Good reading elsewhere: Skot at Izzle pfaff! shares memories of role-playing for cash in college, acting like as a hostage taker to give policemen practice in negotiation:
I was quite free to invent a vivid past for my bad guy, as well as any motive I might have for the “kidnapping,” up to and including batshit craziness; similarly, M., the victim, and I were free to invent any relationship that might exist in our predicament, if any. What did need to happen was that (1) in the course of our chats, I was to make at least one completely unreasonable demand, and (2) that eventually M. should begin to exhibit symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome, the famous psychological effect of the victim beginning to sympathize more and more with the captor. The rest was up to us. “You can kill her if you think they’re doing a bad job,” said the fellow mildly. I cheerfully turned to M. and informed that the moment we got into the room I was going to beat her to death with an ashtray and take her forty bucks.
(Many thanks to Creating Text(iles) for pointing out this fine, fine thing.)