That actually happened to me in a 3ed D&D game! I’d been dominated by an aspect of a god, and I was commanded to attack the cleric. I was playing a vanilla Fighter, no prestige class, just to see how effective it was. Well, we were 13th level, and Garrison was VERY EFFECTIVE. I apologized profusely when I took the cleric down in a single round.
Happened to me too, my goblin rogue tried to backstab a demon king right after freeing my compagnons who had been chained to his throne. I didn’t do enough damage. He was amused, broke my neck and turned me into an intelligent zombie. I failed my initial check to resist his control, I wasn’t allowed a second one when I was ordered to backstab the party’s necromancer. Fortunately I didn’t do enough damage to kill and I was released when the demon king fled.
Similar happened to me. My 11th-level ranger got hit with a haunt that hasted him… and then made him attack his party. Killed the cleric in two hits (both crits) and nearly killed the rogue in the same round. Thankfully, the druid had Greater Dispel Magic prepped to stop me, and our Oracle had a scroll of Breath Of Life.
I think anyone who’s played fair bit has had their guy dominated By opponent and turned against the group. Mine went berserker while playing Wild Talents. Note to self: do not create speedster hero.
I have noticed that Jeanie brings the narrative heat in a way we’ve not seen previously from Sam. Is this an intentional DMing style difference, or coincidental to the arc?
I’m also willing to concede that I may be hallucinating.
I agree. Likely deliberate. I also feel like she’s running way more of a narrative game than Sam did. Honestly her game style seems less like classic DnD and more like Dungeon World or another story focused system.
I usually stay far away from divine casters just because I like playing a wizard, but seriously compressing the description of one cleric class to “like Han Solo” makes me instantly want to roll one of them XD
Jeanie plays like one of our DM’s: TPK is always on the table. He played that way too. Did even odd as a chaotic player to stab a creature that would not face us. Not only did he miss, it was a medusa and killed all bout one player. About the Classic D&D comment. Granted, this is not a dungeon crawl classic, or an adventure path, but the system is not the adventure. I know my group s have gotten lazy when doing book adventures and scenarios. GM’s get lazy and in ruts as well. Look how Sam locked up over the tpk. If Death doesn’t bring his sickle, then we might as well be playing Monopoly
On the topic of TPKs: when DMing, I like to exercise non-lethality in some cases since you can use a TPK to create story. It doesn’t fit every context, but why not have the lizardmen that captured your party prepare them for ritual sacrifice? Why not have the bandits sell them to slavers, stripping them of their valuables and gear? Why not make the powerful wizard bind each of them with a Geas and use them against the people they were protecting?
Of course, you can always counter with “Why not just kill ’em?” but the above options create story. I don’t mind cracking a few eggs (read: characters’ heads) to get to that point, though. If a couple characters die in a climatic battle that the party loses as a whole, perhaps not everyone ends up dead, or perhaps someone gets brought back as an undead monstrosity. It just depends.
More on topic: yeah, Jeanie plays rough as a GM. This is awesome.
Oh, and obviously death can create story too. I prefer to see heroic sacrifices and the like when that happens, or acts of desperation, betrayals, etc. If someone decides to make a heroic last stand against a boss to let the rest of the party escape, they’re getting brownie points and more leeway in deciding how their character dies.
I see lots of talking about TPK, but only followers of Felios have been mentioned (meaning Sams character, the mask & the coin-wraiths) so Sam aside everyone else should be safe from whatever diving fire might be coming down.
That said, if Charlie’s rolling device does a dukes of hazard horn when rolling a natural 20, will we be seeing what it makes when a critical failure (to the extent of a 1) is rolled? Guessing either a sad trombone or a slide whistle.
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Hoo Boy, that DM face says “20s or go home little boy”.
Fffffff-
That actually happened to me in a 3ed D&D game! I’d been dominated by an aspect of a god, and I was commanded to attack the cleric. I was playing a vanilla Fighter, no prestige class, just to see how effective it was. Well, we were 13th level, and Garrison was VERY EFFECTIVE. I apologized profusely when I took the cleric down in a single round.
Happened to me too, my goblin rogue tried to backstab a demon king right after freeing my compagnons who had been chained to his throne. I didn’t do enough damage. He was amused, broke my neck and turned me into an intelligent zombie. I failed my initial check to resist his control, I wasn’t allowed a second one when I was ordered to backstab the party’s necromancer. Fortunately I didn’t do enough damage to kill and I was released when the demon king fled.
Similar happened to me. My 11th-level ranger got hit with a haunt that hasted him… and then made him attack his party. Killed the cleric in two hits (both crits) and nearly killed the rogue in the same round. Thankfully, the druid had Greater Dispel Magic prepped to stop me, and our Oracle had a scroll of Breath Of Life.
I think anyone who’s played fair bit has had their guy dominated By opponent and turned against the group. Mine went berserker while playing Wild Talents. Note to self: do not create speedster hero.
VERY NICE subtle touch with the “forge-glow” in the speech bubble fading as she tries to resist. 🙂
Just wanted to +1 Fred’s comment. Super well done there. I feel Brian’s subtle game is on point!
I have noticed that Jeanie brings the narrative heat in a way we’ve not seen previously from Sam. Is this an intentional DMing style difference, or coincidental to the arc?
I’m also willing to concede that I may be hallucinating.
I think it’s deliberate. She pulled out all the stops in the Cthulu game too.
I agree. Likely deliberate. I also feel like she’s running way more of a narrative game than Sam did. Honestly her game style seems less like classic DnD and more like Dungeon World or another story focused system.
I suspect she plays this way too. Remember Vella?
Vella was Mel’s character.
I usually stay far away from divine casters just because I like playing a wizard, but seriously compressing the description of one cleric class to “like Han Solo” makes me instantly want to roll one of them XD
Go, Charlie, go! 🙂
Magic rolling machine: “You rolled: 20.”
Charlie: “That’s right. Kiss my ass, Deknar.”
😀
Willpower!!!!!!!!!
Jeanie plays like one of our DM’s: TPK is always on the table. He played that way too. Did even odd as a chaotic player to stab a creature that would not face us. Not only did he miss, it was a medusa and killed all bout one player. About the Classic D&D comment. Granted, this is not a dungeon crawl classic, or an adventure path, but the system is not the adventure. I know my group s have gotten lazy when doing book adventures and scenarios. GM’s get lazy and in ruts as well. Look how Sam locked up over the tpk. If Death doesn’t bring his sickle, then we might as well be playing Monopoly
Go forth, Charlie. Show them the meaning of Heroic Willpower.
On the topic of TPKs: when DMing, I like to exercise non-lethality in some cases since you can use a TPK to create story. It doesn’t fit every context, but why not have the lizardmen that captured your party prepare them for ritual sacrifice? Why not have the bandits sell them to slavers, stripping them of their valuables and gear? Why not make the powerful wizard bind each of them with a Geas and use them against the people they were protecting?
Of course, you can always counter with “Why not just kill ’em?” but the above options create story. I don’t mind cracking a few eggs (read: characters’ heads) to get to that point, though. If a couple characters die in a climatic battle that the party loses as a whole, perhaps not everyone ends up dead, or perhaps someone gets brought back as an undead monstrosity. It just depends.
More on topic: yeah, Jeanie plays rough as a GM. This is awesome.
Oh, and obviously death can create story too. I prefer to see heroic sacrifices and the like when that happens, or acts of desperation, betrayals, etc. If someone decides to make a heroic last stand against a boss to let the rest of the party escape, they’re getting brownie points and more leeway in deciding how their character dies.
AW DAMN SON IT’S ‘BOUT TO GO DOWN
Also, is it weird that I imagined Trevor quietly humming this during the third panel?
I’m actually hopping he fails. I wanna’ see that carnage.
Not so much to see the carnage… but I do think it would be good for Sam to face death from this side of the GM screen.
He has. Twice. At Jeanie’s hands both times, no less- both of his Innsmouth characters died in the line of duty.
I see lots of talking about TPK, but only followers of Felios have been mentioned (meaning Sams character, the mask & the coin-wraiths) so Sam aside everyone else should be safe from whatever diving fire might be coming down.
That said, if Charlie’s rolling device does a dukes of hazard horn when rolling a natural 20, will we be seeing what it makes when a critical failure (to the extent of a 1) is rolled? Guessing either a sad trombone or a slide whistle.
just got to borrow that “not loaded dice”…
Big bucks, no Whammies, Charlie!