What's your scariest in-game experience?

[Amos_Sten]

I was taking part in a game at a local store and (lucky me) got to sit next to a very fat, smelly, food encrusted wierdo. Part way through the game I felt his hand on my leg, which he proceded to rub.

Scared the hell out of me.

The guy called the police to try and get me charged with assualt when he got out of hospital.

 

[The_Universe]

accidental post! crap!

 

[Chroma]

Moments of Terror...

Two little anecdotes, from two totally different games.

1) In college, I ran a PARANOIA (Great game!) campaign (Yes, it can happen...) for six chums. It was all hilarity and executions and random comedic deaths (as it should be). The Troubleshooter team was trapped in an elevator shaft with an elevator car rapidly plummeting their way... they were desperately trying to find a way out, and the Computer wasn't really helping... tension is building... death is coming... and, in all seriousness, as the end is nigh, J., lifts his arm, turns his head, and *YELLS* into his wristwatch "Computer, you have got to stop that elevator or we're all going to die!!!" We were all a frozen tableau for a moment... and then the sight of him screaming into his wristwatch had us rolling on the floor.

2) Running the Call of Cthulhu adventure Grace Under Pressure (From the gods at Pagan Publishing), I'd used a lot of the prop suggestions they list (it's a great, semi-live action module), had whale sounds in the background, had two separate rooms to play in for when the teams split up (and walkie-talkies for them to communicate with), changed the lights to blue filters, etc. One team is out in a minisub (and in the other room) when they get attacked by a Deep One. Over the squealling radio:

Minisub: We just hit something...

Base: What is it, are you alright?

Minisub: Ohmygod! It's... hideous! Its... <static> [Radio dead]

I rushed to the "base room" to find five players staring at the radio receiver with looks of stark shock on their faces... and their frightened, wide-opened eyes snapped to mine as I opened the door to the room... the looks of fear were incredible. it was fantastic! Probably some of the best gaming I've ever been a part of.

 

[diaglo]

in prior years of gaming never had a bad experience

but since the release of WotC version of D&D...well...


i was looking for a new campaign. and had found an ad on a website for some local gamers. the guy was running the games in the evening after he had put his kids to bed. his wife was having a girl's night out with friends. he had 2 regulars and had invited me and another new person. i chatted with the DM for a week or so beforehand to hash out my character. showed up the day of the first "tavern meeting" session. the 2 regulars were there. we exchanged pleasantries. went over our gaming history etc...needless to say i was the old guy.

the DM says the other new player had called and would be a little late. he hadn't mentioned it earlier but thought he should now that the other gamer was a woman. girl actually in my opinion. and she was bringing her boyfriend. the boyfriend didn't want to play just watch. since when is D&D a spectator sport.

anyway they eventually arrive. both decked out in black with i'm guessing multiple tattoos and piercings but i wasn't really trying to pry. the guy just wigged me out. he sat in a corner the whole session.

things progress in game. the girl passes her boyfriend a note. and has a little tiff with the DM over some ruling or other. she excuses herself to use the bathroom and her boyfriend leaves too.

the rest of us look at each other and shrug but go back to gaming. a few minutes later she comes back and joins again. the boyfriend lingers a little off to the side. i'm watching him, b/c like i said he wigged me out. anyway it is my action so i take my eye off him. when i look up. he is leaning over the DM prepared to bite him. a tussle ensued. and the couple was ejected.

i never went back to that group. the whole image still bothers me when i think about gaming with strangers.

 

[TracerBullet42]

...when i look up. he is leaning over the DM prepared to bite him...

Ok, now I wasn't even there and that freaks me out!

As far as "in-game" scariness, as I thought this thread was about, I can only remember one story that creeped me out. I'm sure there were more, but this one was really good. My memory is sketchy at best, but I'll do my best.

I was playing with a rather larger group. Like 7-8 PCs, I think. I had just joined the group, so wasn't too familiar with all of the group dynamics. The party had recently rescued me from a dungeon (standard OP), and I had only been journeying with them a short time. We had a gnome illusionist in the group who was scheduling for a marriage, I believe, when we got back into his hometown. We made it back unscathed, and there was a HUGE celebration for the wedding. Everyone was having a blast. He begins opening wedding gifts, and is getting some really cool stuff...until he gets to one box, that contains his own head. You see, there had been some time travel issues, and apparently someone had nabbed his noggin' from the future and given it to him here at the party...spooky stuff.

I suppose that story probably doesn't seem TOO creepy, but I just remember our room going from "happy, talky, noisy" to DEAD SILENT in that instant. We were all pretty creeped out.

I guess you had to be there. But I was, so I like it.

 

[JoeBlank]

when i look up. he is leaning over the DM prepared to bite him. a tussle ensued. and the couple was ejected.

Don't ya love how "scary" for you at the time translates into "knee-slapping, coffee-spewing funny" for me now.

Guess I know what to do to get you good and scared at our Ravenloft Halloween game.

 

[diaglo]

prior to the above mentioned incident (this was early 2000):

again i was getting back into the swing of things after a hiatus from face to face gaming. i had been reading the novels, playing the vidiot games, reading the message boards/newsgroups, etc...staying up on the course of things. anyway i decided to give the "new" edition a whirl. i had purchased the books and read thru them for months. but hadn't played except online.

so i went to www.tsr.com, my old fav hang out, and found a DM looking for some players (this was my first attempt at answering an online ad).

nice guy by email and phone. i got directions to his place for a first time meet.

the day before he calls to make sure i'm still interested. warns me he is pagan and that he is gay. and that if i have any trouble with that i should let him know up front. i tell him it's new to me but okay as far as i'm concerned. i'd only every gamed with christians and all them straight.

i show up after work at his apartment. at first i thought by the directions he lived in a swanky part of town. but as i soon find out. it is not so swanky. but still i feel okay about. knock on the door. no answer. knock again. hear a noise and then a voice saying give me a minute.

i'm not a big guy. (5'11" 170lbs at the time). the guy at the door was huge. (6'3" 340lbs +). okay again this was different from my previous experience playing D&D. we were all nerdy types and i was the largest in our group. but at conventions i had met some big types. i'm still cool with it. he is the DM. and he tells me that he isn't the only guy in the group who swings the other way or worships differently. he invites me in and promptly excuses himself. he was making dinner and had to get back to the kitchen. he offered me some but i wasn't hungry. the first thing i notice about the place is this stick figure on the wall. right out of blair witch project. i'm still staring at it and talking to the DM when he comes back. "Oh that's my roommates. She's a witch." now i've had bad roommates before too. but i've never talked bad about them to strangers. "No, she is a real witch. I told you I was pagan, right?"

i'm still cool with it. but i'm definitely heading for the door....

i ended up gaming with the group for about a year. and currently i'm still playing with the DM, but he's a player in our current campaign. still it was a very weird first impression.

 

[Wraith Form]

Two little anecdotes, from two totally different games.

2) Running the Call of Cthulhu adventure Grace Under Pressure (From the gods at Pagan Publishing), I'd used a lot of the prop suggestions they list (it's a great, semi-live action module), had whale sounds in the background, had two separate rooms to play in for when the teams split up (and walkie-talkies for them to communicate with), changed the lights to blue filters, etc. One team is out in a minisub (and in the other room) when they get attacked by a Deep One. Over the squealling radio:

Minisub: We just hit something...

Base: What is it, are you alright?

Minisub: Ohmygod! It's... hideous! Its... <static> [Radio dead]

I rushed to the "base room" to find five players staring at the radio receiver with looks of stark shock on their faces... and their frightened, wide-opened eyes snapped to mine as I opened the door to the room... the looks of fear were incredible. it was fantastic! Probably some of the best gaming I've ever been a part of.

Oh YAAAEEAH, baby! I know the scenario you've described, and it can be a naughty, scary good time! Pagan...well, they just ROCK the BELLS wit' da LL.

 

[Fast Learner]

I was taking part in a game at a local store and (lucky me) got to sit next to a very fat, smelly, food encrusted wierdo. Part way through the game I felt his hand on my leg, which he proceded to rub.

Scared the hell out of me.

The guy called the police to try and get me charged with assualt when he got out of hospital.

Too bad he didn't succeed at that. Beating a guy up for making a pass: very macho.

 

[Wraith Form]

nice guy by email and phone. i got directions to his place for a first time meet.

the day before he calls to make sure i'm still interested. warns me he is pagan and that he is gay. and that if i have any trouble with that i should let him know up front. i tell him it's new to me but okay as far as i'm concerned. i'd only every gamed with christians and all them straight.

i show up after work at his apartment. at first i thought by the directions he lived in a swanky part of town. but as i soon find out. it is not so swanky. but still i feel okay about. knock on the door. no answer. knock again. hear a noise and then a voice saying give me a minute.

i'm not a big guy. (5'11" 170lbs at the time). the guy at the door was huge. (6'3" 340lbs +). okay again this was different from my previous experience playing D&D. we were all nerdy types and i was the largest in our group. but at conventions i had met some big types. i'm still cool with it. he is the DM. and he tells me that he isn't the only guy in the group who swings the other way or worships differently. he invites me in and promptly excuses himself. he was making dinner and had to get back to the kitchen. he offered me some but i wasn't hungry. the first thing i notice about the place is this stick figure on the wall. right out of blair witch project. i'm still staring at it and talking to the DM when he comes back. "Oh that's my roommates. She's a witch." now i've had bad roommates before too. but i've never talked bad about them to strangers. "No, she is a real witch. I told you I was pagan, right?"

i'm still cool with it. but i'm definitely heading for the door....

Dude, not to start a flame war, but you seem very....rigid...in your views. Did any of these people try to do anything to you? Was the dinner they were cooking in the kitchen a HUMAN or something?

I'm not gay, nor Wiccan, and I wear a LOT of black but I'm not Marilyn Manson or something, nor am I even very "liberal"--so I'm not defending anyone--but you just come across in both of your posts as being very....I dunno...inflexible.

Whatever.