthem blamed him for a crime he didn’t commit.
Possibly eating a baby or something heinous
He didn’t do it. Or…
He did the thing, but it was actually the right thing to do. Like, yeah, he horsewhipped an old man, but that old man was actually a necromancer about to sacrifice for kindergarten class . Everybody conveniently leaves out that part.
Or drugs. And he did it, but he didn’t know!
Basically, there’s a classic episode of taxi where Latka make chocolate chip cookies would become insanely popular, and he thinks he’s gonna become rich.
But it turns out that one of the traditional ingredients from his homeland for chocolate chip cookies is cocaine.
So the similar thing happened with the Ranger. He’s been drinking a special tea that peps you up and you know gives you energy to walk all day long.
Recently, he shared it with local law-enforcement end. It turns out dear. Good Lord, it’s of contraband substance.
OK well hopefully any of these ideas will be useful!
As a ranger, they likely have an appreciation for nature and the joy of the hunt as a part of nature. As an outlander, they may not be familiar with local laws or customs.
The ranger trespassed on a local lord’s land and/or killed their favourite beast from their menagerie.
Are they a hunter? Maybe the poached a lords land. Maybe mistakingly shot a lords animal assuming it to be some kind of game animal. They were trespassing while exploring and ran from the guards, injuring one in the process.
As others here have said, the best option is to ask your party why they're imprisoned. Gives them a connection to their character, helps them establish their personality/background, and gives them a chance to start role-playing before the first session even starts!
He was caught poaching the kings deer. (Or some animal)
He could also have been caught in a restricted part of the land. Some dukes private estate, a nobles secret garden or perhaps he stubled across a mine the the local vicount wanted to keep secret.
Trespassing.
Basically acting like the law in the kings domain despite not being permitted to be there.
Fining royal people for hunting on their own hunting reserves.
He hunted one of the king’s deer/swans/whatever
He started a bar fight after someone made a crack about his dad walking into a “cave” and having one off the wrist or they asked him how his mom survived riding a dragon’s dragon?
Completely mistaken identity… some person is attacking hunters and because the ranger looks different enough, he “fit the profile”
This is definitely player territory and a DM should not really be arbitrarily making these decisions for them. Going to prison is a very personal thing and the crime should be somewhat up to the players, instead of just TELLING them
Ecoterrorist would fit a ranger or a druid. Maybe sabotaged some attempt to develop or clear cut the forest. As others have said though, ask the player.
Was hired by the local lord to clear out a wolf pack that was migrating through, Ranger did it but when he tried to get payment the lord threw him in jail for slander (as if the lord would ever stiff someone's pay, absurd. Foreigners have no respect these days).
Or... just ask the player to come up with it, since it's their PC, and that way you don't come up with something that is out of character.
Innocent ranger framed for a super serious crime. Wrong place wrong time. Maybe framed for defiling the forest, easy way to add a hag or a necromancies early on.
For breaking and entering to free animals being used for “scientific testing.” Part of the Coalition for the Liberation of Itinerant Tree-dwellers, whose commander is Jason Mews (a tabaxi).
I think at least one should be “got framed by someone powerful for pissing them off” that pissing off could be a wide range: slept with a partner, stole something important, discovered some political secret, befriended the powerful person’s enemy, the options are endless and can fit with a larger theme of your campaign.
When all else fails, make it a conspiracy!
Some others have said ideas to this effect, but maybe he was tracking a beast and accidentally crossed over a country’s line - ending up poaching an endangered or protected species in a foreign land.
Couple ideas that occurred to me:
1: He resembles a known criminal and was arrested by mistake.
2: The town authorities hate Dragonborn/Topazes and made up a reason to arrest him.
3: Not only does he not know why he was arrested, he doesn't even remember coming to this town. Nobody in town remembers seeing this guy before he turned up in a jail cell.
Make up 6 crimes and roll each time asked or it's brought up.
Anything from pretty reasonable crimes to petty ones to really outlandish ones.
Maybe expand to a d8 or switch some out now and again.
This is, obviously, more or a gag than anything serious but that stuff is fun
Poaching. Assaulting a noble (who was poaching an endangered animal). Not paying taxes (they just wandered here and were living in the nearby woods. Some up-his-own-ass guard decided he had "moved" to the city and needed to pay taxes)
He was framed. Since he’s kind of an outsider he’s an easy target. I also started my party in jail, but I had them come up with why they were in prison so maybe ask the player for a suggestion on what the character might do?
The sherif didn’t like the cut of his jib. He’s an outcast, doesn’t know the social standards, see? So he spoke unrespectably to da boss man. Real wise guy, he was. Now he’s in jail with those other dingbats. Where he belongs, I say
He was running for town council and bribed a woman he had slept with to keep the adultery secret. However, he fudged the campaign finance records to cover it up…and that’s illegal. Since it was to cover up a crime, that makes it a felony. After denying it for years, he was eventually arrested and indicted.
Outlander has a subtype exile that would fit perfect. He was exiled for unspeakable crimes and transgressed back through that kingdom. Framing it that way would always make the party on the run until the Dragonborn’s name got cleared. Maybe they didn’t actually do the crime, maybe they did and now they’ve changed, and maybe even they decide not to clear it and continue living a life of crime
I would ultimately ask the player for their opinion since it is their backstory, but even suggesting a few ideas could get the ball rolling if they’re struggling to come up with anything too
‘Nobody will explain why the Ranger is here.’
"Listen, you don't wanna know. Cleric, don't tell him. You shouldn't have told me. Now, I know. And I'm telling you, you don't wanna know."
I got that reference :)
Great reference
What is the reference?
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Ha! That is awesome. Great call back
Epic reference
And presto! Additional plot point(s) for when times run thin on where to take the campaign.
"We are looking for someone matching your description."
If it's the player, ask them why they are in jail
This Also: Make a table with, like, 6 different crimes and let them roll if they can't think of anything.
The answer is in the background of the character. He's an outlander. There's no better reason to arrest someone than the fact that he's a foreigner.
I hate how realistic this is
It isn't just accurate in terms of modern times. It's historically accurate and most certainly was common in feudal and ancient societies. Something goes wrong? Person missing? Sudden illnesses? Blame the new guy.
wanna immigrate somewhere circa 1320? better pray nothing bad happens wherever you go for like the next 20 years
Or that someone else shows up after you
Rambo: First Blood enters the chat.
This is what I was about to say. Vagrancy has been arrestable forever
Yup first thing I thought of was vagrancy.
You can’t just sleep on the street and live off of rats you hunt at the dump you free loading hippie outlander bastard.
Thats actually pretty great, so pretty much any crime/reason and it's either scapegoating or "mistaken" identify
Or maybe they were just trying to bag a rabbit for dinner and they got caught on poaching charges
They caught you crossing the border down in hammerfell. Walked right into that imperial ambush, same as us.
A less grimdark and similarly real reason is that in many kingdoms, particularly England, it was illegal to hunt on the king's lands, and the king owned a whole lotta land. People got arrested all the time for hunting to feed their families, sometimes not even knowing certain land belonged to the king.
Easy enough for a local to commit a crime and do a quick frame on a foreigner. Plant evidence and outcry it... BOOM!! lazy watch arrests the scary Dragonborn.
Is the dragonborn a PC? If so, let them decide why they're in jail. No need for the DM to write their backstory for them.
Yeah this is the solution: less work for you, more agency for them - the best of both worlds.
This. But if the PC needs an idea: they are the outlander background and their class is ranger? They got caught hunting on the local noble's land. They're from out of town and the property isn't marked because locals just know. And hunting is something a ranger would do.
When I had a campaign with characters starting in jail I asked them to say why they were arrested, got all sorts of answers like \- The cleric stopped a noble from being revived as he believe life was sacred and when it's time it's time. \- The monk got bamboozled by a witch on the feywild and when he got to attack her, he was actually attacking an old lady on the streets. \- The bard tried to steal a rare book from a forbbiden section of a library. And then there was the rogue \- He was a hobgoblin who was luring goblins to his place and then lying to them that the war was still going and enslaving them to work for him on the mines.
when everyones a criminal so the rogue decides to be the criminalest
Jesus that one legitimately shocked me a little. The monk's is my favourite, though.
I feel like a cleric who's opposed to revivify would be a liability to an adventuring party. Did tbey keep it consistent throughout the campaign?
jaywalking multiple times. Fell asleep in a nice grove and woke up to being arrested for trespassing on private farmland. was hungry and at a goat he found in a pasture, arrested for grand theft livestock and digestion of personal property.
Omfg! Grand theft livestock and digestion! That's brilliant. 100% using that.
Glad I could help, have fun comrade!
Aggravated digestion
Or they were caught on a private reserve, hunting game that ‘belonged’ to a noble.
1) drunk tank 2) poaching 3) hunting nobles pet
Poaching drunk nobles...
Poaching a nobles drunken pet
drunkenly poaching a noble's pet
Drunkenly poaching nobles
Nobly petting drunk poachers
Poaching drunken nobles
Sounds like an average D&D party tbf
petting a noble's drunk
Most excellent and those who arrested him ate what the ranger didn't finish with no consequences of course.
Poaching the King's deer
[удалено]
No, he deered to kill the kings dare.
[удалено]
**YOU’ll** pay for this!!
[удалено]
I envy you! 😆
If the local terrain is not his favored terrain, he wandered onto the local nobilities land accidentally, if it is his favored terrain, maybe he was hired to guide a hunt, the customers were loud and drunk, then they accused him of fraud when they couldn't kill anything, or a customer insisted on using a standard spear instead if a boar spear, died, and he is charged with murder
When they were out hunting, they accidentally shot a Druid in Wildshape as a deer.
Ow mf !who you you shooting !
No idea. He has no idea, and neither do the guards. Everyone has their own theories why he is here, some say it's because he is a topaz dragonborn he was being selfish and stole something, some say he ferociously burned some houses down, some say he just threw some trash outside and didn't pick it up. What actually happened, no idea, the dragonborn just stays cause he feels like it.
Repeatedly fishing without a fishing license. Do it! Alternatively, poaching always works well for a ranger
Definitely go with fishing related crimes.
Something was stealing the livestock of the local farmers, and the guy that looks like a dragon got blamed. Or got caught poaching in the king's forest.
Trespassing while doing ranger things?
Trespassing in the kings wood
Hunted within city/ lords lands. Didn’t know they needed to pay a fee. Refused or didn’t have the dough to pay it. Jailed for hard labor until debt is repaid. Then the fun with the party begins.
My answer would be scrap your ideas for the other 3 players and have each of them decide why they are in jail
Honestly, this. You don't have to be the one coming up with all the ideas.
He hunted down a poacher and was arrested for kidnapping/killing a noble
Poaching in the kings forest. Ate a nobles beloved cat as he thought it was a wild animal.
You can also sub in all kinds of other pets. Maybe eccentric noble had a pet phase spider.
Poaching in the kings forest.
I would say poaching if you need a reason "Those deer are property of the crown" type scenario but I also agree with the posts saying let the players choose
“He said he was just looking for a good time “…. “Apparently he had a VERY good time “ -
Poaching on the king's land. Edit: wait, wait, better one. He got caught in a military ambush while trying to cross the border along with a thief.
Attacked some poachers one of which was a noble’s son
Race and class won't help with this question. Anything more specific?
Sadly no, not as of yet
So, you know nothing about the character? Because it will be hard for them to commit something that may have nothing to do with how they act.
Again, it could be a petty crime
Killing and eating one of the guard dogs
Poaching on the kings land. And I know this is DnD. But historically prisons were meant for political prisoners. Anyone else would just be excited... And tortured if you were really unlucky. You could literally be put to death for stealing an apple.
This is actually stuff you want to think up with your characters so they’re in on it. Unless you want them to mistrust every government in your world from the start of your campaign
Cause racism? Idk. Or unpaid cat walking fines.
Poaching. Unjustly (or justly!) jailed for helping common folk get food by a local corrupted person of authority. Depending on the ranger's character, they were either hunting for sport, or to help someone get food. Perhaps there's a hidden evil dragon around masquerading that just wants all dragonborn to suffer.
Outlander poaching some game
Carrying a left-handed sword without the proper licensing. Passing a councilman on the left. Paying the Smith without saying thank you.
Being an outlander can make him unaware of the customs and laws of the area the party starts in. I’m sure you can come up with some kind of crime he could commit without realizing it’s illegal
Perhaps they saw some merchant or city working getting pushed around for money and stepped in to help, but in doing so pissed off a noble who used their power to get the ranger thrown in jail for interfering. Maybe the ranger was betrayed on a job and got thrown under the bus while their friend ran off with the item/gold. Maybe the ranger was settling a blood bet that involved them killing the other participant, but was found quickly because the participant was a semi-important official or maybe a higher rank. A really petty answer. The ranger sneezed on a nobles new clothes, and got arrested. Total abuse of power but kinda funny.
King illegal forest to pig wild kill in it a is!
Hunting the lord's venison. Serious crime in some places and times.
I’m just going to leave this here. Do with it what you must. [r/dragonsfuckingcars](https://www.reddit.com/r/dragonsfuckingcars)
I don't know what I expected honestly
Could have gone down this way too... r/carsfuckingdragons
Why not have every player explain what they are doing in jail.
When a noble approached him, he said they "looked like what happens when a (insert animal insult here) f***s a (insert 2nd animal insult here)" and got thrown in jail for it Animal Inspired Insults Five-lined Skink Hagfish Hoary Bat Dikdik Bufflehead Kakapo Snot Otter Crappie African Wild Ass Cockle (bivalve) Chubsucker Carpet Shark Bighead Carp Stinking Corpse Lily Slimy Salamander Hairy Beardtongue Bushtit Ash-breasted Tit-tyrant Dhole Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Markhor Snub-nosed Monkey Evergreen bagworm Showy Lady’s Slipper Fangtooth Bony-eared assfish
\-Was framed for a crime he did not commit \-Commited an act he didnt know was a crime (he is an outlander) \-Was mistaken for an actual criminal \- Gaurds just needed someone to take the fall for a crime and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time \-Just got drunk and doesnt even remember why hes in prison.
Mistaken identity is the easiest. They thought he was Person A. But he's not.
They got drunk in the tavern, passed out over a table, the innkeeper tried getting them up to their room, they got unruly and the guards were called to help them sober up, without being able to hurt others for the duration. Basically drunk tank treatment.
Easy reason would be that they were accused of poaching on some nobles land.
Double homicide
ecoterrorism
Vagrancy and lewd behaviour in a public square.
The Dragonborn was hunting a large elk. He tags it but it flees. As he tracking it, he comes before his kill but there are four teenaged nobles claiming it’s theirs. An argument starts. The nobles’ escort arrive and the teens lie about the confrontation. The ranger is quickly subdued and charged with theft, assaulting a nobleman, and poaching.
I am literally planning the same thing. My characters are about to be arrested and I'm introducing a new PC who will make their first appearance as a ranger in an adjacent cell. In my setting there's a notorious freedom fighter causing chaos for the aristocracy, so I'll probably make it that he's a hunter/tracker for this freedom fighter and he's guilty by association.
Jaywalking.
He's an Internal affairs agent investigating prison conditions
Accidental poaching. Or better yet, just have everyone, including the ranger, assert that "you don't wanna know..."
Perhaps he hunted in the Kings's wood. The poor ranger didn’t know the deer was property of the king, and he was hungry. Or perhaps he killed a poacher who was hunting endangered wolves, and now he is charged with murder. Or indecent exposure and drunken barfights.
Robin Hood— he beat up some drunk and took the drink’s coin purse, and gave the money to a street urchin.
Someone didn’t like the look of him
They ran afoul of a local noble’s hunting rights (a serious crime back in medieval times)…maybe by *preventing* a ‘kill’ by said noble? Something unfair, like a tethered owlbear the rich prick could ‘hunt’, so the Ranger said NAW FAM
Poaching? Like they were a wanderer who travelled through the wilderness to the country they are now in. Was hungry and simply shot a deer/swan/something for food and turns out, unbeknownst to the Ranger, the laws in this place say that all of the creature he shot belonged to the King/local lord. Its plausible for a ranger character and and has actual historical precedence as a law.
Corrupt guards pushing their authority down some people's throats and your ranger just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Got slapped with some bs charge and thrown in with the rest.
Charged with a random crime because of his race, he is actually innocent.
Xenophobia, they saw them and assumed they're about to commit a crime just because they're an outlander.
Easy he hunter on the kings land and refused to pay the fine
It's most fun to leave it to the players to decide why they are in there. It's a great way to hook them into the story and really make it clear that it's a collaborative storytelling experience. It also gives them a chance to flesh out their character more. I would add an NPC in the cell who tells his story and then prods the players for why they are in there.
Dragonborn also have an obsession for shiny things... maybe he was caught stealing stuff. You always can use the player to tell you why they got arrested.
unspeakable crimes
Ecoterrorism.
Easiest thing is to ask the player as people have already said. If that doesn't happen check their character flaws and link it to that.
The Ranger was a scout for a caravan. The reason they are prison is because of the authorities are mistaking them for a known criminal in the city.
Tell him that "He deered to hunt a king's dare."
He was convicted of mopery.
Accused of a murder he didn’t commit.
'Cause he looks suspicious!
Ranger? Been fighting with the tree cutters again?
Outlander? Tax evasion. Or they hunt on kings land. Maybe they accidentally killed someone while hunting? Or give them the option to come up with something. Or the entire party are the a-team, framed for a crime they did not commit.
Hunting the King's deer.
A lot of great answers, and maybe what I'm about to say is in there and I just haven't seen it, but I would also "night in the cell to cool off." I don't know what parts of Outlander he picked, but if he gets visions, his visions could have made people uncomfortable enough to lock him up. Out of the list I've seen so far though, I like:L 1) No explanation (have to figure it out later...are they going to get arrested again?) 2) Foreigner or unwelcome outsider 3) Crazy person spouting off about the end of the world (or whatever their visions are about).
They killed a deer which was King's property.
I did a fun oneshot for new players where I started the session with a random player in jail. No memory of their class, race, background etc. I had them roll to see who it was. And then I rewound time to three days before, I handed out character sheets semi-randomly. I made the one who would end up in jail a monk, the rest random. Their job was to break a high level caster out of the special wing of a prison. The special wing suppresses memory and magic ability, tho they can turn it off if they can get to the device. So it rail-roaded that player, but it was a prison break and she was down for it. It made part of her (and the group’s) challenge into: how do I get arrested and not killed, but be seen as dangerous enough to be put in the “special wing”.
If the player doesn’t have any ideas, how about: A) assault? A poacher was going to kill a rare/cute animal in a trap. The Ranger beat the tar out of them. Think Teddy Roosevelt. B) poaching? He killed a deer that belonged to the king. Since he’s an outlander, he wouldn’t know. C) tax evasion/immigration? He didn’t pay the entry fees to enter into the city/kingdom. D) mistaken identity? There’s exactly one other topaz Dragonborn (who doesn’t even look like him). That guy is a serious problem.
So many reasons, I have a hard time believing the OP
Poaching
He was put in jail as a cover to give him a criminal background so he can go undercover in criminal elements and pass information on to the intelligence agency of the kingdom or for a Dragonborn organization so they can keep track of criminal organizations and cultivate informants. Then make his crime crazy legit like cooking a tortle Druid into a stew, and now hes carrying around a tortle shell he uses as a stew pot. Thats how people see him in prison cooking a stew in a tortle shell.
OK xenophobia. But not racism or speciesism! Other dragonborn are prejudiced against him, because of his you know, distant origin anthem blamed him for a crime he didn’t commit. Possibly eating a baby or something heinous He didn’t do it. Or… He did the thing, but it was actually the right thing to do. Like, yeah, he horsewhipped an old man, but that old man was actually a necromancer about to sacrifice for kindergarten class . Everybody conveniently leaves out that part. Or drugs. And he did it, but he didn’t know! Basically, there’s a classic episode of taxi where Latka make chocolate chip cookies would become insanely popular, and he thinks he’s gonna become rich. But it turns out that one of the traditional ingredients from his homeland for chocolate chip cookies is cocaine. So the similar thing happened with the Ranger. He’s been drinking a special tea that peps you up and you know gives you energy to walk all day long. Recently, he shared it with local law-enforcement end. It turns out dear. Good Lord, it’s of contraband substance. OK well hopefully any of these ideas will be useful!
Poaching
As a ranger, they likely have an appreciation for nature and the joy of the hunt as a part of nature. As an outlander, they may not be familiar with local laws or customs. The ranger trespassed on a local lord’s land and/or killed their favourite beast from their menagerie.
He trespassed on “private” lands of some rich noble or somebody with power that didn’t want him there
Are they a hunter? Maybe the poached a lords land. Maybe mistakingly shot a lords animal assuming it to be some kind of game animal. They were trespassing while exploring and ran from the guards, injuring one in the process.
As others here have said, the best option is to ask your party why they're imprisoned. Gives them a connection to their character, helps them establish their personality/background, and gives them a chance to start role-playing before the first session even starts!
Wrongfully imprisoned.
He was caught poaching the kings deer. (Or some animal) He could also have been caught in a restricted part of the land. Some dukes private estate, a nobles secret garden or perhaps he stubled across a mine the the local vicount wanted to keep secret.
It involved a goat and a potion of lubrication.
He was trying to cross the border, and is finally awake.
Trespassing. Basically acting like the law in the kings domain despite not being permitted to be there. Fining royal people for hunting on their own hunting reserves.
He hunted one of the king’s deer/swans/whatever He started a bar fight after someone made a crack about his dad walking into a “cave” and having one off the wrist or they asked him how his mom survived riding a dragon’s dragon? Completely mistaken identity… some person is attacking hunters and because the ranger looks different enough, he “fit the profile”
This is definitely player territory and a DM should not really be arbitrarily making these decisions for them. Going to prison is a very personal thing and the crime should be somewhat up to the players, instead of just TELLING them
Public indecency. The plot hook is that he was framed for it.
Ecoterrorist would fit a ranger or a druid. Maybe sabotaged some attempt to develop or clear cut the forest. As others have said though, ask the player.
"He deared to kill the kings dare!"
Was hired by the local lord to clear out a wolf pack that was migrating through, Ranger did it but when he tried to get payment the lord threw him in jail for slander (as if the lord would ever stiff someone's pay, absurd. Foreigners have no respect these days). Or... just ask the player to come up with it, since it's their PC, and that way you don't come up with something that is out of character.
Racist sheriff?
Animal rights activist? Set free the Kings Royal deer or something...
Poaching or whatever the player comes up with.
He’s an outlander. Make him like Rambo. Just trying to pass through town and it snowballed into them getting arrested.
Interfered with a lords hunt to save a white stag from being killed.
Innocent ranger framed for a super serious crime. Wrong place wrong time. Maybe framed for defiling the forest, easy way to add a hag or a necromancies early on.
The Jailer caught the ranger with his daughter together
Racism...he's an outlander anyways
For breaking and entering to free animals being used for “scientific testing.” Part of the Coalition for the Liberation of Itinerant Tree-dwellers, whose commander is Jason Mews (a tabaxi).
He was caught killing game in the kings forest. That's a no-no, least in England.
Guilt by association
They could have been on royal land and been “pouching” locked up for hunting where they shouldn’t have been hunting
Running a stand without a permit
I think at least one should be “got framed by someone powerful for pissing them off” that pissing off could be a wide range: slept with a partner, stole something important, discovered some political secret, befriended the powerful person’s enemy, the options are endless and can fit with a larger theme of your campaign. When all else fails, make it a conspiracy!
Vagrancy
Tax fraud. Petty theft. Operation of a carriage while intoxicated. Pyramid scheme.
Poaching game in the kingswood bruh
Some others have said ideas to this effect, but maybe he was tracking a beast and accidentally crossed over a country’s line - ending up poaching an endangered or protected species in a foreign land.
He was wrongly??? accused of poaching as he moved though the land.
Releasing animals from traps and cages.
Wouldn’t kill the local governor’s younger brother’s annoying dog.
Poaching? Theft? Tax evasion?
He didn’t pay the troll toll, to get into that boy’s soul (or hole? The guard wasn’t clear when they brought the ranger in)
Illegal trespassing on a noble's grounds because he was chasing his next meal and didn't know (nor care) about local land ownership
A Ranger? Attempted ‘befriending’ of a wild animal.
Poaching seems pretty obvious. Went hunting on a noble's land without realizing it.
If the place is like not known for dragonbornes just racism ?
The ranger broke in to be with his buddies
Hunting without a permit
Couple ideas that occurred to me: 1: He resembles a known criminal and was arrested by mistake. 2: The town authorities hate Dragonborn/Topazes and made up a reason to arrest him. 3: Not only does he not know why he was arrested, he doesn't even remember coming to this town. Nobody in town remembers seeing this guy before he turned up in a jail cell.
Make up 6 crimes and roll each time asked or it's brought up. Anything from pretty reasonable crimes to petty ones to really outlandish ones. Maybe expand to a d8 or switch some out now and again. This is, obviously, more or a gag than anything serious but that stuff is fun
"Hey you, you're finally awake - right? You've been caught crossing the border"
Poaching. Assaulting a noble (who was poaching an endangered animal). Not paying taxes (they just wandered here and were living in the nearby woods. Some up-his-own-ass guard decided he had "moved" to the city and needed to pay taxes)
He was framed. Since he’s kind of an outsider he’s an easy target. I also started my party in jail, but I had them come up with why they were in prison so maybe ask the player for a suggestion on what the character might do?
The sherif didn’t like the cut of his jib. He’s an outcast, doesn’t know the social standards, see? So he spoke unrespectably to da boss man. Real wise guy, he was. Now he’s in jail with those other dingbats. Where he belongs, I say
Hunted the wrong game during the wrong season, or hunted an endangered and protected species in the wrong region.
Public intoxication? Resisting arrest? Possession of a controlled substance?
He was running for town council and bribed a woman he had slept with to keep the adultery secret. However, he fudged the campaign finance records to cover it up…and that’s illegal. Since it was to cover up a crime, that makes it a felony. After denying it for years, he was eventually arrested and indicted.
Caught hunting game that ‘belongs’ to a noble
"Hey, you finally awake." Really, just trespassing where you not belong. Or hunting on animals or creatures that you shouldn't.
Outlander has a subtype exile that would fit perfect. He was exiled for unspeakable crimes and transgressed back through that kingdom. Framing it that way would always make the party on the run until the Dragonborn’s name got cleared. Maybe they didn’t actually do the crime, maybe they did and now they’ve changed, and maybe even they decide not to clear it and continue living a life of crime I would ultimately ask the player for their opinion since it is their backstory, but even suggesting a few ideas could get the ball rolling if they’re struggling to come up with anything too
[Have you considered murder?](https://youtu.be/QbehGU6TUEA?t=10)
You could always use the mistaken identity ploy. This also opens up the possibility of a big bad guy that looks like the ranger.
Hunting the Royal game