Amazing things sometimes happen when you get your players into some real odds. I am currently running a campaign centered around a near worldwide war. The PC's are on the losing side right now (the good side) and they fight against tyranny of the combined forces of the Drow, Dueregar, Fomorians, and Goblinoids.
They have engrossed themselves in this story and enough to the point where they are deliberately trying NOT to use additional troops in their missions. They went on a reconaissance mission turned sabotage and purchased a large amount of consumable poisons before they left their home base.
As they arrived at the enemy base camp, they had the small halfling ranger sneak into the supply tent and poison the vast quantity of food and drink with Thassil Root. And about 10,000 golds worth of it.
I was wondering at this point how this was going to help, as it would take quite a while for the enemy to consume all of that and they would find before it did any true harm. However, I found that I was dumbfounded by them. As the party rogue drew up a letter from a superior officer that they had assassinated the night before telling them that their targets had retreated and left the area. Essentially, the PC's forged a letter saying "Victory is ours!"
The bluff checks worked, and the eladrin dressed as a drow to deliver the message in the dead of night and told them that their general demanded they celebrate for their efforts. A bit of overkill, but again the bluff succeeded.
In the end, all of the 500 troops wound up asleep due to the poison and one by one the party smashed heads, slit throats, or strangled the life out of the sleeping enemies.
The cool thing was, is that they were so happy that this happened. NOT because "hey, we're bad***" but because, "We didn't have to pull anyone else into this here, and now the country can fortify positions around the area." I was amazed and thrilled.
They had said after this... "Well, we know this won't work again, so we're glad be made it count this time." And count it did. The obtained 15 trebuches trom this that they later used to fortify the capitol city.
It was one of the most saitisfying sessions they had ever had, and was so fun for them that it brought in the two other people in the room playing video games (not players at the time) from their TV and xbox 360s to the game table in the adjoining room to watch and listen and hi-five as the night went on. Now, they have joined the gaming group.
It was one of the coolest nights in my history of gaming, and not a single combat dice was rolled. And I completely got my butt kicked that night. :D
