Roll To Dodge Adventures - The Grail

[Brendan Savem]

Hey look, another interloper breaking in on Peteys’ job. This time, it is Brendan taking over for the Roll to Dodge Adventures. The idea was initially scrapped due to the complex nature of it and the lack of time due to forum duties and life itself. However, this plucky individual with more free time decided to take control. And expand it even! Now the Adventure has a truck load of spoiler pages for your convenience.

Prelore

Spoiler

The Grail: an ancient artifact of great power. The famed chalice of the gods themselves, with the power to heal any wound and cures any illness. Dropped from the heavens many centuries ago on a farmhand in a local village, he used its divine power to heal those around him making mortal wounds seem like paper cuts. Using this power, his fame and fortune grew, until he became a powerful monarch of a mighty kingdom, residing in a mighty fortress filled with many traps that no thief has ever succeeded in breaking through. The kingdom he created is long gone now, the cup failing to prevent the wrath of the gods, as fire rained down upon the throne and ultimately struck down the near-immortal king at last. However, its legend remained, of the king, of the kingdom, and of the cup itself, and its final resting place. The Fortress Castle of this Ancient Kingdom had long since sunken underneath the Earth, becoming the Dungeon of Immortals, a deathtrap for adventurers with not just the ancient traps of the Immortal King, but also the infestation of an endless horde of monsters and other hideous creatures that abhor the light, and yet are attracted to it like moths to a flame. Perhaps the light of the grail itself was what drew them there, who knows?

Many adventurers have gone into the Dungeon of Immortals, searching for the grail and what other treasures lie within, only a small handful of them ever returned. Plenty of those adventurers came back with their arms filled with ancient treasures, samples of the endless treasuries within. They never went back though, after barely escaping with their own lives.

Now YOU are willing to take the challenge, you set off from your hometown, with various reasons for your quest to the grail. Whether it's to save a town dying of infection, to save a loved one from the brink of death, to forge a kingdom of your own, to simply be able to hold a gift from the gods themselves, or even to send the divine object back to the heavens where it belongs. Whatever your purpose, you have vowed to succeed where hundreds, thousands even, have failed. Others are also on the same quest, and the question is, are they allies that could help you obtain the sacred artifact, or interlopers who must be killed before they can lay claim on the grail and snatch it away from you forever?

Basics - Essential

Spoiler

The game will revolve around, as the title says, rolling a die. You will first choose a specific action, depending on what’s happening for you during the game. I then roll a die (a fair die, or at least that’s what it says on the tin) and depending on the number rolled, you will perform the action with varying grades of success. Below is an approximate chart of what each number means.

1 - Fail the action miserably. The repercussions are lasting
2 - Fail the action, but repercussions are short lived
3 - Pass the action, but with negative side effects
4 - Pass the action with an average quality, so unscathed
5 - Pass the action, and get a bonus that can aid you in your quest
6 - Not just pass the action, Slam Dunk it. Overkill it. C-C-C-Combo Breaker it. The positive effects of this are everlasting; you can't go wrong with what happens with a six.

Example:
Jim: I walk down the corridor, acting like a boss
Jim – 6 You stumble upon a room filled with treasure, and ice-cream, and video games, and video game consoles, and a sex doll, and life is good. You live happily ever after.

Or…

Chris: I walk down the corridor, acting like a boss
Chris – 1 You walk into a battle of rivals, featuring Aristotle and the Mashy-Spike-Plate. You get caught in the crossfire and die…

Remember, the exact value of the roll depends on the situation you’re in. In one situation, a 3 can cause you to fail the action and get a bruise, and in another, you do the action well, but what happens as a result goes wrong.

Occasionally, your actions can affect the actions of others, depending on your proximity to other people, and that will either help you or hinder you in your quest.

Example:
Chris: I gently try to replace the priceless idol with a bag of sand. This better not trigger a trap
Jim: I wander into the room, Larry is up ahead, I shout hello.
Chris – 1 Jim shouts so loudly, that he distracts you. An arrow jumps out of nowhere and hits you in the knee, dooming you to a life as a lowly guardsman. That is, if a thousand more arrows didn’t follow the first one and shoot you in every other part of your body, pinning it to the far wall
Jim – 6 You watch as Larry dies by the arrows because of your shouting. You go over to check on him, and see a priceless idol on the ground, next to a bag of sand. You got an idol.

To enter the game, all you have to do is to create your character, you can create a complex character if you wish, with personalities, histories, and everything else, or leave your character as barebones. The only necessities are your gender, your race, and your age. Your profession (archer, warrior, mage, etc.) is semi-essential, if you don’t post one it will be determined randomly. After that, your first roll of the game will determine how well equipped you start out, and then you’re ready to begin your adventure.

There, you’ve read everything you need to know. Everything after this you don’t need to actually think about. Keep reading if you want to know more about how the game works.

Combat

Spoiler

There’s more to this game than wandering around and playing Indiana Jones. There are monsters, which you have to slay. Fighting in this game is similar to wandering around in the game, except the fighting will not be single rolls. As such, every character will have a health bar. Each participant, the player and his opponent, will roll a die, and the difference between them will affect who gets injured and how injured that person is.

So here’s this Giant Enemy Crab – 20 (hitpoints)…

Jim vs Giant Enemy Crab
(Jim Roll) 6 – 4 (Crab’s Roll)
(Difference of 2, dealt to Giant Enemy Crab)
You swing at the crab, good job Jim. Time out!
Jim – 30 vs Giant Enemy Crab – 18 (20 – 2)

While the health loss may seem minimal alone, it all adds up. And we don’t just do it once: we do it again and again.

5 – 3
4 – 6
5 – 5
3 – 6
Jim tries to flip it onto it’s back, but the crab attacks him while he attempts this. We’re going to need a spatula here folks.
Jim – 25 vs Giant Enemy Crab – 16

This is going to keep happening, until one of the combatants runs out of health and dies.

5 – 2
4 – 3
…
5 – 2
The crab dies.
Jim – 14 vs Giant Enemy Crab – Defeated

Fun Fact – It took over 30 rolls to kill that crab. That’s a fairly long time. So we have ways to speed up the process. Flourishes are the most common, and most desirable, method of finishing off an enemy quickly, and it’s easy to do. Hold on, the crab’s back

Chris vs Giant Enemy Crab
6 – 2 – Flourish (A difference of 4 or higher, 6 – 2 = 4)
Chris uses his grand strength to kick the crab over onto its back.
Chris – 30 vs Giant Enemy Crab – 16

A flourish is like the ending cutscene in a big boss fight that is essential in every game these days. It allows you to end the fight off in style. Unfortunately though, it’s not always like that, you have to maintain your advantage in the following roll to make sure you win the flourish.

3 – 4 – Flourish Failed
Chris took too long, and the crab rolled over. Shouldn’t have been listening to me, should you?
Chris – 29 vs Giant Enemy Crab – 16

If you get a higher roll though, you’ll pass the flourish, and instantly kill your opponent. This is especially handy for long fights. Unfortunately for you, some (not all) monsters can flourish.

1 – 6 – Flourish
The Crab grabs Chris in its pincer and lifts him into the air.
6 – 3 – Flourish Success
The Crab grabs Chris with its other pincer as well, and then tugs hard. Chris is ripped into two pieces and then discarded.
Chris – Slain vs Giant Enemy Crab – 16

We’re going to need a mop…

That covers the basics of combat. Later on, you may encounter items or enemies that put on a unique flare to the combat, to increase the challenge a notch or two. Such things will be explained as they come up.

Food

Spoiler

When you spend days, or even weeks in the dungeons, or even months for all you know. It's a given that you will starve before long. It doesn't go down over time, rather, it goes down after a battle, as this is when you burn the most calories. After each battle, you lose 5 points of hunger, and if you don't have any hunger, you start to starve and lose hp instead. Be sure to carry or eat food whenever you find it to prevent this from happening

Equipment

Spoiler

Equipment, as you would know from most games, are used to augment characters and make them stronger and give them unique abilities. The same rules apply here, a good piece of armor will protect you from oncoming damage, such as halving all damage received or simply subtracting it. Equipment will be essential for fighting some of the tougher enemies that you will most certainly encounter late in the game. You can start with equipment when you get a high roll when you start, but more can be salvaged throughout the game, especially from other players. The downside to equipment however is that it’s breakable, which means you can lose your gear as quickly as you got it if you’re unfortunate enough. Although personally, I think losing your helmet is slightly better than losing your head. Every player has a set number of slots for equipment, which is briefly summarized below.

Armour – Like the name says on the tag, armor generally protects you from damage, cutting the damage inflicted on you by monsters by a fair amount, in different methods which each provide some sort of advantage.
Weapon – Your tool of battle. They do the opposite of what armor can do by increasing damage inflicted on monsters, in several different ways. Weapon type also plays a role, depending on the monster faced. A skeleton, for example, would be killed much more quickly by a hammer than by a sword.
Offhand – The other hand, which you can use for various purposes. This gives you some freedom in deciding what is more important to you. Whether you will use this for a shield for additional defense or another weapon for additional attack, is entirely up to you. This slot can be shut off however, either if you have a specific weapon that disallows it (2-handed gear), or if you lose the limb. Yes, it will be gory if you do.
Accessory – These gems can augment anything. And it’s not exclusive to battles either. You can have a lucky charm to get better fortune from a lucky roll, or protection from an unlucky one, or even something to increase the roll needed for a flourish. You have a lot of freedom with this one.
Potions – Liquid power. Potions usually are for health, and are essential after a long time alone in the dungeon, everybody starts off with potions, how many though depends on your luck. Be sure to loot them or drink them whenever you find them. Some potions however, can do other things, these effects are usually very beneficial, but last a short time. I say usually though, because you can never be too sure…
Food - As explained above, food is needed unless you want to starve. It will be represented by a counter. And that counter determines how much is recovered if you consume everything you have, you can choose how much you eat though.
Runes – Last resorts for some, weapon of choice for others. Runes are necessary in casting magic. Magic can provide instant damage whenever you need it, or even instant death if the rune is powerful enough. They do other things too, but we’ll get to that later. As some people will no doubt play as mages, the runes will be essential to combat. Because when they run out, they’re doomed.
Miscellaneous - The category for everything else. This either serves for items that serve some sort of future purpose, when used at the right time, or weapons and gear you want but can't/won't use. If it doesn't fit anywhere else, it fits here.
Effect - A temporary enhancement that either helps or hurts you. This is usually the effect of potions, although some elements within the dungeon may occupy this space. Effects always only last until they are dissipated/cured, replaced by another effect, or if the timer on them wears off (varies, such as X number of rolls or X number of battles, etc.

Lore

Spoiler

As the story plays on, you may pick up various items or information about the world around you. The lore you obtain is as important as the equipment you wear, it often provides creative ways to defeat an enemy, which can end an encounter as quickly as it started. More importantly though, some of the information is essential for completing the game, as there are some traps that will most certainly kill you if you don’t go around it right. This information will be PMed to you when you obtain it, and from then on can be used like your money. So you can either hoard it for yourself, tell everybody about what you learned. Or, if your particularly devious, or just a fair merchant, you can trade your stories for other things, such as their own stories or even equipment.

Death

Spoiler

This dungeon didn’t claim hundreds before you simply to let you go though without a scratch. Your character is very susceptible to death, especially if your luck is rotten or if you get flourished by a monster. If you die, you have to start from square one. You have to create an entirely new character and try again. Perhaps your luck will change with this new character. Perhaps it will begin an endless stream of misery for you. You never know. In either case, you get an instant revive potion for each death you have tallied, so that you don’t fall too far behind in the eventual race to be the strongest dungeoneer.

Buddies

Spoiler

If it’s too dangerous to go out there alone, don’t take this suicide pill; take a friend. Players are allowed to team up with another player to help them in their quest. Your luck will rub off on each other, as in a roll, the one who rolled the highest will have the greatest effect on the fortune of both of you. And during battles, you can double-team your opponent by rolling a die for each of you, then adding together your total. This can vastly increase the damage output for you, killing things much faster. Such partnerships, however, are fragile. It’s easy to break up a partnership should the two buddies get separated. And, more often than not, the two companions will never see each other again.

Transformations

Spoiler

Due to the growing popularity of people turning into animals, whether it's werewolves, dragon people, and other such things. This little optional gimmick gets its own special slot. All transformations will be treated the same, be they werewolf or whatnot, and, game wise, are activated by runes. This isn't how it happens story wise, but it's easier to think of it like this, and limits how much you can abuse your powers. So if your character is one of these transforming characters, you can access theses special powers. When activated during a fight, all benefits from your armour and weapons are removed and replaced with special beast gear, plus you can't use any other spells and such until you finish the fight.

Weapon: Beast Claws (2h) - Double Damage
Offhand: Occupied
Armour: Natural Protection - -2 damage taken from attacks
Effect: Beastial Might - -10 hunger after the fight than the usual -5

There are upgraded forms of this basic structure, which will need slightly different runes to use, these won't be available until late-game though, so don't worry just yet.

You revert to human normal form after the fight, with your character gear exactly where you left it. Although there are immediate advantages to having a transformation, it has its drawbacks outside of combat. For example, hunger drains more quickly, which comes with the need for additional food to survive. And later in the game, when people are getting great weapons and armour that last for many battles, you will be gathering runes that only last for a single battle. Be wary of this.

Conclusion

Spoiler

This all boils down to one final purpose: to defeat the dungeon and find the Grail. You may have to do some dark things to get there, but the ends will justify the means, I promise. Although that would depend on your idea of justice. The dungeon picks its victor, and only that victor can claim the ultimate spoils.

If you’re reading this sentence, and didn’t just decide to go to the last tab, then you’ve learned everything you need to know about Roll to Dodge Adventures. You’re fully prepared for the challenges ahead. I'll see you at the entrance!

Characters
Chadwyck

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Kills - 0
Luck = Great

Paladin Warrior
Health = 53/70
Hunger = 50/50
Weapon: Silverflash - +1 to all combat rolls
Offhand: Steel Shield - -1 to damage taken on attack
Armour: Steel Plate Armor - -2 to damage to damage taken on attack
Accessory: Fortress Charm - +20 health
Potions: 1x Dew of the Devout (full recovery)
Food: 20x Food
Runes:3x Firebolt - 5 hp instant fire damage
2x Ice Shard - 6 hp ice damage
1x Shockwave - 5 hp instant shock damage, multiplied by number of enemies
Miscellaneous: N/A

Dwayna Dragonfire

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Kills - 0
Luck = Average

Dragonkin Spellsword
Health = 32/50
Hunger = 40/50
Weapon: Obsidian Sword: +2 damage dealt on attack
Offhand: N/A
Armour: Steel Plate Armor - -2 to damage taken on attack
Accessory: N/A
Potions: 1x Dew of the Devout - Full Recover
Food: 25x Food
Runes: 6x Fire Breath - 7 hp instant fire damage
6x Fire Spark - 3 hp instant fire damage
4x Fireball - 4 hp instant fire damage, add 2 damage if used at start of encounter
Miscellaneous: N/A

Luckii

Spoiler

Deaths - 1
Kills - 0
Luck = Failing

Charr Engineer
Health = 45/50
Hunger = 50/50
Weapon: Custom Rifle - Roll for instant damage at the start of an encounter
Offhand: Charr Claws - +2 damage on successful combat rolls
Armour: Engineer Garb - N/A
Accessory: Toolbelt - Allows you to take existing items and develop them into something more creative. Go crazy, but the quality is judged by a roll.
Potions: 2x Dew of the Devout - Full Recovery
20x Plasters (yes, the tiny ones, with fun strips, just for you :3) - +2 health
Food: 40x Food
Runes Gadgets: 5x Grenades - 7hp instant fire damage
3x Snares - Roll 4 or higher to ensnare, then roll 2 die to deal instant damage
Miscellaneous: Goggles
Wrench

Belle

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Kills - 0
Luck - Mild

Amazon Warrior
Health = 50/50
Hunger = 50/50
Weapon: Spear - Nothing Special
Offhand: Silver Plate Discus - Start off a fight with a free roll for instant damage (half of what your roll is is the damage inflicted)
Armour: Vine Armour - when damage calculation is 1 or less, then the attack is negated.
Accessory: Amazon Charm - Damage penalties (physical outside of battles) are halved
Potions: 1x Dew of the Devout
Food: 45x Food
Runes: N/A
Miscellaneous: N/A

Dark Soul

Spoiler

Deaths - 1
Kills - 0
Luck - Weak

Elven Werewolf
Health = 33/60
Hunger = 50/50
Weapon: Scimitar - +3 damage dealt during attacks
Offhand: Elven Bow - Roll for instant damage at start of a fight
Armour: Light Wanderer Gear - +10 max hp.
Accessory: Berserker Collar - 1/6 chance for double damage
Potions: 2x Dew of the Devout
Food: 30x Food
Runes: 4x Werewolf Form - (see transformations for details, when it's added at least)
3x Lifesap - 3 instant damage to opponents and 3 instant health to you
3x Ice shard - 3 instant ice damage to opponents
Miscellaneous: Whistle

Shiny Eevee

Spoiler

Deaths - 1
Kills - 0
Luck - Horrible

Duke
Health = 38/50
Hunger = 40/50
Weapon: Heirloom Sword - 1/6 chance to double damage when attacking.
Offhand: N/A
Armour: N/A (Lords Travel Clothes)
Accessory: Aristocratic Emblem - +2 when defending from flourishes
Potions: 2x Dew of the Devout - Full Recovery
2x Healing Concoction - +15 hp per dose
Food: 15x Food
Runes: N/A
Miscellaneous: N/A

Dinova2

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Kills - 1
Luck - Incredible

Serin Snowflame - Runaway Paladin
Health = 49/50
Hunger = 50/50
Weapon: Barbed Spear - On successful attack, roll 5 or higher for +4 instant damage.
Offhand: Ornate Shield - -1 damage taken on attack
Armour: Chainmail
Accessory: Spell Charm - +2 damage to all offensive spells
Potions: 4x Bandages - +5 hp
3x Health Potions - +8 Health
Food: 60x Food
Runes: 5x Spark - 3hp shock damage
Miscellaneous: Demon-shaped Whistle

Tangrow

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Luck - Untested

Mind Flayer
Health = 35/50
Hunger = 50/50
Weapon: Iron Blade
Offhand: N/A
Armour: Arcane Gown - +1 magic damage, -1 damage taken from attack
Accessory: Tangrow's Talisman - +4 to magic damage
Potions: 5x Potions - +5 health
Food: 25x Food
Runes: 15x Mind Blast - -5 instant mind damage
5x Confuse - Flourish Requirement Reduced by 1.
Miscellaneous: N/A

Power Metal Maiden

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Luck - Untested

Arctic Druid
Health = 50/50
Hunger = 50/50
Weapon: N/A
Offhand: N/A
Armour: N/A - Fur Robes
Accessory: Unmeltable Ice - 1/3 chance when casting magic to roll for additional damage.
Potions: 3x Potions - +5 health
Food: 15x Food
Runes: 5x Ice Shard - -5 instant ice damage
3x Polar Bear Form - See Transformations tab.
Miscellaneous: N/A

The absent pit
Teapot

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Kills - 0
Luck = Fair

Tunolipede

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Kills - 0

Linkachu

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Kills - 0
Luck = Strong

Toru

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Kills - 0
Luck = Bipolar

Blazi

Spoiler

Deaths - 0
Kills - 0
Luck = Lady Lucks Husband

 

[Teapot]

yo dawg

i heard you liked to roll, so I put a roll in your dodge so you could dodge while you roll

I'm a 14- or 15-year-old Female Elven Archer, and plan to abuse this fact whenever possible.

 

[Brendan Savem]

Teapot - 4 You are a very young elven archer, with a fine elven-crafted Yew Bow, with carvings running up and down its limbs. You have two strings, one already attached and a spare should the first break at any time. Your quiver holds a healthy supply of steel-tipped arrows, enough to last you for a number of fights. You are wearing leather armor that gives you free movement, yet sufficient protection from enemy blows. You have 5 gold coins and 5 silver coins. In total, that will be able to purchase either provisions to last a week, additional weaponry or armor should you need it, or perhaps use your money in other methods to improve your survival chances.

You start off in a residential area on the outskirts of the town, where most of the elven folk of the multi-cultural town live. You arrived last night and checked into the inn for a minimal fee. From here, you can either go to the main town square to pick up information, go to the market center to go shopping, or stay here and see what you can find with your fellow elves.

Sidenote: The money system won't be used too much, only having a main focus in the town, but for those that want to know exactly what they have in their pockets, 10 bronze is equal to 1 silver, and 10 silver is equal to 1 gold

 

[Teapot]

I go shopping, hoping to get some cheap provisions for the road ahead.

 

[Brendan Savem]

Teapot - 6 Now you're a lucky one! You found an elven merchant in the town market who listens to your tale. Whether he's inspired by you, feels compassion to aid one of his fellow elves, or takes pity on your childish appearance, it doesn't matter at all! He gives you all the food you expect you expect you'll need in the dungeon, and more, for free!

 

[Linkachu]

Folks trying to save loved ones? Fulfill some destinies and dreams? Sounds like a good time. I'll join the fun. Might even get paid. I hear someone's been putting out juicy bounties on all of these up n' coming grail hunters. Don't know what their end game is, but can't say I care if the money's good~

I'm a male werewolf, assassin, 22 years old. And for reasons unknown, I wear a monocle and a top hat.

 

[Brendan Savem]

Linkachu - 2 You are an adult assassin werewolf. By day, you're an average man, by night, you are a fierce wolf man. You retain your normal inhibitions in both forms, apart from a shortened temper and the odd urge to drink out of the toilet. However, this also makes the teeth and claws of your night bestial form a handy weapon in its own right, unfortunately, you don't have much else. You have no weapons and armor, whatever you may have had before was broken when you forgot to remove it during your most recent transformation. On the other hand, you found a set of fancy clothes, how you did so I really shouldn’t say out loud. A monocle and top hat you found amongst them especially tickle your fancy. However, the monocle is cracked and the hat is very crooked, so you look rather odd to many. You have 2 silver coins in your pouch; it will be enough to fix either your monocle or your top hat, not both though. Although an adventurer would be wiser to invest in some kind of weapon or armor, so that being wolf-man by night didn’t mean you were a fleshy marshmallow by day.

You start off outside a mansion some distance away from town itself. It's early morning and you only recently turned back into your human form. You can see the town further down the hill, so you can go there to collect supplies, visit bars and inns, or check the town bulletin board to see what’s hip and happening in Valhalla. On the other hand, the mansion you appears to be empty, surely there is something within that you could salvage, I’m sure the owner isn’t going to miss anything, being mutilated and half-buried in the backyard and all...

 

[Linkachu]

I decide to check out the mansion in hopes that I'll find something useful.

 

[Brendan Savem]

Linkachu - 4 The front door is unfortunately locked, and you don't have a key. You try breaking it down, but with the wood of the door being 5 inches thick, that would be impossible. On the other hand, you sniff around and find an unlocked cellar door. Gaining access to the basement, you notice the vast quantities of fine wine on shelveslining the walls of the cellar. Feel free to take a couple of bottles. Some people are more cooperative when they have a bottle of best-quality wine in one hand. You see a small alcove in the corner, with another door which you deduce must lead into the mansion itself, that doesn't catch your eye yet though. Your eyes are drawn to a diary, in the worse kind of shape, on a desk just in front of you. You take a look and see that it's a diary of an adventurer, who some years ago went into the very dungeon you yourself are preparing to go into. Most of the pages are about him complaining about his few wounds from attacking creatures. One of those entries though, is more worthwhile. An entry about a creature you never heard of before, that you are most certainly going to find in the dungeon ahead...

Afterwards, you leave the diary where you found it, making a mental note of what you read. Now, you look at the door just next to you. Perhaps this is your second chance into the mansion itself...

 

[Linkachu]

Creepy diary entry, but I'll worry about that creature when there's reason to. Might even be able to use it to my advantage...

In the meantime, I'll be helping myself to a couple bottles of this wine. Can't say it's what I'd been hoping for, but it'd be a shame just leaving it here.

Now, let's try that door. Maybe lady luck'll smile down on me this time?

 

[Tunolipede]

Oh oh, I wanna play! I wanna plaaay~

okay okay I think I'll be a 13-year-old female mage! This'll be fun and I do hope I'm more lucky than I usually am in things like this |3

 

[Brendan Savem]

Linkachu – 2 You reach out to touch the door, and feel a slight tingle in your fingertips as they touch the doorknob. Realizing too late, a sudden force pushes you backwards, causing you to crash into one of the wine shelves. Now broken bottles, snapped wood, pouring wine, and blurry eyes are all around. You deduce that the door is magically enchanted, and trying to open it again would just knock you back again. Without the necessary magical aptitude to dispel such charms, you grudgingly accept defeat from the house, pick another path…

Tunduli/Tunolipede – 6 Looks like Lady Luck is welcoming you into this game nicely! Now hopefully you haven’t wasted all of it already. You are a human (or are you?) child mage, the second child in this game already. This dungeon isn’t going to look very fearsome anymore with all these pre-teen adventurers running around inside it. Sorcery in this world depends on the power of runecraft, requiring the union of casters and crafters to effectively cast charms and spells. You however, have the unique power of both. With your incredible magical aptitude, you can create your own runes from a mixture of stone and crystal. And then use it yourself to conjure magic. It would be such a waste to let such great power disappear into such a perilous dungeon, your reasons for obtaining its prized artefact must be great. You start off with a small collection of illumination and combat runes that should last you for a while and you would have little difficulty crafting more should you get the materials. Stone should be easy to find where you’re going. Crystal however would take a bit more digging, which you don’t have the strength for. You’re wearing specially woven, magical robes, which are designed to absorb magic, meaning casting your spells on your own cloth would give you a versatile shield. You currently have 20 gold, which would buy you a lot of stuff in town: more gear, a supply of crystals, even a cozy little house if you wanted. Now what’s a child doing with this kind of money anyway?

You start off in the Market Centre, your heavy bag of money hidden underneath your robe for safekeeping. The crowds are thick, and so are the shops. Almost anything and everything is sold here, especially equipment that an adventurer would need for his upcoming trial. There should be no harm in spending money here and there, or perhaps some other place in town, like the inns or the town square for useful information, catch your interest.

 

[Teapot]

I decide to visit the market in the middle of town, and search for some better armor.

 

[Shiny Motley]

I wanna plaaaay~

I'll be an 18 year old aurae, or wind spirit. And I have a penchant for splashing in puddles of water or liquified stuff. |D

 

[Linkachu]

*Insert inaudible cruses and grumbles here*

Damn magic barriers...

I finally give up trying to get inside the mansion and instead head into town in search of supplies. I'm hoping to find a weapon like a knife/dagger/etc. somewhere, whether it be for a cheap price or a five-finger discount. ;x

 

[Tunolipede]

omigosh I got a six eeheeheeee ♥ (okay now I'm just jynxing myself >>)

Hrmmm ...

I look around the shops for a while for nothing in particular but finally decide to enter a shop looking for some nice crystals for me to buy. I sure hope some people are selling them ><

 

[Brendan Savem]

Teapot - 5 You are one heck of a bargain hunter! You find a store where an interpret merchant is selling a stock on rare goods, including a rare mythril chainmail vest, one of the lightest pieces of armor you'll ever find, it's even lighter than your own clothing! Mythril is famed for this quality. And best of all, it's only 4 gold and 5 silver. That's most of your money, but for something this powerful, it would be worth it. Only real downside is... it doesn't exactly cover much...

Shiny Eevee - 1 You... what are you anyway? A wind spirit? I'm terrified! What are you going to do, blow dust into my eyes? Your kind may have long, if not immortal, lifespans, but you aren't that hard to fight. You can't die, but you can be blown apart by a Big Bad Wolf faster than he did with the straw house. Against something more human, they just need some fast hands and a bottle to lock you up for a loooong time. I suppose you do have healing magic, and a group of you working together would have the power to call down tempests. There are also ancient warrior aurae that can materialize themselves with weapons and armor, becoming a very powerful soldier indeed. But we're talking about 200 year old auraes here, you're not even a 10th of that age. Though you do have hope yet, if you can enhance your dormant magical powers somehow. Over a looong time, you managed to loot 2 silver and 5 bronze coins from various places, which you carry in your hand like a charm.

You start off in the skies above Valhalla, splashing with condensed rain inside a cloud, From your high place, you can see all of the town, knowing that amongst the people, are the daring adventurers you have long admired, and aspired to be like. You have the opportunity to try your luck in your little cloud village to find somebody or something that can help you prepare yourself for the surface, or jump down straight away and hope for the best.

Linkachu - 6 On your way to the town market, you notice a hooded figure following close behind. When you turn to face him, he silently points towards an alley. Following him, you start to notice a scent coming from him, a faint smell that only a werewolf could pick up, or produce. He explains that he noticed you looking completely ridiculous, and offers you an extra 3 gold coins, to help you clean yourself up, fix your monocle and tophat, and perhaps purchase yourself a nice suit to match. That's not the main topic though. He also gives you a small dagger, with a sheath with a red sun carved on it, this sun is currently glowing brightly, and you can feel heat even with the sheath on. He explains that its an enchanted dagger which is blessed with sunlight, granting it heated properties when the sun shines. Although it looses this power under the moon, you should do fine thanks to your blood. He insists that you try not to lose it in the dungeon ahead. He might need to give it for another wandering werewolf later. You stow the weapon in your pocket for now, thank the elder werewolf, and continue on to the town market, with at least a day-weapon checked off your list. (I know this doesn't seem like much overkill, but believe me, it is)

Tunolipede - 1 You got ripped off! You found a shop where a man insisted on selling you a healthy supply of crystals, for the price of 10 gold. You happily purchase, but later find out that you bought a months worth supply of salt! What are you going to do with all that Sodium Chloride now?

 

[Tunolipede]

[18] <Tun> I bet I got like a 1 and I ended up spending most my money on fake crystals and they won't give me a refund or something

psyyyychiiiic.

anyway, er, I decide to make do and keep the salt in my bag and look for some nice meat to keep. After all, they used to pay Roman soldiers with salt, right? It can't be too bad. ... I hope. :<

(derp)

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

I want to join this game! :3

My character will be a twenty-year-old female dragon fighter-mage with silver and emerald scales and the ability to change shape into a more humanoid version of herself (dragonborn for reference) so she can fit in with society better.

 

[Toru]

Joining and stalking this - gonna be good.

I'll be an 18 year old Human Warrior, with a broadsword as my weapon of preference (Does a 6 score me Foresharn? :3).

 

[Dark Soul]

Decided I might as well join- It looks like a lot of fun!

I'm seventeen-year-old male vampire with a love for throwing knifes, tomahawks and other sharp-edged projectiles, although I do own a scimitar for close combat.

 

[Shiny Motley]

I just dive down and hope for the best. (Hopefully I crash into one of the other players |D)

 

[Linkachu]

It's not good for business looking like a slob, so I'll take the generous guy's advice and look around town for a good tailor.

 

[Brendan Savem]

Whee! Adventure overload!

Tunolipede - 5 You go to the local butcher, and explain that you need to buy some meat. He sees your quantities of salt and he smiles. He offers to take some of the heavy salt off your hands, since he is in a demand for salt himself, and in exchange, he'll supply the meats you require, and a sack to keep it in, at half price. So give him some of your salt and you can get all the salted beef you can carry for only 8 silver.

Dwayna Dragonfire - 2 Your half-breed draconic kind are similar to the monstrous lizard-like winged dragons told in many stories, and rarely seen in the world. You have wings that allow for flight, you have claws that make efficient weapons, and you don't exhale carbon dioxide, you instead exhale an odorless, flammable gas that can be ignited for the same effect that real dragons have naturally. And your kind is infamous for very long lives.

That's your species, now let's hear about you.

You are a young adult draconic shapeshifter fighter-mage supermodel ninja zombie chef, but you're not proficiently skilled in anything, I'm not sure if you even have any talent in the last four, I personally think you'd make a terrible zombie anyway. Your wings are torn, so you cannot fly, your claws are short, and rather blunt, so they don't make the best of weapons, and you have a minor case of asthma that acts up every time you set your breath on fire. You apparently also have the power to turn into a form that is humanoid, opposed to your usual quadrupedal form, though you seem to be stumbling a lot for some reason, is this your first time? You carry a shortsword and you are a caster with three runes of firespark, you'll need some crystals and a crafter if you want more runes. You wear regular clothes, but your leathery skin makes for some decent protection of your innards. You have 1 silver coin on you, good luck spending it!

You start off at a local multi-species pub near the town square, where your draconic appearance looks natural amongst people with batwings for arms, antenna and six legs, and even this one guy that just left without his head! You might be able to gain some trust with these other unusual looking creatures, and get some useful information, or you can go to the town square to see what's happening in town, or you can go to the town market for goods and gear, or whatever else suits your fancy.

Toru - 1 You are in your late-teens, and you stand as a proud and fierce warrior with the mighty Broadsword Foresharn, poised and ready to smite all that stand in your way... well you would be if Foresharn was something more than a wooden broadsword with its name painted on its flat. You also have wooden armor strapped to you, which does little more than look silly. People would think that you're going to a play rather than a deadly dungeon. Good luck out there you shoddy actor! You have 2 silver coins, but that's all, there is a play tonight though, so you might make some money in that.

You start off in front of the barracks, a place where the town guard reside near the town square. It is here that guards train, rest, and pretty much spend every moment they have while they're not out trying to keep the town safe. Maybe this place has something useful, or is there somewhere else in town you would like to go?

Dark Soul - 6 A long time ago, you were a small child that unfortunately tasted the blood of a vampire. Now you are one of these creatures of the night. At the age of seventeen, you have just about settled in with your new lifestyle. You can easily hide your vampiric status by drinking blood, but your powers are weakened as a cost. You just had a fresh intake of blood, so you are as near-human as you possibly can. The sun has nothing on you and nobody would be the wiser about your true nature. Although you don't have enhanced speed and strength, you won't be needing it much here in town. You wear little armor, sacrificing it for free movement. Only a small breastplate to protect your vitals, but its strong adamantine, heavy but powerful: no stakes are going though your heart very soon. You have a toolbelt with a crapton of sharp pointy objects. Throwing knives, tomahawks, darts, even a folding javelin, all taking up as much space on your belt as possible, only downside here is that its rather heavy, and you needed a second belt to keep your pants from falling down all the time. You have 18 gold and 8 silver, although there's no telling where you took this kind of money from. Note: I used Elder Scrolls Vampires as a base on your species class, with a few edits here and there.

You start off in the town center, with a bulletin board which tells everything that's hip and happening in town, so you can look at that. Apart from that, there are inns, barracks, markets, and much more in town, so feel free to explore!

Shiny Eevee - 3 You descend to the earth, and crash into the ground, you're not exactly the straightest flier in the world. After taking a moment to recollect yourself, literally, you notice that you are on a farm. There is a farmhouse close by, where you can see a man clearly cutting wood just beside it, maybe he could help you. Or there's a shed on the other end of the farm, where you might be able to steal something, if you prefer that. Or you can leave the farm and go straight to one of the areas in town.

Linkachu - 4 You use every penny in those 3 gold coins you got from the man, but it was well spent! You fix your monocle, your hat, and get a spiffy suit that matches the hat, complete with a cane for effect. You truly do live on the legend of gentleman lycanthropes! You still have that silver from when you started though, so perhaps there's something else you can buy.

Note: I did my homework, and I figured out that there is space for only 1 more person in this trial stage of the game, so grab it while you can. To those that fail to grab it, don't worry. We're moving much faster than I expected, and we should be on to the no-limits second stage by the end of the month. I just need to play around with a few more elements I need to try out in the game. Hopefully these test subjects will do what I need from them, or they shall join the companion cube.

And no, I did not get it wrong, I did not go back and use the edit button. Honest!

 

[Tunolipede]

oh wow this butcher guy's kind o v o

So um, I decide that he proposed a very generous offer and hand over the 8 silver in return for his sack and meat ♥ (wow, that sounds wrong >>) And I suppose I should probably add in another action, so! This strikes me as the kind of place that has little restaurants/inns full of people willing to tell tales and stuff, so maybe I'll go find one of them! ... even though I'm 13 and if there's alcohol involved I probably won't be let in.
Unless the action for this post is just buying the meat, in which case I'll buy the meat. :x

( also can I become best friends with this butcher guy? ;; )

 

[Dark Soul]

(Pfft. I'd better buy Lady Luck something for Christmas this year :'D)

I stroll towards the bulletin board, my eyes scanning the variety of posters and notices tacked to it. My thirst has been satisfied, so I have little use in going to a tavern or restaurant. The poster featuring the times and dates the market is open catches my eye, and I decide to have a leisurely stroll there; Maybe I'll find some interesting products for a reasonable price?

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

Apparently I'm psychic as well, as I thought luck wouldn't shine on me. It looks like I've been through some scraps already.

Try to gather some useful information from the other strange townsfolk in this pub.

 

[Toru]

I strip off my wooden armour, leaving my ragged material clothes (keeping the sword though - shit took ages to craft) and decide to check the barracks for any supplementary armour and weapons I can scavenge.

 

[Shiny Motley]

I'll try my luck and look around the shed; I won't take anything just yet, though.

 

[Brendan Savem]

Tunolipede - 3 (The meat applies to the previous action, otherwise the chances of ruining a good roll with a bad roll are increased, and nobody gets anything good from shopping) You pick out an inn just on the edge of the rows of shops, unfortunately the man at the door stops you and says you're not allowed in without an adult. But it's not hard to tell that this is the man that would happily make some money on the side, you bet that you could persuade him easily with 3 gold.

Dark Soul - 3 When you see the bulletin board, one thing in particular catches your eye, you take your time and study the message well before you set off to the market...

You reach the town market, and see various goods and things. All ridiculously overpriced. There's a wide variety of steel armor, and buying the full set will cost you 12 gold, but it might be useful. Or you can try buying fresh fish... for 8 gold. Or how about a fresh bag of all natural magic beans... for 10000 gold and a cow.

Dwayna Dragonfire - 4 You hear various things, rumors and myths, although they all keep disagreeing about things, until you doubt that either side is true. There are two pieces of information however that they do agree on, and you decide that it might be useful in the dungeon ahead...

Toru - 4 You enter the barracks, where the guards mostly ignore you. You then notice the men training on dummies in the corner, one in particular standing on his own is trying to swing a greatsword, much like you do, but isn't holding it right. You quickly step in, and give him a few lessons with the weapon. Thankful for the help, he asks if he could repay you in any form. You bluntly say what you need; armor. He gives you an iron chainmail and a bronze helmet; standard guard gear, apparently the guards get them free, and this guard was kind enough to donate you a set. Though you should expect to be the center of attention when a mugger steal an old woman's purse.

Shiny Eevee - 5 You look around and find a variety of tools lined up on the walls. However, a small rapier is resting on the window, a few runes faintly glowing around its hilt. It seems you have struck luck. You take the weapon and feel yourself solidify slightly, this is what happens when Aurae hold man-made items, they solidify temporarily, and are more visible and solid. It would take a week without touching another man-made item before you become more air-like again, but you decide that there are advantages to be had in this, now make your escape before the farmer sees you making off with his prized weapon.

 

[Dark Soul]

I see little use in buying fish, not only because it's quite expensive, but also because I currently have no use for it and it would rot away quite quickly. The stand with the variety of steel armour is much more interesting, however; The cheapest set is 12 gold, which seems not too far from reasonable. However, I notice the odd dent and overall dullness of the steel, indicating that the set is either second-hand or forged quite badly. I decide to go for a bargain with the salesman of the armour.

Surely, I can get the price of something that is not fully worth its value down a gold coin or two?

 

[Dwayna DragonFire]

An intriguing conversation indeed.

With this new knowledge in mind, I leave the pub and head into town to see what's going on, perhaps see if someone is willing to spare a few coin for simple tasks.

 

[Blazi]

Oh! Oh! I'm in!

I'll be a 16-year old Black Mage. With a Bat for company.

 

[Toru]

Oh, chance!

I thank the man, donning my newly acquired armour and exit the barracks; luckily enough, I see a thief in the street, trying to make off with an old lady's purse. Sprinting in a flash, I try to intercept the man.

 

[Tunolipede]

Hmmmm. HMMMMM.

I guess I've not got too much to lose, and I need to find out things some way or another! I attempt to bribe him with 3 gold coins, really hoping that this works |D

 

[Shiny Motley]

I quickly flee from the area with my nice new weapon in hand; perhaps I could fly to the nearby town and see if there's anything good I could buy with... well, the few coins I have.

 

[Brendan Savem]

Dark Soul - 1 Remember when you said you would get Lady Luck a Christmas Gift? Well it was her birthday yesterday. You try negotiating with the merchant, and he gets frustrated with you. He pulls you in, almost nose to nose with the armor, and tells you it is the finest steel around. You continue, offering to buy it for 2 gold. Now why would you do that? You should have expected him to clock you on the head with the helmet. You wake up two hours later, in the sewers and missing 12 gold anyway. You're a horrible haggler, come back when you increase your merchantile skill.

Dwayna Dragonfire - 2 A man comes up and offers you a job, saying he will pay you very handsomely. You accept, and find yourself scrubbing toilets five minutes later. You finish an hour later, and are given 3 silver, that's a lot for a toilet scrubber. All the others must have died of some sort of disease. Either way, you're a little richer, and a lot smellier.

Blazi - 6 You are one fierce young sorcerer. Not just are you one of few that have the power to craft and utilize runes, but you are specialized in a specific field of magic: Dark Arts. This involves a variety of special umbrakinetic spells, disease infliction spells, life-stealing spells, and even necromancy spells. Yes, you can control the undead. Your faithful companion, a Vampire Bat, aids you by attacking enemies, drawing their blood, and returning it to you. As Dark Magic Runes requires the additional ingredient of blood to create these malevolent charms. You already have a stock of umbrastrike runes, a couple of disease runes, and an undead-neutralizer rune, a counter-spell to instantly kill any undead creature. You wear very dark robes, that look like fleeting shadows from a distance. You currently carry 13 gold and 3 silver coins.

You start off, in a rather expected fashion, in the cemetery. Rows of tombstones of various states of decay fill your view. These are mostly poor folk, as most of the richer folk prefer to be buried in their own personal crypts underneath their house, specifically to keep necromancers like you from their resting corpses. The local Church of the Faiths, the dominant religion of the town, is behind you, and the town itself is behind that down a beaten path. So you can try your hand at graverobbing, or see if you can find anything worthwhile in the religious building behind you, or go to one of the other places in town.

Toru - 4 You quickly reach him and tackle him to the ground, returning the purse to the old lady. You bring the man back to the barracks and the guards smile at you for a job well done. You're offered a job as a Town Guard, but you have bigger fish to fry, so you turn it down. You instead get a 5 gold compensation for your help in justice

Tunolipede - 4 He smiles at the coin, and lets you inside. Most of the men look at you funnily as you step in, but they then return to what they were doing. Either they decided you could be older than you look, or that the guard outside lets minors like you in all the time. Now what are you going to do now that you are in a place where a child like you shouldn't be poking their cute little nose in?

Shiny Eevee - 3 You hear something and move as fast as you can, expecting the farmer to chase you. You are unused to your more solid form however, and trip, and land on the rapier. You are unhurt but the weapon is now bent out of shape. Maybe you can use it as a hooking weapon, or visit a blacksmith later to get it fixed. Either way, you head to town safely without invoking the wrath of a grouchy old farmer.

Note: I received word from Linkachu earlier, and heard that she is unable to keep on playing, due to her upcoming vacation. Her character will be saved as it is, so she can resume playing when we get to the later stages of the game. So we'll just say that the gentleman werewolf decided to spend the rest of the day in a fancy hotel feasting on tea and crumpets. Until then however, Blazi's taking of the last spot has been rendered ineffective, and one spot still stands. This game is apparently getting very popular, so grab this early bird while you can.

 

[Toru]

With my 5 gold, I decide to head to the market's local blacksmith, and see if he can forge me a decent, long lasting broadsword, so I can actually start a real adventure, and get out of the shoddy state I'm currently in - at least it's a little better than before.

 

[Belle]

meeeeeeeememmeme
hi guys ♥

so, aight, I shall be a 23-year-old Amazon Warrior with a hellhound for a companion c:

 

[Tunolipede]

Oh, yay!

I siddle up to the bar, take a seat and order some milk, slipping the money onto the table. I then turn to the nearest man and mutter something about The Grail to see if he'll spill anything useful.

... here's hoping!