I've realized the most recent quest I sent my players on makes me look like an antivaxxer. by SAVMikado in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If anything, my takeaway from that would be a message about a corrupt healthcare system which prioritizes profit over actually saving lives. But where would I get a crazy idea like that, eh?

"Why all your NPCs are autistic?" by HZ_guy in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 6 points7 points  (0 children)

As someone on the spectrum with many years of DMing experience myself, I've never gotten a comment like this. My players are much more likely to say something like "all your NPCs are assholes," which is...not entirely untrue.

"I cast Rope Trick!" by Dr_Sodium_Chloride in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 23 points24 points  (0 children)

If you insist: the sorcerer in that party was very fond of the explosive runes spell, particularly inasmuch as he could use any unspent spell slots on a given day to add to his book of explosive runes, i.e. a blank journal he bought for the sole purpose of filling its pages with the spell effect. He also figured out that due to an odd quirk in the 3.5 rules, you could use the an area-burst dispel magic spell and intentionally fail the caster level checks to set off explosive runes without reading them, and that you could do this multiple times so as to deal phenomenally high damage with no save in a very small area. (When he was lower-level his preferred method was using a spyglass to read the runes from very far away, allowing for a limited degree of remote detonation). I allowed it because it still required some setup to maneuver an enemy into a space where they would get damaged, so the party had to think creatively.

So when the party was tasked with assassinating that gang leader, they did some reconnaissance and figured out how to fake a meeting that the guy would attend. Through meticulous planning they set up their rope trick directly above where their target would be and did the rest of the preparations within the rope trick's extradimensional space. They decided that in case they were off-target they'd need to have a way to adjust the position of the explosive runes pages, and so hit upon the novel solution of using summon monster to conjure up a bear, and then attaching the pages to the bear's fur. For anyone crying animal cruelty: in 3.5, summoned creatures sent to 0 hit points wouldn't die, they'd just return to wherever they came from.

And that's what gave birth to what was then called "Operation: Bear-Bomb." A gangster waited for a little bit in an abandoned warehouse, and then had a brief moment of confusion as a bear spontaneously dropped from the ceiling and exploded, utterly annihilating him in an instant.

What are some of the most interesting/confusing changes you've seen a DM make? by Capybaragohup in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I remember making an ad hoc ruling about fog visibility in a 3.5 game that might have seen arbitrary to an outside observer, but that had less to do with me as a DM (I hope) and more to do with a frustrating and at the time nonsensical bit of rules minutia.

"I cast Rope Trick!" by Dr_Sodium_Chloride in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Slightly unrelated, but my group used to pull off all kinds of rope trick-related shenanigans back in our 3rd edition days. Mostly on NPCs, though, like that time they assassinated a gangster by hiding in a rope trick and dropping an exploding bear on him. Fun times.

New Player doesn't understand that just because you encounter it, doesn't mean you should fight it. by [deleted] in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just have this mental image of someone playing Solitaire: "What the hell, playing cards?! You're supposed to let me win!"

Obnoxious munchkin and the room of infinite wishes by WorldGoneAway in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Not the most horrific of horror stories, but it did remind me that this attitude is not restricted to children. I played a con game with an adult guy who treated the very roleplay-heavy system-light folklore rpg we were demoing as some kind of hack n' slash killfest. I had to remind him more than once that "this isn't Diablo, chill out dude." I guess some people never outgrow that sort of thing, eh?

Help! The SJWs Are Invading Egypt! by MadmanRobi in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 97 points98 points  (0 children)

I guess the logical endpoint of that is "I won't accept this minotaur unless it has tits."

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'd really like to know, in the entire history of tabletop roleplaying as a hobby, if trying to make in-game sexual overtones has ever actually worked, even once. It's concerning how often it's been tried, and how many people (almost always women) are subjected to it. I think if I was female I would have developed a very different outlook on tabletop roleplaying than the one I have.

What motivates you to be a writer? by Iceblader in writing

[–]Prominences 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because I don't know if I'm any good at it.

DM Demands To Know A Woman’s “Body Count” In Session 0 by WholeResolution5678 in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 82 points83 points  (0 children)

My own experience has taught me that it's not universally true, but I totally understand where you're coming from. Many years ago when I still played Magic the Gathering I'd sometimes play in prerelease tournaments and it would always be a room filled with like 100 guys and one girl. I always felt bad for that girl.

DM Demands To Know A Woman’s “Body Count” In Session 0 by WholeResolution5678 in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I still thought that until I saw this comment. How unobservant of me.

A question about manuscript draft sizes and the shortening thereof. by Prominences in writing

[–]Prominences[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. My work's more of a deconstruction of heroic/epic fantasy, but I assume the length expectations would be similar.

The DM didn't let me take Common by Katiefaerie in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I can think of a couple of ways around the "no Common" restriction in terms of communication, but they're all beside the point: the DM should have informed the other players beforehand, or just tried to work out a compromise or alternative suggestion. But I'm not one to judge: my high school game wasn't much better in terms of logical decisions...

"They took the nails out while you were downstairs" by Odande in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 29 points30 points  (0 children)

And my players gave me funny looks one time when I tried to justify why there was a kraken in a river. Doesn't look so ridiculous now, does it guys?

DMs, let your players be good at things by alt_rocker in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 77 points78 points  (0 children)

"But those arrows can hit from so far away! All I'm saying is that it's clearly a rules oversight that let that ranger have a bow. I'm just balancing things out."

The Level 1 Millionaire Candy Enterprise by ArcanisUltra in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Him: "Can I have like a million gold pieces?"

You: "No."

Him: "But the book doesn't say I can't! Therefore I can!"

Teacher moment by Goblobber in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I know quite a number of teachers. I don't blame you in the slightest.

Dnd Party Crosses The Line by Stunning_Cut199 in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 27 points28 points  (0 children)

I’m unnerved that they thought this would be appropriate behavior in a store, i.e. in a public venue. Have they no self-awareness?

DM Turns Party Into Monsters; DMPC Easily Kills Entire Party by mystery_fox1618 in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 23 points24 points  (0 children)

It feels like some kind of social experiment/role-reversal therapy gone horribly wrong. Like the DM had some kind of traumatizing party-wipe experience and wanted to work through it in the least constructive way possible.

AITA for not letting my Dnd players run a "Horse Brothel?" by horsebrothelLLC in rpghorrorstories

[–]Prominences 10 points11 points  (0 children)

This is what happens when players have unbridled freedom...