A Dungeons & Dragons player utilized a Nat 1 to defeat a formidable opponent in battle.
In D&D, Nat 1 rolls are generally the bane of players, as they typically result in failed action and attack maneuvers. However, one D&D player, who goes by AnimeMixer1 on Reddit, detailed how they used a Nat 1 roll to their advantage, repurposing it to deal a critical blow to a mimic during a campaign. Their tale demonstrates how the diverse mechanics of D&D give players the ability to quickly turn the tables on their opponents and achieve victories that initially seemed impossible.
How a D&D Player Used a Nat 1 to Kill a Mimic
AnimeMixer1 is a Druid playing alongside a Rogue and a Warlock in the aforementioned campaign. At one point, the three players enter a cultist-owned mansion searching for hidden treasure. In one room, the Rogue investigated a painting, only to discover that it is actually a Mimic, along with several other hidden monsters. The party managed to take out all of the monsters except the Mimic, but the effort drastically depletes each player's health. As the Mimic starts grappling with the warlock, AnimeMixer1 casts Produce Flame, only to roll a meager Nat 1.
The DM explains how the attack misses so severely that it hits a nearby chandelier, causing the rope holding it to burn. Struck with sudden inspiration, AnimeMixer1 confirms with the DM that the chandelier is indeed hanging right above the Rogue and the warlock. When the Rogue's turn comes, they run out from underneath the chandelier and throw a dagger at the flaming rope. After a roll of Nat 4 with a modifier of +5, the DM confirms that the chandelier hit both the warlock and the Mimic, wiping out the latter's remaining health points and killing it. "As a relatively new player, it was really fun to turn a potentially disastrous dice roll into a win for the party." AnimeMixer1 explained. "I'm definitely going to be remembering to take my environment into account in future combat!"
D&D Players Often Derail Dungeon Masters' Campaigns
In D&D, background objects can often be used to a player's advantage, which can occasionally cause issues for a DM. One Dungeon Master, who goes by Firelite67 on Reddit, described how a player's unexpected use of a bucket derailed their Tomb of Annihilation campaign, rendering them unable to initiate a planned side quest for their party. Another DM, who goes by Oliver Darkshire on Twitter, even had to end a D&D campaign 40 weeks early because their party defeated the villain by crashing a spaceship into its lair.
D&D players don't always manipulate their environment to escape difficult situations -- they can also utilize deception. One DM, who goes by the username Durbokii on Reddit, described how their D&D party masqueraded as the Backstreet Boys to avoid a battle with a Gazer, singing the group's hit song "I Want It That Way," in the middle of a crowded shop. " I was so impressed, proud and could not stop laughing as the shop patrons watched these people start singing," Durbokii said. Thanks to a successful persuasion roll, the Gazer also ended up temporarily joining the group's ranks, believing itself to be a fellow member of the iconic 90s boy band.
Source: Reddit