[Open] Faculty Game Night

[nor_iron_bars]

Who: Jailbreak, your character sheets, and you.
What: Legally not D&D, honest.
When: Late November
Where: The alchemy and artifice classroom, mostly.
Warnings: That depends on how you roll, probably...

[It is considered a common truth that tabletop roleplaying games are for geeks, theater kids, and/or gay people.]

[Given that between them these three descriptors account for a solid ninety percent of the faculty, it's probably not surprising that someone's been tapped to be DM for a weekly gaming group.]

[It is kind of surprising that they picked Jailbreak, but then again it was probably the best way to keep her from blatantly cheating.]

[Of course, it wouldn't be Jail if she hadn't come up with a way to make things a little more interesting... so, as a small extra credit project, she's let some of her students help design the gaming table and miniatures to be used tonight. Needless to say, special effects are encouraged.]

[Are you faculty here to play? A student here to see how your handiwork? Just curious what all that shouting about crit fails was about?]

[Whatever the answer, come on in...]

Comments

[schmott_guy]

Gil got his hands on the game table before the game started. As a result, the surface is now made out of a polymimetic alloy that can reshape itself into dozens of presaved terrain setups at the touch of a button by the GM's chair. There's also some kind of field that lets you place specially made miniatures in the air and have them stay there, light pens that can draw lines in the air in any color, cup holders, special trays for rolling dice, and a fog machine. He was going to add the ability to make the miniatures actually scream in pain and bleed as they got injured, but Jail had pointed out that the game started in twenty minutes. There had been a light scuffle that ended with a book getting thrown at Gil's head, and the miniatures thus remained stationary like they were supposed to.

[bejustorbedead]

He's not entirely sure what the purpose of the game is, but he thought he should try to understand this world he's in more, and would this be a way? He got most of a character sheet written up, just need to finish a few things, that he's going to of course get some help on.

Naturally he rolls up a Dwarven Paladin. "I... think I got these stats right, so you just describe what's happening, and I react with what's on this? Is that right?"

[spelleton]

"That's right. You have different skills that go with these six stats. If you want to do certain things, you use the relevant skill."

Ekkehardt is sitting next to him at the table, mostly so he can help Ky out and because he knows everyone else in the faculty well enough to not want to necessarily sit next to them when it's time for dice-rolling games.

[spelleton]

"Let it be on the record that I'm only playing cleric under significant protest."

Ekkehardt already has a sheet drawn up. He has coffee in hand (never mind that he doesn't even need it). He was sadly prepared for this inevitability.

One day he'll get to play something other than the class most known for their healing skills.

[nor_iron_bars]

Dude. Buddy. My guy.

[Jail gives him a flat look.]

You're the one who rolled up this character. I said you could pick whatever you wanted, it ain't my fault you're too weird about personal responsibility to let these idiots TPK 'cause no one else played a healer.

["Weird" about personal responsibility in the sense that he actually has any.]

[nor_iron_bars]

Jail may have indulgent in some discreet maniacal laughter on seeing what she had available to work with here.


It's probably fine.

[spelleton]

I'm here to play, not to sit for an hour and listen to everyone squabble about rolling up new characters again.

If I have to be the only responsible member of the party so that everyone can actually entertain themselves, then so be it.

[ He's not necessarily HAPPY about it, but it is what it is!! ]

[schmott_guy]

have some PRIDE in your maniacal laughter. Let it ring forth over the village and strike fear into the commoners below

[fullthrottleammy]

[Ammy's here, and she seems to have rolled up a Warblade. A... particularly boisterous one at that. He claims to be "The Greatest Swordsman who Ever Lived," ignoring the fact that he's still relatively low level. Still, his luck with his rolls is absurd. Not natural twenties all the time absurd, but he never seems to get into any trouble he can't bullshit his way out of.]

[nor_iron_bars]

Now, now- if you do that, you lose the element of surprise!

[nor_iron_bars]

[She leans back in her chair and points at him.]

And that is why you're doomed to do all the work in the metaphorical group project that is life, while the rest of us get an A just from signing our names on it.

[...it's hard to tell if she's bullying him or saying that she cares and is worried about him being taken advantage of, honestly. It might be both?]

[nor_iron_bars]

[Welp, that sure was a high persuasion roll just then. Congrats on that charisma bonus.]

Okay, so you've talked your way past the shrine gate- except that the courtyard you just walked into has the amulet you came here for. Right out in the open. In plain sight of the guard who thinks you're here for totally legit reasons that don't involve stealing any sacred relics.

What do you do?

[schmott_guy]

Overrated.

[fullthrottleammy]

Hey, Jail? Remember that tree that Susano cut down earlier? And do you remember what direction it went rolling in, and how fast it was going? If I timed that right, he should have a distraction coming in riiiight about... now.

[buddinghopes]

[Don't mind her, she's just here to watch people use the miniatures she had a hand in making.

... Which means a number of the miniatures are probably sparkling while the game is going. And in combat, the sparkles change color depending on what abilities are in use!

But this is going to be fun to watch all the same, so she's here for it.]

[escardos]

[ who the fuck decided that inviting flat would be a good thing?

no, even if he wasn’t invited, it’s likely that he intercepted one of the texts and invited himself into the game night. d&d is a good way to spend his time—at least until he finds something else to focus on.

his character is a cleric, and while he made it literally just ten minutes ago, he has already drawn a sketch of him. their face is shrouded in darkness, and those squiggly lines may be tentacles—or he’s just bad at drawing.

what’s most surprising, however, is how damn lucky he seems to be with the rolls. he’s gotta be cheating right? (he is) ]

[nor_iron_bars]

Think of it as collaborative storytelling, maybe.

[Jail leans over, reading the sheet upside-down from across the table.]

Yeah, looks solid. You got a name in mind yet?

[nor_iron_bars]

[As with most things Jail does, the reason basically boiled down to "because I thought it would be funny".]

[It's also the reason why she's letting the blatant cheating continue. As long as it's entertaining, she's not complaining.]

Hey, remind me- what's your perception score again?

[...of course, sometimes she makes her own fun.]

[nor_iron_bars]

Sure, sure- planning ahead, that's smart. [...uh-oh. Why is she smiling like that?] I'm just gonna need you to give me one teeny, tiny little dexterity roll real quick. No reason.

[nor_iron_bars]

Hey, nice work.

[Jail is looking admiringly at a very sparkly dragon miniature, tilting it to see how it catches the light. She's got a crow's attraction to anything shiny, really.]

Looks like you got a good theme going, too.

[fullthrottleammy]

Okay, here I go.

[Ammy rolls, and... that's a seventeen. Given Susano's modifiers...]

[spelleton]

I've accepted that's my fate in life, like yours is to be the most irresponsible hellion possible. [ Is he appreciative of the concern? Just ribbing Jail back? Both? This, too, is hard to tell. ]

[nor_iron_bars]

Cool- that means you have time to dodge that high-speed rolling log before it smashes in and takes you out at the kneecaps.

[Well, that's always good to hear.]

Of course, if you wanna get creative about it, you could do more than just jump away...

[nor_iron_bars]

Hey, long as you made your peace with it.

[Their friendship(?) is just Like This a lot.]

Speaking of irresponsible hellions, you got a backstory in mind yet?

[buddinghopes]

At this point, sparkly stuff is just kind of my thing.

[She can't help but grin a little.]

The colors change depending on what abilities are active, and if an ability's timed or otherwise temporary, a little ticker for it will appear. I figured it'd be helpful to have visual representation of that sort of thing. Cuts down on folks asking 'hey, is this certain ability active' and all.

[fullthrottleammy]

Now, here's the thing about Susano: He's not that smart. He doesn't do these things on purpose. That being said, he's as surprised as everyone else. So he's going to cut down that tree again.

"Susano Style: Arboreal Annihilation!"

[And that's... yup, a nineteen.]

[escardos]

Eighteen.

[ flat isn't making much of an effort to hide the cheating on purpose. had this been an actual casino, perhaps he would have taken extra efforts to hide it. but in a game like this, it's fine if he just has fun, right? ]

What's waiting for me, GM?

[nor_iron_bars]

[Jail pauses, rolls some dice, is quiet for a moment...]

[And smiles.]

Far as you can tell, absolutely nothing. That's a totally normal, harmless wooden door. Got some nice carvings on it, real stylish.

[nor_iron_bars]

Valid. [Listen, if you have a theme, you might as well run with it.]

Oh fuck yes, that's gonna be a lifesaver. I mean, fuck knows I hate keeping track of it.

[nor_iron_bars]

The tree gets sliced cleanly in half, parting around you- and the guard, who I'm sure is super happy about not getting vibe checked by a ballistic oak- as the two halves continue rolling past into the courtyard at top speed.

Now.

[She spreads her hands, grinning.]

How're you gonna use this distraction to get the amulet? Paint me a word picture.

[fullthrottleammy]

He turns around, clears his throat, and declares: "Good people, I Susano, the Greatest Swordsman to Ever Live, require that amulet for a ritual to dispel evil from my home! Do not worry, I will be sure to return it, but time is of the essence!"

[nor_iron_bars]

...okay you realize that amulet is their literal holy relic, right? Like, if these guys let it get stolen or damaged they'll probably be executed.

I'm not saying you can't convince them, but you're gonna need to seriously nail this persuasion check.

[fullthrottleammy]

Alright, let's see...

[A roll and... a goddamn nat 20.]

Well. I think that will work.

[nor_iron_bars]

Well... yes and no.

[Jail steeples her fingers.]

Good news is, they're gonna let you take the amulet. Bad news is, they're not gonna let you outta their sight with it. Basically, guard one and his less famous brother, guard two, are now your new escort mission.

Until the amulet's back where it belongs, they're gonna be sticking to you like glue.

[escardos]

Ah, really?

[ well, that's definitely not normal or harmless at all. he taps the table as he thinks. alright, let's test it out. ]

Any chance I can recognize the carvings on the door?

[nor_iron_bars]

Mm, hard to say. Most of 'em definitely seem like some kind of abstract design, a lotta interlocking squares and lines in a repeating pattern, very Art Deco. Surprisingly classy for a random-ass wooden door in the basement level of buttfuck nowhere, honestly.

But right in the middle of it, there's a carving of a humanoid face. Not exactly a perfect copy, but detailed and realistic enough to be mildly unsettling. Kinda got that whole "uncanny valley" deal going on.

[buddinghopes]

Yeah, and I figured so does everyone else. Or they'd get so caught up in stuff that they don't think to keep track.

[nor_iron_bars]

[A solemn nod.] Who among us hasn't gotten super wrapped up in doing cool shit and "accidentally" forgot they were out of mana? Could happen to anyone.