Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10990 Posts
    
Umass Amherst Baby!
 | | 07/31/2005 10:10 PM |
| | recovered topic 6759 | |
Pathetic Earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void - without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe - anything at all - you would have hidden from it in terror. | |
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Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10990 Posts
Umass Amherst Baby!
| | 07/31/2005 10:10 PM |
| | I'd have to say it's not the encounter per say, but more the circumstances. It's far worse to have the DM hand you the rope to hang your character with, than to have a pc die as a fluke of the dice. | |
Pathetic Earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void - without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe - anything at all - you would have hidden from it in terror. | |
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Kaya Kenobi
Underboss
1304 Posts
San Jose, California
| | 07/31/2005 10:15 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Cthulhufnord
I'd have to say it's not the encounter per say, but more the circumstances. It's far worse to have the DM hand you the rope to hang your character with, than to have a pc die as a fluke of the dice.
heh.. both of my instances are bad.. One's turned into nothing, another, people start drawing cards and die from being trapped by demons, facing ancient wyrms, or just being turned into slime by oozes.. Oh yeah! | |
Just a simple traveler from the swamps of Dagobah otherwise known as Florida. Also known as Hurricane Alley!
I always try to send through delivery confirmation, and I expect the same. It's only 55 cents extra, so it's just a little more than a pay phone call, so just do it for the Kai.  I prefer to trade with people in the US and Canada, sorry everyone else.
http://www.maxminis.com/Forums/tabid/104/forumid/53/postid/655406/view/topic/Default.aspx - references | |
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Redgar
Warrior
179 Posts
| | 07/31/2005 10:20 PM |
| IMhO the worst character death is being devoured by a devourer. Normally, if a character dies it is time for a Raise Dead/Ressurection, but when a character is well and truly gone for good... MUAHAHAHAHA! [}:)], er, Oh. Sorry. [V] Do you have a cohort? [)]
Humiliation is good (bad) too: Rather than going out in a blaze of glory, getting crushed under a cart, falling off a cliff, walking right into a trap and/or hanging oneself (figuratively or literally) would be, frankly, embarassing.
Just my 2 ep worth,
Redgar | |
Alea jacta est! | |
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Lab Monkey
Commander
4136 Posts
| | 07/31/2005 10:22 PM |
| This probably belongs in the Roleplaying forum.
Oh the ways that I've killed players. I actually hate to do it, but sometimes it happens.
Green slime is certainly one of the worst. It's so unrepairable. I once set up a room that was full of it on the ceiling, walls, etc. The players were warned about it and I gave major hints about the trap, but one player still walked headlong into it. He and the other PCs then continued to make bad decision after bad decision and I had no choice but to kill the character.
In the same adventure a cursed item turned a character into a troll-like monster. It also altered his perspective severely. His character, now a troll, thought another PC was an enemy and attacked. The other PC killed him, despite realizing who the "troll" was. I felt so bad that I decided to give the cursed creature regeneration that brought him back to life. Fortunately, the players never new the difference.
That sphere of annhilation story is both funny and sad. Talk about a TPK. | |
Have: Cat; Want: Storm Giant
Champion of Anything Dragonlance
Before trading, please check the Disputed Trades Thread | |
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Richard II
Commander
3663 Posts
| | 07/31/2005 11:43 PM |
| I think my worst pc death ever involved teleporters, trees, and a leucrotta.
We had found a portal that was going to save us a fair bit of travel time. Unfortunately, the teleporter was fairly old, and when we stepped through it, there appeared to have grown a tree where the teleporter destination was. When my character appeared way up in the tree, he failed a dex check and fell down, getting critically hit by the tree on the way down.
Between the tree branches and falling damage I was unconscious when a leucrotta came sniffing by. It started gnawing on me and the other pcs did nothing to help me, so I got eaten.
That was the 1st or 2nd session I'd played that character. | |
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dagonet
Sergeant
442 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 1:55 AM |
| There's just something about that Green Slime. . .
One of the members of my Mage Knight-based RPG ran us through The Ghost Tower of Inverness last year, and on one of the tower levels we came across a patch of green slime. Just sitting quietly right in the middle of the pathway, bubbling away and minding its own business. So naturally we decided to kill it. We weren't natually able to produce any of the stuff that's lethal against the slime, but one of the characters in the front rank had a magical item that would give her a fiery ranged attack for long enough to dispose of the pest. Attacking twice, she rolled once. . . Critical miss (which for us is '2' on 2d6, slightly more improbable than the '1' on d20), which our GM ruled splashed our foe with just enough heat to nurture it, causing it to expand about halfway to us. Second attack: CRITICAL MISS. As the front rank of our party was engulfed and dissolved by a steaming tide of green slime and my character (supposedly safe in the second rank) frantically backpedaled to avoid a similar fate, the rest of my group just about fell out of their chairs laughing. Once my PC was safe, I joined them. [:D]
Cheers,
Dagonet | |
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Champion of Kyuss and his Servants of Squishy Doom | |
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Oni
Underboss
1131 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 2:01 AM |
| | In my book the worst way to die is when a DM puts you up against a monster you have no hope of beating, nor running away from. [:(] | |
"...don’t try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal."
- Zaphod Beeblebrox
Champion of the Nymph!
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Vimes
Warrior
259 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 2:29 AM |
| Stupid ways to die.. hmm... well, there are so many stupid ways to die. I've even had the pleasure of finding some of them. Hanging around a paladin has been a surefire way to discover some. Having a Dragon crash into you, as it falls from the sky is always a really bad way to die... Going solo against seven 8-10th level monks is another.
As for worst cursed/intelligent item/artifact... the intelligent sword, that had a bad case of summoning really big monsters, as you tried to sneak through a dungeon. It would call out, in a very loud voice that our party was trying to sneak past... insert location. | |
http://www.maxminis.com/hwlist.asp?user=vimes
Succesful Trades: Camp0243 x2,Master Elminster,GeG,W33zrfan,Eldarion(in person),Pale Rider x16 (in person), ArchmagusXar x2,pan,griffrat,Kithmaker, Kyrin x2,Ckissee,raland x2,rav950,brez,simage,ivid5,cavedweller,Count Dooku x2,qillan_dvra x2,Quiet Gargoyle, berus316,bassman2972,Krush, Noghri,The_Duke
Pending Trade:jacksonm,shadroth | |
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Kaya Kenobi
Underboss
1304 Posts
San Jose, California
| | 08/01/2005 2:44 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Vimes
Having a Dragon crash into you, as it falls from the sky is always a really bad way to die..
I have had that happen to one of my PCs once.. :D | |
Just a simple traveler from the swamps of Dagobah otherwise known as Florida. Also known as Hurricane Alley!
I always try to send through delivery confirmation, and I expect the same. It's only 55 cents extra, so it's just a little more than a pay phone call, so just do it for the Kai. I prefer to trade with people in the US and Canada, sorry everyone else.
http://www.maxminis.com/Forums/tabid/104/forumid/53/postid/655406/view/topic/Default.aspx - references | |
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Krush
Commander
3848 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 3:19 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Kaya Kenobi
Yes, there's a title here, how to make players die horrible deaths.. As a PC, what's the worst way to die?
What's the worst cursed item, intelligent item, or artifact that you have ever encountered?
My players always seem to die when it comes to Decks of Many Things..
I once had a DM who didn't properly describe a sphere of annhilation, and we all thought it was just another one of his crazy teleport contraptions.. *Zzzzit**Zzzzit**Zzzzit**Zzzzit*
How about a roll of the dice..?
Here's one:
Roll percentile, it's a 99!
Result= Body split in twain
You're dead, next! | |
Gehenna | |
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Darkfather
Commander
3466 Posts
Queensland, Australia
| | 08/01/2005 4:58 AM |
| 1) Lycanthropy
I DM'ed a crew of players through the WotC Module/adventure "The Speaker in Dreams".
One of the characters was hit by Longtail, and failed their save. Anyway, the module went on as normal, with only myself and the player of the character knowing what had happened. (The rest of players did VERY well not to 'cheat' and they played their characters correctly - Not having before seen or confronted a lycanthrope, therefor not knowing what the hit had done - Lycanthropy)
Into their next adventure, the 'hit' character finally turned into a lycanthrope (Wererat). The character had 'woken up and gone for a nature call' during the night (she knew what was coming). The parties elf who was keeping watch this night, saw her walk into the forest, heard screams and what sounded like battle noises, woke the rest of the party, and when the Wererat entered the camp in it's blood frenzy, the party appropriately killed the beast. Two fighters went off to find the character who went to relieve herself, only to return to the slain body of their friend laying where the Wererat had fallen.
The party later met up with a 'new NPC', and allowed her to join the party.
2) Resetting Fireball Trap
Worlds Largest Dungeon, need I say more? First fireball... 2 unconcoius characters, multiple slightly wounded, 1 Rogue evaded the inferno. Party leader states that the party would rest in the corridoor. Rogue sent back to secure door. Trap goes off again. 1 dead Druid, 1 dead Sorcerer, 1 unconcious Barbarian, 1 busy Cleric, 1 unscathed rogue. 1 annoyed party. ROFLMAO!
DF
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[INSERT WITTY QUOTE HERE]
233 Confirmed Trades, 230 Completed Trades, 3 Failed TradesChampion of Dark Mantles | |
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Sean-Khan
Commander
2723 Posts
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Pale Rider
Underboss
1023 Posts
London, Ontario, Canada
| | 08/01/2005 7:18 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Vimes
Stupid ways to die.. hmm... well, there are so many stupid ways to die. Going solo against seven 8-10th level monks is another.
Hmmmm...I seem to remember you didn't die and they were nowhere near 8th level. More like 4th. Right.....Leroy? [:D]
The most tragically stupid deaths of PCs I have seen involved a locked iron bound wood door an impatient CG elf and an Ogre Zombie waiting on the other side.
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Completed Trades: Crescent Hawk, Vimes, demagogue, vidman, Eric is God, Strachan Fireblade, FungiMuncher, Dudeeehm, Shasack, gausse, kyrin, nyjastul69
Champion of the Remorhaz | |
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Sean-Khan
Commander
2723 Posts
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DDM Australian Champion 2005
psistef
Underboss
1572 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 9:18 AM |
| What about the time honored tradition of "friend visiting from out of town sits in, decides to turn evil for giggles, and is mercilessly slaughtered by the party".
Sounds annoying, but can actually be quite cathartic for a group. | |
Champion of the Prestige Class where mages focus on telekenesis and start throwing people into the ceiling and uber stuff like that.
Desirer of a Commander Effect in CG that grants Sidestep to followers with a ranged attack. | |
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Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 11:17 AM |
| OK here is one for the record books... Our group was in a really bad way and half the party was fleeing. We had come up an elevator like contraption but it had gone back down. The rogue and the smart fighter climbed down the 5'x5' shaft the entire 100' down. The big dumb fighter took off all of his armor and equipment and decided to lower it down tied to his shield(10 javelins, sword, dagger, half plate armor and other misc things.) The fighter can't tie his own shoe lace much less a good knot to hold all this together, plus it is 100' down and he only started with 40' of rope. So as soon as he starts to lower the rope, it all comes apart and falls 100' onto his two companions who were trapped on the bottom. They were given a reflex save for half damage and the rogue made his but the smart fighter got skewered, crushed, mashed, and bashed.
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"Are you not entertained?" 
Champion of the Common Bar Wench
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Vash
Underboss
1995 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 11:34 AM |
| One member of my group was unable to attend D&D sessions for the rest of the quest due to work, so we had to write the character out of the story.
We were on a boat fighting some orcs, after killing the orcs we had to get to the other end of the bay and fight orcs on another boat. Three of us took one of the lifeboats over while our cleric and sorcerer stayed behind and screwed off (yeah it was anoying).
The two of them decided to start a signal fire on the boat to get the orcs attention, inste4ad it ended up burning down the entire boat. Once the fighting was over and we got back to the docks I looked at the other characters and simply said..."wait wasnt so-and-so on that boat???"
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Champion of the Alhoon and my called shot for Unhallowed
Blood War Called Shot: Phoenix
Trade withe me! | |
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devasque
Sergeant
874 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 12:02 PM |
| He he, in one of the homebrew pbem's I'm in our party took it upon themselves to remove a wooden pallisade, as well as the creatures responsible for it, that had been errected on the trail north and was blocking travel between countries/cities.
We COULD have just taken the wilderness around, avoiced and continued on our way north to the place we were planning/supposed to go to. But instead we thought it all well and noble of us to remove the hill giant and hobgoblins manning the wall. Probably our first major screw up in tactics, but long story short we dwaddled way too long and the the 3 fire giants in charge of the operation came stomping on the scene. We sensibly made to retreat across the river via the use of spell but to our horror (well at least our ranger and my wizard) we suddenly got rained on my thrown rocks.
My wizard got hit once which dropped him to unconscience, ranger got nailed next but was still positive. He made to grab my wizard, both got hammered again. Death and darkness. Worst part was as soon as my wizard bagged it, spell failed and everyone got dumped in the river.
Wet wizard pancakes (shakes head) | |
You see! There ARE others out there just like me. What? Why are laughing? | |
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Pale Rider
Underboss
1023 Posts
London, Ontario, Canada
| | 08/01/2005 5:22 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Sean-Khan
By first aid? [:D]
A real game example of honorless PC death - a PC who's player wasn't present and the character was controlled by GM - he was moderately wounded from a combat, and would surely have survived if my character wouldn't have tried first aid and fumbled twice.
That sounds like Death by Bad GM more than a true PC Stupid death. As a GM I could never allow such an occurance (and having fumbles in first aid actually kill you is pretty lame also). | |
Completed Trades: Crescent Hawk, Vimes, demagogue, vidman, Eric is God, Strachan Fireblade, FungiMuncher, Dudeeehm, Shasack, gausse, kyrin, nyjastul69
Champion of the Remorhaz | |
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Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 5:54 PM |
| If you killed someone with a fumbled first aid check... then trying to tie a bandage is going to kill someone 5% of the time. Even if you fumbled twice it shouldn't have killed him unless he was at -8 the first time and -9 the second. But that is just my 2 cents worth.
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"Are you not entertained?"
Champion of the Common Bar Wench
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Slapdragon
Warrior
268 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 8:23 PM |
| While not intended to kill, I use a critical miss / critical hit table. Roll a one, then confirm the critical miss, and something bad is going to happen to you.
I think of it like my academy training. It was raining and foggy when I shot my qualifications. When I ran to my first firing position I slipped and fell, sending my loaded Glock into the grass. Luckily for me, even a hammer won't set a Glock off if it falls out of your hand, but maybe I got lucky on my third roll or made a saving throw. | |
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt. | |
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DDM Australian Champion 2005
psistef
Underboss
1572 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 8:50 PM |
| Gotta admit though, pretty funnf mental image there.
"Hold on buddy I'll just tie this bandage to yo- OH MY GOD!!!" | |
Champion of the Prestige Class where mages focus on telekenesis and start throwing people into the ceiling and uber stuff like that.
Desirer of a Commander Effect in CG that grants Sidestep to followers with a ranged attack. | |
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Slapdragon
Warrior
268 Posts
| | 08/01/2005 9:04 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by psistef
Gotta admit though, pretty funnf mental image there.
"Hold on buddy I'll just tie this bandage to yo- OH MY GOD!!!"
It's just a flesh wound! | |
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt. | |
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adept
Warrior
336 Posts
| | 08/02/2005 2:39 AM |
| As a player I hate to die when you are not there to play your own character and are killed by people in your party that are overpowered. This has happened 3 times now (granted the DM was far from the best, but I HATE when my character dies when someone else is playing it. Im called the voice of reason by him now because when im not present in his campagin the PC's have a tendicany to do stupid things. I stopped playing with this group)
I've had other characters that fumbled with an attack and the DM declared it hit a fellow player (cleric). The damage from the attack was just enough to kill him...Would hate to die this way too. | |
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Slapdragon
Warrior
268 Posts
| | 08/02/2005 3:06 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by adept
As a player I hate to die when you are not there to play your own character and are killed by people in your party that are overpowered. This has happened 3 times now (granted the DM was far from the best, but I HATE when my character dies when someone else is playing it. Im called the voice of reason by him now because when im not present in his campagin the PC's have a tendicany to do stupid things. I stopped playing with this group)
I've had other characters that fumbled with an attack and the DM declared it hit a fellow player (cleric). The damage from the attack was just enough to kill him...Would hate to die this way too.
I generally do not allow player on player fighting or pack mentality on players. Quitting that group is the best thing.
On fumbles though, I have a table and allow player saves on many results, so they at least know I am not being arbitrary on those things. | |
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt. | |
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Kaya Kenobi
Underboss
1304 Posts
San Jose, California
| | 08/02/2005 11:31 AM |
| bad DM bad bad DM.. No.. I still remember the fat halfling who wanted to be thin, having a wizard cast a spell on him, and it was really an illusion for the halfling to lose weight.. Then he takes tent stakes and a hammer to go mountain climbing, when he had mountain climbing gear in his bag of holding..
Then there's another time the players decide to cross a ricketty bridge over a pit of lava.. one failed a balance check and knocks everyone over and they all die, when the rogue had a wand of Roc summoning..
Then there's another time when a wizard casts reverse gravity and everyone flies into the ceiling covered with stalagmites.. | |
Just a simple traveler from the swamps of Dagobah otherwise known as Florida. Also known as Hurricane Alley!
I always try to send through delivery confirmation, and I expect the same. It's only 55 cents extra, so it's just a little more than a pay phone call, so just do it for the Kai. I prefer to trade with people in the US and Canada, sorry everyone else.
http://www.maxminis.com/Forums/tabid/104/forumid/53/postid/655406/view/topic/Default.aspx - references | |
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Captain Harlock
Sergeant
450 Posts
| | 08/02/2005 2:09 PM |
| My way of killing PCs horribly......
Lock them in a romm with no escape and repeatedly play the "Spice Girls" movie.
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Dan Cooper
For there is surely nothing so beautiful than the sight of a lone man facing single-handedly half a ton of angry pot roast.
You will all go directly to your respective vahallas, Go directly, do not pass go do not collect two hundred dollars
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Kaya Kenobi
Underboss
1304 Posts
San Jose, California
| | 08/02/2005 5:13 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Captain Harlock
My way of killing PCs horribly......
Lock them in a romm with no escape and repeatedly play the "Spice Girls" movie.
That's cruel and unusual punishment! | |
Just a simple traveler from the swamps of Dagobah otherwise known as Florida. Also known as Hurricane Alley!
I always try to send through delivery confirmation, and I expect the same. It's only 55 cents extra, so it's just a little more than a pay phone call, so just do it for the Kai. I prefer to trade with people in the US and Canada, sorry everyone else.
http://www.maxminis.com/Forums/tabid/104/forumid/53/postid/655406/view/topic/Default.aspx - references | |
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Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10990 Posts
Umass Amherst Baby!
| | 08/02/2005 6:53 PM |
| Cruel maybe...[:D]
quote:
Originally posted by Kaya Kenobi
That's cruel and unusual punishment!
[/quote]
I like seeding the party on ocassion with usefull but cursed items. Every once in a while a player gets horribly maimed or killed due to (miss)use. In one campain it got so bad the players were not only destroying cursed items but regular ones as well.
Stuff that caused abbility damage/drain can be real fun.
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Pathetic Earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void - without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe - anything at all - you would have hidden from it in terror. | |
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Kaya Kenobi
Underboss
1304 Posts
San Jose, California
| | 08/03/2005 4:21 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Cthulhufnord
I like seeding the party on ocassion with usefull but cursed items. Every once in a while a player gets horribly maimed or killed due to (miss)use. In one campain it got so bad the players were not only destroying cursed items but regular ones as well.
Stuff that caused abbility damage/drain can be real fun.
I love cursed items, they're by far the best things to do to a PC... They do not necessarilly kill off the player, but it's hella fun to run into them.. :) | |
Just a simple traveler from the swamps of Dagobah otherwise known as Florida. Also known as Hurricane Alley!
I always try to send through delivery confirmation, and I expect the same. It's only 55 cents extra, so it's just a little more than a pay phone call, so just do it for the Kai. I prefer to trade with people in the US and Canada, sorry everyone else.
http://www.maxminis.com/Forums/tabid/104/forumid/53/postid/655406/view/topic/Default.aspx - references | |
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The Mighty
jai
Commander
3235 Posts
| | 08/03/2005 9:07 AM |
| I haven't seeded the party with cursed items yet, i might though in the future.
Instead i seed the party with cursed players... sorta.
I have a friend that occasionally plays. So each new group i run will meet a character of his for a game in what seems like a random appearance of a friend of mine. Then the next time the party meets him they think he is cool. He just happens to run the local thieves guild, or is a P.O.ed wizard, or is the BBEG... you get the point. They never see it coming ... "PCs can't be bad guys!" [}:)] | | | |
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Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
| | 08/03/2005 10:33 AM |
| quote:
Instead i seed the party with cursed players... sorta.
I have a friend that occasionally plays. So each new group i run will meet a character of his for a game in what seems like a random appearance of a friend of mine. Then the next time the party meets him they think he is cool. He just happens to run the local thieves guild, or is a P.O.ed wizard, or is the BBEG... you get the point. They never see it coming ... "PCs can't be bad guys!"
In one long running game that a friend of mine was running, the group was very well organized and he was having a hard time with some of the items that they had created and found. It was just starting to get out of hand. I was friends with all of the players, just wasn't in this group, so when I was introduced as a new player no one thought anything of it. It wasn't too long before I had access to all kinds of goodies. I didn't kill anyone, but I did rob them blind including a couple of artifacts.
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"Are you not entertained?"
Champion of the Common Bar Wench
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Sean-Khan
Commander
2723 Posts
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Miniman
Skirmisher
4 Posts
| | 08/05/2005 11:58 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Captain Harlock
My way of killing PCs horribly......
Lock them in a romm with no escape and repeatedly play the "Spice Girls" movie.
Thats mean | |
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