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lowkey13
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Running for a group of teenagers including my daughter. One magic item they found was a magic ring but they couldn't figure out what it did. Later they were annoying the locals in a tavern the one kid with the ring asks the bartender if he knew where the money tree was. He said yea and i'll even draw you a map to it if you leave now. So they follow the map, get to a strange looking tree but no money. They start to leave dissapointed and the kid says "dang i wish it was a real money tree". They hear the chink of coinage behind them. Sure enough the tree was now producing copper pieces, not a whole lot but they all start freeking out and talking to the tree asking for everything but not wishing. Then they start leaving and then the kid with the ring is says, "dang I wish would would find a bacon tree".....
Valmarius
First Post
The Barbarian PC in my campaign killed a Fire Myrmidon and had the elemental spirit of an Efreeti trapped in her greataxe. This turned it into a +1 weapon.
Fast-forward 6-months of in-game time and she's having firey visions, speaking Ignan in her sleep, etc.
Through the visions she realises that the spirit in the axe wants to be freed, suggesting that the axe be thrown into a volcano in exchange for a grand reward.
The party finally finds itself atop a volcano, preforming an unrelated Goliath ritual, and she throws the axe in, releasing the Efreeti. The rest of the party starts freaking out, because the last Efreeti they'd faced had taken A LOT of planning to defeat. The Efreeti instead grants the Barbarian one wish, and what does she say?
"I've just lost my favourite weapon, I wish for a powerful replacement."
And that's how she ended up with an Efreet-forged ring that summons elemental weapons at a whim.
Fast-forward 6-months of in-game time and she's having firey visions, speaking Ignan in her sleep, etc.
Through the visions she realises that the spirit in the axe wants to be freed, suggesting that the axe be thrown into a volcano in exchange for a grand reward.
The party finally finds itself atop a volcano, preforming an unrelated Goliath ritual, and she throws the axe in, releasing the Efreeti. The rest of the party starts freaking out, because the last Efreeti they'd faced had taken A LOT of planning to defeat. The Efreeti instead grants the Barbarian one wish, and what does she say?
"I've just lost my favourite weapon, I wish for a powerful replacement."
And that's how she ended up with an Efreet-forged ring that summons elemental weapons at a whim.
Rhenny
Adventurer
It is amazing how many stories come from unpredictable play. It is so incredible playing with players who have less preconceived notions about what should happen (i.e. the stories about the kids, etc.).
I have a few good ones that happened over the past year.
In one game, I ran a modified portion of a game for my 9th grade classes. The students had to escape a prison they had magically woken up in. Well, the PCs made it out of containment fields in one room, down a well after getting smashed into by moving statues that they escaped from, down into a cavern room, where one of the PCs found a small nook that had a box in it. The students were playing each pc as a group so there were 6 pcs and each was controlled by a group of 4 or 5 students (depending on the class and the number of students in the class). In one particular class, when the rogue PC opened the box, she found a potion. The group controlling her really wanted to drink it, and one girl in particular seemed very eager. When they told me that the PC drank the potion, I looked right at the eager girl and asked her to tell me the first animal to pop into her mind. With a giddy giggle and a smile she said, "a bunny." That's when the PC turned into a bunny. The group loved it, especially that one girl. They had the PC hop ahead of the rest of the group into the cavern toward the other end...heading toward three doors. One would lead to freedom, but the other two into more mayhem. (There was more, but the bunny part was the most adorable).
In a more serious campaign of Princes of the Apocalypse, my regular group was only 3rd level, but they had gotten into and down to see Queen Aerisi in the Temple of the Howling Hatred. They were damaged a little, and didn't have too many resources left, but they got Windharrow to take them to Queen Aerisi in her throne room. One of the PCs, an Air Genasi sorcerer, had a background I made up. He had to investigate the claims that Windharrow was some how responsible for the theft of a horn that was a sacred relic of their tribe. Well, he saw the horn in the Queen's throne room attached to the wall behind her throne. While the group was interacting with the Queen, and the bard was flirting with her because he seemed enraptured by her beauty, the Air Genasi slowly moved his way closer to the horn. All this time, the Queen was accepting the bard's compliments and slowly beginning to trust the group. The Air Genasi sorcerer could not let the horn just sit there. As soon as he was close enough, he took it off the wall. As soon as he did, the Queen called to her minions and the fight was on. The group killed some of the easier targets, but the Queen and Windharrow escaped using a dimension door. Then when the group got to the downstairs room, they were ambushed by a ton of cultists, Windharrow and the Queen. They had no prayer. That's when the Air Genasi decided to blow the horn, not even knowing what would happen. It summoned a Djinni (as per the module) and it allowed the Air Genasi to command it to do one service. The Air Genasi asked it to escort them back to Red Larch and defend them so that they could make it back safely. This turned the battle, allowing the group to take Queen Aerisi as a prisoner as Windharrow made his escape. It was a great session, very exciting, with great roleplaying, combat, near defeat, a sudden boon and a happy ending.
I have a few good ones that happened over the past year.
In one game, I ran a modified portion of a game for my 9th grade classes. The students had to escape a prison they had magically woken up in. Well, the PCs made it out of containment fields in one room, down a well after getting smashed into by moving statues that they escaped from, down into a cavern room, where one of the PCs found a small nook that had a box in it. The students were playing each pc as a group so there were 6 pcs and each was controlled by a group of 4 or 5 students (depending on the class and the number of students in the class). In one particular class, when the rogue PC opened the box, she found a potion. The group controlling her really wanted to drink it, and one girl in particular seemed very eager. When they told me that the PC drank the potion, I looked right at the eager girl and asked her to tell me the first animal to pop into her mind. With a giddy giggle and a smile she said, "a bunny." That's when the PC turned into a bunny. The group loved it, especially that one girl. They had the PC hop ahead of the rest of the group into the cavern toward the other end...heading toward three doors. One would lead to freedom, but the other two into more mayhem. (There was more, but the bunny part was the most adorable).
In a more serious campaign of Princes of the Apocalypse, my regular group was only 3rd level, but they had gotten into and down to see Queen Aerisi in the Temple of the Howling Hatred. They were damaged a little, and didn't have too many resources left, but they got Windharrow to take them to Queen Aerisi in her throne room. One of the PCs, an Air Genasi sorcerer, had a background I made up. He had to investigate the claims that Windharrow was some how responsible for the theft of a horn that was a sacred relic of their tribe. Well, he saw the horn in the Queen's throne room attached to the wall behind her throne. While the group was interacting with the Queen, and the bard was flirting with her because he seemed enraptured by her beauty, the Air Genasi slowly moved his way closer to the horn. All this time, the Queen was accepting the bard's compliments and slowly beginning to trust the group. The Air Genasi sorcerer could not let the horn just sit there. As soon as he was close enough, he took it off the wall. As soon as he did, the Queen called to her minions and the fight was on. The group killed some of the easier targets, but the Queen and Windharrow escaped using a dimension door. Then when the group got to the downstairs room, they were ambushed by a ton of cultists, Windharrow and the Queen. They had no prayer. That's when the Air Genasi decided to blow the horn, not even knowing what would happen. It summoned a Djinni (as per the module) and it allowed the Air Genasi to command it to do one service. The Air Genasi asked it to escort them back to Red Larch and defend them so that they could make it back safely. This turned the battle, allowing the group to take Queen Aerisi as a prisoner as Windharrow made his escape. It was a great session, very exciting, with great roleplaying, combat, near defeat, a sudden boon and a happy ending.
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
I had a similar experience at a Con game. PrinceCon, the annual Princeton University convention, has you start with 5th level PCs and keep them through the whole weekend, leveling them up, gaining magic, etc. Think like AL except that it's been going on for over 42 years. Really cool, bunch of DMs all with 5-6 part interlocking scenarios around the central theme. PCs determine the fate of the world (or whatever the theme is that particular year) - choices matter.
This story is from 25 years ago, very old school feel. Magic items were identified back at "Hireling Hall" between adventures. Early in a run we found a magic ring and I was wearing it. No one could identify it. At various points during the adventure I kept trying to us it. "Will the ring let me levitate or fly over the wall?" Or spending a round in combat "I try to shoot things from the ring at our opponents". About 6 hours into the run we're interrogating someone, and I was "I use the ring to see if they are lying". And with a big 'that's how you identify magic items!' grin from this old-school DM he told me "You are certain they are lying".
It's not an epic story, but just one that made me feel really good about being willing to try, and how that brought joy to the DM as well.
This story is from 25 years ago, very old school feel. Magic items were identified back at "Hireling Hall" between adventures. Early in a run we found a magic ring and I was wearing it. No one could identify it. At various points during the adventure I kept trying to us it. "Will the ring let me levitate or fly over the wall?" Or spending a round in combat "I try to shoot things from the ring at our opponents". About 6 hours into the run we're interrogating someone, and I was "I use the ring to see if they are lying". And with a big 'that's how you identify magic items!' grin from this old-school DM he told me "You are certain they are lying".
It's not an epic story, but just one that made me feel really good about being willing to try, and how that brought joy to the DM as well.
I posted this as it’s own thread a while back I enjoyed it so much it gets a rerun here... 
So we're playing through the latter half of SKT as part of the larger ToD campaign. The PCs are attempting to recruit the giants against the dragon cultists but first they have to find Hekaton of course.
After days of searching the trackless sea they eventually find the ship holding hekaton and sneak up on it in Blagothkus's cloud castle (Blagothkus "killed" earlier by Iymrith in the Hall of the All Father) - the castle is cloaked in a cloud.
After a period of deliberation and scouting by a shape-shifting ranger they hit upon a plan. The (multi-classed) ranger and the wizard cast invisibility and flight on the cleric who descends onto the ship from the castle without detection.
The cleric tries to wake up Hekaton but he's unconscious. She calls for Divine Intervention to wake the giant and, because the magic chains are causing his unconsciousness, her god eliminates the magic from the chains thus granting the request (it was a good roll! ). The cleric then tries to communicate with Hekaton but of course he's groggy and not really responsive - he tries to sit up but is still restrained by the chains. He lets out a roar of frustration and confusion. The cleric once more whispers in his ear but this time gains his attention by mentioning the name of his beloved daughter Serissa. Meanwhile the ship has become alerted to the something happening in the hold and people have been sent to investigate. Time is running short....
The cleric asks Hekaton if he is willing to cooperate with her. He gives a grunt of acknowledgement. The cleric then grabs hold of Hekaton and they disappear!
This was thanks to the cleric having (a good while ago) prepared Word of Recall as a quick escape option for the PCs.
Of course their appearance at the designated sanctuary is rather explosive given the enormous size of the giant (and the ship he was previously on pops up like a cork throwing the crew into chaos and confusion).
The cloud castle then proceeds to make its way back to Waterdeep and I'm left dumbfounded!
It was brilliant and hilarious. An excellent time. The cleric was rightly pretty chuffed with herself (and it had been a while since she'd made a major impact so it was perfect timing for her to get the limelight).
I love it when stuff like that happens!
So we're playing through the latter half of SKT as part of the larger ToD campaign. The PCs are attempting to recruit the giants against the dragon cultists but first they have to find Hekaton of course.
After days of searching the trackless sea they eventually find the ship holding hekaton and sneak up on it in Blagothkus's cloud castle (Blagothkus "killed" earlier by Iymrith in the Hall of the All Father) - the castle is cloaked in a cloud.
After a period of deliberation and scouting by a shape-shifting ranger they hit upon a plan. The (multi-classed) ranger and the wizard cast invisibility and flight on the cleric who descends onto the ship from the castle without detection.
The cleric tries to wake up Hekaton but he's unconscious. She calls for Divine Intervention to wake the giant and, because the magic chains are causing his unconsciousness, her god eliminates the magic from the chains thus granting the request (it was a good roll! ). The cleric then tries to communicate with Hekaton but of course he's groggy and not really responsive - he tries to sit up but is still restrained by the chains. He lets out a roar of frustration and confusion. The cleric once more whispers in his ear but this time gains his attention by mentioning the name of his beloved daughter Serissa. Meanwhile the ship has become alerted to the something happening in the hold and people have been sent to investigate. Time is running short....
The cleric asks Hekaton if he is willing to cooperate with her. He gives a grunt of acknowledgement. The cleric then grabs hold of Hekaton and they disappear!
This was thanks to the cleric having (a good while ago) prepared Word of Recall as a quick escape option for the PCs.
Of course their appearance at the designated sanctuary is rather explosive given the enormous size of the giant (and the ship he was previously on pops up like a cork throwing the crew into chaos and confusion).
The cloud castle then proceeds to make its way back to Waterdeep and I'm left dumbfounded!
It was brilliant and hilarious. An excellent time. The cleric was rightly pretty chuffed with herself (and it had been a while since she'd made a major impact so it was perfect timing for her to get the limelight).
I love it when stuff like that happens!
Psikerlord#
Explorer
Yep that's a great story
I once played a Barbarian/Bard named Ragnarr the Defiant. At one point in his career he found a Frostblade Battle Axe. Sure it was neat to have a magic weapon with elemental damage, but the most important aspect of this weapon was that when he used the flat of the blade as a coaster for his mug of ale he instantly became a legend. They became known as the Brotherhood of the Frozen Blade after that, and our token female member didn't even mind so long as she could chill her wine too.
Raith5
Adventurer
One of my favorite 5e stories was one of our first adventures - the one in the starters guide when we came across Venomfang? a young Green Dragon. Now we were more than a little overconfident because we had done well in all the previous combats and because I found 5e monsters to have less surprises than in the previous edition. But boy was it a good fight. Three party members dropped in the first round but we hit back with everything but it had so many hit points and the dragon just got away. We were a bit more careful after that.
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