"I Was Bullied Out Of Campaign Over My Friend's Dead Mom"

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[@severedproxy]

I agree, I kinda wanted the DM to go with along with their BBQ sauce empire plan, but based on how he described himself he might have been inexperienced back then as a DM.

[@TheNormExperience]

Right? I feel so bad for the DM because obviously they wanted to do something else, but this idea was so hilarious 🤣

[@quincyking010]

It's described as railroading but it sounds like he tried to tie the original plot into what they were doing like ok go kill this cult and you got your self a deal it didn't sound to me like he actually took choice away from them but a made a consequence for not following the plot and Taking out these cultists they attacked a town and killed innocent people and have now grown large enough they no longer feel the need to remain in the shadows

[@TheUnsafeKing]

​ @quincyking010 I think it felt like railroading to my players. I was new to DMing(and D&D), didn't know that railroading is bad, and having the "governor" order them to the dungeon felt lame even when I was doing it. I think I even through a government will seize your assets kind of excuse. Covid lockdown happened right after and we stopped playing, but I could tell they were a little disappointed.

[@severedproxy]

@@TheUnsafeKing it's perfectly understandable, the important thing is that you experienced it and learned from it. Not everyone can just wing it without any experience. Have a great day.

[@niikokun5326]

@@severedproxy I had a bit of a fun experience with this as a DM. I was running Yawning Portal, using the Sword Coast/Forgotten Realms world as my nifty little sandbox, and after the Forge of Fury dungeon'd been done, they travelled to Waterdeep to sign on as recognized adventurers. Upon arrival, they were greeted by a captain from the Gray Hands, who explained to the party that they were welcome to stay in the city, but before they go exploring, they should become notarized under one of the primary companies within the walls, as vigilantes were against the law. While mulling over their choices in the tavern, they spotted and tailed a red wizard to a waterfront warehouse, and through a series of misadventures involving a crime syndicate, some Thayan contraband, and a Red Wizard fusing with their Gazer familiar, they found evidence of the intrusive arcanists, triggered a trap that exploded the warehouse vigorously... and were promptly detained and given the choice between imprisonment for vigilante adventuring in Waterdeep's confines, or 'canary work' in an archeological dig out in the jungles of Chult. The trick isn't making the party do something you want. The trick is bringing what you want to the party. Sometimes it's a quest hook. Sometimes it's a favor for a favor. And sometimes it's community service to escape a jail cell. :3

[@fancychipss]

We had a similar scenario to the first story when a player had to drop out right before the session because their father passed. Im surprised to say a group of 16-20 years olds handled it better than the full grown adults. We usually like to pick fun and yell at each other but we knew to cut it out and get serious and made sure if they needed anything. A single session isn't worth emotional trauma and harassment and they were back the next week ready to play.

[@Micras08]

Seriously, any 10+ year old should have the necessary social skills to at least understand that it's a hard topic and there's a level of allowance to deviate from the "rules" (and/or social norms) around the game when shit like that happens :) Glad it went well for you guys. But sad you (and your buddy) had to go through it at that age tho :-/

[@Kobe379]

One of my players and good friends had his grandfather pass away a few days before our next session. We have a rule at the table that if you are late we are starting without you and unless 2 people can't make it we aren't going to postpone it again (we schedule for times that everyone says they can make) but seeing as it was a sensitive situation I asked him (after taking the time to talk to him about other things and giving him some time) if he still wanted to come to the session or if he was going to opt not to go and in the case of the latter he could choose whether the rest of the group was going to play without him or postpone the session another week or so. He decided to go to the session and I think it ended up being a good distraction for him, but I wanted to leave the option open if he didn't want to come

[@labtec514]

I think the older people were likely annoyed since it could be a bigger commitment if they have kids or whatever.

[@lucarioknightb7685]

Your commentary on the second story is great, but you have to remember this was OP’s first campaign; completely overhauling a story is a LOT; very intimidating for a newbie.

[@SlyFireVR]

I mean, they certainly did a better job than I could've

[@TheUnsafeKing]

It was intimidating, especially since the three players had almost 20 years experience on me. Until I started watching campaigns on youtube, I had no clue that this was abnormal. It was a fun game. Hopefully, one day we'll be able to finish it. Especially now that I've gotten a few short campaigns under my belt.

[@lucarioknightb7685]

@@TheUnsafeKing that’s the attitude to have. :). Don’t get upset, just keep working on improving.

[@csmead209]

Making a cult attack Brothel Hooters would have been weird if they needed a bimbo sacrifice.

[@demoulius1529]

@@TheUnsafeKing wouldnt call it abnormal per se. Its quite common that players look for side things to do between adventures. Just make sure it stays between adventurers and doesent replace it ;)

[@mokko759]

I'd be noping right out of there with that last story. Multiple accusations of both underage sex and sexual harassment, burning through a new girlfriend every month and this guy being legally required to declare his sexual offender status before entry into a house is a massive red flag. I find it incredibly difficult to believe a person's innocence in a situation like that. As far as I'm aware, you must be found guilty of those crimes before being registered as a sex offender/having to declare yourself. That tells me that he has been found guilty before, these three women just happen to be his newest accusers/victims. What I want to know is does DM's teenage daughter know that her dad willingly invites a sexual predator into their house?

[@AlphaOmega1237]

Any one of those flags might be tolerable for me if I knew the guy really well and believed in him. Maybe excluding him being on the registry, that's a hard one to accept him as innocent in spite of. All of those flags together paint a very bad picture.

[@mrroboshadow]

i sincerely hope that DM is just suffering from temporary insanity and will wise up before his daughter is added to the victim list then again the internet and news have conditioned me to expect the guy to blame his daughter for "leading his friend on" theres just some real horrible people out there

[@HiopX]

That story had more red flags than a communist ralley

[@quincyking010]

I'm from Ohio and u don't have to be found guilty here. As soon as a formal allegation of anything with a minor you are put on the sex offender registry. My friend once went to a bar. Hooked up with a girl. Only for it to be later be revealed she was 16 using a fake ID. He was found innocent of sexual misconduct with minor. But was still put on the registry. Now that being said I don't know the full story and it doesn't sound like op does either. So I'd suggest finding out the full story and going from there. Or if you are just uncomfortable being around him tell the dm and the group and stop going to the game night with him there.

[@ianna3276]

@@quincyking010 I would agree with you, if it wasn’t for the fact that there are so many allegations. One allegation can happen, sure but for multiple? Just does not seem like it’s just a “I didn’t know she wasn’t legal yet” situation.

[@mesocylon]

I had a “friend” like Guillermo who treated me the same way after my mom died so that story hit a big nerve. I hope Ricardo is doing ok.

[@demoulius1529]

Sorry to hear about your mom, and your 'friend'. Just take the time you need in cases like that. If people have problems with it, fuck em!

[@kira516]

​@@demoulius1529 literally, or.......?

[@LaCabraAsada]

@@kira516 People like Guillermo don't deserve to breed

[@adamelliott4257]

Regarding the BBQ sauce empire: if the DM could have just said “Hey guys, this is pretty funny but I’m not really having fun running this kind of game. Would someone like to take over?”

[@The482075]

I would love to be a game master in that campaign.

[@TheUnsafeKing]

The three experienced players were VERY into Vampire the Masquerade and we were already alternating weeks between the BBQ Sauce game and the VTM campaign. Also, I thought it was really funny, but I didn't know how to adapt and find a good motivation for a BBQ sauce Scry Porn Entrepreneurs to want to go to the Dungeon to fight the BBEG. It came down to having a "governor" order them and looking back I realized that I railroaded them and I think they felt that. I still have my notes and am still friends with them. If we ever pick it back up I will be sure to share with critcrab what happens. Covid derailed both campaigns and we haven't been able to find time with life getting in the way.

[@pedrojustice]

@@The482075 ⁰ooóó

[@demoulius1529]

Sometimes players are abit to enthousiastic about sidequests and they completly forget the main story. I feel players also have a obligation to at least try and follow up on the story. And if its the dm's first time that counts doubly so.

[@Toiletdeer]

@@TheUnsafeKing Tbf it was pretty inconsiderate of them to not follow the story you were telling them anymore if you're green (and they're vets). Also kinda so if you're not. By the way you told this it doesn't seem like they asked if it was allright by you. Did you guys talk about it later and have you been able to play together again between these months?

[@einherjar9364]

People really can be terrible. Its really sad to see how friend groups can split like that because of assholes

[@ARCCommanderOrar]

Toxic players are not fun to deal with, the fact that this is just a toxic person(!) Just kinda pisses me off.

[@MamieBabi]

The last story: Here the thing people who do those thing are basically never seen as a threat by their friends and family. When people commit truly heinous crimes, you almost always here people say "they would never do that", "they're such a good person", "I've known them for a long time, they're a good person". Rarely does anyone see it coming. People who do stuff like that are very good at hiding their true selves. I wouldn't even stick around if he was found not guilty but that's just me.

[@atheteusalexopoulos6876]

Its kinda common sense everyone overlooks but its obvious you wouldn't suspect your friend could commit child r@pe. If you did they probably wouldn't be your friend. I've never once thought "this dude gives me serial killer vibes. I should get to know him"

[@demoulius1529]

Maybe, but what happened to innocent until proven guilty? A friend of mine had an ex of him call up allegations against him as well. They werent true and it was proven untrue, but the damage is already done to the accused at that point. The concequences about believing things without proof is the very reason why 'innocent until proven guilty' excists. Its best to be upfront about cases like this to your group though. If people are uneasy about it they can leave. And if people want to hang around and see what happens they can also do that.

[@atheteusalexopoulos6876]

@@demoulius1529 I know this is 3 months late but the consequences of just straight up not believing are just as bad if not worst. I said in above comments but when I was a child my fathers friend was accused of R@pe. My father let this friend around because "innocent until proven guilty" and "It might be a lie" and his friend r@ped me. That's why I think you would be insane to just chill with someone with multiple accusations. It's dangerous.

[@demoulius1529]

@@atheteusalexopoulos6876 first of its terrible that something like that happened to you. But secondly you cant ruin someones life on hearsay. That friend of mine almost lost everything and everyone in his life/ As alot of people did just believe the allegations. Later on she confessed to the police that she was lying and had done it before. Its not always clear whos in the wrong in cases like this and thats why youre generally considered innocent until proven guilty.

[@atheteusalexopoulos6876]

@@demoulius1529 So if someone was accused of something like that you would let them come around? Because their feelings and their right to assumed innocence is more important than your childs innocence?

[@pwnorbepwned]

I’d leave the third campaign not because of whether or not the guy is innocent, but because the DM is taking it so flippantly and treating it as not a big deal. That’s not his judgment call to make whether or not everyone else at his table is okay with this. I had a neighbor arrested and all his internet devices confiscated for possession of a certain type of media that’s illegal to own. The police initially said it was for fraud, but I suspected it was the other thing, and later found out it was. His mother insisted he was being framed by someone. But while the investigation was still ongoing, she decided it was perfectly fine to invite her son over to other people’s houses, even when they had small children and knew about her son. It doesn’t matter if he’s innocent or guilty, you do not take it upon yourself to bring him into other people’s houses as if it doesn’t matter. This post reminded me of that situation.

[@demoulius1529]

Agree with you. Id be open about it and leave it up to people to decide if they wanted to leave or stay. That said if he shared his 'problem' with me in good confidence id want him to be open about it rather then me break it out to the group what was going on. But id insist on them knowing what was going on. People are rather quick with their judgement calls though. Innocent until proven guilty doesent really apply to the public eye...

[@vahlok1426]

The first story is typical douchebaggery, but taken even further. Second story is hilarious though. The players ought to name their group the BBQ Pit Boys just to settle it. "BBQ shoes, on."

[@wyvern723]

Story 3, I'd nope out so fast. You don't register as a sex offender until you've been convicted. Don't want anything to do with that garbage.

[@injetavel279]

I'll be starting a cyberpunk 2020 campaign tomorrow, wish me luck guys.

[@KumaoftheForest]

We’ll pray for you

[@Gazing-09]

Title has me seething. Like... Really seething.

[@TheUnsafeKing]

I was the DM for the BBQ sauce empire story. I wanted to clarify that I wasn't stopping them them from creating their empire... I actually tried to accommodate them as best I could, but I really wanted to play that dungeon from the module. It was my first campaign for D&D and DMing too. That group and I are still friends and I know exactly where we left off and would totally pick up where we left off BBQ Sauce, scry porn, and all. If it weren't for the BBEG being all about that dungeon I may not have tried to railroad them. The point of the story was more about me being a new DM not knowing what to do with it rather than an upset DM trying to stop them. Also, the suggestions you gave for how to challenge their empire are great. I already have ideas to make those suggestions fit into that homebrew world. AFTER they finish the dungeon! (I know it's selfish, but really want them to go! There's good stuff in there.)

[@CoOlKyUbI96]

Even if the guy in the first story didn't have as serious of a reason to miss out on D&D as he actually did, I don't think it was Guillermo's place to say what is and isn't a priority

[@NWolfsson]

In my group, we use to say "It's okay, life happens." when someone can't be there for a game. I mean, it *is* a hobby, and even for other hobbies you have to prioritize.

[@CoOlKyUbI96]

@@NWolfsson Exactly. Others might feel the same, but for me personally it's not as if I'd rather miss out on having fun. Its the opposite actually. But as you said, sometimes life happens

[@demoulius1529]

Same here. Im the forever DM of the group and you wont know the many of times life has gotten infront of our sessions. Including for me sometimes. Shit happens and its oke. Only when it happens frequently or people dont have an excuse and not show up do I get abit pissy. Ive had a player (who was always the reason we had trouble scheduling to begin with) not show up for a session because he was spending the night prior to that binging on alcohol with another group of friends and we waked up from his alcohol induced coma with our phonecall. Thats the only time ive ever been upset with a player not showing up.

[@jonathancarlson6127]

Wait- careful aiming from Imperial forces? No such thing!

[@15oClock]

Least realistic part of the game.

[@ДмитрийЗеленский-ж7х]

Well, they actually aimed very carefully. We know that at Death Star, they were ordered to let the group go, and their other shots were quite efficient.

[@matthewjones2095]

@@ДмитрийЗеленский-ж7х thank you im so sick of that joke

[@scottlofty]

And these blast points, too accurate for sand people. Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise. --Obi Wan Kenobi

[@ДмитрийЗеленский-ж7х]

@@scottlofty Eg-bloody-zactly.

[@spoonyluv19]

In regards to that last story, I would not be anywhere near someone who has an allegation of S.A. against a minor, especially with my own child. I would just bow out of the campaign until all the legal stuff was settled

[@PrincessNinja007]

Of the people I know personally who've got those allegations, two admitted it and were convicted, and two were themselves victims of sexual harassment by the teens weaponizing those allegations to isolate their victim. So if someone says they didn't do it, it's always possible they didn't actually do ot. That's why we have trials. And for a fun bonus, one time someone used a false SA story about my bf to try and isolate ME to hook up with them

[@thedarkdungeon1083]

Good morning Crit Crab! I hope you having a love day/night, keep up the amazing Videos

[@CritCrab]

Thanks! You too!

[@15oClock]

There really should be a business-building RPG.

[@corpselight7989]

Monopoly with stats and enemies lmao

[@rararasputin8608]

@@corpselight7989 Using several settings that while may be questionable, leads to an interesting aspect: pre-bubble bursting, post-burst bubble, so on and so forth. It invites people to read up on the setting or investigate and capitalize on knowledge of the situation and/or business tactics.

[@ДмитрийЗеленский-ж7х]

You technically can use GURPS like that. It just might not be the most interesting time ever.

[@lucaspiazentin1052]

For D&D at least, WotC released Acquisitions Incorporated for 5e, which may not be a bussiness-building story but it provides many rules for something quite similar.

[@Lis_Kid]

Honestly I'd rather side with a potential victim than with a potential p*do. I wouldn't feel comfortable playing with that guy after hearing the accusations made against him.

[@kcollier2192]

Story 1- Guillermo reminds me of Tommy DeVito from Goodfellas- if he's not amused you get bruised. Story 2- I'd love to encounter a BBQ Porn Empire- sounds spicy! Story 3- At the very least play over the internet and not IRL. 'Innocent until proven guilty' meets 'Where there's smoke, there's fire'. Better to be cautious than burned.

[@TheUnsafeKing]

It was pretty spicy... I based it off my favorite Texas BBQ sauce that has a lot of black pepper.

[@hel117]

Even if you know someone well, that does NOT mean they are not capable of SA. It means they either hid that side of themselves from you or you didn't notice the red flags for what they were. False accusations are extremely rare, and getting a rape conviction is extremely difficult, so even if the court can't prosecute him that does not mean he's innocent. Get out of there.

[@mokko759]

Truth. False accusations are indeed extremely rare but three false accusations? Nah, bruh, you have a higher chance of being eaten by a shark after being struck by lightning for all three, completely different accusations to be false. I'd be running for the hills and taking DM's teenage daughter with me. She's the one I am most concerned for in all that.

[@hel117]

@@mokko759 Same. I cannot imagine letting a teenager in my care to be in the same house as someone who is on trial for rape.

[@boomkruncher325zzshred5]

I have a relative who is a felon. My relationship with them before the news of their arrest rocked the family was conflicted at worst and positive at best, and after their conviction and subsequent parole/probation I was constantly worried for them, seeing how their criminal choices ruined their lives in ways I am still astonished to see. Depression, suicidal thoughts, starvation, dehydration, lack of self-worth, utter destruction of any sense of humanity in my relative, complete inability to hold down a job first because of the conviction THEN because of mental health and THEN because of physical health because the labor jobs left over were way too strenuous for their physique, the works. However, their crime is the kind of crime that one can NEVER escape from, and they certainly deserved to be brought to justice, and they were properly served their sentence, at least in my eyes. The prescribed torment they went through, however, has scarred them for life, and I can’t help but feel awful now that they are trying to put the shattered pieces of their life back together. I know them, I know the good they COULD do, but now there are so many barriers between their success and where they are now and it’s their fault those barriers exist. So I know how hard it is to have a close connection to someone who has royally screwed up and is then going through the darkest punishments possible, both by the court and by the social pressure surrounding their crimes. What helped me deal with it is this: remember that people are complicated, and that their good qualities don’t excuse their crimes. However, their past is not a monolith to define them for the rest of their life. Regardless of how bad they screwed up their lives and the lives of those they impacted with their destructive actions, they deserve the chance to turn things around, and they DO have good qualities that could still be used for the betterment of society, if they manage to get the support and education to use those qualities. A key component of that philosophy: they have the CHANCE to make things right. Be compassionate with them, but firm, in your dealings with them. Support them when they start to turn things around, get them help if they start to slip, and DO NOT HESITATE TO REPORT THEM IF THEY COMMIT CRIMES AGAIN. They need to move in an ACTUAL positive direction, not a “good for me but not for thee” attitude that they may develop. When people get put under very heavy discipline (which happens to felons for obvious reasons) it is very easy to develop resentment against “the system” for subjecting them to that discipline. It takes a very strong character to be humble and grow from one’s crippling mistakes as best as one can when under the thumb of a prison system for years. Couple that with the severe dehumanization the prison system puts the inmates through (and they ARE in there for a reason), and it’s very easy for felons once finally free of their sentence, parole AND probation to be unrecognizable as themselves at best, and forever mangled into some inhuman monster at worst. I remember mailing thick envelopes of printed descriptions of Magic the Gathering cards (just the descriptions, not the actual cards, because I couldn’t send the actual cards but I could send the “letters”) to my felon relative while they were in prison so the inmates could use paper slips to write down the card descriptions and play Magic the Gathering with the paper slips while they were serving their time; I did it, because my relative loves playing Magic, and I had the chance to give them a bright spot in that dismal time. As a result, I sorta sympathize with the DM in the last story: it’s really hard to not do what you can for a friend getting their life ripped apart, regardless if the allegations are true or false. I also sympathize with OP being unsure about what is the appropriate course of action when the status of the alleged felony is up in the air as it was. DM should have briefed the group about their friend’s issues before OP and OP’s friend joined, but it’s sorta noble that DM was willing to try and give their troubled friend a good time at the DnD table while they could still play. The DM was sloppy in handling the situation, but as long as the group is cool with it I seen no reason for showing a compassionate hand for someone facing down the barrel of their (“supposed”, innocent until proven guilty) bad actions bringing their consequences to bear on them. Anyway, if you made it through all that, I hope it helps if you’re in that kind of situation. We’re all humans here; both the good, and the bad. Good luck.

[@demoulius1529]

Yeah society kinda punishes people who have visited prison (for whatever reason) very harshly. Sometimes even for minor things because of the mere fact that they got a criminal record. The punishment is supposedly prison but honestly the punishment is for life... Now some things are truelly dispicable and in those cases some form of harsh punishment is warranted. But generally that punishment takes place outside of prison and it doesent feel right. Either make the complete punishment take place there and then let them start afresh. Or just say upfront that theyre gonna be ostracized for life and not be a dick about it. If at the end of the day you cant hold down a job for example how are you supposed to legally feed yourself? You are just going to lead them into a life of crime which at the end of the day harms even more people. Its not just unfair, its even stupid. Because if you have no chance of redemption, then people arent going to try. I hope your family member is doing well.

[@boomkruncher325zzshred5]

@@demoulius1529 They have found a degree of peace, our family moved to a remote area with them and they are given the time and compassion to figure out their next steps without pressures from society and without many costs they have to pay for. They are moving forward, little by little, and from what I saw they have NEVER reverted to their past crime. So they are doing okay, and hopefully they have the chance to do some good in the world if the opportunity arises.

[@Thommy2n]

In regards to that third story, you indeed need permission to enter a home with children SPECIFICALLY if you are already a registered sex offender. And while it is worth noting sexually assaulting a minor and possession/distribution of child porn are far from the only ways to wind up on that list, the other paths to that list aren’t good either! They can include: Engaging in the services of a prostitute (in most states only if it’s a minor, but in six states it’s regardless of the sex workers age) Indecent exposure Public urination Incest If this man is willing to let it slide to his friends that they are spending time with someone on the registry, I definitely fear for his daughters safety, because I honestly don’t know if I trust him to let her know he welcomes a possible predator into the place where she lives and sleeps.

[@shadowscall7758]

The problem is, you can also get put on there if the other person lies about their age and you find out after the fact that they lied, but you still get convicted of having sex with a minor (because you technically did, you just didn't know they were because they lied).

[@jimbobjones9330]

@@shadowscall7758 And that's fair. And if it was the only thing, you could possibly excuse it as that (or just look it up online). But with the accusations and court case with THREE separate accusers (that were all willing to come forward)? I think you'd be insane to bring your kids around someone like that.

[@KrytenKoro]

@@shadowscall7758 who did that happen to?

[@shadowscall7758]

@@KrytenKoro Zach Anderson was a high profile example, but it has happened to others as well. Luckily, his case became high profile and made another judge take a look at it, but it has happened to others who never became high profile.

[@dreamwolf7302]

My friend just lost his mother on Thanksgiving, i took time off work, because he is like a brother to me, to drive up and help him through the first few days. My boss wasnt happy, but thankfully, i'm vital enough to operations that they cant fire me for using my accumulated vacation without shooting themselves in the foot.

[@davidwallace5645]

Just for you guys that haven't played the game before, star wars imperial assault is run as 1 vs all. So it's like dnd, but if it was actually dm vs players. And it works well because it's a board game with clearly defined rules that everyone follows. That being said, if the imperial player wants to target a player that is clearly not a tank, that's a strategy-not picking on someone. Unless you're a dick about it ofc

[@rileythedisturbedsoul4822]

That last story, RUN, fucking RUN

[@atheteusalexopoulos6876]

#3 is a deeply triggering topic for me as growing up my dad had friends accused of those crimes and he still let them around. One ended up r@ping me and it ruined my life. Later on my dad defending his actions saying the same things some of the people in the comments are saying. Screw innocent until proven guilty or "as long as I keep an eye out" a child's innocents is more important than your friends feelings getting hurt.

[@Nikolai_The_Crazed]

It’s fine to believe it when someone you know says they’ve had something terrible happen. If they’re a stranger, innocent until proven guilty should be applied. Because, sadly, if there are people demented enough to actually do horrible things, then there’s definitely people demented enough to lie about that kind of thing as well.

[@atheteusalexopoulos6876]

@@Nikolai_The_Crazed Nope sorry but I deeply disagree. I'm not saying grab a pitchfork but i'm not brining someone accused of a sex crime around because "innocent until proven guilty". To me that's insane. Like I said my own father did that (allowed a friend accused of molesting kids around because he thought the friend's wife was just lying) and this friend literally r@ped me and I was just a child. My dad put his friends feelings above me and it ruined my childhood. A childs innocents means 1000000X more to me than some dude getting treated fairly. I will never allow someone accused of a sex crime around my family.

[@atheteusalexopoulos6876]

@@Nikolai_The_Crazed Like if you heard a guy in your town you didn't no r@ped someone and that guy came to your house (lets say to sell something) and you were leaving for work you would just leave that dude alone with your wife because "innocent until proven guilty" you would be insane if you said yes.

[@Nikolai_The_Crazed]

@@atheteusalexopoulos6876 Why would anyone leave a stranger alone, in their house, with their wife? They’re a stranger. That’s just common sense, be careful around strangers. Stranger danger, you should do that regardless of what they’ve been accused of. Self preservation 101, don’t trust anyone you don’t know, be cautious around everyone. But if someone expects me to believe someone I’ve never met, has actually done something, they’re gonna have to show me some proof. Once I get some proof, that schmuck would be greeted with a shotgun if he comes knocking. Until then, he’s just another person to keep out of my house. Still though, if you know them, that should be a no brainer. If my dad heard someone molested my brothers or I, that person would be dead by nightfall. My cousins were molested by my aunt’s ex-boyfriend. I believe them because I know them, and I know my aunt’s judgement is shite after her brain tumor. But I’m not just going to believe anyone I don’t know until I’ve got the facts in front of me. A stranger in the wild will be treated respectfully while being held at arms length, but they ain’t coming inside my house regardless. That said, I catch a whiff of anything and they’re getting the cold shoulder too. I get something beyond that, they’re gonna see a rapid escalation if they come around.

[@atheteusalexopoulos6876]

@@Nikolai_The_Crazed Then we agree TBH. I would just say be careful. Even if you know someone and they've been accused but you don't think it's true be really safe. In general be really safe around everyone accused or not because rates of R@pe and child m@lestation are insane. And it's important to remember most people are victimized by people they trust. I've met a lot of people in group therapy who's parents made the mistake of believing "innocent until proven guilty" and they or their kid paid for it. You wouldn't believe the stories from women as well that rallied around guys that were "lied about" that ended up getting attacked by the same guy. I find when a guy says they were lied about people just tend to believe them and feel bad for them and that can end really badly too. I always say "Innocent until proven guilty but if I see smoke i'm not looking to get burned by the fire". And never assume because you are home the family is safe. Literally all it takes is moments to ruin a childs life.

[@briangang3977]

Brian gang, rise up and remember that being a good person should never be punished!

[@KentaroMiyamoto21]

That Guillermo guy.... is just the worst. I'd be miffed enough at his behavior at MtG, a game I'm very passionate about, but showing no remorse for someone mourning their mother makes him even worse.

[@LordMephilis]

For the second story, you can let players have their fun... but make it cost something if they spend too much time on trivial things and not going after the bad guys. Have the villains be active at the same time, spreading their influence and doing the bad guy stuff. If the party ignores them for too long it might be too late to stop them kinda thing. It's not legend of zelda were ganon I'd just sitting in his castle playing his organ waiting for link to finish his fishing side quest.

[@TheUnsafeKing]

Yeah. This is totally how I would handle it now. It was my first ever campaign and I had no clue how to go about it. We had a lot of fun, but covid lockdown ended the campaign unfortunately.

[@dayanaibarra4096]

This really boils my claws.

[@valerievedette9542]

I’m glad the comments agree that sexual assault allegations are serious. I feel like the D&D community can be so toxic, especially when it comes to stuff like this… (I know first hand as a girl who loves rpgs 😬) and oftentimes sexual predators are enabled by the community. And it’s so strange to me how false accusations are only the most feared when it comes to SA accusations, but rarely any other crime.

[@Blaumagier]

On that last story... I would say you have 3 options really. If it is too big a red flag for you... Just dip out. You aren't obligated to keep playing with people that make you uncomfortable for whatever reason, even if they haven't been proven guilty of whatever. If you feel like giving the guy a chance, then the other 2 options are to just wait and see how the court stuff pans out, or you could always just find out if your fellow players feel the same and maybe get your DM (since he seems to know the guy real well) to explain to him that the allegations have you all concerned and you would like to hear straight from the horse's mouth. It could be as simple as a "is it true? Did you do it?" or you could allow him to go into more detail if you so choose. There is always the risk of someone getting defensive or even violent when being confronted about something so I would advise not directly confronting him about yourself unless the DM is unwilling to break the suggestion for him to explain himself gently. For real though, if it makes you uncomfortable, don't be afraid to just stop going and find a different group.

[@CleverCover05]

Story 2 sounds like dm should have ran with it and they all would have had more fun in the end for it. Story 3 is a hell no. I'm out of there immediately. Even if we are friends. It never looks good for a man in their early 20's to be dating anyone 17 and under. Just makes you and everyone associated with you look sketchy as fuck.

[@TheUnsafeKing]

I did run with it to a degree. I just really really wanted to do a Dungeon. It was my first every campaign and made a bunch of mistakes. No regrets though.

[@ufazig]

Yeah, never looks good. Unless in a lot of countries and even states in the US in which the age of consent is not 18, since that is not an absolute age nor is it defined by scientific parameters.

[@GradualGhost]

From that last story the biggest red flag comes from the DM. He knew about what was going on with the paladin and not only withheld it but treated it as though it were no big deal. Neither of those things is his call.

[@asarishepard8171]

Ugh this reminds me of something that happened. We were at my sisters place, her husband was dm and before our weekly game our dying sick mother called scared to go to sleep. She was on so many meds she said she ws going to die in her sleep. After my sister spent an hour trying to calm and comfort her everyone else's attitude was " great thats over with lets play." Oh im sorry was my mothers illness an inconvenience to you??

[@Toiletdeer]

yes, it was obviously inconvenient. It was very good that she got comforted and that everyone waited an hour (not an insignificant amount of time to wait when you just got ready to do something with your group, even if it is necessary) to start. It's not fun to hear that others were getting impatient, especially when youre worried about your mother, but it's not weird that they were happy that they could start doing the fun thing they came there to do and that they care less than you about YOUR mother (unless your mother raised them too lol) and it's unreasonable to expect otherwise. Maybe the whole vibe of it didn't come across right through your comment and I obviously don't know shit about the situation other than the things you said here, but if everything is as it seems then I honestly don't know what you expected of them.

[@asarishepard8171]

@@Toiletdeer no they were complete jerks and anything not doing with the game was seen as a waste of time including my dying and sick mother.

[@Vearru]

If I were the DM for the second story that would be absolutely incredible. I’d absolutely love if my players detail things so far. I’d be creating side quests and such to do with the barbecue sauce and empire while keeping in mind the original plot and what would happen if the players weren’t there to do anything about it. I’d then slowly drop hints of certain things that are happening without them, like maybe some other people were hired to do X thing and then they set things into motion if it needed the party to set things off. Then if that happened, depending on how big the campaign was supposed to be I’d cause something from stolen goods, to interfered supply routes, to complete destruction of the manufacturing facilities (I’d of course give the players indication of these things first like maybe someone mentions ships going missing in the seas or entire cities being wiped of all their population, or even just an increased amount of theft so they can preemptively react if they don’t want their empire to be harmed). With all of that though, the players will eventually be guided naturally by the events that were already going to happen into the primary campaign, and then if they want after it’s over they could be playing barbecue sauce simulator. Either way it would be great.

[@TheUnsafeKing]

Yeah... I was new to DMing and all I could think of was Bad Guys start to randomly come out of hiding and fight you. Oh no! Still not going? Ok the Governor orders you to or he will seize your assets (including the empire). I hope one day we can pick it off and I will definitely update critcrab if we do. Covid put it on almost a permanent hiatus.

[@me0101001000]

Guillermo, I just want to talk! ... Ignore the baseball bat

[@NeoVault_]

2nd story is funny though maybe not RPG Horror levels worthy. I think this is an issue of expectation vs reality. Neither side really was doing anything bad or infamous. Though understandable if one wanted to run a more serious campaign. I will say I slightly lean more towards the players in this situation. A cool idea I could easily see in a frontier based scenario with more possibilities.

[@mrroboshadow]

true but this was, i believe, the DM's first time running a game while i wanna emphasize that i dont blame players for running with a fun idea, maybe it could have been reigned back a bit for the DM's sake at the end of the day in D&D everyone should be having fun, and it did sound like the DM wasnt having that much fun

[@TheUnsafeKing]

When I shared the story I wasn't saying this was horror. I genuinely thought it was hilarious, but didn't know what to do with it because I was so inexperienced. At the end of the day we had fun and even though my PCs weren't thrilled about being railroaded I think we may resume one day. I may even back track and remove the railroad. Enough time has past that a redo might be in order.

[@NeoVault_]

Ah, that makes sense. And with more experience I'm sure it will turn up well.

[@nightdarksorceress212]

As a woman and also victim of sexual abuse, I will stand up and leave without saying a word. Nop, I'm not risking myself nor believing. One time? You can doubt it. Three? A pattern and also massive redflag.

[@noelnotcole7940]

Okay that BBQ sauce story is actually really cool and I think the DM should have either talked to the players if he didn't like the direction it was going or tried to readjust the campaign to fit. Creating a Barbecue Sauce empire just sounds like a fun idea and I don't think there was anything wrong with what the players were doing there. There could've definitely been better communication tho

[@TheUnsafeKing]

I liked the direction... I allowed them to change story elements to cater to it even. I just didn't know how to handle it and foolishly decided to put them on a railroad. Then Covid Lockdown happened we took what has been a permanent hiatus. If anyone was wrong it was me with the railroad, but it was my first ever campaign and I really wanted them to go to the dungeon. Hindsight, I would have done a lot of things differently. But at the end of the day we were all having fun and that's what mattered.

[@lunch_trey]

"Hey, how come Paladin isn't here again?" "Oh, he's currently under litigation for sexual activity with minors, no big deal." I will never understand how the DM can be so casual about something like that.

[@chaos4654]

Story 2: Honestly, I think it's funnier when the PCs get blindsided by the main plot/the main threat.

[@TheUnsafeKing]

They were really surprised that the cultists who had spent years in hiding just decided to attack the capital. During that session I remember one of my characters saying out of game "it's fine, it's actually perfect because I want to talk to this general" and then he roll played making BBQ sauce the regional condiment of the army. After that success I was just like... OK you do that, but now here comes the governor. Who promptly ordered them to the dungeon.

[@RaphBlade7]

On the one with the potential sexual predator Paladin, personally I think the DM and the Paladin should have been upfront with them about the court case. Also if the Paladin had to inform the DM because they had children, I would assume that they were in fact a registered sex offender and if I were the DM, I would make it very clear that they wouldn't be allowed around my daughter, as a parent's job is to protect their children and I'd probably consult a lawyer regarding what the law was to ensure that they were following it to the letter (like making sure they were registered and did everything on their end). I'm not saying an adult can't associate with people who have ended up as registered sex offenders (I know that there is more to it and people can end up on the sex offender registry for various sex crimes some minor, like sleeping with someone whom they were lead to believe was a consenting adult only to find out that person lied and were underage leading them being convicted and forced to deal with being a registered sex offender for the rest of their life) but I wouldn't take chances because you can never truly know what someone is thinking or what someone might do to your child if presented with the opportunity. Personally I agree with CritCrab on them fading out is probably the best way to go, but I personally would say that I'm uncomfortable with the fact the DM and Paladin didn't explain the situation to other players as while I understand people make mistakes that can lead them with being labeled something they are not (people automatically think pedophile or rapist when they here sex offender, but don't realize there is a lot of nuance and not all sex offenders are pedophiles or rapists) they should be man enough to tell the truth of the situation, instead of the DM just dropping that bombshell on everyone out of the blue. While I'm giving the Paladin the benefit of the doubt, personally I think that if you've got three cases where your accused of sex with 3 underage girls and are apparently a registered sex offender, then you either have the worst luck and the police think your some monster cause of your past, or you are guilty of what they are accusing you of.

[@Calredic]

Speaking as a father: If you knowingly let someone accused of sexual assault against minors by multiple people around your own underage daughter, you are - at best - sickeningly irresponsible. Doing so for the sake of a game is fucking deplorable.

[@costelinha1867]

Trust me Crab, from this subreddit nothing sounds like a stretch.

[@Smeagolthevile]

The BBQ sauce bit isn't bad, let it be a backup to the story and run parallel, the scry porn? Now that is treading on extremly sus waters, sounds alot like peeping and noncon to me

[@Jetblast01]

There was an isekai anime where the "hero" was considered so disgusting and shitty by the Goddess she didn't even use him so he became a trade merchant, but somehow ended up with OP powers while still being very low leveled.

[@raincastshowerthoughts3147]

hey i know that one!

[@wow-zc1fq]

@@raincastshowerthoughts3147 whats it called

[@raincastshowerthoughts3147]

@@wow-zc1fq Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu, i believe

[@randyranderson690]

I actually love the second story, I WANT players to have this kind of creativity. In one game, where I was a player, I played a rogue (with a few levels of mage & cleric) that used his abilities to create a cult just to get rich. I had the full outfit: hooded robes, holy symbol & equipment, a backpack I could reach from inside the robes that had extra pockets for pilfered stuff and the spells to pull off the fact I was healing/blessing people (prestidigitation for glow effect and suggestion for making people believe they'd been healed) fun times.

[@TheUnsafeKing]

It was less about not wanting the players to do it and more about not knowing what to do with it. I wasn't planning on them being entrepreneurs. I will definitely update critcrab if that group ever resumes.

[@lilharm]

people like Guillermo are pretty much asking to be slapped in the face by reality someday…

[@peggedyourdad9560]

Also, a “not guilty” verdict doesn’t necessarily mean innocence, it could just mean that there wasn’t enough physical evidence for a guilty verdict (sex crimes are notoriously hard to prove in court, especially if the victim didn’t immediately pursue legal action) or that the victim decided to drop the case (trying to pursue legal action for SA is incredibly triggering for these victims as they have to recount the experience many times over and have many violating tests done on them). False accusations are also very rare (like 1-1000 at most) and don’t generally happen unless someone is of notable status in society. Combined with the fact that I’m pretty much every state in the US, you only have to announce your sex crime and be put on a registry if you’ve already been found guilty of the related crime. I think it’s a very safe assumption that the dude did stuff to a lot of girls and nowhere near safe to be let around the DM’s teen daughter or any young girls really.

[@rustyjones7908]

No. You are innocent until proven guilty. Not guilty literally does mean innocent, it's how it's defined in the country. Not enough evidence? If you don't like it move to Mexico or Japan where guilt is automatically assumed and the cops whomp the crap out of you until you confess.

[@peggedyourdad9560]

@@rustyjones7908 lol, okay buddy. You’re in luck since most rapist and other sexual criminals get off scot-free because their crimes don’t usually leave behind lasting physical evidence. As I stated before, because of this little quirk, sex crimes can be very very difficult to prove in court even if it did happen. This isn’t like theft or murder which leave behind evidence either in the form of missing stuff of blood stains. Unless the victim is obviously injured or went to the police when they still had dna left on them (which often does not happen), it can near impossible to prove that they indeed were sexually assaulted leading to many rapists walking around free. If you ever decide to read/listen to people talking about their experience with sexual assault, you will find this as a frequent theme.

[@rustyjones7908]

@@peggedyourdad9560 I've been raped. Get the f*** over it, you're only a victim as long as you allow it. And the LAST thing I want is for America to abandon the constitution because some people have personal trauma.

[@ВасилийПупкин-ж8и]

@@peggedyourdad9560 So it's alright to ruin innocent people's life without any proof just because "yea he totally raped me pinky swear"? Due process is there for a reason.

[@peggedyourdad9560]

@@ВасилийПупкин-ж8и I’m saying that due process isn’t always reliable in these cases because, in order to have physical evidence to prove guilt, a victim must immediately go to the police while they still have said physical evidence on them and barely any victims actually do this. So, these cases almost always end up as a “he said, she said” situation in court with the criminal often getting off scot-free or with a very short sentence. I’m not saying that an innocent life should be ruined, I’m saying that multiple women (who don’t know each other) coming forward about a man who assaulted them should be trusted more than the word of the accused (because who tf is going to say “yea, I assaulted these girls”?”). Y’all really love to pretend like our justice system has zero flaws or faults and that there’s no way that certain criminals or crimes can slip through the cracks.

[@GrievousFrom]

As an Imp you're supposed to try and win Imperial Assault, so it should be played like a competitive game to some extent. OP was being super nice by spreading the damage since focusing down one or two rebels is usually the best general strategy for the Imp.

[@deatharsenal6311]

I love the little jab towards MiniLadd at 4:08!

[@thatsmuggamer]

Who doesn’t?

[@thecthuloser876]

I feel like the second story sounds like it should be a D&D glory story, not a horror story. While it's a bit goofier that I'd like, I'd love for characters to tale initiate like that.

[@kelp-ist3469]

Bruh this is literally my old friend he would act like he was all depressed when ever I won in a game it got to the point that I actually told him to get over himself his life isn't bad it was literally stupid kids calling him names but other than that he was spoiled rotten, one Christmas I got a game, keyboard (piano kind), and a few gift cards, my other friend only got a few games, and this friend I was talking about was kind of bragging about how he got like 4 games, a drawing tablet, and like 15 other things, and still be fucking depressed everytime he lost. I have a rule, if they're not fun to play with anymore and makes you feel bored/sad kick him out, like Jaiden animations said "your not responsible for any ones happiness

[@hundiges1291]

If he just acted childish in the context of losing games, that's fine. Other than that actual depression has NOTHING to do with how ones life isn't so bad or how many gifts they get. Telling a person with depression how they have no right to feel bad is deeply invalidating and harmful.

[@romancapulus5577]

In regards of the last story, I would’ve peaced out

[@QMulative]

I might know the sore loser in that story. Other than that the name has been changed for the usual reason, he fits the description to a T. I really hope there aren't more than 1 of him in the world, but yeah, you could NOT enjoy a game with that guy. He'd yell at you if you were winning, accusing you of cheating, and he'd yell at you if HE was winning, accusing you of being a terrible player! His goal seemed not as much to play the game, as to make sure YOU weren't having fun playing the game, win or lose. He offhandedly mentioned to me that he had trouble keeping friends, and that he had some "bad experiences" with D&D, but yeah, once the friendship between him and I wasn't new anymore, it was easy for me to see why he had trouble keeping friends. Right now he's let himself fall under the control of a manipulator and into a small circle of abusers with only each other to abuse.

[@n0etic_f0x]

The BBQ sauce sounds like something I would do, in fact I have a large Fish sauce empire that is run by fluffy aborable Gnolls. They just liked my idea of a more civial Gnoll race someone made art of them then decided they needed to be come rich of selling fish sauce and open an opera house because that would be funny.

[@Rotten_Prince]

I feel you, I'm trying to turn a group of orcs into farmers and help them have tournaments to placate their need to prove their strenght

[@TheUnsafeKing]

That's funny! I was the DM in the 2nd story and it was at a fish sauce plant where the NPC made the mistake and invented BBQ sauce. It was a great campaign. I just wish I had been able to handle it. My experience being as little as it was I did my best.

[@n0etic_f0x]

@@TheUnsafeKing Cool coincidence, I had a first time player who is now a very good freind and took the idea of not just killing anybody you see seriously so she wanted to make friends with the basic fodder enemy. She thought it was supposed to be cute (I just made them not stupid... no idea why she thought I was trying to make them adorable dog people and started petting them) but she was new and I thought it was fun so I went with it. We took about 5 hours making the start of a sauce empire. The campaign lasted 3 years the race is now known as cackle dogs, they have a home city that is actually a massive road called "Guild guild" as it is a guided road run by a guild of merchants. The dogs are a very boofy race. Immensely wealthy they look very fancy but act like punk rock hooligans. Often just doing things like burning a massive bag of weed in the middle of a tavern or getting drunk and swimming naked in the river of a king, and for some reason the whole table loves them.

[@ShitpostingJoJo]

Hol' up... About the second story, i THOUGHT I'd understand the title in context, because what in the Kentucky Fried *F* is a "BBQ Sauce Scry P©rn" >> I am now halfway thru the post and I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW TF did the p©rn part of this even happened!! *•_____•* I AM CONFUSION

[@Samuraiedge2]

First story reminds me of a "friend" who our group met through a Gmod RP. Usually quiet and got along with everyone else but what was consistent and got on everyone's nerves was whenever he flaunts his "rich" lifestyle, praise Fallout 76 and try to convince us to buy it, and rants about a certain KZbinr for a reason I could not remember. Something about being rejected as a VA for their animated series. Whenever we do play a game with him, lets just say he's a sore loser. What nailed the coffin was during an argument with another friend, the guy thought it would be funny(in his words said it was just a joke) to tell the friend, "At least I don't have a dead mom!". Suffice to say, almost everyone blew up on him for a good 5 minutes before banning him from the Discord.

[@scotchsunday]

First, the rate of false reports of s3x crimes is extremely low. Depending on the study, only between 2% and 8% of cases are false reports. Second, even though he has not entered a plea of been found guilty, it could still be a condition of his bond that he not be allowed around children.

[@damekkoDark]

power fantasy could be about starting business with your friends as well as fighting evil you know

[@AuntLoopy123]

That BBQ sauce story sounds HILARIOUS! I'm with Critcrab on this one.

[@TheUnsafeKing]

I was the DM. It was hilarious. I just had no experience and no clue what to do with it. At the end of the day everyone had fun and that's what mattered.

[@The_Petey]

This is why I refuse to join communities of any kind. There's always gonna be someone that bullies you out of it.

[@granziii12]

God, back when I played MTG everything was fine till I went up against a blue player, then another... and another. After a while I realized the game just can't be fun if I'm going against anyone who runs blue. There was nothing enjoyable about any of it! I tried! Ya know, I really tried to shove down my feelings about it and just enjoy the time spent with like minded nerds. Then they got cocky. Beat me fair and square? No problem. Beat me without letting me get to do anything? Irritating but I understand it's possible and you must have had a hell of a hand. Beat me consistently with OTKs and FTKs and then insult me? I'm setting your deck on fire! I played either Slivers (it was my first deck that was gifted to me by my cousin who I always saw like an older brother and never get to see) or mono red (I like my big dragons and horde of goblins with Code of Arms) after all that I just became a collector and then had everything stolen by some guy who pretended to be my friend so he could find out where I live and steal $13,000 worth of stuff from me including stuff I had hidden because I treasured them. He didn't just steal my belongings, he took my peace of mind. So in 15 minutes I found out his real name, where he lives, his license plate number, I found his girlfriend and all her info, who his family is, what they all do, where they live and then I found out where he works, at Pawn King... he stole my stuff so he could sell it at his shop... I took all this to the police, thinking I'd get an "at'a boy!" But they were incredibly dismissive, accusatory and did everything they could to pin it off on someone else's jurisdiction. I never got my stuff back. He taunted me several times from restricted numbers. He used family members and friends to lure me into bad places and worse situations where they could do it all over again AND try to kill me because he's a scam artist and he doesn't like how much attention was put on me. So he tried to make me look like an absolute monster. There was a girl I was seeing at the time. I got a restricted call to hear her and him going at it. I remember thinking "25 to life is starting to sound like an acceptable price right about now." Months went by and I was getting my life together. I was starting to become happy with who I was and then I saw him. I didn't pay any attention to what new business was put in the plaza. A Pawn King, and guess who was standing right there at the counter? I immediately called my mentor because he's got some blood on his hands and it felt wise to ask him what to do. I'll never forget this... "Granz, I can't believe I'm about to say this but you need to listen... 4 or 5 moments..." "Dude... are you-" "4 or 5 moments is all it takes to be a hero." "You know how that ended though!" "Yeah, but you're not Deadpool. You'll make the right choice." The phone call went on for about 40 minutes but he talked me down and I came over for pizza, wings and a movie with friends who were all there for me in my time of need. My life went on, I got better, I'm no longer the unstable violence addict I once was and now I'm living a life I'm pleased with. As for that other guy? What goes around comes around. I have a feeling he got what was coming to him. You don't piss that many people off without somebody doing something.

[@arellajardin8188]

I can’t speak for every State, but where I live, you need to be on parole, probation, or treatment to have o legally declare “sex offender” status. Or more specifically, if you’re under a government official’s supervision, like a parole officer or medical officer. And that doesn’t happen until you’re convicted of something. Simply being on trial shouldn’t require him to declare that. But again, different States, different rules.

[@pudgydog00]

On that last story, look up the list of convicted predators for the state in question. It should all be there as public record.

[@demoulius1529]

If the story took place in the states, that works. Not all countries across the world have such provisions though.

[@matthewa.whiting719]

As someone who has provided sex offender treatment to offenders on parole/probation, I would be VERY concerned if any of my clients did what Paladin did. One of the biggest tenets of SO treatment is avoiding situations that risk re-offending, and playing a roleplaying game with minors is WAY too risky. Either Paladin was not convicted yet or was blatantly violating his parole, because there's no way in heck a good therapist or parole officer would approve an activity request to play D&D with minors.

[@Gilleban]

I had a high school/early college friend who ran most of our D&D games...when we were around him more often he didn't seem too bad despite being socially awkward, but we did take note that one girlfriend he had, though of legal age, was significantly "younger-looking" than the previous one (a bar would have to card her for soda). Later, he hit on one girl from our group (who was originally another player's girlfriend) almost the moment she turned 18...it became a source of ridicule behind his back but, since she actually WAS 18, we wrote it off despite being a red flag so large Stalin would have been proud of it . He eventually joined the Army to be a intelligence specialist, but was arrested shortly afterwards...it turned out that he'd joined the Army because, at that time having been a gymnastics coach at a high school, he enlisted while under investigation of having slept with a 16-year-old student. Sure enough he was tried and convicted...and, when he resurfaced a couple years ago, he wanted to get into an event I've been part of for years...needless to say, when another friend and I made word of his conviction known to that community he was swiftly made persona non grata.

[@Nerobyrne]

Usually false accusations don't go to court. Stuff like that is already hard enough to prove, but having it examined by a court will make it fall apart pretty quickly.

[@wtfgary_]

Dude, the second story though. XD I would have just ran with it and made a competing BBQ sauce company and create competition for them and completely focus on the BBQ sauce leading up to a fair with a BBQ sauce contest for the lands finest BBQ sauce. Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow as the DM.

[@djtokimi]

I FUCKING LOVE THIS BBQ EMPIRE WORLD! That's just a butt hurt DM I would love running that world.

[@lindafreeman7030]

"Sweaty cheese tactics"; I have learned a new term today.

[@solarisdevorak]

I'm sorry but the barbecue empire is amazing. As a DM, like yourself I would toss the module and run with it. I would be so damn impressed I would just be on that train with them.

[@foxheadl169]

I know why, but it's still funny to think "HMMM. I now know these people's real names so now I can track their internet history and triangulate their location to beat the sh*t out of them for being an *ss to some person I don't know." I don't know why it's so funny to me.

[@minkeyandzomble6206]

As far as dude with dead mom goes. I make it a point to state that I will not force my players to show up. Especially if they have a reason like this. Heck if you just decide that you don't want to continue playing that's fine. Though I do appreciate a heads up that you aren't making it so I don't interrupt you asking where you are.

[@Noah60]

the last story.... i feel like it seems like i know who it is. i think its so bad tho that the dm is letting him be in his house.... when he is trying to say he isnt guilty but when there is so many people coming out against someone who dont know eachother, you know it cant be fake. its not like that dude was an internet celebrity

[@theblackgeno1848]

I would just stop playing with them,as a dm you don't have to play if you not having fun,find people who want to play the type of game you want to.

[@weedy9583]

Everyone else: reading the story Me: Watching the soothing waves in the background

[@ryanrizzo4869]

The first guy seems like a class act. I can't believe anyone could be so callous and tactless. The second story, though, is agreeably actually kind of funny. I've had whole campaigns based on the PC's being traveling merchants of this, that or the other, and they never fail to be some of the most interesting (and funny) campaigns I've ever run.

[@LynTheWitch]

Thank you Critcrab for taking the last story seriously ; it’s honestly refreshing and reassuring to hear a (probably?) man’s voice giving credits to the potential victims first. Thank you

[@Chumblechap]

So this is what Guillermo was up to before he started working for Nandor.

[@alekbabineaux296]

Leaving the campaign quietly for the time being is the best way to go, as the evidence against Paladin being guilty is staggering, however we should take into account whether this court case is criminal or civil. If it’s a civil suit, there’s a possibility that it’s a false allegation and an attempt at a cash grab, as the burden of proof for a civil suit is significantly lower than a criminal suit. However, if it’s a criminal case, there’s a strong possibility that Paladin is in fact guilty and openly cutting ties is the best way to go.

[@TheAdarkerglow]

If I was asked more than twice if I was 'really committed to the campaign', then answer would be 'I guess not'.

[@SorenPenrose]

Last story: I'd have a talk with Paladin. I would need to know the details before writing him off entirely. But he'd have to make a really fucking strong case for me not to walk. I wouldn't fade out, I'd draw that line hard.

[@mlo36]

“Sailing the BBQ sauce up and down the seas” is something I MUST do when I finally get to play DnD 😆

[@TheUnsafeKing]

It was a fun group. I will definitely update critcrab if it ever resumes.

[@blahblahpocalyspe8323]

2:55 what did you do to deserve it? Being his friend, not put him in check, continued to be his friend... also, if you're the reason I write a rpg horror story then you don't get the luxury of a name change.

[@Toiletdeer]

if you get an rpg horror story you better change their name, because you didnt do anything/enough to stop it from becoming a horror story which means you deserved it and should apologise to them

[@amouzakis]

Op in the first story had such a shiny spine, balm to my soul after so many of these stories.

[@Calebgoblin]

What in the crab cake hell I haven't even started listening and I'm already angry

[@MarquisLeary34]

Seconded. It may have gone off the module rails, but IMO there's a far more unique story to be told with D&D entrepreneurs like that. You can't ask for a better hook!

[@Rotten_Prince]

Plus he can actually set up what they need as rewards from parts of the modules, only by tweaking thing a bit

[@DuskVivie]

And this is why I appreciate the people I am around when doing D&D sessions. They are the most understanding people I have in my life. And surprisingly we have people wanting to join my Campaigns (I am still fairly new), I actually am rather nervous still about being a DM because I am a bit slow and sometimes take moments where I am trying to tell a story but let my players explore. Course sometimes....it's the ones closest to you that are just the utmost horrid people in existence...it's sad but also really true....

[@neonrelmsproductions4224]

The only thing stronger than monsters is a BBQ Sauce empire.

[@The482075]

I like that kind of party. The kind that finds their own objective. My least favourite kind of player characters are the ones with no purpose. The kind that has no goals, no wishes and desires. With that there is no story. The party that derailed a module to become barbecue sauce entrepreneurs sounds great.

[@TheUnsafeKing]

It was pretty great. I just didn't know what to do with it.

[@Silverlightlive]

I'd be unsettled if my best friend was accused of that, but if I'm watching them every moment they are in my house, then they can't really do anything. Hopefully they are accusations, and not convictions so you can justify as "Innocent until proven guilty" but the fact he has to tell people indicates probably at least one case went against him. I'd personally pick my daughter over a D&D player, but that's just me. I'd still hang out with my friend, just elsewhere.

[@HamsterPants522]

I share your judgement on the matter.

[@Silverlightlive]

@@HamsterPants522 I'm glad neither of us has had to make that decision!

[@atheteusalexopoulos6876]

To me my daughter potentially being r@ped wouldn't be worth keeping contact in any way but maybe I'm just built different.

[@HamsterPants522]

@@atheteusalexopoulos6876 Not that I disagree with you, but I think your wording is a bit silly. Technically speaking, the only way to completely eliminate the potential of one's offspring from experiencing suffering is to not have any.

[@Silverlightlive]

@@atheteusalexopoulos6876 I do agree with you. I'm trying to make everything positive for the Paladin here. Purely hypothetical.

[@steveharrison76]

Only just pressed play and I’m already on edge. Like, I’m ready to lose my temper.

[@cynicalswordmage4591]

The second story sounds fun. Players and DM just weren’t on the same page of expectstionsb

[@TheUnsafeKing]

It wasn't that I wasn't having fun. It was just the first campaign I had ever DMed. This is a fond memory... I just didn't know how to keep players on track. In the end we all had fun and that was really the only expectation any of us had. And I really wanted them to go to the dungeon... If it happened now I wouldn't have railroaded, but...hindsight and all.

[@realdragon]

You can always look at it from other side, if you're targeted that means you're really important

[@Taakothegamer]

for the second story, I actually had a campaign where the players did the same thing but with cocaine. I just went with it and they ended up going back onto the storyline after 4/5 weeks