Saturday, October 29, 2011

True D&D Session Horror Story.

Listen now if you dare to a tale of gaming past, that still send shivers down the spines of the players involved.

We were playing AD&D on a fine Sunday afternoon about 20 years ago, the party was a vagabond band of thieves, murderers, burglars, necromancers and heretics. The target was a citadel under command of not too original big bad evil guy that held together a force of mismatched humanoids, bandits and thugs.

In an unusual turn of play and cunning on part of the players they decided against a frontal assault or climbing over the walls under cover of daylight and instead spent their effort seeking a escape tunnel from the fortress. The party was rewarded with their diligence and caution and quickly skulked into the inner sanctum of the villain.

The villain and his bodyguard normally fierce and intimidating foes were caught unaware and quickly dispatched with cunning and lucky dice rolls. With a quick found victory and visions of loot dancing in their heads the party went on to claim the defunct villains treasures for themselves, when to their horrors they noted a clamor.

The noise was that host of minions once held under sway by the villain now set free of his overbearing domination, all fleeing en-mass with everything they could carry. There were goblins with copper, orcs with silver and bandits with gold all scurrying through the halls, fleeing out beyond the gates and off into the distance down the road.

There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, the players bayed and howled as the treasures they sought were carried off and scattered throughout the countryside. The PCs dashed and raced to keep all the cash they could. They laid about themselves with sword and spell but alas they could not keep all the treasures within the citadel of the villain they had just slain long enough to carry away and fill coffers of their own.

It was a true life D&D session horror story that truly still sends shivers up the spines of those that were there and causes this DM's lips to curl up in a wicked smile.

3 comments:

  1. "the party was a vagabond band of thieves, murderers, burglars, necromancers and heretics"

    So, in other words, a typical AD&D PC party.

    ;)

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  2. I love the story. I won't make a point of using it against players but given the right circumstance.

    Brought to mind the scene in the final LotR movie where when Barad-Dur fell and all the creatures in the final battle just fled.

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