I have never used any 'humor rules' but I do remember with great fondness an old issue of Dragon that featured such wonders as 'Noguard' the ultimate last adventure for superpowered characters, as well as the famous 'Wandering Damage Table'. Anyone remember this issue? I used to own it but it got lost in some move or mom-based cleaning program.
April Fools issues (Humor in your games)
- Thread starter Treebore
- Start date
Finley DaDum
First Post
I love to slowly introduce NPCs with somewhat humerous names.
2 examples from my Eberron Campaign:
A merchant captain known for a triangle trade route that usually brought back very good Rum to Sharn. He is introduced to the players as Lord Jaswell Morgan but jovially asks the players to call him Jazz, which they promptly get in the habit of. As they travel with him on his ship ,the crew just call him captain. It takes three sessions until another NPC refers to him as Lord Morgan and one of my players groans and says "You named him Captain Morgan and he delivers Rum????!!!!".
I introduce a low level wizard/sage NPC named Conan, little laugh from the players. He becomes fairly useful as a source of information and identification of magic items, and the party interact with him regularly. As the party progresses he rises in stature and level and eventually finds himself head of the Librarys of Morgrave University. Upon coming to see him form more info, an underling exclaims "Oh your here to see Conan, the Librarian".
2 examples from my Eberron Campaign:
A merchant captain known for a triangle trade route that usually brought back very good Rum to Sharn. He is introduced to the players as Lord Jaswell Morgan but jovially asks the players to call him Jazz, which they promptly get in the habit of. As they travel with him on his ship ,the crew just call him captain. It takes three sessions until another NPC refers to him as Lord Morgan and one of my players groans and says "You named him Captain Morgan and he delivers Rum????!!!!".
I introduce a low level wizard/sage NPC named Conan, little laugh from the players. He becomes fairly useful as a source of information and identification of magic items, and the party interact with him regularly. As the party progresses he rises in stature and level and eventually finds himself head of the Librarys of Morgrave University. Upon coming to see him form more info, an underling exclaims "Oh your here to see Conan, the Librarian".
Wombat
First Post
Treebore said:
When I first started 3e, I set up a "joke campaign" -- it had been years (10+) since I had played D&D and many of the core tenents still seemed, well, silly to me. So the Chelemby Campaign had one foot utterly immersed in the new system and the other a combination of Discworld and Paranoia. We had a lot of fun with this -- all adventuring groups were registered at specific taverns, there was a hobbit mafia in town, dungeons were known about and vied for by groups trying to make a name for themselves, everyone knew about hundreds of monster types that were wandering just beyond the city walls, etc. As someone said wisely about Terry Pratchett's novels, though, the point was to have the events seem humourous from the outside, but have the characters (including NPCs) take it utterly seriously.
On two April Fools days we ran what was essentially X-Crawl (though we didn't have that rulebook, per se) -- a straight-up dungeon crawl with all the improbable mechanics found in adventures that would never work with a medieval level of technology, along with crowd noises, commentary, and commercial breaks. This was a lot of fun! The adventures were themselves "straight" -- get through the dungeon and use all your feats and powers to your utmost, but have the trappings make it seem silly.
And then there was the sunwine and the rouged nipples on the guys ... don't ask ... that was an utterly impromptu adventure that my gamers created on me by turning left when they should have turned right...
khyron1144
First Post
I once ran an adventure where the monsters were things like Death Sheep, Killer Spruce Trees, and Chocolate Golems.
I had fun. So did the player. It might not work for everyone though.
I had fun. So did the player. It might not work for everyone though.
pawsplay
Hero
I think my players probably despise the joke or referential names I slip in. I once gave them six warrior lackeys named Glaucon, Aethelred, Hadrian, Mercutio, Sigmund, and John ("Tall John"). During one battle I announced, "Aethelred readies an action," producing a groan from one of my players.
I also ran an assassination attempt against them as a note for note D&D adaptation of the "centipede incident" from Attack of the Clones, which momentarily distracted them from the fact the incident had an entirely different meaning in their case (other than coming from a corner they weren't expecting). Dead doppelganger, blowgun, masked assassin fleeing on a magic carpet... I thought it was hilarious.
Another NPC ally was a dwarf warrior. He was originally an unnamed guard, but accidentally survived the "goblin attack" encounter that kicked off the campaign due to a timely CLW by the party's healer. So I named him Brodie. Brodie had several notable characteristics. First of all, he never died. Against dire wolves, he would be missed over and over again, or sometimes savaged, but be left stable. Second, he did virtually anything that was asked. Third, lacking any real personality for him, I assigned him several signature traits. If the PCs asked what he was doing, and nothing in particular was going on, I always announced he was pouring a beer. If he could not reach an enemy in combat after a charge, I always announced he dashed forward and threw his sword in a fit of excitement, then closed with a shield bash. Things reached a certain level of absurdity when the ghost of the dwarf noble they had worked for possessed Brodie, momentarily turning him into a force of terrible destruction. Between his harrowing adventures and his occasionally being possessed by his dead lord, he went rather insane. He finally died in battle against ogres, and after experiencing sticker shock, the party decided not to rez him.
I also ran an assassination attempt against them as a note for note D&D adaptation of the "centipede incident" from Attack of the Clones, which momentarily distracted them from the fact the incident had an entirely different meaning in their case (other than coming from a corner they weren't expecting). Dead doppelganger, blowgun, masked assassin fleeing on a magic carpet... I thought it was hilarious.
Another NPC ally was a dwarf warrior. He was originally an unnamed guard, but accidentally survived the "goblin attack" encounter that kicked off the campaign due to a timely CLW by the party's healer. So I named him Brodie. Brodie had several notable characteristics. First of all, he never died. Against dire wolves, he would be missed over and over again, or sometimes savaged, but be left stable. Second, he did virtually anything that was asked. Third, lacking any real personality for him, I assigned him several signature traits. If the PCs asked what he was doing, and nothing in particular was going on, I always announced he was pouring a beer. If he could not reach an enemy in combat after a charge, I always announced he dashed forward and threw his sword in a fit of excitement, then closed with a shield bash. Things reached a certain level of absurdity when the ghost of the dwarf noble they had worked for possessed Brodie, momentarily turning him into a force of terrible destruction. Between his harrowing adventures and his occasionally being possessed by his dead lord, he went rather insane. He finally died in battle against ogres, and after experiencing sticker shock, the party decided not to rez him.
QuaziquestGM
First Post
Sometimes when I have late players, or newbies, I'll run something humorous as fill-in or "trainer" matreial.
I started a campaine with the "Ork and the pie" dungeon. Ork stole pie from little old lady. Slay ork, retreive pie.
The first pc, a thief, tracked the ork, and then sat in a tree outside of his cave to ambush him. missed the first shot, the ork starts cutting down the tree. PC makes jump check to get out of tree, fumbles, and ends up prone infornt of the ork. ork crits with battle axe.
PC #2, dwarf fighter, kills ork in toe to toe and gets the thief's starting eqipment as treasuer. That dwarf has been leading the party for 8 months now.
We've had a thanksgiving special where the pcs blew thier knowledge (nature or farming) check and chases some "turkeys" into the woods. When the rogue landed the sneak attack with crit death blow on "mama axebeak" several rounds later, I described how his rapier and hand dissapeared into her feathered backside.....
I now have a box of peeps and a chocolate bunny on my desk for the "Easter dragon".
I started a campaine with the "Ork and the pie" dungeon. Ork stole pie from little old lady. Slay ork, retreive pie.
The first pc, a thief, tracked the ork, and then sat in a tree outside of his cave to ambush him. missed the first shot, the ork starts cutting down the tree. PC makes jump check to get out of tree, fumbles, and ends up prone infornt of the ork. ork crits with battle axe.
PC #2, dwarf fighter, kills ork in toe to toe and gets the thief's starting eqipment as treasuer. That dwarf has been leading the party for 8 months now.
We've had a thanksgiving special where the pcs blew thier knowledge (nature or farming) check and chases some "turkeys" into the woods. When the rogue landed the sneak attack with crit death blow on "mama axebeak" several rounds later, I described how his rapier and hand dissapeared into her feathered backside.....
I now have a box of peeps and a chocolate bunny on my desk for the "Easter dragon".
Dragonbait
Explorer
I have never run a totally humerous game, but I have had games that have a lot of humor in them.
I'll put funny situations or a character or two in my game, but I refrain from doing it on a regular basis. Yet... My problem is, I feel that whimsical locations and creatures prove to be far more interesting when they fill a bigger role than just a joke. I have a feeling that I'm a real rarity, but my groups have not complained (yet)
In one campaign, the final dungeon was a castle that was once from the realm of dreams and populated by care-bear-esque bearmen. The BBEG took it over, brought it to the Prime, enslaved the bears, and corrupted the castle so it became more like a haunted house. The monsters that populated the castle were people in costumes or giant toys (basically golems), but there were some real undead and evil elementals too. The final fight was on the back of a giant toy dragon. The BBEG was the emobiment of a half-orc child's learned hatred towards humanity, so I felt justified in the bizarre whimsey. Yeah, the characters were fighting puppet skeletons and wind-up golems at one point, but they could be harmed and killed all the same.
I also make characters that may seem like jokes (hell, I made a duck character) but when those characters prove themselves to be more than a one-dimensional parody, I have succeeded.
I'll put funny situations or a character or two in my game, but I refrain from doing it on a regular basis. Yet... My problem is, I feel that whimsical locations and creatures prove to be far more interesting when they fill a bigger role than just a joke. I have a feeling that I'm a real rarity, but my groups have not complained (yet)
In one campaign, the final dungeon was a castle that was once from the realm of dreams and populated by care-bear-esque bearmen. The BBEG took it over, brought it to the Prime, enslaved the bears, and corrupted the castle so it became more like a haunted house. The monsters that populated the castle were people in costumes or giant toys (basically golems), but there were some real undead and evil elementals too. The final fight was on the back of a giant toy dragon. The BBEG was the emobiment of a half-orc child's learned hatred towards humanity, so I felt justified in the bizarre whimsey. Yeah, the characters were fighting puppet skeletons and wind-up golems at one point, but they could be harmed and killed all the same.
I also make characters that may seem like jokes (hell, I made a duck character) but when those characters prove themselves to be more than a one-dimensional parody, I have succeeded.
DM_Jeff
Explorer
I just realized that I USE humor as a DM when we're not in a real roelpalying heavy campaign. Shackled City and RHoD had roleplaying, but the fact was a lot of it was combat.
So I did something very deliberate: I played nearly all monsters and NPCs as if they were applying for a job on Hercules or Xena. And in combats I threw in side comments on over-the-top monster tactics and attempts and NPC actions and responses. This kept the humor from the players also focused on the action or the scene at hand and didn't lead to distraction.
-DM Jeff
So I did something very deliberate: I played nearly all monsters and NPCs as if they were applying for a job on Hercules or Xena. And in combats I threw in side comments on over-the-top monster tactics and attempts and NPC actions and responses. This kept the humor from the players also focused on the action or the scene at hand and didn't lead to distraction.
-DM Jeff
Slife
First Post
Ah, yes. Conan the Librarian.Finley DaDum said:
Kunimatyu
First Post
I like to mess with my players from time to time, especially on April Fools.
Last year, the party(all level 5) was in a warehouse trying to retrieve a crate with a sleeping monster for a crimelord. Unfortunately, they sounded the alarm, and the monster woke up and broke out of its crate.
I placed a Beholder miniature on the table, had it fire off all of its rays, and started reciting off the effects that each player was hit with:
"Okay, you were just turned to stone, you were disintegrated, you're charmed by the beholder, you're asleep, and you're dead..."
The players look at each other in stunned stock, not really processing what had just happened.
I crack my best Evil DM Grim: "...oh, and April Fools."
Last year, the party(all level 5) was in a warehouse trying to retrieve a crate with a sleeping monster for a crimelord. Unfortunately, they sounded the alarm, and the monster woke up and broke out of its crate.
I placed a Beholder miniature on the table, had it fire off all of its rays, and started reciting off the effects that each player was hit with:
"Okay, you were just turned to stone, you were disintegrated, you're charmed by the beholder, you're asleep, and you're dead..."
The players look at each other in stunned stock, not really processing what had just happened.
I crack my best Evil DM Grim: "...oh, and April Fools."
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