Mark Steuer Many years ago (back when we all were still playing D & D), I ran a
game where I pitted two groups against each other.
Several members of Group One came up with the idea of luring Group
Two into a trap. You remember the Hand of Vecna and the Eye of
Vecna that were artifacts in the old D&D world where if you cut off
your hand (or your eye) and replaced it with the Hand of Vecna (or
the Eye) you'd get new awesome powers? Well, Group One thought up
The Head of Vecna.
Group One spread rumors all over the countryside (even paying Bards
to spread the word about this artifact rumored to exist nearby).
They even went so far as to get a real head and place it under some
weak traps to help with the illusion. Unfortunately, they forgot to
let ALL the members of their group in on the secret plan (I suspect
it was because they didn't want the Druid to get caught and tell
the enemy about this trap of theirs, or maybe because they didn't
want him messing with things).
The Druid in group One heard about this new artifact and went off
in search of it himself (I believe to help prove himself to the
party members...) Well, after much trial and tribulation, he found
it; deactivated (or set off) all the traps; and took his "prize"
off into the woods for examination. He discovered that it did not
radiate magic (a well known trait of artifacts) and smiled
gleefully.
I wasn't really worried since he was alone and I knew that there
was no way he could CUT HIS OWN HEAD OFF. Alas I was mistaken as
the Druid promptly summoned some carnivorous apes and instructed
them to use his own scimitar and cut his head off (and of course
quickly replacing it with the Head of Vecna...)
Some time later, Group one decided to find the Druid and to check
on the trap. They found the headless body (and the two heads) and
realized that they had erred in their plan (besides laughing at the
character who had played the Druid)...The Head of Vecna still had
BOTH eyes! They corrected this mistake and reset their traps and
the Head for it's real intended victims...
Group Two, by this time, had heard of the powerful artifact and
decided that it bore investigating since, if true, they could use
it to destroy Group One. After much trial and tribulation, they
found the resting place of The Head of Vecna! The were particularly
impressed with the cunning traps surrounding the site (one almost
missed his save against the weakest poison known to man). They
recovered the Head and made off to a safe area.
Group Two actually CAME TO BLOWS (several rounds of fighting)
against each other argueing over WHO WOULD GET THEIR HEAD CUT OFF!
Several greedy players had to be hurt and restrained before it was
decided who would be the recipient of the great powers bestowed by
the Head... The magician was selected and one of them promptly cut
his head off. As the player was lifting The Head of Vecna to
emplace it on it's new body, another argument broke out and they
spent several minutes shouting and yelling. Then, finally, they put
the Head onto the character.
Well, of course, the Head simply fell off the lifeless body. All
members of Group Two began yelling and screaming at each other (and
at me) and then, on their own, decided that they had let too much
time pass between cutting off the head of a hopeful recipient and
put the Head of Vecna onto the body.
SO THEY DID IT AGAIN!... [killing another PC]
In closing, it should be said that I never even cracked a smile as
all this was going on. After the second PC was slaughtered, I had
to give in (my side was hurting)...
And Group Two blamed ME for all of that...
So let that be a warning to you - don't let your head get cut off
unless you really know what you're doing.
On to the next joke Eric and the Gazebo