Bounce tossed a dice casually, coming up with a nine. Not the best of rolls, but given that Will had thrown a sixteen, it likely wasn't going to cost them. She hoped so, anyway. She supposed it depended on just how loud what they were attempting to hear was.
"If it is relevant, I have a plus two racial bonus to listen checks as an elf," Bounce mentioned in passing. She didn't know if it would make any difference, but it was good to remind Aaron of those kinds of bonuses. He tended to... 'forget'. Bounce noted Steven leaving with a little bit of concern. Sure, he wasn't a friend, but he didn't tend to get into such a bad mood that he left. Maybe he had just needed to be tossed a bone, but hey, that was Aaron's job. Besides, anybody was going to take losing their character badly, right?
A frown once again came onto Bounce's face as she saw Aaron grinning. He tended to be the type to enjoy getting the PCs into tight spots - being, as she'd noted, somewhat adversarial. A smile then, wasn't a good thing. Bounce looked down at her character sheet to where she'd written her spells for the day, and her eyes alighted on one in particular...
Dimension Door... I do not particularly want to flee, but if we go down another party member, well... there will be little shame if the last two of us cut and run with at least our lives, no?
D&D Night
Open to geeks
-
MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
Will had rolled high enough to hear the Bodak's approach; it wasn't being particularly sneaky, after all. That was good.
"Turning the corner up ahead, you see a tall, gaunt figure with pasty skin and large black eyes," Aaron narrated, "It looks at each of you, meeting your gaze. As it does so, you feel death itself coming for you.
"Roll Fortitude Saves."
The total result needed was only 15, which meant that even the less tough party members should have about a fifty-fifty shot. Alice's success was almost assured (ones and twos did happen, though, as had already been seen this session). Aaron wasn't really expecting it to kill more than one.
He was starting to wonder what he'd do after this session. There weren't a lot of places he could go with this, but that was OK. New characters kept things fresh, and if anyone was too upset, they could just make another character identical to their old one.
Sure, part of the game was creating a personality, and acting your character out, but it wasn't that big a part. For acting stuff, Aaron played in LARPs. He couldn't get into a character at all while he was sitting down, though he felt he was a great actor when in the right frame of mind and able to be active. D&D was more of a game of caution and tactics, where the biggest question wasn't if you would die, but how and when.
After all, resurrection magic is common for a reason...
"Turning the corner up ahead, you see a tall, gaunt figure with pasty skin and large black eyes," Aaron narrated, "It looks at each of you, meeting your gaze. As it does so, you feel death itself coming for you.
"Roll Fortitude Saves."
The total result needed was only 15, which meant that even the less tough party members should have about a fifty-fifty shot. Alice's success was almost assured (ones and twos did happen, though, as had already been seen this session). Aaron wasn't really expecting it to kill more than one.
He was starting to wonder what he'd do after this session. There weren't a lot of places he could go with this, but that was OK. New characters kept things fresh, and if anyone was too upset, they could just make another character identical to their old one.
Sure, part of the game was creating a personality, and acting your character out, but it wasn't that big a part. For acting stuff, Aaron played in LARPs. He couldn't get into a character at all while he was sitting down, though he felt he was a great actor when in the right frame of mind and able to be active. D&D was more of a game of caution and tactics, where the biggest question wasn't if you would die, but how and when.
After all, resurrection magic is common for a reason...
-
banthesun†
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:49 am
What was this, some basilisk/human hybrid? A lich with a gaze attack? Was there an eye lasers spell. Well, Aaron was certainly laying on the scary mechanics this session. Squashing traps, pit traps, probably deep ones, and now gaze attacks. Death, fear, or possible just drama, judging by Aaron's narration. Will was starting to think this dungeon was some kind of trick. A dream sequence, would make sense. Aaron has them run around the dungeon for a while lets them all die, then wakes them up for some new type of dream eater monster or a prophecy or something. Will had failed to take into account Stephen's departure.
Choosing a different die, Will made the roll
"Right, mines a 19," he said showing the die.
So he'd spotted the monster, seems he'd once again served his party well. Now it was their turn to pay him back.
Choosing a different die, Will made the roll
"Right, mines a 19," he said showing the die.
So he'd spotted the monster, seems he'd once again served his party well. Now it was their turn to pay him back.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler banthesun. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
Sister Grimm†
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:38 am
He was certainly pulling out all the stops on this one, wasn't he? His description said 'undead' but what type was beyond her. Maybe Bounce or Will knew, but she was in the dark. Well, at least it was a fortitude save. That she could handle. Unless she fumbled the roll spectacularly, she should be safe. It wasn't like the mage or rogue would beat the fighter in fortitude rating roll, right? Of course, she could also be missing something, like she she was sure she was half the time. Her character might be the most durable, but that wouldn't make for her lack of knowledge on the game and monsters they faced.
That gave her extra incentive to keep everyone else alive, which meant she would be the one taking the brunt of the attack. Of course, that went without saying. Fighters lead the way and all that.
"9." She said in that same flat tone as before. Well, that wasn't good. Beside the fact that the rogue rolled a higher fortitude save the the fighter, it might not be enough to keep her safe. She wasn't sure what the minimum was to remain, well, alive. Well, she might be able to make up for it once they actually entered combat. If she was still alive, that was. Will might have beat her fortitude roll, but he would probably fall behind on strength.
That was how it worked, right? You think that after at least one game, she would have the basics down.
That gave her extra incentive to keep everyone else alive, which meant she would be the one taking the brunt of the attack. Of course, that went without saying. Fighters lead the way and all that.
"9." She said in that same flat tone as before. Well, that wasn't good. Beside the fact that the rogue rolled a higher fortitude save the the fighter, it might not be enough to keep her safe. She wasn't sure what the minimum was to remain, well, alive. Well, she might be able to make up for it once they actually entered combat. If she was still alive, that was. Will might have beat her fortitude roll, but he would probably fall behind on strength.
That was how it worked, right? You think that after at least one game, she would have the basics down.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler Sister Grimm.
Bounce found herself pondering exactly what the fortitude save was for. Obviously, the undead creature had some sort of gaze attack - not anything she'd heard about before, but Aaron's narration had set alarm bells ringing. This could be a save against instant death... the description didn't leave much room for ambiguity. As such, Bounce winced at Alice's roll, that wasn't good, and given the DCs they'd been needing so far, Bounce wasn't sure that it would be enough.
Right, it might be time to cut our losses... presuming my character manages to survive of course.
Bounce rolled, 16. once again, her character's race would give her a small boost to that roll. 18? That would probably be high enough, irrespective of the somewhat low constitution of the wizard. Before Aaron could say anything, Bounce cleared her throat, making it obvious she wanted to speak first.
"If everyone is okay - by which I mean not dead or crtically injured, after the gaze, then I cast magic missile on the figure. However, if anyone is not okay, then I grab hold of the others, then cast dimension door - target back outside."
It might not be a popular course of action to drag them clean out of the dungeon, but they'd encountered what, two explicitely mentioned traps, one possible, and one enemy? If another party member went down, then it was very, very clear that the place was too difficult for the party, and Bounce had no problem with getting out of there whilst they still could. On the other hand, if they were all okay, which she wasn't all that sure about, the magic missile was a good attack to use on an undead opponent. Elemental attacks weren't much good against the undead, so that spell probably had the best chance of dealing good damage.
But now... is everyone okay, or have we lost another adventurer. If so... I am not happy with you Aaron. Not happy at all.
Right, it might be time to cut our losses... presuming my character manages to survive of course.
Bounce rolled, 16. once again, her character's race would give her a small boost to that roll. 18? That would probably be high enough, irrespective of the somewhat low constitution of the wizard. Before Aaron could say anything, Bounce cleared her throat, making it obvious she wanted to speak first.
"If everyone is okay - by which I mean not dead or crtically injured, after the gaze, then I cast magic missile on the figure. However, if anyone is not okay, then I grab hold of the others, then cast dimension door - target back outside."
It might not be a popular course of action to drag them clean out of the dungeon, but they'd encountered what, two explicitely mentioned traps, one possible, and one enemy? If another party member went down, then it was very, very clear that the place was too difficult for the party, and Bounce had no problem with getting out of there whilst they still could. On the other hand, if they were all okay, which she wasn't all that sure about, the magic missile was a good attack to use on an undead opponent. Elemental attacks weren't much good against the undead, so that spell probably had the best chance of dealing good damage.
But now... is everyone okay, or have we lost another adventurer. If so... I am not happy with you Aaron. Not happy at all.
-
MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
The rolls were made, and it didn't really go quite like Aaron had expected. Alice had failed. What were the odds?
A good question, but he didn't really care enough to calculate them right now. Before he could even announce the results of the rolls, though, Bounce kicked in with an exact description of what she was going to do. For just a second, Aaron completely froze.
Is she trying to blackmail me?
The meaning of the message seemed clear enough: "If everyone's okay, we'll play it your way. If not, well, to hell with your plans, we're leaving the dungeon." That wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all. Not one little bit. That wasn't how the game worked. There were rules, and one was that you followed along with the DM.
Calm down. She probably didn't mean it to come out like that.
That was true. Bounce probably hadn't been trying to send him that message, that implied threat. Probably. But he had to be sure. He had to make sure they all figured out that that method of doing things wouldn't fly. That was the only way to make sure it didn't happen again.
He'd been thinking for a few seconds, letting the silence stretch a bit uncomfortably. Oh well. It made for better drama. This had to be one damn fine performance. He had to make a true, lasting impression.
Finally, Aaron allowed himself to grin. Widely. He let a few more beats pass, and then he spoke.
"Alice, unfortunately you are unable to shake off the cold feeling. You are chilled to your very core, and all of a sudden, your heart grinds to a halt, beating more slowly, and more slowly, and... more... slowly... and.... then.... not.... at....[size0]all....[/size]
"Bounce and Will, your companion falls lifeless to the floor in front of you, drawing a sharp gasp. Bounce, thinking quickly, you grab her body and Will, then utter the arcane words that conjure the spell Dimension Door, casting it to bring the party back outside. You disappear from the room, leaving the confused monster alone..."
As he had spoken, Aaron had been thinking. They were punching out. What was the best way to punish that brand of insolence? Make it fail fantastically, of course. There was a power that diverted teleportation. It made sense for this dungeon to have it.
"...however, instead of reappearing outside, you are plunged into the heart of the mountain. In a split second, Bounce, you remember some lore you picked up once about a powerful effect, one that changes the destination of teleportation powers. It looks like you've encountered this power. You are all splinched painfully into the rock of the mountain, then torn molecule from molecule as the forces of physics protest this transgression."
That had gone pretty well, he thought. Still smiling, Aaron leaned back to see how they'd take it.
A good question, but he didn't really care enough to calculate them right now. Before he could even announce the results of the rolls, though, Bounce kicked in with an exact description of what she was going to do. For just a second, Aaron completely froze.
Is she trying to blackmail me?
The meaning of the message seemed clear enough: "If everyone's okay, we'll play it your way. If not, well, to hell with your plans, we're leaving the dungeon." That wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all. Not one little bit. That wasn't how the game worked. There were rules, and one was that you followed along with the DM.
Calm down. She probably didn't mean it to come out like that.
That was true. Bounce probably hadn't been trying to send him that message, that implied threat. Probably. But he had to be sure. He had to make sure they all figured out that that method of doing things wouldn't fly. That was the only way to make sure it didn't happen again.
He'd been thinking for a few seconds, letting the silence stretch a bit uncomfortably. Oh well. It made for better drama. This had to be one damn fine performance. He had to make a true, lasting impression.
Finally, Aaron allowed himself to grin. Widely. He let a few more beats pass, and then he spoke.
"Alice, unfortunately you are unable to shake off the cold feeling. You are chilled to your very core, and all of a sudden, your heart grinds to a halt, beating more slowly, and more slowly, and... more... slowly... and.... then.... not.... at....[size0]all....[/size]
"Bounce and Will, your companion falls lifeless to the floor in front of you, drawing a sharp gasp. Bounce, thinking quickly, you grab her body and Will, then utter the arcane words that conjure the spell Dimension Door, casting it to bring the party back outside. You disappear from the room, leaving the confused monster alone..."
As he had spoken, Aaron had been thinking. They were punching out. What was the best way to punish that brand of insolence? Make it fail fantastically, of course. There was a power that diverted teleportation. It made sense for this dungeon to have it.
"...however, instead of reappearing outside, you are plunged into the heart of the mountain. In a split second, Bounce, you remember some lore you picked up once about a powerful effect, one that changes the destination of teleportation powers. It looks like you've encountered this power. You are all splinched painfully into the rock of the mountain, then torn molecule from molecule as the forces of physics protest this transgression."
That had gone pretty well, he thought. Still smiling, Aaron leaned back to see how they'd take it.
-
banthesun†
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:49 am
((Sorry about the delay, I've been away from internet for over a week.))
Will was surprised that Alice had failed her fortitude save, she was the one who was meant to survive this. She could definitely carry his corpse and belongings back to town to be raised. But today an instant death monster had wandered round the corner and blasted her away. This dungeon was really starting to get the better of them. Perhaps that chest they'd skipped was the key to winning here. A rod of resurrection would fit in that chest; then Aaron would have no problem simply blasting away at them. Perhaps he should duck back and get it. But Bounce was already preparing an escape. How kind of her to put his safety above completing the dungeon. Her character grabbed his, dragging him out of the dungeon, saving him from being too courageous. Kind of touching in a way.
Before Will could shake himself out of it Aaron interrupted. They'd both been disintegrated.
What!
Will caught himself surprised and promptly calmed himself. That was just unexpected, he knew what Aaron was doing. This was a good trick, but Will had considered it before, he wasn't going to fall for it. That was either a dream sequence, a prophecy, or they were about to receive a moment of divine intervention. It's a nice way of foreshadowing, giving them a few clues about tricks and traps, while building up a level of respect for the dungeon. Perhaps Aaron would pull this one a few more times before they arrived, as they slowly whittle away traps in their dreams and begin to realise the true significance of this dungeon. Aaron was probably waiting to see if they'd fall for it.
Not gonna happen Aaron, not gonna happen.
Will stared back at Aaron. He'd be able to wait this trick out.
Will was surprised that Alice had failed her fortitude save, she was the one who was meant to survive this. She could definitely carry his corpse and belongings back to town to be raised. But today an instant death monster had wandered round the corner and blasted her away. This dungeon was really starting to get the better of them. Perhaps that chest they'd skipped was the key to winning here. A rod of resurrection would fit in that chest; then Aaron would have no problem simply blasting away at them. Perhaps he should duck back and get it. But Bounce was already preparing an escape. How kind of her to put his safety above completing the dungeon. Her character grabbed his, dragging him out of the dungeon, saving him from being too courageous. Kind of touching in a way.
Before Will could shake himself out of it Aaron interrupted. They'd both been disintegrated.
What!
Will caught himself surprised and promptly calmed himself. That was just unexpected, he knew what Aaron was doing. This was a good trick, but Will had considered it before, he wasn't going to fall for it. That was either a dream sequence, a prophecy, or they were about to receive a moment of divine intervention. It's a nice way of foreshadowing, giving them a few clues about tricks and traps, while building up a level of respect for the dungeon. Perhaps Aaron would pull this one a few more times before they arrived, as they slowly whittle away traps in their dreams and begin to realise the true significance of this dungeon. Aaron was probably waiting to see if they'd fall for it.
Not gonna happen Aaron, not gonna happen.
Will stared back at Aaron. He'd be able to wait this trick out.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler banthesun. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
Sister Grimm†
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:38 am
Well. So much for the big, strong fighter. At least she wasn't the first to fall, but being the second after the healer wasn't a good start for the group. But it wasn't even in combat, not really. Yes, she was killed by a monster, but not by fighting and losing. It was a little embarrassing, really, to be undone so easily by a roll of the dice. Well, that was the game, but it wasn't usually like that. Usually, you may have a had a second chance, something. The thought crossed her mind this dungeon might have been too advanced for the party. What, did two people dying five minutes in give that away? Of course, that was just how it looked to her,. Maybe it was right on their level. Aaron knew what he was doing. But if it was, and they had as fair a shot as they could, why was Bounce looking so annoyed. Whatever the reason was, her part of the journey was over.
She became aware of a frown playing across her face, her shoulders slumped. As quickly as she could, she collected herself, glancing at Will and Bounce in turn. Fortunately for her, not so much for the group, they had bigger things to worry about. Evidently, things like that weren't very common judging by Will's expression of surprise. Was that allowed? She didn't hear him rolling the dice, so once he decided the group didn't have a chance. Well, that didn't seem fair in the least, which would account for the smug smile on Aaron's face.
Maybe it was a trick? Something to psyche them out? It seemed too sudden for it to be all over, even if Bounce was pulling them out. Maybe it was an action taken by Aaron on impulse. He probably hadn't been planning that the whole game, but, knowing Bounce, she had that spell lined up just in case. It wasn't like it had helped a whole lot, but that wasn't her fault. Will, though he didn't look very upset about this recent turn of events, aside from that initial surprise. Maybe he had the same idea she did? Or, on the flip side, they were all dead, and they had failed magnificently.
Well, it was fun while it lasted. Even if it was a trick, her death wasn't. She crewed up the roll, and she was done for it. It'd be polite to stay, but she looking forward to seeing Vic, who may have been at her apartment already. Either, she'd give it another five minutes or so. If it was a trick, and Aaron was trying to be funny, she'd quietly excuse herself and head home. If not, and things were really done, she'd just follow the crowd out. Yes, five more minutes, then.
She became aware of a frown playing across her face, her shoulders slumped. As quickly as she could, she collected herself, glancing at Will and Bounce in turn. Fortunately for her, not so much for the group, they had bigger things to worry about. Evidently, things like that weren't very common judging by Will's expression of surprise. Was that allowed? She didn't hear him rolling the dice, so once he decided the group didn't have a chance. Well, that didn't seem fair in the least, which would account for the smug smile on Aaron's face.
Maybe it was a trick? Something to psyche them out? It seemed too sudden for it to be all over, even if Bounce was pulling them out. Maybe it was an action taken by Aaron on impulse. He probably hadn't been planning that the whole game, but, knowing Bounce, she had that spell lined up just in case. It wasn't like it had helped a whole lot, but that wasn't her fault. Will, though he didn't look very upset about this recent turn of events, aside from that initial surprise. Maybe he had the same idea she did? Or, on the flip side, they were all dead, and they had failed magnificently.
Well, it was fun while it lasted. Even if it was a trick, her death wasn't. She crewed up the roll, and she was done for it. It'd be polite to stay, but she looking forward to seeing Vic, who may have been at her apartment already. Either, she'd give it another five minutes or so. If it was a trick, and Aaron was trying to be funny, she'd quietly excuse herself and head home. If not, and things were really done, she'd just follow the crowd out. Yes, five more minutes, then.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler Sister Grimm.
Bounce folded her arms and gave Aaron a level look. Almost inperceptibly, she raised one of her eyebrows. She didn't think that he was messing around. In truthfulness, she was actually pretty pissed off at him, but had decided that he had a short window to show that he was pulling some sort of trick before she lost her temper. Right now, Bounce was holding herself in check... just about.
Her earlier doubts had now solidified. This dungeon was clearly a cut above the party's level of ability. You could put things down to 'bad luck' and in the end, yes, poor rolls had failed them, but they'd been put into situations where a bad roll or two would result in instant death. That was not good DMing, that was malicious DMing. The role of the person in charge was not to wipe out the player characters by any means necessary, it was to provide a fun and interesting experience. This 'anti-teleportation' measure seemed like a complete fabrication, and Bounce had a very bad feeling that Aaron had been out for a TPK from the get go.
Okay then, Aaron. I will give you a count of five to reveal that this is a tasteless joke. Afterward... well, you will have brought this on yourself.
Raging at Aaron wouldn't do though, that would just be poor losing, regardless of the fact that circumstances of their death had been shady. No, she'd do what she had been considering for a while: suggest a different DM. Aaron clung to his position of 'authority' like a life belt, but really, was it all that important? It should have been clear to everyone, including Aaron himself, that he wasn't cut out to be the one leading. Besides, was there anything wrong with suggesting a switch up every now and then? Of course not.
Still... Bounce couldn't help but wonder if he'd take it the wrong way. Ah but whatever, she was upset, she didn't really care if Aaron wound up feeling the same way.
Her earlier doubts had now solidified. This dungeon was clearly a cut above the party's level of ability. You could put things down to 'bad luck' and in the end, yes, poor rolls had failed them, but they'd been put into situations where a bad roll or two would result in instant death. That was not good DMing, that was malicious DMing. The role of the person in charge was not to wipe out the player characters by any means necessary, it was to provide a fun and interesting experience. This 'anti-teleportation' measure seemed like a complete fabrication, and Bounce had a very bad feeling that Aaron had been out for a TPK from the get go.
Okay then, Aaron. I will give you a count of five to reveal that this is a tasteless joke. Afterward... well, you will have brought this on yourself.
Raging at Aaron wouldn't do though, that would just be poor losing, regardless of the fact that circumstances of their death had been shady. No, she'd do what she had been considering for a while: suggest a different DM. Aaron clung to his position of 'authority' like a life belt, but really, was it all that important? It should have been clear to everyone, including Aaron himself, that he wasn't cut out to be the one leading. Besides, was there anything wrong with suggesting a switch up every now and then? Of course not.
Still... Bounce couldn't help but wonder if he'd take it the wrong way. Ah but whatever, she was upset, she didn't really care if Aaron wound up feeling the same way.
-
MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
Everyone was just sitting there, staring at him. It was sort of awkward. Had his description been good enough to strike them all dumb? Apparently so.
Will looked shocked for a second, then calm. That was good. Will understood that sometimes you won and sometimes you lost. Today, the party had lost. Accepting that was how you coped. Aaron had lost several characters in his years playing roleplaying games, and he could see his own acceptance mirrored in Will.
Alice was harder to read. She was newer to the game, so she might not get that this stuff happened sometimes. She didn't seem that upset, though, so it wasn't a big deal. She was a mature person, so she'd be fine.
Bounce, well, Bounce was looking at him differently. She seemed annoyed. That, too, was understandable. She'd just been thwarted, and rather epicly at that. Oh well. She was smart, and she usually came out on top of things, but bad things happened to good characters (and people), and she'd move on and make a new character. Hopefully she wouldn't cause too much trouble while doing so.
Aaron looked around at each of them. The silence was getting a little oppressive, but he didn't feel it was his place to break it. He rolled his shoulders and stretched a bit. He fidgeted with a d20.
Someone will say something sooner or later...
Will looked shocked for a second, then calm. That was good. Will understood that sometimes you won and sometimes you lost. Today, the party had lost. Accepting that was how you coped. Aaron had lost several characters in his years playing roleplaying games, and he could see his own acceptance mirrored in Will.
Alice was harder to read. She was newer to the game, so she might not get that this stuff happened sometimes. She didn't seem that upset, though, so it wasn't a big deal. She was a mature person, so she'd be fine.
Bounce, well, Bounce was looking at him differently. She seemed annoyed. That, too, was understandable. She'd just been thwarted, and rather epicly at that. Oh well. She was smart, and she usually came out on top of things, but bad things happened to good characters (and people), and she'd move on and make a new character. Hopefully she wouldn't cause too much trouble while doing so.
Aaron looked around at each of them. The silence was getting a little oppressive, but he didn't feel it was his place to break it. He rolled his shoulders and stretched a bit. He fidgeted with a d20.
Someone will say something sooner or later...
-
banthesun†
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:49 am
Mentally, Will overlayed a track of crickets chirping for the scene. Wasn't Aaron meant to continue, or was he just seeing whether he could get them to fall for it? And shouldn't one of the others fallen for it? Though he felt bad about it, Will had kind of expected at least one of them to fall for it. Well, not Bounce, on second thoughts, but maybe Alice. His satisfaction at seeing through the trick was somewhat ruined by the others not falling for it.
To the untrained eye, this might look like an unsuitably long pause for effect, but Will knew it was a battle of persistence. Who would give in first? He glanced at the other players. Alice looked a little defeatist, perhaps he'd misjudged something here. Perhaps she actually thought she was dead, and was holding back out of politeness. And Bounce, well, Will could never even guess at what she was thinking.
He turned back to Aaron. He seemed a little edgy, perhaps he was about to falter...
Ugh!
The thoughts bouncing round Will's head were getting more and more ridiculous. He'd give in rather than keep thinking this crap. But so it would still be obvious he'd seen through the trick.
"Well?" he prompted.
To the untrained eye, this might look like an unsuitably long pause for effect, but Will knew it was a battle of persistence. Who would give in first? He glanced at the other players. Alice looked a little defeatist, perhaps he'd misjudged something here. Perhaps she actually thought she was dead, and was holding back out of politeness. And Bounce, well, Will could never even guess at what she was thinking.
He turned back to Aaron. He seemed a little edgy, perhaps he was about to falter...
Ugh!
The thoughts bouncing round Will's head were getting more and more ridiculous. He'd give in rather than keep thinking this crap. But so it would still be obvious he'd seen through the trick.
"Well?" he prompted.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler banthesun. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
Time is up. Aaron's serious. And about to be rather unhappy.
"Well now. Was that not fun? Why, if that was the way things should be, why should every new party not have to deal with a dragon right from the beginning?" Sarcastic? Yes. Rude? Definitely, but Bounce, at that point, really didn't care. For her, the DM wasn't somebody out to get you, they were somebody trying to help you have a good experience. Wiping a party just because they wouldn't stick to the letter of your plan (which also seemed to entail all of them dying), was that trying to have fun?
No way.
"Anyway... since it appears that this campaign has reached an abrupt conclusion, I do believ it is time to air out an idea that I have had brewing for a while. Give you a chance to try your hand at playing for once Aaron."
Bounce was lying, well, somewhat. She had been thinking up various ideas, but not specifically because she wanted to give Aaron a break. Bounce brought it up because Aaron clung to his DMing authority like a lifebelt, and after what he had just pulled over the four of them, Bounce felt quite justified in making him a little uncomfortable.
"Well now. Was that not fun? Why, if that was the way things should be, why should every new party not have to deal with a dragon right from the beginning?" Sarcastic? Yes. Rude? Definitely, but Bounce, at that point, really didn't care. For her, the DM wasn't somebody out to get you, they were somebody trying to help you have a good experience. Wiping a party just because they wouldn't stick to the letter of your plan (which also seemed to entail all of them dying), was that trying to have fun?
No way.
"Anyway... since it appears that this campaign has reached an abrupt conclusion, I do believ it is time to air out an idea that I have had brewing for a while. Give you a chance to try your hand at playing for once Aaron."
Bounce was lying, well, somewhat. She had been thinking up various ideas, but not specifically because she wanted to give Aaron a break. Bounce brought it up because Aaron clung to his DMing authority like a lifebelt, and after what he had just pulled over the four of them, Bounce felt quite justified in making him a little uncomfortable.
-
Sister Grimm†
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:38 am
That was about it for her. Not that things hadn't been fun, but it was about time she set off. Up until everyone died and things had gone awkward, she felt things were going well. It was fun, at least. Even if it all was a one big trick, and Bounce and Will were just dealing with some illusion or spell, she was dead. That screwed up dice roll saw to that. She was growing somewhat restless anyway, and decided it was about time she check up on Vic. Maybe whatever scheme she set up with Theo would reach fruition and they would be rid of Pondsworth once and for all. Maybe. The vibration in her pocket would probably give her some idea of her girlfriends current situation.
Finally, she stood. Stretching lightly, she stepped around the table, clear of Will and Bounce. "Maybe we wont all die next time." Alice said with a slight smile. "But it was fun," she added, nodding lightly at Bounce. "See everyone next time." Offering a nod to Will and Aaron and a wave to Bounce she retreated through the doorway after pausing to grab her character sheets.
Once she was clear of the room, she dug her phone from her pocket and read across the screen. As she made her way to the front door, her fingers haltingly tapped across the keypad. She had guessed it would be Vic, because, honestly, how many people would text her? It had nothing to with popularity, though it probably didn't help. It just wasn't her thing. Vic was a the rare and only exception. Her reply was brief, just something along the lines of 'see you soon', but that was enough for her. It wasn't like Vic was expecting anything else.
Miraculously, she reached the front door without bumping into something while distracted with her phone. Aaron probably wouldn't be happy if she broke some priceless family vase on her way out. Did people still have that sort of thing? She didn't notice any on her way through. That seemed to stick with her from all those Saturday morning cartoons. Yeah, that sounded right. Well, she didn't break anything, and she the chances of doing so on the walk leading to the street didn't exactly seem likely.
With a glance over her shoulder, she stuffed her phone back into her pocket with one hand while digging out her keys with the other. Considering how things were going on her way out, her decision to take off was probably the smart idea. It was only a matter of time before Bounce said something especially caustic and started an argument. As fun as it was to see Bounce cut lose, she was fine sitting that one out. Even as she slid into her car she was wondering what Vic had in mind. All week she'd been promising something special, and Vic's idea of special was enough to put her on edge, at least a little. Well, it couldn't possibly be worse then the time she'd convinced Alice to drink. Casting one last sidelong glance towards Aarons' house, she started her car and sped off down the street.
((Alice Blake continued in That Special Someone))
Finally, she stood. Stretching lightly, she stepped around the table, clear of Will and Bounce. "Maybe we wont all die next time." Alice said with a slight smile. "But it was fun," she added, nodding lightly at Bounce. "See everyone next time." Offering a nod to Will and Aaron and a wave to Bounce she retreated through the doorway after pausing to grab her character sheets.
Once she was clear of the room, she dug her phone from her pocket and read across the screen. As she made her way to the front door, her fingers haltingly tapped across the keypad. She had guessed it would be Vic, because, honestly, how many people would text her? It had nothing to with popularity, though it probably didn't help. It just wasn't her thing. Vic was a the rare and only exception. Her reply was brief, just something along the lines of 'see you soon', but that was enough for her. It wasn't like Vic was expecting anything else.
Miraculously, she reached the front door without bumping into something while distracted with her phone. Aaron probably wouldn't be happy if she broke some priceless family vase on her way out. Did people still have that sort of thing? She didn't notice any on her way through. That seemed to stick with her from all those Saturday morning cartoons. Yeah, that sounded right. Well, she didn't break anything, and she the chances of doing so on the walk leading to the street didn't exactly seem likely.
With a glance over her shoulder, she stuffed her phone back into her pocket with one hand while digging out her keys with the other. Considering how things were going on her way out, her decision to take off was probably the smart idea. It was only a matter of time before Bounce said something especially caustic and started an argument. As fun as it was to see Bounce cut lose, she was fine sitting that one out. Even as she slid into her car she was wondering what Vic had in mind. All week she'd been promising something special, and Vic's idea of special was enough to put her on edge, at least a little. Well, it couldn't possibly be worse then the time she'd convinced Alice to drink. Casting one last sidelong glance towards Aarons' house, she started her car and sped off down the street.
((Alice Blake continued in That Special Someone))
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler Sister Grimm.
-
MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
Alice slipped out, but she said she'd be back next week, so it was all just fine. Aaron waved a goodbye to her, paying slightly more attention to her departure than Stephen's since he no longer had a game to focus on. Then all his attention returned to Will and Bounce.
Will said something: "Well?"
What was "Well?" supposed to mean? They'd died. Aaron wondered if he should drag out some character sheets. Would that help get the point across?
Then Bounce went off. She was ranting about something. It sounded like she was peeved that they'd all died. Aaron wasn't really listening well enough to get more than the gist of it. He was already considering the next game. Next game, he'd make sure to make time to plan. He wasn't too concerned about Bounce's annoyance. It wasn't really his problem, after all.
All of a sudden, she dropped a bomb on him, something serious enough to snap him out of his planning. Something that made him pay real attention.
She suggested changing DMs.
That... That was not a good sign. Aaron wasn't really sure what to do about it. Here she was, suggesting, for all intents and purposes, that he was incompetent. Bad at things. Sure, she hadn't said it like that, but it was there. The worst part was, she had just told him that she'd been planning this for some time. This wasn't a nice break she was suggesting; it was a coup. Aaron felt his face heating up, his fists clenching. This was just what he needed. This was just perfect. He took in a deep breath, preparing to shout her down...
Calm down. Calm down. These are your friends. This is Bounce. It's not her fault she lacks social skills. Besides, shouting at her won't get anything done.
He took another deep breath, held it in, counted to five. Bounce just had a sharp manner. That was alright. Aaron even found it hilarious when it was directed at someone who deserved it. He had to remind himself that sometimes other people lost control. It wasn't anything he'd done; it was just Bounce venting her frustrations.
"That's an... interesting idea," Aaron began, talking slowly to give himself time to think, and to conjure the vocabulary he would need to make his point, "I believe it deserves full and due consideration."
He hoped things were sounding as smooth to Bounce and Will as they did to him. He'd taken a breather, and he'd figured out how he was going to handle the situation. He had a plan. He would give Bounce time to cool off, then, when she was rational, he would explain things to her. Surely then she'd see reason.
"At the moment, however, we're missing half the group. Stephen and Alice have made their exits. Perhaps our best recourse would be to delay this discussion until next week."
There. That had sounded good. Aaron had used his words well enough to hopefully impress Bounce to some degree, and given her an out. That would hopefully be the last he ever heard of the matter. He was pretty much ignoring Will; Will wasn't being a problem, after all.
Will said something: "Well?"
What was "Well?" supposed to mean? They'd died. Aaron wondered if he should drag out some character sheets. Would that help get the point across?
Then Bounce went off. She was ranting about something. It sounded like she was peeved that they'd all died. Aaron wasn't really listening well enough to get more than the gist of it. He was already considering the next game. Next game, he'd make sure to make time to plan. He wasn't too concerned about Bounce's annoyance. It wasn't really his problem, after all.
All of a sudden, she dropped a bomb on him, something serious enough to snap him out of his planning. Something that made him pay real attention.
She suggested changing DMs.
That... That was not a good sign. Aaron wasn't really sure what to do about it. Here she was, suggesting, for all intents and purposes, that he was incompetent. Bad at things. Sure, she hadn't said it like that, but it was there. The worst part was, she had just told him that she'd been planning this for some time. This wasn't a nice break she was suggesting; it was a coup. Aaron felt his face heating up, his fists clenching. This was just what he needed. This was just perfect. He took in a deep breath, preparing to shout her down...
Calm down. Calm down. These are your friends. This is Bounce. It's not her fault she lacks social skills. Besides, shouting at her won't get anything done.
He took another deep breath, held it in, counted to five. Bounce just had a sharp manner. That was alright. Aaron even found it hilarious when it was directed at someone who deserved it. He had to remind himself that sometimes other people lost control. It wasn't anything he'd done; it was just Bounce venting her frustrations.
"That's an... interesting idea," Aaron began, talking slowly to give himself time to think, and to conjure the vocabulary he would need to make his point, "I believe it deserves full and due consideration."
He hoped things were sounding as smooth to Bounce and Will as they did to him. He'd taken a breather, and he'd figured out how he was going to handle the situation. He had a plan. He would give Bounce time to cool off, then, when she was rational, he would explain things to her. Surely then she'd see reason.
"At the moment, however, we're missing half the group. Stephen and Alice have made their exits. Perhaps our best recourse would be to delay this discussion until next week."
There. That had sounded good. Aaron had used his words well enough to hopefully impress Bounce to some degree, and given her an out. That would hopefully be the last he ever heard of the matter. He was pretty much ignoring Will; Will wasn't being a problem, after all.
-
banthesun†
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:49 am
Will saw Alice nod goodbye as she left, and he gave her a quick wave. Or should've that been a nod? She'd waved at Bounce so there must've been some distinction between the two motions. Will decided it probably wasn't that important. Anyway, Bounce seemed to be a little upset about Aaron's trick. No, she was angry about them getting killed? Will was starting to wonder if they had actually died. Was he on the wrong page here?
Wait, was Bounce just suggesting that she should be the GM? Gyah! That was a scary thought; what kind of evil, diabolical, deathtraps would she throw at them? But this dungeon was one hell of a deathtrap, and Will could see bounce sitting at home mathematically working out challenges to exactly match their level. Will paused, did Bounce even do maths? Was he making more assumptions about her? Perhaps it would be worth giving her a go anyway.
Aaron hadn't seemed to have taken to Bounce's remark well. Will knew he could get a little 'intense' about things, but he wouldn't get offended by this would he? It was only a suggestion. Perhaps he was caught of guard, he just hadn't been expecting it.
When Aaron did respond, Will noticed he was talking somewhat slowly, and a little more literately than usual.
Literately? Was that even a word? Verbose. He was being a little more verbose. Exercising his verbosity.
Will wondered whether Aaron was mimicking Bounce, not in a taunting way of course, like how his own mind sometimes mimicked other peoples speech patterns. Did other people do that? It seemed a little weird.
Whoops, I should be listening to what he's saying, shouldn't I.
"I'd be willing to give you a go at GMing," he said to Bounce, though he wasn't sure whether or not he should be addressing Aaron in this situation, "If you got some good campaign ideas that should be cool."
Wait, this does mean we're dead, doesn't it. Well, shit.
Wait, was Bounce just suggesting that she should be the GM? Gyah! That was a scary thought; what kind of evil, diabolical, deathtraps would she throw at them? But this dungeon was one hell of a deathtrap, and Will could see bounce sitting at home mathematically working out challenges to exactly match their level. Will paused, did Bounce even do maths? Was he making more assumptions about her? Perhaps it would be worth giving her a go anyway.
Aaron hadn't seemed to have taken to Bounce's remark well. Will knew he could get a little 'intense' about things, but he wouldn't get offended by this would he? It was only a suggestion. Perhaps he was caught of guard, he just hadn't been expecting it.
When Aaron did respond, Will noticed he was talking somewhat slowly, and a little more literately than usual.
Literately? Was that even a word? Verbose. He was being a little more verbose. Exercising his verbosity.
Will wondered whether Aaron was mimicking Bounce, not in a taunting way of course, like how his own mind sometimes mimicked other peoples speech patterns. Did other people do that? It seemed a little weird.
Whoops, I should be listening to what he's saying, shouldn't I.
"I'd be willing to give you a go at GMing," he said to Bounce, though he wasn't sure whether or not he should be addressing Aaron in this situation, "If you got some good campaign ideas that should be cool."
Wait, this does mean we're dead, doesn't it. Well, shit.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler banthesun. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.