DnD Character's Story Arc Was A Lie - DnD Horror Stories

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In today's episode of Dungeons and Dragons Horror Stories, we have a tale of a DM that makes a mistake when making a call, almost resulting in a TPK, and then a story from two sides about a player starting a harem, only to find out it was all a ploy from another player.
Gameplay: Vigil The Longest Night
Music: Medieval Tavern Music and Nowhere Land by Alexander Nakarada
Sir Orkshield by Ean Grimm
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#dnd #stories #story

[@ladydarkangelyuki]

For the first story, let me add an other mistake the DM made, Charm person doesn't work that way, and by that I mean it doesn't turn the target against it's allies. What charm person does is stop the target from attacking the charmer and give the charmer advantage on charisma check on the target, so in a scenario with multiple enemies, the fighter would have been able to attack the other enemies and even if the revenant was the only enemy, this would not have compelled the fighter to attack it's allies, if anything the fighter would have been able to defend his allies still as long as this didn't cause harm to the charmer.

[@stephenblevins3829]

I'm thinking the OP actually meant for it to be Dominate Person. That would have made the effect and the level in line with what he was thinking and ruling.

[@Leoluvesadmira]

I think he confused charm and dominant person. Every DM makes a mistake and most make notes that not to do that call again.

[@ladydarkangelyuki]

@@stephenblevins3829 Yeah if it was dominate person this would make sense, but I think he underestimated how powerful that spell can be, so there was definitely a lack of forethought on that front, this could have been prevented by having the spell details on hand.

[@KC24987]

​@@LeoluvesadmiraDM did state it was a 1st lvl spells charm person. Correct to say he believed charm person and dominant person did the same thing and didn't read the spell description.

[@mrosskne]

Also, even if it's mind control, you continue narrating what your character does. You just make decisions according to your character's new goals. There's no reason for this spell to prevent a player from participating in the game.

[@tsifirakiehl4250]

Well, at least the DM in the first story realized how badly they messed up. First step to redemption, right?

[@marybdrake1472]

That first story is a good example of how small mistake can turn into a major blunder. The D.M. has got good people around them, and as long as they learn from their mistake things will improve.

[@jakeand9020]

IMO that player over reacted. As near as I can tell the only major mistake the DM made (assuming they were using charm wrong intentionally) was actually controlling the character rather than having the player control their character fighting their own party. That and the fact their now stuck with the party having those charm glasses that have to work the same way for them as they did for the bad guy.

[@mrosskne]

​@@jakeand9020That isn't a problem.

[@WaveShock007]

I understand the dragonborn because...well it sounds like he DID talk to the DM about it and the DM didn't listen.

[@ChaosCounseling]

I can’t blame the dragon born for feeing like his accomplishments were a lie and could kill his motivation but I think he took it too far Edit: I posted this before hearing his side of the story. So I kinda sympathize with him more.

[@mikem2849]

This was a roller coaster for me. I started off wondering where the story was going to go. Once details started coming out, I quickly started feeling like everyone involved was crappy. Like, the dragonborn's character was a womanizer, sure, I guess... but OP2 openly acknowledging their character was brainwashing young girls into committing global genocide and also pimping them out to a known womanizer... okay, I get it, it's just a game, and roleplaying an evil character doesn't make you an evil person... but trying to DEFEND those actions, and accusing people who don't like it of "forcing their ideals on others" is just ultimate level cringe. Hearing the second half of the story started to make me feel like maybe OP2 is just a lunatic sociopath, but then they do acknowledge they were in the wrong and want to reconnect with their friend, that made me think maybe OP2 is okay and just got carried away playing an evil character. This is why I just don't do "evil" campaigns...

[@nvfury13]

His “accomplishments” of attacking other players and constantly trying to interfere with their characters, while having no real goal or idea for their own character? In the stuff from Dragonborn’s perspective he even admitted his attack on Android was because of something they came up with on the spot, an obsession with loyalty…which of course leads you to attack a guy that struck back after being betrayed.

[@mikem2849]

@@nvfury13 For which I blame the DM. It's a DM's job to make sure all the players are having fun at the table. Part of what that means is helping a player find motivation for their character. To be fair, there's only so much a DM can do on that front if a player just isn't into it themselves... but in this case it seems not only did DM never try to help get Dragonborn into the game, but DM then proceeded to cook up a scheme with the other players to *pretend* they were helping get Dragonborn into the game while secretly plotting a massive betrayal, and all with no gain for themselves beyond the joy of being petty.

[@nvfury13]

@@mikem2849 The harem “betrayal” was Dragonborn attacking the cult leader PC and the cult member harem members drawing weapons. In other words, it was only a betrayal when *the fourth time Dragonborn attacked another PC* came up…and countless less serious betrayals out of Dragonborn. One to pay back for every action of Dragonborn the entire campaign so far, one that never would have been a betrayal if he had never turned against the party members *again.*.

[@mikem2849]

​@@nvfury13 ...okay...um... So, first of all, where are you getting this idea that Dragonborn was some sort of lunatic player killer with a penchant for backstabbing the party? Because he made a single non-lethal punch attack against another PC that obviously wasn't supposed to go any farther than that? Because he "drew weapons" against a member of an evil doomsday cult? Drew weapons. Didn't even attack! I'd also like to remind you that poor, innocent little scooby that he so cruelly and wickedly betrayed at the end was indeed *the leader of a maniacal death cult who openly brags about brainwashing young women and pimping them out to someone she thought was a womanizer.* Are you really sure you want to throw stones from that glass house? Furthermore, "it never would have been a betrayal if..." is a bald-faced LIE and you know it. OP2 openly admits that the harem was literally set up from the very beginning to be a betrayal. It is made abundantly clear that OP2 and DM planned this from the beginning, and if Dragonborn hadn't snapped then they would have just kept piling on more until he did because making him snap was literally the entire point. Okay, maybe OP2 didn't plan it... they might've just been along for the ride and got carried away playing an evil character. But DM DEFINITELY planned this, and would have made sure it happened, no matter what. What DM was doing is called gaslighting. Gaslighting is the art of manipulating a person through lies, "negging" (negativity reinforcement), victim blaming, and manipulation of their perception, with the goal of making them question their own reality and eventually snap, thereby allowing the abuser the chance to further demonize the victim and reinforcing the gaslight scenario. Now, look... it's certainly true Dragonborn wasn't being the best player. They didn't seem to know what they were doing... well, no, actually I wouldn't even say that. They clearly didn't want to be a part of an evil campaign. All of the waffling and weird character choices were just them trying to find a way to enjoy playing a game they weren't enjoying. So he brought in a friend he knew he got along with in the hopes that would help, only for DM to manipulate said friend into setting up an even more elaborate gaslighting scenario to abuse Dragonborn with. That right there was such a masterstroke of manipulation I think DM deserves an award... one propelled into DM's face at high speed. The only thing I'll say against Dragonborn is that, rather than sticking it out until it all melted down, what they should have done was just leave and find a better group to game with... though I get the feeling Dragonborn isn't the best at making friends, and the DM's gaslighting (which it's pretty apparent goes back much farther than this one incident) probably had them convinced that there was no other group that would ever take them. But seriously? Trying to paint Dragonborn as the villain of this story is just absoludicrous. Anyone with experience with domestic abuse could take one look at this story and instantly tell you Dragonborn is the victim here. This is a classic gaslighting scenario.

[@codex_jinora]

Before hearing the dragonborn's side, I have a bit of a prediction. This whole horror story could've been prevented if the dragonborn's PLAYER was informed of the cult from the start, but the CHARACTER wasn't. This way it wouldn't be such a soul crushing shock when the plottwist was revealed, and would allow for some incredible roleplay without anyone feeling genuinely upset IRL. DMs often seem to forget not everyone likes to get things done to their characters without their knowledge. In the end its about making a good story, and if your player doesn't like surprises, they can better help write said story if they're in on it to some extent from the beginning. Edit after hearing the players side: Wow okay nvm I was way off. Poor guy... Idk if I want to know why he got kicked, and I personally am not sure if he'd be welcome at my table either with those outbursts, but it seems he was completely left in the dark about his standing with his friends... Someone should talk to this poor fella and explain to him why the things happened that happened so he can improve, not by just yeeting him out of the group...

[@richardduska1558]

I wouldn't want to stay in any table where backstabing is THIS acceptable. Because that's what it ultimatly feels like. Everyone was informed about the whole cult except for him. It honestly feels like the DM was singeling him out.

[@mikem2849]

This is why I don't usually do evil campaigns. Like, no, I get it. Playing an evil character doesn't make you an evil person. It's just a game. (Though I can never bring myself to do it personally.) But beyond me finding it personally objectionable, it's just... evil games ALWAYS tend to turn out like this. Maybe putting yourself into the mindset of an evil person on a weekly basis... isn't healthy.

[@ss3nm0dn4r8]

considering the fact that its through the op's retelling who knows

[@GarkKahn]

Who would've thought backstabbing a friend would get you bad consequences

[@Metal_Horror]

Ikr. Op is like "we backstabbed my friend (that was the plan all along.) Hes kinda upset- weeeeeird. But now I'm starting to think they wanted me to backstab my friend and it was the plan all along.."

[@Albertosn3]

To be fair to the DM in the first story, Rules As Written, Charm Person only makes the target view the caster as a good friend. Not only that, but it doesn't make the target view the caster's enemies as enemies (I'm sure we've all seen friends fight before but not take a side) What was nearly perfectly described though was DOMINATE Person. A 5th level concentration charm that allows the caster to fully control the target's actions. Should the DM have let the dispel magic go through? Likely yes, but the DM is not as much in the wrong as he/she might think.

[@PaladinGear15]

Everyone always screws this up and I don't get why, it's right there in the spell. Why would anyone think a 1st level spell can completely dominate a person's entire character and get them to fight for you? My old DM did this too. It's like how a bunch of people and DMs I've played with think you get opportunity attacked for moving *into* an enemy's range >_>

[@Albertosn3]

@@PaladinGear15 Yeah whenever I see something like that happen I usually have to point out that there must be a reason for charm spells stronger than Charm Person must have a reason to exist As for the Opportunity Attacks I would hope the DMs know how good the Sentinel feat is because it allows exactly that

[@mrosskne]

d&d is a horrible system and no one should play it.

[@ezsoterica]

I saw a baby shiba the other day, it was soooo cute. I've never encountered one irl before.

[@Dewani90]

You found a young Shiba Inu, roll for wisdom or be charmed by it's supreme cuteness... for 5 turns.

[@deepseastonecore3017]

How often do l make jokes about chemistry? Periodically.

[@Sigilstone17]

You should avoid further chemistry jokes, you're out of your element.

[@DnDDoge]

All these chemistry jokes got a reaction.

[@burmy1774]

most of the people I met that made chemistry jokes were lonelier than hydrogen.

[@mrosskne]

​@@burmy1774Hydrogen is one of the most reactive elements and is almost never encountered by itself

[@richardduska1558]

23:50 This is a very interesting story. But I want to highlight something: - Going behind the back of other players is WRONG. Period. And that is exactly what this DM did since from the looks of it everyone was in the cult stuff except for the Dragonborne. And this whole "Harem" thing honestly sounds like something that the DM set up, since the players original motive wasn't event to build one. Than after I don't know how much time all of it turned out to be a lie/trap, both in and out of character.

[@MajorMasonGaming]

Dragonborn sounds like an incel anyway

[@l0stndamned]

1. Was the fighter getting regular saves against the charm? Because it sounds like that was missing. 2. Very weird. Sounds like there's way more going on that what we've been told. Part of me feels like siding against the dragonborn for trying to have a harem in the first place, and part just thinks the party seems like a bad mix.

[@nvfury13]

The harem thing was just something he stumbled into…and honestly isn’t even an issue, as long as everybody involved in that situation is cool with it. The issue is actively acting against the rest of the party just because they didn’t really have their own plans.

[@ss3nm0dn4r8]

we are also hearing their side of the story through the probably gaslighting op

[@sinkurepaOtaku]

You make my favorite DnD content. My group went from tabletop RPGs to video games during the lockdown and we never got back to the table. Your content is some the highlight of my week.

[@DnDDoge]

Glad you like them! Though, my group also stopped after the start of the dark times, though we ended up doing it on roll 20. While it's not the same as in person, we've been having a blast every Friday and are on session 95. I'd say give that a shot!

[@pinkpirate5]

Pretty much every bad time I've had in a game have been down to lack of communication. Either other players don't tell me they don't like what I'm doing till it blows up... or I don't tell them I don't like what they're doing. Usually we're all trying so hard to be accomodating to eachother that we don't express our own wants till the frustration blows up.

[@IdiotinGlans]

Charm Person story reminds me of when a Nagpa in my game cast Dominate Person on Warlock. The player hated it and in next campaign basically asked I never do that again

[@michaelleader633]

Hey, cheer up first guy! I once resided over the most crushing TPK at my table because I assumed my strategy enough gaps for my players to prevail, but when the minitures were on the stategy board it proved too much for them. The idea was I'd use three wizards of thay at a distance to harass the party with spells, one summoned demon to act as their meat shield, and two hidden assassins hiding in the rafters to drop down on the paties casters when the big boys moved in to beat on the glabrezu. The party played it smart and left the ranger near the players casters, sent the barb to engage the demon while the fighter taunted the glabrezu, the rogue was supposed to sneak past the glabrezu and engage the enemy casters while the ranger and groups casters ranged the thay casters. This is what went wrong. The glabrezu caught the rogue sneaking by and got an attack of oppurtunity (badly wounded and surprise cancelled), the assassins landed on the casters and got criticals with their swords, ranger fired on the enemy wizards the first round since she considered them the larger threat. Two of the Thay wizards had hold person and used the spell to immobilize both the fighter and barbarian (due to low wisdom scores and bad rolls), The assassins dropped the player wizard on round 2 with the ranger dropping her bow to spin on them with her longswords (which allowed the thay wizards to create a flame hand on the paralyzed barbarian and fighter, a charm person on the rogue, and a whirling blade spell to go off on the ranger. Effectively, on paper it looked doable, the party met the CR, but on the battle map my penchant for strategy killed my players. After that I promised myself I would never use overly complex strategy again and always find a way to give my players an out. I felt horrible as they all died flanked, bottle necked, with no escape in some alleyway. >.

[@mrosskne]

I don't get it, why is that bad? If the players aren't supposed to be able to die, why do they have hit points?

[@letsplaysvonaja1714]

when my char got charmed I was allowed enough player freedom to choose my own attacks, as long as I fight the party well... I went as far as trying to sneak attack the party member my character got into conflict quite often she resisted with shield though, sadl... umm, I mean, luckily

[@scottbuck1572]

Damn the Dragonborn guys is straight up in his own head; if you had really been in table before with these people, they should have communicated DND is not about being "paired attention to." And if they didn't, its on them to properly explain how DND works before bring him in. It kinda sounded like Dragonborn was kinda willfulling ignorant of how his play style was effecting others and simply refused to self-reflect

[@joshuapierce3085]

I just subscribed after several hours of your videos. I really enjoy the kitty videos in them. Which I'm thinking started AFTER this particular video. lol

[@mineflameblade8788]

Dominate person. Total mind control Charn person. Works more like Awe from VTM

[@ShadowedZen]

It the first story the DM is saying they made the spell weaker as it was Concentration and only last a minute and they felt bad saying it was 5th level? Dude thats just Dominate person... The issue is that the fighter should remake the save everytime theyre hurt... and i'm not sure why the caster needed to take 24 dmg concentration, unless they have +10 con 1dmg can brake concentration

[@WhyYouMadBoi]

How about you read the concentraton rules. Which is if you take damage you do a Con save of DC 10 or half of the original damage. So if its 24 that means 12 Concentration save which is higher than 10. I'm going to assume level 6 paladin level 4 Fighter we didn't have a level and this is the best and let's say 18 con and 20 cha. So that's 10th level character so +4 prof, +4 con and +5 to the save. So that's +13 con save, overall I find it stupid to point that out without giving us the number for said con save.

[@ShadowedZen]

@@WhyYouMadBoi ... i Know the rules for concentration ... thats what i'm saying Are you okay?

[@GarkKahn]

For the 2nd story it would've been solved with "hey, i'll let you borrow some girls from my cult for your harem" or you know... actual communication!

[@Mrinsecure]

The first story is a sign of why you need to be *very* careful about using charm or dominate effects on PCs (or even "lesser" effects like stun or paralyze). It's not fun having control of your character taken away from you, even for a little while. And given how long combat in D&D can take, you can wind up sitting at a table for real life *hours* while everyone else gets to do stuff but you. Charm effects are just that little bit worse, though, because you're forced to do things that go *against* what you want to happen, so every turn you act is making your position worse, not better. After something like happened in the first story, I might've just rage quit out of frustration at just... not being able to do anything, and watching my character tear apart my own party members.

[@Michaeljack81sk]

Player and DM in the first story need to learn to deal with in game issues in a mature manner without insults and tears if they don't want the group to fall apart. Seriously, they should talk to each other instead of going off. That whole combat should have been retconned by DM too, after they realised they screwed up. Second Story feels like Dragonborn was being screwed with by everyone, even OP (albeit without their knowledge). Hard to say more really but something's definitely up

[@ieatpeopleand]

19:26 "Stone of Confusion" No crap, I mean look at that thing!

[@thegreatcanadianweasel9928]

I think the DM has a lot of the blame in the second story. But the Dragonborn crazily overreacted. Also communication isn't just between you and the DM, players need to communicate with one eachother as well. I'd also say that a Byzantine political game is all well and good, but the players have to know what is going on. Like if someone is playing Vampire the Masquerade that is part of the game, but for DnD you need to make sure all the players are on the same page. I still don't have much sympathy for the Dragonborn. Not as much as many of the other commenters seem to anyway. He overreacted in many cases and personally got himself involved in OPs cult trying to sabotage it instead of working on his own separate side story. It really seemed like he chose to play a character that didn't mesh with the group at all. He bordered on Lawful stupid and didn't seem to be able to separate himself from his character. Like my character just tried to wreck your hard work and shining achievement, how dare you react to stop my character.

[@nvfury13]

Thank you! Everybody sympathizing with him, ignoring his active antagonistic attitude towards the rest of the group, actually *attacking* the Android when the Android struck back at someone who had betrayed and attacked him. Guy was a complete ass, and they came up with the “harem” to give him a distraction, give him a storyline of his own that didn’t involve attacking them in some way. It only went the way it did when he went right back to trying to attack another player, leader of the cult they belong to.

[@jakeand9020]

I don't understand the problem with the first story, aside from telling fighter what to do. Just have them fight the party, but let THEM fight the party. It's a mini boss fight, shit's supposed to get real. Besides the fact charm doesn't work that way, at all, even kinda. But, if that's the boss's gimmick, there's nothing wrong with that. Just be ready for the party to have those glasses and you damn well better have it work the same way for them.

[@nvfury13]

Story 2: Sounds like Dragonborn had no real idea what they wanted for their character, and purposely acted against the rest of the party, then got confused as to why others might act against them/not like the character. Betting it was the exact same behavior that got him kicked the first time from that group as well, and this game was a second chance he begged for.

[@Dewani90]

To be honest, it sounds like DB had no idea about what his character wanted to begin with, your characters need goals and motivations to be effective, even if it's a dumb one like stealing all the cheese from Barovia or giving a wedgie to Strahd to honor your master that was a bard/clown that was killed by him.

[@mikem2849]

A good DM never leaves important things to luck.

[@cambriaofthevastoceans6721]

My first thought when "i feel like its level 5" you feel like it is, or it is? That should have stopped right there

[@WladcaPodziemia]

That harem thing... I disagree it was "nothing" - it was clearly motivation and drivie for that player. OP jsut used it and exploited weakness of that guy. Imagine it from Paladin perspective - yo uthought yo uwere dong great, that you were capble to achive goal / fantasy... and then - you are told that all was a lie and you achived NOTHING in all those sessions. That's gut punch. OP might feel "smart" for pulling that move, or DM might price "good plot", but going by feelings - it was just showing to that guy he is shit.

[@richardduska1558]

Indeed. It is an absolute betrayal both in and out of character. I would also leave If the DM would take my characters only plot to another direction witouth talking things over. . One of Drakes video had this guy who esentaly NTR-ed the guy with the BBEG and than have him killed with hes in game wife, simply to "rile up the players against the BBEG". and than was surprized when they were kinda pissed at him. I get similuar vibes here.

[@nvfury13]

You mean the guy being obnoxious and acting against the party? Actively attacking other players for bullshit reasons (that make no sense) made up on the spot? An obsession with “loyalty” makes you attack a party member for striking back at someone who betrayed them? I’m betting the same “I don’t know what I want for my character…so I’m just going to be actively antagonistic to the rest of the party” attitude and actions is what got him kicked the first time, and that this was a second chance that he screwed up.

[@richardduska1558]

@@nvfury13 If it was a second "chance" as you put it the DM did not communicated to him at all nor the reason why he got kicked. So how would you know where you went wrong when the DM refuse to communicate with you. Sounds like something a very shitty DM would do. Just read my mind!

[@nvfury13]

@@richardduska1558 No, it was explicitly pointed out, he just didn’t understand. That was made obvious in both OP’s version, and things from Dragonborn’s perspective. *Everybody* from the other players to the DM, pointed out that this repeated behavior was a problem, it just didn’t seem to connect in Dragonborn player’s head that doing the things he was told were a problem and annoying, was a problem and annoying.

[@richardduska1558]

@@nvfury13 And did they specify what "behavior" here? I'm VERY sceptical that the other player and DM told him explicitly the problem or not considering how they behaved.

[@WhiteOwlet]

For the first story, just let the fighter's player play her fighter being charmed. They're surely adult enough to attack their companions when being charmed. Having said that, the charm person thing was full of weird rulings, but it could've worked really nicely with another spell according to D&D rules. I don't see a problem there, necessarily...

[@Mr.2Dirty]

Honestly if he was pushed to tears, I would not blame DM from the first story if he just stopped DMing.

[@Sigilstone17]

I know what went wrong in that second story: what Dragonborn should have wrote was "I turn into a problem player when I don't get enough attention." He said it himself that he keeps getting kicked from tables but "isn't sure why." If you can't find the crazy person on the bus: it's YOU.

[@richardduska1558]

And what did he do to be a "problem player"? I suggest you the Den of the Drake video where every player outside of OP was a problem player. Would you blame her as well based on this logic?

[@Sigilstone17]

@@richardduska1558 dude legit thought he was building a harem and you don't see a problem? Okay, that guy

[@richardduska1558]

@@Sigilstone17 And from what he said AFTER it wasn't even hes tip priority. He only started to doing it because the DM didn't give him anything else to do. He tryed to do the "plot" but that didn't led anywhere. . Also If building a harem WAS an issue in the grupe than maybe TALK with him about it instead of doing this ciniving plot to punish him. If you agree that treating players like this is perfectly fin than I have to thank god that I'm not in your table.

[@Sigilstone17]

@@richardduska1558 yeah, it wasn't his top priority because he made busy trying to ruin what anyone else was doing. Quit simpin'

[@richardduska1558]

@@Sigilstone17 Ruine what? From the looks of it the other players were more than able to do their own plots withoth any issue and even OP didn't even brough him up that much in her story.While when he talked he specificly explained that he TOUGHT that he is doing just fine because (again) the DM gave him the impression that this is the direction that he should go simply because he was getting somewhere. And "simping"? Even OP semes to be on this guys side by the end from the looks of it so is she "simping"' as well?

[@tytoalba605]

I have companion npc's that might become a dmpc personally as long as you don't make them to much a plot divice / the protagonist rather then just a group member I find no problem with playing your oc and dm'ing at the same time. Espessially if you rotate dm's per sessions so some story elements get to be a mystery to you as well but not neccisary. My only real advice is don't make any quest time sensitive so players being players can do what they wish while you inch them towards the Bbeg.

[@Bluke420]

Your playing Vigilant! Such a great game!!👍

[@RhoadesTallyn]

For the first story op did not make it a horror story his players did. Did he make a bad call? Sure. Do all dms make bad call? Yes. His players leaving the room and trying to make him feel terrable about it is awful. I can get being frustrated by the situation but they all could see the cleric could not roll well to fix the situation and sometime bad things happen to the party. Guilt tripping your dm to tears is messed up. The players are the reason this is a horror story not a bad encounter.

[@bunnys9704]

Agreed. The players sound really spoiled in this one. Crying about how terrible the DM is for casting a Charm Person on them is overreacing at i ts finest.

[@nemanjajovanov]

I am never disappointed by all the weird ways people choose to pronounce the words 'et cetera'...

[@fructosecornsyrup5759]

I am honestly confused as hell why some folks let their game damage real world relationships, like... You do realize normal people aren't typically their characters, right?

[@WladcaPodziemia]

"I wouldnt call myself BAD DM" - said ever bad dm ever.

[@jacobbarty6579]

no a bad DM would call themselves a great DM. The most important tool for any DM is self-awareness

[@AneitaLT]

At least this DM in the 1st story seems to be the exception.

[@PaladinGear15]

@@jacobbarty6579 That's how it goes, either they're not "yeah I'm not like a BAD DM or anything like that, all my players leave after two sessions and block all contact with me but that's just a weird coincidence" and "I'm such a freaking AWESOME DM! seriously I'm the best DM ever, I have this level 20 DMPC who betrayed the party and killed them all, didn't even let them roll, I was such a badass". xD

[@CooperAATE]

Meh, I don't think the Dispel story is all that bad tbh. Sure, it's not exactly RAW, but how many tables run everything exactly by the book? As a player, I'd take that in stride, ESPECIALLY if I'm the dominated target. After all, shouldn't I do what what my character would do?

[@StarrChild.]

I feel quite bad for the Dragonborn. I've been in similar situations friendship wise, and dnd wise (minus the harem of course). The player was led to believe he was actually having impact to the world and his own thing but he was just being led along by the op and dm. It would have been fine if this was communicated to the player and he was okay with it, but to just leave them in the dark and pull of a "gotcha" moment to make themselves feel smart is just a shitty thing to do.

[@BurroughsProductions]

even hearing the Dragonborns side he could have done things way better. it feels like this could have all be solved with conversation but he made bunch of assumptions and went about things in such a weird way. punching another player to try and become the leader? the defaulting to a harem? it just sounds like he didn't try to come up with his own stuff very hard and let that make him feel defeated.

[@lamiahunter]

The dragonborne is such a that guy “oh no my friend is friends with my friends. And they stopped me from doing my plan of stopping their plan so i shut down and basically stop talking to my friend over not getting my way”

[@WhyYouMadBoi]

You didn't read the story like at all. Literally all of his agency as a player and character was taken from him.

[@nvfury13]

@@WhyYouMadBoi How? Because the guy that had actively been attacking and antagonistic towards other party members got given a distraction? One that would have just been his own nice little side story if he hadn’t decided to *again* attack another party member? I’m amazed they didn’t just plot to kill the Dragonborn, it was an evil campaign after all, and would have been justified in even a non-evil campaign.

[@WhyYouMadBoi]

@@nvfury13 It wasn't an evil campaign, at least that isn't what I heard at all. In fact we don't even know what the campaign was even about. Look at what the dragonborn was doing, he went to try to do the main quest and the DM ignored him. The DM didn't use the passive skill rules and I'm sure the persuasion Dcs which are 10 to 20. Which a paladin would pass even if he didn't have persuasion as a skill. Then we have the other player basically taking the thing this dragonborn player was doing and highjacking it with her cultist stuff. Meaning his rolls didn't mean shit, his rp didn't mean shit and he didn't go past the first damn quest. Hell the other player attacked the NPC for the main quest which means that the dragonborn is justified in attacking that player same with the cultist. So instead of talking with the dragonborn they basically ruined the game for him. Talk about justification the PC the dragonborn attacked should've been plotted against.

[@nvfury13]

@@WhyYouMadBoi The plot NPC had betrayed and attacked Android, then he struck *back* which is when Dragonborn attacked him, admitting himself that this was just a sudden impulse that he did it and came up with a nonsensical in-character excuse (obsession with “loyalty”, of course that makes you attack the person that was just betrayed and attacked/s).

[@stephenblevins3829]

M'eh, the first story just sounds like a butthurt player who didn't like the outcome. D&D can't be all wine and roses. Sometimes, bad things happen and you suck it up and move on. Had the cleric made her roll to dispel the higher level Charm (which by its description should have been more in line with Dominate Person and not Charm Person), this wouldn't have even become a story.

[@bradymenting5120]

top ten anime betrayals

[@TorsilClimber]

Hello doge.

[@michaela.dreamock2543]

Buttons.

[@kentaurescarroll4256]

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[@SonGokuisawesome]

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[@SuperBatSpider]

I am like number 69

[@lanir9543]

Ultimately the issue is with the dragonborn player. If you have this degree of distrust for your DM and another player it's not right to get one of your friends involved with the situation. This outweighs any considerations about in-character maneuvering, which can be part of a session 0 and it kind of sounds like that happened. Dragging friends into issues you're already having and then abandoning them in the middle of it because you just assume they're not on your side? That's not really okay. Don't do that. What you should really do is not play RPGs with problematic people.

[@storyseeker6028]

it's a failure of communication all around but mostly o the DM in my eyes. I'm sorry but if you're going to actually betray party members that needs to be addressed out of the game. If your player seems disinterested in the main plot that's the DM not integrating reasons for party members to be invested enough in helping each other. You as DM have to keep the peace, and make sure the party's goals align. this DM very obviously didn't do that.

[@nvfury13]

@@storyseeker6028 They were (Edit: seriously, why does KZbin autocorrect “were” to “we’re” almost every time?) betraying him *back* and even doing it in a way to give him something to do other than antagonize and attack them. Frankly I’m amazed the plot they came up with wasn’t to kill him, or get some major power angry enough with him to kill him. He’d spent the entire game antagonizing them and attacking them, feeding him a dozen Delay Blast Fireballs and Gate-ing him to an inhospitable Plane wouldn’t have been out of the question the way he’d been acting.

[@storyseeker6028]

@@nvfury13 I mean the betrayals need to be out of game knowledge, no surprises. and you need to have out-of-game discussions about what can be done to prevent said betrayals from occurring. that being said heavy punishments would be put in place for metagaming in a hostile way, say the punishment should be losing two levels if he killed the followers using his knowledge of what they truly were. all in all, though this is why you don't use pvp often as a dm, it requires a lot of planning, a lot of party trust, a lot of rules, and a lot of care. This sounds like the Dm put very little thought into what they were doing, like "kill each other or don't. I don't care." I'd immediately leave the table with a dm of that mindset because that will only breed a horror-story of a game later.

[@nvfury13]

@@storyseeker6028 Only if the players are as immature and messed up as Dragonborn’s player. I’ve spent 35+ years in ttrpgs, around 30 of those years DMing, I’ve got like two horror stories involving that kind of thing despite the fact that PVP is always an option at my tables.

[@storyseeker6028]

@@nvfury13 well, I am happy that you have found people you can make that system work with. For me at least though, that's a gm style that I just don't jive with. as for the Dragonborn your right, the Dragonborn was immature and should have left the game before messing with the other players in the way they did. I just disagree on how much blame should be placed on them rather than the Dm at this point.

[@PTp1ranha]

“I was the problem in this story” Oh man, juicy. Did you say a slur? Did you creep on someone? Minmax too hard? “I said a spell should be higher level. I’m the worst DM ever.” Uh…huh.