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Friday, March 24, 2017

Weekend Story Time: Best RPG Experiences

I used to have the time and energy to play a lot of tabletop RPGs. D&D 3rd edition mainly, with some World of Darkness thrown in for good measure. My wife got me into D&D actually, and we've played together since 2002. I started DMing in 2004 and was one of three storytellers for what my group called "The Big Game": 33 players, 1 World of Darkness campaign.

We had players that were Vampires, others were Werewolves, one was a Hunter, there were a tiny amount of Mages and one Mummy. No Fallen, as that was the Big Bad of the adventure (Raziel, created and run by myself). The highlight of the Big Game came early on in our very first session. One of the characters playing a Mage, decided to play a prank on the Mayor of the post-Apocalypse settlement the characters were a part of by setting his Bible on fire.

I had the player follow me outside the room into the Student Union.

I then explained that his character suddenly found himself blocked in by darkness on all sides giving the effect that he was standing in the only sphere of existence with the old Mayor. The old man then got up out of his wheelchair, stretched, sprouted wings and assumed his Demonic form. Without saying a word, he grabbed the player's Mage character and caused him to to be incinerated.

Without saying a word, the player walked back into the room, and in front of 32 players, held up his character sheet and ripped it in half. The look of terror spread across the room as everyone realized that shit was going to go down this campaign.

My other favorite epic death was actually caused by a player on one of the "boss" encounters I had set up during a game of 3rd Edition D&D. The players had just come back to the Material Plane from a dimension hopping trip that took them from Dracula's Castle to the Mushroom Kingdom (just...don't ask...) and back in time to help the Empire hold off an invasion by the Dwarves. The Dwarves were attacking by sea (STEAMPUNK ships, because I was 21 and thought that was AWESOME) and being led by the Avatar of the Sea Goddess.

The players eventually make it to the Flagship, are about to throw down with the Sea Goddess' Avatar, when Steve, one of the players, made it to the session after his class let out. I had Steve, whom was playing a bard called Rupert the Merry, have Rupert unmask as one of the generic NPC soldiers that joined the players.

With a triumphant "AH-HA!" Rupert leveled his pistol at the Sea Goddess' Avatar and blew her head clean off in one shot.

I used the "really lethal" critical system whenever someone rolled a 20. I then had them roll again, and if they confirmed it was just double damage, but if it was another 20, they rolled a THIRD time. A confirm on the third roll meant quadruple damage, but if it was another straight natural 20, it was a kill shot.

Steve rolled 3 straight 20's during the surprise round I let him have before initiative was even rolled.

It was the most GLORIOUS kill I have ever seen a player pull off.

What are some of your favorite experiences, either as a Player or as a DM?

Post in the comments and share with others!




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