- Joined
- Nov 8, 2005
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- #1
Here's my entry for the contest, which explores what happens when Gary joins Ash and the gang for a night of tabletop roleplaying, but ends up getting on Brock's nerves when he ends up making the wrong kind of character for the campaign Brock is attempting to run...
Ash opened the door and smiled when he saw Gary on the stoop. "You made it! Come on inside--you can make your character while we wait on the food to get here."
"How could I not say no to takeout and roleplaying?" Gary replied. "After giving the System Ref document the once over, it sounded like fun."
"Well, Brock is a very good dungeon master." Ash explained as he watched Brock pull down a projection screen, then confirm a few settings on a sleek silver laptop. "But if you have any questions, just ask me or Brock."
----------
In the rec room, Gary--now with a white towel tied on his back like a cape--gave Brock his finished character sheet. "Okay..I hope I did this right..."
Brock looked over Gary's character sheet. "Looks good for a Lightsworn paladin...welcome to the game, Merlion Whitelight."
"Thanks." Gary smiled. "Let's go raid a dungeon!"
"I do have a dungeon for you to raid and fabulous treasure for you to find..." Brock explained. "But keep in mind that the point of 'Chambers and Charizards' is not to win--it's about telling stories of brave heroes."
"So if we're gonna emerge victorious, we need to be a team, okay?" Ash agreed as he readjusted the red mage's hat with an elegant white plume he now wore.
With that, Brock cued some royal city ambiance. "Rumors of war have the royal city on edge. A few weeks ago, an orc warchief threatened to invade the city if the royal family did not give him one of their many treasures--specifically the ten Gems of Magic. To make matters worse, many of the noble houses are all fighting over who should meet the orcs in battle. Time is running out--a royal spy has found the orcs plan to invade in two weeks..."
"Blah blah blah...just get to the quest already!" Gary mutters, snapping Brock from reading the script.
Brock's first thought is to scold Gary, but reconsiders when he sees how long the backstory script is. Come to think of it, I don't think I need to perform all of this...
He finds the section of the script with the quest, then continues reading. "The king wants you to lead a small band of warriors in an initial skirmish to weaken the orcs. But with the noble houses squabbling over which of them will lead the charge, you're left with the rogues, the misfits, and the layabouts who only made it into a noble's service by sheer luck. It's a wonder any of them can wield a weapon properly!"
He intones "It doesn't help that the orcs have somehow managed to tame a black dragon."
"Oh, boy! A dragon fight!" Gary smiles, excited.
Brock thumbs through the adventure book. If Gary wants a dragon fight, I can cut the warring factions and orcs out, and just run this as a dragon slayer quest. No rivals, no political intrigue...just a pure and simple dragonslaying quest. Or, I could switch adventures to a pure dragon slayer quest...
Serena seems to share Brock's unease about the adventure and Gary's excitement about slaying a dragon. "Can we skip all the rivals and backstabbing and just kill a dragon for once?"
"Or just raid a dungeon--dragons optional?" Misty agrees.
"Okay...let me find a good dragon slaying adventure or campaign..." With that, Brock digs through his box of adventures and campaign books...
---------
"'The Dragons of Rainbow Cave' okay?" Brock asks as he shows the large book to the group.
"That'll do just perfectly!" Gary smiles, excited at the prospect of slaying a dragon. Ash nods in agreement.
"Believe me, you'll get to slay plenty of dragons and find plenty of treasure on this epic adventure." Brock smiles. "This was why I rolled up new high level versions of your characters for you."
He locates the adventure's introductory script. "Since time immemorial, colored dragons have caused trouble to the peoples of the world--so much so the jeweled dragons, the guardians of the world, have had enough. Their leader, the great diamond dragon Meldira, has summoned you to her glittering crystal abode to discuss what to do about the colored dragon leaders that threaten the world."
He cues some ethereal crystal cave ambiance. "Meldira's cave is just as beautiful to look at as its resident. Diamonds glitter on the shimmering walls, creating an aurora like effect on the crystal floors--never mind you are too far south to see the northern lights."
Awed chatter goes up as Brock projects a picture of the beautiful white dragon in her cave for the group to see. "Meldira awaits you here. Her glittering diamond scales ripple with divine strength and power. There is a very good reason mortals and Lightsworn alike revere the diamond dragon--it will not harm the good and the pure, and will fight tooth and nail to protect the free peoples of the world from any threat."
Inspired, Gary bows on one knee before the picture. "Ye have called, O Guardian of light, and I have come with worthy companions. Name what you wish us to do, and we will do it--even if we have to go to the very ends of the world."
Brock smiles before getting into character as Meldira. "Welcome, Sir Merlion...a grave situation is upon us. No doubt you and your companions have heard the mortals groan under the oppression of the Chromatic Dragons. I have brought you here so you can slay their leaders, and end their menace once and for all."
"Sounds easy enough...where do we start?" Gary asks.
"The leaders of the chromatic dragons are aware that their judgement is at hand." Brock explains as Meldira. "They have all taken shelter in a massive cave complex appropriately called Rainbow Cave. If you attempt to enter the cave, you will find one of them for every ten levels you go down. When you reach the bottom, you will engage the leader of the colored dragons, the red dragon Rostras. Defeat him, and the world will be safe again."
Ash nods. "We'll do it!"
---------
Brock cues some foreboding dark cave ambiance. "The light in here is just dim enough for you to notice that the way forward into Rainbow Cave involves crossing a large chasm. But you also know that things aren't always what they seem to be, especially with powerful dragon magic involved."
"Christine uses Lumiere d'epee." Serena reports.
"That means 'light of the sword'". Ash explains to Gary. "Basically, the runeblade's rapier becomes a light source the runeblade can control. So unlike a torch, it won't go out unless Serena wants it to go out." Gary nods to show he understands.
"So you now have a choice..." Brock explains to the group. "Do you cross the shaky old bridge over the chasm? Or do you find another way around?"
Gary balks at the picture of the chasm Brock has shown the group. "You couldn't PAY me enough gold to cross a rickety old bridge! It'll just break when we're halfway across, like in the movies!"
He asks Brock "Is there another way around?"
"Yes, there is another, safer way into the cave--but you'll have to use your own magical abilities to find it." Brock replies.
"Aldaron uses Revealing Light to attempt to find a safer way in." Ash reports.
"Take 10." Brock replies--his signal that the spell doesn't technically require a check, so he assumes the player rolled a 10. "Your spell reveals a second pathway leading further underground, bypassing the rickety bridge entirely."
"Good thinking, Ashy-boy!" Gary smiles, mostly relieved he doesn't have to relive an adventure movie cliche. "Fingers crossed we can get in the cave in one piece."
Brock assures Gary "First rule of being the dungeon master--your goal is not to destroy the players, but work with them to tell the best story possible. This sometimes means working around or flat out rewriting the rules if it would benefit the story."
---------
A few encounters later, Brock cues the battle music as a gaggle of kobolds appears on the screen. "As you make your way inside Rainbow Cave, a band of kobolds ambushes you!"
"Merlion uses Divine Shock." Gary smirks. Kobolds are just cannon fodder for a Lightsworn...
Brock gasps in surprise, but decides to roll with Gary's one hit kill. "The divine light engulfs the kobolds, allowing them to meet their judgement. But since they were in the service of a dragon, they were carrying some valuable stuff."
Ash coldly eyes Gary. Way to break the encounter...
"Are there any drops?" Gary asks, oblivious to the angry looks on the others' faces.
Brock tries to hide his displeasure as he checks the stat blocks for the drops. "Among the treasure you find, there is an Exalted Hat, a bottle of Elemental Balm, and a Runed Pin. There is also a Living Harp here--its strings give off a comforting rainbow glow as it awaits instruction."
"Ooh, an adventure hook for the next part of the campaign!" Misty smiles, now in a better mood. "Let's put that in the vault for now."
In character, she tells the beautiful picture of a fantasy harp "We're not ready to use your song just yet--will you wait for us until we need you?"
"It is my pleasure." Brock replies in a regal female voice for the harp. "I await your triumphant return."
"See, if we find something none of us can use or doesn't want, Brock puts it in the vault." Ash explains. "You can ask to put something in the vault, see what's currently in the vault, or take something out of the vault at any time." Gary nods to show he understands.
Brock, meanwhile, shows the group a picture of the next room, complete with the holy ambiance that signals the room is a safe zone. "You emerge into a room that was once a sacred space, with a beautiful angel statue overlooking a pedestal. A Divine Saints' Bow sits on the pedestal, it's jewel studded white limbs creating a comforting glow in the room."
"Is that a Legendary normal bow, a magebow, or a divine bow for a Lightsworn?" Ash asks.
Brock checks the bow's statbox. "It is a Legendary magebow--do you want it?"
"Yeah...I could use an upgrade." Ash smiles as he writes the new bow on his character sheet. "I'll put my old one in the vault, while I'm at it."
Gary sighs as he looks down on his own character sheet. Why did Ashy-boy get the first legendary item of the game, and not me?
He watches Ash and Brock negotiate for a moment, then smiles at the divine sword his character is currently wielding. That's okay, though--a divine sword has nothin' on a Legendary bow!
Brock, meanwhile, continues setting the scene for the encounter. "As you take the beautiful bow from the pedestal, a comforting feeling washes over you. It almost feels like a Lightsworn is telling you 'Peace--I am watching over you'."
"It's not cursed, is it?" Misty isn't so sure about the description Brock is reading. For all she knows, Ash is about to meet some terrifying fate because of a cursed item.
"As a holy item, it can't be cursed." Brock assures the group. "You'll need it to reach the innermost parts of this place."
"But why would a divine item be here in a massive dragon lair?" Serena wonders.
"Maybe it was once part of a massive horde of treasure?" Gary suggests.
"We'll go with that, then." Serena smiles as she watches Brock create the next encounter...
---------
"This area is a dead end, thanks to a cave in." Brock reads as he adds some water and divine aura noise into his cave mix. "Yet this place feels like a holy place."
"Merlion uses Sense Aura to ID just which deity is hanging out here." Gary reports.
"Take ten." Brock replies. "You sense the spirit of the earth goddess Gaia here--earth and nature abilities are more effective in this area."
"So is Gaia here, or are we only sensing her aura?" Ash wonders.
"Gaia is not physically here--you only sense her aura." Brock clarifies. "This still means any earth and nature abilities get a boost here."
He next adds a picture of Greninja into the image of the dead end. "You see a Greninja here hiding behind a rock. You can't tell if it's hiding from a monster, or lying in wait to ambush something."
"Merlion charges to attack!" Gary reports, expecting Brock to cue the battle music.
Brock, however, has other ideas. "As you charge in an attempt to engage the Greninja, it manages to strike first with an Ice Beam, freezing you solid!"
Gary gasps. "What gives?"
"Not everything is out to kill you." Brock sternly reminds Gary. "This Greninja actually wants to help you guys...if you do attempt attacking her, she will automatically freeze you solid."
"The point of the game is to tell an epic adventure story--not kick down the doors, kill all the monsters, and take all the rare and powerful stuff!" Misty agrees. "Now, will you try to make meaningful contributions, and not kill everything in sight?"
"While there is rare and valuable stuff to find, it's not fair to everyone else if you horde it all for yourself." Brock continues. "There's a word in the tabletop gaming community for someone doing what you're doing right now--munchkin. So, can we try to share the wealth and the glory with the others? Otherwise, I'll have to take more drastic measures."
Gary swallows hard as he imagines what "drastic measures" could entail. "Okay! Okay! I'll be good from here on out!"
"Okay...this is your only warning." Brock warns. "If you do something munchkin-like again, I'll take drastic measures--up to and including killing off your character if I have to."
He finds his place in the script for the encounter as Gary shudders in fear. "Now, we'll rewind the encounter to the beginning, and assume Gary's action never happened." he explains to the group as he removes the FRZ icon from Gary's character.
He then starts the encounter over. "You see a Greninja here hiding behind a rock. You can't tell if it's hiding from a monster, or lying in wait to ambush something."
"Merlion uses Speak to Pokemon." Gary reports. "He asks the Greninja what it's doing."
Brock smiles, pleased that Gary used a reasonable action. "You learn that the Greninja is named Mizuna." he explains to Gary. "She tells you that the cave Squirtles in the cave are being hunted by a Gyarados, and she is going to slay said Gyarados once and for all so none of the cave Squirtles are eaten."
"We'll be happy to help you out." Gary replies in character.
"Yeah, even the Pokemon deserve peace." Ash agrees. Maybe there's hope for Gary being a good Chambers player after all!
THE END
Ash opened the door and smiled when he saw Gary on the stoop. "You made it! Come on inside--you can make your character while we wait on the food to get here."
"How could I not say no to takeout and roleplaying?" Gary replied. "After giving the System Ref document the once over, it sounded like fun."
"Well, Brock is a very good dungeon master." Ash explained as he watched Brock pull down a projection screen, then confirm a few settings on a sleek silver laptop. "But if you have any questions, just ask me or Brock."
----------
In the rec room, Gary--now with a white towel tied on his back like a cape--gave Brock his finished character sheet. "Okay..I hope I did this right..."
Brock looked over Gary's character sheet. "Looks good for a Lightsworn paladin...welcome to the game, Merlion Whitelight."
"Thanks." Gary smiled. "Let's go raid a dungeon!"
"I do have a dungeon for you to raid and fabulous treasure for you to find..." Brock explained. "But keep in mind that the point of 'Chambers and Charizards' is not to win--it's about telling stories of brave heroes."
"So if we're gonna emerge victorious, we need to be a team, okay?" Ash agreed as he readjusted the red mage's hat with an elegant white plume he now wore.
With that, Brock cued some royal city ambiance. "Rumors of war have the royal city on edge. A few weeks ago, an orc warchief threatened to invade the city if the royal family did not give him one of their many treasures--specifically the ten Gems of Magic. To make matters worse, many of the noble houses are all fighting over who should meet the orcs in battle. Time is running out--a royal spy has found the orcs plan to invade in two weeks..."
"Blah blah blah...just get to the quest already!" Gary mutters, snapping Brock from reading the script.
Brock's first thought is to scold Gary, but reconsiders when he sees how long the backstory script is. Come to think of it, I don't think I need to perform all of this...
He finds the section of the script with the quest, then continues reading. "The king wants you to lead a small band of warriors in an initial skirmish to weaken the orcs. But with the noble houses squabbling over which of them will lead the charge, you're left with the rogues, the misfits, and the layabouts who only made it into a noble's service by sheer luck. It's a wonder any of them can wield a weapon properly!"
He intones "It doesn't help that the orcs have somehow managed to tame a black dragon."
"Oh, boy! A dragon fight!" Gary smiles, excited.
Brock thumbs through the adventure book. If Gary wants a dragon fight, I can cut the warring factions and orcs out, and just run this as a dragon slayer quest. No rivals, no political intrigue...just a pure and simple dragonslaying quest. Or, I could switch adventures to a pure dragon slayer quest...
Serena seems to share Brock's unease about the adventure and Gary's excitement about slaying a dragon. "Can we skip all the rivals and backstabbing and just kill a dragon for once?"
"Or just raid a dungeon--dragons optional?" Misty agrees.
"Okay...let me find a good dragon slaying adventure or campaign..." With that, Brock digs through his box of adventures and campaign books...
---------
"'The Dragons of Rainbow Cave' okay?" Brock asks as he shows the large book to the group.
"That'll do just perfectly!" Gary smiles, excited at the prospect of slaying a dragon. Ash nods in agreement.
"Believe me, you'll get to slay plenty of dragons and find plenty of treasure on this epic adventure." Brock smiles. "This was why I rolled up new high level versions of your characters for you."
He locates the adventure's introductory script. "Since time immemorial, colored dragons have caused trouble to the peoples of the world--so much so the jeweled dragons, the guardians of the world, have had enough. Their leader, the great diamond dragon Meldira, has summoned you to her glittering crystal abode to discuss what to do about the colored dragon leaders that threaten the world."
He cues some ethereal crystal cave ambiance. "Meldira's cave is just as beautiful to look at as its resident. Diamonds glitter on the shimmering walls, creating an aurora like effect on the crystal floors--never mind you are too far south to see the northern lights."
Awed chatter goes up as Brock projects a picture of the beautiful white dragon in her cave for the group to see. "Meldira awaits you here. Her glittering diamond scales ripple with divine strength and power. There is a very good reason mortals and Lightsworn alike revere the diamond dragon--it will not harm the good and the pure, and will fight tooth and nail to protect the free peoples of the world from any threat."
Inspired, Gary bows on one knee before the picture. "Ye have called, O Guardian of light, and I have come with worthy companions. Name what you wish us to do, and we will do it--even if we have to go to the very ends of the world."
Brock smiles before getting into character as Meldira. "Welcome, Sir Merlion...a grave situation is upon us. No doubt you and your companions have heard the mortals groan under the oppression of the Chromatic Dragons. I have brought you here so you can slay their leaders, and end their menace once and for all."
"Sounds easy enough...where do we start?" Gary asks.
"The leaders of the chromatic dragons are aware that their judgement is at hand." Brock explains as Meldira. "They have all taken shelter in a massive cave complex appropriately called Rainbow Cave. If you attempt to enter the cave, you will find one of them for every ten levels you go down. When you reach the bottom, you will engage the leader of the colored dragons, the red dragon Rostras. Defeat him, and the world will be safe again."
Ash nods. "We'll do it!"
---------
Brock cues some foreboding dark cave ambiance. "The light in here is just dim enough for you to notice that the way forward into Rainbow Cave involves crossing a large chasm. But you also know that things aren't always what they seem to be, especially with powerful dragon magic involved."
"Christine uses Lumiere d'epee." Serena reports.
"That means 'light of the sword'". Ash explains to Gary. "Basically, the runeblade's rapier becomes a light source the runeblade can control. So unlike a torch, it won't go out unless Serena wants it to go out." Gary nods to show he understands.
"So you now have a choice..." Brock explains to the group. "Do you cross the shaky old bridge over the chasm? Or do you find another way around?"
Gary balks at the picture of the chasm Brock has shown the group. "You couldn't PAY me enough gold to cross a rickety old bridge! It'll just break when we're halfway across, like in the movies!"
He asks Brock "Is there another way around?"
"Yes, there is another, safer way into the cave--but you'll have to use your own magical abilities to find it." Brock replies.
"Aldaron uses Revealing Light to attempt to find a safer way in." Ash reports.
"Take 10." Brock replies--his signal that the spell doesn't technically require a check, so he assumes the player rolled a 10. "Your spell reveals a second pathway leading further underground, bypassing the rickety bridge entirely."
"Good thinking, Ashy-boy!" Gary smiles, mostly relieved he doesn't have to relive an adventure movie cliche. "Fingers crossed we can get in the cave in one piece."
Brock assures Gary "First rule of being the dungeon master--your goal is not to destroy the players, but work with them to tell the best story possible. This sometimes means working around or flat out rewriting the rules if it would benefit the story."
---------
A few encounters later, Brock cues the battle music as a gaggle of kobolds appears on the screen. "As you make your way inside Rainbow Cave, a band of kobolds ambushes you!"
"Merlion uses Divine Shock." Gary smirks. Kobolds are just cannon fodder for a Lightsworn...
Brock gasps in surprise, but decides to roll with Gary's one hit kill. "The divine light engulfs the kobolds, allowing them to meet their judgement. But since they were in the service of a dragon, they were carrying some valuable stuff."
Ash coldly eyes Gary. Way to break the encounter...
"Are there any drops?" Gary asks, oblivious to the angry looks on the others' faces.
Brock tries to hide his displeasure as he checks the stat blocks for the drops. "Among the treasure you find, there is an Exalted Hat, a bottle of Elemental Balm, and a Runed Pin. There is also a Living Harp here--its strings give off a comforting rainbow glow as it awaits instruction."
"Ooh, an adventure hook for the next part of the campaign!" Misty smiles, now in a better mood. "Let's put that in the vault for now."
In character, she tells the beautiful picture of a fantasy harp "We're not ready to use your song just yet--will you wait for us until we need you?"
"It is my pleasure." Brock replies in a regal female voice for the harp. "I await your triumphant return."
"See, if we find something none of us can use or doesn't want, Brock puts it in the vault." Ash explains. "You can ask to put something in the vault, see what's currently in the vault, or take something out of the vault at any time." Gary nods to show he understands.
Brock, meanwhile, shows the group a picture of the next room, complete with the holy ambiance that signals the room is a safe zone. "You emerge into a room that was once a sacred space, with a beautiful angel statue overlooking a pedestal. A Divine Saints' Bow sits on the pedestal, it's jewel studded white limbs creating a comforting glow in the room."
"Is that a Legendary normal bow, a magebow, or a divine bow for a Lightsworn?" Ash asks.
Brock checks the bow's statbox. "It is a Legendary magebow--do you want it?"
"Yeah...I could use an upgrade." Ash smiles as he writes the new bow on his character sheet. "I'll put my old one in the vault, while I'm at it."
Gary sighs as he looks down on his own character sheet. Why did Ashy-boy get the first legendary item of the game, and not me?
He watches Ash and Brock negotiate for a moment, then smiles at the divine sword his character is currently wielding. That's okay, though--a divine sword has nothin' on a Legendary bow!
Brock, meanwhile, continues setting the scene for the encounter. "As you take the beautiful bow from the pedestal, a comforting feeling washes over you. It almost feels like a Lightsworn is telling you 'Peace--I am watching over you'."
"It's not cursed, is it?" Misty isn't so sure about the description Brock is reading. For all she knows, Ash is about to meet some terrifying fate because of a cursed item.
"As a holy item, it can't be cursed." Brock assures the group. "You'll need it to reach the innermost parts of this place."
"But why would a divine item be here in a massive dragon lair?" Serena wonders.
"Maybe it was once part of a massive horde of treasure?" Gary suggests.
"We'll go with that, then." Serena smiles as she watches Brock create the next encounter...
---------
"This area is a dead end, thanks to a cave in." Brock reads as he adds some water and divine aura noise into his cave mix. "Yet this place feels like a holy place."
"Merlion uses Sense Aura to ID just which deity is hanging out here." Gary reports.
"Take ten." Brock replies. "You sense the spirit of the earth goddess Gaia here--earth and nature abilities are more effective in this area."
"So is Gaia here, or are we only sensing her aura?" Ash wonders.
"Gaia is not physically here--you only sense her aura." Brock clarifies. "This still means any earth and nature abilities get a boost here."
He next adds a picture of Greninja into the image of the dead end. "You see a Greninja here hiding behind a rock. You can't tell if it's hiding from a monster, or lying in wait to ambush something."
"Merlion charges to attack!" Gary reports, expecting Brock to cue the battle music.
Brock, however, has other ideas. "As you charge in an attempt to engage the Greninja, it manages to strike first with an Ice Beam, freezing you solid!"
Gary gasps. "What gives?"
"Not everything is out to kill you." Brock sternly reminds Gary. "This Greninja actually wants to help you guys...if you do attempt attacking her, she will automatically freeze you solid."
"The point of the game is to tell an epic adventure story--not kick down the doors, kill all the monsters, and take all the rare and powerful stuff!" Misty agrees. "Now, will you try to make meaningful contributions, and not kill everything in sight?"
"While there is rare and valuable stuff to find, it's not fair to everyone else if you horde it all for yourself." Brock continues. "There's a word in the tabletop gaming community for someone doing what you're doing right now--munchkin. So, can we try to share the wealth and the glory with the others? Otherwise, I'll have to take more drastic measures."
Gary swallows hard as he imagines what "drastic measures" could entail. "Okay! Okay! I'll be good from here on out!"
"Okay...this is your only warning." Brock warns. "If you do something munchkin-like again, I'll take drastic measures--up to and including killing off your character if I have to."
He finds his place in the script for the encounter as Gary shudders in fear. "Now, we'll rewind the encounter to the beginning, and assume Gary's action never happened." he explains to the group as he removes the FRZ icon from Gary's character.
He then starts the encounter over. "You see a Greninja here hiding behind a rock. You can't tell if it's hiding from a monster, or lying in wait to ambush something."
"Merlion uses Speak to Pokemon." Gary reports. "He asks the Greninja what it's doing."
Brock smiles, pleased that Gary used a reasonable action. "You learn that the Greninja is named Mizuna." he explains to Gary. "She tells you that the cave Squirtles in the cave are being hunted by a Gyarados, and she is going to slay said Gyarados once and for all so none of the cave Squirtles are eaten."
"We'll be happy to help you out." Gary replies in character.
"Yeah, even the Pokemon deserve peace." Ash agrees. Maybe there's hope for Gary being a good Chambers player after all!
THE END
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