Players Keep Out :P

Where judges gather to discuss plots, devices and the games they play.
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jamesmishler
Ulthal
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Players Keep Out :P

Post by jamesmishler »

Okay, judges, what are some of the evil, nasty things you have visited upon well-deserving player characters over the years? Share here, so that other judges may be educated and amused.

I shall begin with an anecdote of my own...

I ran a 3E game for some youngsters a couple of years back, and was able to catch them with some classic pit traps that more seasoned gamers would never, ever be caught up on. Eventually, they had the idea to take one of the local bugbears prisoner, and have him guide them through the lair, as he would be sure to avoid any traps himself (knowing where they all were, of course).

The bugbear, tied to the end of a (short) rope, led the party safely through a good piece of the lair, pointing out the traps and enabling the rogue to disable them easily. The players were quite jovial, feeling they had gotten one over on the old DM... Eventually, the bugbear got real angry at the party laughing at his predicament, and kneeled down in the middle of the corridor, saying he would not reveal any more of his people's secrets to the players. He wouldn't budge, even under threat of death, so two stout dwarven fighters grabbed his arms to pull him forward.

Of course, the moment they stepped in front of the bugbear, they set off the pit trap... in their surprise, they let go of the bugbear and fell 20 feet to crunch on the ground below.

The gnome sorcerer grabbed the rope, which one of the dwarves had dropped to pull the bugbear by his arms (to this day, I don't understand why he hadn't tried to drag him with the rope), and tied himself to it (it was a 20' rope, so there was, after tying to both, only about 10 to 12 feet between the bugbear and the gnome).

The gnome then pointed his finger at the head of the bugbear, pistol-like, and told him that if he didn't do as he was told, he would get a magic missile to the brain-pan. The bugbear told the gnome where to go and what to do when he got there, and so the gnome zapped him in the head. The gnome's player cackled with glee as I described, in slow motion, the bugbear's body falling into the pit...

A cackling that stopped the moment I described the rope being drawn in with him, upon which the player THEN asked, "Wait, how long was the rope?"

I described to the party how the gnome player's screams were echoed in those of the gnome as fell in after the body of the bugbear he had slain... and both landed on top of the only dwarf to survive the fall, killing him, too...
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James Mishler

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Pat Payne
Hlobane Orc
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Post by Pat Payne »

Recently, in a 3e game, the PCs had come across a massive black pudding which nearly decimated them --it stripped one PC of everything he had (temporarily, unitl I realized I'd done the saving throws for his equipment wrong and let him have a re-do) and severely mauled another. They were able to finally defeat it, but with great difficulty. Well, they get into the next room, where the module's author had placed barrels of tar that the bad guys were burning in a trench to keep the black pudding out.

I could not resist letting one of those barrels leak into a sinister-looking puddle... The players nearly had a heart attack, and immediatly nuked the room. It was only after choking back a laugh that I was able to get out, "and as that puddle of tar burns..."

Arazmus
Ulthal
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Post by Arazmus »

PCs had just finished with some Hell Hounds and the ranger was down to 0 hit points with no helaing magic available. Turns out there were Hell Hound puppies and they were prancing about looking cute as all puppies, hell-spawned or no, are wont to do. One scampers up to the ranger and starts licking him "affectionately" so he pets the puppy who then bites him. Rolled a 20, did one point of damage and sent the Ranger into negatives and unconsciousness.

Kill my parents will ya nature boy?
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double-c
Ungern
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Post by double-c »

The nastiest thing I ever did was make the PCs love to hate me as a GM.

If you can achieve this status you've succeeded as a GM.

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Relaxo
Greater Lore Drake
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Post by Relaxo »

James, that is PRICELESS.

Wasn't my fault, but one of my players insisted on taking the point position exploring a dungeon... with 1 hp left.

Yes.

This was a ranger wearing... wait for it... plate mail, and squeaking and clanking along noisey as can be, he kicks open a door, and is greeted by a 70 hp cone of cold...

one freeze-dried ranger! though I think I allowed a save bonus for the PCs behind him, ruling he and the doorway blocked most of the cone.

WTF are you doing kicking open doors with one frickin' hp?!
Bill D.
Author: Yarr! Rules-Light Pirate RPG
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Arazmus
Ulthal
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Post by Arazmus »

Relaxo wrote:
WTF are you doing kicking open doors with one frickin' hp?!

Dying most likely.
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I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. ~Zorg

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