Ah, memories.

Ah, yes, memories. Was going through some boxes of old stuff went out popped a few old modules. Including the Desert of Desolation series. Wife comes over to ask why I am doubled over in laughter. I go into the tale.......

Part of the adventure is a quest through a tomb in a classic Egyptian style pyramid. In front of the entrance are a pair of guards stationed by the local sultan to keep the innocent out. As the party encounters the guards they are surprised as the guards not only let them pass without conflict but offer to watch the party's mounts. As the party heads in they hear one guard say to the other, "10 silver at least one of them makes it out." "Done", says the other, "But this time we divide up the sale of the mounts evenly."

Shaking their heads the party, and the actual players head into the adventure.

Toward the end of the adventure there is a large picture on a wall of an obviously expensive and magical boat anchored to a cloud. One party member realises that the portrait is a portal and steps through in order to lay claim to the magical craft......

"Okay Dave, you step through the portrait portal only to find yourself in mid-air 10,000 feet straight up and beginning to fall.", says I with my maniacal DM 'gotcha grin'.

"Um, are you kidding me?", says Dave, in shock.
"Do I look like I'm kidding?", grin spreading even wider.

Panic ensues. I guesstimate that it will take about 2 minutes until impact. The player has his character guzzle every healing potion he can. Finally, the moment of impact. The character has 58 hitpoints and I am rolling 20d6 for terminal velocity. Now as a DM and the host of the game I lay claim to any orphan dice I run across which means most of my dice don't roll terribly high. Guess what? You got it, I roll 54 damage. Dave is ecstatic. He's dancing around, "I'm aliiiive, I'm ALiiiive!"

One technicallity. He has to roll a system shock roll or die from the shock of the massive blow. Having survived the impossible Dave is cocky. He needs to get 93% or less on the percentile dice. He rolls, the dice tumble. 95! Death.

"I'm aliiive, I'm ack, dead." Down goes the character. The two guards out in front, having watched the plunge, stagger and then death, turn to each other.

"Pay me. One made it out."
"Made it out means made it out alive, pal. You pay me."
"He DID make it out alive. He just didn't live for very long afterwards."
"I don't know, that's splitting hairs I think."
"What about the others? Whaddya say? Double or nothing?"
"Deal, lets go through that guy's pockets."



And, then the group had to stop for a 30 minute laughter break.