#dnd horror stories

[leftsidebonfire]

Western One Shot Horrors: How a Forever-DM can still make for a shitty player.

Im venting here, about what happened last night. Full context and all.

As far as this story goes, it's not the worst horror story in terms of creepy behavior, but this just happened, and it was easily the most frustrated I've ever felt while playing dnd.

For context, our dnd group plays with the main story for 3 weeks, but then the fourth week, one of the players takes a turn running a one-shot so the Forever-DM can have a break from writing and play. There are 7 of us in total and we rotate one shots so everyone gets a chance to show off their DM skill and it's always fun.

The irony of this, is that the DM is the biggest problem player that we have. I love playing in his campaign each week, but when it comes to him as a player in someone else's game, he becomes extremely annoying. I understand wanting to break free and let loose once a month, maybe cause some chaos in a fun little one shot, but I'm talking about the full murderhobo character, Every. Single. Time. He always needs to destroy the town were in by the end of it, or brutalize the enemy. There was even one time he kept interrupting the other players to butt in about how he was going to kill the villain. It's one shots, so it's never a *huge* problem, but it does get annoying.

But the biggest frustration happened just last night. The only people who have any part in this story are me, the DM for the night, and him.

B=Problem Player, playing a Fire Genasi Rogue.

I created a homebrew world for my one shot. It's themed to be the old west with cowboys and guns, and I even created homebrew subclasses for them to try out for a little extra flavor, as well as hand drawn maps, with the idea that they will finish in one city and then decide where to go, so the next time it comes around to my turn, I'll have time to plan and prepare for the city they choose to explore. I have very few rules for the game, but one of them is to play it a bit more seriously. No joke characters. To be clear, I want my characters to have fun and joke around, but just to play it a bit more seriously, like a regular campaign.

We start the game and everything is going great, the group is absolutely loving exploring my town and Gambling, but B continues to go off away from the party. It's not inherently bad at first, but it is kind of annoying when I wrangle everyone together so I can continue and he just disappears again.

B and another player try to talk to the Sheriff NPC, but he's got a certain time that he's supposed to come in, and that's later. I let them talk to a receptionist at the Sheriff's office and tell them that he's out patrolling right now and will be back in later if they're looking for him. Basically my way of saying “this quest is not available yet, go find something else to do.”

Then B decides to go try and get some money "for gambling" by doing chores around the stables, but his real plan was just to shovel horse manure over the fence so he could collect it. He takes two balls of manure, goes over to the church in town (the plot point for later, where the battle was going to take place) Lights them on fire, and hurls them at the church.

Now I had two options for what might happen at the church. If the group were to investigate, they could learn some history about the town and the door would be locked. Or, if they tried to break in or destroy the church at all, it would rouse the sheriff. The plan was that once they meet the Sheriff, he asks them to help on night watch, which then pushes them right into the next plot point where they see creepy things happening at night. If the sheriff was angry, then he would offer to sweep it under the rug if they agreed to help.

I thought I had planned for everything. Clearly, I had not.

So, I come in as the sheriff, asking him what he thinks he's doing setting the church on fire. And then I propose the deal that we can put this all behind us if B and his group can help on Night Watch.

And B is absolutely not accepting it. He argues with me for probably 20 minutes of real time. I absolutely cannot make it any clearer that he is supposed to take this plot point. I repeat myself over and over. I threaten him with a night in jail for trying to vandalize the church and burn it down? He always says “You can TRY to hold me.” All smug. I tell him his only options are either a night in prison, or night watch. He keeps trying to say I'm a bad sheriff for not being around when he went to the Sheriff's office. I explain AGAIN why the sheriff was away, and he just tries to claim that he was summoning him here and it worked.

The reason he was even TRYING to summon the Sheriff was so that the OTHER PLAYER could talk to him! Not even him! And I told him that they'd all be able to talk on the night watch and they could ask any questions they wanted. He kept arguing saying it “wasn't his decision to make.”The entire time, B kept acting like he had anything to negotiate with. As if he wasn't the one hurling FLAMING HORSE MANURE AT THE CHURCH. There was seriously nothing I could do to get this to move along. Putting my foot down didn't even work. I was holding my ground about this and he still found a way to undermine me. I just kept repeating the ultimatum of “do this quest (the plot) or you go to jail for destruction of property” and he RUNS AWAY. He runs back to the gambling hall to “bring the sheriff to where the group was.”

I really didn't want to concede to this, but I did, and I snapped at him a bit, kind of implying that the sheriff only follows him and doesn't attack him for running away because we've got a **plot** we still have to follow. (And B tells me to calm down under his breath). I push past the argument and just continue to read the plot as written but B seems really checked out for the rest of the session. He wasted probably 20 minutes of actual game time trying to argue with me about the plot and wouldn't take my No for an answer. Not once did he ever take the hint. 

Now, let me make one thing very clear. If this were a long-standing campaign, I would have been more open to it. Maybe some drama, arresting him, letting the group do a jailbreak plot. But this was a one shot. We had 4 hours to get through what I had in mind and then it was done, for good. Sometimes a bit of light railroading is necessary, and I still was trying to let people have their fun. I'd spent a month planning this one shot and putting in all my hard work, so I don't think it was too much to ask that the players follow my storyline.

I am not a professional DM. I've run a couple of one shots before and that's about it. I've been playing for years, but only rarely DMing, so I don't always have the ability to think on the fly like that. As I look back on it, I see how I could have handled it differently, like going out of character to just tell him outright that he needs to listen to me, or something like that. But I was determined to resolve it in character, thinking there was no way he would keep fighting me about this for that long. Every time I tried to get him back on the right track, he found another way around it. And not only that, he also is very bad at taking criticism in the past, so I feel like this situation would have gone bad either way. I had a million things running through my mind at that point and of course, I always think of what I could have done differently after I've had time to reflect.

I had thought I'd lost my temper, but my cousin who was also playing told me later she thought I handled it very well and I seemed calm and level headed about it. That made me feel a bit better about things. I have an entire world with 9 more cities everyone is excited to explore, but this experience has really made me not want to DM for B as a player anymore. The rest of the group was wonderful, and I really like them all. And I (usually) like B as a DM, too. But this one thing has really shown me a lot about B as a player, and if he's going to act like that, then I don't want him playing in my games just to purposely ruin them or be difficult.

He told me later he was “trying to speed things along” but all he proved to do was grind us to a completely impassable roadblock. I wish he would have just listened to me and trusted my story. I tell him “be a bit more serious for this world” and he throws around flaming horse poop and won't listen to me.

Anyway, this was honestly mostly a way to vent my frustrations, because I had been having a wonderful time that night until that useless argument kind of just ruined my fun.

#Dnd #Dnd tag #Dungeons and Dragons #TTRPG #RPG Horror Stories #Dnd Horror stories #Problem players #Dnd stories

[nobleelfwarrior]

If you like dnd and are on the lfg Reddit do not join a game with wartimeblues/jediblues.

As a DM he introduces triggering content with no warning, is heavy on the railroads (and not in a good way), is vindictive and petty when he thinks the players are wrong, and far to liberal with “no”. I felt like I was playing with a child that would tell me if I had my doll say the wrong thing. A lot of play time is wasted in him waiting for you to say something when you thought your words were sufficient. He does not listen or compromise or attempt to problem solve.

If you want specific examples, I can provide them.

#wartimeblues #jediblues #dnd #bad dm #dnd horror stories

[the-nerd-beast]

I have never seen Critical Role but based on all the horror stories I have read/heard Matt Mercer is a shit DM who sets a bad example for people who don't actually know DnD.

#fuck critical role #fuck matt mercer #I know this is painting a target on my back but fuck it #I'm in a mood to fight #DnD horror stories

[northforwinter]

I need like a support group for dnd horror stories cus I've been thinking about my old Rwby home-brew campaign and both of the players I ran that for were just a fucking nightmare and I can't believe I put so much time into it for those assholes.

#Just sit in a circle and bitch for a few hours #I need a good bitching session #Rwby #Dnd horror stories #North talks

[cowboysandunicorns]

I had a dream last night that I was playing as a full-blooded vampire in a Curse of Strahd campaign, as one of Strad's long-lost relatives.

Which I know sounds very that guy of me, but the plot twist was, it was VERY distant relative - like a mother-in-law's great-grandson's tenth cousin twice-removed

And instead of going on some epic quest for revenge/daddy's love, he like, barely knew Strahd at all, and has no idea why Strahd invited him to his dumb birthday party* (note: pretty sure that was not the original campaign hook but it has been a while) but decided to go out of morbid curiosity

Like the vampire equivalent of hearing the name of someone who you can only remember as the kid who would spent the entire recess sitting on the playground eating handfuls of sand.

So my vampire goes, gets trapped in the city, you know the drill. Where he spends the rest of the campaign being mostly unfazed by Strahd's deadly games - but being absolutely horrified by Strahd's weird incel behavior and terrible taste. Ocassionally sharing family gossip and embarrassing stories about Strahd's childhood, and desperately trying to assure the rest of the party #notallvampires

My vampire was kind of a dick too, which just made the whole thing even funnier. Like he would constantly compare humans to capri-suns and just could not comprehend Strad's obsession with Ireena, which he said was like if a human spent their whole life trying to resurrect their pet goldfish that died 40 years ago

Anyways there's more but I think what I'm really trying to say is can I please join someone's Curse of Strahd campaign?

#also there was a scene where Strahd trapped the party in a dining room and forced us to help him write love songs while he played guitar #and you couldn't just smile and say you loved it - he wanted constructive feedback but if he ever got any he would act personally attacked #curse of strahd #dnd #dnd horror stories #scariest campaign in years #not all vampires

[legionofmyth]

Unmasking Deception: Unveil the Truth Behind Accusations

🙊🙉🙈 RPG content creator's deceit exposed! Unmasking the truth behind accusations and projection. Shocking revelations unfold. #TTRPGCommunity #TabletopRPG #DeceptionExposed #RPGDrama #TruthRevealed

Unmasking Deception: Unveil the Truth Behind Accusations. In this eye-opening video, we unravel the shocking tale of a content creator who accuses others of lies and deceit, only to be exposed for projecting his own web of falsehoods. Dive into the labyrinth of manipulation, as we dissect the intricate web of hypocrisy and deception that has gripped the tabletop RPG community. Explore the…

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#Accusations vs reality TTRPG #Accuser&039;s hidden agenda exposed #best d&d content #best d&d videos #condordm #d&d 5e #d&d advice #d&d for beginners #d&d help #d&d horr #d&d tips #Deceit projection in tabletop RPG #Deception in gaming community #dm advice #dm tips #dnd 5e #dnd 5th edition #dnd help #dnd horror stories #dungeon master #dungeon master advice #dungeon master tips #dungeon masters guide #dungeons & dragons #Dungeons and Dragons #Exposing deception in RPG community #Exposing RPG hypocrisy #game master #game master advice #game master tips

[rookzer0]

If you’re having issues with how to ballance flying characters in dnd or pathfinder here are some tips for setting up your world.

Dealing with players having flying characters in Dungeons and Dragons 5e and Pathfinder can be a real issue, but designing your world around flying players is more simple than you might imagine. understanding the rules on grappling and flight as well as flight countermeasures will help your game master, dungeon master, or players not only enjoy having a player with flight but leave you with a challenging more robust world.

Check out Matt Coville's breakdown of the Non-euclidian movement in Dungeons and Dragons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RinFvgNdHLs&t=253s 

►Patreon (Rookzer0Art) - https://www.patreon.com/Rookzer0Art 

►Instagram (Rookzer0) - https://www.instagram.com/rookzer0/

 [Rookzer0 Artwork] is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. #dnd #dnd5e #pathfinderr

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #flying characters #flying #dnd horror stories #dnd advice #dm advice #dungeons and dragons advice #flying players #pc Flight #dnd flight #dnd flying #dnd ban #pathfinder flight #pathfinder #flying rules dnd #d&d fly

[bbspiinchh]

ocs posting

#body horror #artistic nudity #my ocs; not dnd related this time! just an original story i’ve been working on for years :) #original character #oc #artists on tumblr #my oc #my ocs

[andi-o-geyser]

okay, but like, calling the group Team Fuck Around And Find Out is so funny on its own considering how the last battle went, but it’s also straight up a perfect representation of 95% of dnd parties and plans. no thoughts head empty, and certainly no strategy in sight. “is there a weak point?” “yeah, our plan”. i love them. rampent dumbassary.

#im love them #this show is so good crying screaming throwing things the way they weave stories and deep horror into levity is masterful #dnd #dungeons and dragons #neverafter #neverafter spoilers #neverafter liveblog #critical role #(specifically for the is there a weak point reference) #d20 #dimension 20 #andis thought geyser

[wiseowlforest]

Im lookin for some blogs to follow. Like if you post

Pokemon (more into the games)

Animal crossing

Cute/dumb animals (any animals really. I also like reptiles and bugs)

Crochet

Lackadaisy

Horror stories

DnD

Sorry if I don't follow right away.

#pokemon #animal crossing #animals #bugs #reptiles #crochet #lackadaisy #horror #horror stories #dnd #dungeons and dragons

[crows-bottle-cap]

going to run a dnd campaign for some 7th graders and im so fucking scared

#middle schoolers are so mean #i think ive read too many rpg horror stories #its a homebrew campaign so im even more scared #the only thing they wanted was deserts and dinosaurs #like one of them is my brother but still #dnd campaign #dnd #dungeons and dragons #dnd homebrew #dnd5e

[neasura]

Alright I'm back with part two!! these are the more polished npc icons I ended up making for the little campaign I ran for my friends. I'm still really happy with how they turns out!

Let me know if there is anything else I need to tag just in case since there are from a horror campaign.

#body horror #tagging just in case #blood #dnd #curse of strahd #dnd icons #my art #npc's #the durst manor #death house #rose and thorn #Elizabeth Durst #horror #horror campaign #Also there are two roses because inbetween sessions I made some changes to the story

[thetealhummingbird]

Luther X Sir Reynard 💔

@prince-jelli-fish characters

#sketches #tragic love story #goopy knight monster #cannabal cleric #horror campaign #horror character #dungeons and dragons #dnd #luther barclay #Sir Reynard

[peppermint-moss]

This ones a fun one; oc design commissions of a dnd warlock AND their archfey patron!!

commission info || tip jar

#dnd #d&d #halfling #warlock #rogue #archfey #warlock patron #dnd commissions #commissions #commissions open #oc design commissions #dnd oc designs #digital #my art #for therimyn a fair bit of the story bits were created by the commissioner! #also i had soo much fun with kreioxhe esp writing the lore/story info for em #augh i feel like he's such a fun concept v happy with her C: #my partner thought they were really scary which i Did Not think when i was designing xem lmaoo but idk if thats just cause. i was too deep #in the creation process to see the horror; v curious if other ppl also think he's horror material #i'll tag body horror jic actually whoop #body horror #blood #(just a lil blood from the weasel head thats monchin on a rodent) #therimyn #kerioxhe

[offbeatworlds]

Well! Since there was some interest on my post about my ghost story Nethergate, let's make a post about another one of my *many* stories: Rift Raiders!

Rift Raiders is a cosmic horror fantasy adventure story. Think The Mummy (1999) meets Lovecraft, with a fantasy flair.

Summary from my website cuz I'm too lazy to type something else lol:

While out excavating some old ruins, Colden discovers an ancient relic. As soon as he touches it, he disappears, moments later reappearing covered in a cold slime, bearing a strange marking on his arm. Soon after, a mysterious man shows up, taking the relic from him and murdering his partner Dareau.

Six months later, Colden is approached by a trio of strange ladies who tell him that his world Zephym is one of four mirror worlds, and the relic he found is a Nexus, a key to keep these worlds separated and protected. The man he encountered, Othronis, is attempting to collect them all to unleash a powerful evil upon all four worlds.

The ladies lead Colden to a rift between his world and the next, where the last Nexus remains hidden, to find it before Othronis can. Colden must make a leap into the unknown, to find the last Nexus, and discover more lost secrets than he ever imagined.

The theme of the story is sort of anti-Lovecraftian in nature, if that makes sense. I've read quite a few Lovecraft short stories, and most of them have this similar idea of the main character going mad when they realize how insignificant they are in the universe when faced with these eldritch gods. Rift Raiders is a counter argument, that you are in fact not insignificant if you matter to at least one person.

So there is some romance 🥰

Some more art of Colden

Enjoy!

#digital artwork #cosmic horror #original story #original characters #digital illustration #digital painting #artist on tumblr #digital art #original character #horror stories #horror art #spooky art #spooky story #lovecraft #but not lovecraft #cuz he kinda sucked #these characters started as dnd characters I randomly made up #rift raiders

[wall-e-gorl]

Ai in real life, that uses stolen writing and art to create and isn't actually true "artifical intelligence" just more complex machine learning: Bad

Ai in fiction, used as a tool to tell a story about depersonalization and personhood and what it means to be sentient and is often just as sapient as the life and blood people around them, and is true "artifical intelligence": Good

#just want to say this cause a podcast i like whos main character Is an audio tour gude is coming back soon for their final season #and its been a bit since ive talked about fictional ai #i love fictional ai. i just havent listened to a *ton* of scifi stories recently #been a lot of Dnd Fantasy lately #but! scifi horror is on the upcoming menu #little guide is going to continue through the horrors and its journey through personhood