Cruel DM tales [Archive] - Wizards Community

Cruel DM tales [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tonto
08-18-04, 02:19 PM I believe that most of us have, at one time or another, have witnessed or perpetuated crimes against players in D&D. Let us share our memories of wanton cruelty wreaked by Dungeon Masters.

I'll start.

It was the early 90's, and my friend Christian had been bugging me to DM Tomb of Horrors for a loooong time. Frankly, I was not in the mood to play it (for some reason, not sure), but I eventually broke down and gave in. I grudgingly prepared myself while he outfitted the tournament characters provided in the back of the module (which took a good two hours probably).

Anyone familiar with the Tomb knows that it was designed as an especially deadly dungeon. In fact, the Tomb is right up there in the "Deathtrap Dungeon" hall of fame, along with the crypts plumbed by Indiana Jones and King Solomon's Mines. It's deadly, people! If you're lucky you might get out with an unrequested sex change. The Tomb is no Keep on the Borderlands. Therefore, I felt no guilt over the way I handled the events within the Tomb.

So his band of merry men found the proper entrance and descended into the main entry hall. He saw no doors or anything interesting (was the misty archway at the end of the hall on the left? I forget. Anyway, he didn't mess with it.) aside from the devil's head with wide opened mouth. I told him he didn't see anything except for the man-sized mouth portal, and sighing, drummed my fingers waiting for him to follow my suggestion.

Cautiously, the paladin braved the unknown and entered the black void, where he was deleted, unbeknownst to his fellow adventurers. He asked what happened, and I explained that he "disappeared .... as if teleported. I didn't tell him what really happened, which would have spoiled the mystery (This is one of the hazards of having a single player control a whole party).

So the rest of the guys looked around a bit and waited. I explained in a very bored voice that nothing was happening, and asked if anyone else would follow. Finally, he gave up and had them all follow the paladin into the black void of the devil's mouth, and were annihilated. Then I told him what happened. He was pretty annoyed, if memory serves correctly.

:)
Abaneth
08-18-04, 06:10 PM Tonto, you understand that everyone hates you after a "certain" post. But I do agree with some of your views. But I think you are a jerk
The Lord of the Pants
08-18-04, 10:40 PM One time we were playing The Village of Hommlet (mmmm... Hommlet...) and the DM made it very clear that he just hated my friend's elf fighter. Second edition D&D was pretty new at the time, and he was double-specialized in his longsword, and was basically killing everything. So the DM just had every single monster always swing at the elf. Funny thing is I kind of agreed with our DM, that elf was obnoxious.
The_other
08-19-04, 12:38 AM well my group a wizard, fighter, druid, and bard(me) were exploring some caves looking for a kolbold village where a dragon once lived. we entered a large circular chamber with a big pile of gold in the middle(my charactor was a little greedy and ran and jumped in it) turns out to be a illusion and i fall 20ft taking my hp down to -5, the druid had to climb down and use a wand of cure wounds on me.....

may not sound cruel but it was to me :weep:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tonto 08-18-04, 02:19 PM	I believe that most of us have, at one time or another, have witnessed or perpetuated crimes against players in D&D. Let us share our memories of wanton cruelty wreaked by Dungeon Masters. I'll start. It was the early 90's, and my friend Christian had been bugging me to DM Tomb of Horrors for a loooong time. Frankly, I was not in the mood to play it (for some reason, not sure), but I eventually broke down and gave in. I grudgingly prepared myself while he outfitted the tournament characters provided in the back of the module (which took a good two hours probably). Anyone familiar with the Tomb knows that it was designed as an especially deadly dungeon. In fact, the Tomb is right up there in the "Deathtrap Dungeon" hall of fame, along with the crypts plumbed by Indiana Jones and King Solomon's Mines. It's deadly, people! If you're lucky you might get out with an unrequested sex change. The Tomb is no Keep on the Borderlands. Therefore, I felt no guilt over the way I handled the events within the Tomb. So his band of merry men found the proper entrance and descended into the main entry hall. He saw no doors or anything interesting (was the misty archway at the end of the hall on the left? I forget. Anyway, he didn't mess with it.) aside from the devil's head with wide opened mouth. I told him he didn't see anything except for the man-sized mouth portal, and sighing, drummed my fingers waiting for him to follow my suggestion. Cautiously, the paladin braved the unknown and entered the black void, where he was deleted, unbeknownst to his fellow adventurers. He asked what happened, and I explained that he "disappeared .... as if teleported. I didn't tell him what really happened, which would have spoiled the mystery (This is one of the hazards of having a single player control a whole party). So the rest of the guys looked around a bit and waited. I explained in a very bored voice that nothing was happening, and asked if anyone else would follow. Finally, he gave up and had them all follow the paladin into the black void of the devil's mouth, and were annihilated. Then I told him what happened. He was pretty annoyed, if memory serves correctly. :)
Abaneth 08-18-04, 06:10 PM	Tonto, you understand that everyone hates you after a "certain" post. But I do agree with some of your views. But I think you are a jerk
The Lord of the Pants 08-18-04, 10:40 PM	One time we were playing The Village of Hommlet (mmmm... Hommlet...) and the DM made it very clear that he just hated my friend's elf fighter. Second edition D&D was pretty new at the time, and he was double-specialized in his longsword, and was basically killing everything. So the DM just had every single monster always swing at the elf. Funny thing is I kind of agreed with our DM, that elf was obnoxious.
The_other 08-19-04, 12:38 AM	well my group a wizard, fighter, druid, and bard(me) were exploring some caves looking for a kolbold village where a dragon once lived. we entered a large circular chamber with a big pile of gold in the middle(my charactor was a little greedy and ran and jumped in it) turns out to be a illusion and i fall 20ft taking my hp down to -5, the druid had to climb down and use a wand of cure wounds on me..... may not sound cruel but it was to me :weep: