Weirdest thing you've seen on a character sheet, More stupid player tricks Options

[Tanegar]

Let me be clear: this is not about creative optimization. This is about those moments when you look at a character sheet and wonder what the hell the player was thinking. I'll kick it off with this: a player, who ended up not joining the campaign, showed up with a character who spoke thirteen(!) languages... all at rating 1. Yes, rating 1 (one). I never did get an explanation of why he thought this was a good idea. It wasn't even related to the concept (which he said was a "weapons master.")

[bannockburn]

Don't know if that counts, but a player on a convention once showed me the knowledge skills of her character. Two of them made me laugh out loud. The first one, relatively harmless, was the ability to spray 'Innocent but strangely kinky graffiti', the other one was called 'Throwing weapons usage, aided by useless trigonometric calculations and old Xena episodes'.

[Grinchy McScroog...]

An SR3 player who took Knowledge: Martial Arts, but misspelled it... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[thorya]

In that other game, I had a player playing a 5th level bard. I asked him to roll a perform check and he responds, "Can I make a perform check untrained?"
After asking why he doesn't have any ranks in perform, he asked if perform was important for bards. I asked what he thought a bard was and he responded, "Well they do music stuff, like sing or something, and magic."
I suggested a few changes to his character after the session.

In SR, I had someone that wanted to replace their arm with a heavy machine gun, which I was not immediately opposed to, but when I asked how they planned on hiding the heavy machine gun when not fighting, since it was too big be concealed in an arm, her response was, "I'll just put a coat over it." She thought that no one would find a muscley orc walking around with a trench coat constantly hanging over their arm suspicious.

[WhiskeyJohnny]

I once took Painting with a specialization in Neo-Impressionism as an active skill. The character was a painter. My GM thought that meant I'd take Art related knowledge skills. Eventually it was of use, but that was only due to some extraordinary luck (GM didn't realize I'd taken it as an active skill (even though he had a copy of my sheet from day one) and he gave us a job that required a painter).

[Aerospider]

I once played in a game (so long ago can't even remember the name) in which one of the PCs had a State the Obvious skill. Every so often he'd cry "state the obvious!", make a roll and then follow it up with something like "there are two doors in this room" or "if her name's Laura she'll be a woman". At first I thought this was just a comedy throw-away 'skill', until the GM had him make a roll and then had him point out something crucial we'd all overlooked. I yoinked it for the troll in my next SR campaign.

[hobgoblin]

An SR3 player who took Knowledge: Martial Arts, but misspelled it... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

What the character nicknamed Casanova from that point onwards?

[Umidori]

I may or may not have tried to convince the GM who originally got me into Shadowrun to allow me to play a Free Spirit (of Man, with a resemblance to trash) with Inhabitation (not allowed by RAW, if I recall) whose origin story was that he had been summoned by a rogue conjurer and made to inhabit an anesthetized dog, resulting in a Hybrid Form, only to suddenly find himself masterless when the conjurer was geeked by some armed thugs due to an unresolved financial matter.

Unable to return to his home plane until his host body died, the spirit decided to explore a bit in his new form and ended up ended up hanging around, fascinated by the mortal plane. His Hybrid Form was this scrappy, rusty-coated mutt of a medium-large dog, who (having merged to form a Hybrid with a Trash Spirit) was rather stupendously dirty looking. He had all sorts of bits of junk and rubbish "caught" in his coat, ranging from bits of metal and wire to a length of yellow Caution Tape trailing from his tail, all of which was actually a physical part of his form and irremovable. The hope was that, ideally, unless someone was looking closely, he'd just appear to be a very filthy dog. This would be offset in large part by the social stigma a very filthy dog would carry, compared to a clean one. That and the physical limitations of a canine body, including lack of vocal cords and opposable thumbs, and inability to wear most gear or implant most 'ware.

What can I say? I like the idea of playing unusual characters.

~Umi

[Grinchy McScroog...]

What the character nicknamed Casanova from that point onwards?

Surprisingly, no. When the error was discovered several sessions in, the GM, who is a crafty SOB, ruled that Knowledge: Martial Marital Arts gave the character the knowledge and ability to conduct marriage ceremonies. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/vegm.gif)

[pbangarth]

Let me be clear: this is not about creative optimization. This is about those moments when you look at a character sheet and wonder what the hell the player was thinking. I'll kick it off with this: a player, who ended up not joining the campaign, showed up with a character who spoke thirteen(!) languages... all at rating 1. Yes, rating 1 (one). I never did get an explanation of why he thought this was a good idea. It wasn't even related to the concept (which he said was a "weapons master.")

I've had a couple of adept PCs who had the Linguistics adept power, so I gave them a bunch of languages at Rank 1 just because it was likely they would learn a few in passing.

[Udoshi]

One of the more unusual things i've seen was one player copy-catting another player and snagging Uncouth for a character - but missed the dawning realization the first player had when they realized it was so bad, and figured out that Incompetent: Etiquette fit a rude dude a lot better.

[pbangarth]

A couple of SR versions ago, one player I knew had a PC optimized for speed on roller blades, and a very high Force (beats me how the previous GM let him have this) weapon focus bullwhip.

[The Jopp]

An SR3 player who took Knowledge: Martial Arts, but misspelled it... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

Did he become a pornomancer later in his career? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[The Jopp]

I once played in a game (so long ago can't even remember the name) in which one of the PCs had a State the Obvious skill. Every so often he'd cry "state the obvious!", make a roll and then follow it up with something like "there are two doors in this room" or "if her name's Laura she'll be a woman". At first I thought this was just a comedy throw-away 'skill', until the GM had him make a roll and then had him point out something crucial we'd all overlooked. I yoinked it for the troll in my next SR campaign.

That's freaking genius.


*yoinked* I have two points of karma on my troll so I might as well get it.

Was it an active skill or knowledge? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[ShadowDragon8685]

An SR3 player who took Knowledge: Martial Arts, but misspelled it... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

I may be taking that on the next character I make, if I ever get to make a character.

Surprisingly, no. When the error was discovered several sessions in, the GM, who is a crafty SOB, ruled that Knowledge: Martial Marital Arts gave the character the knowledge and ability to conduct marriage ceremonies. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/vegm.gif)

But not meaning that. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Did your GM at least contrive a situation in which a massively encompassing knowledge of marital rites came in handy?

I once played in a game (so long ago can't even remember the name) in which one of the PCs had a State the Obvious skill. Every so often he'd cry "state the obvious!", make a roll and then follow it up with something like "there are two doors in this room" or "if her name's Laura she'll be a woman". At first I thought this was just a comedy throw-away 'skill', until the GM had him make a roll and then had him point out something crucial we'd all overlooked. I yoinked it for the troll in my next SR campaign.

I'll have to yoink that one, too.

[kzt]

I've been told of a D&D game where the character had "Starship Enterprise" on his character sheet as equipment. The GM allowed him to think he'd gotten it over him until he tried to use it. Then he calmly pointed out he'd didn't have a communicator and went on with the game.

[Umidori]

See, if that had been Shadowrun it would have come back to bite the GM in the ass, because they would find a way to make contact.

Probably the easiest would be spirits or ritual magic, but I wouldn't put it past runners with the Jury Rigger quality and enough legwork to come up with something I couldn't overrule without having a mutiny on my hands.

~Umi

[Neko Asakami]

In a game of Big Eyes, Small Mouth (the anime generic game that Silver Age Sentinals is based on) we were playing a game set roughly in the Final Fantasy 8 universe. I asked for a Phoenix Down (a resurrection potion) in something like the second or third mission and was given a "cinematic Phoenix Down" that could only be used during cut scenes (i.e., where the GM was describing the scene). Obviously this was meant as a joke and something I'd never be able to use. Flash forward nearly six months of real time. We had to break into a peace summit and stop an assassination attempt on one of the delegates. Of course, just as we break down the door, the GM takes over and describes the events. We arrived half a second too late and the murder had already taken place, the delegate was lying on the floor, gasping. Obviously, we were only going to get one quick answer out of before he passed. I let the GM go through with it all and then calmly asked if this was a cinematic. The GM answered in the affirmative. "I USE MY CINEMATIC PHOENIX DOWN!" The GM doesn't believe me, so I show him the character sheet and the entire group remembers when he gave it to me. The GM has no choice but to allow it, so I resurrect the delegate, get all of our questions answered, as well get commendations from the nation for saving a nation hero.

Same system, different group, I was GM. I had a player create a four-armed monster (like a Shiva) and attempt to convince me that he got four attacks with his four arm. This player was the most terrible Rules Lawyer, Munchkin extraordinaire, and the worst sort of Power Gamer all rolled into one. I knew that he was trying to screw me with this one, so I had him re-read the rules section for extra arms, out loud in front of the whole group.

Extra arms are useful for holding onto several things at once, but do not give extra attacks (for that ability, see Extra Attacks Attribute on page 32).

Extra Attacks is the next attribute on the same page. He didn't argue it again. Also, I'm going to steal the "State the Obvious" skill as well. That's almost better than Common Sense.

[KarmaInferno]

I'll kick it off with this: a player, who ended up not joining the campaign, showed up with a character who spoke thirteen(!) languages... all at rating 1. Yes, rating 1 (one). I never did get an explanation of why he thought this was a good idea. It wasn't even related to the concept (which he said was a "weapons master.")

There is a min-max reason to do this.

Get some Learning Stimulus nanoware and Bam! Suddenly all those language skills are rating 3, for zero Karma cost.



-k

[Tanegar]

There is a min-max reason to do this.

Get some Learning Stimulus nanoware and Bam! Suddenly all those language skills are rating 3, for zero Karma cost.



-k

Yeah, but I seriously doubt this player was aware of that. He had just, for reasons beyond understanding, made his character able to ask where the bathrooms are in thirteen different languages.

[MADness]

In a game of Big Eyes, Small Mouth ...

Same system, different group, I was GM. I had a player create a four-armed monster (like a Shiva) and attempt to convince me that he got four attacks with his four arm. This player was the most terrible Rules Lawyer, Munchkin extraordinaire, and the worst sort of Power Gamer all rolled into one. I knew that he was trying to screw me with this one, so I had him re-read the rules section for extra arms, out loud in front of the whole group.

Extra Attacks is the next attribute on the same page. He didn't argue it again. Also, I'm going to steal the "State the Obvious" skill as well. That's almost better than Common Sense.

As much as I love BESM, it's greatest weakness is munchkinitis. It is definitly a story focused game filled with much waving kf the GM handfiat, as well as excessive nod and wink character creation.

Also, I think everyone is going to steal "State the Obvious;" though I may make it an a quality.

[Neraph]

I've had a couple of adept PCs who had the Linguistics adept power, so I gave them a bunch of languages at Rank 1 just because it was likely they would learn a few in passing.

Linguistic Power with Linguist, and get some trid-vids and watch them subbed. I came up with that particular idea and a friend of mine did this in game.

[Yerameyahu]

There is a min-max reason to do this.

Get some Learning Stimulus nanoware and Bam! Suddenly all those language skills are rating 3, for zero Karma cost.

And then you can break into strongholds, kill cyberzombies, and take over the world! Oh wait, you can marginally speak some languages. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) That's what linguasofts are for, if it ever comes up.

[Grinchy McScroog...]

I may be taking that on the next character I make, if I ever get to make a character.

But not meaning that. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Did your GM at least contrive a situation in which a massively encompassing knowledge of marital rites came in handy?

The skill was used as part of a legitimate cover to get into somewhere tightly guarded. An arcology, I think. The character officiated a wedding ceremony, while the rest of his entourage pulled off a datasteal. The whole team then left, and extracted one of the high-ranking guests with them.

[Grinchy McScroog...]

I've been told of a D&D game where the character had "Starship Enterprise" on his character sheet as equipment. The GM allowed him to think he'd gotten it over him until he tried to use it. Then he calmly pointed out he'd didn't have a communicator and went on with the game.

That's just awesome! I would have loved to see the expression on his face when it happened. I used to play with one guy who was regularly trying to get one over on the GM. Watching as it fell apart every time was a joy to behold. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)