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View Full Version : Success!: Tales of Triumph in Roleplaying



BootStrapTommy
2015-03-01, 03:23 PM
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I checked around for precursors and didn't find any.

I think it's time for players to give themselves a pat on the back and share a few stories. As the GM throws everything they got at us, often we players respond with inspired genius (or insnatity, depends who you ask). The results are those tales we love to tell. Be it instances of incredibly roleplaying, monumental munchkinry, cunning misdirection, or epic ingenuity, we've all had a moment, as players ourselves or through the players we GMed, that is worthy tales to be spoken of 'round the fire.

What was your funniest/most ingenious/most triumphant roleplaying moment? What's your favorite story of unlikely success?

A buddy of mine was putting together a 5e campaign late last fall with a bunch of friends. Originally the idea was for each of us to build a character at home, without knowledge of the others, and come ready for a campaign with full PvP.

The idea of us not communicating about our builds collapsed long before dates were even set, but I personally didn't like the idea of PvP. I'm a synergy guy, and there is enough interparty violence in this group without it actually being encouraged. Yet a few days before we began, my nephew sends me a text. The DM had leaked some info to him, and he had a question.

My nephew can be a bit spiteful in real life, and he's notorious for taking out real life grudges in games through betrayal (we rose as a powerful alliance in a free-to-play MMO once, back when they first started being a thing, and he sold us us out, resulting in a massive power shift through the whole server). With free rein for betrayal, it was predictable he would do it.

But here's where he threw a curve ball. He recruited me. His logic was simple. I'm the outspoken critic of interparty violence in our campaigns. It generally annoys me. I'd rather play in a party where I can trust fellow PCs than one where they might stab me in the back. Mainly because I'm a cooperation, not a competition kind of guy. As a result, interparty violence in our previous campaigns has largely just been the manifestation of players' munchkinry ****-measuring contests.

So in his eyes, I made the perfect ally because I was the least suspect player. I was honestly surprised. His logic was sound. So we teamed up. he was surprised I agreed. Our idea was that we actually worked for the BBG, and as an initiation into our assassin's guild we had to take the party out.

The resulting campaign pitted the players, in alternate-timeline Europe under the employ of a group of wizard/archaeologists, against a mysterious band of assassins and their dragon leader (the assassins we worked for). I played the party's Cleric, a war cleric in service of Anubis (my logic: wouldn't it suck if the healer betrayed the party?). My nephew played the party trap-monkey, a Rogue. While furtive glances where sent his way through out the campaign, he took mu suggestion to be excessively generous to the party, buying him the party's respect. Meanwhile, I played made party healer, as well as tank.

A few sessions in we arrive at the assassin's base. Just inside, our second devious plan emerges. One of our fellow players is known as something of a troll. He tends to possess a knack for oneupsmanship and a flare for just being a ****. Next to my nephew, he was the next most suspect. After my nephew recruited me, I had my nephew recruit him. But my nephew wasn't allowed to let him know I was on board.

This guy was not known for his subtly, so upon arrival at the lair of the BBG he springs his trap, as agreed upon by my nephew. His sorc alerts the enemies to our presence, then turns on the party (stupidly without back up yet). He's surprised when my nephew Sneak Attacks him and the party levels him before help arrives. He sells out my nephew when he dies, but my nephew actually manages to play it of as his trying to sow discord, after all every always expects him to betray the party. Just that guy trying to sow distrusted. My nephew acts so perturbed by the accusation IRL, everyone buys it.

The next round, the assassins swarm in, the BBG (a balck dragon) in tow. Players go through the motions, the assassins oddly ignoring my nephew and me. Finely my initative comes up.

I wander over to the BBG (frowns cross the remainder of the party's faces as I provoke not OAs) and immediately debuff the remaining the parties martials characters. The room becomes dead quiet. Everyone but my nephew has a stunned look on their face. Assassins attack. At the top of the initiative, my nephew turncoats too with a devistating Sneak Attack (he crit).

The remaining three players are livid. And they don't stand a chance. But they play it out. The last survivor is the party hermit, an insane Cthulhu warlock. His last stand is surprisingly effective. He actually emerges happy, since his last stand was epic.

The campaign ended. And my nephew's and my PCs will now enter the realm of infamy. And the catalog of future BBGs.