Don't you love it when the players put the hook in their own mouth?

[Mort]

There may be minor spoilers to Lord of the Iron Fortress bellow.
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I bought Lord of the Iron Fortress a while back and have been thinking about incorporating into my game. Trouble is I hate pointing a party in a certain direction and essentially saying “here, play this module.” As such I have been looking for a “way in.”

Then last session, the group (who have recently been deeded a keep) decided they needed a blacksmith, and not just any blacksmith – they want the best one money can buy (and since they are currently rich from a very lucrative contract they have quite a bit).

If you know about the module, you know what’s about to happen to the blacksmith, but hey them’s the breaks.

 

[Crothian]

It's a good feeling when this happens. It's also interesting when they notice your reaction and go,"Why's the DM smiling like that, we just want to find ablacksmith."

 

[Xarlen]

I *love* it when they do that. When they give you your bread and butter.

I was running a murder mystery, and the PCs gave me room to expound on red herrings So Easy! I took it from a very simple noblewoman killing her daughter's lesbain lover to frame her husband, to having them run to Drug Laundering, to a Gang's hideout. Oh, it was so *cool*. It feels so Good when they just lay the roads right into your lap and you weave the web even tighter.

Yum.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Here's my war story fresh from yesterday's session:

The PCs had fought with a demonologist and his minions. The PCs knew that that demonologist had summouned weird, insect-like demons that can fly through organic matter - and use that to fly into people's heads. They do this to gradually contol the people in whose brain they inhabit.

They had destroyed the main hideout of the demon-worshippers, and taken out many of these demons. But in there they learned that the demonologist had sent "some of his best men" after a strange artifact. They decided to chase after these people.

They found them in a small village, and fought them outside of the local inn. These people all died (but only one of them through a head shot... and he fell where the PCs couldn't see him). So what did the PCs do? They left the dead soldiers outside, told the villagers to burn them on a pyre (the villagers were terrified enough to do anything these heavily armored strangers "suggested"...), and went inside the inn to tend to their wounds.

You can guess what was coming after that, right?

Well, suddenly they heard a lot of screaming outside. When they looked out of the door, they saw lots of villagers running away - and four villagers were clutching their heads in agony...

So now the PCs have four innocent people with demon infestations in their heads, and feel kind of guilty about this. They have decided to get them to the only person they know who can cure them - a doctor eight days' worth of travel away who can perform trepanations. They have "asked" one of the village elders to come along with them to explain why these people have been bound...

So now the PCs have to travel for eight days with an immensely scared old man and four people who will slowly be controlled by demons - smart demons who will likely to their best to make the PCs' lives hell.

I couldn't hope for a better adventure if I had planned all this in advance.

(Oh, and these "insectoid demons" might be familiar to some of you...)

 

[kengar]

(Oh, and these "insectoid demons" might be familiar to some of you...)

KHAAAAAAAANNNN!!!

 

[Number47]

I was running a murder mystery adventure. The first day the PCs get to town, nothing happens, they can do whatever they like. The next day is when the goblin barkeep is found dead and I have to somehow involve the party in the murder. So what does the party do the first day? They get into a fistfight with the goblin who winds up dead that night! Can they make it any easier?

On a side note, that was the worst idea I ever came up with for a group. These were not people capable of following a simple murder mystery. They decided to abandon following the clues left for them and just "decided" who did it and followed him around. Argh!

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

KHAAAAAAAANNNN!!!

Actually, no. Thanks for saying that, though - I really should watch this movie sometime...

 

[Savage Wombat]

He was only off by one letter...

I think

SHAAAAAAAANNNN!!!

... would be more appropriate.

Don't worry, the Army of the Third Eye will be knocking at your door with the power drills any day now.

You have a mean GM - that sounds like something I would do.

 

[Maraxle]

In a recent session, I had a PC pry gems off of an alter to the biggest, baddest, evil god in my campaign, and pocket them.

Another player stole a horse from the stable at the inn, never bothering to think about whose horse it might be...

Ah, the possibilities are endless.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Another player stole a horse from the stable at the inn, never bothering to think about whose horse it might be...

Ah, the possibilities are endless.

I'm thinking a Paladin's mount with this one... That would be really funny.