Humour in a DnD campaign

[Berandor]

I once had an NPC with a really quirky backstory:
He was a Bard/Fighter, who once got a "wish" and wished for shapshifting powers akin to a doppelganger's (he was sort of a secret agent back then ).
He got a doppelganger's power, but couldn't handle the identity changes, and got shizophrenic - one part the bard abilities with the mind of a fighter, tghe other half a fighter with the bardic personality.

Now, due to his former experiences, he was used fighting losing battles, instilling revolutions and the like.

So when the PCs needed him for help - unknowing of his conditions - he was quick to help, brave warrior and all, but wasn't really able to do anything (all weapon abilities and feats were with the fighter).

however, he could tell great stories of grand plans and stragies - and how they failed.
When the PCs had a plan in mind, he would say, "Yes, that's exactly like the siege on Hussingdor five years ago... of course, our company got killed almost to the man back then, but it was still a good plan."

Same when the players asked him for knowledgable help:
"Hmm... I guess this situation could be compared to the conspiration in the House of Ferdeln, when the envious mother wanted to rob her daughter of her future husband... I was there, then, and I helped the poor girl.
Not that she survived, and i almost got hanged for murdering her - but perhaps this time all will be well?"

In combat, he would charge and try to attack, and be hit... but as soon as he got to a certain amount of (bardic) hit points, he would change to fighter, get that one's hp, and try to talk the opponent out of it - or flee.
Only when one or more PCs were in true mortal danger, would he charge in, and save the day.

It was fun, and I had a normally useless NPC to warn the PCs of baaad plans or to be the last second saviour.

Berandor

 

[Conaill]

Blink puppies.

 

[Fenris]

The most memorable event for me was as a player. We had been going through a dungeon and we came to the "bad guy at the end". Expecting to find our uber-villian. So we are searching his quarters when up jumps an NPC halfling, raises his hands threateningly, and in a loud, but squeaky voice proclaims "I am a mightly and powerful wizard!" Whereupon he fell on his duff. We rolled on the floor and basically ignored him and his threats the entire time. It became the new running (and it still has legs) gag.

A second event in one of my games involved a charcater verbally abusing a PC cleric of a nature goddess. So the next time they were in a forest a BIG pine cone narrowly misses him, twice. Ever after pine cones made him duck.

 

[The Flying Walrus]

I made the entrance to a dungeon a big stone archway with burning runes on it that say GO AWAY! and smaller one underneath that says, "If you can read this message, you do not need glasses."

Mr Saturns: If by any chance any of you have played a quirkly little SNES game called Earthbound, you'll know how funny they are!

 

[bret]

Chipmonks.


It actually started with the Monk, Notyet Whynot, trying to interrogate one. Tree rats aren't exactly the brightest critters, and I may have played it as below average Int for a chipmonk.

The interrogation was humorous, but the monk character didn't have a sense of humor. The player did, but the character wasn't supposed to.

After that failed interrogation, it was dangerous for any chipmonk to get too close to the monk. Unless something more critical prevented it, the monk would kill the chipmonk.


A few lessons can be learned from this:

Make sure you come to the first session of a game with a character name. No telling what you will end up with if you fail to do so. The monk's name is just one example.

Don't interrogate chipmonks.

Situational humor can come out of the strangest things.


As for humorous NPCs, you would have a hard time beating Minsc and Boo from the original Baldur's Gate.

 

[hong]

I've always thought that the best humour is spontaneous and off-the-cuff. You never know when someone will turn a situation on its head with a comment from left-field.

Characters or set-pieces that are designed to be intentionally funny can have their moments, but risk becoming stale.

But that's just me.

 

[Master Kaul]

Its simple, the next time the group is in a big city, let their be fliers posted up everywhere for a preformance by the world's funniest man. Then pop in a VHS of George Carlin and they can role-play out what they liked or didn't like about the prefromance.

 

[jasper]

Do simple non damaging things to the characters.
Ex. 3 people fail save on fear check. They fled.
DM. OK the monster is blocking the door but the stairs are not blocked by it.
Rami -guess i run up the stair
ember- me too

Dm. Tickleberry Rami, Ember, and the dward run over you as they flee up the stairs.
Tickleberry- But I have dodge evasion etc.
Dm As I said the run over you. NO damage.

See no damage and the other players got a laugh and bigger one when Tickleberry pouted.