DM questions that make you go "Uh oh"

[Rechan]

DMs can often ask questions that make everyone go on alert. It usually consists of something very specific. Or, it can be very leading. Occasionally it occurs before some rolling behind a screen.

Let's do a list of those fun questions. Partly because I like asking them, even if they're not important, just to make the players paranoid, and to think about what they're doing.

1. [After a battle] "So, what do you do with the bodies?"

2. "How do you open the door?"

3. [After a rest] "What is the first thing you do once you wake up?"

4. "What's your [Perception/Spot modifier, Saving Throw bonus/Defense)?"

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

1) Any question dealing with PC position:

"Who is in front?"

"Who is next to the Paladin?"

"Is anyone behind the Wizard?"

"Are you all within arm's reach of the McGuffin?"

2) Verbal "double-takes":

"What was that you said about the inkeeper?"

"Did you just touch the McGuffin?"

"How many of you ate the cake again?"

"Didn't YOU tie that rope?"

3) Any question to themselves after flipping through an adventure or Monster sourcebook:

"Those critters do WHAT?"

"That save DC is HOW high?"

"What is the Paladin's AC...and sex and race again?"

 

[El Mahdi]

"Who has the third watch?"

 

[Nightson]

"Are you sure?"

 

[pawsplay]

"Are you sure that's what you want do do?"

"Do you sleep in your armor that night?"

 

[Mikaze]

Do mariliths/lillendi/greater lamias have a cloaca or are we still good?

 

[Wik]

My personal favourite right now (only players in my group will get):

"So, what's Thrane going to do?"

(The story being, if you put in an event where there's a possibility for party infighting or bringing ruin upon themselves, the player of Thrane will somehow find an opportunity for this to happen... it's outlier play, but it does make the game quite a bit of fun)

Other fun ones:

1) "hey, did you make the save against that disease?"
2) "Hey, what page are the grapple rules on?"
3) "Can I get all your initiative rolls in advance? The next fight's gonna be a LONG one..."
4) "Who drank the last pop?" (angry glare)

 

[Fabio Andrea Rossi]

My personal favourite right now (only players in my group will get):

"So, what's Thrane going to do?"

(The story being, if you put in an event where there's a possibility for party infighting or bringing ruin upon themselves, the player of Thrane will somehow find an opportunity for this to happen... it's outlier play, but it does make the game quite a bit of fun)

We have exactely the same situation. We made up a jingle: "every master needs a player like [insert catalist name here]"

I'd add to the list :" How many HP do you have?"

 

[wedgeski]

Ah you've hit a classic DM'ing nail on the head here Rechan. My favourite is simple, requires delicate timing, and must not be over-used as a red-herring: "So you touch it?".

 

[Mark]

Who has Knowledge: Demonology or something similar?