Hypnotic DnD: Roll for reprogramming
As much as Jen loved watching Sam and Bella go at it for dramatic roleplay and story, she really just wanted to dungeon crawl.
It was fun, her friends did get into it. Bella committed to the bit so well last session that Jen walked over and positioned her friend in funny poses as their DM went over where Sam had been banished to.
She really committed - it didn't matter if Jen stood her up or placed her in a funny pose. She didn't blink, and her expression didn't change. She might have taken pictures and posted them to her Instagram story.
Whatever the DM was telling Sam about her being sent to her demon daddy and what evil plans he was telling her to do - Jen hadn't listened that session. The truth was, she didn't have any intention of listening, it just played out better for her character to be oblivious. Not that she would rather drawer and goof around - never.
She was assured today that this session would be focused on what she wanted to do. Puzzles. Danger. Combat.
Bella and Sam had arrived, their clothes dressed for summer in the middle of this cold, december game.
"Bella," Their DM snapped his finger when Bella sat down, looking like he was remembering a thought. "Roll this dice for me between your fingers nice and slow for me."
Bella's gaze faded into herself, her back straightened as she accepted the dice she dropped in her hand, rolling it gently bet thumb and fingers. Sam seemed fixated on the dice, dropping her bag by her feet as she relaxed in the chair.
Jen just looked at the DM with arched brow.
"You remember a few sessions back, she failed her rolls so often the first snap is an automatic fail to suggestion. That first command requires no thought, no will, just that automatic response. It's the second where she has the option to do a wisdom save. I'm just priming for the session. I have a lot planned today."
"Right..." Jen wasn't sure she liked the dead eyed stare Bella had directly across the table. It was devoid of any sense of thought or emotion. Then, the DM got up from the table and placed a set of headphones over her ears. She didn't seem to react, just rolling the dice gently in her fingers.
"Noise cancelling," He said. "Bella's character is on her own journey this session. We're reprogramming the brain to associate holding dice in any capacity brings her right back here. Knowing the feel of it running across her fingers, just surrending to the sensations that come from just holding the dice. Where Bella's character was left last session was her mind being lost to the demon's influence.
"Guess this demon daddy really is the big bad. What do I gotta do to break her free from it?"
"That's the mission. You know the desert elves of this region imprisoned him into a book, you're going to explore their tomb for answers and a way to return your friend's mind to where it used to be."
Dungeon crawls were her jam. There were so many different puzzles and challenges. The first room was deciphering a set of words in order to get out to the next room. Breathe. Relax. Focus. Those were the first three. How the dm made it more complicated was with each new word deciphered the room would blow dust and she would have to do a concentration save.
Or feel lightheaded and airy, with disadvantages to her wisdom saves.
With Bella just staring, drool dripping at the corner of her mouth, the dice just gently caressed with her thumb against her fingers. Not blinking once with each new word or puff of happy air.
She failed quite a few times finding herself distracted from the game watching the dice move between index finger to pinky.
"It does make your curious, doesn't it?" he mused.
"If you might feel the same sensations take over. Think the same thoughts."
"How many words left to go to the next room?" Jen watched the dice while her words were trying to pull her focus on what mattered. Solving the puzzle.
He snapped his finger and Jen was turned off. Her head dropped down. All she remembered was coming to her senses and it was late, the session had concluded.
She did find the new picture of herself staring blankly right into the camera on instagram wearing the same headphones rolling the dice in her hand with a #Rollforreprogramming to boot.
