D&D General What’s the most gruesome thing that can befall an adventurer?

[Steampunkette]

Mind Control.

All the body horror of paralysis, combined with a first person perspective of harming, even killing, your friends and allies.

It's the single most intimate violation anyone can make because it takes away what you -are-, inside.

It always shocks me when "Heroes" use mind control effects because, seriously, it's horrifying. At best you're using a magical roofie (Friends, Charm Person) to get people to agree to things they otherwise wouldn't... And at worst you're just driving their body around while they watch in horror.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Having a Lawful Stupid in the party.

 

[meltdownpass]

Watching your hard-won magic equipment dissolve under the hideous digestive juices of a rust monster.

 

[Stalker0]

they are constantly dying of thirst no matter how much they drink.

True story, this happened to me on covid. I’ve never drank more water in my life, but it didn’t help...I was insanely thirsty. I actually broke down one night, shouting “I can’t drink anymore!!”

 

[Oofta]

True story, this happened to me on covid. I’ve never drank more water in my life, but it didn’t help...I was insanely thirsty. I actually broke down one night, shouting “I can’t drink anymore!!”

Glad you got better, that sounds awful!

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

While post-death, I just wanted to add a Dybbuk possessing and violating the corpse of a recently killed PC (twisting the limbs and head backwards then walking on all fours) got half my players to stand up and need to take a walk.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

 

[Richards]

Kind of by definition, the most "gruesome" thing a PC can encounter is... a grue.

Johnathan

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Soul destruction and eternal damnation.

 

[ccs]

I'm sure if I told you I'd be rewarded with warning pts/banning.