The words players fear most
- Thread starter jappel
- Start date
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
I find two old standby's for grabbing lagging attention at the table always fun
scenario 1:
GM chooses one of PC's at random and asks them to roll a check. GM may also roll some dice at the same time. GM says something like "Hmm, OK, please continue." Player's paranoia and interest heightened (Did something see us? Hear us? Did we miss something? Look again!)
scenario 2:
GM rolls dice on table (not the book as usual) behind screen, loud noise of dice attracts interest, GM scribbles some notes (behind screen), rolls some more dice on table (in case not everyone has noticed) and makes some more doodles (behind screen), looking up at the players the GM asks what each character is doing or where they are then makes one more roll and some notes before returning to the point in the adventure where they were (again with more player interest and paranoia)
scenario 1:
GM chooses one of PC's at random and asks them to roll a check. GM may also roll some dice at the same time. GM says something like "Hmm, OK, please continue." Player's paranoia and interest heightened (Did something see us? Hear us? Did we miss something? Look again!)
scenario 2:
GM rolls dice on table (not the book as usual) behind screen, loud noise of dice attracts interest, GM scribbles some notes (behind screen), rolls some more dice on table (in case not everyone has noticed) and makes some more doodles (behind screen), looking up at the players the GM asks what each character is doing or where they are then makes one more roll and some notes before returning to the point in the adventure where they were (again with more player interest and paranoia)
"It smells like... DEATH!" 
After two sessions my players are learning that the ref rolling dice behind the screen, followed by the the words "oh my" usually do NOT bode well....
In the same vein as far-trader's suggestions - at random intervals, I like to ask for clarification of ambigious actions ("okay you're climbing down the ladder. Where's your shotgun again?") followed by a die roll or two. Rolling dice for no apperent reason before a door is opened is usually good too.
I'll also call for the occasional roll against INT - sometimes there's something to notice - sometimes there ain't.
--michael
After two sessions my players are learning that the ref rolling dice behind the screen, followed by the the words "oh my" usually do NOT bode well....
In the same vein as far-trader's suggestions - at random intervals, I like to ask for clarification of ambigious actions ("okay you're climbing down the ladder. Where's your shotgun again?") followed by a die roll or two. Rolling dice for no apperent reason before a door is opened is usually good too.
I'll also call for the occasional roll against INT - sometimes there's something to notice - sometimes there ain't.
--michael
I see we have some old Paranoia GM's around....
Some other ones:
"It seems quiet enough."
"It'll be a milk-run."
"What could possibly go wrong?"
"The NPC seems honest enough."
"What could possibly go wrong?"
"It's just a routine inspection."
"You're in the middle of a civilized area. Do you really think you need to be carrying a boat load of guns?" (Correct answer: YES. DUH!)
"It's quiet and everything is running just like it is supposed to."
"Oh.... hmmmm..... Where did you say you were standing? Exactly?"
"Who's on third watch?"
Some other ones:
"It seems quiet enough."
"It'll be a milk-run."
"What could possibly go wrong?"
"The NPC seems honest enough."
"What could possibly go wrong?"
"It's just a routine inspection."
"You're in the middle of a civilized area. Do you really think you need to be carrying a boat load of guns?" (Correct answer: YES. DUH!)
"It's quiet and everything is running just like it is supposed to."
"Oh.... hmmmm..... Where did you say you were standing? Exactly?"
"Who's on third watch?"
Ganidirsii O'Flynn
SOC-12
My all time favorite is the old standby:
"Are you sure?...."
You just can't go wrong with the classics..
"Are you sure?...."
You just can't go wrong with the classics..
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
And of course the classic "The room appears to be empty." (player panic ensues)
Shadowdancer
SOC-14 1K
"You didn't find any traps."
"You think you've disarmed the boobytrap."
"As for as you can tell, the NPC is telling you the truth."
"What is your AC when flat-footed?"
"Make a saving throw."
"You think you've disarmed the boobytrap."
"As for as you can tell, the NPC is telling you the truth."
"What is your AC when flat-footed?"
"Make a saving throw."
" ...could I borrow a couple dozen of your dice? I don't seem to have enough for this next encounter."
"....oh,.....er,.....wow,....*shakes head*"
"why don't you guys take a 15 minute break, I need to make sure that this all supposed to happen to you at this point..."
"Holy Sh*t!! I'm rolling hot tonight!!!
*rubs hands together*
...and, finally, if the group has somehow been successful despite the GM's best effort:
"great job, guys!....but, were you expecting this ?!!!" ***sound of handfulls of dice***
The sad part is that I seem to run across one of these phrases on a weekly basis!
"....oh,.....er,.....wow,....*shakes head*"
"why don't you guys take a 15 minute break, I need to make sure that this all supposed to happen to you at this point..."
"Holy Sh*t!! I'm rolling hot tonight!!!
*rubs hands together*
...and, finally, if the group has somehow been successful despite the GM's best effort:
"great job, guys!....but, were you expecting this ?!!!" ***sound of handfulls of dice***
The sad part is that I seem to run across one of these phrases on a weekly basis!
Richard Saunders
SOC-12
Hello.
Yes your hail of gunfire seems to hit him .....BUT.
Your doing WHAT.
Are you shore you want to do that.
Oh well you should have gone the other way.
Bye.
Yes your hail of gunfire seems to hit him .....BUT.
Your doing WHAT.
Are you shore you want to do that.
Oh well you should have gone the other way.
Bye.
<rolls a pile of damage dice>
"Oh. That's gonna leave a mark."
or the infamous
"The party is engaged. Everyone else is fighting for their lives. But you, as reargaurd, aren't busy. So you want to open a new door into another unexplored part of the complex. This is correct?"
or
"Oddly, your fire has proved ineffective. Would you like to try again?" (after distinctly NOT rolling any damage dice)
"Oh. That's gonna leave a mark."
or the infamous
"The party is engaged. Everyone else is fighting for their lives. But you, as reargaurd, aren't busy. So you want to open a new door into another unexplored part of the complex. This is correct?"
or
"Oddly, your fire has proved ineffective. Would you like to try again?" (after distinctly NOT rolling any damage dice)
Heh heh As in:
"are you sure you want to fire that PGMP in the room full of L-Hyd tanks?"
"are you sure you want to override the airlock failsafes?"
"are you sure you want to power down the nuclear dampers?"
and my favorite
"are you sure you want to use a kilo of TDX for that?"
I also like "which part of 'insidious' was unclear or difficult to understand?"
Keklas Rekobah
SOC-14 1K
At any time, in any game, the most feared words that any player can hear from the ref are...
"HAND ME YOUR CHARACTER SHEET."
"HAND ME YOUR CHARACTER SHEET."
Yes,KR...that is the worse the GM can say......and that is why my character sheets are bound to my character notebook and why I say:
"COME AND GET IT!"
There are bonuses for running at my house; mainly the walls are filled with my blades and weapons!
**Many have tried; no one has done it!!!**
"COME AND GET IT!"
There are bonuses for running at my house; mainly the walls are filled with my blades and weapons!
**Many have tried; no one has done it!!!**
BetterThanLife
SOC-14 1K
Only after they get out into the civilized area. "You did look up the Law Level of this Planet didn't you?"
Other favorites.
"Weren't you listening when I told you about...."
"I know I told you it takes (insert random time, more than one combat round, here) to power that up."
"You want to do what?"
"Hello, I am the H A L 9000 computer."
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