When the DM asks, "Are you sure?"

[CoffeeIncluded]

Generally, that's the big red flashing light warning sign to stop what you're doing and back away. Have you guys ever had this happen to you, or another player? Have you done this? Any stories to share?

I just had my first, "Are you sure about this moment?" this morning, giving it to a player. I've got an encounter planned where the party needs to rush into a burning building and rescue a guy while fending off the fire elementals he accidentally summoned. While the house is burning down around them. It's a battle where you need to keep a very close eye on terrain and what's going on in the environment around you, because otherwise you're going to end up doubled over coughing from smoke, and then on fire. And then crushed by burning rubble. Basically, as I warned them, "This is going to be a very tough fight and you're going to want all hands on deck for this one."

One of the players, playing a goblin rogue, decided to sneak past thee three fire elementals to rescue the guy. Which would require moving literally right next to at least one fire elemental, through smoke for at least two rounds to get to the guy. Three if she wants to avoid walking into the fire and, you know, being set on fire. No, his character doesn't have hide in plain sight, and even if she can make a hide check in the smoke that provides concealment, she's still walking right next to three fire elementals. So I told him (the player) to take another good look at the map, and followed it with the words, "Are you sure about this?" Guess I'll see later today whether or not he is.

What about the rest of you? Any stories?

[Krazzman]

I haven't had that moment... as far as I can remember... the problem more or less was that a few of those moments were spoiled due to a) DM being unable to comprehend sarcasm or irony or b) the DM jumping on it directly.

"Of course I tie the 15 ft rope around me and jump down the 10ft tree... *eyerolls*" - I landed on the dwarf that tried to kill me. I had to play excusing to her...

Player A (OOC): Drink it.
Me (OOC): Yeah sure I drink it... NOT!
DM: Starting to roll on a table right before my NOT... "You have some luck... your hair turns neon Green!". (Apparently 75% chance of Insta death... on this poison).

I personally ask this a few times since I have still some problems to explain things good enough.

[OzymandiasX]

As a GM I often ask my players the "are you sure" question when they're about to do something that is a really good idea. It usually makes them pause and reconsider. And it allows me to ask the question without it being code for "the GM knows this is a bad idea."

[supermonkeyjoe]

I try to avoid the obvious "are you sure?" aka "I wouldn't do that if I were you". Instead I paraphrase what the player has said, both to clarify exactly what they're doing and to make sure they're serious, quite often just hearing their plan phrased a different way makes them reconsider.

[GnomeFighter]

I, personaly, let them go with it, but then I'm not a killer GM, so it would take allot of stupidity to get killed. In the origonal example I would try and make sure there was a way out.

I prefer to make the failer not making the goal rather than PC death.

[NikitaDarkstar]

My first moment like that was in a swedish RP that was basically like D&D but with more micro-managing. Now the game had a quirk that if you charged you couldn't attempt to parry or block to defend yourself. Well I was playing what was basically an anthropomorphic wolf barbarian and we were up against some generic undead, which are a lot tougher in that game. So I charged, my DM asked me "are you sure?" I said yes. My wolf got stabbed through her chest, belly, throat and then decapitated. Lived about 2 in-game hours. It was hilarious. Rolled up a lizardman gladiator after that. (And yes the game used a hitzone type system were each body part has it's own HP, hit 0 and you loose it...)

[NichG]

All the time. Some players don't like this because it feels like coddling, but on the other hand this allows me to fill the world with truly dangerous things without worrying that it will turn into the Tomb of Horrors and its sphere of annihilation portal.

At the same time, I've had players ignore the "Are you sure?" and either come out ahead, or not. The GM saying "Are you sure?" is a check like "You just said 'delete C:/ ; Is this really what you want to do?" to make sure that the player hasn't misspoke or miscalculated a critical moment. It also is a way of saying 'Whatever happens next is on you' to let players know that they may be calling down things that are not designed to be 'fair' challenges by proceeding in a particular direction.

So all said I think this is a pretty useful tool.

[valadil]

In my experience "are you sure" is just as likely to be the GM screwing with you as imposing common sense. I try not to second guess the GM and just go with what my character would do. Sometimes this means second guessing my original action, if I've overlooked my character's survival instinct. When that happens, I figure the GM's imposed common sense check kicked in.

[Trinoya]

I can't even run my game without messing with players minds with this phrase...

The best part is they can't tell if I'm doing it to mess them up or make them actually consider something.

"We are going to the high inquisitor this instant to tell him!"
"are you sure?"
"err.."

"I drop the bomb over the side of the ship"
"Are you sure?"

It's like a magic phrase that brings all the joy to the table... and then to me. >=)

[comicshorse]

In a Cyberpunk game the PC's are trying to get to talk to some streetkids because they have some information they need. When one of them see's the P.C.s coming he runs at which point the Solo declares his intention to shoot the kid in the leg.......with his .44 Magnum......loaded with explosive bullets

[Totally Guy]

For me it says "Now we are playing mind games instead of the game we expected".

[Amnestic]

"Let the dice fall where they may" should apply to weird plans just as much as dice themselves. I do agree supermonkeyjoe - reiterating their plan to them is probably a better plan. It allows them a moment to reconsider and self reflect and it makes sure that both you and the player know you have their plan exactly right so they can't call you out on getting their intentions wrong.

[NichG]

Sometimes the player just can't know how bad their suggested plan of action really is. Sure, you could just let it fall as it may, but I don't really think e.g. wrecking the campaign or even a player's good time for the sake of hardcore responsibility is really worth it.

I mean, the 'I charge!' thing is one thing, but 'I break the strange staff we found in the middle of the party because we really need firewood' (not knowing its a Staff of Power) is another thing. There's nothing glorious about 'this guy just randomly TPKed us'.

[Hyena]

- We have a deal.
- You give an innocent man to the ruthless nuke-happy terrorist, who you were fighting with for the entire campaign, because he offers you a tonn money for doing so? Are you absolutely sure?
- Yeah.

It was not exactly good ending for the party.

[Alaris]

I can't even run my game without messing with players minds with this phrase...

The best part is they can't tell if I'm doing it to mess them up or make them actually consider something.

"We are going to the high inquisitor this instant to tell him!"
"are you sure?"
"err.."

"I drop the bomb over the side of the ship"
"Are you sure?"

It's like a magic phrase that brings all the joy to the table... and then to me. >=)

Well, I was going to make a post in regards to YOUR style of this... but it looks like you beat me to it.

But yes, you do that all the time. And we hate you for it! "Are you sure" is supposed to be a warning! From a kind DM!

[Balldanor]

My first DM campaign (3rd session), with a new player that hasn't played 3.5 before (15-20 years of 2nd ed)..he's playing a half-orc paladin, the group is heading into a town and the paladin says "I want to visit the graveyard to pray."

Are you sure you don't want to stay with the party and find out what's going on?

"Yes, absolutely"

Ok, no problem. (I describe the graveyard after taking the rest of the group to the town)

"I want to go inside and ask for blessings for each of the deceased."

Are you really sure you want to do that?

"Certainly am"

Ok, as you go over to the first tombstone, roll a spot check (he fails). You get attacked by 2 wolves and a worg, get tripped, and keep getting retripped as you try to get up.


Long story short, the only reason he was able to survive was because I basically timewarped the group back to the graveyard, which was the start of the encounter I was running. I wouldn't have done it, but I didn't want to kill the guy off in his first night of playing with new rules

[Deophaun]

You get attacked by 2 wolves and a worg, get tripped, and keep getting retripped as you try to get up.

That probably warranted the PC getting stopped by a random NPC, warning him about the completely unintuitive worg infestation that's been vexing the townfolk by the graveyard, preventing them from paying their respects, rather than an "Are you sure?" Otherwise, it reads like:

Player: I eat breakfast.
DM: Are you sure?
Player: Yes.
DM: Roll initiative as a horde of goblins emerges from your bowl of fruit loops.

[navar100]

My first DM campaign (3rd session), with a new player that hasn't played 3.5 before (15-20 years of 2nd ed)..he's playing a half-orc paladin, the group is heading into a town and the paladin says "I want to visit the graveyard to pray."

Are you sure you don't want to stay with the party and find out what's going on?

"Yes, absolutely"

Ok, no problem. (I describe the graveyard after taking the rest of the group to the town)

"I want to go inside and ask for blessings for each of the deceased."

Are you really sure you want to do that?

"Certainly am"

Ok, as you go over to the first tombstone, roll a spot check (he fails). You get attacked by 2 wolves and a worg, get tripped, and keep getting retripped as you try to get up.


Long story short, the only reason he was able to survive was because I basically timewarped the group back to the graveyard, which was the start of the encounter I was running. I wouldn't have done it, but I didn't want to kill the guy off in his first night of playing with new rules

How dare that paladin player want to roleplay instead of following the DM's script!

[Matticussama]

My first DM campaign (3rd session), with a new player that hasn't played 3.5 before (15-20 years of 2nd ed)..he's playing a half-orc paladin, the group is heading into a town and the paladin says "I want to visit the graveyard to pray."

Are you sure you don't want to stay with the party and find out what's going on?

"Yes, absolutely"

Ok, no problem. (I describe the graveyard after taking the rest of the group to the town)

"I want to go inside and ask for blessings for each of the deceased."

Are you really sure you want to do that?

"Certainly am"

Ok, as you go over to the first tombstone, roll a spot check (he fails). You get attacked by 2 wolves and a worg, get tripped, and keep getting retripped as you try to get up.


Long story short, the only reason he was able to survive was because I basically timewarped the group back to the graveyard, which was the start of the encounter I was running. I wouldn't have done it, but I didn't want to kill the guy off in his first night of playing with new rules

No offense, but this sounds rather railroady to me. The Paladin was following an action that makes sense for his character and didn't hurt the story in any way; he just wanted to pray. You could have let him have his 5 minutes to develop his character's spiritual side, then have him rejoin the rest of the party. Suddenly having wolves jump out of no where is... questionable.

At the very least, if you already had a graveyard adventure planned out, you should have had the Paladin roll Spot and Listen checks. Wolves and Wargs don't suddenly pop out of nowhere, and almost murdering a player for a single bad roll for attempting to develop a character sounds rather... unenjoyable.

[Mr Beer]

"Are you sure" is GM for "yeah, you don't want to do that".

I only use it for when the character is doing something silly that will get the whole party slaughtered and/or captured e.g. "The rich, famous merchant mildly rebukes me!? I hack off his head!".

Generally I just gently clarify what the player said as suggested above, something I do anyway if I'm not quite sure what they're doing or if the exact sequence of events matters. Then if they do it, that's on them.

[Jarawara]

Regarding Wolves in Graveyards:

Yeah, I don't want to pile on, but assuming you had an adventure in the graveyard planned, one of the PC's visiting the graveyard is roleplaying gold that you should not squander! Instead of having the townsfolk going "oh woe is us, there is some evil in the graveyard, yada yada, can you help us"... instead you have a PC paladin going to the graveyard on his own, finding the source of the evil himself (and barely surviving it), and then hightailing it back to the party to warn them of the danger. Cue the party gearing up and marching out to the graveyard to save the town *by their own choices and actions*, instead of the usual "can you help us" speech.

As I said, that's roleplaying gold, makes the players feel like they uncovered one of your hidden secrets, makes the players feel like they are controlling the action and deciding the course of the adventure, makes the players feel like they have full choice of their actions, etc, etc, etc.

*~*~*

Of course.... if the wolves appear and chase the paladin out... and the paladin instead decides to stand and fight the evil *alone*, without his party to assist him -- *then* is when you trot out the line: "Are you sure?"

[Slipperychicken]

"Are you sure" is supposed to be a warning! From a kind DM!

This.

When the DM starts using that phrase to screw with my head, my default response to it becomes "yes", and act as though he never used the phrase in the first place. I'm not playing that game.

[Friv]

I can't even run my game without messing with players minds with this phrase...

The best part is they can't tell if I'm doing it to mess them up or make them actually consider something.

Is that really the best part? Or is it the most depressing thing that I've heard today?

(I'll give you a hint; I'm pre-emptively not accepting any invitations to your games.)

[Mr Beer]

(I'll give you a hint; I'm pre-emptively not accepting any invitations to your games.)

But are you sure?

[Slipperychicken]

The most effective (and kind) variants of the phrase include a hint as to why it's a bad idea. Usually as information and connections which would be glaringly obvious to the character, but isn't so obvious to a person simply talking through his actions. I feel like that's a fair extension of the DM's role as the players' eyes and ears in the game world. Of course, if it's something which the character could reasonably have forgotten, or slipped up with, then simply rolling with it can be acceptable.

Are you sure you want to run into the trap which almost broke your spine six seconds ago?

Are you sure you want to cast a spell in his threatened area without casting defensively?

Are you sure you want to equip the necklace, which you know is cursed to choke people?

Are you sure you want to place the Portable Hole inside the Bag of Holding?

Other variants include Intelligence/Wisdom checks to realize that something is a bad idea.

[Balldanor]

No offense, but this sounds rather railroady to me. The Paladin was following an action that makes sense for his character and didn't hurt the story in any way; he just wanted to pray. You could have let him have his 5 minutes to develop his character's spiritual side, then have him rejoin the rest of the party. Suddenly having wolves jump out of no where is... questionable.

At the very least, if you already had a graveyard adventure planned out, you should have had the Paladin roll Spot and Listen checks. Wolves and Wargs don't suddenly pop out of nowhere, and almost murdering a player for a single bad roll for attempting to develop a character sounds rather... unenjoyable.

To clarify, the encounter was supposed to start in the graveyard when the PC's walked in.. I gave him his spot and listen checks to see them and he failed them (miserably, I might add). It was part of the entire plan and I gave him chances to change his actions.

Furthermore, it wasn't a single bad roll, it was 5 bad rolls (spot, listen, opposed strength checks against wolves to avoid being tripped). Plus, he got himself trapped against a fence surrounded by the wolves. On top of everything else, I actually fudged a damage roll as well as how quickly the group got back so he would have a way to survive. I didn't do it to railroad the guy, I was following the guidelines set up by the pre-made encounter and following the rolls that followed.

(Plus, I misunderstood the AoO being able to re-trip him before he stood up, so I let him stand up while only taking damage, not getting retripped)

[Fighter1000]

I don't hardly ever ask my players, "Are you sure?"
I just let them do it, and let them deal with the consequences.
It's much more realistic and helps with the suspension of disbelief when the players say they are doing something without the GM holding their hand and saying, "Are you sure you want to do that?"
Screw the PCs. If their PC dies, they can just make a new one. No big deal.
The GM, just like the real-life universe, should be indifferent, and impartial. So then, why try to save the players? When they can die, and come up with much more interesting, and much more importantly, NEW characters?
Bring on the death, I say.

[Mr Beer]

Screw the PCs. If their PC dies, they can just make a new one. No big deal.
The GM, just like the real-life universe, should be indifferent, and impartial.

LOL, because the D&D fantasy universe is such a "real life" universe.

As far as I'm concerned, the characters are heroes creating a narrative, now if they want to continually do stupid things or if they get unlucky, well so be it. There's no need to make some cruel and pointless mirror of the real world though, at least in any sort of epic setting, as it isn't the real world.

[Cerlis]

Big difference between.

Are you sure?!

Are you sure.......?

Are you sure?

......You sure?

Are you sure?

and

Are you sure?

[TuggyNE]

The GM, just like the real-life universe, should be indifferent, and impartial.

Any particular reason for anti-escapism? Making a flawless imitation of real life is pretty pointless, since we already have one of those, and "bad things happen to you for reasons that are never revealed, or at least not for a long time" is one of the most annoying phenomena in real life that a lot of people would like to get rid of.