Back To Basics: Dungeons and Dragons.....

originally posted by: Pinkerton
Poor kid, stuck at home playing bored games with his parents.

2/10

a reply to: Lysergic

He rolled a 1 on his save versus logic and lost.

Some if the best times I've ever had with other people were while playing tabletops (call of cthulhu, d&d, and others). I have a baby and don't have enough time anymore, but gah it's such a unique experience.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Yup, critical fumble. Your character doesn't understand the inn keeper and you understand that the item of power that you are looking for is in the opposite direction to where it truly is; you had the map upside down but didn't notice.

a reply to: Lysergic

2/10 for what? I truly feel sorry for the kid, he could be out experiencing life but he's stuck at home having 'family time' with his helicopter parents. Poor kid.

a reply to: Pinkerton

2nd critical fumble. You understand that the white wizard tower is in the north by something called "Portal to Ravenloft". From your understanding this "Ravenloft" sounds like a good bed and breakfast to stop by on your way to the white wizard tower.

a reply to: Pinkerton

Did getting a score of 2/10 damage that ego so easily?

originally posted by: eriktheawful
I decided to introduce them to D&D, and brought in my books that I have:

/pretentious nerd mode: engage

Ah you kids... and your

eight by ten
color glossy books
with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining
what each one was to be used as evidence against us.

Back in my day ... rabble ... rabble ...

... and another thing ...




/pretentious nerd mode: end


But seriously, D&D is the only thing I have seen where people will get up, turn off all the stuff, sit around a table, and actually _listen_ to each other.


Mike Grouchy

A classic greenText story...

>Be me.

>Playing Path Finder

>DM says no alignment restrictions for next game.

>Show up with (L)E Fighter.

>Not overtly evil for the evulz, but definitely does what's best for him, regardless of morality within the strictures of his code. Something of a dick.

>Friend shows up with Paladin.

>thiscouldbeanissue.jpg

>Rest of Party is neutral or good.

>DM looks at sheets and back stories, chuckles.

>Others had time to interweave theirs.

>I only joined game because of last minute schedule change, didn't think I'd have that day off every week until day before campaign. No back story connection for me.

>DM says since others are established adventure party, and my back story mentions a murder, I am Paladin's prisoner. He's taking me to a city on the other side of the vast kingdom where I'm wanted as a fugitive from justice.

>wut.png

>Whateves, I roll with it, could be good RP.

># happens during trek, Pally and I get separated from rest of party.

>Pally and I do sessions on Saturday, rest of Party of Sunday.

>Get attacked by Orcs.

>Ask Pally to unchain me and give me my weapon.

>Not Just to let Orcs kill me, I deserve chance to defend myself at trial. Can't do if dead.

>#, Orcs are getting closer. They look mean. They obviously don't care I'm a prisoner.

>Tell Pally if he arms me, I will stay his prisoner until we get to the city and not run away unless he dies.

>I roll Bluff vs Pally's Sense Motive. I win.

>Pally reluctantly agrees, unchains me and gives me my sword back. We face the orcs, win though it's close. Pally has to use his Lay on Hands to heal me.

>noarmorsucks.jpg

>Convince Pally to give me my armor, even though I have to give the sword back.

>We keep rollin' along, get attacked few more times. Each time, Pally gives me my sword and unchains me; then takes it back and re-cuffs after end of battle. Some times we do Good Deeds TM for people we encounter along the way. Take risks for them.

>Eventually, a skirmish knocks Pally into negatives.

>I don't run. Haul Pally to nearby village, he wakes up and Lays on Hands.

>Asks why I didn't run.

>Igavemyword.jpg.

>Wasn't bluffing, just rolling Bluff to keep him from metagaming.

>He doesn't re-cuff me, though he takes the sword back.

>Eventually, after another encounter or two, he stops taking my sword. Let's me keep watch.

>Next session, Party re-unites.

>Party freaks out cuz zomg, murderer is unchained with sword.

>Pally puts foot down.

>dealwithit.gif

>Party grumbles but accepts.

>Throughout the campaign as we trek across this (Russia-sized) kingdom, Paladin and I end up fighting back to back more and more. He saves my life several times, and vice versa.

>Pally has been having philosophy discussions with me. Asking what I would have done if I was in charge, then debating it with me. Asking questions I don't want to answer, especially after party does something selfless.

>Points out I could have let him die and would be free from my Oath.

>I make up something bogus about why I need him alive. Reduce sentence, or pardon, or something. Really, I've just started to like Pally. Admire him a bit.

>Start to question self. Start to question motives.

>innerdoubts.png

>Finally make it to town, Pally argues to the court that my sentence be reduced. My good deeds with the party don't excuse my crimes, but maybe show I'm not all bad.

>Rest of party slowly warming up to me, but they don't have the Faith in me Pally does.

>I still ping as Evil. Head Judge Pally dude still thinks I have a debt to pay.

>Pally asks that rather than executing me, they remand me to his custody. That way, I can do some good, even if I'm not good.

>They agree.

>Oath was to stay his prisoner until we reached city. Have reached city. It's been a year.

>I consider making a break for it when I get opportunity, once we're a good few weeks travel from it and I'm watch. Could run easily, and get away with it.

>Stay.

>Don't admit it's because Pally is my only real friend.

>Pally wakes up, sees I'm still here and smiles knowingly.

>MFW I realize Pally knew all along I wasn't bound by my Oath anymore and still wouldn't run.

>We continue to adventure. Two years pass in game. Rest of party have families, even Pally. All but me. Only thing close is Party itself.

>Party has mostly settled down, stopped adventuring. Pally continues to try to share his religion and philosophy with me.

>I've been summoned for another judgement by the head of Pally's order.

>DM and I talk. Still evil? Riding the line between LN and LE, but... It's a close thing.

>uhoh.jpg.

>We ride out with party escorting. Leave Pally's pregnant wife, and the party's families behind.

>Halfway there, messenger arrives. New orders. Huge threat in the kingdom. Some warlord has arose, we're closest group of Bad Ass to it.

>kingdomneedsus.png

>During arc against the warlord, we bite off more than we can chew in one battle.

>Once again, Pally and I back to back, on other side of battle map from party aside from the Rogue who's with us.

>I'm low health, Rogue is low on health, Pally has no heals left.

>#gotrealson.jpg

>Rogue is about to get blasted, minimum damage would kill him. Average would kill me.

>#it.jpg

>I take the hit meant for him.

>MFW DM rolls minimum damage (and in plain sight, so we know it's not fudged.)

>DM reaches over, takes my sheet. Changes LE to LN.

>Paladin looks so happy, OOC.

>NPC does a follow up attack. Attack will kill me.

>whateves.

>thisisagooddeath.png

>Paladin disagrees. Casts Paladin's Sacrifice.

>Damage is rolled. Max damage. Exactly enough to kill Pally.

>vaderno.gif

>Rogue kills the bastard that killed Pally. DM gives Pally time for dying words. Tell Pally he won't be forgotten. Replace my sword with his.

>After we defeat the warlord, I head back to Paladin Order for judgement. Party wants to go with, I decline, state they need to return to families.

>Finally pardoned. Was supposed to be happy day. Sad day because Paladin isn't here to see it.

>Gain new level. Choose War-Priest. Can't be Pally. Can't be servant of Pally's god that Pally was. Can do my best, though.

>Campaign continues. Years pass. One by one, other party members die or retire.

>Eventually, I'm only original party member left. New Pally in group, played by old Pally's player. Original Pally's daughter. Fitting.

>My PC views her like a niece. I've gone from LN to LG by now.

>Each night, at camp, I regale her with tales of her dad and our old adventuring companions.

>Eventually, age penalties take their toll.

>Near death, but Pally's daughter is as well. Take hit meant for her.

>Have to. Love her like my own family.

>End up getting hurt pretty bad. Dying.

>Pally's Daughter holds me as I bleed out. She never knew her dad, but tells me if she becomes half the person I am, she'll be happy.

>My PC tells her she'll never know what hearing that means to him. Tells her he and her dad will be waiting for her, but not to hurry please. Dies happy.

>She takes my PCs sword. Her father's sword. Makes it her own.

>Survives to end of the campaign. Settles down, has two sons. Named after my PC and her father.

>thefeels.png

originally posted by: frostie
I played Runescape

For those that _must_ computer their D&D ...

Roll20.net

A website for hosting a virtual table and dice.


Mike Grouchy

originally posted by: Pinkerton
a reply to: Lysergic

2/10 for what? I truly feel sorry for the kid, he could be out experiencing life but he's stuck at home having 'family time' with his helicopter parents. Poor kid.

Yah, he's such a poor kid. Being forced to stay at home with me and his mom who love him so much.

I mean, we could be like some parents and not just give two spits about him and let him have run of the streets, hanging out with a gang, or going to raves so he might get a drink spiked with a cocktail of drugs that might put him in a coma for the rest of his life.

We could just sit on our butts and not care about him and just let him have is way, let him do anything he wants, including the crap that's dangerous or could get him killed.

Let him run with a group that does "car shopping" at night....until the cops arrest him (or he get's shot and killed by the cops).

Or we could just leave him alone, let him veg in front of the TV all the time, or sit in front of his computer watching YouTube video after YouTube video.

We could do that.

But instead, we actually do care about him and love him very much, and:

He came to me wanting to play.

Apparently you missed that part of my OP.

And you know what? We listened, which is most likely why he loves spending time with his mom and me. Because, we actually do listen and we actually do care about him.

It's most likely why he's doing quite well, almost an Eagle Scout in the BSA, has very good grades in school, and, we can trust him because we know he'll come to us with any problems he has.

Yah....poor kid.

Love me some D&D! Can't wait until my kids are old enough to enjoy it. I'm actually finishing up making a D20 the size of a baseball today.

a reply to: Pinkerton

Hey Pinkerton, his son WANTED to play D&D, on his own choice, forsaking electronic media for the chance to let his freak imagination flag fly. No need getting your leather armor in a bunch over this. If you haven't played D&D, then you just don't understand the awesomeness that is D&D. The wonderful story telling, the ability to write the story as you go, the divergent thinking to problems that arise, being able to slip into someone's shoes for a few hours. If you haven't played these types of games, you have no basis of comparison.

And that is the 3rd critical fumble.

You trip into the dark bog swamp where the sign to Ravenloft was pointing, falling face first through a bright light passing out. You wake up to find yourself in a very dark, gothic, almost crumbling town. The bright light is gone. All you hear is the flapping of wings, and a howl so loud, so sinister that you empty your bladder and your blood runs cold.

originally posted by: PlasticWizard
Love me some D&D! Can't wait until my kids are old enough to enjoy it. I'm actually finishing up making a D20 the size of a baseball today.

Ah, making your own polyhedra...



There is just something about designing a thing, making a thing, and seeing it become real.







An old Roman D20


Mike Grouchy

a reply to: mikegrouchy

Ah you're lucky!

Some of those old books, I have as PDF's, but that's not quite the same as owning the actual book!

My first GURPS book, was one that i Xerox copied. It was 3 times as thick as the originals due to all the paper and scotch tape!

originally posted by: Skada
And that is the 3rd critical fumble.

You trip into the dark bog swamp..

The hell with it, he was eaten by a grue.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Not in Ravenloft, put some more effort into it.

He stumbles into the local church, no one seems to be there. He sits on a pew and hears a voice. "Oh, excuse me."
He turns and sees no one, but feels a chill up his spine. He hears a voice towards the front as if there is a sermon in session. He peers into the darkness and then the full scene comes into view just as the full moon's light shines through the ornate stained glass. Ghosts of the townsfolk are in session, a gruesome sight to behold. The preacher's head is almost falling off his body, the person next to him has his chest torn out as if by some wild beast. The walls are stained red.

originally posted by: Skada
Not in Ravenloft, put some more effort into it.

I thought a Zork reference would have been a good enough effort.