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Thread: Things I Learnt Today
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2011-05-10, 07:50 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
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Things I Learnt Today
Sending the players against a zombie elephant when the Dread Necro can cast Command Undead is a bad idea.
Four zombie Terror Birds with 94HP apiece is far too many HP for a level 5 party to chew through in any reasonable length of time, even with the assistance of the aforementioned zombie elephant.
Never, ever underestimate the suicidal tendencies of PCs.Quotebox
Avatar by Rain Dragon
Wish building characters for D&D 3.5 was simpler? Try HeroForge Anew! An Excel-based, highly automated character builder. v7.4 now out!
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2011-05-10, 08:04 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2009
- Location
- In the T.A.R.D.I.S.
- Gender
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2011-05-11, 01:59 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Location
- Switzerland
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
Oh god yes. "Hello, guards we originally planned to sneak past. We are here to assassinate your leader."
Resident Vancian Apologist
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2011-05-11, 02:21 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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Re: Things I Learnt Today
They encountered a village. Every single person in the village was dead, missing their eyes, and covered in scratch marks. As they went further in, they discovered a few people had scrawled "It's so beautiful" on a wall in their own blood before they died. They eventually found one survivor, sitting on a doorstep, missing his eyes, babbling about how beautiful it was and how he'd painted it, how he never wanted to see anything else again. there were more dead villagers around the house, and a small trickle of blood leaking out from inside.
Two of the players went inside.Last edited by Heliomance; 2011-05-11 at 02:23 AM.
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Avatar by Rain Dragon
Wish building characters for D&D 3.5 was simpler? Try HeroForge Anew! An Excel-based, highly automated character builder. v7.4 now out!
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2011-05-11, 04:14 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2009
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Re: Things I Learnt Today
Bah, it'll give them teeth. The average level of my party is 4 and our DM sends waves of seven or eight kobolds at us with 70hp a piece and wizard support at us. Rather than quell our suicidal tactics it's just made us mean.
Last edited by Wings of Peace; 2011-05-11 at 04:15 AM.
Doc Roc: We're going to eat ourselves.
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2011-05-11, 04:16 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2008
Re: Things I Learnt Today
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2011-05-11, 04:19 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2010
- Location
- Gobbotopia
- Gender
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2011-05-11, 04:46 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2009
- Location
- In the T.A.R.D.I.S.
- Gender
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2011-05-11, 05:43 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
One of them went mad, the other I gave a bonus on the save due to being wildshaped at the time and not wanting to take out two party members in the second session. They managed to drag the mad one out and cast Blindness on her before she clawed her own eyes out, but she's now been NPCd as no-one can cast Remove Curse.
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Avatar by Rain Dragon
Wish building characters for D&D 3.5 was simpler? Try HeroForge Anew! An Excel-based, highly automated character builder. v7.4 now out!
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2011-05-11, 05:51 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
- Location
- England
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2011-05-11, 06:53 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
- Location
- Lustria
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes. (W.Whitman)
Things that increase my self esteem:
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2011-05-11, 07:33 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2010
- Location
- Helsinki, Finland
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
But what was it inside that made all the villagers mad?
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2011-05-11, 07:47 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
They're not sure. Asking any of the living witnesses simply gets a response of "so beautiful..." :D
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Avatar by Rain Dragon
Wish building characters for D&D 3.5 was simpler? Try HeroForge Anew! An Excel-based, highly automated character builder. v7.4 now out!
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2011-05-11, 07:48 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2010
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
something I learned as a DM.
"Every time you make something idiot-proof, the PC's will come up with a better idiot"
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2011-05-11, 07:51 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Location
- Switzerland
- Gender
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2011-05-11, 08:15 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2010
- Location
- Helsinki, Finland
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
Didn't the blinded PC even see what it was? Were the references to its beauty just plain madness?
Last edited by SilverLeaf167; 2011-05-11 at 08:15 AM.
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2011-05-11, 08:50 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2008
- Location
- My apartment
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
Yeah, no matter how long I DM, that is something that never ceases to amaze me. Some players just take a while to learn that just because something is in their path does not mean that they can beat it, and that some obstacles are best avoided instead of plowed through...
This happened last week in a 4e game I DM for 2 players:
The Barbarian was down to just 1 healing surge for the day and was currently at little over half health, the Shaman was practically untouched. They come across a small army lead by the current villain, an army containing enemies that they had struggled a little against when they were in much smaller numbers.
So what do they do?
The Barbarian charges and promptly starts getting surrounded. The Shaman, seeing this, decides that it is a good idea to try to ping the villain (who is sitting in the back not participating and who has a crapload of HP) for some minimal damage each turn instead of trying to help and/or talk some sense into the barbarian. That would have been a wipe had the cavalry not arrived at the last second and driven the villain off...
Yeah, what have I learned after all these years? Try to have some believable out for the PC's just for those days I don't feel like wiping them (like the 3rd session of the campaign for instance...). The PC's in this case knew there were friendly forces nearby, and I was able to play it in such a way that they felt important for stalling to give their allies time to show up, even though they were just being stupid .
I learned, as a player, to not interfere with what the madman does and distance myself from him as much as possible. That way when he inevitably attracts the wrong kind of attention I am not dragged in and can watch him suffer the consequences of his actions
As a DM, I learned to not punish the whole party for the madman's actions. Unless of course they encouraged the player to make and act out that kind of character. I sure as hell know that when I'm a player I am none too happy when I keep getting screwed over by the actions of the resident party idiot.Been there, fought that, died horribly.
Something fun and flavorful to get your DM throwing books at you: Katana Chucker
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2011-05-11, 08:57 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
- Location
- England
Re: Things I Learnt Today
Nah, he's cool generally. He isn't disruptive, really (hell, he's our resident pacifist) and it led to the pretty interesting stuff. See, most of our actions are based on limited information and acting without knowing the full picture anyway, so it just pulled things along a little. Makes some pretty cool RP as well (he's not just a "I'll do it cuz I'm CRAAZY" type, he just sees things differently).
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2011-05-11, 09:10 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Location
- Switzerland
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
Plus, you guys are often a bit too passive for my tastes, so a madman stirring up some action is pretty welcome.
I mean, I can't have the DMPC suggesting all the plans, can I?Resident Vancian Apologist
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2011-05-11, 09:44 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2008
- Location
- My apartment
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
Been there, fought that, died horribly.
Something fun and flavorful to get your DM throwing books at you: Katana Chucker
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2011-05-11, 09:47 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
- Location
- Elsewhere
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
I gotta say, it seems like the OP thought he was playing a World of Darkness (or maybe a Call of Cthulhu/Don't Rest Your Head) game - in D&D, players ought to be expected to go in to the place that everyone comes out maddened and dead.
That's sort of what D&D adventurers DO. That's why they are adventurers!Honor guard at the funeral in the Miko Fan Club.
Those who are too stupid to run, I salute you.
Human Male, age 35
"Have you come to lecture me on my evil ways?"
"Actually, I brought you some supper. But if you'd prefer a lecture, I've a few very catchy ones prepped; sin and hellfire... one has lepers."
- Inara and Book, Firefly
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2011-05-11, 12:15 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2010
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
Jep it would be kind a lame - babbling villagers around of this wretched hut. Or townsfolk warning you that nobody has returned from the forest of Doom etc. Then you just shrug your shoulders and say: "Meh alrighty then. Ill just not go there. I'd rather be a dirt farmer"
End of campaign.Last edited by jpreem; 2011-05-11 at 12:16 PM.
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2011-05-11, 02:32 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2010
- Location
- Orlando, FL
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
True. Still, there has to be some middle ground between "Hmm, sounds dangerous, guess I'll go grow beets" and "Welp, guess I'll go stroll in and glance at the dangerous and insanity-inducing maguffin!" I mean, if nothing else, steal a page from mythology and look inside the room via mirror.
Our Shadowrun game is pretty much one long string of bad ideas, fueled by enthusiasm.
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2011-05-11, 03:20 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2006
- Location
Re: Things I Learnt Today
If a tree falls in the forest and the PCs aren't around to hear it... what do I roll to see how loud it is?
Is 3.5 a fried-egg, chili-chutney sandwich?
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2011-05-11, 04:07 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Location
- Switzerland
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
Ah. The Medusa approach.
Resident Vancian Apologist
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2011-05-11, 04:19 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
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Re: Things I Learnt Today
Last edited by AsteriskAmp; 2011-05-11 at 04:23 PM.
The Iron Avatarist Crypt of Fame - Exorcising photobucket from the historic archives of the forum.
Go and went by many names Ast, Avgvst, Pink-Haired August, araveugnitsuga and nowadays AsteriskAmp.
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2011-05-11, 08:02 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2007
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Re: Things I Learnt Today
A more sensible response - especially bearing in mind they were aware that this is a horror game - is what they eventually did, which is to burn down the house and warn everyone they come across not to go that way while they try to figure out what's going wrong with the world.
Oh, she saw it. Getting a coherent answer out of her, though... that's a different story.Last edited by Heliomance; 2011-05-11 at 08:03 PM.
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Avatar by Rain Dragon
Wish building characters for D&D 3.5 was simpler? Try HeroForge Anew! An Excel-based, highly automated character builder. v7.4 now out!
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2011-05-11, 08:10 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2008
- Location
- Riotsville, BC
Re: Things I Learnt Today
Oh... see, you need to specify the horror part. In D&D it's perfectly sensible to go into such a house (well, at least in 3rd and later editions), but in something like Call of Cthulhu then burning it down or just plain fleeing makes more sense. Context is everything.
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2011-05-11, 08:19 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
- Gender
Re: Things I Learnt Today
The Iron Avatarist Crypt of Fame - Exorcising photobucket from the historic archives of the forum.
Go and went by many names Ast, Avgvst, Pink-Haired August, araveugnitsuga and nowadays AsteriskAmp.
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2011-05-11, 08:30 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Gender
Quotebox
Avatar by Rain Dragon
Wish building characters for D&D 3.5 was simpler? Try HeroForge Anew! An Excel-based, highly automated character builder. v7.4 now out!