Friendship is Dragons
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Page 440 - The Gang's All Here
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On that note, story time! Let's hear about some time when your players or fellow party members managed to shift the party away from going to a seemingly (or certainly) plot-relevant or even critical location.
I'll start. One of my more recent campaigns began with the party in a tavern, after having received a letter inviting them to the manor of a local baron-type figure with a job offer. Upon arriving there (eventually), they pick up a simple escort mission to a nearby town. Random encounters along the way, all that jazz, they pick it up pretty quickly and get along to the town... But one they're there, plot hook!
The entire town has been devastated by extraplanar enemies - mostly demons and the like. Bodies everywhere, not much loot; the guy that they were hired by was there to visit a friend, and he snaps and offers them a massive reward to hunt down and kill all the beings responsible. Going through the town for a while, they find evidence that the attack was sent from a dwarven city to the north, as it would seem that some sort of demonic rituals had been taking place there. They quickly conclude that that is precisely what I meant that evidence to indicate (which it was).
They then unanimously decide that I must be trying to mislead them or trick them into going into a trap, and head back east to the city they came from. The best part? They left their employer there, and never even bothered to talk to him again - basically, they shorted themselves of the payment they had already earned from the escort mission (which was quite a hefty sum).
Well, after the party saved out one member from being hung for heresy (read: prestidigitating the temple of Rarity baby-poo green,) they decided it was best to stay out of the city for a while. So, they went exploring to the south, and in time found a pair of star-crossed lovers: a half-elf and a half-orc who lived in the wilderness and were shunned by the local elf village. I expected them to try and beat love and tolerance into the pointy-earred bastards. Instead, they decided to sidestep the elves entirely and arrange a trade deal with the somewhat nearby dwarf fortress. (Which I modeled on Boatmurdered.)
In one D&D campaign, the PCs were tracking down an evil wizard's second in command. In finding the location at a mine, they also got a rough idea of where the wizard's old abandoned tower was (not used in about 26 years).
So instead of slaying the second in command, the PCs decide to go loot a 26-year disused tower in a swamp. It was infested with flesh-eating plants, a black dragon, an iron golem, and an advanced roper creature made of hot tar.
Was it worth it? No. They didn't have a good plan for taking out these abandoned occupants and the tower had been looted long before. Meanwhile, the second in command accomplished his task of mining enough quartz for the wizard's gate...
So instead of slaying the second in command, the PCs decide to go loot a 26-year disused tower in a swamp. It was infested with flesh-eating plants, a black dragon, an iron golem, and an advanced roper creature made of hot tar.
Was it worth it? No. They didn't have a good plan for taking out these abandoned occupants and the tower had been looted long before. Meanwhile, the second in command accomplished his task of mining enough quartz for the wizard's gate...
We (a party full of nothing but wizards, shamans, and a necromancer) were on our way to a local village (for reasons unknown). The village was (as it turns out) having a great party/celebration/carnivl something or other, and our leader (wizard 1) decided to hire us out as entertainers.
If there was a question of what the team acted afterwords, people would wonder why we tied him up and left him neck deep in a nearby pond, and then went back home.
I (the necromancer) fished him out later, only to find out that the entertainment bit was quest related... I had to revive him after I told the party.
If there was a question of what the team acted afterwords, people would wonder why we tied him up and left him neck deep in a nearby pond, and then went back home.
I (the necromancer) fished him out later, only to find out that the entertainment bit was quest related... I had to revive him after I told the party.
At least they wouldn't need two empty halves of coconut, right?
Eyup, been there. There I was, merrily dragging the players through this awakened animals campaign with a nature vs civilization theme, and they had finally goten through the forest and into the vast expanse that used to be forest. From there on, I expected them to keep going util they reached the city, or at least util they reached some person of importance (i.e. one of the wizards charged with making the animals go away so that the kingdom could continue taking thown the forest with impunity), so that they could start unraveling the motivations of their "enemies", as per orders of the druid that had awakened them. They fought a bunch of lumberjacks (easy encounter) and got nothing out of them, and they had to decide if they continued on to the log cabins in the distance.
I should mention now that they had previously visited one of the towns inside the forest, finding it deserted save for three shifty looking cows-er, I mean, individuals, but got nothing out of them (I got like 3 nat 20 on the NPC's Bluff checks), so they didn't know the town had been emptied by order of the king, ant these three were ordered to take out those who refused to move out...
So, back on track, they see a patrol of three common guards come to the mill where they had fought the lumberjacks. The eagle can see the patrol clearly, a pretty standard encounter at worst, and they quicly decide if there's three guards marching towards the, the cabins will be filled with plenty more (because I'm a treacherous bastard apparently, even though it's the first campaign I'm mastering for them) and turn back to the town inside the forest!
The best part? The town is now totally deserted, they find no clues inside it and neglect looking for clues outside of it (where the bodies were buried), so they march to the other forest village, one that I didn't even have plans for.
So there I was, inventing a town out of thin air... Luckily it was close to the mountains, so it would be fitting for the village's ranger leader to know there were some very old abandoned mines overflowing with enough treasure to fill a king with greed and whatnot, so all in all, I got them to find the information they needed anyway. But boy, did I have to improvise like crazy!
I should mention now that they had previously visited one of the towns inside the forest, finding it deserted save for three shifty looking cows-er, I mean, individuals, but got nothing out of them (I got like 3 nat 20 on the NPC's Bluff checks), so they didn't know the town had been emptied by order of the king, ant these three were ordered to take out those who refused to move out...
So, back on track, they see a patrol of three common guards come to the mill where they had fought the lumberjacks. The eagle can see the patrol clearly, a pretty standard encounter at worst, and they quicly decide if there's three guards marching towards the, the cabins will be filled with plenty more (because I'm a treacherous bastard apparently, even though it's the first campaign I'm mastering for them) and turn back to the town inside the forest!
The best part? The town is now totally deserted, they find no clues inside it and neglect looking for clues outside of it (where the bodies were buried), so they march to the other forest village, one that I didn't even have plans for.
So there I was, inventing a town out of thin air... Luckily it was close to the mountains, so it would be fitting for the village's ranger leader to know there were some very old abandoned mines overflowing with enough treasure to fill a king with greed and whatnot, so all in all, I got them to find the information they needed anyway. But boy, did I have to improvise like crazy!
Well, we'd just been involved in a string of grievous bodily harm and property damage on an alternate Madagascar, so we had to get the hell out of there. We ended up in fantasy Australia, and decided to head inland. We didn't get very far --- an order of monks hired us to find a statue, which took us back to the port we arrived at, then back to the temple, then around the jungle, into a drow city, back in time, and finally into an alternate universe where Earth's water and landmasses have been switched. I missed the last session so I'm not exactly sure how we got to the middle of a desert with a bunch of evil dwarves trying to kill us.
At least you guys' players were using logic, even if it was flawed. Turns out that running a game for 6-year-olds leads to them infighting to unconsciousness immediately on introduction on the road to a village, then busting out of jail/the hospital (I had a passing mercenary drag them the last mile to the village) with some lucky rolls and surprisingly high modifiers to sack the town. I did NOT expect my cousin playing the elf druid to wildshape into a monitor lizard and try to eat someone's baby... Granted, he was an elf.
They never did find out about the suspicious zombie activity in the forest or the goblin tribes' longstanding animosity, or help anyone.
They never did find out about the suspicious zombie activity in the forest or the goblin tribes' longstanding animosity, or help anyone.
Welp ... this one was everybody's fault. We were in a sunken castle infested with undead. We had two doors to go through, so we split the party. None of us actually went where the DM had planned on us going first, so I ended up defeating the boss way too early and thus robbing us of the XP its minions would have garnered us.
We all learned lessons that day:
For the players, don't split the party.
For the DM, don't make an adventure that can only be worked through "properly" by following a certain of many paths.
We all learned lessons that day:
For the players, don't split the party.
For the DM, don't make an adventure that can only be worked through "properly" by following a certain of many paths.
...Is Fluttershy sitting up or laying down? If the later, wwhhyy?
In The Last Roundup episode, that scene was where Pinkie startled Fluttershy and she fell over onto her back.
So that's what the joke is!
...Man, I need to rewathc that movie, it's been years...
...Man, I need to rewathc that movie, it's been years...
I didn't even watch Monty Python and I get this reference. Here is what D&D does to people.
I didn't learn about Monty Python movies until college (circa 1996) when I joined the RPG club there. So at first I heard all these quotes and references before knowing where they came from. :)
My question was about the page taking a bit longer than usual to update.
But then I remembered that Monty Python quotes slow everything down XD
But then I remembered that Monty Python quotes slow everything down XD
From my experience, Monty Python quotes basically stop the entire session for the day... even if it was only 15 minutes since it began.
Such quotes also get a +20 to kill the dramatic mood of the scene. :)
Why didn't Rainbow get any loot? Was she tricked by her employers or something?
Also possible is that Dash had to pay for any collateral damage to property during the adventure.
They let Fluttershy deliver the "it's only a model" punchline? Good people.
Man, after that season finale "It's About Time", and by extension the last comic arc, take on a whole new meaning.
Something terrible really did happen while Twilight was panicking! Maybe the first time travelling Twilight was there to warn about Tirek!
Something terrible really did happen while Twilight was panicking! Maybe the first time travelling Twilight was there to warn about Tirek!
You might find this story interesting reading: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/188797/instability
Gotta love any opening that gives that cozy "LAST TIME, ON DRAGONBALL Z" feel to it
I have been waiting for someone to make that gag for so long.
Thank you.
Thank you.
O.k... This is Pony Shenanigans 2, by runescapemusicman2, and it has (almost) an immediate shared reference to this page.
Also, the time stamp of importance is 1:04-1:11 (or 1:35)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uec9H3c6is8
(Warning: Language, a billion references, stuff.)
By: SlyphStorm, Adventurer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc0UnHY_Wq4
"Yeay."
"So why are you called Applejack if you don't taste like apples?"
(Face Hoof)
I really hate that movie, no offence.
But while we're on the subject, does that mean what I think it means for Angel?
I have to admit that it's not one of my favourites either. So you aren't alone.
Nah. In this setting, they'd have to manually give summer and autumn a miss in order for spring to straight to winter.
Waitasec. Fluttershy has been depicted as pop-culture deprived. Has she seen Monty Python? If her expression in panel 7 is any indication, she hasn't... which means our GM has a model of Canterlot. Wonder what he plans to use it for -- maybe a wargame during the Royal Wedding?
The rest of the group has probably been giving her a crash course ever since they learned of her deprivation. Here we see the fruit of their labors.
I hope they aren't in any way familiar with Game of Thrones.
Oh my god, that is great. Now I'm hoping for references, even though it's pretty much the exact opposite in tone to MLP.
In fact, I can't recall ever having my groups go into Monty Python and the Holy Grail bits. Are my groups weird, or is this just a thing people made up and now everyone thinks people do it despite no one ever doing this?
Yes to which? Specificity is good!
Fantastic username, by the way. Best mineral!
As far as Holy Grail quotes... In my admittedly limited experience, most groups sink into it at least occasionally, but I've never known it to cause much delay.
Fantastic username, by the way. Best mineral!
As far as Holy Grail quotes... In my admittedly limited experience, most groups sink into it at least occasionally, but I've never known it to cause much delay.
I think Monty Python may have fallen slightly out of favor with the younger crowd. It'll be mostly older gamers still obsessed with quotes, and a lot of us have actually gotten bored with them ourselves.
I believe it's time we moved on anyway, lest I toss out an XKCD about it.
I believe it's time we moved on anyway, lest I toss out an XKCD about it.
I wish I could reference XKCD in my games, but I am the only one in my group who reads them.
XKCD is amazing. Incidentally, have you ever read his blog (blag)? I was reading xkcd for years before I discovered it, and can't believe how much I missed out on.
Am I the only one who just loves panels 7-11? Especially applejack, there is something inherently funny about her expression.
That's a good question.