So anyway, what are some of your "Wait...... What?!?!?" moments from GM's?

Mostly seeing how much damage archer's do.

And paladins when they smite.

Yes, Magus (with their crits with scimitars) and Summoners (pet and pits) are quite powerful too.

Savage Tide had a lot of these for me as GM.

Duskling Totemist|Barbarian: "I leap off the ship/to the other ship/to tackle the ooze/etc. etc. etc." He really liked his Leap Attack, and rolled uncannily well on Acrobatics when he needed it.

Skarn Warblade|Incarnate: *just disarmed* "I attack it [Lemorian Golem] bare-clawed." Crit led to a Shoryuken punch that decapitated both its heads.

My goblin barbarian was at the bottom of a ship (fell off a log), surrounded by zombies and about to be eaten up... So he hefted his greataxe, raged and smashed through the hull (smasher rage power).

My favourite escape plan.

My goblin barbarian was at the bottom of a ship (fell off a log), surrounded by zombies and about to be eaten up... So he hefted his greataxe, raged and smashed through the hull (smasher rage power).

My favourite escape plan.

I love everything about this.

A few months ago, my party was fighting Xill pirates aboard a ship. I had forgotten how good xill are in grappling, and how bad my party is (it's their big weakness). Anyway, the fight was heading toward TPK-ville, as almost all of the PCs are grappled, and none of them are succeeding on the CMB checks.

The next PC's turn comes up, and he declares, "I use my cape of the mountebank to dimension door into the same space as the xill that's grappling the cleric."

My response, "Wait....you do WHAT?"

He says, "I mean to telefrag him."

Since the item is a command-word-activated item, no hands are needed to use it, so he can automatically use it while grappled. Looking at the dimension door spell description, I see what he's going for: if you try to materialize in a space occupied by something else, you and anyone you carry are shunted off in a random direction. Since he can see his target space, (and because the combat is going so very badly for the party), I decide that it will be an automatic success.

He d-doors, taking the xill that's grappling him along, and materialized in the same space as another. I roll a random direction, and the three of them are then shunted in a random direction-- 50 feet starboard, in 20 feet of water! And they're still grappled! (And, they all took a few d6 of damage.)

So, using a fair interpretation of the Pathfinder RAW, I had a player essentially telefrag an opponent!

[Oh, and if anyone was wondering, the game was a hightly modified version of the Season 0 PFS Scenario King Xeros of Old Azlant.

Back in ye olden 3.5 days, we had done a fun little one shot that culminated with us bursting into the BBEG's throne room for the final showdown. We were level 7 and when the doors opened we saw a shrivelled wizard sitting on a throne with THREE (3) beholders floating menacingly around him.

Since we kicked in the door, our GM gave us a surprise round.

I won initiative.

Seeing 3 beholders in front of us and having no idea how in the world we could survive what was about to be unleashed upon us, I hatched a plan.

In the surprise round, I fished my portable hole out of my pocket.

In the first full round, I dashed forward to the foot of the throne, threw the portable hole on the ground and while wearing my heward's handy haversack, jumped in.

It was glorious.

I may have him start rolling bluff vs. sense motive as well.

That's what I'd do. The PC is trying to bluff his opponent into being at a relative disadvantage. That seems about the right time to call for the bluff check.

In fact, the situation in which a rogue with mobility dashes through the field specifically to draw attacks might be worth a bluff/sense motive test as well. An insightful opponent might successfully read the play and hold back until his attack of opportunity would be more decisive.

That's what I'd do. The PC is trying to bluff his opponent into being at a relative disadvantage. That seems about the right time to call for the bluff check.

Exactly. This is pretty much a feint maneuver, and should be treated like one.

Had a fun one of these moments last night. I was suprised at how surprised everyone else was, lol.

In our Carrion Crown campaign I recently rejoined, I am playing an Aasimar Inquisitor of Iomedae, of Lawbringer descent. I took almost all of the racial feats, and I wear a heavy coat and hat of disguise(wde brim) to keep my more "outwardly" features on the down-low. So, my day to day appearance looks fairly mundane, just bulky clothing. By this point(10th level, I just recently rejoined) the other players had only seen my mundane disguise.

We were battling a creature that cast a field of Spike Stones on the party. I was positioned near the back edge of the field of effect, so trying to walk through the spikes would means lots of damage and reflex saves.

I didn't feel like messing with all of that, so I decided it was time to drop the ruse and give this foul beast what for. I dropped the disguise, unfurled my wings, with silver skin gleaming, I drew out my sword and shield and flew out of the spikes at the creature.

There was a collective "You do... WHAT?" around the table. It was grand. :)

Bill Dunn wrote:

That's what I'd do. The PC is trying to bluff his opponent into being at a relative disadvantage. That seems about the right time to call for the bluff check.

Exactly. This is pretty much a feint maneuver, and should be treated like one.

I assume you guys do the same when a fighter runs past a monster in order to draw AoO's so his wizard buddy can cast or retreat safely?

I assume you guys do the same when a fighter runs past a monster in order to draw AoO's so his wizard buddy can cast or retreat safely?

Bill DID say 'the PC' which applies to both characters.

3.5 Playing my rogue, around level 7. I use UMD a lot, and usually only spend 500-4k g/item on lots of little things, instead of the kill anything sword or protection from everything armor.

Starting a new plot arc, contracted to break into house and steal stuff, GM intends to introduce a mid level villian for us to deal with for 4-5 levels.

I'm in the middle of ransacking the study, when he comes in in all his holy warrior glory.

GM: you still have detect magic up, this guy glows in a dozen places, from boots to helm.
Me: yay. "Well, time to be off, don't you have a grain sack or something to pose for?"
GM: He snatches his sword up and attacks, this guy is much better trained than your fighter, 11-12th level btw. "Stop Thief, that you might be judged!"
Me: Tumble past him, out the door, around the corner. Move action. Whip out my portable hole, drop it just back from the corner. standard action. Nighttime, low torches, major spot penalties, I then proceed to -loudly- run in place.
GM: rolls... 7. he doesn't see the hole, he comes around the corner and falls in.
Me: fold it back up, put it back in my pocket, go back to the study where i was so rudely interrupted.
GM: How long are you gonna keep it?
Me: 10-20 mins, i've got time to go thru this properly now.
GM: you didn't really do anything you know, 10x10 has enuff air for an hour or so.
Me: remember when we got ran out of the last city?
GM: yeah, you destroyed a statue or something right?
Me: A fountain in the square. Remeber how?
GM: yeah... you used that damn portable hole and collapsed it.
Me: right. and I haven't opened it since i last opened it in the bottom of that fountain.
GM: Wait, its still full of water?
Me: Yup. In an hour or so we'll open it back up outside of town, fish him out, and I think our fighter will like the new armor and sword when it dries out.
GM: You Bastard.

I was running a Star Wars game, and the party had been tasked with hijacking a transport speeder taking supplies and other things to a local Imperial base. They asked for what route the speeder was going to take, so I provided it to them.

The plan they came up with involved chopping the limbs off of one of the party members (a Gen-Dai, a race that can regrow limbs in 1d10 minutes), setting up a wall of mesh tape across the road when their route got into a largely unpopulated area with dense buildings, and attaching the limbs to said wall. They figured that, by setting up such a horrifying scene the drivers would be almost guaranteed to stop and investigate, at which point they'd attack.

My magus steps in and casts shocking grasp (intense, 6d6)...

Hit.
Crit.
Roll... (dear lord, nearly max)

Ah, maguses... For when slashing and blasting just isn't enough.

Now if only there was a way to make it so my Magus doesn't keep dropping on combat...
---
On a side not, I haven't gotten far with him, but I do hope to level up a crazy rogue.
Rogue 5 (Skulking Slayer/Scout)
So eventually, he'll be charging at people for 1d12+3d8+9 for a sneak attack with a Great Axe.

Haladir wrote:

Bill Dunn wrote:

That's what I'd do. The PC is trying to bluff his opponent into being at a relative disadvantage. That seems about the right time to call for the bluff check.

Exactly. This is pretty much a feint maneuver, and should be treated like one.

I assume you guys do the same when a fighter runs past a monster in order to draw AoO's so his wizard buddy can cast or retreat safely?

Depends on the opponent. If it's of animal intelligence or lower, or if it's just a mook, they pretty much always fall for that tactic, and I don't bother rolling. If the opponent is intelligent, a boss, or a major opponent, then yes, I would roll in a situation where the players are essentially metagaming their tactics vis-a-vis AOOs.

Oh, and, many of my villains have "Combat Reflexes". My PCs no longer assume that bad guys only get one AOO, and usually react accordingly.

** spoiler omitted **

Everyone talks about how much blasting sucks for casters, yet I regularly get society GMs asking "You just did how many D6 of damage?"

In one scenario, thanks to a curse that grants natural armor but does bad things to spellcasting, my level 1 bard had the highest AC of the group. Said bard proceeded to shock the table by simply grappling a small fey that was annoying us and forcing her surrender.

Nobody expects a battle-bard.

Jiggy wrote:

I assume you guys do the same when a fighter runs past a monster in order to draw AoO's so his wizard buddy can cast or retreat safely?

Bill DID say 'the PC' which applies to both characters.

I only ask because I've frequently heard of the fighter's "AoO soak" tactic, but have never ever ever heard of it requiring any kind of check... until I bring up the pocket-rock version, listen to the accusations of cheese (some jesting, some not), and then respond to their countermeasures with "you do that for everyone, right?" Then suddenly it's "Oh, of course! I've always required a check on AoO soaking!"

Riiiiiight. Go brush your ruffled mustaches and put your fallen monacles back up, folks. I'll try not to threaten your collective blood pressure again.

Of course, if the player doesn't SAY 'I am moving to soak this AoO' the DM would have no idea the player was trying to Bluff...

Not from my game, but my favourite strip of a Webcomic full of "you do WHAT?" moments.

'findel

Not from my game, but my favourite strip of a Webcomic full of "you do WHAT?" moments.

'findel

~LAUGHTER~

(~Still laughing~)

That is a good comic.

The whole series is great.

Hey, "comic" can refer to the whole shebang.

This "comic" has a lot of those moments too.

Relatively recently, I have three:

1.) Chaos Earth campaign, it's D-Day and we're NEMA trying to save as many civvies as we can from Yellowstone-induced death. We get everyone in the small town we're in into an assortment of buses, cars and trucks to head east. Listening to the flavor text, lo and behold there's a small train depot. The GM's "WTF" moment was when we commandeered the train to evacuate ~1,500 civvies from horrible death.

2.) Horror on the Orient Express campaign. The investigators (PCs) are chasing a lovely red herring that results in their boarding the Doom Train. The Passengers are undead mooks barely able to hit the broad side of a barn. It's what happens that the players had their WTF moment when the first investigator found out exactly what happens when the Passengers land their c-cw-combo: death by loss of soul. Five investigators died aboard the Doom Train.

3.) 2 or 3 years ago, roughly, the KGM was racking up an impressive body count running a homebrew Pathfinder campaign. The GM persuaded me to belly up to the table for a spell. Many of the players were running 2 PCs each and still getting smoked left and right. Introduce the infamous Brothers Faust, 10th level clerics with the Repose Domain and Quicken SLA (touch of repose - or whatever it's called). The KGM's "WTF" moment was when his beloved villains kept entering melee with the brothers. On their initiatives, one delayed until just before the other, two quickened melee touch attacks = slumbering villain, no save. One brother did the CDG while the other would do something heinous ,. Like drop a flamestrike or somesuch. Priceless.

My favorite one was back in high school, years ago (shortly after 3e had come out I think). I had a habit of ruining the DM's plans badly, and he kept coming after me, specifically, with worse and worse stuff. Well, at this particular time I was playing my elven sorceress and had just gotten 4th level spells, and the party (against my and another player's advice) had split up.

Well, the DM gets this evil grin and informs me and the guy that was with me that his homebrew demon, the...child of the BBEG at the time, teleports in next to us. This homebrew demon is, effectively, a balor/pit fiend equivalent...we were level 8. The guy playing the halfling rogue turns pale, because he's sure we're about to die (this demon is known for being particularly bloodthirsty), and I figured we were too, but I wasn't gonna just give up.

So...DM calls for initiative, and I win thanks to a roll of like 5 on his part. I had just picked up Phantasmal Killer (yeah, it's not a great spell, but at the time I was just excited to get my first SoD even if it had 2 saves <_<), and I figured...what the hell, let it ride. I cast PK, make my concentration, and breach its SR by 1 with a natural 20. The DM just looks smug, cause even though I beat the SR, there's no way this thing is gonna fail 2 saves in a row like that, right? He rolls...2, 1. His jaw literally dropped open for about 15 seconds or so, and the whole party (even those who weren't there) is cheering and ribbing him about it.

For background, this elven sorceress had a habit of doing things that should be impossible - the dice gods must have loved her. She'd get captured and put in...precarious situations regularly (high school boy as DM, I'm the only girl in the group, you can figure it out from there -_-) and pretty much every time the party would come to rescue her, and she'd end up rescuing them after having freed herself and begun escaping to find them in hot water in some manner or other. <_<

In the 3.5 days I was DMIng a campaign and we had a fighter/sorcerer who was building himself much the way a magus now is. He also spent skill points in performance: singing and profession:blacksmith. The party fAced a were-rat with pipes of the sewers and won, and said fighter decided to burn the pipes in a forge while he was working on his sword and singing. This was my first "you do what?" moment

I decided to play with the idea a bit as he was burning the musical magic item while working on his hereditary blade and introducing his own music, so when he learned to throw his sword to take out opponents, I said the whistling of the blade attracted rats and mice to the area. This was his "wait... What?!" moment.

He decided to burn this foul magic from the blade. Being a specialist in fire and lightning he prepped his spells, and then said "to burn the magic from the sword, I channel all my spells for the day thru it and plunge it into the ground."

I say "wait... What? Now? You know youre in the wild magic zone where arcane magic is unstable ,yes?"

Him "yup. I do it now."

So I let him burn the magic out. And then all the mice and rats in the forest became sentient and thought he was their creator god.

Mine goes to my wife and little brother from a few weeks ago. My little brother is playing a rogue who uses poisoins in a temple they came across a tree that appeared to be bleeding a few good rolls later they realized it was a potent con damage paralysis poison. (placed their as a bit of warning since the cultist are armed with a dose each.) The rogue attempts to harvest some and rolls a one and fails his fort save falling over. My wife RPing her curious catfolk proceeds to see what the sap taste like. Everyone stared at here and I asked "your going to do what?" "I said I taste the blood sap" "roll fort"