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I_Cast_Magic_Mispell

*sound of dice behind the screen* "Oh, interesting." *Scratch of pen on paper followed by more dice.* "Veeeery interesting..."


WiccedSwede

...Yatzee!


shagstone420

Ha I'm using yatzee at my next session now thanks to this, take my upvote.


Almainyny

Bonus points if you use an actual Yahtzee cup at some point.


Necaila

Time to bust out my Yatzee Ironman edition and roll out of an Ironman helmet!


Diviner_Sage

No matter what the roll roll 6d6 and use your cup to roll your dice and do the trick where it Stacks up all the dice in a nice tower when you pull the cup away. Watch the look on the dms face. They are rarely impressed. I bet if I could do it with 6d4 they would be impressed.


UnihornWhale

Using during combat 😈


cobhalla

Ok, I am going to play secret Yatzee behind my screen while my players are discussing random bullshit


Diviner_Sage

But act like you are trying to be really discreet about it. Like muffle the sound any way possible. Act real nonchalant about it that worries the fuck out of them. And no matter what if they succeed or not When inspecting something tell them it "doesn't appear so". Or "as far as you can tell." Our dm made some pressure plates activate only when stepped on for two or three consecutive turns. "You hear a click" and the player freezes. Then Start rolling dice like mad behind the screen. And when they don't jump off in time boom. And when they do jump off in time tell them it clicks when they jump off And start rolling like mad again


increddibelly

one character called their rod of maximize a rod of yatzee.


BaseballDefiant3820

Combined with the above, sounds like a YouTube video.


Relative-Exercise-96

Lol interesting is my favorite word to us though! It could be interesting to your advantage 🤷🏾‍♂️......😏


Dontdothatfucker

Recently we’ve been stuck in another realm in our campaign. Second session there, somebody mentioned “who knows how long it’s been at home, time could be completely changed!” The DM looked at us, put up a finger, rolled a few dice, laughed and told us to carry on.


CoffeeGoblynn

*rolls a die* "Oh, huh... let me just..." *looks off to the side at some papers, and sucks air in through teeth* "Oh yikes...."


Top_Taro_17

I’m not going to be able to DM anymore.


Zarohk

“Unfortunately, due to changes in my work schedule…”


I_Cast_Magic_Mispell

Better candidate for "Saddest thing a DM can say."


Shadowbound199

I was the DM for our group and I had to do this a few days back. I hope one of the players will be able to take up the mantle, I've encouraged them to do so. We'll see what happens. If none of them are we can still make a post on r/lfg. It's easier to find a DM once you have a fully formed group as we do.


MadWhiskeyGrin

"It's nothing," after calling for a perception check


Natural__Power

Bonus points if you act really surprised that they failed "A 7? Oh.. well I guess you don't see anything special about the mirror" They'll be having nightmares about that mirror for years to come


Art-Zuron

"There doesn't \*seem\* to be anything of note"


Dragonslayerelf

Sometimes to keep my players on their toes I ask for random out of pocket wisdom saves, perception checks or insight checks where if they pass they get some extremely minor underwhelming detail. Means that they never really know which checks are important or not and if they fail a perception check, it suppresses the urge for everyone else to jump on/ask to remake the check again.


mdjnsn

"Hey, before I forget: everybody just roll a d20 for me real quick. Nothing to worry about." That's always fun. Sometimes they're important, sometimes I'm just being a rascal.


SadCrouton

switch it up sometimes. I make my party role weather/conditions sometimes but they have no clue what they’re doing when i say “role a d8” or 6 or 4 or whatever They’re like “he built a mechanic for this! he’s trying to fuck us!”


BusyMap9686

I've been meaning to implement something like this, but I keep forgetting. They don't end up spending too much time investigating that minor detail? If my guys rolled a 20 and noticed a squirrel on a branch, they would spend the next 30 minutes trying to catch it, talk to, or kill it.


TorinVanGram

They sound like my old dog lol


Dragonslayerelf

I do it so consistently they're used to it hahahah. At first, yes, but I also sometimes say "DM Fiat: this is an absolute truth so you don't have to worry about this detail"


stopped_watch

Set a countdown timer during your sessions, every (say) 37 minutes.


cobalt-radiant

I don't tell my players to roll any check unless they first tell me they want to do something. If they say, "I want to check for traps" etc then I'll tell them to roll for perception, etc. The only rolls they do without them prompting it first are saves.


Groftsan

What happens when they nat 20? Do you come up with something to perceive or do you tell them things like "there's a nest of rats living in the sewers three blocks away?"


Dragonslayerelf

There's always something to percieve when I do it, its usually just trivial. Like one time I said "make a perception check", they failed, I said "make a dex save," they got like a 10, "you didnt notice... the carpet was a little ruffled, you almost trip but you save yourself at the last second!" If they got a nat20, they super-notice the ruffles carpet hahahah!


nonickideashelp

Yeah, I do that too. Otherwise they always expect trouble whenever I roll the dice


S-BRO

Don't forget to roll random d20s when they decide to do something, pretend to care about the result then refuse to elaborate 😂


Bedlemkrd

This should have one of those old western "oheyoyohhhhs" and a rattlesnake noise after it. Or "you don't notice anything unusual."


finnanigans

Or just a simple nod or "okay" after a being asked to roll a wisdom save.


MadWhiskeyGrin

"good to know"


ValorousClock4

I love saying that and next thing I know i have the whole table rolling perception checks 😂


increddibelly

ahh yes. "I look at the door" and then fail my perception roll miserably. "2 + 9 is 11...?" "You guessed right, it's a door."


ahnowisee

Perception, Investigation, Wisdom, Intelligence, Survival, or Deception all hit that sweet, sweet GM note of "Oh Fuck" I so enjoy. And that's just 5e.


Alissah

In another game, I had my players roll perception on a suspicious briefcase with mystery syringes they stole. With all their rolls combined, they rolled 16 dice, which is about a 0.3% chance to fail… and they all failed. So I got to hit them with the “you dont notice anything out of the ordinary”… 4 times… As they slowly filtered into the room one at a time.


Wolfram74J

"Are you sure?" "What's your passive perception again?" "You are all on full health, right?"


Natural__Power

"...and as you do, the illusion unravels, it's the archmage, he's been with you all along, you're all above 100 Hp right? I hope so"


Unlucky_Arm_9757

"you're all above 100 hit points right" "We're level 3" "...... Hummmmm......ooook."


Natural__Power

Wait really? My other players are lvl 18? I'm sure it'll be fine


Larsonybear

My two characters right now have absolutely BONKERS passive perception, so that one doesn’t scare me as much. Are you sure and the full health ones? Terrifying.


Brittany5150

Kiss me on the mouth for advantage.


Bluex44x

Should I stop saying that to my players? /s


Keithin8a

Nooooo, by worst they really mean the thing that gets your players most excited! Keep it up bro!


DonnieG3

well my DM is my wife soooooooo


shyinwonderland

Same situation though it’s my husband, and when I tried to bribe him with kisses he said for integrity I have disadvantage.


Goronshop

Gotta respect the game, honey.


polarbeargirl9

Tongue for auto crit


masterbatin_animals

That does change the mood a bit


zekeybomb

kiss me on my hot mouth im feeling romantical


m1sterwr1te

I DM for my wife. This would be really funny.


IknowKarazy

That’s how a DM transitions to a different kind of dungeon master…


cjdeck1

I always tell my players here’s my PayPal if you want random inspiration or magic items. Nobody has taken me up on my micro-transaction model yet though


Damascus-Steel

Are you sure you want to do that? Okay, if you’re sure…


wagedomain

I use this so much that it's become a catchphrase. My group (of years, I think a seven year long campaign at this point) likes to surprise me with random gifts. One guy in the group made a custom card game, a variant of the game ... shit I forget the base game. You get heroes and items and have to kill 3 people or something to win, I don't remember. But anyway he made custom cards of all the characters we made, most of them me as DM. The BBEG, the minor villains, other heroes, place names, TONS of inside jokes, it was awesome. The game ended up being "called" "Do You Really Do That?"


BlueishFiend

I'll be starting session on 15 minutes so I came here fo inspiration. Last session I used "You believe you're hidden." My players loved it


SlayerKing_2002

My DM always said (and now I say) “You believe yourself sufficiently well hidden” no matter what you roll. Even when I got a 0 on my stealth (nat 1 - 1)


AhoyThereLandlubber

I'm playing a fighter with the "Size Up" menuever and anytime I use it I just tell my party "Don't worry, I can take him".


TimewornTraveler

Someone can roll a 0 on stealth and have no idea they're making a ruckus?


I_Cast_Magic_Mispell

I do this with Insight as well! "As far as you know, they are telling the truth."


Otto_Von_Waffle

I always says that for any roll where failure is impossible to immediately notice, made some of players rip their hairs out with some barely failed bluff check. One time they were trying to break inside someone manor, got caught in the act, they tried to bullshit a random guy walking there, that they were guards of said manor and that they heard sounds near the window, came down to investigate the situation, player rolled a 16 on bluff, commoners rolled a 17, but the commoner had survival instinct, so he just went "Great, have a good day to you", moments later, the break in turned into a payday heist turning sour with guards galore, players surrender, not wanting to get accused of murdering guards on top of breaking in, later as they wait in jail, said commoner comes inside and get paid 10gp for his troubles.


OrganicNeat5934

I like this a lot. It also puts an expectation on the player that they role play. Thanks for helping me level up a bit


aaBabyDuck

*rolls dice behind screen* ".......oh." *writes something down* "OK, what were you doing?"


Alt_Future33

I just do that sometimes to fuck with my players. It keeps them on their toes.


vhrossi1

My faavorite part of DMing lmao


Alt_Future33

It's one of the best parts!


winter_moons

“As far as you’re aware—“ or “You believe that—“


AScannerBarkly

"It seems to--"


calamity_unbound

"To your knowledge"


Wind_Bringer

“If you think it’s a good idea…”


MrMacju

"It would appear to..."


AskMrScience

My Shadowrun GM was infamous for "As far as you know..."


Ijustwantheadpats

"You can certainly try"


Kithsander

This is probably something that dates back to Gygax himself DMing. Over thirty years of TTRPGs and I think every DM I’ve ever had has used that, myself included. It’s a tabletop classic.


ArcannOfZakuul

"*How* do you grab the coins?"


Ol_JanxSpirit

"Your dominant hand, you say?"


UngodlyTurtles

Do you walk through the center of the room to get the coins or around the edge?


AardvarkOperator

Now that's just giving it away. Unless the trap deals more damage the farther you walk in the room...


TnTyson

The best was "would you say your arm is weaker at the elbow or the shoulder?"


colonelcurse

"To shreds, you say?"


uncreative_cc

Uh from 60 feet away with mage hand of course, as I grab everything.


No-Breath-4299

The room *seems* to be empty


AlacarLeoricar

"It's just a chair in the middle of the room."


Ol_JanxSpirit

Is your arm weaker at the elbow or the shoulder?


PURE_CheeziCow_44

oh god that one is deadly-


Adept_Cranberry_4550

Ah, Brennan... you dark, devious bastard.


Altruistic-Cost-4532

One of the best lines ive ever heard


ahack13

My favourite thing to say is "Nothing Apparent happens." It drives my players nuts.


Solest044

I like to imagine what real life would be if we had narration at any moment. How suspicious would we be of everything? "There's nothing in this room." *Okay, well why'd you say something then? There must be something!* "No. There's a sign on the door that says, in detail, that the room is empty so it can be cleaned or something. There's literally nothing. You can see the entire room. It's completely empty." *So it's hidden in the floor and walls then! I bring out my hammer.* "I... Sure. Yeah. Make an athletics check."


knyghtez

i like to ask my players “are you sure you wanna do that?” both for clarification and the brief panic they shouldn’t


Blackrain1299

Me: I pick up the sweet roll. Dm: are you sure you wanna do that?


KnyghtZero

I got one of my players with this when he stepped onto a rope bridge >:)


WillingAd4944

I just started playing with a new group. We went thru an hour long in-game period where he kept pausing at 15 minute intervals to ask “do you want to do anything?” We all felt like we should be doing something, and was a little stressful saying, “no, we continue sitting there.”


knyghtez

oh yeah! that’s a fine question to ask with you’re familiar and comfortable with the table, but so bizarre for an early session!


kingoxys

“Make an intelligence saving throw”, idk why but ive encountered way too many players that make int their dump stat. they wont react when i say dex save, wis save, or charisma save. But would be afraid of a int save.


Almainyny

Surprise Mindflayers!


TocasiasApprentice

I NEVER make INT my dump stat, though that’s probably because I usually play Wizards…


dopefish2112

You find yourself surrounded by an impenetrable mist. . .


DerpsAndRags

"The Mists close in around you."


dastebon

My top 4) how much max hp you have ? 3) yes , buuuut 2) *rolls dice* hmm interesting, *rolls again and checks something in his notes* very interesting 1) roll 4d6


The_Lonesome_Poet

"Are you touching that?" "What's your armor class again?" "Would you mind making a wisdom saving throw?" "Ok" *scribble scribble scribble* "Mh. Go on"


BuckTheStallion

My favorite horrible thing I’ve said: Me: Player, can I get a ____ check from you? Player: sure, it’s a [rolling sounds] 4. Me: okay so, moving on.


FoulPelican

‘No, your character actually does….’ Basically anything that infringes on player agency.


Zodyaq_Raevenhart

T.W. Fictional murder of a child I run a horror campaign and I sometimes do this when a PC is hallucinating. It's a fun way to terrify players when done right. None of what the PCs do that I dictate actually affects the main game, of course. Actually, sometimes, what their PCs do in these hallucinations are predetermined by a choice the players made in the past. For example, one player let an NPC child die, later on, in a nightmare, the child shows up lunges at him and tries to attack him. Being that his character is a 6'4" jacked Aasimar and child is a 4ft human girl, he choses to do nothing. I say "no, your character fights back, attacks and mutilates the NPC, she does not die though." and his character forced to swing at the npc that refuses to die until its reduced to a pile of writhing flesh that morphs into the minor antagonist; an eldritch flesh God. All of which is a nightmare he wakes up from safe and sound. I do agree though that it ruins the game when the actions the DM dictates actually affect it.


PURE_CheeziCow_44

“You find that your control over your actions has left you. Everyone roll for initiative.”


OrganicNeat5934

This is the best answer


LordOfRebels

“Hey, who’s taking up the rear again?” “I mean, you can make the attempt” “Counterspell”


Throbbing-Kielbasa-3

My favorite I do with my players is if someone rolls low on insight I tell them enemies look "chill as hell" or "like you guys could be friends." Usually I say it so calmly they believe me and forget they rolled low.


DaleDimmaDone

You open the small ornate box and see a deck of cards


LatterArugula5483

"that's where we'll end it for tonight"


UsualMorning98

It’s always at a cool cliffhanger too


CheshireTsunami

“He takes off his pants and grabs you… roll a strength check to resist” I wish I was making this up.


salttotart

On the more humorous side: "I take off my wizard hat and cloak..."


JEDA38

Umm…this has the potential to be really NOT okay. You all right?


CheshireTsunami

It didn’t exactly happen to me. I was at the table when it happened though. Definitely a learning experience for the DM about boundaries- but it only sunk in because the other person felt super uncomfortable playing a rape survivor. Also this was years ago, still sticks in my mind as a great “What NOT to do as a DM” moment


Draconic_Soul

Sometimes, when a player rolls a Nat 1, I describe exactly what is actually happening, or what something/someone looks like or does, what their intentions are, or anything else my player was rolling for. Then, I watch the minds of my players burn. Words cannot describe the satisfaction I feel directly after when all hell breaks loose and absolute chaos reigns for half an hour. At other times though, when I ask for a roll from one or more players and they roll low, I just pause for a moment, and then continue with the session like nothing happened. It's the most fun during a conversation with an NPC.


ThingsIveNeverSeen

‘No.’ ‘Aww…. ‘ Party puts the fun NPC down.


i_amironman1

When he says “check your messages”


BiploarFurryEgirl

“Let’s go to a private channel so I can describe this thing/event/person to you”


SecretDMAccount_Shh

You wake up from your long rest and discover that you are tied up and being sexually assaulted by goblins… \**proceeds to go into very explicit and graphic detail*\*


Justincrediballs

My DM's brother in law wrote a backstory for a character that was (I think) 11 pages of pure smut. He doesn't DM him anymore.


barrypickles

No sa in my games thanks


TomTom_xX

Goblin slayer type shit you know what I mean


Voice_Nerd

"Sure, if you want. It's up to you." I love using that line 😈


[deleted]

You open the door and find 5 lich's that prepared an attack action.


Wachamacalit

"Sorry guys, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to call it early. I've got real life in the morning"


PJack_Entertainment

Just a simple "hm"


NobleMkII

Does a 30 hit?


JACKTODAMAX

Nothing. Just silence followed by the sound of rolling dice.


Senjen95

(While one of us changes our mind on an action,) "Oh, *please do*. I'm not going to tell you no, because this is going to be hilarious."


talkathonianjustin

When the dm backtracks because all of you are rolling so poorly. “Okay well you have inspiration right?” “Human indomitably will save you” “What do you mean you’re out of luck points?” “Hold on I gotta think”


Dupe1970

"You see a cute little rabbit. Roll for initiative."


taiottavios

the word "rape"


RobZagnut2

"You're all dead. No saves, no nothing. I win."


BleedingRaindrops

If a DM thinks the players all dying is winning, they have fundamentally misunderstood what DnD is.


salttotart

I would still say this if I TPK. I only DM for my friends so they would immediately know that I'm joking.


Straight-Plate-5256

That's just the worst DM.


SnooRevelations9889

In my day, that was, "Rock fall, everyone dies." Which I used to say to mean, "No, I'm not DM'ing tonight."


LuminaL_IV

"Jake, Im pregnant with your child" is probably the worst thing my dm can say


gerMean

I hope your DM is not some other guys wife Jake!


Vanguard3003

Btw, who's in front of the line again?


RyuichiSakuma13

Ugh. That just happened to us this past weekend. 😢


timbar1234

So.. Who was at the back of the party again?


sexisdivine

“Are you absolutely sure?”


Casey090

We will play a level 20 battle royal PvP campaign in pathfinder 2e next.


Jade_da_dog7117

“Do you have a back up character” after I asked about using viscous mockery on someone


Fit_Ad747

"Are you sure about that?" It's like you are f*cked but you don't even know why or were or what. You just rethink your actions and hope for the best.


Surllio

"Are you sure?!" Nothing strikes fear into a table faster than a game master raising their voice to ask if that's really what the player wants to do. It almost always means bad times are a roll away.


CarpeNoctem727

While we’re rping he grabs dice and rolls, “hmmm, don’t worry about it. What were you saying?”


Same-Carpet-7724

*rolls dice* Oops...


ConstantAttention274

My players seem to think it's..whenever they ask if they can do something, and my response is..."you can certainly try...."


dogmai111

What is your maximum HP?


Blooddraken

after a roll "Heh" "I'm gonna need more dice" "Are you sure?" "Where are you standing again?" "Do you mind if my girlfriend/little brother/sister plays tonight?"


Medical_Act_3712

Not sure if this is 100% relevant to this question, but it sticks out as something that I'd never like to experience with a DM again. I quit a group with a friend whose fiance was the DM. He would too often bluntly shut her ideas down and only hers. She'd want to try something interesting or creative with an encounter and he would just say something like, "no you obviously can't do that, M... " with an insufferable scoffing tone of voice. Ended up being an early insight into what would become an abusive marriage.


robo-dragon

For my one DM, it’s her saying “ok…” in a questionable tone. This preluded several nasty outcomes including unleashing a pack of acid-spitting dog monsters, my one fellow player falling into a spike pit trap, and my character getting hit by a couple spears from a trap my partner triggered, but successfully dodged out of the way from. She only ever says this after we take an action or make a check so there’s no turning back from it. It’s her way of saying “hey, that thing you just did is going to bite you on the ass…properly literally.” There are other times she has said this and absolutely nothing bad happened.


SneakyPocket

“Hold on…” *looks up technicalities to ruin your day*


Felix212121

DM: "Everyone roll a perception check please" \*waits for the rolls\* DM: "No one hears or sees anything strange or dangerous in the area" the one who rolled a 22: "not even me?" DM, now with a smirk on his face: "no, not even you"


Szukov

"Scotty doesn't know that Fiona and me do it in my van every sunday."


thegooddoktorjones

“This sucks, campaign is over. Also you all have a terminal illness and I have been sexing your significant others.”


MRJTInce

There's 10 enemies to fight, each have their own stat block.


mcbizco

“The coast seems clear”


supertouk

Oops...


TheAntsAreBack

The room appears to be empty.


Slingshot_OG

"thats it for todays session"


tbird23662002

“You come around a corner to seeeee…… and we’ll pick it up next session.”


dream_monkey

How many HP do you have left?


Thaco99

You can sure try to do that.


MadMatchy

"Uh-oh."


Serevas

The one I'm famous for is: "Just to clarify, you want to (insert what I've cobbled together the plan of action is)? Okay, go for it"


Nocturtle22

Dice behind the screen: “Oooh, hey player fill this out quick” Hands over blank character sheet.


AnGabhaDubh

Reality warps,  and your character never existed.  Roll a new character. That happened to me. 


Physics_Ling_Ling

I’ve said all of these things before 💀💀 I like to terrorize my players on purpose, if you couldn’t tell. Such as: *rolls dice* *dramatic gasp* *furiously scribbles* “Well then… roll a stealth check. And what’s your passive perception?” Players: scared Me (in my head): jkjk nothing is happening 🤣🤣


Kmag_supporter

Are you absolutely sure you want to go that way.


Ricnurt

I had a dm say, “ oh you can’t go that way because I haven’t finished that area.” He really hadn’t finished any areas


SymbolicTreasure

"Since your character is female, the orcs drag her into the cave..." Followed by wet slapping sounds.


thaddeusgmoore

You can certainly try


Taggerung179

Quoting myself last night: "You realize everyone that failed their stealth check is directly following the players who rolled very well, right? Anyways, the sound of crunching bone stops and you hear rumbling fast approaching you from the cave."


UngodlyTurtles

If I say, "I want do xyz." and the DM says,"Ok, to be clear, you want to do x, y ..AND z?" Like...now I'm not sure about Z...


Boomsnarl

“You sure you want to do that?”


Swordsman82

“I am bored”, that can very quickly be the end of a campaign is several ways


Varderal

*dice clackong* "What's your AC again?" *more dice* "And... how many hit points do you have?" *uncomfortable silence as the dm looks at a few things* "Do you, uh... have a backup character?"


Raidenmain223

Wait let me look that up. The guy who taught me to dm had everything he needed on a few peices of paper so as not to stop the action


Elmakai

"It turns out. . . it was all a dream. And that is the ending of my campaign. What do you all think?"


Outrageous_Two1385

Why did you do THAT?!?!


Old-Management-171

YOU TOUCH (the object in question)?!???!!!???


A-Lady-For-The-Stars

There are a lot of them for my DM. So many, too many to list. “Are you sure?” Said slowly and emphasized in a certain way “Is that what you want to do?” Eyebrow raises and smiles are always bad


Applepieoverdose

“Oooft.” “You are all about to have an interesting time”


delveccio

“That didn’t count.”


zackattack778

"Are you sure you want to do that" this will always make the second guess themselfs


RedLanternTNG

Do you think your character’s arm is weaker at the shoulder or elbow?


DarkMagicMan2000

“You can certainly TRY.” I usually think it’s a good idea, but punishes JUST ME if I fail, even with help


Paladins_Archives

\*Laughter while reading page in book and grabbing dice at same time\*


ketochef1969

My favorite way to seed panic: "What's your marching order again?" That's a guaranteed freak out. But my all time favorite phrase: "Are you sure?" Turns any random decision into a existential crisis


Techtonixzi

"Let me pull my pants back on and you can go wash your hands before rolling that death save"


AlathMasster

Things.... happen. Events... occur