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AtwasAwamps
2010-10-21, 09:06 AM
TL;DR - Character development is awesome.

Story:

I just really want to share this story. It was a beautiful moment in a game that made my players grin like idiots and made me lean back and nod in satisfaction.

My players were, for the first time in this campaign, confronted with an actual, honest to goodness, “Dungeon”…a mazelike warren of sewers and passageways that was the lair of a powerful group of spriggans, led by a gnome who was trying to control them or…as the party finds out…’fix’ the spriggans, restoring their minds back to normal.

The warlock in our party, an accidental addition from Sigil who is currently the subject of a rather nasty planar anamoly and keeps getting teleported through realities, recognized this gnome when he came out to confront the party…it was a warrior that he’d fought alongside back in his adventuring days in Sigil. He noticed a few odd things about the warrior – His face wasn’t moving properly, he was using magic when the warlock knew he didn’t have that skill before…and the warrior recognized him. Though the conversation started with the warrior wearing a rictus grin and taunting the party, when the warlock spoke, the gnome’s face twisted into a flat, neutral expression-and he encouraged the warlock to run. Then the face twisted into a terrible frown, lamented that fate of all those who crossed it, and fled further into the dungeon.

And then warlock stepped up and RP’d like a badass. See, he was playing a Gnome Feylock and was doing it, to the HILT, as a wacky flippant gnome…very fey, very lacksadaisacal, and reveling in his power and the use of it. At this moment, rather than cracking jokes and taunting the enemy, he went dead serious. He still made a few quips as they worked through the dungeon, but both the player and the character made a point of keeping a straight face and a worried look throughout, until they reached what appeared to a makeshift study.

In this study, they discovered a mystical video diary, in which the gnome, wrapped mostly in bandages, related his research in trying to save or mend the spriggans that he’d brought with him when he escaped the Formorians before they could twist him into a spriggan. He could barely control the wild creatures, thanks to his half-finished transformation, but he was doing his best. Barring civilizing them, he began trying to find a place to put them…but he was a fighter, not a caster.

He was found by a man draped in black, a powerful magician, who offered him a “pocket dimension” for his spriggan wards, as well as a magical mask that would hide his facial disfigurement…in return for the gnome warrior and his spriggans eliminating an adventuring party that had been causing him some trouble. That adventuring party, of course, being our intrepid party, and that powerful magician the nemesis they’ve been stalking across continents.

The last recording was one of the gnome, his face revealed but stiff, begging whoever found the diary to get out, that he couldn’t control the mask anymore…and begging someone to stop the magician.

Our warlock goes dead silent. The player stares at me for a long moment and then nods, decisively, and says the first altruistic thing the character and player have said the entire game:

“We’re saving him.”

He recieves no argument.

There’s more here…the warlock manages to do some extra research in the study, discovering more about the nature of the world he’s been sent to (and its NOT what the residents…ie, the other party members…think it is), and throughout all of the RP involved in this, there is a steady progression of the warlock’s character from light-hearted to stone-faced…he makes his Arcana and History checks, relates what he knows to the party in a dead serious voice, and urges the paladin to hurry with his prayer…and thanks him for praying for his friend.

It’s not long before they enter the room that the warrior has retreated through with a band of Spriggans. He taunts them, one hand holding an axe and the other a scepter, but the warlock tries desperately to reach out to him, to get to the gnome he knew before the mask took hold…it’s not working.

Now, I’d expected a few things out of this fight. The paladin and swordmage, I knew, would try to close in on the warrior and tear the mask off. They were more than able to do this, but it would allow some of the other spriggans in the room to reach the “squishies”…a bard, a rogue, a sorcerer, and of course, the warlock. They both tried to do so. The warlock marched straight into the room and asked me if he could use Decree of Khirad to force the warrior to take an action besides a basic attack.

Me: “What action?”
Warlock: “I want him to tear his mask off.”

I think about it and say yes, but he gets a saving throw. I warn the warlock that there is a bonus to saving throws in play (an ability stacked on the warrior), but he shook his head and said “This is what I’m going to do,” readies an action to Decree as soon as the warrior gets in range, and waits.

The warrior gets in range. Decree of Khirad hits EXACTLY the amount needed to nail his defenses. He rolls his saving throw, with a +2 from an aura. And he rolls a 7.

A cheer goes up and the warrior struggles to take his mask off. HE can’t do it…it’s got more than just a mental hold on him and is latched into his flesh. It does, however, cancel his turn. Plans are made for the bard to use her domination ability to the same effect. The warlock, however, didn’t feel like waiting that long. On his next turn, he teleported next to the fighter using a power and then…grappled him, wrestling him to the ground and trying to tear his mask off. The party went DEAD silent, jaws hanging open, as the most cautious player in the group…the player with the least damage taken, who always sought away to avoid conflict and combat, who had spent half the game running in terror from dangerous enemies…threw himself next to most dangerous creature on the field in an attempt to save its mind and soul. He succeeded, but it still wasn’t enough to tear the mask off (I had a set number of attempts made before the mask could be torn off…it was a mini skill challenge in the fight itself. The mask could also be attacked as a separate entity from the warrior himself, if the players thought of it).

So what does our cautious, tactical, smart warlock do?

Action Point.

“I do it again, goddammit.”

He succeeds again, causing blood to slick his hands and smoke to rise from his opponents face as the masks hold is loosening.

There was no stopping the warlock. While the rest of the party tore through the spriggans that accompanied the maddened gnome, the warlock…with low strength stores, low con scores, and no AC to speak of…spent the fight next to the warrior, soaking enormous hits from spriggans trying to get him away from their chief and hits from the boss himself (he was making saving throws every turn now, without the bonus, to try and stop the mask from making him fight…he failed most of them). Every turn, the warlock grappled away, usually failing. When the bard finally remembered to dominate the warrior, she managed to succeed in making him inch the mask off just a bit more…just before the warlocks turn.

With 15 ongoing damage from the other spriggans, 22 hitpoints, and nothing but the warrior left, the warlock rolls one more grapple check, while screaming at the figurine, the character, the NPC, and the world in general.

“Wake up, dammit! WAKE UP. THIS…ISN’T…YOU!”

Natural 20 on the last success needed. With a wrenching sound and the tearing of skin, the mask is torn off of the warrior and flung aside, radiating dark magic as it transforms into a plain wooden disc with eyeholes. The warlock stares down at the fighter’s ruined, smoking face, into the grin of a freed man.

“Hey there, Toiky,” says the warlock. And then the player looks at me and says “…I now drop unconscious.”

There are very few times at the table when someone gets applause…high fives, fist pounds, what have you, they happen all the time. But applause?

That’s something you gotta earn.

I just wanted to share that story. I know that you had to be there for a lot of it, but it was just too damn fantastic not to share. Thanks for reading if ya did.

dsmiles
2010-10-21, 09:11 AM
Wow. Just, wow. Amazing story, AA. I wish for a game like that.

Sipex
2010-10-21, 09:14 AM
A+, that was a very compelling story.

AtwasAwamps
2010-10-21, 09:49 AM
It was a very good night. I don’t have sessions like this every time, but when I do, it makes all the pain and annoyance worth it.

Memorable quotes from the evening:

In-Character –

Rogue: “Do we really have to save him? We could just stab him. It would be easier!”
Warlock: “You are aware that my hand is roughly at crotch heigh for you, right?”
Rogue: “Yes, but I don’t like where you’re going with this…”
Warlock: “This hand hurls bolts of arcane power that decimate anything they touch. Again. Crotch-height. You may get me in the end, you jackass, but I will take your little sneak attack with me when I go. Now get your **** together, get up, and we’re going to go save my friend.”
Rogue: “Yessir.”

Paladin (Declaring his action): “I charge through the door, trying to trigger any traps I can in the process.”
(the paladin proceeds to be riddled with arrows)
Bard: “Dammit, (Paladin). Now you’re going to face evil with your face full of arrows.”
Paladin: (Pulling arrows out of his body one by one while walking to the next room). “Not the first time. Won’t be the last.”

Warlock: “We don’t want to hurt you!”
Rogue: “I kinda do.”
Warlock: “Most of us don’t want to hurt you!”
Sorcerer: “Well, actually…”
Warlock: “Okay, you can kill those two, I don’t mind.”

Rogue (after dealing enough damage with one encounter power and a lucky crit to end a soldier on his first turn): “I keep forgetting gnomes have so much blood in them.”
Bard: "Not gnome, spriggan."
Rogue: "What's the difference?"
Bard: "Blood's green."
Rogue: "Ah, of course."

Out-of-Character

DM: The desk, it turns out, is alive. A giant maw opens and attempts to chomp on the sorcerer.
Swordmage: Wait, the furniture is alive?
DM: Well, this one i..
Swordmage: No, just no. No. Every time furniture comes alive in your games, I die. Bookshelves, I die. Cauldron, I die. Ornamental flower pots, I die.
DM: It wasn’t a flowerpot, it was a…
Swordmage: NO. I’m taking a stand. This will be my one character not to die to an inanimate object in your game. I am blowing action points, dailies, whatever it takes. I will not be food for things that came out of the IKEA catalog instead of the monster manual. **** you, man. Seriously, **** you.
(He lived. Spent a lot of healing surges in that fight.)

Sorcerer: That’s a 27 to reflex!
DM: Hold on let me check…
Rogue: Wait, it matters?
DM: On this guy, yes.
Rogue: We’re all gonna die! WE’RE GONNA DIE.
DM: Annnd that misses.
Rogue: …Listen, I’ve got my backup guy ready to go.

Warlock: What kind of action is it to tear off his face?
DM: Standard.
Warlock: You said that so quickly. On some level, I’m pleased that I can do what I’m about to attempt to do. On the other hand, this means you planned that someone would try to tear off his face.
DM: If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t think it would be you.

Sipex
2010-10-21, 09:55 AM
I've always liked quotes from the DM's perspective.

You're right though, sessions like that are what makes DMing worthwhile.

Dimers
2010-10-21, 10:19 AM
Not just a great tale, but well-written too. Thank you. :smallsmile:

Fayd
2010-10-21, 10:48 AM
That... that was epic. Nicely done. Give that warlock my regards... he did a great job. And so did you, for that matter. All around, a good show. Thank you for sharing that gem with us!

dsmiles
2010-10-21, 10:58 AM
Warlock: What kind of action is it to tear off his face?
DM: Standard.
Warlock: You said that so quickly. On some level, I’m pleased that I can do what I’m about to attempt to do. On the other hand, this means you planned that someone would try to tear off his face.
DM: If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t think it would be you.

This is the DMing style I love. Right here!

(Where do you live again? And can I get in on your games?)

tcrudisi
2010-10-21, 11:18 AM
That was a good story and a lot of fun to read. I won't go so far as to say that it was epic... it sounds more like heroic if a 27 to Reflex is hitting. But it was a good story. Thanks!

Diarmuid
2010-10-21, 11:20 AM
Actually, the 27 missed.

flabort
2010-10-21, 12:04 PM
Wow. :smalleek:

Duos Greanleef
2010-10-21, 12:31 PM
Do you teach seminars on how to write/run a good story?

Cog
2010-10-21, 12:44 PM
Actually, the 27 missed.
The players (reasonably?) expected it to hit, though. Presumably it would have in most fights.

AtwasAwamps
2010-10-21, 12:49 PM
Do you teach seminars on how to write/run a good story?

I don’t, but I’m always happy to give advice =P Though really, this was all the Warlock player being able to react to a curveball I’d thrown him.

Interestingly enough, the cursed mask was a deviation from the original plotline. All of his madness was going to be himself and the ‘mask’ was going to be something he’d made himself in his madness, having hunted down and killed people with faces that were like his own to make it. I was going to make this a bit of a player punch – they’d find out that in his madness, all he was really trying to do was help the spriggans, who he felt responsible for as many of them are gnomes that were corrupted/transformed due to a failed expedition he led.

As we started setting up the game, I realized that this wasn’t going to fly. One of my players had just lost their job, another’s car finally gave in and died, and another one hadn’t slept properly in a few days due to a teething child. Punching my players wasn’t what I wanted to do, then…I didn’t want to give them a victory where they still lost. So I switched the storyline around, gave them some more opportunities for crowning moments, and basically flew the session by the seat of my pants as far as the non-combat session went to make sure they didn’t think about their RL crap…at least until the night was over.

EDIT:
The players (reasonably?) expected it to hit, though. Presumably it would have in most fights.

In general, past a 25 hits on late heroic monsters. The highest hit bonus in the group is the rogue, who is packing a +16. He would have needed a 12 or higher to hit vs. the target of that attacks AC. The fight was stacked slightly against them, but it didn't make a lick of difference.

The players are level 10. They will hit paragon at the end of this 'story arc' where they confront the big bad.

FoE
2010-10-21, 01:13 PM
Who says you can't roleplay in 4E? :smallbiggrin:

It's always nice when the players actually, you know, role play. Makes being the DM worthwhile.

Morph Bark
2010-10-21, 01:18 PM
Amazing and fun stuff there. :smallbiggrin:

Of course, I presume this is the same group with D, L, Y and K and such? Who was the Warlock here?

Diarmuid
2010-10-21, 01:28 PM
Amazing and fun stuff there. :smallbiggrin:

Of course, I presume this is the same group with D, L, Y and K and such? Who was the Warlock here?

Oh wow, I hadnt even noticed that this was the same poster who was talking about the trouble group. Did that thread die out? I was curious how it was going to get resolved...

off to search

AtwasAwamps
2010-10-21, 01:28 PM
Amazing and fun stuff there. :smallbiggrin:

Of course, I presume this is the same group with D, L, Y and K and such? Who was the Warlock here?

A, one of the ambivalent players from the Blues thread. L plays the Paladin in this case.

Camelot
2010-10-21, 01:35 PM
Wow, awesome! I don't know what else to say. Well done to you and your players!

Morph Bark
2010-10-21, 01:46 PM
Oh wow, I hadnt even noticed that this was the same poster who was talking about the trouble group. Did that thread die out? I was curious how it was going to get resolved...

off to search

I think I just notice more easily than most. Or because it is AtwasAwamps, since he commented on some races I posted when I still was on the WotC gleemax forums two years ago. (Man, my memory surprises me sometimes.) :smalltongue:


A, one of the ambivalent players from the Blues thread. L plays the Paladin in this case.

A very well-done piece of roleplaying then! A, very well-done piece of roleplaying then!

And hopefully L didn't feel too bad about the arrowface. The scars might be end up attractive to some people, after all. :smallwink:

AtwasAwamps
2010-10-21, 02:15 PM
I think I just notice more easily than most. Or because it is AtwasAwamps, since he commented on some races I posted when I still was on the WotC gleemax forums two years ago. (Man, my memory surprises me sometimes.) :smalltongue:


...It surprises me too, my friend, because I...uh...I haven't been playing DnD that long and I didn't actually know about the existence of Gleemax forums till...umm...well, about a year and a half ago. So...now I'm worried. Especially because my handle isn't a common one and means something rather specific that I didn't think anyone else would have thought of. That's...well, that's friggin' eerie.



A very well-done piece of roleplaying then! A, very well-done piece of roleplaying then!

And hopefully L didn't feel too bad about the arrowface. The scars might be end up attractive to some people, after all. :smallwink:

A was very happy and had a great night. I don't think I've seen him have so much fun with a character before...he usually plays extremely somber, callous types. He's playing a fairly wacky carefree character in my game, but he's got such a good feel for how his character reacts to things that its become one of the best characters at the table, bar none.

And L? L plays a goddamn fantastic paladin. He'll risk whatever it takes to keep his party safe and he won't let ANYONE touch his friends. He went toe to toe in an argument with a silver dragon that slighted his friends, and he's a dragonborn paladin of bahamut...moments before that, he was in awe of the dragon. Then he was in its face like white on rice. Any time when L gets to be badass through his wounds is a good night for him and his paladin. He's made himself into essentially the lynchpin of the team...hard to drop and helps keep everything on the board alive. He's got his own collection of badass stories in this campaign, which I might have to tell at some point.

Fallbot
2010-10-22, 06:10 AM
If they're even half as awesome as this one then I think I can speak for the playground when I say we want to hear them.

Morph Bark
2010-10-22, 06:52 AM
...It surprises me too, my friend, because I...uh...I haven't been playing DnD that long and I didn't actually know about the existence of Gleemax forums till...umm...well, about a year and a half ago. So...now I'm worried. Especially because my handle isn't a common one and means something rather specific that I didn't think anyone else would have thought of. That's...well, that's friggin' eerie.

Well, I posted it first end 2008 I think... but it was bumped a few times up to late 2009. I'm pretty sure I've seen your username there before though.

If it helps, the threads were about a race called "Mashlings" and a thread about "Races for video-game-inspired campaign settings". Doubt the former would ring any bells though.

EDIT: Nevermind, a Google search this time proved succesful (wootwoot (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19545534/Races_for_Video_Game-inspired_campaign_setting_(PEACH)?pg=1)) and it appears I mixed you up with someone else. Apologies. :smallredface: I guess I remembered seeing your username there and my memory mixed it up. Googling your username did reveal you or someone else with the same username being on a different non-tabletop, role-playing forum I am familiar with though.


A was very happy and had a great night. I don't think I've seen him have so much fun with a character before...he usually plays extremely somber, callous types. He's playing a fairly wacky carefree character in my game, but he's got such a good feel for how his character reacts to things that its become one of the best characters at the table, bar none.

And L? L plays a goddamn fantastic paladin. He'll risk whatever it takes to keep his party safe and he won't let ANYONE touch his friends. He went toe to toe in an argument with a silver dragon that slighted his friends, and he's a dragonborn paladin of bahamut...moments before that, he was in awe of the dragon. Then he was in its face like white on rice. Any time when L gets to be badass through his wounds is a good night for him and his paladin. He's made himself into essentially the lynchpin of the team...hard to drop and helps keep everything on the board alive. He's got his own collection of badass stories in this campaign, which I might have to tell at some point.

Sounds like you and your players fit together perfectly play-style- and DM-style-wise then! Also surprising that A took such a turn, but it is such surprises that make the game all the better. And since you haven't mentioned D, I take he's now well-adapted to the group, or wasn't present at this meeting.

And a collection of L's stories would be great. :smalltongue: If he can tell them like you can or even better (since he's probably passionate about his stories due to it being personal and badass)... no wait, inviting him here might get him reading your posts and insight into what is to come. Nevermind. Post them yourself!

AtwasAwamps
2010-10-22, 08:34 AM
I guess I remembered seeing your username there and my memory mixed it up. Googling your username did reveal you or someone else with the same username being on a different non-tabletop, role-playing forum I am familiar with though.


Oh, that's me. I'm curious...which one? There's been a few.

EDIT: Wait, no. Don't tell me. I just realized how very embarassing at least one of them is...




And a collection of L's stories would be great. :smalltongue: If he can tell them like you can or even better (since he's probably passionate about his stories due to it being personal and badass)... no wait, inviting him here might get him reading your posts and insight into what is to come. Nevermind. Post them yourself!

Why not? ::cracks knuckles:: I'll write a few of 'em up today, slow day at work.