Dumbest thing you have ever done in RPGs? (on- or off-game)

[Jon_Dahl]

I have one that I really feel bad about.
It happened two years ago and I had been running games for a small group. The thing was that I had always been running or playing in small groups and it was kind of a habit - a superstition perhaps - that great games only happen if you have a small group (GM + 3 players max.).

There was this really nice person who asked to join my game and he did in front of our mutual friends. At the time I had three players so I kind of panicked and outright denied him. Later on I allowed him to come and he has been playing with us for the past two years. I find him as an invaluable player and an integral part of our fun gaming experience.

It has just been haunting me always that I seriously disrespected him at the time and he has never been bitter towards me about the incident. I was simply so hung up with the idea that "small groups are the best" that I even disrespected a friend. Sometimes I think how much things would suck if I had had my way back then.

So my advice is this: Friendship is much more important than your silly ideas of goodrightfun.

 

[Dioltach]

I once tried to run a Middle Earth game using AD&D 2E. Big mistake ...

 

[khantroll]

Out of game:
I once tried to setup this whole dinner party thing around the original Dragonlance Chronicles. The problem: nothing lined up, and it is really hard to cook and DM at the same time. Nothing lined up with the story, things were burnt or borked in some other way, and I vowed to never do such a thing.

In Game:
Too many to count. Nothing that isn't a trope comes to mind right this moment, but I'm sure one will come to me soon.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

In game: cast 21st level Delayed Blast Fireball (from a magic ring) on a group of police robots (Barrier Peaks module) with maximum delay, so the party could get away from the blast. We had encountered a solo robot earlier, and didnt want to tangle with a squad of 'em.

That's when we found out they had a speed of 96' or so, and closed on the party within a round. We were still in combat with them when the DBF went off.

*KABOOOOOOOOM*

Damn near killed the whole party. Those still living dragged the dead & dying out for healing & resurrections. We never went back.

The other guys in that group still remind me of that day on occasion, some 20+ years gone...

 

[Harlock]

Out of game? Thinking someone who claimed they hated older editions because they assumed the DMs and players were adversaries wouldn't be a power-gaming, rules-lawyering lout who ruined the tone of an entire campaign.

In game? Letting that lout get away with stupid crap because I simply got tired of arguing.

Yes, I should have kicked them out. It was complicated.

 

[Jacob Marley]

I names a character after Tim Biakabutuka. 'Nuff said.