Portal to D&D IC - JNA

[Rizban]

Discord (https://discord.gg/vCaRa5), if you're interested.


Hm...

I'm somewhat knowledgeable of 3.5, and have friends who I can rely on to help fill the gaps.

So...

Lily Denning. Computer whizkid, D&D player, nerd, college student. When she heard about the Virtual Reality D&D MMO, she jumped on it! Filled out forms, entered contests, all that stuff... And she didn't make it in.

So, she hacked her way in. She worked with some of her college mates who had access to the mechanical labs, got a slipshod, technically functioning VR Pod, and managed to slip in a singular extra character-herself. She went with her favorite class-the Dragonfire Adept! Because, despite being quite the smart cookie, D&D is where she likes to not think TOO hard, so a simple class was the best. She figured she'd be able to change classes later, either in-game or with a little, ahem, hacking. She ended up going standard human, as that was the easiest to hack into the game.

When she started, she signed on with the Knights Of Draconis-an in game organization dedicated to researching and diplomacy with dragons. As part of their civilian outreach, they run banks-because dragons love money, and being able to supplement a dragon's hoard is a great way to start talking with them.

Outside of the game, she's the resident nerd of her suite in college. While they're all honors students, most in STEM courses, she's the one who runs them through D&D, she's the one who watches all the anime, she's the most stereotypical nerd. Her friends tend to be a little more sporty, and a little less into nerd culture.

This was a pre-made organization by the game devs, originally about HUNTING dragons. But players liked the idea of talking with dragons so much, it was quickly patched to be more dragon-friendly. High history checks reveal that it was (after the patch) started by an ancient wyrm of myriad colors, near the end of their life. That is how they were able to get the funding they needed to make their initial banks, and after that, well, money comes rolling in.

The current leader of the Knights Of Draconis is Daf Livin, a dwarven cleric who focuses on fire spells.

Feels like a good start. Let me know if you need more, or if anything needs changing.


Hm...

After playing for a few days, the VR Pod started glitching up. Lily and her friends weren't sure if it was the connection, if it was the pod, no clue. So, Lily logged off for a bit, and went back to the hack!

While she was in the programming, she noticed some weirdness-stuff she really couldn't figure out the point of. She did some more digging, and figured out what it was. (Or so she thought.) It looked like an advanced members bit. Probably some micro-transaction bull, she thought to herself.

Being distinctly against paying real-world dollars for 10 minutes of Bless, she decided to link those to her character, then logged back on, hoping the issues would be resolved by making her a "premium member".

She didn't notice any real differences, at first. No menu changes, no special ads, nothing. And then she tried to log off...

That's my idea for how she got in, but if you'd rather it be something in-game, I can change it around. So let me know!

As she clicked "Logout," nothing happened. At least at first. She jabbed the button in frustration a few more times before a new popup appeared.


Ş̸̧̟͕̙̪̋͌̎̒̽͛̏̏̐͜͝ý̸̩̼̫͚͕̺̱̫̽̓̈́̄͌̒̄͗́s̸̀̄̀̈́̄̎̓̚͝ ̡̡̺̜̜̬̺̟̞ṱ̸̨͑̃e̸͙̹͗̊ͅm̷̻̭̱̲̣̮̾́̊̍̽̂͝ ̶̧̢̩̲̙̣̳̩͓̞̎Ë̷͈̩̥͍̮͔́̈̑̓̒̑̚͘͝ͅr̵̨̖̖͇̤̘͖͉̘͒̌ͅr̶̛̻̀͂ ̘̩ǒ̴̡̩̫͚͚̝͉̭͆̂̚r̸̨͕͙̘̜͊͑̇͐̃͠

It blinks out and returns again.


Ş̸̧̟͕̙̪̋͌̎̒̽͛̏̏̐͜͝ý̸̩̼̫͚͕̺̱̫̽̓̈́̄͌̒̄͗́s̸̀̄̀̈́̄̎̓̚͝ ̡̡̺̜̜̬̺̟̞ṱ̸̨͑̃e̸͙̹͗̊ͅm̷̻̭̱̲̣̮̾́̊̍̽̂͝ ̶̧̢̩̲̙̣̳̩͓̞̎Ë̷͈̩̥͍̮͔́̈̑̓̒̑̚͘͝ͅr̵̨̖̖͇̤̘͖͉̘͒̌ͅr̶̛̻̀͂ ̘̩ǒ̴̡̩̫͚͚̝͉̭͆̂̚r̸̨͕͙̘̜͊͑̇͐̃͠


That disappears and then once more, a popup fills your vision.



Welcome, Player!
You have been selected as worthy to remake yourself anew!
Do you accept this offer?
| Yes | Logout |

The popup closes, a second taking its place.



Warning!
This action will delete your current character, forcing you to restart at level 1.
Do you wish to continue?
| Yes | Logout |

The popup closes, as a third popup appears.



Final Warning!
Note that this action cannot be reversed.
Are you ready to leave your life behind and enter a new realm?
| Yes | Logout |

You receive a message that your account has been permanently suspended. You then reawaken in the lab slightly disoriented with a mild headache. Attempting to log back in or create a new account reveals that your unique brainwave pattern has been identified and used as an identifier to ensure you never access the system again.

Game Over

[JNAProductions]

Lily clicks through the pop-ups, quickly, almost without looking. Come on, come on, I got a meeting soon! she mutters to herself as she does.

[Rizban]

Pain courses through your entire body, pain which should be blocked or at least reduced by the game's pain filters. You have them set to minimum, after all.

The taste of rainbows fills your ears as the sensation of being turned inside out and sucked through your toes overwhelms your senses, causing you to black out.

You awake an unknown period of time later and find yourself numb, completely unable to feel your body. Your ears hear nothing, and only a black emptiness meets you as you try to open your eyes.

Just as panic begins to set in, a popup appears. You feel relief at knowing that you're still in the game. You attempt to open a menu to determine your status, but nothing happens. The popup vibrates at you, as if somehow angered that you're ignoring it.



Welcome to your New Life+
Click below to begin character creation.
| Below |

You find yourself unable to do anything but interact with the popup mentally, just as you would with any popup in the game.

After clicking the button, a series of numbers, symbols, and random words fly across your vision faster than you can read. You feel an almost intrusive sensation in your mind, as if someone or something is peering deep within.

Suddenly, a visual representation of dice scatter across your screen. The final result of each becoming large enough to fill your vision for a brief second.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]

[Rizban]

Congratulations!
You have received one [1] Greater Boon.

Please choose your race.

A representation of the major races appears standing nude in front of you. Or rather, you see yourself in front of you, slightly altered to appear as each of the major races. A hazy line of individuals stretching off into the distance, which you intuit to be subraces that would be available for selection after making your choices.

Your available choices are

Human
__
Dwarf
__
Lizardfolk
__
Golem


There is a pair of buttons hovering in front of each which reads

Select Race Information

Almost obscured near what you would expect to be the floor, if such a thing existed, is a nearly invisible button which reads

Apply Greater Boon to Race

There is no further information about this button.

Before you click anything, you feel a foreboding sensation that any and all choices you make at this time will be permanent.

[JNAProductions]

Lily takes a few moments to... Breath? Can she breath? She hopes she can breath, but will take some time to calm down. Okay, she thinks. Something's up... Let's just get through this, and then logout. Maybe that's enough D&D for today.

Just in case, though, she selects information-first on Human, then Golem, then the other two.

[Rizban]

Human
Humans are the most common race through most of the realm. They are far more adaptable than any other; however, they tend to have poor relations with the non-human races.

Golem
Golems are servitors created by the other races for menial labor or as guardians. Sometimes through chance, mishap, great skill, or a dark ritual, a golem becomes sapient and, it is argued, acquires a sole. These lone creatures often have a sad fate, dismissed by the mortal races as a mere object. However, the benefits of agelessness and the potential to upgrade themselves is unparalleled.

Dwarf
Dwarves are industrious craftsmen who typically live deep underground. They have a warrior heritage that honors fallen heroes of old in a form of ancestor worship. Dwarves have a high resistance to magic of all types, which unfortunately makes it difficult for them to use most magic themselves.

Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk are thought to be, in some way, descended from dragons. Although that is many, many generations past, if true at all, they take pride in their heritage. They are an industrious people known for building massive cities in the jungles and plains of their homelands and for having a fiery temper that often leads to war.

[JNAProductions]

Lily selects golem. Alright. Robots are cool.

[Rizban]

As soon as she touches the button for golem, all of the race representations disappear, and she is presented with three variants of golems.



Choose your Purpose

Labor
__
Entertainment
__
Battle


Each has the same two button options as the races did before.

Select Purpose Information

Down below, the greater boon button is slightly more visible than before.

Apply Greater Boon to Purpose

[JNAProductions]

Still being a bit cautious, she selects Information on each tab. No info on the greater boon, huh? Or is that not an option yet?

[Rizban]

Labor
Golems built for labor are typically crudely built but stronge and extremely durable, if a bit clumsy and slow. They suffer no fatigue and are able to continue their assigned tasks indefinitely.

Entertainment
The rich and powerful often flaunt their status by commissioning golems capable of performing for an audience. Whether this is music, dancing, or other such frivoloties, an entertainment golem is proficient with it. They have little use beyond the arts.

Battle
Battle golems are constructed primarily as guardians for secured locations. They have heightened awareness and improved combat prowess, but they tend to run out of energy quickly, usually containing only enough for one or two battles before needing to recharge.


While the button for the greater boon isn't entirely greyed out and is likely clickable, she senses that it doesn't really want to be clicked, as if it's trying to hide and be forgotten about. How a button on a popup has any sense of wanting something or how she is able to interpret that sensation is just a miracle of the game system being linked in some way to her mind.

[JNAProductions]

She picks entertainment. If I end up being a sex-bot, I'm going to be peeved.

[Rizban]

The other figures disappear from your sight as you mentally click Entertainer, and you find yourself able to customize the appearance of the Golem Entertainer to your liking, including changing the apparent sex, though golems are in fact sexless. You are clearly mechanical, but your fine features are light and elegant, with plenty of curves, flourishes, and engravings, all of which you can customize to your core hydraulic pump's content.

When you're finished, your point of view shifts instantly, and you find yourself in the character you just shaped. You once again have feeling, the numbness gone... mostly. You find your sense of touch slightly dulled compared to what you knew before. However, you still feel weightless in the black nothingness around you.

An extremely sparse character sheet appears in your vision. (Link sent to you via discord)

You find yourself able to fill in a few minor blanks. You also have 1 point to spend on your ability scores, increasing any chosen score by 1.

[JNAProductions]

A warrior I am not, Lily thinks, so let's add that to Charisma. Talk my way out of the badness.

[Rizban]

As you finalize your selection, you receive a notification that you will receive 1 point to spend on any ability score at each future level. In addition, you will receive a 1 point increase to either Dexterity or Charisma, alternating with each level.

Your vision blurs again as you are given a choice of classes, basic gear sets appearing before you, representing each class option.

Artiste
__
Bard
__
Battle Dancer
__
Beguiler
__
Sorcerer
__
Spellthief
__
Swordsage


Select Class Information

Apply Greater Boon to Class

[JNAProductions]

Lily, once again, selects Information. She likes the new golem body-maybe she'll stick with it.

[Rizban]

Artiste
An artist extraordinare. This class focuses on the creation of artistic works to the exclusion of all else. All truly wondrous works of art in the world which have lasted the ages were created by a skilled Artiste. Although you can do other things, you'll likely never be any good at them.

Bard
A musical performer who uses their talents to benefit their allies or harm their foes. An arcane spellcaster whose very music is magical.

Battle Dancer
Using her grace, the battle dancer flows through her enemies like a petal on the wind. She incorporates her dance styles into a martial art that is all her own, beautiful and deadly.

Beguiler
A master of words and influence, the beguiler uses her arcane magics to charm the mind and manipulate the will of her adversaries.

Sorcerer
Sorcerers inherit their arcane magic from a powerful magical ancestor. Their magic is literally in their blood. Some sorcerers, however, develop their magic through other means.

Spellthief
The spellthief uses subtlty and stealth to steal magic from others for their own benefit. This arcane spellcaster is more rogue than scholar.

Swordsage
A true master of the martial arts, the swordsage's combat maneuvers are nearly magical in nature, allowing her to perform great feats of skill in battle.

[JNAProductions]

Lily selects Bard. She debates about adding her greater boon to this, wondering What comes after class?

[Rizban]

You select bard, and the starting gear appears equipped on your body.

Your character sheet appears again, and begins to fill itself out.

You have the option to select two feats. Your choices are anything you qualify for from the Player's Handbook. You may also choose from any Warforged feat from any source, with the exception of Adamantine Body or any feat which grants an attack or extra damage.

Apply Greater Boon to Feats



After selecting your feats, you may choose four 0-level spells known, as normal for a Bard, limited to the Player's Handbook.

Apply Greater Boon to Spells

[JNAProductions]

Spells are where it's at, Lily murmurs, and applies her boon to spells. As for feats, she looks at Mithral Body and Dragontouched-she still likes dragons, after all, and Dragonfire Inspiration isn't far away. She then sees the option for "Dragontouched" in grey, and cusses under her breath. Guess I'll nab Eschew Materials, she comments.

I derped. Let me look over the PHB feats.

[Rizban]

Are these your final choices, or am I still waiting for you to look over the PHB feats?

Also, did you want to consider spending a Boon here?

[JNAProductions]

Eschew Materials and Mithral Body are feat selections.

Spells are getting the Boon.

[Rizban]

When you select Mithral Plating as one of your feats, you receive a notification that this choice is highly synergistic with you race. You gain Mithral Fluidity as a bonus feat.


You spend your Greater Boon on your Spells.

Your spellcasting progresses by 1 level, allowing you to cast spells as a 2nd-level Bard.

[JNAProductions]

Neat, Lily says. Well, game, what else is there to do?

[Rizban]

Your selected feats and spells populate to your character sheet, changing other values that they affect automatically.

When that completes, a selection of skills appears, and you are informed that you have 24 Skill Points to assign. Clicking through a few of the skills, you discover that the Bard has the same class skills as usual and cross class skills still costs two points. So, nothing has changed with this process as far as you can tell. You also note that you have two +2 bonuses to assign, one to a Perform skill of your choice and one to a Craft skill of your choice, which must be directly related to the arts.

[JNAProductions]

Lily selects Perform (Sing) and Craft (Sculpture), both to receive 4 skill points each and to gain the +2 bonus.

After that, she adds Concentration, Bluff, Diplomacy, and UMD, all getting the maximum number of ranks.

[Rizban]

You finalize your skill choices and hear the clatter of dice in the background.

[roll0]

As your sheet begins to fade away from your vision, you notice two additional abilities appearing on your sheet.



Your vision goes completely black.

You feel something cold and hard on your back and something else warm on your face.

The sounds of buzzing insects can be heard in the distance accompanied by the occasional chirp of a songbird.

You realize that you are lying on the ground, your eyes closed.

[JNAProductions]

Lilac opens her eyes, and looks around, seeing what situation she's gotten herself into.

Lily sees if she can get more info on Hearthstone and Acceptance by mousing over them.

[Rizban]

The standard menu interface is completely missing. A whole new interface has taken its place, though the style is familiar enough to be intuitive.

Your only options at this time are to open your character sheet, your quest log, and your inventory.

There are a few greyed out buttons, but you are unable to read the labels on them at this time.


You open your character sheet and see that there are indeed, descriptions for your special abilities. Most are exactly as you remember them being from previous game play.

[Rizban]

You find yourself in what appears to be an ancient workshop, though a casual glance reveals that it appears to have been thoroughly stripped of tools and materials.

A pipe of some sort built into one of the walls has a hairline crack in it, allowing a faintly glowing liquid to seep out of it and form a shallow pool of crystal clear liquid. The only light in the room faintly emanates from this pool.

The only apparent exit is a sealed metal door on one wall.

[JNAProductions]

Lilac goes over to the pooling light, and idly swirls a finger in it, seeing if it (or her) responds in any way.

[Rizban]

Your finger is now wet.

Nothing else of note seems to happen.

[JNAProductions]

Lilac swirls her finger around a bit, getting enough on it for a taste. She licks it, just a bit, to see if there's any strong flavor to it.

If nothing particular comes of that, she investigates the door, and then the rest of the room.

I'll take 20 on searching the room, assuming nothing untoward happens.

[Rizban]

You are surprised to have a sense of taste, primarily because the VR platform has never really had that function. Eating good food gave you a sense of contentment and a popup about the quality. Really good food could give long-lasting buffs. This actually has flavor.

The fluid tastes like quality mineral water with the slightest fizz to it, though you are fairly certain that this is not actually water.

Despite your expectations for being a golem, you realize that you feel slightly thirsty and are certain you could drink fluids if you so choose, though you also realize that most food and beverage created for the common races could be harmful to you if consumed.

[JNAProductions]

Lilac casts her eyes about for a bottle, or anything to hold the liquid.

[Rizban]

She looks around but find nothing in the room that can be used as a bottle.

[JNAProductions]

She does a more thorough search of the room-looking through every nook and cranny, and testing the door a bit.

Taking 20 on a Search of the room.

[Rizban]

You find some slightly corroded copper pipes inset into one wall that could be removed with a bit of effort, empty of whatever purpose they once served.

You also find some pieces of broken crystal swept into a corner that looks like they were intentionally carved away from a larger piece when that one was being shaped.

The door opens easily, revealing another room just large enough for you to stand in comfortably. There is a second door directly across from the first. The new room has small piles of dirt in the corners that appears to have blown in when the second door was last opened.

[JNAProductions]

Moving carefully, Lilac closes the door behind her. She does a quick search of the room...

Search Check: [roll0]

But, if she doesn't find anything of note, will test the door on the other side. If it's unlocked, she'll open it, but in such a way that she's not immediately visible to the outside.

[Rizban]

The second door slides open easily after she closes the first, revealing a wide valley stretching out before her.

You soon reach the far end, emerging into a lush valley, filled with knee high grass and a few low bushes and shrubs but no trees to speak of.

The valley extends to your left and right, widening to your left. A small stream bubbles happily down the valley, heading towards a thick forest growing at the end of it.

You do not immediately recognize the area based on your prior experience from playing the game.

The door closes automatically behind you, blending in almost perfectly with the stone wall of the mountainside. You can sense your hearthstone behind it, however, and focusing on the door for a second reveals that you can easily find the mechanism to open it from this side. The door is cleverly disguised though, and you doubt anyone could easily find it if they don't already know it's there.

[JNAProductions]

Looking first up the stream, then down it, Lilac decides to begin moving towards upstream, hoping to find a village of some type-someplace she could interact with others. If the water seems clean, she'll take a moment to drink her fill before moving on.

[Rizban]

The water quenches your thirst.

As you make your way upstream, you notice a humanoid figure in the distance picking its way down the steep end of the valley towards the grass below. It appears to be wearing nothing except a thin robe similar to a modern hospital gown.

[JNAProductions]

Lilac takes a risk. Hail, friend! she calls out, her voice a pleasant alto. What are you doing out here?

[Rizban]

As you call out, you briefly note an indicator that this is another player.

[JNAProductions]

Lilac starts off at a jog towards the other player.

[Rizban]

I'm going to give the other player a chance to respond.

[Rizban]

She waves, then gestures back toward the valley she climbed down.

Just coming down from the mountains. Don't suppose you know where the nearest town is, do you?

0123456789

[JNAProductions]

That's why I was going upstream-water provides life for people, meaning there's likely to be some sign of civilization, Lilac responds. I'd be happy if you joined me-safety in numbers and all.

[Rizban]

You receive a system popup.



Party Notice
You have sent a party invitation to [Player].
You are forming a new party.
Do you wish to name this party now?
| Yes | No |

[JNAProductions]

What's your name? I'm Lilac, she asks the stranger. Game is asking me to name the party too-what do you want to call it?

[Rizban]

She speaks at almost the same time you do.


Sure! Shall we go? I'm Shanna by the way.

[JNAProductions]

Lilac selects No for naming the party, but makes sure they're still grouped together. Shanna-okay, sure. We'll name the party later, maybe after we've got a mighty deed to be proud of.

As they start walking, she asks So tell me-what can you do? I'm more of a support person-Bard, with crap Con and Str.

[Rizban]

You receive a new popup a when you select "No."



Party Notice
Party name will be randomly generated.
You have joined the party Silence of the Bold (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?615791-Portal-to-D-amp-D-IC-Silence-of-the-Bold&p=24612632#post24612632).

Please continue discussion in Party Chat (the new thread)

[Rizban]

Forgot to do this earlier...

Achievement: Formed a Party

You have formed your first adventuring party. Gain 10 experience.
You are the first player to gain this achievement. Gain 10 experience.

Special Requirement Met: Leaving It to Chance
You have left the name of your party up to random chance. Gain [roll0] experience.

[JNAProductions]

So, you have any family? Lilac asks the man as she walks with him.

[Rizban]

For personal reference.

"Oh, so you're like when that merchant came through a couple months back with this little metal nightingale that sings when you wind up the key. But, you know... prettier."

He seems a bit bashful but friendly.

"Oh, yeah, there's rabbits everywhere. They're so bad it's causing some major problems. We keep trapping and killing them, but more just keep showing up. Never seen them breed like this before. They seem worst near the cabbage fields over that way."


New Quest Obtained
Rampant Rodent Reproduction!
Rabbits have been reproducing in uncontrollable numbers and threaten to devastate the local ecology. You have tracked the problem back to its source: A Rabbit Dungeon!

Destroy all the Rabbit Dungeons in the area.
Progress: 0/5

This is a Realm Quest.

"I don't have any weapons or anything, but they're just rabbits. Surely you don't need much to fight rabbits.

I could maybe loan you a big burlap bag to haul them back in after you bonk them."



"Oh, aye. My pa is the village elder."

He seems a bit unsure of himself but asks anyway while rubbing the back of his head, "You? Er, family that is. I'm... not sure how that works..."

[JNAProductions]

I don't have any family, not by blood, at least, Lilac replies. I've got a creator somewhere, I'd imagine, but I was abandoned in a little hideaway. Don't remember anything before then.

[Rizban]

"That's... kind of... Well, I always wanted siblings myself, but ma passed when I was little."

He falls silent as you approach the cabbage field. You immediately see [roll0] rabbits in the field munching on cabbage.

"Well, I've got a job to do, but I enjoyed talking to you. Maybe another time?"

[JNAProductions]

I'm sorry to hear that, Lilac says. Good luck with the pests, and I wish you the best!

[Rizban]

He gives you a nod and heads into the field to drive off the rabbits and tend the crop.

You see the area he was describing as the source of the infestation just on the other side of the field.

[JNAProductions]

Lilac looks intently at the area, and walks just a bit closer. She doesn't want to risk a fight, but she'll see what information she can gather.

Spot check: [roll0]

If I don't get anything useful, I'll take two minutes to take 20 on this. Observing, from a distance, the area. Any circumstance penalties from viewing at a distance I'll let you apply.

[Rizban]

You notice nothing out of place, though you're certain that there must be something here related to the rabbit dungeon you were informed of.

[JNAProductions]

Lilac will draw nearer, and see if she can make out any more details. She's ready to run if she needs to, but then again, they are rabbits.

[Rizban]

The rabbits hops a few feet away as you approach but otherwise ignore you. They don't seem too bothered by you if you aren't making any hostile actions.

You're still near the cabbage field, but you do note that there's another group of [roll0] rabbits in the grass about 40 feet from the edge of the field.

[JNAProductions]

Lilac will search the area, making sure she doesn't startle the bunnies.

Search check this time! [roll0]

And, once again, will take 20 if/when the roll is garbage. :P

[Rizban]

You find a hole that appears to be an entrance to a rabbit warren. Could this be the entrance to one of the "Rabbit Dungeons" your quest mentions?

Unfortunately, the hole is size Tiny, so you'll need a really good Escape Artist check to squeeze in or some tools to dig it out larger.

[JNAProductions]

She makes note of the entrance, looking around to make sure she can find it again. Then, she decides to find Shanna.

Should she encounter anyone along the way who looks in need of help, she'll ask what she can do.

[Rizban]

You spot Shanna working with the town Farrier. It appears that she's found a job for the day and is busy, giving you a couple of hours to explore.

[Rizban]

As you explore the town a bit, you see that there are two houses that stand empty. To the north of the town is the ruins of a stone building, possibly a church.

If you want to squeeze in something specific before meeting up with Shanna, we can do that. Otherwise, we can just move forward.

[Rizban]

Experience Notice

You have earned enough experience to level up!
Begin Character Advancement?

Yes
No