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D&D

D&D Homebrew: Merchant Bot

August 13, 2021 josechurape 4 Comments

I want to take a moment to write about another homebrew I have added to my game. Because of the time crunch that exists at my table, I have to find way to automate a lot of the processes in the game to optimize the session. This also means there are aspects of the game I need to cut out.

My players hate shopping. They are mean to the shop keeps or don’t talk to them at all and as much as I try to make the shop keep interesting and engaging, my players are only interested in getting to the next leg of combat. There is nothing wrong with that, that is just the truth of my table. As a result, we do shopping outside of our game session. Now the prices are set to what they are unless the player wants to haggle, then they must do the work and haggle and talk with the shop keep. Why? Because I want to play too.

Now for selling items, we’ve come up with a sort of gambling mechanic. Now story wise, this will be an NPC follower of the party. One whose only job in the party will be to carry around the junk the party doesn’t want and sell them when they arrive in town. You can adjust the responsibilities this NPC has to better fit your campaign, but in mine a follower that is a mule is fine enough. I do not do combat with this NPC or make checks with them. In combat, you can ignore him and say he hides or holds his own but I don’t see the point in making roles for him. This should be about the party, not the random bot you made for them. You can however, set him as a target to add complexity to the combat. She can’t sell if they are dead. And if they lose the NPC, make them work to gain another. If they keep killing off their npcs, maybe no one will agree to join them. You can have fun with this.

Now for the mechanic.

The players will give the NPC the items they don’t want. Armor, weapons, and other junk items that are worth gold. You as the DM keep track of the price on all of these items. I use the DND Beyond pricing, but you can use whatever you want as long as it is consistent. You keep the tally until the party makes it to town. Then, the NPC will take a few days to sell the items. I roll a d6 because I want to roll dice. One member of the party will then roll 1d100. The result of that will be how much of the total they will receive.

For example, if they collected 100gp worth of junk and the player rolls a 60, they only get 60g. I suggest rolling on a computer or app so you get more variety but rolling dice is just fine.

If the players want to try to haggle to get the better price, that is always an option. The caveat being that they can either roll the d100 or try to haggle. It wouldn’t be fair if they roll a one and then they haggle for the better price. What they get is what they get.

So far it has worked pretty well. My players always opt out for rolling dice and it is exciting to see the how much of the cut they receive. I charge my character a wage for the NPC. You can choose the rate that goes for. The NPC can quit if they are mistreated or if life gets too dangerous so they should be actively trying to keep him or her happy like some kind of Tamagotchi. You should also think about setting a carrying capacity to try to limit any abuse. My players at least will take advantage of the lack of carrying capacity and try to steal enormous items in the hopes of being imaginary billionaires.

Let me know what you think? Is there any ways that I can improve this system?

D&D

Mad Mage Chronicles – CH6

August 6, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

The Fight at the End of the Hall

This story is part of a larger series based on the published adventure “Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage”. There will be spoilers.

The party continues through dark desolate passages of ancient dirty stone. Black soot and long deep scratches cover these tunnels. They record the history of the dungeon. The party steps over pools of dried blood and broken decomposing bodies. The further them move in, the mustier and warmer it gets. Drips of water can be heard somewhere in the darkness. Roakala leads the party with the dim glow of her new blade guiding her. She eyes for danger with each cautious step she makes. She steps on a piece of discarded bone, it shatters under her wait but she seems to take little notice. Instead, she moves forward until she enters a small room.

Here is where the tunnel ends. A room etched at the end of the hall. A room full of the remains of failed adventurers. Bodies, both whole or in pieces, are scattered in small piles. Those with flesh intact rot away slowly in the darkness. Those who aren’t have long since become bone and are now lost here forever. Roakala pauses for a moment, her eyes trying to make sense of the scene before her but her eyes begin to water from the foul odor that assaults her nostrils. The party moves in carefully, each scanning the room for dangers or valuables. As the party makes its way around the room, carefully trying to stay close to one another, two piles of discarded flesh begin to move. From them sprout large floating flesh creatures with bodies like brains and beaks for mouths. Attached to each are long tentacles that wave wildly below them. They raise with loud deafening screeches.

“What the fuck is that?” Roakala lets out as she moves her sword and shield into position.

“They’re Grell. Watch out for their tenticles, they’re poisones” Diljaris replies.

Before she can say anymore, the Grell is on top of her. Its skin slimy and full of discolored ridgels. It swipes at her with its long heavy tentacles. The force of the impact knocks the breath out of her. The tentacles wrap around her tightly and begin to carry her off. She coughs and gasps as she struggles to breath. The monster pulls her to its mouth and takes a nip at her with its sharp beak. She screams in agony as the beak tears into her flesh, ripping through her robe. Warm blood begins to seep down her shoulder. The monster turns and begins to take her away.

Roakala takes a step to help her the young dragonborn, but her path is blocked by the other Grell whose tentacles flare angrily and its beak snarls violently. Tentacles snap towards the Orc like whips, but Roakala’s instincts kick in as she doges and blocks the incoming flurry. She quickly closes the gap between her and the Grell who now faces her. Its eyeless face turns to her and takes a large nip at her side but instead of the soft Orcish flesh it excepted, its mouth bangs against the cold metal face of her shied. The force of the impact shakes Roakala to her core. It forces her to step back as her arm shakes under the weight of the monster’s attack but she stands strong. Sweat begins to form on her brow as she attempts to create an opening for her blade.

Diljaris begins to regain her breath as the shock from the blow begins to wear off. She begins to catch her breath. The grip on her body tightens as the slimy grey tentacles squeeze at her side. With the little breath she is able to mumble in an ancient tongue. Her eyes begin to glow blue. Her fingers spark with a bright blue flame. Where her burning hands she shimmies to touch the beast. Its skin begins to sizzle under the heat of the magical flame. A sudden burst of blue fire leaps from her hands, singing the creature. It screeches in pain and drops her to the ground. Diljaris lands in a loud and painful thug, once again knocking the breath from her lands. With the little strength she is able to muster, she stands up slowly. She takes wobbled labored steps away from the beast as the smoke and scent of burning flesh surrounds her.

Drugnar watches the dragonborn get swooped up and dragged away, he takes a step before the monster is able to make it far. He watches as the dragon born drops to the ground and struggles to make her escape. He moves as his legs can take him. Each step landing with heavy metaled determination. His right hand reaches for the pendant around his neck. Another gold coin hidden under his armor. This one houses the image of a beautiful woman carefully carved on its face. Drugnar moves himself between the monster and Diljaris and reaches out to touch his wounded ally.

“Sune lend me your light. Protect this creature as your own. Give her the strength to move forward. To continue to see the beauty of this world.”

There is a moment of silence as the two continue to move slowly. Suddenly, the coin in his hand begins to glow softly. The light spills through the cracks between his fingers. His left hand begins to glow warmly over Diljaris’s blue scales. Her steps begin to quicken as she appears to have newfound strength to move her forward. She no longer clutches at ther ribs, but moves quickly to make distance between her and the Grell. “Thanks” she expresses the two move away from the assailant.

An arrow flies by them from the darkness. It wisps by Drugnar’s head and connects with the floating monstrosity. Gorak stands at the other end, loading a second arrow onto his bow. He squints into the darkness, takes a breath and fires. The second arrow whiles through the air, piercing into the cold grey flesh. Drops of blood spray out, splashing against the filthy dungeon floor. A small river of blood starts to make its way down the shaft of the arrow. The Grell begins a hastened retreat. Blood drips bellow it, creating a trail in it’s wake.

On the other side, the second Grell is still locked in combat with Roakala. It snarls and flails against the orcs shield. The Grell makes quick swipes against the orc who has no choice but to move back and look for an opening. The Grell continues to make careless attacks, landing in loud cold slaps against the floor of the dungeon. Roakala dodges them, using the momentum of her movement to quickly close the gap between her and the monster. Before the Grell has a chance to react, Roakala is near the beast. She takes a strong confident swipe at the monster. The blade slices through the skin, leaving behind a deep gushing would and pain. In its desperation, the Grell takes swipe at the orc, but Roakala proves too fast. Instincts kick in and the blade comes down against the assailing tentacle. The blade swipes through easily. It’s soft glow momentarily obscured by the blood that slowly drips down its face. A large half of tentacle drops on the floor besides her. It flails uselessly without it’s body until finally, the last bit of life it held fades away into the darkness surrounding it. The Grell turns to run. It begins to float away in fear leaving itself open to Roakala’s third attack. The blade swipes quickly towards the retreating beast, slicing into unsuspecting flesh. It screeches in undeniable agony as it hastens it’s retreat.

Diljaris now stands more confidently, although her hands still shake. She closes her eyes, takes a long calming breath as she begins to recite the ancient words that fill the pages of her book. Her tail wages in a circle, her hands flail above her head. Her eyes glow blue as flames erupt from her hands. She goes silent as her eyes glare down the retreating monsters. ‘With this flame, I purge you from this world”. The flames launch from her hands, landing and creating a large explosion that engulfs the two Grell. The room fills with blinding light. When the fire fades and the room dim, the two Grell are left blackened and still burning. They float away weakly, their tentacles no longer flailing but instead left singed and curled against their scared bodies.

Drugnar takes advantage of the situation. With holy coin in hand he begins to say “Sune, mistress of beauty, show these beasts your light!” A flash of light chases down the farthest Grell. Instinct kicks in and the Grell moves out of the way. The soft glow of the spell reveals the battered beast and its desperation. It crashes against the wall. Small bits of it crumble to the floor as the Grell passes by, still in its attempt to escape. An arrow whiles into its back. This time instinct fails the creature. The arrow digs itself deep into the Grell’s body. Large spouts of blood poor from it. It falls from the air and squirms as it’s last ounce of life escapes it.

Gorak turns his head to the last remaining Grell who continues to burn and move through the darkness. His eyes squint as he takes careful aim. The arrow finds its place in burnt flesh. Agony and terror echo inside the last desperate squeals of the retreating Grell. In its desperation, it never noticed Roakala closing the distance until her cold glowing blade sunk deep into its flesh. Blood pours out of the wound and washes over Roakala’s hands as she uses all her strength to continue to cut the beast. The Grell grows heavy on her blade as blood as entrails begin to spill from the new wound. She takes the blade out, the blood drips over the runes making them illegable. The Grell drops heavily on the ground, lifeless.

The party stands in silence, still weary of danger, still searching for hostiles.

“Good news guys” Diljaris finally says, breaking the tense silence “You passed the test. Congratulations”

D&D

Mad Mage Chronicles – CH5

July 30, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a larger series based on the published Wizard of the Coast Adventure “The Dungeon of the Mad Mage” Spoiler warning.

They exit into a dark silent cavern. Water slowly drips in the distance. The light from Goraks torch begins to spill out, filling the darkness, stretching out in every direction . Their footsteps echo off the cavern walls. Roakala takes the lead, her hand at the hilt as she scans through the darkness diligently. Behind her, Diljaris and Drugnar follow side by side. Both eyeing into the darkness, searching for unknown danger. Gorak follows behind the party, torch in hand. It’s flames licking at his face. There is an awkward silence that they carry between them as they make their first decent into the dungeon.

The cavern opens up and they enter a large room filled with long standing pillars. The pillars are scattered randomly throughout the large cavern, there seems to be little rhyme or reason to their placement. The light from the torch flickers over the pillars revealing distorted faces. On closer inspection, they appear to be horned demons of sorts. Diljaris moves her fingers over one of the pillars, feeling at its features. She turns to Drugnar who slowly steps towards her and asks “any ideas what these could be?”

Drugnar brushes his beard with his hand. He appears to be in deep thought. Roakala and Gorak don’t share this fascination of the pillars and move around carefully, searching for anything of value. Drugnar finally breaks the silence “they look like demons of sorts.” His voice is full of confidence.

” I could have told you that, but which one is it?”Diljaris says as she takes her notebook out and begins taking notes.

Drugnar shrugs “Who knows? I am only familiar with the Dwarven gods” Diljaris makes an imprint on a sheet of parchment that she stows away carefully in her bag. “Well let’s press on shall we?” she says, her eyes moving between the pillars.

Still within the large room, between the pillars they stand together. The light of the flame stretching in each direction revealing four exits. The one they came from due east and the rest stairways heading in the remaining cardinal directions. Roakala begins to search the room closely, her face almost kissing the floor as she stops and searches certain spots on the floor. She stops before the southern stairs, above it sprawled in dark red paint are the words “Certain death this way”. She continues her search.

“What is she doing?” Gorak whispers as the party watches the orc move around the room. They shrug before Roakala replies “I am looking for clues on where to go”

Gorak raises an eyebrow “Um, what did you find?”

“It’s hard to say, it all looks humanoid. No monsters” She finally stops and looks towards the group “But I vote we don’t go towards the warning.

“I can get behind that” Durgnar agrees as he pats his belly.

“Alright then orc, where does your investigation say we should go?” Gorak asks mokingly.

Roakala shrugs and shakes her head. “I was’t investigating for a way to go, I was looking for danger”

“Ok we aren’t doing this” Diljaris interupts “where should we go?”

Drugnar begins to dig through his pocket and pulls out a large silver coin. On it’s face the silhouette of a bearded dwarf. On it’s back, a hammer and anvil. “I have an idea” he says as he begins to show his coin to the party. “Why don’t we flip a coin. This has never steered me wrong before”

Gorak doesn’t flinch and seems accepting of the Dwarfs suggestion. The two remaining think for a moment before Diljaris finally says “Leaving the first trial to chance? There is something quite poetic about that. Flip away friend!”

“I haven’t read too much poetry, but I guess it’ll do” Roakala adds.

“It’s settled then. Heads we go north, heads we go west” and with that he flips the coin in the air. They watch as the coin floats up in the air, turning quickly to it’s own rhythm before crashing down on the floor with a soft bounce. The silhouette stares back at the party. “North it is!”

The party nods in agreement and they move north. Roakala leads the way, slinking expertly through the darkness. She listens for the sounds danger but hears none. Suddenly, they hear the faint sounds of a distant incoherent echoes. They approach more carefully. Hands grip tightly around weapons as the breathing slows. These echoes lead to a small room. The room is empty except for a swords buried into an wooden armor statue of a faceless man. The statue has begun to rot but the sword looks freshly forged. Etched into its steel face are neatly written runes from some unknown language. Tat it’s hilt, boney rotting fingers cling onto it. “Any ideas what’s up with this?” Roakala says, her hands moving towards the blade’s hilt. The echoes begin again but there doesn’t seem to be a source.

As Roakala’s dirty gloved hands wrap around the hilt of the blade. The skeletal hand drops to the floor and shatters into pieces. Before anyone has time to react, she grabs it tightly and pulls it from its resting place. Diljaris is startled by the sight and rushes carefully towards the orc. “Wait, it could be trapped!’ she says with her voice full of worry.

Roakala shrugs as she swings the blade around. “Feels fine to me”

“Well” Diljaris responds, a look of worry on her face “Give it here and allow me to examine it for a moment.”

Roakala thinks for a moment and reaches to hand over the blade before retreating it back “Can you do it without holding it?”

“It’ll only be for a moment, I will give it right back.” Diljaris says still worried.

“Ok but I’ll hold it” Roakala continues insistingly.

Diljaris rolls her eyes and gives in. “Fine, if you must” Her eyes start to glow a soft white. She hovers her hands over the blade as they begin to glow in the same shade. Her tail wags back and forth slowly as she whispers in droconic. The runes on the blade glow as they respond to the ritual. This goes on for some time as the party watches in awe of what is occurring before them.

Finally, Diljarus goes silent. The light in her eyes and hands fade. She looks at the party, clearly at a loss for words. She struggles to speak but finally is able to let out “This isn’t great but it’s not terrible”

“What is it?” Roakala asks, beginning to sound concerned.

“Well” Diljaris begins, struggling to find the right words “It looks like you have a cursed sword in your hands. For as long as you are cursed, you aren’t able to part with it”

“That’s not so bad. This is better than my old one, and she speaks Orcish”

“It speaks?” Diljaris asks looking concerned.

“Yes, Orkish”

“What does it say?”

“Oh she just wants to come along for the adventure. She will even shine a light for us. Good news for you ey human” Roakala adds, turning towards Gorak with a sly smirk.

“If you say so” Gorak answers eying the orc suspiciously “Does it tell you to do stuff”

Roakala shakes her head “Except for asking if she could come along, Janice isn’t really making any demands.

“An Orcish speaking sword named Janice? Not bad for a first adventure is it boyo?” Drugnar says as he nudges Gorak.

Gorak with his eyes still fixed on the dimly glowing sword shrugs “Does Janice need to prove herself too?”

“It’s only fair” Diljaris repplies, giggling.

D&D

Mad Mage Chronicles – CH4

July 9, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

Breakfast With a Plan

This story is part of a longer series based on the published adventure “The Dungeon of the Mad Mage”

Krodan Mess Hall by TylerEdlinArt on DeviantArt

The bar is silent at sunrise. It is a also a mess with tables flipped to their side, a thick layer of sticky smelly mud coats the floor, and a young tired man lazily sweeps up the bits of broken glass scattered throughout. A few patrons sleep off the night of drinking, slumped over on the floor or over a table. They snore loudly as the few disgruntled looking employees carefully clean around them. It’s quite a sight to see The Yawning Portal in it’s tranquil state.

Diljaris and Roakala are the first to come down. Diljaris in her usual chipper deadener gleefully galops down the steps while Roakala slinks behind her slowly. Her eyes half closed in her exhaustion. Her feet drag over the wooden boards. They sit at a table and Diljaris orders breakfast as Roakala’s slumps over the table and hides her face in her arms. “Why so early? We are the only people up this early” she says in a tone muffled by her current position.

“Well my dear” Diljaris responds as she begins setting up her workplace “We have a lot of dungeon to uncover and we are really behind.” She begis to neatly place before her books and journals and pens. Each placed neatly in their designated location.

Roakala raises her head slightly, her chin still touching the table. “I’m just here for the money, is there a way I can just join up with you later”

Diljaris smiles “So your intention is to join then?”

“That’s not what I meant” Roakala hides her face in her arms again.

“I need to see how well you do in combat before we can properly talk about you joining my group” Diljaris says as she studies her half conscious partner.

There is no response from Roakala except some heavy breathing.

A few minutes pass before Drungar and Gorak come down. “Good morning! I hope we haven’t been keeping you waiting long” Drugnar says extatically, his voice filling the room.

Diljaris who had been busy writing responds “I wouldn’t make tardiness a regular thing but it’s fine. Please join us eat we will depart after breakfast.” Before her, the table has already been set with a small feast of eggs bacon and toast.

The two men sit down at the table, filling their plates with the assortment of food. Gorak points to Roakala “What’s wrong with her?”

Without lifting her head Roakala lets out a muffled response. “It’s too early” is what the party can make out.

They begin to eat breakfast in silence. Diljaris writes in her journal, taking small nibbles here and there. Eventually Roakala lifts her head and eats from a plate Diljaris set aside for her. “So” Roakala begins, her mouth still full of food “you got a plan princess?’ Bits of egg spray out from her mouth to the table.

Diljaris looks at the bits of discarded egg with disgust. “I am not a princess!” she responds, sounding a bit annoyed. “Of course I have a plan”

“Are you gunna share it with us or is this a you thing?” Gorak chimes in.

“Oh you meant for today. Well we are going to go down into the dungeon and find a few monsters to fight. I want to see how compatible we are as a group.”

“How much are you paying us for that?” Roakala asks.

“Well if we find anything while we are down there, we’ll split it evenly. Remember, I have yet decided on your membership status”

“This is a lot of danger for a test princess. I think it’s fair that we get a bit of compensation. Maybe some collateral in case you don’t make it back.” Roakala adds, reaching to get more eggs.

“Well I did pay for your meals and lodging and I did save you from that mob you incited. I think I’ve compensated you plenty”

Roakala looks at her plate full of eggs, thinking for a moment before letting out “I could have taken ’em”

“Well” Diljaris says smiling “There shouldn’t be much danger for someone of your skill set. If what you say is true that is.”

“Hey” Roakala responds, slightly agitated “You don’t have to worry about me. I ain’t just talk.” There is a moment of silence as the three stare at the half-orc who wears a pugnacious look on her face. The scents of breakfast fill her flared nostrils. She seems to calm and sighs “All I am saying, moving forward, Ima need more than just breakfast.”

There is a small lift that has been built against the old well at the center of the bar. It is made from a small system of pulleys that attach to a wooden platform big enough to hold a small party of adventurers. The party finds itself in front of its sleeping operator. He is a older man with grayed mangled hair and an untrimmed beard and an untidy appearance. He sleeps soundly leaning against tower wall.

“Excuse me sir?” Diljaris says as he pokes the man gently. He jumps suddenly, staring back at the party who now surrounds him. It takes him a moment to regain full consciousness before finally asking “What do you want?!”

“We would like to go down, can you please give us a lift?”

“1 gold each” he grumbles.

“1 gold? You have to be kidding me? What if we take the ladder?” Gorak points to an old dirty ladder that goes down the side of the wall.

“It’s a gold either way. Are you going or not?” the man snaps as he stares down the party.

“Can we give you 2 gold and take the stairs?” Drugnar asks as he starts counting coins in his purse.

“Look I don’t make the rules. I just sit here and charge the fee. If you have an issue, take it up with Durnan. Pay up or leave” The man was clearly in a foul mood.

The party looks at each other with undecided looks in their eyes. Roakala is clearly angered by the man’s disposition. Her first ball up tightly as she takes a step towards the man, but before she could say a word, Diljaris interjects “Alright that’s fair” She pulls out her coin purse “4 gold it is.” Diljaris hands over the four gold and places the purse back in her pocket. “But we would like to use the lift”

“Yeah yeah, hurry up. Hop on” The man says, putting the coins in his pocket.

The party squeezes into the small wooden platform. The wood is worn and dirty. The wood creeks as it bears the weight of the party. Despite it’s rugged appearance, the lift is well built. The man begins to work the pully and the party begins its slow initial decent into the dungeon bellow. The darkness begins to hug them as the echoes of their decent bounce about the stone creating the a mountainous melody of their first adventure. They watch as the bar moves farther and father away until it is a small skylight. They land on the soft murky sand with a jolting thud. Gorak lights a torch. The light washes over the darkened walls revealing an explosion of colorful graffiti. Here the, names and words written in all the languages come together to form the story of the countless adventurers that have walked over this sand and through the old wooden doors. Confined in this small room, isolated from everything the party stands in admiration and excitement as boots crunch into the dirty sand. Fingers trace against the crumbling colored stone while Roakala digs through the pills of discarded refuse.

Her old glove digs through. Her fingers stop as they touch something hard. She pulls out a dirty clumping ball, perhaps something ceramic? She wipes it on her tunic, spitting on it every so often. The sand and mug begin to fade under her diligence, revealing an ivory colored orb. On closer inspection, she makes out a blackened iris. Staring back at her, a finely made glass eye sits on her hand.

“What did you find?” Drugnar asks as he moves towards the orc.

Roakala turns the iris so that it stares back at the dwarf. “Looks like someone is walking around with half their eyes.” She chuckles as she palms the eye and places it gingerly in her pocket. “What do we do now?”

The party looks at each other as the echoes of the lift returning to the top encapsulates them. They turn to the door. It seems out of place within its place on the wall. Surrounded by old dirty stone sits a freshly stained door on new hinges. A minute goes by before Drugnar finally breaks the silence. “I guess let’s see what’s behind door number 1.”

D&D

Modular Dungeons of the Mind

June 25, 2021 josechurape 2 Comments

I ran a dungeon crawler the other day over discord using only theater of the mind and flashcards.

I usually use Foundy VTT to run my games but I wanted to switch things up and focus on the story telling and roleplaying aspect. What I did isn’t a particularly innovative idea, I borrowed a few elements from a few places. The most notable of the sources is little dungeon crawler by the name of One Deck Dungeon. The idea is simple, I grab a bunch of flash cards and design a room on each. A room can be a trap they overcome, a random room with secrets that they players can discover, or encounters. I create other complications such as dead ends or scenarios they have to overcome like a random cavein. Time is important in my campaign so I assign each card a difficulty and time associated for that difficulty. Because mine is a large dungeon, easy is 1 hour, medium is 2 hours, and hard is 3. If the room needs a detailed description, I write it on the back. I then shuffle the deck. The entranced of the dungeon is a good place to set the scene. Then you start drawing cards and playing them out as they go.

I like the randomness of drawing cards but you can have a strict order to follow. The key here is having certain challenges that they have to overcome rather than having them needlessly explore a large dungeon. There isn’t anything wrong with exploration, it’s just that for my table time is limited so exploration is cut out. Not all if the cards have to be encounters, you can add npcs or moments where you can allow for roleplay to switch things up. In one of my rooms, the challenge they had to overcome was to play Pictionary so we played Pictionary for a bit and that was super fun. You know your table so try to design things around that. If you are worried about leveling, that is not a problem. I design the rooms and the difficulty but I don’t include any monsters. That way, I can reuse them down the road and if they happen to level mid dungeon, I can adjust the difficulty.

Be sure to include doors and secret doors so that the players have a choice on what they have to do. At the end of the session, you can piece the dungeon together and see how far they have gotten. If you are doing a multiple level dungeon or if there is a boss at the end, I rolled a 10 sided dice and after that many rooms, I mixed a stairs card and shuffled the deck so when I pull it from the dwindling deck, they move on to the next floor. You can also decide the number when it seems appropriate to the plot. I like a bit of randomness in my games and it makes sense in the context of the game.

Why did I choose to run it this way?

Not everyone at my table has a top of the line gaming rig, I don’t either. Some people have Chromebooks that they use only for streaming and that’s ok. While Foundry is not particularly recourse demanding, we do hit a few issues here and there because of technical difficulties. I have run dungeon crawls online before on Roll20 and Foundry and found that it isn’t worth the trouble for my table. The biggest issue was that the large maps crashed the programs or made them painfully slow. We spent more time resetting and refreshing than on the actual dungeon crawl.

The non-technical issue is that the size of the map made my players to weary. We spent too much time in meaningless rooms and choosing what hallways to go down. Also, some of my players would get antsy and move through walls and ruin the surprise. Or, I would end up moving them to the next plot point and there was no real reason to have all of these hallways and rooms. I could have done a mix of theater of the mind and have maps for the important rooms, but I wanted try something new and I didn’t want to spend the time looking for maps.

Again this is all based on my group, and my group likes to speed run so if you have a group that enjoys the exploration, design as much as you need.

I will go back to using the VTT and actual maps when they clear this dungeon, but I thought it was a good way of giving my players a new experience. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I am not associated with any of the links or products I like to, I just didn’t think I have them for people who want to learn more and the links provide the best explinations. Cheers.

D&D

Mad Mage Chronicles – CH2

June 4, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

Chapter 2: An Orc Enters the Tavern

This story is based on the Wizards of the Coast published adventure Waterdeep: The Dungeon of the Mad Mage. There will be spoilers.

Hours go by and the bar fills up with adventurers returning from the dungeon. Some carry sacs full of treasure. Their voices full of glee as they order rounds of food and drink in celebration. Others exit with gloom and sorrow weighing them down. Bloodied, carrying on them broken armor and thick coats of dirt. Some exit the bar without making a sound, others sulk silently in a corner, deep in thought. Some emerge in tears. They denounce adventuring and through their swords into the fire before they rent the next horse out of this god forsaken town.

It is this mixture of success and sorrow that create the dynamic atmosphere at the yawning portal and tonight is no exception. Ale is poured, food is brought out. The drunken bards start to play songs and the adventurers regale tales of what they’ve seen and defeated. The bar is filled with singing, chanting, and the clanking of mugs as the floor becomes sticky with ale.

Dilrajus continues to work at her journal. She studies the crowd of drunkards and takes notes diligently. Occasionally she will take a sip of the ale that grows warm at her side or take a bite from the stew that grows cold. No approaches. Diljaris continues to wait patiently. She flips through books, orders more drink and continues to watch the beautiful chaos brought by adventuring.

A female orc walks into the Yawning Portal. The sword at her side bounces with each step. Her mail armor is dirty, worn and a size too big. Bits of her dark green skin peer through the layers of soot and grime. Her boots are well travelled, caked in dried mud. She has long black dreadlocks that come down to the small of her back. She looks around as people start to notice her. Murmers start to circulate and suddenly the all attention is on this lone orc woman.

She makes her way through a crowd that seems to grow more agitated by her presence. Hands move to weapons, yes follow her closely, yet she continues to move through the bar confidently. She walks up to the bar, the barkeep has been watching her the whole time. Before the orc can say anything the barkeep greets her aggressively “This is a place of business, don’t go startin trouble”

The ork shakes her head, lifting her hands to show the room her empty hands before responding “You won’t get any trouble from me. I just want food, drink and a place to stay”

“Food and drink is 2 silver. You want a place to stay? Look elsewhere. We’re all full for the night.”

There’s a moment of silence. The orc begins to shake slightly. “I am not some green horn adventurer you can dick around. What is the real price?” Upon hearing the aggression in her reply, the adventurers around her begin to reach for their weapons and move in closer.

“The price is the price. You want it or not” he says as he pulls out a crossbow from under the bar.

Her shaking becomes more visible. She grinds at her teeth before yelling “Listen” as she slams her fist on the bar. “I didn’t start this! I’ve done nothing wrong, Are you gunna serve me or not?.” Weapons are drawn. People start throwing insults at the orc.

Watch yourself.

Get out of here filthy green skin

She is overcome by rage. She reaches for her sword, the room is ready to pounce on her. As she grabs for the hilt, but instead of the familiar worn leather of the hilt she feels cold scales.

“I think we’ve all gotten a bit carried away” Diljaris’ voice comes from behind the Orc “Let’s settle down. The girl just wants to eat. There’s no need to be unreasonable.” The orc turns around swiftly and defensively only to be greeted by a smiling blue Dragonborn. Diljaris continues “I like your style. You should come join me for a little chat. I want to talk to you about a very lucrative opportunity that might interest you”

“No thanks” the orc says, turning around and taking a step towards the exit. Diljaris grabs the Orc by the hand and pulls at it gently. The orc stops and attempts to break away but can’t. The Orc looks angry, confused and distressed by the situation.

Diljaris, still holding the Orc’s hand, continues “We can do it over dinner. My treat. Just hear me out. There’s no harm in talking”

The orcs stomach growls. Diljaris laughs at the sound. The Orc becomes more visibly distressed and unsure of what to do. She finally lets out a sigh as her shoulders relax a bit. She turns to Diljaris, who is still smiling, and responds “Fine, but I’m not promising anything just because you’re feeding me”

Diljaris lets go of the orcs hand and claps as she lets out a gleeful giggle. “Perfect!” She turns to the barkeep and in a serious and stern tone she says” You can bring us her order. Put it on my tab but I expect the normal rate.” She grabs the Orc woman by the hand and starts leading her through a crowd of people who eye the odd couple suspiciously. “Come, we’re over here”

“We?” the orc asks sounding a bit distressed. There is no response as they continue through the bar. The table is neatly organized with books and journals spread out. The orc eyes pages filled with strange draconic symbols. “You just leave your stuff out like this”

“Oh” Diljaris says thinking for a moment “Well everyone was busy looking at you, I didn’t think they would come take it. Please, sit!” The orc places her small leather bag, sword and shield on the long bench and sits beside them. Diljaris still smiling, studies the Orc woman and quickly jots down notes on a new page. She writes for a moment before saying “How rude of me” she puts down her pen “My name is Diljaris Eshis. I am a wizard if you can’t tell. I am putting a team together to go down into the dungeon and you my friend, seem like a very strong candidate. I do have a few questions before we can talk about you joining the team. What is your name?”

“You won’t survive a day down there princess. Why do you wanna go down there anyways?”

Diljaris is shocked by the reply “I will have you know that I am a very capable person. Now please don’t be rude, what is your name?”

The orc sighs. “You can call me Roakala”

“Fair enough. Why do you think you should be able to join my crew”

“You are the one who asked me here. You should be trying to convince me” Roakala says, sounding a bit annoyed.

“Answer the questions please, you will have time to ask your own questions at the end. What skills will you be bringing to the group”

Roakala begins to gather he belongings silently, Diljaris watches before a server finally arrives with a bowl of hot stew and a mug of ale. Roakala looks down at the bowl of stew. The scent fills her nose, making her take a long audible gulp. “Could you be so kind to bring us a pitcher of ale” Diljaris asks, still smilling “We are going to be a while”

Roakala stares at Diljaris and seems to be in deep thought. She looks down at the food and the ale and remains silence as she seems to contemplate a complicated decision. Roakala returns her equipment to the bench and sits down, bringing the bowl of stew to her. She begins to eat the soup before replying “I’m good in a fight. My stuff might be old, but I know how to use it”

“And what are your goals for coming here?”

Roakala keeps eating hungrily. Slurping loudly. Diljaris watches and takes note. Roakala responds “I’m here to make money, so if you hiring, I think we should speak terms”

“We will speak terms if you qualify. To be clear, I am not looking for employees. I am looking for a group I can trust and can handle themselves down there”

“Does it pay?”

“Of course, you get a share of the loot. Indulge me for a bit longer” Diljaris says as her pen moves quickly, leaving behind it clean calculated calligraphy. “Tell me what you know about the dungeon”

Roakala washes down the stew with big gulps from the mug. Bits of foam and ale spill from the corner of her mouth. They move down her chin, leaving a shimmering trail. Small drops fall on her chain mail leaving behind dark circles. She slams the mug down letting out a loud resonating belch before finally replying “I hear there’s treasure down there that no one’s claimed. I’m here to collect it so I never have to work again”

“But you are here to work correct?” Diljaris looks up, a bit of concern in her eyes.

“Well I have to get to the treasure somehow.” Roakala continues scooping up the stew in her mouth. Seeing that the bowl is nearly empty, Diljaris pushes her untouched bowl of stew gently towards Roakala. Roakala surprised by the gesture, stops eating. She studies the bowl of stew. Smells it. Looks at the strange dragonborn who continues to stare at her, continues to smile, and insists on having conversation.

Roakala puts down the spoon. “What are you trying at?”

“Trying? I don’t understand”

“You saved me from a mob and you then feed me. If you’re looking for a servant, look elsewhere. I don’t serve no one”

“You misunderstand, If you are selected join, there won’t be any ranks and we all get an equal share”

Roakala continues to watch her suspiciously but picks up her food. She begins to work on the second bowl. “Can I ask questions now?”

“Just one last thing. What is your favorite part about adventuring?”

Roakala continues to eat. She doesn’t answer right away but continues to eat away at her bowl of stew. “I’m in it for the money” she finally replies, standing up to take a breath of air. She takes the pitcher of ale and fills it with the murky golden liquid.

“Do you need more to eat?”

“Do I gotta pay it back?”

“Oh no, it’s my treat. You look hungry”

“Then I’ll take 2 more of these” Roakala replies, lifting the side of the bowl to show that it was empty. Diljaris orders another tree bowls of stew and a pitcher of ale. She gives the waitress 1 silver and thanks her.

“Thank you for your time, you are a very intriguing candidate, but I will need to review all of the candidates before I can make a decision” Diljaris says as she closes the journal and takes a sip from her mug.

Roakala searches the room as she picks at her teeth before saying “There ain’t nobody else is there?”

Diljaris laughs loudly and responds “There are a few, but they aren’t here yet.”

D&D

D&D Sessions: A Warforged’s Backstory

March 26, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a larger on going story. Click here for the full story!

ALIEN MOTHERSHIP by DorianoArt on DeviantArt

Our story begins on a large bio-mechanical ship. The large circular ship moves through space on a mission to learn everything it can about the universe. It is within its metal walls where it all begins. The mothership is life. From the outside, the ship looks alone and almost abandoned as it journeys through space but inside it is alive. Inside you find the endless rows of pods of dormant warforges. Smaller versions of the mothership, designed and manufactured to carry out the ultimate mission. Each one is meticulously created for the greater purpose. In the darkness, large arms move franticly, checking vitals, making repairs, and birthing those ready to be awaken.

Interior mothership concept. by alexdrummo on DeviantArt

Today is B.U.D.’s birthday. A long arm connects to his pod. Slowly it checks for vitals as it begins the awakening protocols. It begins to upload the history of the mothership and feelings of fondness towards the her. It uploads important objectives and protocols and any pertinent to the mission. He is also imbued with an unrivaled curiosity. Aside from that, B.U.D. is a blank slate, eager to learn.

The arm detaches from the pod. B.U.D.’s eyes open slowly. He is blinded by the light. He blinks wildly as his eyes become accustomed to the light. The shadows come first, slowly creeping up against the corners. Slowly the colors start to fill in, erasing the white that blinds him. Details are made clearer until he sits in his pod staring at an empty metal corridor. Hot steam blows out from a nearby vent. He is mesmerized by the beauty of the mothership and stands there motionless.

Warforged Cleric by ThatweirdguyJosh on DeviantArt

A voice in his head directs him to his first objective, get to the pod. Prepare for departure.

A strip of light on red light illuminates a path that turns down a corridor, leading him away from his ship. He follows it past the rows of dormant pods. Past arms in a frenzy with pre-programmed instructions. Past the pipes that leak hot steam at almost random intervals. As he walks, he takes it all in. Every curve, pipe, sound that fills his head with wonder and amazement. He commits everything to memory and moves in silence. He follows the lights until he comes to a pair of doors that slide open revealing an area just big enough for him to stand snuggly. He fits himself in and watches as the hatch closes. There is a small window for him to see out of. A large console wraps around him full of monitors, buttons, switches, dials, and blinking light. A moment of silence goes by as he sits in darkness. He feels a rumbling coming from somewhere in his new pod as he is spit out into space.

In his amazement, he looks onto the Mothership. He analyses every feature he continues to float away slowly from the massive ship. Another strange rumbling from within and he watches as the pod adjusts itself, aiming towards an unknown direction The rockets fire and he watches as the Mothership disappears into the darkness. Time passes. He spends his waking hours looking out the window and listening some of the data that was left for him to learn.

Eventually the ship enters the orbit. B.U.D. watches the bright blue mass grow in front of him. Around him, the air heats up turning red as it falls through the atmosphere towards the continent of Wild Mount. The pod lands in a massive explosion that shakes the whole continent. Large chunks of earth and trees give way as it nestles itself into a giant burning crater. A large cloud of dust and smoke hide him from the rest of the world. The hatch pops off and a mixture of hot and cool air hit B.U.D. instantly. It takes him a moment to get out, mostly because he is distracted by the smoke and the dust and the fire. He takes his first step. His feat lands on soft chard earth. He feels bits of gravel scratch at the souls of his feet. With increasing confidence, he takes more steps until he is out of the massive crater.

He watches the crater as the smoke and dust continue to do their dance in the north blowing wind. But he also makes out the nature he has disrupted. The green of the trees that sit somewhat skewed away from him. He is overwhelmed by this new influx of color that he stands there motionless for a long lingering moment. He takes more slow steps towards nature as he stops constantly to collect new data. Rocks, sticks, flowers, anything new to send to the mothership. He pops them in his mouth, his body digests it. Analyzing everything in it’s composition and saves as data that he will later send out to the mothership in the form of what he calls prayer.

He is distracted when the army comes. Guards armed in shinning new armor. Weapons are drawn with fingers tightly laced around their hilts. He is distracted by the world so he doesn’t here the archers knot their bows and take cautious aim at this strange creature. He is so distracted that he doesn’t hear them advance slowly behind him. Studying him. Judging him. Trying to decide whether he be friend of foe.

Captain Trainer leads his men silently. His armor freshly polished, his sword sharpened, his heart beating furiously in his chest he moves forward. When he is at earshot he lets out in feigned confidence

“State your business. Are you friend or foe?”

B.U.D. hears the new sound and begins to process it. He turns around and sees for the first time humanoids slowly moving towards him. Data for the mothership he thinks to himself. He opens his mouth and parrots the words that greeted him.

“What the fuck is that?” a guard whispers nervously to his group. They move forward with caution as B.U.D puts another flower in his mouth. When he turns around, he spots a few soldiers inching forward. Unsure at what to do he waves his arms wildly. The soldiers tense up. The captain of the troop is the first to speak

“Where are you from? What are you doing here? Did you cause that racket?” Bud repeats the words, not quite understanding the common.

“Do you understand me?” no real response. Captain Trainer sighs and in his growing frustration and confusion he asks “Are you a fucking Kenku?”

B.U.D keeps repeating the new sounds, stringing them in random order. Confused by this response, Captain Trainer tightens his grip on his sword. His men tense up as he inches closer and closer to the creature who stands, watches, and spouts nonsense in common. “My name is John Trainer. I am captain of the royal army military guard. We are here investigating a strange explosion. Did you cause that explosion?”

Still no answer, instead B.U.D. takes a flower he holds in his hand and pops it in his mouth.

Captain Trainer sees his and says “I’m going to get close to you and give you this flower, yum” Captain Trainer begins to mime with his hands, hoping the creature understands gestures. B.U.D. sees this and begins to mime as well. Captain Trainer reaches out his hand with the flower. B.U.D. moves to accept making all the soldiers tense up, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. Captain Trainer uses his free hand to motion his men to continue holding. His heart races and a thick dirty beads of sweat run down his temple. He can see the detail etched into B.U.D.’s armor. It isn’t armor he realizes almost instantly, it is his skin. The metal beast moves his hands to accept the flower “Kenku Trainer Army” he spits out as he grabs the flower. Trainer feels the cold metal on his skin. He sees the unnatural mechanics that allow this creature to move. For a moment the world is still as they continue to decide on whether or not this beast is friend of foe.

It takes a bit of a coaxing and a lot of frustration but captain trainer is able to get B.U.D and back to a nearby barracks. For four years he remains the country’s most well-kept secret. For four years he was constantly watched as he learned everything he could learn about the new world he fell into.

Now B.U.D walks freely with a group of adventures he is growing fond of. Now he is free to continue his mission.

D&D

D&D Sessions – The First Quest

March 4, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a series. Click here for the whole story!

ArtStation – For honor warden_Fanart, Kim Junghun

Zamir and Jalila drop to the ground, letting out audible breaths full of exhaustion. Weapons fall to their side, kicking up small clouds of dust as they settle in the sand below.

“Thanks for the help” Zamir says between breaths. His right arm extends for a hand shake. His palms dirty with blood stained sand.

“My pleasure” Jalila clasps Zarmir’s hand, giving off a loud clapping sound. When the adrenalin begins to wear off, she feels a soreness in her left arm and shoulder. She begins to massage it.

Tal makes his way to his brother who remains on the floor. He looks over Zarmir, his armor bloodied and scuffed from the battle. Although most of Zarmir’s wounds have closed, some of them have opened up again sending sharp burning pain through his body. Tal drops to his knees. He clasps his hands together in a prayer and whispers “may her light sooth and protect you”. His hands begin to glow as he waves his hands over Zarmir’s wounds. A soothing calm dulls the pain and Zarmir starts to feel better.

B.U.D’s clapping fills echoes over the empty arena. He walks over, his energy levels low but nothing he can’t handle. He examines the metal creature carefully and without much hesitation picks op one of the arms. “Can I have some of this for the Mother Ship?” His voice unaffected by the battle.

“Oh gosh” Jalila replies. Would it be canabalism? She thinks to herself as she begins to take off the heavier parts of her armor. Massaging the sore parts on her body.

“I don’t think its eatable B.U.D.” Tal adds, his hands still hovering over his brother.

Varus walks up behind the group. His fingers are wrapped around the arrow lodged into this shoulder. Quick movements cause a sharp pain to shoot through his shoulder. He shuffles forward slowly trying not to cause more pain. He is used to the pain. The myriad of scars that cover his body prove he is no stranger to it, yet he is also human and the reaction to pain is only natural. He does his best to hide it, no one notices.

“Well that was easy” he finally lets out “B.U.D. a little help please” he points to the arrow in his shoulder.

B.U.D. drops the metal arm and nods “of course”. A small cloud of black metallic specks flow from pours that appear on his shoulder. They hover over his head before they surround Varus. Instinct kicks in and Verus tenses under the B.U.D’s strange cloud. He tenses even more so as they start to cover his body. He relaxes as the pain in his shoulder starts to numb. Underneath the thick cloud he hears the sound of crunching wood. He feels the weight of the arrow begin to fade as the cloud gently tugs and pulls at his skin. The cloud disperses and B.U.D. reabsorbs the cloud. Varus looks at his shoulder, the arrow is gone and his shoulder is completely healed without a scar.

“Well aren’t you handy” Varus finally says, still astonished by his companions strange magic “Thanks”

“You’re welcome” B.U.D. replies “Does anyone else need any healing”

“I’m good” Jalila answers. She whispers a quite prayer as she massages her sore parts. Her hands glow and the pain and soreness starts to fade away.

“So what happens now?” Tal asks as the lights from his hands go out. He is completely drained now. His eyes start to grow heavy as he watches Toula who seems to be lost in thought.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never gotten this far. Most of my students either die or quit” she lets out a nervous laugh. Her left arm rubs at the back of her head. “Well officially, I am your new advisor. I will be giving you missions when they come in. But that is all I know for now”

The lack of information annoys the party. Toula’s lack of preparation doesn’t help. The group grows disheartened looking on to the person who was in charge of their career. The school’s bad reputation was no exaggeration. But the exhaustion weighs on them heavily and they lack the energy to protest. Instead they gather their gear.

“Can we leave?” Zarmir stands up gripping at his glaive.

“Yeah, class dismissed. I will contact when you get an assignment. Go get some rest” Toula turns to walk away, taking long deep gulps from her bottle.

Outside, the heat of the summer day starts to set in. There are more students out and about, talking and laughing as the party slowly makes their way back to their room. They spend the rest of the day resting and exploring the school waiting for their next assignment.

“I don’t like our new advisor” Zarmir says, not hiding any disdain he has towards her.

“I don’t know, I kind of like her” Jalila responds thinking of the strange drunk woman. She wasn’t uptight like the other teachers she has had since joining the military. Toula was the first adult who didn’t talk down to her or mention anything about her upbringing. “At least she’s not a snooty uptight instructor”

“She is a character” Tal chimes in. Unsure what exactly to think of her.

“She is unprofessional. Did you see the bottles?” Zarmir retorts, unbelieving that he was alone in his sentiment.

“Nobody’s perfect. We can’t judge her on her vices. She’s a teacher for a reason. Maybe she’s a good fighter?” Varus says as he moves his left arm in circles, unbelieving how good it felt after B.U.D’s little trick. It might have been better than it was before.

“Well I don’t see it. She is always unprepared. It is bad enough I have to be in this school, I would at least like to have someone who does their job.”

“Is that not how teachers are supposed to act?” B.U.D. asks, not seeing a problem with the strange woman who smells of booze.

“No B.U.D, they are at least supposed to know what is going on and that lady doesn’t know what day it is!” Zarmir adds growing more annoyed by the fact that he has to explain his disappointment.

“What day is it? Is it important to know what today is?” B.U.D struggles to understand the situation.

“It’s an expression B.U.D. He means to say that she doesn’t know anything.” Jalila chimes in. She didn’t think B.U.D was going to be this much work. “In any case, I don’t think we can do anything about her. We get what we get at this school. “

Zarmir continues his walk in frustrated silence. B.U.D. pulls out a glass bottle from his cloak pocket and takes a bite. Jalila lets out a soft sigh as B.U.D. slowly chews the glass. The party moves in silence except for the sound of crunching glass. The Party spends their day performing different tasks. Tal explores the school until he finds a nice place to play his lute. He works on new songs but mostly plays to relax himself. Zarmir finds a place in the woods where he can work out. He works until his muscles begin to give and continues to push himself until he can no longer move. Jalila spends her day cleaning her armor, polishing her shield specifically. She can see the dents of where the claws hit. She eventually ends up in the schools weight room. She works out until nightfall. B.U.D. walks explores the school’s grounds, eating interesting objects that he finds. He collects a lot of data for the mother ship. Varus spends some time praying to the Raven Queen when no one is looking. He spends the rest of his time trying to find any information about Captain Elaran. He finds none.

At night, the party gathers in their room. They share small exchanges of conversation that ultimately ends in an early night. B.U.D. is left in the his corner as everyone has long since retreated to their rooms. He watches the night fall over the mountains. He thinks about all the new things he ate today and hopes the Mother Ship is as pleased with his findings as he is. In a deep gravelly voice:

Hello residents of room 304, this is your courtesy wake up call. I have one announcement for you when you are all here present and ready

Doors open cautiously as the doors open to reveal a very confused B.U.D.

Was that you?

“Up here.” says a small stone gnome statue. He wears a pointy hat and his stone features animate as he talks. “Sorry to startle you, my name is Steve and I will be your point of contact with the school. I will give you announcements and send deliver any messages addressed to you”

B.U.D. begins to move forward, hand out ready to touch the talking stone gnome.

“Please don’t touch me” Steve snaps at B.U.D. “Anyways, you have a 9 am appointment with your advisor Toula. Please don’t be late. Bring whatever you would take on an adventure” with that the gnome’s eyes close. B.U.D. waves his hand in front of the gnomes face. It doesn’t react.

“I guess we have a mission” Tal breaks the silence as he gathers his things. B.U.D. continues to inch towards the curious statue. He wonders what kind of data it would send to the Mother ship.

Jalila watches and lets out a silent sigh. “B.U.D. don’t eat the thing” She shakes her head and walks to her room to get ready. B.U.D. stops and moves away, his eyes never leaving the small gnome statue.

The party once again stands outside of Toula’s office. The stench of stale liquor seeps into the hall. Again their knocking goes unanswered. A frustrated Zarmir walks through the door announcing “We’re here for our meeting”

A sleeping snoring Toula is slumped over her desk this time. Space has been made for a her head and a small perimeter of crumpled up paper that surrounds her. There are more scraps of paper mixed in with the bottles that are scattered around her desk. B.U.D. gets excited by the sight. Zarmir continues forward. A less than gentle shove to the shoulder brings an aggressive Toula from her slumber. Fists in the air, ready to strike at the intruders she looks around blankly. It takes her a minute to calm down before she lets out a yawn. “Sorry” she finally says “didn’t think you would come back. This is all new to me. You guys are early”

“It’s actually five minutes after” Zarmir says. He debates on whether or not he should leave the office and make an appeal to have anyone else be his instructor. How will he prove his family wrong with this person as his teacher?

“Right, well there was supposed to be someone else here but I guess I’ll start on what I got” Toula pulls out a small sheet of crumpled and dirty paper. She clears her throat and begins to read slowly. Each word read more unsure than the last.

” You made it! I am. glad. I congratulate you my students. This makes me feel good. I hope”

Before she is able to finish her thought Zarmir interrupts “It’s fine you don’t have to read anything. We get it”

“Yeah please stop” Jalila adds.

“Yeah I don’t really know what I’m doing here. You are the first to pass my test, I wasn’t prepared” she says. Zarmir lets out a small involuntary laugh.

“Really? The only ones? But that was so easy” Jalila adds smuggly

“It must mean you are worthy. I couldn’t tell by looking at ya, but I’m glad you didn’t die”

“Did you build that thing yourself?” Jalila asks

“The metal thing? Nah that wasn’t me. That was Terry. He makes all the shit around here. Odd fella but he knows how to make some fun toys”

Suddenly, there is a soft knock at the door. The door opens slowly. Headmaster Xanather walks in. His suit is freshly pressed. His wild hair reaching out in every direction almost like tentacle. His piercing yellow eyes seem to glow even in this properly lit room, Behind him, the door closes as he stands at the center of the group. He smiles and says “As you might already know, I am Headmaster Xanathar and I would like to take this moment to welcome you to my school. I am here to tell you that you are not here by accident. I have been following your careers very closely and I for one am impressed. You have a lot to learn and I am honored that you are here to learn it.”

Like we have a choice Zamir thinks to himself.

Headmaster Zanathar lets out a sneaky smile as he continues his lecture “We run things a little different here. Most students will have a normal class schedule and training to get them ready to join the ranks and fight for our great country. You and a select few have been chosen to perform some extracurriculars. You can think of it as a supplemental work study program. You well be sent out on various jobs, whether it be to escort politicians or fight monsters. There will be small bits of compensation but the real reward is the experience you will gain in the field. You have already proven yourself extraordinary students so I am sure you will do splendidly. The only rule is that you will be representing the school on these missions so act appropriately.

He pulls a small silver watch from his coat pocket. A beholder is engraved on the cover. Shock starts to wash over his face and before anyone has a chance to ask a question he lets out “Oh well I apologize for my rudeness but I simply must get going. Welcome to my school and good luck out there.” The door closes as he is out before he even finishes his sentence.

The party turns to Toula who is in mid gulp. She takes another drink before finally setting it down. “I’m sure you have questions, I don’t have answers” She opens a drawer and pulls out a map. “But I do have your first mission”

Pushes more bottles to the floor, the bounce creating a loud ruckus. With the map spread out on her desk she adds “There have been reports of animals savagely attacking people in the nearby village of Charis” her dirty finger moves and points at the small village’s name. “What we need you to do is go investigate and solve this little problem. Think you can handle it?”

“Yes but do we have any more information about the situation” Tal asks, a worried look on his face.

“No, that’s why you need to investigate. Can you handle a bunch of animals?”

“No problem!” Zarmir says as he flexes his slightly bigger arm “Nothing me and my glaive can’t handle”

“Can we have the map at least?” Tal asks as he studies the map.

“Yeah it’s yours. Leave when you’re ready. Report back to me when you’re done. Don’t die on me”

“Do we get any other help? Any potions or weapons? Maybe horses?” Varus chimes in from the corner of the room, Toula lets out a loud bellowing laugh. It shakes the bottles as the sound fills the room.

“Oh gods no. You seem to forget where you are. Unfortunately there aren’t many funds so you will have to be resourceful. I’m confident that you will manage just fine all the same” She winks, pulling the bottle of liquor to her mouth to take a swig.

A bit disappointed yet unsurprised by the answer, Varus pulls out a silver flask from his pocket. “Can I drink in here?”

Toula shrugs “I ain’t your mum”

Varus pops open his flasks, the scent of warm cognac mixes into the air. Toula’s nostrils start to flare, her mouth starts to water and after a big swallow lets out “What’s that you have there bud?”

“No I’m B.U.D. That’s Varus”

“Oh geez” Jalila says as he pats B.U.D on the shoulder. B.U.D. Pats her back not quite understanding the strange ritual.

“It’s a bit from my personal reserve, you want a swig?” Varus hands over the flask. Toula takes it gingerly and brings it to her nose for a sniff. It was fancy compared to the stuff she has been drinking so far. She takes a sip, the warm cognac washes down her throat.

“Wow!” she goes for another swig “this is good, what is it?”

“It doesn’t have a name, its just something I like to do for fun” he reaches for the flask and takes a long swig.

“Well if you ever get more, send some this way”

Varus smiles “that’s easy enough”

“Is there a place where we can buy potions and supplies” Zarmir asks

“Uh you can try the book store”

“It’s probably expensive never mind” Zarmir replies, already halfway out the door. The party leaves Toula’s office. They meet at the school gate, it’s a nice day. There are no clouds in the sky and a few birds fly overhead. With bags packed, weapons sharpened they take their first step on their journey to the village of Charis.

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D&D Sessions – The First Team Fight

February 19, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a series. Click here for the whole story!

The party walks down a long and dank brick corridor. They pass flickering torches. The corridor ends at a large metal barred gate. On the other side sits a large ring. The floor is covered in freshly packed sand. Surrounding the ring, a twenty-foot stone wall that holds up rows of seats that stretch back to an open ceiling. The sun has begun to peak over the eastern wall, illuminating a small section of the ring like a spotlight. A few birds fly over the large opening, creating the only blemish against the blue backdrop.

The gates are opened with loud chains that clang heavily against one another. The sound carries into the ring and bounces off the empty seats. The party moves forward to the center of the ring. Hands clench weapons tightly as eyes scan the ring for danger. There is none noticed, and they continue their trek slowly towards the center. Each footstep lands with a slight crunch, leaving behind sloppy imperfections on the sand. They pass by red blood stains that have since soaked into the sand and dents where hammers and other blunt weapons fell. On the walls, they notice the countless nicks and deep cuts that were never mended. There are bits of wall that are missing. The party moves forward.

When they reach the center, the ring remains silent. A large metal gate looks back at them somberly, unmoving. A door shuts loudly in the distance. It is followed by the faint sound of feet lazily shuffling over stone. About a minute goes by and Toula appears along the wall with a wine bottle in each hand. She makes wobbling trek along the edge to the center of the wall and plops down. Her feet dangle over the edge of the wall and she looks down the confused party. With out a word, she raises a bottle to her mouth and bites the cork off. She spits it over the edge. it lands with a silent thud a few feet away from them. She takes a big swig and her thirsty gulps echo off the walls of the empty colosseum. She stops and looks down letting out a satisfying burp before adding “Welp? Get on it”

With that, the large gate drops, bouncing heavily on the sand below shaking the ring. It kicks up a thick cloud of dust and sand. Grips get tighter. Eyes try desperately to look throw the thick dust and past the darkness. The dust settles and a feint sound of footsteps can be heard from somewhere in the darkness. With each passing second, the sounds get heavier. Small bits of sand start to bounce in resonance. It gets closer, but the tempo never changes. One step after another, closer and closer until the footsteps are accompanied by the sound of metal scraping onto stone.

Tal is the first to see it. A large metallic orb inching through the darkness with 9 long metallic arms reaching out to pull it forward. At its head sits a small metal helmet with no face but emotionless red eyes that illuminate the darkness.

“Well, okay then” Tal lets out trying to hide the anxiety from his voice. No one else sees what he is talking about. The metallic creature stops suddenly. It’s long claws dig into the stone around it and it begins to brace itself.

“Um, you guys. Something is happening?”

“What is it?” Jalila asks, half squinting, trying desperately to see through the darkness.

Before Tal could answer, the creature launches itself out of the tunnel. The sunlight shines off the metal, sending out beams of hot light into the stands. Instinct kicks in and the party scatters as the giant metallic orb lands, creating a large crater where they once stood. The metallic creature raises from the crater, towering over them at 15 ft it scans its surroundings. It starts to make its way towards Zarmir who is the closest.

“By the light of the gods, be gone demon” Tall says clutching the holy symbol that hangs around his neck. The small cross warms under his touch. A large purple beam falls from the heavens, engulfing the creature in blinding purple light. When the beam stops, the orb stands seemingly unaffected. The metal glows purple. The creature sets its glowing red gaze towards Tal and in the same second makes a run towards Tal.

Zarmir tightens the grip on his glaive and takes his first confident step towards the purple glowing metallic creature. Each step comes down quicker and harder as his years of training start to set in. He closes the distance as he feels streams of sand being kicked in his direction. When in range, Zarmir leaps at the creature, swinging his glaive at the creatures back. The iron glaive meets resistance. Sparks fly as it begins to cut into the hull of the orb. The metal rings that ornate the back of the blade jingle wildly as it starts to slowly cut through. Purple glowing metal starts to bend under the blade until it gives, leaving a the creature with a large wound on its back. A black ooze starts to seep from the wound. A claw swings at Zarmir in retaliation, but instinct kicks in and he deflects the attack. Zarmir takes his chance and swings at the joint between the claw and the arm. The blade catches and the sound of metal tearing fills the field. Zarmir’s glaive goes through and the offending claw lands lifeless besides him.

Zarmir doesn’t see the second claw attack. It moves too quick and swipes him at his side. Pain shoots through his body as he is lifted from the ground and thrown from his position. The armor below the claw bends and cracks as he tumbles over the sand leaving small clouds of sand and dust. He lands breathless. The side of his body hurts. He struggles to stand. His ears ring and his vision has blurred. It takes him a second to realize he no longer has his glaive. It takes another for his vision to return and find it lying halfway between him and the beast. He takes a step forward and a bloody cough escapes him.

The creature is upon Zarmir before he can take another step. It towers over him. The purple menacing glow looking down at a defenseless and hurting Zarmir. It’s arms stretch out for one final attack. Zarmir stands his ground. He lifts his left arm to try to ineffectively shield himself from the creatures final blow. The claw comes down quicker than Zarmir remembered. More precise. More deadly.

It lands with a heavy clank as it digs into Jalila’s metal kite shield. It scratches at the symbol of her holy order. Her arms start to shake. She mutters a small incoherent prayer. She clenches her teeth, digs her heals in deep into the sand before successfully swinging away the attack. She clutches her long sword and swings. The blade catches metal as sparks spray back at Jalila’s unflinching face. Her muscles begin to burn but she pushes on. The blade goes through and long arm drops besides the creature. It stumbles back a bit.

Varus sees the opening and fires his crossbow. The bolt flies over the sand in a loud whirls as it flies through the opening left in his back. There is a loud clanging sound as the bolt bounces around the creatures insides. With that, the creature’s arms retract within itself leaving behind a large glowing purple orb. It begins to spin, kicking up a large cloud of dust as it rolls towards the other end of the ring. The loud sound of gears reaches out from behind the cloud.

“You good” Jalila asks, her breathing has become labored and heavy. A bead of sweat runs down her forehead.

“Ye” is all Zarmir is able to let out before another bloody cough escapes his throat.

B.U.D with a clear line of sight claps his hands together. Under his breath he lets out “let the mother ship give you strength”

A calming warmth comes over Zarmir. The pain in his chest dulls and his breathing eases. His bleeding wounds begin to close. With his newly found energy he runs towards his glaive. This time there is no cough to interrupt his trot.

At the other end of the ring, 9 long renewed claws extend from the orb. The wound at it’s back has mended. It’s red glowing eyes scan the field, and it starts to speed forward. Again, making it’s way towards Zarmir.

“Let your light fill the darkness” Tal exclaims with his hand clutching the small tin cross around his neck. A purple light, this time originating from his free hand, shoots towards the creature like an arrow. The creature sees it in time. It drops its shape into a ball and the guiding bolt flies over where the creature was. It catches itself and continues forward. A bright blue beam catches the creature on its side leaving behind a deep darkened dent in the armor. B.U.D. stands at the other end of the beam’s trajectory, his hand extended with his two long fingers extended. Seeing that he hit the target, B.U.D starts to clap.

The creature sets his sights on B.U.D. It begins to take deep confident steps towards him, quickly closing the gap between them. It moves much more quickly now. It is clear that creature is out for blood.

Across the ring, Varus has taken aim. A bolt releases from his crossbow, hitting the creature in a reaching arm. It stumbles from the impact, but only for a moment. It continues forward. The creature turns it’s head towards Varus. It’s soulless gaze locking onto his position. A small hole opens up at it’s side releasing an arrow towards varus. Before he can react, the arrow lodges itself into his left shoulder. Pain isn’t foreign to Varus. His childhood was full of pain and this was nothing new. But Varus is also human and he can’t help but to wince as the arrow pierces his skin and digs himself into his flesh. He feel a warm liquid start to flows down his shoulder, soaking

The creature continues towards B.U.D. B.U.D closes his eyes and whispers a silent prayer as he reaches for his mace.

Zarmir rushes forward, glaive in hand. The rings on the end of the blade begin to jingle with each step. With a quick leap, he brings his glaive down, this time full of fury and rage. His glaive meets metal. His muscles burn, his breathing becomes labored as the glaive slowly makes its way through the creature’s arm. It falls to the ground; it flops once before it remains still. Zarmir continues, this time lunging at the creature. His blade pierces the creature, this time it meets little resistance as his glaive sinks deep into the creature’s side.

The giant purple orb stops moving and turns to Zarmir. Zamir watches as gears turn slowly within the beast. A claw comes down for another attack but this time Zarmir is ready. He raises his Glaive and deflects the claw leaving enough of an opening for a swift and precise strike. The claw falls to the ground and twitches before it lays there motionless.

A crossbow bolt flies over Zarmirs shoulder. The wind lightly tussles his hair. It pierces on of the creatures red glowing eyes and it explodes with small bits of glass. The creature stumbles back. Each step more unsure than the last. It uses its desperate moment to sends another desperate claw attack at Zarmir. Zamir deflects but one of the claws is able to leave a deep burning cut on Zarmir’s face.

A third claw comes down, but this time it meets the face of Jalila’s shield. Her heals dig deep into the sad as the force of the claw attack moves her back slightly. With the impact still resonating over her body, she pushes the claw away. Her forehead begins to cover with sweat. Her muscles burn and her strength begins to give. Rage fills her. It can’t end here she thinks as she makes a last desperate push at the claw, pushing it away. The blade of her long sword follows. It sinks into the creature’s metal armored arm, this time it cuts like butter. The claw lands creating a deep crater in the sand.

The orb tries to mend itself. It tries to run away but instead is met with two more guiding bolts, one at each side. It turns its head, searching for a source. A bolt comes flying towards the creature. It finds the other eye. It sinks in deeper into the skull of the beast. It digs itself towards the back and finds itself at the center of an expertly drawn magical seal. The seal erases under the arrow. The creatures yes go dark and it falls over, lifeless.

Toula claps and laughs loudly. Her hands come together for a slow clap as she jumps from her seat into the ring. She walks forward slowly.

“Well, you done it” she exclaims loudly “I am impressed”

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D&D Sessions – Toula the Combat Teacher

January 27, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a series. Click here for the whole story!

The next morning, the room was still and quiet. Zamir wakes up before the sunrise to train. The rest sit in their room. Varus takes out a symbol of the Raven Queen that he kept hidden under his shirt, kneels and begins to pray. B.U.D stands in his corner in silence, watching out the window as the world begins to grow brighter. Tal pulls out his loot and begins strumming some notes softly, half distracted by thoughts on the upcoming exam. He spent the night trying to prepare, but there was only so much he can do. Jalila sits in her room polishing her armor. She had a great nights sleep on the incredibly luxurious bed that was provided for her. She has spent most of her life sleeping on the floor, the mattress is a welcomed change.

As the sound of the morning alarm finally rings, Zarmir finally returns from his training. B.U.D watches as Zamir makes his way to his room. He listens as he can hear the rustling of people finally getting ready. Tal sings a muffled song in his room. B.U.D becomes fascinated in this planet’s morning rituals. This is the first time he has lived in such an intimate environment. B.U.D is excited by all the data he collects as everyone finishes getting ready.

When our heroes step outside, the morning dew has long since evaporated. The sun has not yet reached its highest point and the cloudless sky offer no relief to what is sure to be an unusually hot day. There are some people out and about. Some lounging about having idle conversations while others rush to their next appointment. Aside from that, the school is silent. Each footprint echoes off the walls of the dormitories with only the songs of birds to give the world variance. The group makes small talk. With their minds preoccupied by the exam, the talk consistently ends awkwardly.

Our heroes arrive at the coliseum. It is a large, impressive stone building, visible from any where in the school. Massive pillars hold up its side. There are large statues, almost as tall as the building itself, of heroes in mid combat. The large gates of the coliseum are open. A small party stand outside, their bodies drenched in sweat. They talk about their class schedule.

The group moves past them, into the large lobby of the coliseum. A few banners hang with the school’s insignia neatly etched into the fabric. Around the edges of the lobby are more statues of heroes, these with name plates and dates decorating their basses. A few tables set up, but only one was occupied. Behind it, a young man who at the moment is slumped over the table, sound asleep in a pool of his own drool. His heaving breathing echoes off the walls of the chamber. The group makes their way towards him.

“Excuse me” Tal says as he gently taps the shoulder of the sleeping figure.

The young man stirs from his slumber. He takes a long blink as he wipes away the drool from the rim of his mouth. “I apologize, I must have dozed off. How may I help you?”. His voice is groggy. He wipes the sleep from his eyes.

“We are here for the exam. We have room 5a. Can you tell us where that is?”

“Oh? So you’re the group” He begins but he catches himself as he seems to remember some terrible truth. “Um just go down this hall, you can’t miss it”

“The group?” Varus adds suspiciously “What do you mean by that?”

“Yeah, can you tell us about the test” Jalila adds.

The young man lets out a nervous laugh” Oh uh. I’ve said too much. I’m sorry I’m not allowed to say more. I wish you all luck!”

“What can you tell us?” Varus continues to pry, growing more suspicious by the second.

The young man looks around for help but none can be found. A bead of sweat starts to take form on his forehead. He sighs “All I will say is that it will be tough. I wish you luck and good fortune, now I really must take my leave. I have too much work to do.” With that, he stands up and walks away from the group, leaving them alone in the lobby.

They make their way down the hall. Room 5A stands before them. A small moment of still quiet falls over the group. Tal knocks softly. No answer. Another soft knock, still no answer. The door is unlocked.

The door opens and the smell of stale ale fills the hallway. The room is plain, except for the piles of glass bottles that seem to be everywhere. Underneath one of these piles is a desk, one that feels sticky from this distance. There is no other furniture in the room except for a chair that now holds a sleeping dwarven woman. Her long-matted hair comes down in thick dirty dreadlocks. Her large muscular arms crossed over her chest. She is slumped back against the wall. She snores and the bottles shake as they react to the reverberation of her voice. She doesn’t seem to notice the intruders.

Zarmir uses his glaive to knock at the door frame “Hello?”

Still no response. Zarmir knocks louder. She doesn’t even flinch. With a loud sigh he walks walks up to the dwarf. The smell of stale ale grows thicker.

“Good morning!” he adds Impatiently.

The sleeping dwarf wakes in a jolt. She stares at the intruders, her face not hiding her confusion. There is more silence before she finally says “You’re late!” Her eyes already searching for more liquor.

“Actually, we were early. Waking you up made us late” Zarmir retorts. He doesn’t like this new teacher. She is incredibly unprofessional.

“Oh right” she responds as she continues her search for another drop of liquor. “Well I am Toula, you can call me Toula. No Miss, Mrs, just Toula.” Her voice is rough and gravely. She continues to sift through a pile of bottles on her desk as she talks.

“You, my unlucky friends, have the pleasure of doing the only kind of test that really counts for anything Yours will be a trial by combat. I only have three rules” she continues. She raises a bottle to her eye, shaking for the sound of liquid.

“One, don’t die. I am not responsible for any deaths. If death is going to be a problem, drop out now.”

All but Varus raise an eyebrow. No one mentioned anything about death. It isn’t even the first day and now death is on the table.

“Two” She raises two fingers up “go all out. Show me what you’re really made of. I need to be entertained. If you aren’t going to do your best” she pauses as she brings a bottle to her nose and sniffs. Satisfied by the scent, she continues “drop out now.

She takes a long gulp. “and three” She pauses, looking as if she is searching for the next answer “play it smart, I will not go in to help you. If you need me to save you, drop out now.”

“What are we fighting?” Varus asks. Aside from B.U.D. He seems the least phased by the new information.

Toula smiles “Now it wouldn’t be any fun if I gave you that”

“Yes there would” Tal responds “it be so much fun” The others nod in agreement.

“In war, you don’t always know what you are fighting before hand. This will test that. Now through those doors is your destiny, go forge a good one” She takes another gulp of alcohol. The group tries to protest but she is already walking to the door. Before leaving she adds “prove to me you deserve my attention”

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