What's the most rat bastard thing you've ever done as a DM?
- Thread starter Piratecat
- Start date
TPK with a trolley...
In a modern day CoC game I ran, the party was exploring the turn of the century subway tunnels beneath New York city. They were looking for the hideout of a cult lead by a Shoggoth (though they didn't know this, and still don't
). The cult was able to repair some of the old subway trolleys in the tunnels and got them working again.
The PC investigators came across a handful of cultists (whom were dispatched) and decided to see where the trolley led. Carefully, they slowly start up the trolley and head down the dark tunnels. After a bit, they see an abandoned and partially collasped subway station. Deciding to be cautious, they stop to check it out. One of the players stays at the trolley as the other two go into the ruined area. In the search they broke open an active steam-pipe and mist begins to fill the area. The investigator at the trolley sees a shape in the mist and begins to panick and calls the group back. The investigator swears he sees more and more things in the mist and puts the trolley in full reverse. The subway trolley is now racing down the tunnel,but the mist seems to keep up with it. The group is now freaking out a bit, when suddenly all electical items in the mist cease to function. All the flashlights go out and the trolley comes to a slow stop. That's when the fun begins.
Something in the mist begins to pound on the trolley, finally breaking down the forward door. It's some sort of hound-like creature with no skin, covered in sickening goo (Hound of Tindalous), but only one of the investigators sees it then, since the rest are running out the back door of the trolley. The poor guy gets partially mauled as he runs away. So all the inverstigators are now in the subway itself, at the rear of the trolley. The mist extends around the trolley and into their area. The hound is now attacking the investigators from all angles, whittling them down. Most of the party is now extremely wounded, but as they catch sight of the hound here and there, they open fire, driving it away.
The mist recedes finally. The investigators are catching their breath in the tunnel, thankful it's over. The lights turn back on and...
The trolley starts up, set to full speed reverse, running over all the inverstigators.
In a modern day CoC game I ran, the party was exploring the turn of the century subway tunnels beneath New York city. They were looking for the hideout of a cult lead by a Shoggoth (though they didn't know this, and still don't
). The cult was able to repair some of the old subway trolleys in the tunnels and got them working again.The PC investigators came across a handful of cultists (whom were dispatched) and decided to see where the trolley led. Carefully, they slowly start up the trolley and head down the dark tunnels. After a bit, they see an abandoned and partially collasped subway station. Deciding to be cautious, they stop to check it out. One of the players stays at the trolley as the other two go into the ruined area. In the search they broke open an active steam-pipe and mist begins to fill the area. The investigator at the trolley sees a shape in the mist and begins to panick and calls the group back. The investigator swears he sees more and more things in the mist and puts the trolley in full reverse. The subway trolley is now racing down the tunnel,but the mist seems to keep up with it. The group is now freaking out a bit, when suddenly all electical items in the mist cease to function. All the flashlights go out and the trolley comes to a slow stop. That's when the fun begins.
Something in the mist begins to pound on the trolley, finally breaking down the forward door. It's some sort of hound-like creature with no skin, covered in sickening goo (Hound of Tindalous), but only one of the investigators sees it then, since the rest are running out the back door of the trolley. The poor guy gets partially mauled as he runs away. So all the inverstigators are now in the subway itself, at the rear of the trolley. The mist extends around the trolley and into their area. The hound is now attacking the investigators from all angles, whittling them down. Most of the party is now extremely wounded, but as they catch sight of the hound here and there, they open fire, driving it away.
The mist recedes finally. The investigators are catching their breath in the tunnel, thankful it's over. The lights turn back on and...
The trolley starts up, set to full speed reverse, running over all the inverstigators
.
Benben
First Post
1) Sverja a pc from a valkryie/amazon tribe died. This was doubly sad as she was pregnant at the time. So the party went off to her home village to see if she could be saved. They talked to the elders of the tribe, and who said they could summon the guardian of the lands of the dead: Garm the Death-Bear. After an epic struggle where many members of the party where very nearly killed themselves Garm was defeated. Garm summoned Sverja and addressed the party, "You have defeated me and are allowed to call one soul back from the underworld. Will it be Sverja or her unborn daughter?"
Did I mention that this session was being played on Mother's Day? This left the player of Sverja, the then fiance now wife of my Co-DM, with the decision of saving herself or her daughter.
I have another Rat Bastard moment but until this campaign is finished I can't post it on the boards.
Did I mention that this session was being played on Mother's Day? This left the player of Sverja, the then fiance now wife of my Co-DM, with the decision of saving herself or her daughter.
I have another Rat Bastard moment but until this campaign is finished I can't post it on the boards.
diaglo
Adventurer
well i tell you one. sorta. i'm gonna protect the innocent though.
a DM i know told his 4-5th lvl party about a tomb in which the entrance could be found under the outline of a skull.
maybe only the old fogeys here will know the name of this adventure. but please don't type it.
some of the innocent still post/read here.
personally my most rat bastard trick included this same adventure. i convinced my group to bring their retired characters out of retirement for one last hurrah. it was to be a one-shot. i had planned to DM it over an entire weekend. and i had been wanting for years to DM this adventure. it was over in 10 minutes real time.
a DM i know told his 4-5th lvl party about a tomb in which the entrance could be found under the outline of a skull.
maybe only the old fogeys here will know the name of this adventure. but please don't type it.
some of the innocent still post/read here.
personally my most rat bastard trick included this same adventure. i convinced my group to bring their retired characters out of retirement for one last hurrah. it was to be a one-shot. i had planned to DM it over an entire weekend. and i had been wanting for years to DM this adventure. it was over in 10 minutes real time.
barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
I like to freak out my players. Not with the sorts of mind-bending plots like PC's above, but by just outright telling them they're hosed.
Anyone who's read my Story Hour has heard this one: Party heads up to a remote mining town to find out why silver production has dropped off so drastically. They find the town is under the thrall of a vampire child who was sealed up underground for three thousand years. On the other hand, she looks like a six-year-old.
Now, this is Barsoom so everything's a little wacky. Vampires walk around in sunlight no problem, but they can't go near water that has never seen the sun. It's complicated. Fortunately, our heroes hook up with a bunch of northern barbarian types who know all the old secrets about these monsters, and so they're getting themselves prepared.
Of course, they think they're playing D&D and assume their goal is to kill things and take their stuff, so they make the mistake of asking these knowledgable barbarians how one kills a vampire.
The answer?
"You cannot kill them. Only the goddess who created them can kill them."
Of course they don't believe a word of it and proceed to get their butts handed to them by a giggling six-year-old with fangs. Once they figured out that I was in earnest, that they really weren't going to be able to kill this thing they freaked out.
It was great because it really played with their expectations. I mean, when you start a D&D game you think you know how it's going to go, sort of. DM throws monsters at you, you kill monsters. Watching my players realise that Barsoom wasn't going to be like that, and the panic in their eyes when they realised they had no idea how this was going to work out or where it was going to go, is something I will take with me to my grave.
Anyone who's read my Story Hour has heard this one: Party heads up to a remote mining town to find out why silver production has dropped off so drastically. They find the town is under the thrall of a vampire child who was sealed up underground for three thousand years. On the other hand, she looks like a six-year-old.
Now, this is Barsoom so everything's a little wacky. Vampires walk around in sunlight no problem, but they can't go near water that has never seen the sun. It's complicated. Fortunately, our heroes hook up with a bunch of northern barbarian types who know all the old secrets about these monsters, and so they're getting themselves prepared.
Of course, they think they're playing D&D and assume their goal is to kill things and take their stuff, so they make the mistake of asking these knowledgable barbarians how one kills a vampire.
The answer?
"You cannot kill them. Only the goddess who created them can kill them."
Of course they don't believe a word of it and proceed to get their butts handed to them by a giggling six-year-old with fangs. Once they figured out that I was in earnest, that they really weren't going to be able to kill this thing they freaked out.
It was great because it really played with their expectations. I mean, when you start a D&D game you think you know how it's going to go, sort of. DM throws monsters at you, you kill monsters. Watching my players realise that Barsoom wasn't going to be like that, and the panic in their eyes when they realised they had no idea how this was going to work out or where it was going to go, is something I will take with me to my grave.
Wulf Ratbane
Adventurer
Told a player that nobody liked that the campaign was over.
Then continued to game without him.
Wulf
Then continued to game without him.
Wulf
Chroma
Explorer
Back in my old 2nd Edition campaign:
The PCs were occasionally fighting against these cultists who worshipped a vile, undead god. After defeating one bunch, they found a wonderful ring of regeneration and decided to give it to the party cleric, a staunch warrior against the undead, with the thought that "As long as the cleric is alive, the rest of us are okay."
Many other adventures occur, many horrible manglings that the ring dutifully repaired, many foes defeated, many times the ring saves the party, many times death thwarted. The ring was a prized possession.
Then, near the climax of the campaign, the party is finally confronting the leader of these cultists in his fortress on the Plane of Shadows. A massive stand-off occurs, and the enemy leader tells the party to join in the worship of his god, to revel in his power, or be destroyed. The noble cleric shouts out that he denies the power of this evil god and wants nothing to do with it.
"But my Master's power has saved you so many times," the evil cleric intoned. "Be then as you would if not for my Master's blessings..."
And the ring broke... and every mortal wound it had sealed (that I had kept a record of) split open...
Quite a shock for the poor players... a simple golden ring causing so much trouble...
The PCs were occasionally fighting against these cultists who worshipped a vile, undead god. After defeating one bunch, they found a wonderful ring of regeneration and decided to give it to the party cleric, a staunch warrior against the undead, with the thought that "As long as the cleric is alive, the rest of us are okay."
Many other adventures occur, many horrible manglings that the ring dutifully repaired, many foes defeated, many times the ring saves the party, many times death thwarted. The ring was a prized possession.
Then, near the climax of the campaign, the party is finally confronting the leader of these cultists in his fortress on the Plane of Shadows. A massive stand-off occurs, and the enemy leader tells the party to join in the worship of his god, to revel in his power, or be destroyed. The noble cleric shouts out that he denies the power of this evil god and wants nothing to do with it.
"But my Master's power has saved you so many times," the evil cleric intoned. "Be then as you would if not for my Master's blessings..."
And the ring broke... and every mortal wound it had sealed (that I had kept a record of) split open...
Quite a shock for the poor players... a simple golden ring causing so much trouble...
Henry
Autoexreginated
It's hard to say, because I don't have one that is quite as grand as PCat's. But in general, it would have to be coming up with "cursed" items that my players LOVE to use, but have insidious detrimental effects.
Examples of this:
-The Cursed Everstriking sword that a paladin player not only kept, but used exclusively at everything from melee to missile fire, because whenever it missed, it still hit, it just took the difference in hit points off of him.
-A girdle of Giant Gender Change: It gave you giant strength, but it also permanently changed your gender, too.
-A magical demonic gun in a d20 Modern Game that gave the user tremendous firepower, but it damaged their constitution with every use, making them more vulnerable.
-An artifact level item that gave its wearer tremendous power, but destroyed random multiple permanent magical items in the area when it was activated.
My players have before asked me for the "plain" cursed items instead of these things, but I smile and shake my head. I have too much fun with the ethical quandries.
Examples of this:
-The Cursed Everstriking sword that a paladin player not only kept, but used exclusively at everything from melee to missile fire, because whenever it missed, it still hit, it just took the difference in hit points off of him.
-A girdle of Giant Gender Change: It gave you giant strength, but it also permanently changed your gender, too.
-A magical demonic gun in a d20 Modern Game that gave the user tremendous firepower, but it damaged their constitution with every use, making them more vulnerable.
-An artifact level item that gave its wearer tremendous power, but destroyed random multiple permanent magical items in the area when it was activated.
My players have before asked me for the "plain" cursed items instead of these things, but I smile and shake my head. I have too much fun with the ethical quandries.
Someone
Adventurer
It´s not so rat-bastard, maybe only hamster-bastard, but there I go anyway.
IMC my players worked for a long time for a noble called Lord Khulvan (yes, the one in the Dead of Winter; I integrated the module in the campaing and used him as a major NPC) After raising from level 2 to 8 under his service, the country was invaded by the forces of Iuz and Khulvan´s castle taken. But they knew that he was alive and prisoner in his own dungeons. When they arrived to rescue him (flying, invisible and silenced) apprently Khulvan was so afraid of his torturers that he refused to believe a bunch of invisible rescuers. So the paladin gave up his invisiblity...
And fell prey to Khulvan´s Domination He forced him to convince the others to end the invisibility, too, and then started to pound the cleric with his fists (and draining his life energy) while the paladin attacked the wizard (and forced him to use polymorph The tortoise paladin was real funny)
IMC my players worked for a long time for a noble called Lord Khulvan (yes, the one in the Dead of Winter; I integrated the module in the campaing and used him as a major NPC) After raising from level 2 to 8 under his service, the country was invaded by the forces of Iuz and Khulvan´s castle taken. But they knew that he was alive and prisoner in his own dungeons. When they arrived to rescue him (flying, invisible and silenced) apprently Khulvan was so afraid of his torturers that he refused to believe a bunch of invisible rescuers. So the paladin gave up his invisiblity...
And fell prey to Khulvan´s Domination He forced him to convince the others to end the invisibility, too, and then started to pound the cleric with his fists (and draining his life energy) while the paladin attacked the wizard (and forced him to use polymorph The tortoise paladin was real funny)
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