Had a "wow" moment lately?
- Thread starter SpiderMonkey
- Start date
Brottor Dankil
First Post
shilsen said:
I think he quit because he saw the futility of his campaign. The gamers were happy go lucky people just wanting to play, his campaign was drab, depressing, and not fun.
eris404
Explorer
This is tough to describe because it was the end of a long story arc, one of those you-had-to-be-there moments.
We had a great role-playing moment during which one player was confronting his former teacher, someone we had chased halfway around the globe to bring back for a trial. This had gone on for several sessions (months in real time) and I HATED this NPC. He got away so many times that I really thought we'd never actually catch him. Somehow, we finally did and drug him back home to stand trial before the Wizards Council. Again, I thought he might escape, but luckily he was sentenced and swiftly imprisoned.
So, this player, Gene, decided that his character would want to speak to his former teacher after the trial and was granted permission to do so. All the rest of us groaned, because we had no idea what was going to happen. Gene asked some questions in character, wanting to know why the NPC had committed his crimes. The moment was surprisingly tense. The mentor gave curt and unsatisfying answers. Realizing the conversation was going nowhere, Gene says softly, but with conviction and regret:
"I'm going places. I'm going to be somebody they write stories about. And I would have taken you with me. You are such a disappointment."
There was a moment of silence as our jaws dropped and then we applauded. It was probably the most satisfying role-playing moment I had ever witnessed.
We had a great role-playing moment during which one player was confronting his former teacher, someone we had chased halfway around the globe to bring back for a trial. This had gone on for several sessions (months in real time) and I HATED this NPC. He got away so many times that I really thought we'd never actually catch him. Somehow, we finally did and drug him back home to stand trial before the Wizards Council. Again, I thought he might escape, but luckily he was sentenced and swiftly imprisoned.
So, this player, Gene, decided that his character would want to speak to his former teacher after the trial and was granted permission to do so. All the rest of us groaned, because we had no idea what was going to happen. Gene asked some questions in character, wanting to know why the NPC had committed his crimes. The moment was surprisingly tense. The mentor gave curt and unsatisfying answers. Realizing the conversation was going nowhere, Gene says softly, but with conviction and regret:
"I'm going places. I'm going to be somebody they write stories about. And I would have taken you with me. You are such a disappointment."
There was a moment of silence as our jaws dropped and then we applauded. It was probably the most satisfying role-playing moment I had ever witnessed.
Tinner
First Post
I ran a long-running Shadowrun campaign that was full o these moments.
To this day, it is always the standard I measure all gaming against.
One of te best sequeces was in dealing with a power hungry unchkin. I decided to teach him a lesson IC and OOC.
He was always looking for more power, so when I offered him a bargain with a free spirit, he took the deal no questions asked.
Things were fine for a time, as his new "sensei" gave him plenty of new power to play with. Then he began experiencing missing time. Tis progressed until the day he woke up to find himself tied to a bed.
He managed to call a chummer to come release him, and then the two of them discovered that there was a teenage elf handcuffed in his closet - and he had no memory of how she got there.
He still didn't make the connection between his new spirit fiend inhabiting his body, and these strange events.
Things came to a head when his PC was taken over by the spirit and he got to watch elplessly as his body did some horrible things to a young girl from a church choir. Things that culminated with him (direcly because of his choice of grasping after power) crucifying the girl on he steeple of a local church.
I had the PLAYER literally on the floor, writhing in the fetal position as he came to the realization that all his selfish acts and constant striving for wealth and power had led to his becoming a monster.
But the real satisfaction was in seeing him try to fight back, and succeed. With the help of his friends, he waged a constant battle for control of his body.
His ultimate redemption came when during the final game of the 10 year old campaign the team was confronted with a portal that could only be sealed with several unique magic items.
When one of the items was destroyed with fighting eveil spirits, the magi on the team realized that the only other thing that could seal the portal was lifeforce. Freely sacrificed souls. Two of them to be precise.
I expected the team to try to find som willing sacrifices, or maybe even see the PC's try to offer a portion of each of their Karma/lifeforce to come up with enough lifeforce to seal the portal.
Then, our formerly power hungry munchkin steps forward, ad tells the rest of the team to leave. Clearly he reasoned, he's the only one on the team with TWO souls to sacrifice, and as such he would pay the prce and save them all.
It was roleplayed so well, and so intensely, that even though this wasn't my original plan, I decided that this was too good a story to pass up.
The other PC's watched as the munckin willingly offered up his sol and his "sensei's" soul to seal off the portal. I gave the PC the best death scene I could offer, and made sure to let the other PC's see his pure and redeemed soul finally free of taint before his lifelight winked out.
It was the perfect end to that campaign.
To this day, it is always the standard I measure all gaming against.
One of te best sequeces was in dealing with a power hungry unchkin. I decided to teach him a lesson IC and OOC.
He was always looking for more power, so when I offered him a bargain with a free spirit, he took the deal no questions asked.
Things were fine for a time, as his new "sensei" gave him plenty of new power to play with. Then he began experiencing missing time. Tis progressed until the day he woke up to find himself tied to a bed.
He managed to call a chummer to come release him, and then the two of them discovered that there was a teenage elf handcuffed in his closet - and he had no memory of how she got there.
He still didn't make the connection between his new spirit fiend inhabiting his body, and these strange events.
Things came to a head when his PC was taken over by the spirit and he got to watch elplessly as his body did some horrible things to a young girl from a church choir. Things that culminated with him (direcly because of his choice of grasping after power) crucifying the girl on he steeple of a local church.
I had the PLAYER literally on the floor, writhing in the fetal position as he came to the realization that all his selfish acts and constant striving for wealth and power had led to his becoming a monster.
But the real satisfaction was in seeing him try to fight back, and succeed. With the help of his friends, he waged a constant battle for control of his body.
His ultimate redemption came when during the final game of the 10 year old campaign the team was confronted with a portal that could only be sealed with several unique magic items.
When one of the items was destroyed with fighting eveil spirits, the magi on the team realized that the only other thing that could seal the portal was lifeforce. Freely sacrificed souls. Two of them to be precise.
I expected the team to try to find som willing sacrifices, or maybe even see the PC's try to offer a portion of each of their Karma/lifeforce to come up with enough lifeforce to seal the portal.
Then, our formerly power hungry munchkin steps forward, ad tells the rest of the team to leave. Clearly he reasoned, he's the only one on the team with TWO souls to sacrifice, and as such he would pay the prce and save them all.
It was roleplayed so well, and so intensely, that even though this wasn't my original plan, I decided that this was too good a story to pass up.
The other PC's watched as the munckin willingly offered up his sol and his "sensei's" soul to seal off the portal. I gave the PC the best death scene I could offer, and made sure to let the other PC's see his pure and redeemed soul finally free of taint before his lifelight winked out.
It was the perfect end to that campaign.
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
In my IRC Eberron game, there has been two really good emotional "oooh moments".
The first was the cliffhanger for the first "season". The Freelance Police had been pursuing a suspect and found a being of the plane of War, who told them that he missed the constant artistry of the Last War and was dedicated to bringing it about again. He escaped, and the Freelance Police emerged from Undersharn to see a huge column of smoke rising from a distant tower, all of the pedestrians stopped and staring in amazement and horror. Despite being miles away from any of my players, I could feel the intake of breath.
Second was upon the death of one of the characters, while they were running through Steel Shadows. A brawl had broken out between the Freelance Police and the racist, anti-warforged dwarf overseer of a foundry. The dwarf had hit Wendy, the party's sorcerer, with a Stunning Fist, then made a coup de grace, decapitating her with his sword. So Joe Zor, the party's barbarian, killed without deliberating, crushing his head in full view of about fifty people. Everyone out of game was shocked, too.
Demiurge out.
The first was the cliffhanger for the first "season". The Freelance Police had been pursuing a suspect and found a being of the plane of War, who told them that he missed the constant artistry of the Last War and was dedicated to bringing it about again. He escaped, and the Freelance Police emerged from Undersharn to see a huge column of smoke rising from a distant tower, all of the pedestrians stopped and staring in amazement and horror. Despite being miles away from any of my players, I could feel the intake of breath.
Second was upon the death of one of the characters, while they were running through Steel Shadows. A brawl had broken out between the Freelance Police and the racist, anti-warforged dwarf overseer of a foundry. The dwarf had hit Wendy, the party's sorcerer, with a Stunning Fist, then made a coup de grace, decapitating her with his sword. So Joe Zor, the party's barbarian, killed without deliberating, crushing his head in full view of about fifty people. Everyone out of game was shocked, too.
Demiurge out.
shilsen
Adventurer
demiurge1138 said:
[Nitpick]Just for the record, being stunned doesn't make one helpless, so you can't coup de grace a stunned character. Also, coup de grace is a full-round action, so you can't make an attack and coup de grace in the same round (not sure from your description if that's what happened).[/Nitpick] Of course, you may have house-ruled all of the above, but I figured I'd mention it in case you hadn't.
Frostmarrow
First Post
shilsen said:
THEY'LL HAVE TO REDO THE WHOLE THING!
(Sorry, Shilsen - just a joke.)
jaded
First Post
Mine was a pure roleplaying moment. Our group doesn't go heavily for roleplay but when we do dip in, it's usually intense. This one was born from a moment of stupidity, but it still the most intense I've felt from a game.
This time we infiltrating a mansion/compund of vampires, party around 11th. We had been dealing with these vampires on and for 3 months or so campaign time, since they controlled around half of the cities underworld. Sick of being manipulated and thoroughly outmanouvered, this was the partys' chance to hit back at the bloodsuckers.
In the back of the compund we had discovered a well and that was our entry point. It descended into darkness. My character (female human sun cleric) was first shock trooper down the rope, while the Ren, the rogue, spider climbed in but kept close.
Well the DM was amazing, describing in chilling detail the descent on the rope, the well walls dissapearing after 50' and the feeling of a larger cavern. 40' later, the cleric has hit the floor. The other players were just as awestruck by the intensity and imagery, the playing room was just as eerily silent.
So I whisper... "Ren?"
Whispers back from nearby "yeh?"
"I can't see."
<DM realises that neither can the human rogue, but doesn't miss a beat>
Whispers back "Uhh, me neither."
Still whispering: "OK, get ready"
I cast a Daylight and somehow the DM stepped up a gear, describing the intensity of the light and slow refocusing of my vision to see a field off coffins in every direction, and not 20' away, 4 vampire spawns caught in classic sneaking poses by the sudden light...
It was a real Aliens field of eggs kind of moment.
I was totally drawn in, the other players were silent, enjoying the spectacle, but I had toatally forgotten they were even there. Easily the best roleplaying moment ever for me.
Of course it was totally anticlimatic when exiting the very same chamber, my cleric died to a Slay Living trap when she needed only 4 or over on the save. Heh.
This time we infiltrating a mansion/compund of vampires, party around 11th. We had been dealing with these vampires on and for 3 months or so campaign time, since they controlled around half of the cities underworld. Sick of being manipulated and thoroughly outmanouvered, this was the partys' chance to hit back at the bloodsuckers.
In the back of the compund we had discovered a well and that was our entry point. It descended into darkness. My character (female human sun cleric) was first shock trooper down the rope, while the Ren, the rogue, spider climbed in but kept close.
Well the DM was amazing, describing in chilling detail the descent on the rope, the well walls dissapearing after 50' and the feeling of a larger cavern. 40' later, the cleric has hit the floor. The other players were just as awestruck by the intensity and imagery, the playing room was just as eerily silent.
So I whisper... "Ren?"
Whispers back from nearby "yeh?"
"I can't see."
<DM realises that neither can the human rogue, but doesn't miss a beat>
Whispers back "Uhh, me neither."
Still whispering: "OK, get ready"
I cast a Daylight and somehow the DM stepped up a gear, describing the intensity of the light and slow refocusing of my vision to see a field off coffins in every direction, and not 20' away, 4 vampire spawns caught in classic sneaking poses by the sudden light...
It was a real Aliens field of eggs kind of moment.
I was totally drawn in, the other players were silent, enjoying the spectacle, but I had toatally forgotten they were even there. Easily the best roleplaying moment ever for me.
Of course it was totally anticlimatic when exiting the very same chamber, my cleric died to a Slay Living trap when she needed only 4 or over on the save. Heh.
