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Did your DMs ever use the "rule of fun[ny]" to allow something normally overpowered?

Discussion in 'Dungeons & Dragons + Other RPGs' started by SlickRCBD, Feb 26, 2012.

  1. SlickRCBD Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


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    One thing we appreciated about our GM back in the day was that he had a sense of humor, and wasn't above allowing us to exercise our own when allowing us to create some magic items. If we could persuade him it wouldn't be abused to unbalance the game (we were all friends, but there were also some trust issues when it came to gaming) he might let us get away with things that would normally not be allowed by the rules due to their being too powerful. Provided we could convince him it would make things more entertaining, fun, or humorous for everyone involved.

    I remember making what amounted to a VCR remote control so I could hit the "mute" button and shut up a member of the party. Normally being able to cast a Silence spell at will (along with several other spells, although I forgot all the details. I think Expeditious Retreat from "Spells and Magic" was used for "Fast Forward" The main one was "mute") would be overpowered for mid-level characters, but the GM thought it was too funny not to allow, provided I (not the character, me) promised not to abuse it. That, and I think the way the other guy was playing an idiot gnome fighter that wouldn't shut up was also getting to the DM as much as the rest of us (think of how annoying Jan Jansen got with his turnip references, then multiply by 10).
    I can say the rest of the group found it hilarious and brilliant when my wizard returned from his lab with the remote and would just hit the "mute" button when the rambling got too much.

    So, did anyone else ever get an overpowered item for the purpose of injecting humor into the game, without breaking it?
     
  2. 8people

    8people 8 is just another way of looking at infinite ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

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    [​IMG] When I was storyteller for a vampire game I allowed my players to find a small cache of artifacts that an elder had been collecting for the past century.

    This included a feyblood totem which when fed the blood of a normal mortal infused it with Glamour. One of them actually managed to find out how this thing worked and had some quite vivid hallucinations that the other players weren't privy to :lol: Even better this player was the master of keeping a straight face.

    There was also the gauntlet which latched onto one of them and fed on blood during the night. Which they never learnt enough about except to be careful using it because whatever it touched seemed to behave in the mose bizarre manner. There is CCTV footage of one of the characters punching a security guard (never good in the best of times) whos clothes then ignited, the character then entered rotchreck and fled the scene. Another time the character tried to pry open a window using the arm with the glove still on it, the wood around the frame started to decay and crumble. They started discussing cutting his arm off rather than ask an elder for advice as they knew they'd have to explain where they got it from :p

    Now... Unfortunately it was the same character who had these two items at one point. He disappeared for an evening and when he came back:
    "Hey guys"
    "Hey, where have you been?"
    "Oh you know, I got a bit hungry so I asked this giant spider for directions and it ran away from me but I saw this building anyway and thought I'd have a look, there was a princess inside and I thought to myself "I've never tried a princess" but she had a knight guarding her so I punched him and he caught fire. I kinda realised I was in a store at that point so I got in one of the cars to get away - did you know they have insides made entirely of cake now? Anyway I crashed the cakemobile so we should probably get out of here."
    "... What?"

    It wasn't the most serious group at that point :p They kinda fluctuated between wanting a serious game and wanting some lols depending how stressed we were from coursework which worked quite well really.
     
  3. Blades of Vanatar

    Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    As a DM, when I came across an annoying PC, I would usually just pit trap them, having them fall butt first, 100 feet, onto a Giant Spike trap. I found it hilarious...:D
     
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