Ars Moriendi, The Art of Dying Well.
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Eosin the Red
First Post
Two 15th level PCs have had enough of each other and go mono-mono, the rules are that no aid may be rendered to either party by an outside agency.
During the 5th or 6th round it was a simo inish and the LE mage and the CG cleric both are brought to the negatives - the cleric at somewhere around neg 8 while the mage at neg 4.
The mage begs another PC to come closer to which the third PC replies "You know that I cannot help you." The evil mage looks at his friend and says....."don't want help, I want you to roll me over so I can watch the *@#!~ die before I do."
I almost lost bowel and bladder control. Both PCs ended up in their respective happy hunting grounds.
During the 5th or 6th round it was a simo inish and the LE mage and the CG cleric both are brought to the negatives - the cleric at somewhere around neg 8 while the mage at neg 4.
The mage begs another PC to come closer to which the third PC replies "You know that I cannot help you." The evil mage looks at his friend and says....."don't want help, I want you to roll me over so I can watch the *@#!~ die before I do."
I almost lost bowel and bladder control. Both PCs ended up in their respective happy hunting grounds.
Napftor
Explorer
I was playing a wizard (I think--perhaps a sorcerer) named Gerim Darkflash. We were in the Forgotten Realms attempting to stop a drow with Dragonstar technology from escaping with a box whose contents were unknown (but obviously important). When a portal opened nearby the final melee and the drow sprinted toward it, I had Gerim heroically take a stand in front of it and brace himself. The drow bull rushed me right through it! On the other side, Gerim found himself on a spaceship--with 5 other dark elves pointing energy weapons down at him. That was the final act of Gerim Darkflash and the other PCs never knew what became of him.
In 2nd edition, I was DMing a Ravenloft game where the PCs had a showdown with a ghoul lord and its minions inside an unstable mine. The paladin (who, oddly enough, was the DM in the above situation) screamed for the rest of the party to flee during the fight. When they were safely away from the chamber, the paladin chopped a critical support beam and collapsed the entire place on himself and the wicked ghoul lord.
In 2nd edition, I was DMing a Ravenloft game where the PCs had a showdown with a ghoul lord and its minions inside an unstable mine. The paladin (who, oddly enough, was the DM in the above situation) screamed for the rest of the party to flee during the fight. When they were safely away from the chamber, the paladin chopped a critical support beam and collapsed the entire place on himself and the wicked ghoul lord.
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Ankh-Morpork Guard
First Post
One PC in a Star Wars d20 game I ran just had very bad luck with his attack rolls. He would continually roll 1s(we even switched dice a lot so he wouldn't, but this changed nothing) and it got to the point where he would continually get critical failures. Had a little chart made for it, and while only half the time the blaster broke, the other half he would shoot himself in the foot. Yes, he did finish himself off this way.
To make it worse, he was playing a modified Super Battle Droid. I.e. the blaster was on his ARM.
To make it worse, he was playing a modified Super Battle Droid. I.e. the blaster was on his ARM.
BlackMoria
First Post
Way back in first edition, I joined a new group who were playing characters in the 15-20th level range. The DM allowed me to roll up a 16th level wizard and allowed me to have Staff of the Magi as a magic item.
Now, this group, really didn't hold to alignment too much, as I found out. My rude awakening to this fact was when the other mage in the party tried to murder me because he wanted my Staff of the Magi. This occurred in the deep levels of a dungeon ruled over by mountain giants and trolls. By good fortune, I survived and escaped from my former party (which numbered about 7 other characters) - but couldn't escape the dungeon because my former party was between me and the only exit and the dungeon had a property that prevented escape via magical means.
Slowly, despite a heroic hit and run delaying action, I was forced into an area in which there was no escape and my former party members were closing in.
The end was near. I passed a note to the DM outlining my plan and then waited. Sure enough, I was hit was arrow and I implemented my plan - falling over to feign being dead.
The party gathered over my body and one of the fighters (who had a helm of brillance - in fact, another party member also had a helm of brillance as well) turned me over as prelude to looting my body.
The look on their faces was priceless as I screamed out "Surprise, mo...fu...!" and broke the Staff of the Magi.
It was like a small nuke went off.... first there was the damage from a retributive strike from the staff, then the damage of two nearly full up helms of brillance going off, and the damage from a staff of power (held by the mage).
The damage was so complete that the DM announced that the dungeon supports in that area were destroyed and the entire dungeon caved in.
I died....oh, but what a death. Every single member of the party also died. The anguished long looks of the players as the characters they played since 1st level died.
The irony was delicious....
Now, this group, really didn't hold to alignment too much, as I found out. My rude awakening to this fact was when the other mage in the party tried to murder me because he wanted my Staff of the Magi. This occurred in the deep levels of a dungeon ruled over by mountain giants and trolls. By good fortune, I survived and escaped from my former party (which numbered about 7 other characters) - but couldn't escape the dungeon because my former party was between me and the only exit and the dungeon had a property that prevented escape via magical means.
Slowly, despite a heroic hit and run delaying action, I was forced into an area in which there was no escape and my former party members were closing in.
The end was near. I passed a note to the DM outlining my plan and then waited. Sure enough, I was hit was arrow and I implemented my plan - falling over to feign being dead.
The party gathered over my body and one of the fighters (who had a helm of brillance - in fact, another party member also had a helm of brillance as well) turned me over as prelude to looting my body.
The look on their faces was priceless as I screamed out "Surprise, mo...fu...!" and broke the Staff of the Magi.
It was like a small nuke went off.... first there was the damage from a retributive strike from the staff, then the damage of two nearly full up helms of brillance going off, and the damage from a staff of power (held by the mage).
The damage was so complete that the DM announced that the dungeon supports in that area were destroyed and the entire dungeon caved in.
I died....oh, but what a death. Every single member of the party also died. The anguished long looks of the players as the characters they played since 1st level died.
The irony was delicious....
Talking about ars moriendae, just after 3.5 came out, I emailed my group with some of the changes to the rules. In particular, I mentioned that harm could now kill on a failed save.
One of the players replied, full of bravado, saying things like "it's about time, adds spice to life", etc.
The next session, he charged an evil bloodmage, and copped a harm for his trouble. I asked whether he wanted to use a hero point to boost his save. He said "nah, I'll be fine".
Then he remembered it was a Will save, not a Fort save. So he failed his save, and died.
The group drove off the bloodmage, trudged back to town, and got him raised.
The session after that, they were exploring the dungeon underneath where they fought the bloodmage. After some time, they met a lich.
The same guy charged the lich, and copped another harm for his trouble. And again, he failed his save and died.
It's become a bit of a running joke in our group ever since....
One of the players replied, full of bravado, saying things like "it's about time, adds spice to life", etc.
The next session, he charged an evil bloodmage, and copped a harm for his trouble. I asked whether he wanted to use a hero point to boost his save. He said "nah, I'll be fine".
Then he remembered it was a Will save, not a Fort save. So he failed his save, and died.
The group drove off the bloodmage, trudged back to town, and got him raised.
The session after that, they were exploring the dungeon underneath where they fought the bloodmage. After some time, they met a lich.
The same guy charged the lich, and copped another harm for his trouble. And again, he failed his save and died.
It's become a bit of a running joke in our group ever since....
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