Springing surprise tricks in the game.

[Quasqueton]

The Player notices a really overpowered combo (feats, spells, abilities, whatever) and thinks it will be so cool to spring this in a game, and take the other Players and DM by surprise.

Player: "I run up to the BBEG."

DM: "Really? You're a wizard?"

Player: "I know. I've got a new trick."

DM: "OK. Your funeral."

Next Round

Player: "I cast dimension door and touch the BBEG."

DM: "Huh? Why?"

Player: "I pop us both straight up 400 feet. I have a ring of featherfall. He'll take 20d6 damage!" <smug look>

DM: "Um, you know that won't work, right?"

Player: "It works. I checked it all out over the weekend." <continued smug look>

DM: "No, I don't think . . ."

Player: "Aw, come on. You can't house rule out something just because I out-thought you. That's DM cheating."


Tell us your stories of Players (or DMs) getting all excited and/or smug because they spring a surprise trick that they think is clever. Was the trick legit?

Quasqueton

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Along those same lines I had a character in a supers game with an Iron Man style suit. He had this idea that he could pick up villains (correct), fly up (correct) and enter space (correct) and let go (correct) and let them die (gulp, correct).

Aside from the other characters (thankfully) chastising him for cruelty and murder, I think I had the government contact him and ask him to stop going in and out of space. I also implied that if he did it again that photos from the sattelites would see his heinous murders.

 

[BigRedRod]

Dimension door only works on willing targets though...

 

[Darklone]

Hmm. Bard5/bbn1 of a friend got sooo bad that the DM changed the game system... but that's simply a matter of a polearm, str 18, friendly buffing wizards, Power Attack and a +16 to hit...

In your case, the enemy might have made a grapple attempt
Edit: Right, DimDoor has only willing targets.

Second smug look scenario: Monk1/Druid9 with giant octopus wildshape and Animal Growth. 8 attack with 40ft reach, constrict, AC 30+... Most aquatic monters are NOT balanced IMHO.

My last smug look: My minotaur barbarian causing more than 250 points of damage in one round. The paladin was shocked (he caused about 30 points).

My favorite smug look story (several smuggish looks): Cloudkill moving into the aisle where our group was. My char climbed up the walls and held to the ceiling... Spiderman
Later that evening my bard pinpointed the enemy wizard with See invis and Dancing Lights while sitting singing with 0 hitpoints at the back of a warehouse

 

[Lord Vangarel]

Our groups all time classic happened 15 years ago but is still often remembered:

Background: The players have been fighting a hydra that regrows two heads each time they destroy one for several rounds making no progress.

Players (general, in exasparation): Everytime we chop a head of this thing it regrows two more!

Player (looking smug, playing a dwarf): I'm going to run in under the body of the hydra.

DM: Ok, you sure? That'll weaken the party a bit when the hydra takes you out.

Player (still looking very pleased with himself): No worries, I've got a plan.

DM: Ok.

(The combat moves round until the players initiative comes up again.)

Player (Now looking really pleased with himself passes a secret note to the DM as he doesn't want other players to know the plan): I'll take out my Hammer of Earthquakes and strike the ground . . .

DM: Are you sure you want to do this?

Player (still looking pleased): Yes!

Other Players (looking worried): What are you doing?

Player (looking exceptionally pleased): Saving everyone!

DM: Ok, if you're really sure and you're prepared to take the consequences?

Player: Absolutely!

Needless to say the player didn't realise that when caverns collapse it's rarely just the bit above his head, the old Wilderness Survival Guide had a really good bit about if one part of the ceiling collapses then there's a good chance the bit next to it will and so on.

That was a memorable end to that campaign.

 

[Lord Vangarel]

Another time that is my all time favourite evil DM thing.

Back in the 80's the players had never heard of Shadow Dragons but as the DM I'd just seen them in my latest book. The players had spent the best part of a year getting to 11th level playing on average once or twice a week.

DM: Suddenly out of the Shadows you see the unmistakable shape of a large dragon!

Players: Ok, we know what to do guys, we kill these things for fun.

DM: Roll initiative.

After rolling it is determined that the dragon goes first.

DM: The shadowy shape opens its huge maw drawing in the air around it to breathe!

Players: Ok guys it's toast once we survive this.

DM: A blast of shadowy vapor envelops you sucking the energy from your bodies. Roll saving throws.

The players roll with most of them failing.

DM: Ok, (pointing at each player in turn) you are now 4th level, you're 3rd level, you're 5th level, etc.

The looks on the players faces had me in DM happiness for a very long time.

 

[Lord Vangarel]

One that occured playing d6 Star Wars back in the day.

Two players are fleeing a bunch of stormtroopers down a passageway knowing that if they can reach the elevator they'll be safe. They manage to do so just in time and jump inside.

DM: You jump inside the elevator just as you see the stormtroopers rounding the end of the corridor.

Player 1: I'll slam the door closed and blast the controls!

 

[VirgilCaine]

DM: The shadowy shape opens its huge maw drawing in the air around it to breathe! ..... The looks on the players faces had me in DM happiness for a very long time.

Bwahaaaha!

One that occured playing d6 Star Wars back in the day.

Fun thing to do--don't blast the Jedi using 'saber deflection, stun him. Can't deflect a stun blast.

 

[VirgilCaine]

..............

 

[Psion]

DM: Ok, (pointing at each player in turn) you are now 4th level, you're 3rd level, you're 5th level, etc.

In one of my games, I followed this up with "and then the lich casts death spell...", remembering that death spell only works on low level characters, but had no save at the time.