In which the worst session comes back to haunt me. Sort of.

[Return of Lanky]

First, it's well within your interest to read the Worst Session ever. It contains the story referenced here.

So... The Worst Session Ever came back to visit. See, a couple of the gamers we usually play with are heading out east for eight months, due to a temporary job placement. So me and my regular group invited a couple we met at a local Chapters to come form a new group.

The couple seemed like a decent enough group, so we invited them to dinner and gaming tonight. My two friends Steve and Tammy weren't going to their family's place for dinner until tomorrow night, and Diana was left all alone because her boytoy flew out to Vancouver for the weekend. The couple mentioned that they had nothing to do for the weekend as well while I was picking up the 4E PHB, so it seemed like a match made in Heaven.

Things went well, for the most part. I've got a standing rule now, whenever I bring a new person in, to run a quick, three to four hour one-shot session before integrating them into an existing campaign. So tonight we played a game of Final Stand to see how the pair meshed with my other three players and see if we could get along with them. Things appeared to be moving along quite nicely, we played a three-hour game, and ate dinner.

Then, as we were drinking our coffee, we got into a casual conversation about the Worst Gaming Experiences. Steve, Tammy, and Diana all know about PsychoGM (You may remember Steve as ShortBlaster), but the new guy seemed to be sure that he had a worse story, before he'd even heard mine. I simply raised my eyebrow and added a dollop of Bailey's to my coffee, certain I'd trump him. Little did I know how right I was.

So it seems that a year or two back, he got invited to another GM's game by a friend. He had a wonderful character cooked up with a unique curse, and as a courtesy he wound up hosting the game. Said GM then booted him mid-session and tried to continue play in the man's home, complete with an expectation that the promised dinner would still be delivered. The whole situation ended with the police dragging the GM kicking and screaming from the man's house and charges being pressed. The crazed GM even had the audacity to return and pelt a brick through my guest's window!

Of course, he finished, he had a great story to tell. He even had the character sheet framed at home. If we ever swung by, he was sure we'd be interested in seeing it.

Now of course, my friends and I recognized the story immediately, even if he switched some details. Ash's curse wasn't a ribbon, it was a knife to the heart, and he was a straight Fighter 5, not a Rogue 3/Cleric 2. I think he was also cooking a roast, not a lasagna.

When my turn finally came around, I just smiled and admitted that his story was probably the worst I'd heard of. About ten minutes later, when everyone was leaving, my buddy Steve decided to slyly call the guy on it.

"Hey Lanky," Steve asked with an evil grin, tapping Ash's framed character sheet in my front door hallway. "How long are you going to keep this thing around?"

The guy read the sheet and went quite pale. Despite his cheerful goodbye, I suspect I won't be seeing him again. It's kinda amazing, though. I did a google search on the Worst Gaming Session, and apparently my experience actually comes in at #2. I think it's awesome that events from my life are now being plagiarized by other people.

*facepalm*

[Neon Knight]

Did the nurse say, "May he live in interesting times," when she handed you to your mother?

Cause you've got some messed up kind of juju, man. Karma has it out for you.

[Return of Lanky]

I'm beginning to suspect that may be the case.

Though it was amusing as hell. About two minutes into the story, all four of us knew exactly where he was going and just who he was ripping off. About the only thing keeping us from laughing was the wide-eyed look his girlfriend had, apparently never having heard the story from him before.

I bet it was fun to explain. She saw the character sheet on my wall, too, and she seemed like a pretty sharp one.

[ocato]

If it makes you feel better, he was probably just really trying to impress you. If I were you, I would try to get them to play again, maybe joke about it, but otherwise just make it a funny coincidence. I mean, if you can get him back.

However, it is pretty funny stuff that he found that and tried to pass it off as his own experience.

[tyckspoon]

It's kinda amazing, though. I did a google search on the Worst Gaming Session, and apparently my experience actually comes in at #2. I think it's awesome that events from my life are now being plagiarized by other people.

I think it is pretty awesome. You've become the seed of a new urban legend/internet myth, like taking a two-dollar bill to Taco Bell.. maybe one day you'll even get your own Snopes entry.

[Stupendous_Man]

Hooray plagerism!

[Dr Bwaa]

I'm so glad he even copied having the sheet framed at home. Props to Steve for his sneaky call-out

[Return of Lanky]

I think that's what gets me most about it, lordhenry. It'd be one thing if he was just spinning a yarn and putting his own spin on an amusing tale. It'd move to a kind of creepy Stan (from the Eminem music video) situation if he actually had a framed character sheet he'd written to conform to the story.

[Dr Bwaa]

Yeah, I was wondering whether his girlfriend had been to his house, because if she had, wouldn't she have either asked about the framed character sheet (and therefore not been surprised about the story) or maybe called him on it when he told the story and she'd never seen said framed sheet?

I have to admit, I was quite afraid for you when I first read the title of this thread...

[JeminiZero]

I think that's what gets me most about it, lordhenry. It'd be one thing if he was just spinning a yarn and putting his own spin on an amusing tale.

Except that, his own spin (the knife in the heart bit, and the fact his Char was a straight fighter) is likely a rip off from Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.

[Matthew]

Very weird. The real question, though, is does he have access to your old account (and why are you using a new one)?

[Return of Lanky]

Well, I just got off the phone with the guy's girlfriend. She'd just been dropped off at her own place. She wanted to know more about my character, since he apparently does have a character sheet framed in his apartment.

She called me because she wanted to know which one of us was ripping off which. Rather than slag the guy off to his significant other, I merely told her to Google the "Worst Gaming Session" and remember that my framed sheet did in fact detail a Rogue 3/Cleric 2 named Diego "Ash" Althaes.

Is it wrong that I'm chuckling?

Edit: Doubt he has it, Matthew. Even if he did, he doesn't have the Raws for all my old avatars like I do. I could prove I'm me to you all even if someone reactivates the lankybugger account.

[Matthew]

So... he hasn't admitted to it, and he really does own a framed character sheet. That bodes ill. Is it possible that he hails from a parallel dimension?

Are you you? Am I me?

I have long known that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of modern times, little did I know that it extends to RPG anecdotes...

[Calinero]

I think I'd be a little flattered that someone was using my story like that. I mean, it's gained a lot of infamy since it was posted. After all, there's no harm in other people using the story, is there?

[TheCountAlucard]

Man, that story took a long time to set up properly, but man, is it worth it.

Take it in a positive light, Lanky. You should be flattered.

[tyckspoon]

So... he hasn't admitted to it, and he really does own a framed character sheet. That bodes ill. Is it possible that he hails from a parallel dimension?

Are you you? Am I me?

I have long known that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of modern times, little did I know that it extends to RPG anecdotes...

Or, if you really really like coincidence.. The DM Of The Worst Game Session Ever did it again to somebody else. Maybe there's actually a growing group of people who have been subjected to this particular sociopathic jerkass. They could form a support group.

[Matthew]

Or, if you really really like coincidence.. The DM Of The Worst Game Session Ever did it again to somebody else. Maybe there's actually a growing group of people who have been subjected to this particular sociopathic jerkass. They could form a support group.

Actually, that fits in with a theory Charity and I were bandying about as to "jerk game masters". Since they cannot keep a group together (on account of being a jerk) they travel from town to town spreading their evil, appearing to be more numerous than they really are, and propagating the idea that players need to be protected from game masters...

[Return of Lanky]

I think I'd be a little flattered that someone was using my story like that. I mean, it's gained a lot of infamy since it was posted. After all, there's no harm in other people using the story, is there?

It's equal parts flattery and creepy, I think. It'd be kind of flattering in a weird sort of way if there wasn't a character sheet, but I get the impression this guy is sitting at home in a pink bunny rabbit costume reading RPG anecdotes to tell people he's experienced.

Besides, if I don't call people on this, I'm sure one day someone's going to ask me why I've got someone else's character framed on my wall. On that day I'm sure that the sky will crack open and bubbling pitch will drown the world in confusion and the purest essence of doubleyou-tee-eff.

Edit: And it couldn't be the same guy. Last I heard, he's still got three months to go before he gets out. Unless he skipped jail for a weekend to game with this guy.

[The Glyphstone]

Edit: And it couldn't be the same guy. Last I heard, he's still got three months to go before he gets out. Unless he skipped jail for a weekend to game with this guy.

Wait, WHAT?

I missed this part of the story....last I had read, PsychoDM only had the restraining order against you after he threw the brick. What'd he do to actually get chucked in the slammer?

[Khosan]

Wait, WHAT?

I missed this part of the story....last I had read, PsychoDM only had the restraining order against you after he threw the brick. What'd he do to actually get chucked in the slammer?

Was in the same part of the story. PsychoDM resisted arrest. A lot.

[Calinero]

It's equal parts flattery and creepy, I think. It'd be kind of flattering in a weird sort of way if there wasn't a character sheet, but I get the impression this guy is sitting at home in a pink bunny rabbit costume reading RPG anecdotes to tell people he's experienced.

Pink bunny rabbit costume? That's...oddly specific.

[Return of Lanky]

It goes back to the old Sartin/Maclennan F.A.T.A.L. review.

Here's the text:

Well, and when I couldn't help picturing him in a lavender bunny suit as he typed. (Okay, no, that's not originally what I was picturing him doing, but it's a sanity-preserving substitute.)

Darn, it's lavender, not pink.

[toddex]

That has to be THE most bad ass ****ty game story ive ever read. Please tell me that psychoDM was obese, sweaty, and full of acne.

[Return of Lanky]

He was kind of out of shape, but not really. Nor was he sweaty or oily-skinned.

Picture a slightly chubby guy with a big nose trying to rock Shaggy's look (like from Scooby Doo).

[toddex]

He was kind of out of shape, but not really. Nor was he sweaty or oily-skinned.

Picture a slightly chubby guy with a big nose trying to rock Shaggy's look (like from Scooby Doo).

Thats even more amazing. Youve dashed my dreams and then built them all back up with something even mroe spectacular.

[Calinero]

I shall never watch Scooby Doo the same way again.

*proceeds to rot out his brain reading about FATAL*

[LongVin]

Well you are now the source of an gamers urban legend. Gamers for years to come will speak of the psycho DM, the flasks of potion and tales of arrests and framing of character sheets. Some will claim to be the player, others will say its there friend or a friend of a friend. Some may even claim to be the Pyscho DM and give their own spin to the tale.

And you shall be the reason for it all, and will fight to be recognized but no one will believe you as it grows beyond your control and becomes a gamer phenomana.

[Calinero]

Start making the t-shirts now and sell them, while people still believe you! Hurry!

[sonofzeal]

Who wants to take odds on this kid not coming back?

[TheThan]

Imagine what would happen if this turned out to be totally unrelated to your story.