The "I Didn't Comment in Another Thread" Thread

[payn]

In my ancient 1e campaign that sort of behaviour changed when players discovered that the majority of barkeeps were, in fact, retired adventurers. And then there was the concept of actual law enforcement and, in extreme instances, the hiring of adventurers to bring PCs to justice for their crimes.

Sure, there are always going to be chuckleheads that just want to see the world burn. I usually send those types packing as I have no interest in engaging in an arms race with that type. More commonly, folks are simply not used to the idea that a world exists around the PCs. Anything interacting with them must be part of the game, and therefore a challenge. Those types are workable because its a teaching moment. YMMV.

 

[Ryujin]

Sure, there are always going to be chuckleheads that just want to see the world burn. I usually send those types packing as I have no interest in engaging in an arms race with that type. More commonly, folks are simply not used to the idea that a world exists around the PCs. Anything interacting with them must be part of the game, and therefore a challenge. Those types are workable because its a teaching moment. YMMV.

One of the worst incidents I've had was in a much later Pathfinder campaign. A 3rd level party get called into a meeting with the Duke and an ambassador, from a neighbouring kingdom. For some reason the party's sorcerer thought it would be a good idea to get uppity with the ambassador (12th level Bard). Well, there goes that adventure, as the ambassador was going to be the patron who was giving them the task.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

I'm distressed by how much sense this makes.

I'm distressed by how much it sounds like a modern day news story. Things really haven't changed all that much.

 

[MarkB]

What madness!

I'm somewhat tempted to introduce this crazed haberdasher in my ToD campaign and have him spank the buttocks of one of the PCs in Waterdeep. As appointed champions (15th level) of the Council I'm wondering what the fall out will be...

 

[Thomas Shey]

One of the worst incidents I've had was in a much later Pathfinder campaign. A 3rd level party get called into a meeting with the Duke and an ambassador, from a neighbouring kingdom. For some reason the party's sorcerer thought it would be a good idea to get uppity with the ambassador (12th level Bard). Well, there goes that adventure, as the ambassador was going to be the patron who was giving them the task.

I usually think that's a case of a player who doesn't think in terms of what they're actions are going to have on other players, either because of selfishness or they've internalized staying what seems in-character no matter what as an ethos.

 

[Ryujin]

I usually think that's a case of a player who doesn't think in terms of what they're actions are going to have on other players, either because of selfishness or they've internalized staying what seems in-character no matter what as an ethos.

We had a TPK in TORG because one player stuck with his character's motivations to the point of ridiculousness. The Darkness Device straight up lied to him that it would empower him to kill The Gaunt Man so, in order to do it, he wiped out the rest of the party. If we were the only heroes in the whole game, the Possibility Wars would have been lost.

 

[Thomas Shey]

We had a TPK in TORG because one player stuck with his character's motivations to the point of ridiculousness. The Darkness Device straight up lied to him that it would empower him to kill The Gaunt Man so, in order to do it, he wiped out the rest of the party. If we were the only heroes in the whole game, the Possibility Wars would have been lost.

Yeah, some people are kneejerk about that to a silly level. I mean, its a perfectly good style to try to stay in that, but you really do need to remember you're playing a game with other people at some point.

 

[Mad_Jack]

I'm distressed by how much sense this makes.

Seems quite reasonable to me.

Sure, there are always going to be chuckleheads that just want to see the world burn.

I usually just set their eyeballs on fire...

 

[Scribe]

"But what about my rights as a consumer."

 

[Mannahnin]

If one reading of that legend is true then the snakes are pagans, in which case, that would be hilarious.

A legend invented in the early 20th century (or possibly late 19th) by a guy named Arthur Monaghan and first appearing in print in 1911, Evans-Wentz's The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries. He told Evans-Wentz a couple of legends/folk tales and relayed his personal speculation that snakes might have been a metaphor for druids.

Before that, everyone knew that the miracle of driving out all the "snakes and toads and other venomous reptiles" was literal. Jocelin of Furness swiped it from a continental saint's hagiography (St. Hilaire, probably, though there are multiple candidates) to beef up St. Paddy's resume in a new 12th century hagiography.

Patrick's two surviving 7th century hagiographies, written around 200 years after Patrick, make no mention of it. Although they (and Jocelin's) both have plenty of explicit claims of him engaging in magical duels with and kicking the asses of druids, so of course you'd have to be completely unfamiliar with them to think that there would be any cause to be coy and use a metaphor. Patrick's own writings of course make no such claims about snakes or kicking druid ass, as he had no such power or authority. He got thrown in chains once or twice. And pagans continued to have legal rights, druids being recognized under the law (though gradually more and more devolved in status and power) at least through the 9th century (ref. the Uraicecht Becc).