The group of adventurers is in a bind. His new enemy is a magical crystal with a life of its own. Ren and Sun are down, hurt, and have no energy to continue.
Jaune: Neptune, it's your turn.
Neptune: *Shaking his dice*
Sun: You can do it bro, we believe in you!
Ren: You just need a 10 or more and we will defeat him.
Neptune: Let's go!
He rolls his dice! The die bounces and spins without control… With each bounce its speed decreases… It is coming to an end…. And then….!
Neptune: It's....
Jaune: Yes...
Neptune: It's a one.
Jaune: Sorry....
Jaune: But your attack failed. The magic crystal defends itself against your attack and counterattacks with a deadly ray. Leaving you injured on the ground without being able to move.
Sun: FUCK!!
Ren: We were so close.
Jaune: The crystal prepares its last deadly attack. It charges his lightning slowly…
Ren: It was a pleasure to have fought alongside you guys.
Sun: Likewise, this was the best adventure I have ever had.
Neptune: See you on the other side.
Jaune: *Looks at them for a second and thinks*
Jaune: *rolls his dice*
Jaune: At that moment FartBuckle appears from the shadows.
Ren: *Shock* No....
Jaune: The little goblin that accompanied you on your journey takes Ren's dagger and runs as fast as he can towards the magic crystal.
Sun: *Panic* STOP!!!
Jaune: He can see the weak spot in the glass. Right in the middle of where the lightning charges.
Neptune: *Worry* Jaune, please stop!! He wasn't supposed to be here!
Jaune: He inserts the dagger right in the center. Causing the crystal to lose control.
Ren: Jaune! Stops this now!!
Jaune: He turns to look at the three of you and says,
Jaune: The energy already collected by the magic crystal explodes, destroying everything near it, including the little goblin. FartBuckle saved you guys.
"That is ridiculous." Eris intoned in the far back corner of Eido's Potion workshop. "Why is it called Chill Touch if it is neither a touch attack nor does cold damage?"
"Ya got me there, Moondust, I have no idea. These rules are like a millenia old at this point. Fuck if I know what the hell they were thinkin'. I'm still casting it, though."
He turned to his ghost. "Roll to hit."
Saint-14, Eido, and Eris all watched the Drifter's misshapen ghost as it levitated, wiggled and then dropped the twenty-sided die on top of the shipping crate they were using as a table. No one trusted the Drifter to touch the dice, but his ghost was deemed honest enough to not cheat, or at least, if it were going to do so, it would not be cheating in the Drifter's favour.
The die skittered across the surface and came to rest with the number 17 on top.
"Oooh. That's nice." The Drifter grinned. "That should hit."
"It does," Scribe Eido of the House of Light tried to keep the disappointment from her voice as her four eyes peered over the top of her DM screen.
"Alright, alright, alright. Damage time. Ghost?"
The Drifter's ghost levitated an eight-sided die and let it rattle across the table, coming to rest near the first one it had rolled. The number on top was a 1.
The Drifter's ghost emitted its single tone.
"Ugh. Well at least he can't heal for a turn," the Drifter dipped a thin triangular chip into a small bowl of Saint-14's seven layer dip and ate it.
"Hmmm… you are correct," Eido said, one hand holding a data pad, another hand manipulating the datapad screen, a third hand marking down damage on a paper behind her screen, a fourth hand adjusting a small statue of a tree on the table in front of them. "That is one of the effects of that spell. Unfortunate."
"For you, sure," the Drifter replied with his mouth full. "Not for us."
Saint laughed and sipped from his drink. Several potions burbled in flasks and twisted tubing behind him. Globes of glass terrariums containing various plants dangled above them as light filtered down from several skylights in the ceiling. One of the city cats had wandered into the workshop and was rubbing up against Saint-14's leg, purring as he scratched it behind its ears.
"That's all for me." the Drifter concluded. "My turn's done. You're up Three-Eyes. Go mess 'em up."
The small diorama on the table was briefly cast in a green glow as Eris leaned forward, examining their miniature battlefield.
"Can you not relocate elsewhere?"
"I already moved," the Drifter explained, eating another dip covered chip. "Can't move again till next turn."
"Your position is exposed and you only have eight hit points."
"Yeah well, they can always miss."
"They are unlikely to miss. Your armour class is very low."
"I'm a wizard. That's normal."
"If all three assailants hit you it is likely you will die."
"Do not worry Eris!" Saint said warmly from across the table. "I will heal him!"
"Besides," the Drifter added. "They can't kill me if you kill 'em first, so go get 'em, Moon Druid of Vengeance."
"Hmmm… very well. I will attack by throwing my spear at the leader." Eris picked up the 20 sided die and rolled it. It landed on a 7.
"Oh…" Eido said, attempting and failing to hide her delight. "That is a miss."
Eris frowned. "I see."
"And you spear has landed… here." Eido reached out two of the three fingers on her upper right hand to place a small glass token on the map. "You will need to retrieve it before you can attack with it again. Would you like to do anything else on your turn?"
"That is frustrating. I am unused to such a simple action failing."
"We're first level characters," the Drifter said through a mouthful of chips. "It's normal to miss."
"I will move between the assailants and the Drifter," Eris said, picking up her small game piece and placing it next to the Drifter's. "I believe that should enable him to use me as partial cover against two of them."
"You sure you wanna do that?" the Drifter asked.
"I have more hit points than you."
"By two."
"That should be enough to make a difference."
"Awww… that's sweet, but this ain't me, this is Lanlar the Magnificent, and he's a bit of an asshole."
"Strange, I thought you about follow up on your statement by making an argument regarding a difference between yourself and your character… not a similarity."
The Drifter's Ghost expanded and its eye went wide.
"Ooooh!" The Drifter put his fingers up to his lips and winced as he pulled away from Eris in a mock flinch.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Saint slapped the table in delight, causing all of the miniatures to bounce slightly but not fall over.
Eido giggled.
"Wow, Three-Eyes…" the Drifter said, leaning back with an admiring smile. "Wow."
Link to the entire month's worth of prompts on Ao3, posted daily.
Okay people, and fellow fae creatures, and cryptids,
Sometimes my posts get tagged with #d&d, and I want y'all to elaborate. And I'm totally cool with #d&d, I love d&d, like if you play d&d we can be friends.
I've just never had an opportunity to play, so I want some more info, I'm inviting you to geek the fuck out about it. Like, do you use games pieces? Or miniature props n' shit? I know about the cool ass dice, but what else is used? How creative do people get?
