D&D Urban Legends: I new this guy who...

[s/LaSH]

Unfortunately for you, lightspeed is not infinity.

Actually I think that light has mass because it has energy, but I'm not entirely sure on the specifics of that.

You misunderstand me (perhaps due to my phraseology). I'm referring to the relativistic phenomenon of mass increase, caused by the fact that you (the generic 'you', the many readers who may not have studied this sorta thing) have to carry your own speed. Kinetic energy has mass. Eventually, you're carrying so much that you have to pile on more energy than you currently weigh, and finally hit a point where you need infinite KE to go any faster.

When I said 'a photon has infinitesimal rest mass, so when it's multiplied by infinity, you get a finite number' I meant that infinite energy requirement increase that you encounter at cee, not some hypothetical infinite velocity. Just to clarify that.

Your explanation works too, though, for the exact same reason.

And I do have a legend-ish thing: I've just remembered that I have a female DM. They do exist.

OK, it's not a great urban legend, it's possibly even offensively stereotyped, but it's all I've got.

 

[Zappo]

But its solidity is in the eye of the beholder.

Yeah, but so is the antimagic cone.

 

[Taluron]

How do you know the Gazebo and Head of Vecna are true stories?? They both sound very engineered to me. Who would really have two competing groups of PCs and have it just happen to work out that way? Sure, it's vaguely possible, but it does sound like a setup. The Gazebo is also a bit too crafted to be real. So, um, whats the evidence that these ever happened? (They are fantastic stories though!)

Btw, this is a GREAT thread.

Well, I don't know about the Head of Vecna but I was personally involved in a 'Gazebo' incidient. Three players, one DM. The DM and one player (myself) knew the word gazebo, the other two players where unfamiliar with the word. Turned out their families had always used different words/phrases to refer to gazebo's and so, while, when explained they knew what we were talking about, they were utterly confused to start with. We didn't fire any arrows at the gazebo but one of the players did ask me if we should attack it as I obviously knew what the DM was talking about.

 

[Krieg]

And I do have a legend-ish thing: I've just remembered that I have a female DM. They do exist.

Well all I can say is be careful that she doesn't kill you off like she did poor Black Leaf!

 

[Bloodstone Press]

"The Paladin and the Assassin"
Source: Word of Mouth
Premise: Two PCs were old adventuring buddies. One was a paladin, the other an assassin. (First edition is usually the rule source for this.) The game goes on, and the two are best or friends (both in game and out). However, on the "last game" of that campaign (usually before the group breaks up because of jobs, college, etc). the assassin strikes/kills the paladin, takes his stuff, and levels from the XP of the act. This causes the two players to never speak to each other again.
Vailidity: Unsure.

I can't speak to this specific incident, but I did experience something very similar. There was an anti-paladin and a wizard. The players were friends. the PCs were friends. THen, when the wizard had the chance, he killed the anti-paladin (after a long series of adventures). The Player of the anti-paladin left the group and never talked to the other players ever again.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I imagine they would have had a challenging time finding the appropriate tools to kill the victim of Green's craw wurm or rabid wolverines.

"Fatal Magic: the Gathering"
Source: Word of Mouth
Premise: I heard this one back in the day when M:tG was relatively new. It seemed that some people started linking M:tG to the occult. Anyway, the story went that some group of Magic players were really into the occult and used the game as some sort of bizarre ritual death match. Whenever a player was killed in the game he would be killed for real. One night, according to the story, ten players started playing the game and only two ended up alive before they were discovered. One player was killed by a fireball card, so the other players doused him with gasoline and burned him alive. (They were supposedly killed in a similar manner that they died in game.) This story was "proof" that Magic: the Gathering was evil. Without doubt this was the weirdest gaming urban legend that I ever heard.
Validity:Undetermined (Although I can't imagine this possibly being true!)

 

[Henry]

I imagine they would have had a challenging time finding the appropriate tools to kill the victim of Green's craw wurm or rabid wolverines.

My guess is this rumor got started when someone didn't understand how "Iron Man Magic" is really played.

 

[Zappo]

I hate to break it to you, Torm, but statistically speaking, you're not doing yourself any favors here.

To tell the truth, he just might be right, though not for mathematical reasons. Most gamers do not rock the dice nearly enough in their hands before rolling, so that the position it was in when you picked it up can have a non-irrelevant influence on the outcome. Just picking them up and throwing them isn't entirely random. Depending on the way you throw the dice, the top number might be a little less likely or a little more likely to be rolled. I make sure to shake the dice for at least a couple of seconds before rolling.

 

[diaglo]

Truth:

you can make cheater dice with a microwave.

Method:

due to the variable power of microwaves your mileage may vary. plus there is a chance of the die actually imploding.

but 30 sec on high with the number you want up. will weight most of the nonmetal, non mineral dice. ... chessex, koplow, gamescience... etc..

 

[Zappo]

Everyone should know this, but better make sure: don't do the microwave thing with dice containing metal.

due to the variable power of microwaves your mileage may vary. plus there is a chance of the die actually imploding.

I'd try it just to see this happen.