Might be old, but what's your favorite torture you play on your players?

[nethervoid]

Or as a player, favorite tortures DMs have played on you?

I have two actually (from a long while back when I was DMing):
1. For no apparent reason, start rolling dice and calculating things. It's fun to watch their reactions. haha!

2. Use really nasty, tricky traps. Traps all over the place! WEEE!

These are my two favorites. The traps thing is really fun because they're so custom, and players never know what to expect when they find one...well when they find one they haven't triggered yet. *evil grin*

 

[Mercule]

Well, I've found that politics is a torture to my players, even though I really enjoy it.

More in line with what I think your intent is: I drop clues -- extremely vague, cryptic ones. I don't (always) mean to, but I'm trying to not give to much away. I'm pretty sure that some of my absolutely truthful statements are arcane enough that they actually cause the PCs to go the opposite direction from where they should.

 

[Finster]

Write a note on a piece of paper that says, "Read this, and hand it back to me. You cannot tell anyone what this says". Fold the paper in two so that the writing is on the inside. Hand it to a player.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

I love using sneaky, hit'n'run baddies.

 

[sniffles]

One GM I regularly play with likes to put us in rock-and-hard-place situations. You must make a deal with the evil guy who led the orc army in order to fight off the army of shades. You must agree to let the pushy god-like beings stay on this plane so you can continue to draw magical power from them to fuel your spells. You must be nice to the mindflayer and put your hand over the paladin's mouth so she'll stop smarting off to him .

 

[demiurge1138]

I like to have plots that involve things that go over the PC's heads, manipulative villains pulling the strings, and elaborate conspiracies. As one of my players once said, "there is no CR for intrigue".

Demiurge out.

 

[Romnipotent]

ghost sounds and illusions in an old derelict house by the country road. They're be attacking ghosts and all such things... Awakened house with levels in Wizard (Illusion)... specially ruled to just be "haunted" without ghosts.

 

[Wombat]

Well, I like giving them complicated moral dilemnas... just ask 'em

And then there is making slightly, very, very slightly creepy characters ... who are not actually out to get them or involved in the plot in any way

 

[wedgeski]

I just love rolling dice behind the screen, frowning at the adventure, and asking one of the PC's for a reminder of some stat or other. You'd be amazed how often it starts wild conjecture at the table which can then subsequently be mined for on-the-fly encounter ideas.

 

[cmad1977]

Running games.