How many rules gaffs do you make in a game?

[Dragonhelm]

There are only two rules to gaming.

Rule#1
The DM is always right.

Rule#2
If the DM isn't right, see rule #1.

 

[dunham]

As DM I try to stick with the minor errors, only. As player I just forgot that my character wears a Collar of minor fortification - when he got beheaded by a giant.
Is that what you meant with "life or death difference"

 

[JamesL85]

Thank you Pants.....LOL

Don't feel bad, during my very 2nd game of D&D, my friend was DMing a module and as we were searching through a haunted mansion, we came upon a firepit. Being the ever-looting PC's that we were, we searched through the ash and lo and behold we came upon a ring in true Gygaxian fashion. The DM said:
'Okay, so you finish looking through the fireplace and you find... *looking at notes* a Ring of Prot - DAMNIT!'

He hasn't lived that one down either

I do appreciate the vote of confidence....LOL

The guy (that used to be in the group) that gives me the most static in the group also tends to bring up a situation when we were in his module (Monte Haul couldn't hold an Everburning Torch to this campaign - You couldn't attack a single goblin, because it was 99% probability of being a polymorphed Bahamut, with more magic items than 50,000 Elminster's, but just playing with you for the first couple of rounds.....). I was playing a wizard, and was trying to get my spellbook together while the rest of the group was actually paying attention to what he was saying....And I can't believe that a player actually has to listen to what the DM has to say....LOL

The whole group were Harpers, and we were in Zhentarim country.....The only thing I remember him saying was that we were in a bar to meet our contact.....Needless to say, when I flashed him my Harper Pin, it wasn't a pretty sight.....LOL

But, the same guy was a player (along with myself) in the "Rod of Seven Parts" module, and told an evil mage that we were trying to parlay with "It has something to do with an Artifact," so he had to eat a TON of crow over that comment......LOL

James

 

[Squire James]

No, I've never made any Rules Gaffs. However, if my players were ever to make one, I guess I'd treat it as the "hook" end of the Gnome Hooked Hammer until I come up with its real stats...

 

[Oryan77]

Don't feel bad, during my very 2nd game of D&D, my friend was DMing a module and as we were searching through a haunted mansion, we came upon a firepit. Being the ever-looting PC's that we were, we searched through the ash and lo and behold we came upon a ring in true Gygaxian fashion. The DM said:
'Okay, so you finish looking through the fireplace and you find... *looking at notes* a Ring of Prot - DAMNIT!'

He hasn't lived that one down either

I did the same thing when I first started DM'ing. The party entered a room and while I was
describing it I said, "and directly to your right, you see a giant stone spider-shaped golem".
They replied with, "We know it's a golem?" All I could say was, "Crap....yeah you do, cause it just started moving towards you...roll initiative".

The bad thing was it took me a second to realize why they were questioning me. In my head I was thinking "statue", what came out of my mouth was "golem". It was supposed to be a surprise attack.

 

[wedgeski]

Usually one idiotic, cringeworthy, what-the-hell-was-I-thinking-when-I-said-that moment per session (4-6 hours of play). What's that all about eh?

 

[Arnwyn]

Just counting moderate to major errors; those annoying/aggravating mistakes that make you cringe, curse, or roll your eyes.

Those kind of mistakes? On average, 0.25 per session.

And separate from the clickable poll, how often do you make a really serious rules mistake? Something that can make or break the adventure, or makes a life or death difference for a character?

Maybe about 1 per year.

Isn't the problem with this poll that you are more likely not to realize you've made a rules gaffe? I mean if you think you know the rules, you'll answer none. But what if you are wrong and make mistakes all the time?

Nope. One would expect semi-competent players to be able to help notice (and maybe even correct) mistakes.

 

[Berandor]

I don't make mistakes. I am the DM, I am the rules.

But I often forget abilities or similar. Like undead being immune to crits (thankfully, I've learned that by now).

 

[Squire James]

And here I thought I came up with a clever way to note that a "gaff" was a hook at the end of a long pole. A little goof or mistake (i.e. what the thread is really referring to) is a "gaffe".

Now you've forced me to be pedantic.