Density Man!

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Sun Mar 17, 2002 10:00 am

So, we're playing "Marvel Universe", a paper-and-pencil RPG where you get to play superheroes. I'm a density-controlling being with the power to become up to 1028 times my original density, and Darkside has just invaded New York. We're the six most powerful superbeings on the planet at the time, and we're headed towards Darkside in a ship. As far as we know, he doesn't know we're a threat.

"Hey," I say, "You could drop me on him!"
"That's brilliant," says D, the Lightning-fast vampire.
"Go, man, go," shouts Phalanx enthusiastically.
We calculate, using our mad physics 5Ki11Z, that I will strike him with enough velocity to squash just about anyone, even if this "Darkside" character is nigh-invulnerable.
We valiantly defend the ship from the huge armada of ships at DarkSide's disposal, and arrive at the drop off point, ready for deployment. I'm in the cargo hold in the fetal position awaiting launch.
The doors open, and I plumet towards earth with an ever-increasing energy. Fire flashes around me from the speed. Darkside looks up, mere miliseconds before impact, and...

zark

An Omega beam shoots from his eyes, and I'm utterly atomized.

I think this is the funniest way I've ever died in any game, including the Space Quest series. I had to share.

Alfador · Post by **Alfador** » Sun Mar 17, 2002 10:29 am

"Quick! Fire the--" *bzappy* "Oops, never mind, we're dead too. My bad."

Lemme guess, that's how the rest of it ended?

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Sun Mar 17, 2002 10:53 am

It was more drawn out than that, but yes, basically.

Darkside's Omega beams allow him to reconstruct victims of their awesome power at will. The whole thing turned out to be a scripted battle, with us predestined to lose in order to advance the story. Though we struggled valiantly (it took our GM almost an hour to kill us, even though we were up against DARK SIDE here), we were toast by the end of the scene and ended up in a prison cell with some New Genesis refugee. (I think we're supposed to get help, not do this ourselves. Natch.)

Alfador · Post by **Alfador** » Sun Mar 17, 2002 2:06 pm

Gee, that sort of thing happens in console RPGs, too. Even if you do manage to defeat the opponent in the scripted battle (frequently a nigh-impossible task), they'll either beat you easily in a cutscene anyway, or fight you again. Examples include: Galam soldiers battle in Shining Force 2; Golem (#1) battle in Chrono Trigger; Bahamut (first time) in Final Fantasy 3j; Galuf's one-on-one battle with Exdeath in Final Fantasy 5...etc.

Andrick · Post by **Andrick** » Mon Mar 18, 2002 5:56 pm

If it was a prescripted battle then you shouldn't have had a freestyle fight scene (tsk, tsk unprofessional conduct on the part of the GM). The GM shoulda' just grabbed hold of the reigns and dictated the combat to the pre-ordained starting point. If the guy is worth his weight in salt as a Game Master then the players should be able to trust him when he does such things. And, let's face it, if he had things scripted out already then he has already taken liberty with the characters without the players' prior consent.

Other than this adventure how have the sessions been?

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Tue Mar 19, 2002 12:08 pm

Hmm, I'm not sure if I got this across, but the GM didn't kill our characters, just create a lose-lose situation. (He also warned us not to use up one-time bonuses, so we all pretty much knew what was up.) We also gained hero points, and had the incredibly entertaining experience of having a "best layed plans" situation dumped on us.

The games are actually very entertaining, although to be honest Ravenloft, the D&D realm we're playing, is more of a horror-oriented game than I would like.

I have only played roll-plaing games a total of six sessions in my entire life, and I must say that the three I've played with Chip have been memorable and fun. Adventruing is one thing I intend to keep in my life, if at all possible.

Nyamaza · Post by **Nyamaza** » Tue Apr 16, 2002 2:47 pm

The group I do alot of Role Playing with is going through ravenloft right now, though that campaign is currently paused. I JUST joined the group, and the DM wants to build me up a few levels before I enter the mist.

For some reason he seems to think a 1st level ranger won't last too long, even though the rest of the group in there is 4-6th level. Eh, go fig

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Tue Apr 16, 2002 3:33 pm

The most recent installment of our Ravenloft campaign was quite entertaining! We were following these skeleton-things that were attacking the local villiagers, and we discovered that they were sneaking in and out of the buildings by way of secret passageways. "These are not the ways of supernatural beings," shouted our paladin gleefully, and we persued further. It was all starting to seem a bit like a Scooby-Doo mystery to me.

Then we captured one of the skeletons and dragged it back to the house of the local noble. "WE BRING PROOF THAT THESE FEINDS ARE FLESH AND BLOOD," shouted our paladin, unmasking the skeleton to reveal...

THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY A FREAKY LIZARD THING!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

And so we were all thinking we had something important to show the villiage elders, but they already knew that the skeletons were lizard-things wearing skeleton suits. They just forgot to tell us that.

Then we went back to the graveyard where the skeletons hang out by daylight and entered the crypt. Then we ran into the NightBringer. "That's it," I said, "If this story's going to treat us like Scooby Doo, I'm playing along!"

* * *

You know those sequences where Scoob and Shaggy outwit the bad guys by pretending to be hair stylists, waiters, etc? That's EXACTLY what I did to the NightBringer. He backhanded me across the crypt for three points of damage, thank you very much.

Nyamaza · Post by **Nyamaza** » Tue Apr 16, 2002 4:53 pm

You have a... paladin...
In RAVENLOFT?
Have you noticed eh seems to kinda glow... a bright "Come hither and kill me all ye evil spawn" Glow?

On the bright side, if he dies you can cut his head off and use it as a torch.

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 11:33 am

Actually, Ruthgar doesn't glow so much as babble on about his various brothers and how much better they are than him at various things. It's really funny.

Nyamaza · Post by **Nyamaza** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 3:04 pm

Yeah, I checked with my DM. You guys won't see him glowing.

But the baddies do... OH they do!

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 6:00 pm

No wonder hiding in the darkness of the forest didn't help!

Andrick · Post by **Andrick** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 10:40 pm

allan_ecker wrote: You know those sequences where Scoob and Shaggy outwit the bad guys by pretending to be hair stylists, waiters, etc? That's EXACTLY what I did to the NightBringer. He backhanded me across the crypt for three points of damage, thank you very much.

I'd award you points for style and pop-culture reference. But I think I'da rolled more dice for damage. So is this the old version or the d20 WW version of Ravenloft?

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 11:41 pm

d20. By the way, none of us have been allowed to read from the Ravenloft book in order to preserve the mystery and terror of the thing. Chip's something of a Machiavellian, but the adventure is fun and interesting.

Nyamaza · Post by **Nyamaza** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 8:55 am

Yeah, that's one of the hallmarks of Ravenloft... Evil is never so frightening as when it is convenient.

One of our group members keeps seeing holy symbols of Vecna all over the place, then when she looks again it's gone.

Alfador · Post by **Alfador** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 9:00 am

Vecna...isn't that the one responsible for the legendary "Head of Vecna" event? Or am I thinking of something else?

WolfFur · Post by **WolfFur** » Fri Apr 26, 2002 8:25 am

Alfador wrote:Vecna...isn't that the one responsible for the legendary "Head of Vecna" event? Or am I thinking of something else?

There are just SO many immature things I could say after that....