Your most awesome dice rolls.

[Adumbration]

Today I rolled twenty on an attack. Twice. Hacked a hobgoblin bodyguard into two pieces with my greatsword. (Although that game was overall filled with crazy dice rolls. Before I did my roll, three other characters rolled natural ones, and a bit later our paladin double twentied against the boss)

What is the greatest dice roll you've ever had? (Or the best you've seen?)

[goat]

47 off two exploding D10s.

I needed 50.

[Lord_Gareth]

This was -waaaaay- back in second edition, but I remember this story so very well.

I'm playing my first D&D character ever, Jade Kolvan. I'm age 7 IRL at the time. In his first week of play, he's managed to die four times - none of which are actually my fault. It's actually getting sort of funny, because I'm the newest person there, and the only one able to say, "I did nothing to deserve this."

We end up fighting this priest of Bane, and I'm in melee with the guy, because, damnit, I want that +3 longsword to see some -use- after I beat that orc for it. He keeps, amazingly, missing me, every swing, my DM is growing steadily more wide-eyed at my luck. Finally, -I- roll a critical fumble and get, "Critical Hit: Self". So I roll on the crit table and find out that I've just stabbed myself in the chest.

So what do I do with it?

"Alright, I take a step back and stab myself through the chest with my longsword. Then I activate shocking grasp and attack the cleric."

The Shocking Grasp hits and electocutes the poor bastard so low into HP that he surrenders. Standing there with my sword sticking out my back, he asks why I did it.

"Because -someone- had to do your job for you."

[Actana]

I was DMing an Eberron adventure when the group got attacked by a level 3 Warforged fighter. Easy pickings I thought, as our group was ever-so-slightly highpowered.

First round. Cleric wins init. Slashes his scimitar at the warforged. Miss. warforged goes. Nat 20, I was like ooh (I didn't show my players my rolls). Then, roll for crit. Nat 20. I nearly burst in laughter. Threat for death strike. Nat 20, again... There goes the cleric... The group was all nuts, they couldn't believe that the 1st real opponent could be the reason of a TPK. Then I remembered the warforged had cleave, and the halfling ranger was next to the warforged. Alas, a nat 20. Again! Nobody, even I could believe it. It wasn't a crit though, as the threat roll was a 1. 4 nat 20s in a row. It was insane. The cleric was resurrected though later, bits and pieces at a time. Needless to say that they had fun gathering all the remains of the cleric into a bag.

[Crow]

52 off an exploding D6.

[Solo]

My barbarian raged and critted against a Succubus and a young Dragon on two separate occasions.

They died horribly.

[captain_decadence]

what is an exploding dice? Just wondering since it seems to effect dice rolls to an extreme level.

[brian c]

I was DMing an Eberron adventure when the group got attacked by a level 3 Warforged fighter. Easy pickings I thought, as our group was ever-so-slightly highpowered.

First round. Cleric wins init. Slashes his scimitar at the warforged. Miss. warforged goes. Nat 20, I was like ooh (I didn't show my players my rolls). Then, roll for crit. Nat 20. I nearly burst in laughter. Threat for death strike. Nat 20, again... There goes the cleric... The group was all nuts, they couldn't believe that the 1st real opponent could be the reason of a TPK. Then I remembered the warforged had cleave, and the halfling ranger was next to the warforged. Alas, a nat 20. Again! Nobody, even I could believe it. It wasn't a crit though, as the threat roll was a 1. 4 nat 20s in a row. It was insane. The cleric was resurrected though later, bits and pieces at a time. Needless to say that they had fun gathering all the remains of the cleric into a bag.

See, that's the sort of situation where a DM might fudge the rolls. Also the reason why a lot of people don't play the 3x20 instead death rule.


@captain_decadence, I think "exploding" dice means that you re-roll and add if you get max, but I could be wrong. So 52 from an exploding d6 would mean rolling 8 straight 6s, then a 4

[pantoffelheld]

last night, a player was acting stupid and offending everyone in the pub (in game that is). I felt that just killing him wouldn't teach him a lesson, so I said "some half-orc steps right in front of you and starts dancing". I roll for my perform(dance), and got a natural 20.

man, did he got served.

yes, i know there is no such thing as natural twenty with skill checks... but this was just too perfect.

[Glawackus]

what is an exploding dice? Just wondering since it seems to effect dice rolls to an extreme level.

You get the maximum roll, you get to keep rolling until you get something that's not the max. Hilarity can ensue.

[Vaynor]

A party member was pissing me off, so I had my monk jokingly punch him. We were in an inn for a few days, so the cleric had nothing else better to do with his healing spells. Hilariously, I rolled 3 nat 20's and punched out wizard's head off. Woops.

The DM stopped using insta-death after that, needless to say.

Another one. This was not good awesome, but bad awesome. So here's me, gnome druid. I have a wolf animal companion. Me, fighter, and wolfie fall down a pit trap. Me and the fighter successfully climb out, then realize we forgot wolfie. I beg mr. fighter to go down there and get him, I'm not strong enough. So, he climbs down, picks up my wolf, and starts to climb out. He falls. Again, and again. Each time with the wolf falling on top of him, and as the drop was pretty far, not far enough to damage however, added subdual for the wolf thudding against him every time. The fighter keeps rolling crap, and gets knocked unconcious by the wolf. None of us are strong enough to even lift him, never the less carry him up a steep pit.

[PlatinumJester]

100ft chasm with BBEG on the other side and a rickity and blatantly trapped bridge leading to the other side. Disliking the whole falling off of the bridge part I decide to jump the gorge with my level 10 dawrven barbarian. Everybody looks at me think WTF? I roll the dice and get a natural 20 (which in our game meant automatic sucess).


Another time I was doing Dance of Ruin and rolled a 19 & a 20 for damage and destroy 6 bandits at once. That same Wizard once rolled a sucessful critical with a longbow on an enemy fighter. You know you suck when a Wizard can beat you without spells.

[Leicontis]

I already posted mine in the "Rockstar Moments in Gaming" thread:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57183

[martyboy74]

We were playing an ocean based campaign, and our wizard was making profession (sailor) checks to get our ship through a particularly rough area. He rolls a 3, and everyone has to make a DC 10 balance check. I, having a -2 to balance checks, naturally fail, and take some damage. The next profession (sailor) check comes, and the wizard rolls an 8. Failure again. I have to make a DC 15 balance check this time, and of course fail. However, the ship was rocked enough by this event that I have to make a reflex save to avoid going overboard. Yet again, I fail at it. I get knocked overboard and into the sea. Because of the currents, I have to make a DC 30 swim check, to which I only have a +10, in order to not be separated from the ship. The DM comments that "The only way you can make it is by rolling a natural 20". I roll, and, as fate would have it, get a natural 20. Much celebration ensued.

[Silkenfist]

100ft chasm with BBEG on the other side and a rickity and blatantly trapped bridge leading to the other side. Disliking the whole falling off of the bridge part I decide to jump the gorge with my level 10 dawrven barbarian. Everybody looks at me think WTF? I roll the dice and get a natural 20 (which in our game meant automatic sucess).

Sorry, but this doesn't make any sense at all. I don't want to go on a catgirl killing spree, but allowing this kind of stuff is just ridiculous. It means that every 20th time, I try to jump a - say 1mile wide chasm - I succeed. Or try to jump onto the next cloud. Or Swim up the rain. If you want to add a possibility for ridiculous stunts, exploding dice are the way to go.

[PlatinumJester]

Sorry, but this doesn't make any sense at all. I don't want to go on a catgirl killing spree, but allowing this kind of stuff is just ridiculous. It means that every 20th time, I try to jump a - say 1mile wide chasm - I succeed. Or try to jump onto the next cloud. Or Swim up the rain. If you want to add a possibility for ridiculous stunts, exploding dice are the way to go.

We don't use that rule anymore for skills and the DM disallowed it but the look on my group's faces was priceless. I still managed to kill the BBEG single handed because we tied my guy to a make shift rope swing and pushed him towards the BBEG. He swung through 1 of his illusions but on his way back he hit him dead on and knocked him into a chasm. Bear in mind that this is a 300lb dwarf swinging through the air at 75mph.

[Curmudgeon]

we tied my guy to a make shift rope swing and pushed him towards the BBEG. He swung through 1 of his illusions but on his way back he hit him dead on and knocked him into a chasm. Bear in mind that this is a 300lb dwarf swinging through the air at 75mph.

You must have had a lot of rope. To reach 75 miles/hour swinging at normal gravity requires a rope at least 189' long. Failing that, you could do it if you had someone with a speed of 330' and enough carrying capacity to make 300 lbs. a light load (STR 26+).

I'm not sure how you reached that speed, but I suspect the number may have been achieved by handwaving rather than calculation.

[Accersitus]

In my group we usually play with 3x20 instant death, and over the years, I have rolled up the 3x20 4 times, and all the times the party was looking at certain death.
It has been quite nice for the DM, since he didn't need to find some reason for the party to survive.

[Lord_Gareth]

You must have had a lot of rope. To reach 75 miles/hour swinging at normal gravity requires a rope at least 189' long. Failing that, you could do it if you had someone with a speed of 330' and enough carrying capacity to make 300 lbs. a light load (STR 26+).

I'm not sure how you reached that speed, but I suspect the number may have been achieved by handwaving rather than calculation.

Ahem - that is common sense/science/physics/hard math, this is D&D. Since when have the two been on speaking terms?

[JackMage666]

I was once playing a 2 Weapon fighting character, and rolled both weapons at once. Sure enough, it was 2 20s. I think one ended up critical, but that's not the important thing. It was just the way they landed, all picturesque and perfect.

[Muffin_Man]

My group had to climb down a hill, there was five PCs. First climb roll: everyone pass and climb down half of the hil. Second climb roll: the Pc on top rolls first and fail miserably, the rest fail the reflex roll to avoid the falling body (including 3 natural 1s), we all fell down in the middle of the enemy camp taking a LOT of damage.

I didn't saw this, but a friend told me that once he was playing a halfling, and duringa celebration the paladin NPC (prince of the kingdom) made a joke about him, he throwed a spoon at him, he rolled 3 natural 20s and killed him.

[the_tick_rules]

we were ambushed by drow. it was a railoroad capture so there was no escape. we took their basic drow, then their rangers. then he decided to throw the drow clan leaders at us. the ninja girl whipped us pretty good until i took her down. then he threw the monk at us. he knocked unconscious the only other standing pc, leaving me ( a wounded 2 weapon fighter against a fresh monk). i handled him ok but he was obviously winning. then i rolled 2 20's and confirmed the crits. he went down. now the next noble he sent dropped me like a rock but still beating the 2nd guy he didn't plan on having us fight was awesome.

[Firefingers]

40 off an exploding d6 needed 36

morale of the story never ever prime a stun grenade in a 5 ft wide corridor in shadowrun

[ForzaFiori]

not just 1 good roll, but a whole string of them that made me wonder how a friend of mine managed to weight my own damn dice.

I had set up a bandit camp for my PC's to fight through. It was at night, and the rogue of the group managed to sneak up on not 1, not 2, but all 3 sentries i had stationed, and kill ALL of them w/ sneak attacks (they were mooks, but still). then he sneaks into the camp, sneaks up on and attacks (for an auto hit since they're asleep) all but i think 3 bandits, killing them (also mooks, but it still required like all 4-6 for both damage and sneek attack. they had like 10 HP each). then the rest of the group comes in and kills the leader and the rest of the mooks (all 2 of them).

needless to say, the battle i had planned (leader fighting the PC's, and mooks shooting at them) was completely down the drain.

I was so mad i couldn't finish the adventure that night.

[Quietus]

I think the most awesome rolls I've seen was when a friend of mine was trying to heal a halfling who'd taken a hell of a hit (that was meant only as background amusement). We use the -10/+30 variant on skill checks, and as an in-joke, any time someone rolls a natural 1 on a Heal check, they attempt to use broken glass to fix the problem.

Well, go figure.. she goes to fix the halfling, and gets a nat 1. Whips out a handful of broken glass, grinds it into the halfling's skull; 1 point of damage. Halfling is now bleeding. Annoyed, she decides to keep rolling to prove that her die isn't loving the low rolls, and when it comes up a 19 or 20, she points to the die and declares, "Okay, see? I'm healing him!"

Of course, the DM was well aware of the situation... so he has her roll it. Another nat 1. This time she takes a larger chunk of broken glass and cuts the goose-egg right off the top of his head. More damage is dealt, and the feel of things in the tavern we were in gets... harsh.

Once more, she turns to the constant-rolling method of proving her dice like her, and once more, she gets a decent roll that would be successful. Just like last time, she tries to use that roll, and the DM has her roll again. You guessed it - nat 1. She takes the busted neck of the bottle, and is prepared to carve out the top of the halfling's skull, when the NPC bartender screams and stops her, and takes the dying halfling upstairs.

I'm just glad my character was blind and unaware of what was going on... the chick that was making this checks is his girlfriend!

[Stormcrow]

This was -waaaaay- back in second edition, but I remember this story so very well.

I'm playing my first D&D character ever, Jade Kolvan. I'm age 7 IRL at the time. In his first week of play, he's managed to die four times - none of which are actually my fault. It's actually getting sort of funny, because I'm the newest person there, and the only one able to say, "I did nothing to deserve this."

We end up fighting this priest of Bane, and I'm in melee with the guy, because, damnit, I want that +3 longsword to see some -use- after I beat that orc for it. He keeps, amazingly, missing me, every swing, my DM is growing steadily more wide-eyed at my luck. Finally, -I- roll a critical fumble and get, "Critical Hit: Self". So I roll on the crit table and find out that I've just stabbed myself in the chest.

So what do I do with it?

"Alright, I take a step back and stab myself through the chest with my longsword. Then I activate shocking grasp and attack the cleric."

The Shocking Grasp hits and electocutes the poor bastard so low into HP that he surrenders. Standing there with my sword sticking out my back, he asks why I did it.

"Because -someone- had to do your job for you."

Smooth, very smooth.

[DraPrime]

I rolled a critical when hitting someone with a book. Quite embarrassing for the NPC who got killed by a book wielding maniac.

[bignate]

i will never forget this character i played back in 2nd edition... he was a bard with the blade kit and was a very flambouant swordsman and the dice turned out to favor it...as we played i would try to do exotic things like rolling between enemies feet and attacking them or diving from cover to cover while throwing a knife and it always seemed to work but if i ever just did simple like saying "i attack" i would almost always miss.

it was really strange! we played the game for like 7 or 8 sessions and i was always the same...if i tried to do something really fancy or acrobatic(usually with a penalty) i couldnt seem to roll below 15 and got lots of nat 20's, but i i just attacked i would almost always fail or even fumble...

[Quirinus_Obsidian]

For a few meetings in a row, our party had been getting natural 20's and crits on a simple throwing dagger. At least twice a meeting for 4 meetings in a row. This dagger has been enshrined =) The cleric does not want to part with it, and refuses to upgrade it. Hilarity ensued.

I also have the case of exploding d4's and d6's Magic Missle and other Force spells. My next character is a Force Missile Mage....

[PlatinumJester]

I rolled a critical when hitting someone with a book. Quite embarrassing for the NPC who got killed by a book wielding maniac.

If youn think thats bad, I once killed a guy when he trod on my caltrop and dealt himself 1 damage.