I just wanted to say a little something here. A group of us went on a little quest last night, with Howland at the helm (and purhaps Arkov lurking in the shadows). It was fun, as always, and it was time for irony to kick in. I was around 500 away from leveling, so that means I had to die a horrible death. I fell pray to a trap. A trap I never saw. A trap I didnt trigger. A famous killer, an electric trap. It zapped me for well over double the hit points I have. So I send a tell to Howland along the lines of "Damn dude, where the hell did that come from?" The first thing Howland says to me is "Scorch marks!" followed by "I didnt really think anyone would walk into a room with a chest surrounded by scorch marks"

It never occured to me.....I didnt even see these marks, and if I did I would have thought them from a tile set for ambience.

This is why this server is so good. We actually have to be alert and thinking at all times. Sherlock Holmes every step. I'm so conditioned to a level of gameplay, that this would never come up.

So, Thank you Howland. Thank you for giving me a 133 electrical wake up call. And thank you for all the effort all of you put in to make EfU something different.

Scorchmarks indeed..but not everyone is a forensic investigator either I hope.

Huge chest over-flowing with gold in a prominent spot surrounded by scorch mark placeables = Oldest trick in the book.

I did feel bad though.

133 dmg seems like a lot, especially on a electrical trap that one person can set off and hit someone else with.

However, I wouldn't feel bad. Don't get me wrong, trap deaths suck. There is not much worse then taking a step-loading fugue, but honestly they are a part of the game people should worry about more then they do. It gives purpose to having a scout and another element of danger lurking at every corner. I would just keep the dc low to search/disarm them.

I still remember on the very first prelude running across a bridge yelling "run for it!" with my crazy gnome and meeting my maker. Awesome.

purhaps I didnt make my point clear. Though it does suck to be out the exp i am, I did appreciate it. It made me realize that there is some great stuff going on here. You really have to think. And not just about puzzles or ways to go through a cave, but simple things we take for granted. Things we should be thinking about. It really makes for great gameplay. EfU has raised the bar for questing.

Howland, don't feel bad. It was our stupidity that got us killed, especially mine. :P

We're trying to encourage people to think more imaginatively on DM quests, and EVEN on regular quests. You see something you think is odd or out of place, you have to seriously consider your actions. If there's a portal which has just been used to summon a Balor Lord,.... it MIGHT not be a good idea to walk into it. If theres a chest with six corpses around it and a big flashing neon sign blinking "LOOT HERE LOL", your mind should automatically have DANGER! DANGER! zoom into it.

Send a DM tell if you can think out of the box. I love that sort of stuff.

I can think out of the box :)

Ah, but those things are so cliched. I mean, people automatically think "DANGER! DANGER" when they see a chest surrounded by corpses and scorch marks. So, obviously, its trap free. Obviously.

Scorch marks are the all clear that the traps have been tripped.

I think this story is what made a group of mine really paranoid yesterday- in the ambient tracks for some places, there are occasional moans and voices, and when one of my people heard it, they started freaking out because we had just past a few dead bodies. :D

There's the spirit of the server- paranoia. I love it. :wink:

Actually, those sounds were not running on a track and were spawned to represent something. It was nice to see a few characters react to their surroundings. A lot of care is put into each area and even the little things are there to make players think a bit more than usual.

I never open chests period I always stand a distance away from those who do. Chest openings are for rogues with search skill XD. maybe I'm being to paranoid or maybe your not being paranoid enough!

What if one does play with sounds off? :?

Eraamion What if one does play with sounds off? :?

Look for scorch marks...trust me

Eraamion What if one does play with sounds off? :?

Then you get your team killed. Often.