Portal to D&D IC - Evoker #2

[Rizban]

Alexander Potter has always enjoyed seeking out the rumors of glitches and not-quite patched exploits. When you're porting a game as complex as D&D, you bring along a lot of baggage, and sometimes, to extend a metaphor, that baggage is full of gold just waiting to be uncovered. He's been banned a couple times, having his character reset and even having to buy a new account once or twice, but the thrill of doing something the game really wasn't meant to do was worth it. If it was rapidly searching boss chests to reload the loot, or stacking containers within containers until he got what was effectively a bag of holding, these exploits were his life within the game. He played the game quite a bit, of course, but never to appreciate the beauty, or the challenge. After using a pile of buckets and a dragon to clip himself through the wall of the Dungeon of Red Skies, he found himself in a strange void (expected), unable to use his teleport to return to town (less expected) and a strange bit of text floating in front of him (thoroughly unexpected).

Then the whole game changed. He might be in trouble. If there are any glitches here, it's gonna take a while to find them. He feels like he has a bit of an edge, however. He remembers reading an few blog posts by a fired game developer before legal again had them taken down. They were just rants about the game having more than anyone knows and some sketchy details about a novel character creation system. There was a whole conspiracy theory out there with embellished stories, but he'd seen the original posts. They had almost no real content beyond insane ravings from a disgruntled former employee, until those ravings suddenly made perfect sense.

You attempt to access the town teleport, but nothing happens. You motion to pull open the menu to log out, but you find yourself unable to open any menus.

Suddenly a popup message fills your vision.


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 are being offered the chance to remake yourself anew!
Do you accept this offer?
| Yes | No |

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 | No |

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 | No |



System Message
Your account has been banned.
Reason: Hacking.

What? Glitches aren't hacking!

Attempting to log back in, create a new account, or even use another player's account reveals that your unique brainwave pattern has been identified and used as an identifier to ensure you never access the system again. It seems that they've greatly improved their user tracking technology, and they're not even letting you appeal your ban.

Fortunately, you can still play that browser-based Freemium "MMO" based on D&D 4th edition with gacha game (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gacha_game) mechanics...

Game Over

[Evoker]

Huh. Sure.

Level 1? That won't be too bad, there's a few fast xp exploits I've been wanting to try out.

Sure, whatever. This account is probably gonna be reset sooner or later anyway.

[Rizban]

Pain courses through your entire body, pain which should be blocked or at least reduced by the game's pain filters. You found a glitch that let you disable them completely, 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.


[rollv]4d20r
[19, 17, 6, 3]

[Rizban]

Congratulations!
You have received one [1] Greater B error Epic Boon.
You have received two [2] Moderate Boons.

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
__
Elf
__
Lizardfolk
__
Orc
__
Cursedborn
__
Halfbreed


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, are two nearly invisible buttons which read

Apply Epic Boon to Race
Apply Moderate Boon to Race

There is no further information about the two buttons, nor do you notice any button related to the Least Perk.

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

[Evoker]

Hmm. I've heard of some of these, but i'm not sure about others.

I'll select Information for Lizardfolk and Halfbreed.

[Rizban]

Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk are said to be descended from dragons who mated with primordial reptilians. Although mere mythology, 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.

Halfbreed
Halfbreeds are born from a union of two of the common races and often have the strengths of both parents but also their weaknesses. The parent races are assigned at random.

[Evoker]

Hmm. I heard there's supposed to be something more interesting race-wise going on. Maybe if I...

I reach for the apply moderate boon button, but hesitate... before selecting the Apply Epic Boon button, with a degree of trepidation.

[Rizban]

You feel a deep sense of loss as your Epic Boon is consumed, forever gone.

The race representations in front of you change drastically and have new names appear along with them.

Ancient Human
__
Azer
__
Half-fey
__
Saurian
__
Sharakim
__
Halfbreed


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

Select Race Information

No boon button is visible.

[Evoker]

I'll get information for every new race.

[Rizban]

Ancient Human
This human is really old..

Azer
It's like a frikkin lazer but without the L.

Half-Fey
The other half is missing.

Saurian
Not the mama!

Sharakim
The star of that new reality show.

Halfbreed
Mudblood. A highly derogatory term for a Muggle-born or half-blood wizard or witch; that is, individuals with no wizarding relatives

Ancient 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.

High Human is a Tier 2 race. You are everything that a human is, but more. Your adaptability and potential for growth is greatly improved.

Ancient Human is a Tier 3 race. You are human perfectly formed from the beginning. Generations of genetic drift, crossbreeding, and general decay do not affect you.

Azer (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.

Azerblood Dwarf is a Tier 2 race. Azerbloods have an outsider within their bloodline which grants them many benefits, most of which are related to crafting.

Azer is a Tier 3 race. You are an outsider distantly related to dwarves. You share many of the same traits and passions, but you have abilities unique to your race that most dwarves can only dream of.

Half-Fey
Elves are the longest lived mortal race in the realm. They have a trace of fey blood in their veins, which leads them to be chaotic and haughty. All elves must select a subrace. While elves tend to get along well with members of other humanoid races, they are almost always hostile towards other elven subraces.

Feytouched is a Tier 2 race. Elves who have manifested aspects of the fey seen only once in a generation are known as feytouched. Your fey attributes are more powerful than normal, and you are treated as a fey for most purposes.

Half-Fey is a Tier 3 race. One of your parents was of the fey courts. Your innate magics are beyond the ken that of any mere mortal, but your fey nature affects you more than you might expect.

Saurian
Lizardfolk are said to be descended from dragons who mated with primordial reptilians. Although mere mythology, 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.

Scaled One is a Tier 2 race. Lizardfolk arose through an interbreeding of the amphibious Scaled Ones and the Dragons. Your Scaled One heritage runs strongly in your veins, giving you many traits of amphibians, including the ability to eventually metamorphose into a greater form.

Saurian is a Tier 3 race. You have very little draconic influence in your blood and display strong traited of your Scaled One ancestors. You have the greatest potential for metamorphosis among Lizardfolk.

Sharakim
Orcs are thought to be brutish thugs, but that's because most orcs encountered by other races were driven from their homes for that very behavior. Orcs have less developed industry than most other races, as they tend to prefer to honor the old ways and live as one with the land.

Trueblood Orc is a Tier 2 race. The trueblood orcs are greater than their kin, in that their blood runs with the true power of nature. Each trueblood orc has a powerful natural affinity for a particular element of nature.

Sharakim is a Tier 3 race. Truly in tune with nature and the ancient past, you have heightened strength and intellect.

Halfbreed
Halfbreeds are born from a union of two of the common races and often have the strengths of both parents but also their weaknesses. The parent races are assigned at random.

[Evoker]

(Point fully taken. :smallsigh:)

Well. I haven't heard of any of these races. Except Azer, and I doubt that's going to be a one to one translation.

I'll select the information button for each of the new races that appeared, trying to determine what one would be the most ripe for abuse.

[Evoker]

Hmm. Hard to decide. Better human could be just... generally good. But Saurian is really tempting. Metamorphosis sounds intriguing.

Well, all human is gonna give me is probably stat points and feats, and that ground has been tread before. But Saurian is new, and I'm a sucker for new things.

Select Race: Saurian.

[Rizban]

The other figures disappear from your sight, and you find yourself able to customize the appearance of the Saurian Lizardfolk to you liking, including changing the sex. However, your physical build remains sleek, with scales so fine the skin is almost smooth, much like a salamander or a newt. (https://www.mornproductions.com/gitp/portal/jonar.jpg) You are unable to build into the hulking brutish forms of common lizardfolk or the toned musculature of the dragonkin.

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. 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.

[Evoker]

Agh. My stats are so low. Uh... Con, I guess.
I distribute the stat point to Constitution, then quickly select an appearance.

[Rizban]

You gain 8 Adaptation Points. Your available Adaptations are on your character sheet. You are vaguely aware that you can assign more than one point per adaptation, but higher "Stages" of adaptations cost an increased number of points per level.

Apply Moderate Boon to Adaptations

[Evoker]

Interesting... I think I need more rein to play with these "adaptations"

Apply Moderate Boon to Adaptations.

[Rizban]

You gain 3 additional Adaptation Points.

[Evoker]

Alright. I have to assume that these Basic adaptations will increase my base stats... so one point into Resilient form should hopefully take my Con to non-negative, and three ranks of Instinct should give me an 11 wis to qualify for wis-based spellcasting classes.

Now then. Let's try one point each in Deadly, Durable, Flexible, and Tough, to start a good baseline for establishing the function of these "innate adaptations".

Seems good.

Confirm selection

[Rizban]

Alright. I have to assume that these Basic adaptations will increase my base stats... so one point into Resilient form should hopefully take my Con to non-negative, and three ranks of Instinct should give me an 11 wis to qualify for wis-based spellcasting classes.

Now then. Let's try one point each in Deadly, Durable, Flexible, and Tough, to start a good baseline for establishing the function of these "innate adaptations".

Seems good.

Confirm selection

You realize that you didn't check the math closely enough, so you have far more Wisdom than you anticipated.

The Innate Adaptations don't seem to do anything at the moment, likely because the majority of your character sheet is still hidden from view.

[Evoker]

Oh wow. I hope I get more of those points in the future, they are nice. Lots more stat points than I anticipated.

[Rizban]

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

Ardent
__
Monk
__
Mystic
__
Paragon



Ranger
__
Swordsage
__
Totemist


Select Class Information

Apply Moderate Boon to Class

[Evoker]

Huh. Paragon... Like the racial paragon classes from Unearthed Arcana?

I'll select Information for Paragon.

[Rizban]

Paragon

You are a paragon of your race.
This class enhances your existing racial traits.
Paragon is available only to Tier 2 and Tier 3 Races.

[Evoker]

Well... That's really tempting. I'm not going to be able to leverage my Wisdom just yet, but... really tempting. Hmm. Hopefully, If I take a level or two of that, I can move into Swordsage to leverage my wisdom modifier.

I don't think I want more skill points, or whatever enhanced feats do, so...

Apply Moderate Boon to Class.

[Rizban]

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

Disciplined Ardent
__
Monk+
__
Mystic+
__
Paragon+



Mystic Ranger
__
Swordsage+
__
Totemist+


Select Class Information

[Evoker]

Well, nothing immediately more interesting than "more better adaptations" here

Select Class: Paragon+

[Rizban]

You make your class selection, and your character sheet begins to fill out. As it does, you body begins to shift and warp, and you receive a series of popups.

Adaptation in Flux: Deadly
Choose a natural weapon location:

Head
Limbs
Tail



Adaptation in Flux: Durable
Your scales have thickened slightly. Increased Natural Armor.


Adaptation in Flux: Tough
Your flesh has become more resilient to injury. Increased Hit Points.


You also gain 2 Adaptation Points from your Paragon class.

[Evoker]

Let's say... Head for the natural weapon. And I got some adaptation points, but I can't seem to spend them. Hopefully the game lets me spend those soon.

[Rizban]

Adaptation in Flux: Deadly
Location selected: Head
[roll0]


Your skull thickens and your scales peel back from it, leaving a thick, exposed dome. Small bone nodules emerge where your skin meets the dome, forming a ring around the edges. The muscles in your neck thicken, and the vertebrae shift to better absorb impacts.

You have gained a Head Butt as a secondary natural attack.

Your sheet adjusts to include this information, and your Adaptations are unlocked.

[Evoker]

Strength and Dex for those two adaptations, no questions.

[Rizban]

Having finalized the choices for your class, you move on to the next step.

You have the option to select two feats from your first level. Your choices are any feat you qualify for from the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, or Serpent Kingdoms.

[Rizban]

You also have access to the Extra Adaptation feat, though you don't qualify for it at the moment.

Extra Adaptation
Prerequisite: Saurian Lizardfolk, Con 13
Benefit: You gain 1 Adaptation Point.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time you do, you gain a number of Adaptation Points equal to the number of times you've taken this feat.
You may take this feat a number of times equal to your unmodified Con bonus. Only your natural Con score and improvements from gaining levels or Adaptations counts towards this total, not any bonuses from items, spells, or other effects.

[Evoker]

Alright. Shame I don't have more Con. Let's go with Light Armor Proficiency and Improved Initiative, those should improve my survivability somewhat. Come to think of it, it's odd that I didn't get told what my Flexible adaptation does. I got a description for the other three.

Confirm Feats.

[Rizban]

You finalize your feat selection, and the ability to select skills appears.

Adaptation in Flux: Flexible
Your muscles and joints become more limber. Increased skills.


You have 16 skill points to spend. Your class skills are Balance, Climb, Craft, Escape Artist, Jump, Profession, Survival, Swim, and Tumble.

You note that some skills already have ranks in them. These ranks do not count against your skill points.

[Evoker]

Huh. There's no way to select a specification for my craft skill. I wonder if that's a bug, or if they just lumped all the crafting under a single skill without the need for specialization. I'll leave it as is and see if I get an error pop-up.

Confirm skill selection.

Alright, I think craft: Weaponry would be a good idea. Unless there's some way I can get any broader, but I doubt the game would allow Craft: Weapons and Armor, or anything like that.

[Rizban]

Just write the craft skill in. I'll tweak the sheet after you do.

[Evoker]

Reconfirm Skill selection: Craft (Equipment). If that fails, Craft: (Weaponry)

[Rizban]

Your vision goes completely black.

You feel something cold and hard pressing into your back as your weight returns. The air is cold and damp.

The faint sound of running water can be heard.

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

[Evoker]

I'll get up and look around, assessing my surroundings.

[Rizban]

You are in a round mud cave about 20 feet in diameter. The walls appear to be reinforced with twigs and grasses pressed into the mud.

A small pool of crystal clear water a bit less than an inch deep and about 2 feet across sits in the middle of the cave, a faint glow the only source of light.

An alcove in one wall has another pool of water, this one quite deep.

[Evoker]

Okay. Is there any obvious way out? I assume that there's not a clear path to the outside based on your comment regarding light, but is there a tunnel or something on one of the walls, or are the only features the pool and the deeper pool?

[Rizban]

The only major features you see are the pool and the deeper pool.

[Evoker]

Alright. I either have to swim my way out, or clip my way out. And there's no clear seams in the geometry, so clipping won't work. Let's check my menu, see if there's some sort of fast travel I can access

Open Main Menu.

(I'll then dig through the menu options I have available, searching for the [presumably] absent log-out button.)

No log out button... I thought that was just hyperbole, or a flat out lie on the part of that employee. Guess I should have taken it more seriously. Or I might just be getting paranoid, and whatever update... world... whatever... I'm in now is just incomplete, and the menu is a bit buggy.

[Rizban]

You have access to the character sheet, inventory, and a quest log. There are several grayed out buttons on the menu indicating additional sections, but nothing happens when you try to interact with them.

[Evoker]

I'll double check my inventory and character sheet to make sure nothing new popped up, then check my quest log.

After that: Well, I guess my only option is swimming. Good thing I put points into that on a whim.

I'll look into the deeper pool, make sure it actually leads somewhere and isn't full of piranhas or something.

[Rizban]

Your inventory is bare of anything but the Starter "Robe" you currently wear. It resembles a blue hospital gown, including the color, except that it fully closes in the back.

[roll0] piranhas jump out and bite your snout.

The pool does indeed appear to be a water filled tunnel that goes down a couple of feet and then turns sharply. You can't see past the turn.

[Evoker]

Hmm.

I'll lower myself into the water, and swim down so that I can get a good look at how the tunnel progresses.

[Rizban]

The tunnel turns sharply to the right, goes about 5 feet, and then turns straight up.

[Evoker]

I'll follow the path until I either see something that presents a clear threat to me, I feel about half out of air, or I reach the end.

[Rizban]

As you reach the part of the tunnel pointed up, you are able to clearly see sunlight filtering down from above. You're about 10 feet deep.

The mouth of the tunnel is in a shallow stream, no more than 2 feet in depth.

As you emerge into the air, you discover that your cave is in the middle of a tranquil valley filled with shin high grass and a few scattered bushes. Dragonflies buzz around the water.

Your tunnel exits right near some particularly thick grass, giving it a bit of camouflage.

[Evoker]

Huh. I had heard something about relaxing permadeath, but I'm not seeing anything about that. No "set a respawn point" option in the menu, at least. A mystery for another time.

I'll examine the bushes closely. Do they have any limbs that would function as a decent club?

How do I start crafting... I didn't see a menu for it. Maybe I need tools, or materials before it lets me use that skill.

[Rizban]

You feel as though you have missed something in your haste to leave your cave.

None of the branches of the nearby bushes is even a quarter inch thick, and certainly not hefty enough to form a club.

[Evoker]

I'll get back into the cave, and double check it for anything hidden or otherwise concealed from my sight while I was in the cave.

[Rizban]

As your head emerges from tunnel into the air at the entrance to your cave, you spot a small obelisk about six inches tall made of what appears to be dried mud. It was obscured from view while inside the cave. You feel drawn to touch it.

[Evoker]

How did I not spot that earlier... ah whatever. At least I got the feeling I should head back, otherwise I might never have seen it.

I'll touch it, and presumably set my re-spawn before leaving the cave again.

[Rizban]

You still feel like you might be missing something, but you don't know what that might be.

You again emerge from the tunnel and notice another lizardfolk busy picking berries from a nearby bush. He looks far more muscular than yourself, his draconic heritage clearly the dominant bloodline. He doesn't wear the blue Starter "Robe" and is quite naked, as it appears he has removed his clothing and tied it into a makeshift bag to carry the berries.

He has not noticed your presence.

[Evoker]

Is there any system indication marking him as a PC or NPC?

[Rizban]

You do not possess the ability to determine if this individual is a player or NPC.

[Evoker]

Alright then. I'll walk up a bit more, and try to catch his attention.

Um. Hello? Who are you?

I'll keep an eye out for any diplomacy/fellowship/etc meter, or an option to use diplomacy as a skill.

[Rizban]

The lizardfolk studies you for a moment.

”Ssrask, you?”

[Evoker]

Ks'kilith. Where did you come from? I was just out here, then I went back to my cave for a few minutes at most, then you showed up. Is there a village around here somewhere?

[Rizban]

”Walked from my own starting area. You’re the first person I’ve seen. No idea on towns, I was walking toward the forest. Looks like the only real source of usable wood.”
He points towards the trees.

[Evoker]

I'm guessing you're also level 1? We should probably stick together for safety. I have some weapon-crafting skill, so I ought to be able to make some clubs or something to use as weapons if we can gather some good wood.

I'll wait for him to finish harvesting berries, and help if he asks for help, before moving towards the forest.

[Rizban]

Party Notice

You have sent a party invitation to Ssrask.
You are forming a new party.
Do you wish to name this party now?
| Yes | No |

[Evoker]

Huh. Sure.

Hey, Ssrask. I just got a pop-up asking for a party name. What do you think should be the name? Any ideas?

[Rizban]

”I've just started, yes. Teaming up would definitely make things easier.”

Carrying the make-shift bag in one hand, he started out toward the forest again.
He continued to walk through the fields, following the stream as it led toward the forest. Every now and then he would pause to sniff the air.

[Evoker]

I'll follow him, and keep an eye out for anything approaching.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

"Hmm... how about "The Blooded". As we share a common bloodline, albeit pretty far diverged."

Ssrask looked back to see if Ks'kilith's expression remained agreeable to the suggestion.

1234567890

[Evoker]

Sounds fine, if a little edgy.

Party Menu:
Name Party:
"The Blooded"

[Rizban]

Achievement: Formed a Party
You have formed your first adventuring party. Gain 10 experience.

You have joined the party The Blooded (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?616186-Portal-to-D-amp-D-IC-The-Blooded&p=24624003#post24624003).

Please continue in party chat (the new thread).

[Evoker]

I'll craft some rope from the plants I gathered.

(Roll in the Party Thread.)

[Rizban]

As you enter your cave, you feel calm and relaxed.

You try to make rope but after about 20 minutes, you admit that you have failed miserably.

During that 20 minutes, you heal 4 hit points. It seems that you're healing 1 hit point roughly every 5 minutes while within your cave.

[Evoker]

Well that's convenient. I wonder if that has to do with the pool of water in here. It seems magical.

I'll drink a little of the water from the pool.

[Rizban]

You gain a slightly golden glowing buff icon in the shape of an open book in the top left of your vision.

Sacred Water

You gain 25% increased Experience.
(23:59:57)

[Evoker]

That's convenient. It doesn't have a duration either, apparently.

I'll try to make a crude basket with the branches I gathered.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

The buff definitely has a duration.

You successfully make a basket.

Skill Gain

You have gained 1 rank in Craft (Basket Weaving).

[Evoker]

Wow. That's convenient.

I'll leave my cave, as I presumably spent long enough doing that to heal back to full health.

[Rizban]

You are indeed back at full health.

You emerge from the water to find that Ssrask has wandered out of sight.

[Evoker]

I'll try to scout around my starting area, get a sense for the landmarks, points of interest, that sort of thing. I'll make note of any locations where I see a rabbit.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

Other than the dragonflies and the tiny minnows, there is absolutely no sign of animal life anywhere within the valley at all.

The only rabbits seem to be near the mouth of the valley and in the woods.

[Evoker]

That's odd.
I'll start heading towards the forest.

[Rizban]

You soon encounter a group of [roll0] rabbits hopping around.

You also catch a glimpse of a small, dark humanoid darting through the tall grass before disappearing not far away.

[Evoker]

I'll chase after the humanoid. Hey! Wait, I just want to talk!

[Rizban]

You find a hole in the ground near where the person disappeared. Judging by the nearby rabbit pellets, the hole is the entrance to a rabbit warren.

[Evoker]

They didn't respond at all? I'm going to head down, and hope that if I don't attack the rabbits they won't attack me.

[Rizban]

They did not respond.

The hole is size Tiny, so you will need a successful Escape Artist check to squeeze through or to do some digging to enlarge the hole.

[Evoker]

The humanoid I saw was what size, approximately? Medium or small?

[Rizban]

The humanoid I saw was what size, approximately? Medium or small?

They were size Small, less than 4 feet tall.

[Evoker]

Hmm. I'll try an escape artist check, but I'm not about to start digging. [roll0]

[Rizban]

You manage to get your leg into the hole, but then you can't figure out how to contort yourself to squeeze though. You quickly give up on that attempt.

However, as you have partially climbed into the hole, you receive a popup.

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 Dungon!

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

This is a Realm Quest.

[Evoker]

Oh come on... Who designs a quest that can only be accessed by small sized characters? Maybe there's a larger entrance around here somewhere.

I'll look around the area, moving in concentric circles, and try to find a larger hole.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

If there's another entrance, you don't readily spot it nearby.

[Evoker]

Logically speaking, there must be another way in...

I'll head back to where I saw that group of four rabbits.

[Rizban]

The four rabbits are still there.

[Evoker]

I'll try to spook them. I won't attack them, and I'll try to keep in between the rabbit den I found and them. I'll keep them in vision if at all possible, so I can find where they are running to.

[Rizban]

You hear movement behind you and soon see your party member emerging from the woods with a dead rabbit slung over his shoulder.

[Evoker]

I rejoin the party chat.

[Rizban]

Just realized I never gave you this achievement.

Achievement: Killed a Monster

You have killed your first Monster. Gain 10 experience.

[Evoker]

I'll attempt to level up.

[Rizban]

Experience Notice

You have earned enough experience to level up.
Begin Character Advancement?
| Yes | No |



The instant you mentally select "Yes," your vision goes black, and you find yourself floating in the same featureless, dark void that you experienced during Character Generation.

Character Advancement

You have 1102.4 experience.

Select an option


Advance Primary Class Slot


Unlock Secondary Class Slot

[Evoker]

Uhh... Primary class slot, I guess? There's no help option...

[Evoker]

(In case it wasn't clear)

I select Advance Primary Class Slot.

[Rizban]

When you select "Advance Primary Class Slot," your experience total rapidly ticks down.

Character Advancement

You have 102.4 experience.

You gain one [1] Ability Point.

[Evoker]

"1 ability point? Is that it?"

I'll apply that ability point to my Con.

[Rizban]

Yeah, 1 ability point per level is normal for your race, just like during Character Generation.

Character Advancement

You gain two [2] Adaptation Points.

[Evoker]

Oh phew. I didn't blow all my XP on just a stat point.

Once those show up on my sheet itself, I'll use them to get Resilient form up to level 2.

[Rizban]

Character Advancement

Select a Primary Class



You have the same class options as before—Saurian Paragon, Ardent, Monk, Mystic, Ranger, Swordsage, and Totemist—plus a few new choices: Divine Mind and Incarnate.

[Evoker]

Let's go with... a level of Swordsage.

[Rizban]

You select your class, and your character sheet begins to fill out with additional information.

Character Advancement

Choose your 1st-level Discipline Focus.

You gain five [5] skill points.



As normal, non-swordsage skills costs 2 skill points per rank.

[Evoker]

Can I finagle the system into making my natural weapons count as unarmed strikes for the purposes of Tiger Claw's discipline weapon?

[Rizban]

Okay, sure. I don't see a problem with that at the moment, but I reserve the right to change this ruling if there's some unexpected interaction.

[Evoker]

Alright. Discipline focus: Setting Sun. Skill points... 4 into Hide, one into tumble.

[Rizban]

Did you just ask for one thing and then use that ruling to apply it to something completely different? :smallconfused:

[Evoker]

No, I decided that being able to use an easily-craftable quarterstaff for the +1 to hit is probably better than limiting myself to tiger claw weapons just so that I can get +1 to hit on my natural weapon, that is going to rapidly find itself less and less good.

[Rizban]

Character Advancement

You gain six [6] maneuvers known.
You may ready four [4] maneuvers.

You gain one [1] stance known.
[/tr]

[Evoker]

Maneuvers Known:

Shadow Blade Technique
Counter Charge
Burning Blade
Charging Minotaur
Distracting Ember
Clinging Shadow Strike.

Maneuvers Readied:
Shadow Blade Technique
Counter Charge
Charging Minotaur
Distracting Ember

Stance Known:
Child of Shadow.

[Rizban]

You're given a last chance to look over everything, and then Character Advancement will end.

[Evoker]

Alright, I think I'm done

[Rizban]

The darkness fades, and you find yourself in the same place as you were. Despite the long minutes in the Character Advancement process, no more time seems to have passed than the mere blink of an eye.

[Evoker]

Huh. Alright then.

I'll return to my cave to heal up the 14 new HP I just got. I'll also grab a long, strong tree limb on the way there that I can craft into a quarterstaff during the slightly more than 1 hour I spend healing.

[Rizban]

Your new max hit points increased your current hit points as well, leaving you at full after only 30 minutes.

[roll0]

You know that quarterstaves are crafted from the trunk of a tree that's been quartersawn and rip cut into boards, hence the name, rather than just grabbing a hefty branch. You lack the tools and time necessary for such an endeavor; however, you find some large bamboo growing near the creek and find one suitable for use as a quarterstaff for awhile. It will break, eventually, but for now, it'll serve.

Just don't try to fire harden it as you would with some hardwoods. Green bamboo put into a fire tends to explode rather violently.

[Evoker]

I'll use some of the Basher hide to wrap a handle for my bamboo quarterstaff. If possible, I'll also sharpen a long stick and wedge it inside of the bamboo's hollow, in order to reinforce it.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

You easily cut a strip of the leather and secure it to the quarterstaff near the middle, but you're aware that the segments of the bamboo are sealed and would require drilling to feed another stick through it, which would greatly weaken the structure and ruin the weapon.

[Evoker]

Alright. I'll go hunting for some rabbits.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

Tracking requires the Track feat, but you are able to find a group of [roll0] rabbits. It takes a bit longer than you're used to, as if there are fewer rabbits in the area than there have been.

[Evoker]

How far am I from them? If I'm less than 30 ft from them, I'll move up and use Shadow Blade Technique, popping Distracting Ember for a flanking bonus to hit.
[roll0][roll1]
If one of the two rolls hit, the attack hits, and if both hit the target takes an extra d6 cold damage.

If I'm between 30 and 60 ft, I'll charge one of the rabbits without using a maneuver.
[roll2]

[Rizban]

You run up and Shadow Blade the poor bunny to death. The other attempts to flee, provoking an AoO.

[Evoker]

[roll0]
If that doesn't kill it and it's still within 60 ft
[roll1]
If it's not within 60 ft but within 120 ft, I'll run up to it.

[Rizban]

Hmm
[roll0]
[roll1]The second rabbit evades your attack, darts into the grass, and disappears from your sight.

Encounter Notice
Enemies Defeated:
Enemies Dispersed:
Experience Gained:
1
1
45

[Evoker]

I'll head back to the dungeon. I assume it hasn't been cleared, otherwise I would get some pop-up.

[Rizban]

You find yourself standing at the partially excavated dungeon entrance. Do you enter or wait for Ssrask to rejoin you?

[Evoker]

I'll re-enter without him, I feel confident I can clear a room or two without his help now.

[Rizban]

As you enter the dungeon, you receive a popup.

You have entered a Transient Dungeon!
You have previously entered this dungeon two [2] times.
Note that each reentry reduces personal Completion Rewards.

The first room contains [roll0] rabbits.

Initiative
[roll1]
[roll2]

The rabbits charge at you.
[roll3] - [1] (provokes)
[roll4] - [1] (provokes)
[roll5] - [1] (provokes)
[roll6] - [1] (provokes)

[Evoker]

On the first charge, I'll use my Counter Charge maneuver. We have to make opposed Strength checks, and I get +4 for being larger than the rabbit.
[roll0]
If I fail to deflect the charge, I don't take the damage if I roll low on this 20% miss chance.
[roll1]
If I win, I will push it two squares away.
Then, I AoO the next rabbit with a headbutt.
[roll2]
And when my turn comes around, I'll Shadow Blade Technique a rabbit in my space, and if I can do so without triggering an AoO move 10 ft to refresh my Child of Shadow 20% concealment. If I would trigger an AoO I'll still five-foot step.
[roll3][roll4]

So no matter what, I take no damage, and it looks like I kill 2 rabbits.

(I just realized I forgot to note that I'm keeping my stance up at all times unless I say otherwise.)

[Rizban]

[roll0]
You barely win the opposed strength check. Those little buggers are way stronger than they look!

You headbutt the next rabbit, killing it, and narrowly avoid the last one's attack.

You turn and headbutt another rabbit to death then back away.

The one you redirected away from you earlier turns and charges at you.
[roll1]+2=[17] - [1]

[Evoker]

So that provokes an AoO, because I moved away no matter what. Higher mod wins ties on opposed checks, so I moved 10 ft.

[roll0]
[roll1]
Distracting Ember for flanking, Headbutt [roll2]

And that should do it. I took a total of 1 damage, not bad.

I'll take 20 and search the room.

[Rizban]

Encounter Notice
Enemies Defeated:
Experience Gained:
3
114

The rabbits disperse into motes of light as you loot them, finding [roll0] bronze pips.

[Evoker]

Alright, I'll head into the next room, checking it out from the entryway before I enter proper.

[Rizban]

Ssrask enters the dungeon just as you are looting the last rabbit.

[Evoker]

I'll open the level-up menu.

[Rizban]

Experience Notice

You have earned enough experience to level up.
Begin Character Advancement?
| Yes | No |

You find yourself floating in the now familiar dark, featureless void of Character Advancement.

Character Advancement

You have 1,349.9 experience.

Select an option


Advance Primary Class Slot


Unlock Secondary Class Slot




You also have the option to cancel out of advancement at this point without spending experience.

[Evoker]

Let's see what this does.

Unlock Secondary Class Slot.

[Rizban]

When you select "Unlock Secondary Class Slot," your experience total rapidly ticks down by 1,000.

Character Advancement

You have 349.9 experience.

Select a Secondary Class



You have the same class options as before—Ardent, Divine Mind, Incarnate, Monk, Mystic, Ranger, and Totemist. Paragon and Swordsage are noticeably missing.

[Evoker]

I'll take... Ardent.

[Rizban]

Your sheet updates to reflect your class choice. You also gain 3 additional max hit points.

Character Advancement

You gain one [1] feat.

You may choose any feat you qualify for from PHB 1&2, DMG &2, MM 1-5, XPH, Complete Psionic, or Serpent Kingdoms.

[Evoker]

Hey! What happened to my extra Adaptation feat or whatever it was? I meet the qualification requirement now. It's got to be here somewhere...

I'll look for that Extra Adaptation feat.

[Rizban]

That is also an option.

[Evoker]

I'll take Extra Adaptation then.

[Rizban]

You gain the benefits of the feat and must apply them immediately.

[Evoker]

I'll put the point into Nocturnal, in the hopes that that will give darkvision.

[Rizban]

Nocturnal indeed grants you Darkvision out to 30 feet.

You gain four [4] skill points. Class skills for these points are as Ardent class skills.

After selecting your skills, you may select your two [2] Primary Mantles and your two [2] 1st-level powers known.

[Evoker]

Primary Mantles: Conflict and Force.
Conflict Bonus Feat: Weapon Focus (Quarterstaff)

Powers Known: Metaphysical Weapon, Force Screen

Skills: Concentration, 4 ranks.

[Rizban]

You are given a moment to review your sheet to make any final changes necessary, then Character Advancement ends.

[Evoker]

I think that's everything.

[Rizban]

You return to where you were, no more than a second or two passing in the interim.

You find that Ssrask wandered away while you were looking at your notifications before you began leveling up.

[Evoker]

I'll start searching for another dungeon. I'll use Survival to attempt to pinpoint areas where there are a larger-than-normal quantity of enemies (rabbits or otherwise) then try to find the center of that area, and work out from the approximate center in a spiral path until I am able to find something that looks like a dungeon entrance.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

You find two dozen rabbits in the area. All of them appear to have been slaughtered and left for dead. A closer examination reveals that they appear to have been torn apart by very small enemies, leaving no useful materials.

It seems that, without the dungeon, the spawn rate of rabbits in the area has dropped to normal reproduction rates for the species, and someone or something has been rapidly slaughtering any that can still be found.

You don't see any signs of there being another Rabbit Dungeon in the immediate vicinity and will likely need to travel away from here to find one.

[Evoker]

I'll travel away from the area in that case, making sure that I can still return to my "home" relatively quickly if I need to, and without traveling through any extremely dangerous area.

If I can't manage that, I'll instead search for a new hearthstone around the edge of the "safe" area.

[Rizban]

You stand at the mouth of the valley near where the Rabbit Dungeon once existed. Before you is a thick forest.

The stream flowing out of the valley turns to the left, following the contours of the land. A game trail that has flattened out some of the plants is clearly visible following the water in this direction.

To your right, an even larger game trail seems to have been formed through the tall grasses that grow in the sporadic clearings between the trees, though it seems to disappear and reappear almost at random, which is typical of trails created by wild animals. The forest seems to thin out in this direction.

Directly ahead of you, the forest grows thickest and has no visible trails, though you spot signs that at least two larger creatures have pushed through this way recently.

[Evoker]

I'll follow the smallest game trail.

[Rizban]

The one that follows the stream?

[Evoker]

Yes, under the assumption that the smallest game (hopefully) is the least dangerous. I don't want to get into like a tiger dungeon or something. So if my goal is to find a dungeon, I want less dangerous creatures.

[Rizban]

You follow the trail for about an hour but encounter no hostile enemies. The few animals you see, the occasional songbird or squirrel, dart away from you as soon as they hear you walking.

The ground becomes squishier as the stream widens and is eventually lost into a swamp.

[Evoker]

Hmm.

Do I see anything significant in the swamp? If not, I'll start back tracking. I will take a branch a bit deeper into the forest if one presents itself though.

[Rizban]

You spot movement from something larger than you in the water. It seems to be very slowly swimming towards you.

You see the hint of a trail leading to your right deeper into the forest and slightly away from the swamp.[roll0]

[Evoker]

I'll go deeper into the forest then. I have no desire to meet whatever's approaching me.

[Rizban]

As you travel down the trail, you spot a spider web right across the center of the path.
[roll0]
A disgusting spider the size of a small cat hangs in the middle of the web, angrily hissing at you.

[Evoker]

I'll lay down a distracting ember behind it, then charge in and whack it.

[roll0][roll1]
[roll2][roll3] (Potential extra damage.)
I'll use the higher roll, so I'm only doing 2 damage.

[Rizban]

You strike the spider for 2 damage, killing it.

However, your actions have revealed your presence. You hear multiple angry hisses as [roll0] additional monstrous spiders crawl into view seeking prey, some on the ground, some in the trees.

[roll1]
[roll2]

You have initiative.

[Evoker]

Alright. Assuming none are in range to make opportunity attacks or otherwise disrupt me, I'll Manifest Force Screen, for +4 more to my AC.

Then, if possible, I'll move so that a minimal number of spiders can get to me with a charge.

[Rizban]

You easily move just far enough away that the spiders aren't able to charge you this turn, though they all come close.

Three of them actually reach you by scurrying as quickly as possible, but you're able to react before they can attack!

[Evoker]

Alright, I'll AoO one of them:
[roll0][roll1]
Then in my turn I'll full-attack, sending my headbutt at the next spider if my quarterstaff attack finishes one of them.
[roll2][roll3][roll4][roll5]

Then I'll five-foot step back.

[Rizban]

Sorry to interrupt the battle here, but I have some questions/concerns on your character.

First, how are you getting +5 on your attack rolls with 0 BAB and 0 Str/Dex mods?

Second, you have Weapon Focus (Setting Sun), which applies to quarterstaves, so Weapon Focus (Quarterstaff) doesn't actually add anything more to it. So, I'd request that you select a different feat for that feat choice.

Can you please post your attacks on separate lines so that it's less confusing to read?

Finally, I've put formulas to auto calculate your attack rolls on your character sheet. You'll still need to manually apply the -5 to the headbutt if using it as a secondary attack, but otherwise it should hopefully be helpful.

[Evoker]

The +5 was a mistype, my bad.
I had seen arguments going both ways on how Weapon focus and the Swordsage ability stack/don't stack, based on the fact that the feat not stacking is within the "special" listing, while the Swordsage ability specifies you gain the "benefit" of the feat (You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.), not the feat itself, and the two abilities technically have different names (Discipline Focus(Weapon Focus) and Weapon Focus(X)). It's fine if you want to go with the more restrictive reading though, I'll just take Weapon Focus: Headbutt.

[Rizban]

I'm going to stick with the more restrictive reading, but the class feature counts as Weapon Focus for any purposes, including meeting prerequisites.

[Evoker]

(That's fair. I just have no BAB due to bad choices, so I was hoping to squeeze out a little bit of extra bonus to hit.

I still miss with all of my attacks that round, so what happens with the spiders?)

[Evoker]

(if you want me to, I can re-do my turn, but my actions are going to be basically the same, so it'd basically turn out the same, dice rolls notwithstanding.)

[Rizban]

Nah, it's fine. I just didn't post any updates yesterday afternoon.

The seven spiders rush at you, each provoking AoOs as they enter your space to attack.

Thankfully, only four are able to enter your space while the others try to squeeze in but fail.

[roll0] - [1]+[roll1] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll2] - [1]+[roll3] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll4] - [1]+[roll5] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll6] - [1]+[roll7] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)

[Evoker]

The first one I'll activate my counter-charge maneuver. Opposed STR check, I get +4, and if I win it cancels the charge and they are shoved 10 ft away from me.
The second one I'll AoO.

[roll0]#counter charge
[roll1][roll2]#AoO
[roll3][roll4][roll5]#saves in order.

[Rizban]

The first spider can't overcome that Strength check and is pushed away from you.

The second ends up a gooey mess on the end of your quarterstaff.

The third and fourth bite you, but you resist the poison of the 4th.

You take a total of 2 damage and 1 Str damage and are poisoned.

Four of the Six remaining spiders attack while the rest circle, each provoking as before.
[roll0] - [1]+[roll1] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll2] - [1]+[roll3] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll4] - [1]+[roll5] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll6] - [1]+[roll7] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)

[Evoker]

(The fourth doesn't hit me, my AC is 16 with the Force Screen buff up. It's been less than 10 rounds. I also haven't taken my turn yet because I needed to know the result of the counter-charge and AoO for my strength mod.)

In my turn, before those spiders act, I will Minotaur's charge the spider furthest from any other spider. I move without provoking AoOs and make a bull rush attempt, dealing 2d6-1 damage if it fails.

Then assuming up to four spiders can get to me, I'll AoO the first one.

Bull rush: [roll0][roll1]
Attack of Opportunity: [roll2][roll3]
Miss chances for the three that might hit me: [roll4][roll5][roll6]

[Rizban]

Ah, you didn't update your sheet with the force screen effect, and I frankly forgot about it.

The bull rush requires a touch attack to hit.

[Evoker]

I don't have edit access to the sheet for some reason, so I can't add it. Also, bull rushes by standard don't seem to require a touch attack (https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Bull_Rush), and Charging Minotaur doesn't seem to change that.

[Rizban]

Not sure what happened there. You should be able to edit the sheet now.

Huh. I guess it doesn't. I was thinking that Overrun was the only one that didn't require an attack roll, but I was mistaken.

[roll0]

You crush the spider to death but miss with your AoO as the next four jump you.


Four of the Six Five remaining spiders attack while the rest circle, each provoking as before.
(1d20+5)[16] - [1]+poison - (1d2)[1] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
(1d20+5)[17] - [1]+poison - (1d2)[2] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
(1d20+5)[19] - [1]+poison - (1d2)[1] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
(1d20+5)[11] - [1]+poison - (1d2)[2] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)

You evade the first, but the second and third both hit you.

[Evoker]

Alright. I already made fort saves in the dice-rolls channel, and they all succeeded.

I'll full-attack, 1 quarterstaff attack, 1 headbutt.

[roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]

Then I'll five-foot step back.

[Rizban]

You fail to smash any additional spiders.

Four spiders attack again, provoking attacks of opportunity.8
[roll0] - [1]+[roll1] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll2] - [1]+[roll3] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll4] - [1]+[roll5] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll6] - [1]+[roll7] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)

The fifth circles around, looking for an opening to strike.

[Evoker]

Wow. How did they all miss? Something must have stuttered in the game's processing or something.

[roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3][roll4][roll5]

Five-ft step away from the spider looking for an opening.

[Rizban]

You kill one more spider, and the last four attack.7

[roll0] - [1]+[roll1] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll2] - [1]+[roll3] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll4] - [1]+[roll5] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)
[roll6] - [1]+[roll7] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)

[Evoker]

Attack of Opportunity [roll0][roll1]
Fort Saves: [roll2][roll3][roll4]

Alright. I'm taking 3 more damage, and 2 more strength damage. I'm going to withdraw now, and move 60 ft away from the spiders.

[Rizban]

The spiders follow after you, but you are considerably faster than they are. You'll need to continue to move away from them though, as they're still coming for you...

[Evoker]

I will continue to so so, in that case, until they stop chasing me. If they don't stop by the time I reach the stream, I'll cross the stream and see if that stops them.

[Rizban]

You make it almost all the way back to the swamp before the spiders have lost sight of you and given up the chase.

Encounter Notice
Enemies Defeated:
Enemies Avoided:
Experience Gained:
3
4
225

[Evoker]

I'll return to my home base, to rest up and hopefully heal my damaged strength.

[roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]

So I'm taking secondary damage from 4 of the attacks.

[Rizban]

[roll0] Str damage.

Assuming you're not paralyzed, you make it back to your hidden cave.

[Evoker]

That's unfortunate. I'm exactly paralyzed. 0 strength.

I assume that means I die painfully from being eaten alive when some scavenger happens upon me before I get the full day of rest necessary to restore that score.

[Rizban]

"{a melodic language}"

You feel someone drop to their knees next to you and probing hands begin checking your breathing and pulse.

You're turned over onto your side by the man, an elf—judging by the ears.

"{a melodic language, asking a question}" he asks, but you're unable to respond.

Apparently deciding that you are most definitely not okay, he instructs a larger, wispy looking "person" to pick you up and carry you back to a place called "Mother's Grove," the name of which being the only thing you've been able to clearly understand.

"{a melodic language, trying to sound reassuring}"

About twenty minutes of bumpy walking finds you being carried into a well maintained clearing surrounding a massive, ancient oak tree. The trunk itself is 40 to 50 feet tall before even considering the huge branches. The crown of branches is more than twice that across, with many branches larger than the surrounding trees. The ground is an almost smooth carpet of fallen leaves with no sign of fallen branches.

https://www.thefactsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/oak-tree-facts.jpg

[Evoker]

Assuming I'm still unable to act, I continue to fail to enact any kind of voluntary motion. If I've recovered enough, I'll try a few words in Ssrailish.

[Rizban]

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/21/d9/b8/21d9b80bc4d105a027864ee3e9582ca9.jpg

The man calls out as he enters the clearing, and another elf appears in your line of sight.

https://mornproductions.com/gitp/portal/52871b38c16edd677fe51786bdd159ed.jpg

The two converse briefly in their language before she points to a spot nearer the large tree.

She applies a salve to your wounds, which heals you for 2 hit points then casts a spell which heals [roll0] Str damage.

[Evoker]

I'll try speaking again. Ah...
Thank you? Can you understand me?

[Rizban]

She replies in a heavily accented, "Yes. My language bad is. Hard say this words. Sorry."

[Evoker]

"Well, that's better than I expected. Not being able to speak Common is a pain. Thanks for saving my life, by the way."

[Rizban]

"This is my job. Spiritual guide."

[Evoker]

Even if it's your job, I'm still grateful. How about your... Friend? The elf who found me? Is he also a spiritual guide?

[Rizban]

She laughs at your question.

"No. Is just uh... friend."

The man says something then heads back down the trail towards the spiders.

[Evoker]

So... What now? If you know some way I could return home without encountering anything dangerous, I could leave. But otherwise I think I'm stuck here for a little while longer. I don't want to leave just to get paralyzed once again.

[Rizban]

"Where is home?"

[Evoker]

I'll describe the path I took to get here, in rough terms so as not to be too confusing. Mostly using "twoards" and "away from" major, easy-to-describe landmarks.

[Rizban]

She seems confused.

"Nothing there. Why make home there? You hiding?"

[Evoker]

It's a... Magic cave, I guess? It's hidden from most people, and it helped me heal in the past. I'm hoping it can help with this too.

[Rizban]

She taps her chin in thought and nods slowly before muttering something in that almost musical language.

"♪♫♪ is kill spider. You safe go, if want."

[Evoker]

Alright then.

I'll try to stand up, and test my balance, try to shake some feeling into my legs. Then I'll start heading back to my cave, using my makeshift quarterstaff to support me like a walking stick if and when necessary. I'll stick to the path unless I see a spider, and if I do see a spider I'll try to sneak by it.

[Rizban]

You see no spiders, but you do spot the man who saved you examining the bodies of a dozen tiny spiders.

His wolf companion notices you and is watching you warily.

[Evoker]

I'll try to move by, keeping my distance from the wolf as far as is possible.

[Rizban]

You start to duck into the woods just as the elf man stands to approach you...

[Evoker]

Uh... you still can't understand me, right?

[Rizban]

He motions with his arms and makes an attempt to communicate with you...

[roll0]

But other than him seeming friendly, you can't make out what message he's trying to convey.

[Evoker]

Uh... Thanks, I guess?

[Rizban]

He gives an exaggerated shrug and a thumbs up.

Then he turns and goes back to the massacred spiders before wandering off into the woods, clearly tracking something.

[Evoker]

I'll continue traveling, hoping to reach my cave before nightfall.

[Rizban]

You make it back to the valley and your cave without difficulty. You notice a distinct lack of any rabbits in the area.

[Evoker]

I'll wait a while, two or three hours, to see if I'm actually regenerating my damaged stats faster in my cave.

[Rizban]

You notice that you regain 1 hit point approximately every 5 minutes.

After 2 hours of resting, you regain 1 point of Strength. That's definitely pretty quick, 12 times faster than normal healing in fact.

[Evoker]

(6 times faster. If you do nothing but rest, you regain 2 points/day. But anyway.)

I'll gather some food from sources close to my cave, enough that I won't be too hungry. Then, I'll rest at least overnight, unless it's so early that 12 hours of rest won't take overnight.

[Rizban]

(6 times faster. If you do nothing but rest, you regain 2 points/day. But anyway.)
{shrug} Alright, sure. If you're doing anything but full rest, it takes 4 hours to heal a point.

You awaken the next morning at full health, having had a fairly restful night.

[Evoker]

Alright, I should stay away from stuff that can damage my stats. Sitting around waiting for my stats to recover is very boring.

I'll take a drink from my pool, to refresh my probably-expired XP boost.

Then, I'll try to return to the swamp. Hopefully there's something worth a good amount of XP there that won't poison me.

[Rizban]

As you near the swamp, you notice the ripples on the surface, indicating a creature swimming underwater towards you.

[Evoker]

I'll ready myself for combat, and wait.

Botched the roll command, I'll either roll in the discord, or you can roll for me as you have in the past.

[Rizban]

As the ripples near the edge of the water, a wide, flat head nearly three feet across just barely breaks the surface. Two bulbous eyes roll up out of the skull and look at you.

It opens to reveal a massive maw with tiny, sharp teeth with a bone rattling RIBBIT!

A long, sticky tongue darts out at you.

[roll0] - [roll1]

[Evoker]

Alright. My shield buff has expired, so that hits (By the way, did my power points restore faster than normal while resting in my cave?)
[roll0]

I am not grappled, so I'll charge the frog, and use distracting ember to get flanking. Rolls are in the discord because I didn't want to double-post and you can't add rolls in edit.

[Rizban]

Your power points did not restore any faster than normal. You did regain any points from a full night's rest. This is the next morning.

You strike the frog for 2 damage.

Now that you're in biting range, the frog tries to engulf you in its huge mouth.

[roll0] - [roll1](damage, not grapple) + [roll2]

[Rizban]

Critical threat
[roll0] - [roll1]

[Evoker]

Alright. Miss chance, looking for low [roll0], if that is higher than 20 I take 8 damage, and have to resist the grapple [roll1]

If I am not grappled, I'll attack the frog again with Shadow Blade Technique

[roll2][roll3]

Damage [roll4] Bonus damage [roll5]

If I am grappled, I'll try to escape the grapple with Escape Artist:
[roll6]

Alright. I become grappled and take 8 damage, but have 17 on my opposed check to escape the grapple.

[Rizban]

The frog tries to hold onto you.
[roll0]

Despite its best efforts, you just manage to wiggle out of its grasp.

You still have a Move action on your turn.

[Evoker]

I will attempt to tumble out of the square the frog threatens, at the cost of 10 feet of movement, then move another 20 ft away from the frog with the rest of my movement.

Tumble Check, 15 or higher [roll0]

Alright, so my movement completes, but I eat an AoO.

[Rizban]

The frog bites at you with its AoO.
[roll0] - [roll1]

[Evoker]

Well, it just barely hits me, so I'm taking another 7 damage. Agh.

[Rizban]

Sorry, I got busy with another task before I could finish out the turn.
The frog hops towards you and attempts to bite you again.

[roll0] - [roll1] + [roll2]

[Evoker]

Hah. It misses. Now I can run 60 ft away from it and not take an AoO with the withdraw action.

[Rizban]

You withdraw, and the frog hops back into the water.

Encounter Notice
Enemies Avoided:
Experience Gained:
1
100

[Evoker]

Alright. That area's just a little bit high level for me. Let's try to find someplace less dangerous. Or...

I'll peek into the forest, and see if I can find a monstrous spider in a web, like the one I found earlier.

[Rizban]

You note that many of the nearby webs are empty; however, you eventually find a small grouping of [roll0] tiny monstrous spiders.

[Evoker]

Hmp. That's not ideal. Oh well.
I'll cast my Force Screen spell. If that doesn't catch the spider's attention after one round, then I'll yell at the spiders to get their attention, and start rapidly backing off. Ideally, I'll make it so that precisely one spider is possibly in range to charge me.

[Rizban]

The spiders hiss, but they don't engage, seemingly content to remain in their webs, waiting for prey to venture within their reach.

[Evoker]

I'll grab a stone or fallen branch, and throw it at the spiders, hoping to catch their attention. If they don't react, I'll repeat that until I hit one, and see if that prompts any different response. I'll do this throwing from 10 feet away from the nearest spider, a position that I will slowly approach in case I trigger the spiders before reaching it, so that I can back away if I need to,

[Rizban]

As soon as you approach to within 10 feet of the nearest spider, it jumps at you!

[roll0]

But it falls short and runs towards you.

The rest of the spiders leave their webs to head towards you as well.

You know from experience, that you are a good bit faster than they are.

Spiders are grouped approximately 5 feet, 20 feet, and 30 feet from you.

[Evoker]

I'll attack the spider that is presumably next to me but not yet sharing my space, with distracting ember to provide flanking: [roll0] [roll1]
Then I'll back up 30 ft.

[Rizban]

You kill the one spider and back up.

One of the spiders charges at you!
[roll0] - [1]+[roll1] Str damage (Fort DC 10 negates)

The remaining spiders run as fast as they can, coming within 5 feet of you, but not entering your space.

[Evoker]

AoO: [roll0][roll1]

If AoO fails: Counter Charge as Immediate action. [roll2] #opposed str or be shifted 10 ft back.

On my turn if there's no spider in my square, I'll attack with Shadow Blade Technique [roll3][roll4] [roll5] Bonus damage [roll6] and move back 30 feet, putting a tree between me and as many spiders within range to charge as possible.

If there is a spider in my square, I'll Withdraw back exactly 40 feet.

[Rizban]

Opposed check
[roll0]

You shift the spider back before it can attack you, fail to kill another spider, and then flee to behind a tree.

The five surviving spiders follow and surround you but don't enter your square.

Double move gets them 40 feet of movement vs your 30 feet but no attacks.

[Evoker]

"Nope. This isn't going to work out. Damn."

I'll move 60 ft away, at the risk of provoking an AoO (as it's kinda unclear if tiny creatures actually threaten the square they are in.) I'll the continue to run until I reach the point where they stop following me.