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What crazy ideas have you tried that worked?

applenerd

First Post
I am currently cooking up an idea to utilize some of the source books I've bought lately. I'm thinking of a kind of spycraft type game that revolves around time travel. Coming up with ideas for it got me curious and I was wondering what crazy/interesting/difficult/different ideas people had tried that worked out well? If you weren't sure it was going to work, why do you think it did? Any of your "out there" ideas that didn't go as you had planned?
 

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Rybaer

First Post
For something really out there, I once tried combining Cyberpunk, Magic, The Old West, and Bunnies and Burrows from the GURPS system. The players were all cybered out sentient bunnies in a magic-infused old west.

Interesting as it was, I will admit that it didn't last all that long.
 

applenerd

First Post
hehe. Wow! That's way more out there than my idea! But I bet it was fun! I'm hoping in mine to do some travelling (through time) to do some cyberpunk type stuff as well as some 20s pulp action.
 

Crothian

First Post
The wierdest thing I did was convince the PCs we we playing a supers hero game, so they all made up super heroes. But the campaign was actually a version of CoC mystery/horror game. REally caught them off gaurd and worked pretty well.
 

Edena_of_Neith

First Post
I had a character named Osilovar who was faced by a Ravenloft Domain Lord.

I had Osilovar throw a punch at him. Under the 2nd Edition rules, a punch could lead to a knockout, and it did.

Scratch one Ravenloft Domain Lord.

- - -

I had a character named Anora who iceskated into battle.
It proved an effective form of Charging.

- - -

I had a character named Maximilian who obtained a + 1 Hockey Stick, after said Stick was used to knock Maximilian out in the battle in which he obtained it.
The stick was neat ... being knocked out by it wasn't so good.

- - -

If your DM allows magical items to explode when destroyed, always have an assemblage of weak magical items on hand.
They make great impromptu explosives, for that special occasion when the monster is about to do a TPK on the party.

- - -

When in doubt about a Teleporter, put the party into a Bag of Holding (if the party can breathe in there, and if they can leave under their own power, of course.)
That way, when the Teleporter transports the party to the entrance of the dungeon, nude, and transports the party's treasure somewhere else, the party goes with the treasure to the somewhere else.

As in the Tomb of Horrors. Of course, the somewhere else in this case is Acererak's Crypt, and perhaps compared to that being nude outside isn't so bad ...

- - -

If you are standing in a hall in the Demonweb, blocked by acid jets from advancing through the only door at hand, and with clouds of fiery gas closing upon you from both directions, throw your shield between you and the spray jets.
Losing a shield is always better than losing your life.

- - -

When in the Astral fighting Githyanki, always attack from a distance.
It's a total bummer dying instantly when your Astral Cord is cut.

- - -

When fighting giants from the walls of a castle, ALWAYS fight from the cover of crenelations (or do not stand on the wall at all if no fortifications are present.)

If you do not heed this advice, do not be surprised when the giant takes his club and plays Golf Ball with your character (trust me, for I know this the hard way.)

- - -

Never use the Teleport spell as it exists in the 2nd edition.
Always use the Teleport spell as it exists in the 2nd edition, on someone else.
Make sure that you select a Never Seen Destination.

Even better, pick a Never Seen location that you've heard about, such as the King's throneroom or the Duke's ceremonial dancehall.

- - -

Always wear an Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location.

There are two good reason for this.

#1: You won't survive the tactic above (see teleporting monsters into the King's throneroom) if you aren't wearing such a device.

#2: If you do not have such a device, the enemy mage will invariably throw invisibility on himself, teleport in behind you and your party, and Fireball the lot of you.
If you do not die instantly in this attack, the mage will teleport out, only to repeat the procedure the next night during the 2nd Watch.

Of course, if your PC is a mage, you can return the favor (but doing this gives the DM ideas which you do not want him or her to have.)

- - -

Never try to take a Psionicist on unless:

#1: Someone in the party is a psionicist also.
#2: The DM allows that psionics are a form of magic.
#3: The DM knows nothing about psionics.

If any of the 3 conditions above are not met, the entire party will be killed by the psionicist.

- - -

Always draw first from a Deck of Many Things.

Many DMs discard the cards that have been drawn, but require you select your number of draws before any have been drawn.

Guess what happens to your PC, when those before you (invariably, of course) draw all the good cards?

- - -

If you do not think a troll is well done (as opposed to medium or rare), never take chances.
Always cook trolls properly, like you would any meat.

Of course, if you want a regenerating troll bomb, then cook the outsides well done, and leave the center rare.
A guaranteed disaster for the enemy, if you catapult or otherwise fire the mess into him, after making a quick slice through the middle of the burnt troll.

- - -

Always carry a Mirror of Opposition around, carefully covered.
When you meet a particularly powerful monster, you stand behind the party, uncover the mirror, and point.
This also works against a numerous enemy (such as the charging ranks of an orc army.)

- - -

If you have a way to do it, transport a powerful and evil NPC into the middle of your foes (assuming they do not discriminate, and kill everything in sight.)
This kills the monster and the NPC, and you get the NPC's items afterwards.

Do not pull this with good NPCs (regardless of your alignment.) They usually have too many friends to make it a profitable gesture.

- - -

Use Rock to Mud against dungeons, drowning the monsters therein.
Use Rock to Mud on city streets against foes there.
Use Rock to Mud on any stone structure you can get away with (wizard's towers were choice targets in 2nd edition.)

- - -

Use Wall of Force to divide an enemy force in half.
Then destroy the enemy piecemeal.

- - -

Use Wall of Fire to divide the enemy force in half, and damage half of them while you are at it.
Attack and kill the enemy not being damaged first.

- - -

Use the Harm spell (assuming the standard spell that allows no saving throw) whenever possible, followed by a good punch from the party fighter.
A subdued opponent, every time (and some monsters can be useful when subdued.)

- - -

Always take the Heal spell if you can.
It is much more bang for the buck (especially at high levels.)

- - -

Remember that wraiths always attack through the floor, gaining complete surprise ... and thus, don't walk on the floor.

- - -

Never sneak along without light.
That's what the green slime on the floor is banking on.

- - -

Never fight a lycanthrope hand-to-hand.
You will find the cost of treating lycanthropy higher than you thought (100,000 gp, for a certain 9th level character of mine.)

- - -

Always treat elves as chaotic evil.
You won't be disappointed in them, when you find them (or they find you), if you do.

- - -

NEVER put a cavalier and a kender into the same party.
If you do, know that the result is invariably fatal.

- - -

If you are a fighter, remember that the mage is actually useful and not extra luggage.
It might even save your life.

- - -

NEVER put a neutral or evil cleric into a party, where the player is mercenary.
The inevitable result is a dead cleric, and ultimately a dead party.

- - -

If in doubt about where to teleport an enemy, teleport that enemy to Ravenloft.
It is a sure-fire one-way trip for the enemy.

Always have a Contingency spell ready to transport you away when the Mists, alerted to your presence by this tactic, show up to take you on said one-way trip also.

- - -

Remember that the only way out of the Nine Hells is to go down (all 9 layers) and then out.
This may not be true, but if you think it is true, you won't voluntarily run off to Hell to adventure, which means you'll be around a little longer.

- - -

Always blast the opponents with a good Fireball.
If they fail their saves, their items must save (in 3E, I believe they must save either way.)

Nothing is more gratifying that watching enemy fighters melt along with their armor (and no, warriors cannot fight when their metallic armor is melted while they're wearing it. Except for Epic types.)
Enemy mages and clerics cannot cast spells when their clothing is set afire and they are living torches, but they scream most delightfully (and you thought Fireball wasn't an evil spell ...)

- - -

Always have a Lightning Bolt ready.

Your party fighters will INVARIABLY do the stupid thing and charge right into the enemy ranks (even if the enemy are spectres and the like), making Fireballs useless.
You see, fighters have this thing for guts and glory, and if they do not fight, they do not get the glory, and then they become mad, and ...

- - -

Remember that Magic Missiles really do work (it is nice to see a 1st level spell that can affect a creature with an Armor Class of 30, or 40, or 50 ...)

- - -

Do not fight level draining creatures.
Hire someone else to fight level draining creatures.

- - -

Always become involved in barroom brawls.
Not only is it enjoyable, but the deep mess your character will be in later will lead to lots of fun and games.

- - -

If a dwarf challenges you to a drinking contest, YOU REFUSE, unless you are a dwarf.
 

bloodymage

House Ruler
I once transported a 1e party to a world populated by deere, cats, trenchulas, bobcats, dozing bulls, etc. I guess you'd hafta hear the names to understand! Sentient tractors bent on keeping their world free of biological sentients. Magic didn't work. The only way to "kill" them was by interrupting their normal operation thru physical means. Simple solution for what turned out to be a tuff problem. Players were too used to blasting n slicing, they couldn't think outta the "box." The players hated me for that one! :D
 

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