Should you have to resort to poison that has to be reapplied as opposed to being able to tie someone to a bed?
That's a good point. I think, from game balance vs reality, it's pretty easy in RL to tie someone up, but game balance-wise it needs to be -somewhat- difficult. Otherwise it's game breaking. I suppose a Bondage skill might be appropriate.

Along with code to struggle hard, or struggle softly, like trying to carefully untie or cut the ropes as is shown in most movies and shows. Chance of noticing based off sneak skill dunno. Hmm.
So, my thoughts I guess, similar to Bandage, must be holding a rope, length of twine, leather cord etc. So 'bondage amos'. 'You start to hog-tie Amos.' Or, 'You don't seem to have anything to hog-tie him/her.'
Cannot be in combat. Must be subdued, or unconcious. Either we hold you down and hog-tie ya, or your lights are out and hog-tie ya. Requires one person to subdue another to bondage if using subdue. Can bondage solo if target is unconcious. If asleep, maybe chance of awakening target (if capable of becoming awake) which would be considered a hostile action, starting combat with a delay for the bondage user for game balance and chance to flee? Maybe have to hold rope with both hands, or have one hand empty and rope in the other? Be hard to tie someone up with a single hand actually.
Bondage skill + item bonus (if any) = hog-tie value (hog-tie value maybe adjusted by item bonus instead of skill, this makes a bit more sense, good braided leather is probably harder to escape than thick hemp rope due to tightness possible with the two different 'ropes' for a random unthought out example) Stuck in sitting/resting as only two options for 'stance' probably resting. Resting means there are already limits to what you can or cannot pick up (you can't reach the chest with escape tools from here message), so would keep from rummaging through that chest to find a pocket knife, but bottle on the floor could be grabbed and broken? I guess I don't think you can do that without holding it...I don't know, that all could come later...
Struggle command lets you attempt to loosen or remove bonds. Decreasing or 'damaging' hog-tie value. Hog-tie value 0 or less and you are freed.
Struggle based on skill or strength + agility stat? Probably just stats to keep it simpler. Possible bonus for knife in inventory or hand, though not likely in hand. Can maybe retrieve knife from a container worn on body but large delay to accomplish and echo to room showing you are contorting yourself to do so?
Can 'struggle hard' to subtract from hog-tie value in larger amounts, but this is completely visible. Can 'struggle hidden' to attempt to slip the ropes/break the ropes without being noticed. Bonus to not being noticed based on sneak or hide (hide seems more apt in my mind) skill if any, agility otherwise, damage to hog-tie value decrease is small, but less likely to result in a punch or clubbing to the face as may go unnoticed. Bonus to detect if watching checked against scan skill vs hide/agility. Otherwise what...wisdom vs hide/agility? So still dangerous to try if you aren't good at being a hider.
Something like that maybe. I don't know the state of the code so no guesses as to how hard to add all this, of course a 'struggle' and 'bondage' skill would need to be created, tested, and then added to guilds or all characters. At least 'struggle' should be on everyone's list, unless it is just based on stats, then it's just a command similar to mount. Attempts to do something like 'east' would echo to the 'bondaged' character, 'You can't do that as you are tied up! Try to 'struggle' to free yourself!' Maybe just using 'struggle' defaults to 'struggle hard.'
That seem balanced and make sense? Did I miss something obvious?