GM Horror stories Options

[toturi]

And a guy in bright orange could play a role in a band of ninjas--I believe the term is "deployable decoy".

The proper term is "undetectable intruder" if he is that good.

[Critias]

No, just that if the stealthy guy is really that damned good, he could be naked, screaming and painted orange.

I had an Elven merc character that was once lit on fire while wearing his light mil-spec armor. He was armored enough that the white phosphorous grenade wasn't actually damaging him, but he was, nonetheless, moving around on fire for a while. This happened while he was going all Ninja-Commando-Elf on some mercs, out in the woods, and had been -- up until that point -- using blades, silenced weapons, etc, to take out as many sentries as possible.

For shits and giggles, the GM and I paused for a second and made some "what if?" die rolls. In-game, he'd decided to go on the offensive, busted out his non-suppressed rifle, and started cleaning house. In the few moments of alternate reality, he made another Stealth roll, appropriately modified for being on fire (no darkness visibility modifiers, no camo/ruthenium bonus, a TN modifier to help the guards see him, a second TN modifier for any with thermo vision, etc, etc)...but, Connor being Connor, he did actually make the roll(s) required, penalties be damned.

Sadly, I was never able to work "Good enough to sneak past a merc platoon while I'm on fire" into a conversation, in-character, after that.

[Trevalier]

The proper term is "undetectable intruder" if he is that good.

I never said the guy in bright orange was good--just that he could be useful. Once, anyway.

[Mayhem_2006]

No shadowrun horror stories, but...

During an AD&D game, before the joy of skill points, out characters were creeping through the forest.

"Ahead of you," says the GM, "you see an orange glow."

We creep closer. The orange glow is discovered to be in the middle of a clearing. After a short period of observation, we creep closer. And Closer, until we are right next to it.

The GM is still describing it only as an orange glow.

"I poke it carefully with my sword."

"Nothing happens."

"I touch it."

"You take 1D6 damage as it burns your hand."

"What the..."

Eventually, it turns out it was... a campfire.

"Why the heck didn't you just tell us it was a campfire?!?"

"None of your characters have the firestarting non-weapon proficiency, so you they didn't recognise it."

*****

Or the GM who gave everyone twice the usual starting gold but insisted it all be spent, and that we have a 2 page list detailing each item, where we got it, what it meant to us etc.

Starting adventure:

"You are in a dungeon, chained to a wall. All of your possessions have been taken away."

"WHAT? Why did we have to write that ****ing list?"

"I wanted you to feel a sense of loss."

*****

I used to play in a regular star trek (next gen) free form, in which the GM would actually prepare a sound track for the game. The quality of roleplaying was fantastic, and the games were awesome - UNLESS you thought of a solution to the problem that he hadn't anticipated, in which case it just flat out wouldn't work, no matter what. If you were on track, it was some of the best RPing I have ever experienced, but if you didn't agree with his pre-concieved story direction it stopped being an RPG and basically became "Uncle Mikey tells a story".

[Voran]

Sure the orange ninja was deployable cover when he was younger, nowadays he's like a crazy mystic adept with a dozen initiate levels plus great spirit possession.

[Stahlseele]

Well, there was that one GM who insisted on characters making STRENGTH rolls with the usual attribute instead of skill used modifiers . . so a +4 Target number with less dice than usually too . .
TO FIND AND PUSH SWITCH TO MAKE THE LAMPS LIGHT UP!
Same GM insisted that an so small that it's practically invisible flying drone was fast and strong enough to wrestle 2 heavy pistols from the hands of a Troll who held them in his outstretched arms in different directions with a strength of 14, after said troll had, for the first time in several hours, actually managed to hit something with one of the heavy pistols . . Which he had bought just prior to the run . . for about 5k Nuyen.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Ha ha, pwned! The best part of course is that you probably just made it taste like budweiser.

Had a guy that I gamed with in the Marine Corps. Instead of Urine, the guys filled his almost empty beer can with tobasco sauce while he was in the bathroom... when he returned from the bathroom, he was goaded into drinking the can... he had almost finished off the can in 2 large gulps before his brain clued him into his mistake (8 ounces of Tobasco... wow)... it was one of the most cruel, but entertaining, moments in my gaming life...

[CanRay]

The proper term is "undetectable intruder" if he is that good.

Hey, look at what Doctor McNinja can do in his white lab coat!

[WyldKnight]

Had a guy that I gamed with in the Marine Corps. Instead of Urine, the guys filled his almost empty beer can with tobasco sauce while he was in the bathroom... when he returned from the bathroom, he was goaded into drinking the can... he had almost finished off the can in 2 large gulps before his brain clued him into his mistake (8 ounces of Tobasco... wow)... it was one of the most cruel, but entertaining, moments in my gaming life...

I did an actual spit take, thank you for that lol.

[Tiralee]

After carefully reading through the majority of tales recorded here, I'm convinced that the thread title was in error, this is actually about Horror GM Stories.

Dear god, some of the shit that was pulled here would have my players digging a hole in some forest somewhere while the plactic-wrapped lump in a blanket failed to leak out anything provable in a court of law.

-Tir.

[Neraph]

I am sorry but no ninja should be wearing a BRIGHT orange jumpsuit. That is anti stealth, in fact it sucks the stealth away from everyone around you.

Actually, if you're trying to sneak past deer a bright orange jumpsuit wouldn't be so bad.

[Stahlseele]

Actually, if you're trying to sneak past deer a bright orange jumpsuit wouldn't be so bad.

Doesn't say much, you can drive by deer in a car with all lights on and they will still not notice you enough to not run into the side of your car while trying to cross an otherwise empty street . .

[DamienKnight]

....

"What the..."

Eventually, it turns out it was... a campfire.

"Why the heck didn't you just tell us it was a campfire?!?"

"None of your characters have the firestarting non-weapon proficiency, so you they didn't recognise it."

Gah... ahh... ohhh... terrrrrrible!

Or the GM who gave everyone twice the usual starting gold but insisted it all be spent, and that we have a 2 page list detailing each item, where we got it, what it meant to us etc.

Starting adventure:

"You are in a dungeon, chained to a wall. All of your possessions have been taken away."

"WHAT? Why did we have to write that ****ing list?"

"I wanted you to feel a sense of loss."

GENIUS! I want to meet that DM and shake his hand (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Wounded Ronin]

Like Garrett, from the Thief games. Dude apparently wore hard-soled boots to sneak around on metal floors.

And a guy in bright orange could play a role in a band of ninjas--I believe the term is "deployable decoy".

My Theif 2 game should have been set to the Rambo theme music. I played it with Garrett just opening fire with his arrows from the get go and taking everyone out. It was easier in the long run than sneaking, getting found out, and then having to flee while surrounded by enemies.

[CanRay]

So Theif 2 is Shadowrunning in the Fourth World?

[Wounded Ronin]

So Theif 2 is Shadowrunning in the Fourth World?

Pretty much. Since you're apparently a physad that can bust apart mecha using your blackjack.

[Neraph]

Doesn't say much, you can drive by deer in a car with all lights on and they will still not notice you enough to not run into the side of your car while trying to cross an otherwise empty street . .

Deer can't see the color orange - they're color blind. That's why hunters are supposed to wear bright orange pieces on their camo suits. It's so the other hunters can see them and hopefully not shoot them.

[CanRay]

For some reason, that doesn't appear to work for Lawyers.

Still can't believe that HE apologized for being shot by the Vice President...

[Trevalier]

For some reason, that doesn't appear to work for Lawyers.

Still can't believe that HE apologized for being shot by the Vice President...

Vampires are also colorblind. It's a night vision thing, I think.

[Wounded Ronin]

Vampires are also colorblind. It's a night vision thing, I think.

It's generally okay to shoot vampires, though.

[Doc Chase]

It's generally okay to shoot vampires, though.

Maybe the guy apologized for trying to wrestle it away from one.

"Guess I just startled him - he should know that if I really wanted the gun away from him, I woulda thrown a bag of rice so he'd have to count it.

"Think I didn't because he kept cacklin' after every number the last time."

[X-Kalibur]

My Theif 2 game should have been set to the Rambo theme music. I played it with Garrett just opening fire with his arrows from the get go and taking everyone out. It was easier in the long run than sneaking, getting found out, and then having to flee while surrounded by enemies.

I did that in The Dark Project (or Thief 1 if you prefer) using the sword. I could take on about 3 or 4 guards at once with the difficulty ramped up. It WAS more satisfying to use stealth, but damn was it funny to abuse the mechanics.

[Wounded Ronin]

I did that in The Dark Project (or Thief 1 if you prefer) using the sword. I could take on about 3 or 4 guards at once with the difficulty ramped up. It WAS more satisfying to use stealth, but damn was it funny to abuse the mechanics.

Rambo theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54nFlNtk5dM...feature=related

I'm still working my way through Deadly Shadows. I'm slowly savoring the Warren Spectorness.

For some reason the games from the mid to late 90s were all superior, and today we're stuck with theme park rides whenever we buy a game.

[nemafow]

Yeah they don't make games like they used to, there are a few good ones, but majority are shit.