Portal to D&D IC - Lentrax

[Rizban]

Discord, if you're interested.

Spoiler: Background

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Ashleigh Vess is a college student at CalTech, double majoring in Physics and Math, with a Minor in Classical Languages. Now in her senior year (Even though to finish both degrees she probably needs one more semester on top of that.), she has been accepted as a lab assistant in the High Energy lab. Sure, she doesn’t get to do much in the way or experiments, but she is surrounded by science, and she loves it. But when she isn’t behind in homework, or busy in the lab, she is laying in her bed, hooked up to her computer, her hands twitching as she controls her avatar online, where she becomes Shanna.

Shanna is actually, technically, her alt. But she created it when the 2.6 update dropped, adding her favorite PrC, the Dervish. So she made a character that resembled herself more closely than she would care to admit, and joined on one of the more RP heavy servers. Shanna is a barmaid in Tevelainne, at the Sated Fate inn where she has been known to use her Dervish Dance to entertain and delight. And to break up the occasional bar fight.

One day, Ashleigh’s friend called her up, asking her to head over to the Advanced Tech lab, where, she said, she had made a breakthrough in VR accessibility. An hour later, and Shanna was standing in The Sated Fate, serving drinks, when someone hit her with a thrown mug of ale. Not uncommon really. But what was uncommon was that now Shanna was bleeding, and she couldn’t access the menu to log out...

You find yourself staring at the blood on your fingers as you begin to feel faint. The scene in the tavern freezes completely, glitching slightly like a paused VHS tape.

Suddenly, a popup fills your vision.

Ş̸̧̟͕̙̪̋͌̎̒̽͛̏̏̐͜͝ý̸̩̼̫͚͕̺̱̫̽̓̈́̄͌̒̄͗́s̸̀̄̀̈́̄̎̓̚͝ ̡̡̺̜̜̬̺̟̞ṱ̸̨͑̃e̸͙̹͗̊ͅm̷̻̭̱̲̣̮̾́̊̍̽̂͝ ̶̧̢̩̲̙̣̳̩͓̞̎Ë̷͈̩̥͍̮͔́̈̑̓̒̑̚͘͝ͅr̵̨̖̖͇̤̘͖͉̘͒̌ͅr̶̛̻̀͂ ̘̩ǒ̴̡̩̫͚͚̝͉̭͆̂̚r̸̨͕͙̘̜͊͑̇͐̃͠

The popup dismisses itself and then is replaced by another one.

System Error
Your connection to the world server has become corrupted.
We apologize for the inconvenience and would like you offer you an opportunity as recompense.

Greetings, Player!
You have been offered the chance to remake yourself anew!
Do you accept this offer?
| Yes | No |

Spoiler: If Yes

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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 |

Spoiler: If Yes

Show

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 |

Spoiler: If you ever select "No"

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You feel extreme nausea as you awaken back in the lab with a pounding migraine. Split skin on your forehead bleeds freely as a deep bruise forms around it, a wound exactly like the one you received in the game. However, nothing else seems unusual.

When you attempt to log back into the game, even using the advanced VR system recently developed in the lab, you merely experience the game as usual. You have no more corrupted connections or unusual experiences. If not for the faint scar visible when you get really close to the mirror looking for it, you would almost swear the whole experience was a dream.

Life goes on as usual.

Game Over

[Lentrax]

What the-

Leave my life behind?

I mean, I liked Shanna, but whatever. I can always just remake her, right?

Ashleigh says yes.

[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.

Spoiler: After clicking the button...

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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.

(1d100)[20]
(1d100)[52]
(1d100)[24]

(1d20)[4]
(1d20)[18]

[Rizban]

Congratulations!
You have received two [2] Minor 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

__

Elf

__

Spiritfolk

__

Hengeyokai

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 Minor 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.

[Lentrax]

Hengeyokai? That’s an option now?

Ashleigh is almost tempted to click it...

But that feeling...

That weird... whatever that happened... And the pain...

Oh, she was going to have words with Samantha when she got done with this.

We’re both Sisters in Delta Pi, she should have warned me.

As tempting as the options are, Ashleigh selects Human. The bonus feat and skill point was necessary for getting to Dervish as quickly as possible.

And there is that odd button about boons to consider too...

[Rizban]

As soon as she touches the button for human, all of the race representations disappear, and she is presented with four variants of human instead.

Human

__

Deepdweller

__

Neanderthal

__

Talaire

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

Select Subrace

Information

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

Apply Minor Boon to Race

[Lentrax]

Talaire?

She presses the ‘Information’ button.

[Rizban]

Talaire
Human descendants from the ancient Talaire bloodline have innate psionic talent. They receive a randomly selected bloodline from the eight available to their race which determines the exact nature of their psionic powers. Beyond their mental prowess, they are indistinguishable from a normal human.

[Lentrax]

Ah. Psionics. Thanks, but no thanks game.

Ashleigh selects the regular Human button.

[Rizban]

System Error: Selection Unavailable
Ancient bloodline detected. Base Human race selection is unavailable for this character.
Error Resolution: Human race selection upgraded to Tier 2 Race: High Human.

High 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.

The other figures disappear from your sight, and you find yourself able to customize the appearance of the High Human to you liking, including changing the sex. While you can't point to anything specific on the High Human that's different from a normal Human, it has a sense of presence to it that can't be easily explained.

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 PM)

You find yourself able to fill in a few minor blanks, including your character's name. You also have 3 points to spend on your ability scores, increasing any chosen score by 1. However, you can't assign more than 1 point to the same ability score.

[Lentrax]

Ancient Bloodline? Is that a weird way of saying "Veteran Player?"

Everything she is reading is confusing the hell out of Ashleigh. And while this process seems intuitive, each next step adds something that is adding to a general feeling of unease.

As the sheet appears in front of her, she figures out what she can and can't do with it rather quickly, and hopes that all of this will come together and make more kinds of sense later on.

[Rizban]

As you finalize your selection, you receive a notification that you will receive 3 points to spend on any ability score of your choice at each future level, but you still won't be able to assign more than one point to the same score at any given level.

Your vision blurs again as you are given a choice of classes, basic gear sets appearing before you, representing each class option. You get the feeling that you should have a limited selection of options, as you did with race, so you are surprised by the number of options available to you.

Barbarian	__	Bard	__	Commoner	__	Crusader	__	Dragon Shaman
Duskblade	__	Eidolon	__	Fighter	__	Hexblade	__	Monk
Paladin	__	Ranger	__	Rogue	__	Sorcerer	__	Warmage

The same two buttons appear floating in front of each class option.

Select Class

Information

Apply Minor Boon to Class

[Lentrax]

Three points? At every level? That’s a little OP, don’t you think devs?

Ashleigh looks at the options. They all seem pretty standard, which they should be. They’re all level one base classes, right?

And then there is the matter of that Minor Boon button.

What are these boons anyway? Only one way to find out, right?

She tries selecting the “Apply Minor Boon” button.

[Rizban]

The options available to you flash with a faint light. Some of your options have changed, but others have merely received a plus sign next to them.

Barbarian+	__	Bard+	__	Expert	__	Crusader+	__	Dragon Shaman+
Duskblade+	__	Eidoloncer	__	Fighter+	__	Hexblade+	__	Monk+
Paladin+	__	Mystic Ranger	__	Rogue+	__	Battle Sorcerer	__	Warmage+

The same two buttons appear floating in front of each class option.

Select Class

Information

The minor boon button is no longer visible.

[Lentrax]

Okay... I guess Minor was really not an understatement.

Hmm. I know what Barbarian should say, what about Barbarian +?

She selects the Information button for Barbarian+ and Fighter+.

[Rizban]

Barbarian+
A warrior often hailing from a primitive society, barbarians use raw bloodlust to fuel their strength but can quickly exhaust themselves. As an advanced Barbarian, you have the option of choosing a totem spirit which will grant you additional powers as you gain levels in Barbarian.

Fighter+
Skilled combatants, fighters have access to additional feats as most levels. They also have several benefits when performing special maneuvers in combat. As an advanced Fighter, you have the option of choosing a role specialization, which will give you additional abilities and options unavailable to other Fighters.

[Lentrax]

Okay.... So basically I made them with ToB added in or whatever? Glad I didn't waste this boon thing on race.

She selects Fighter+.

[Rizban]

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

A new series of choices appears in front of you.

Champion

__

Field Marshal

__

Martial Artist

__

Samurai

__

Swashbuckler

Select Fighter Specialization

Information

Apply Minor Boon to Fighter Specialization

[Lentrax]

Hmm. These are specializations, rather than Base classes on their own...

This makes deciding intriguing. If these are playstyles, rather than classes on their own, she might be able to make a Dervish with a unique spin on it.

Which makes her wonder what the options might have been for Barbarian, another of the optimal entries for the Dervish PrC.

Oh well, that choice has already come and gone, I don't see a back button anywhere. So I should probably learn what I can about how this stuff works before just selecting on impulse.

Ashleigh selects the information for Samurai and Swashbuckler.

[Rizban]

Fighter (Samurai)
This advanced Fighter Specialization has a strong will and sense of justice, using their presence to intimidate enemies into surrender without the need to draw blood. In addition, they have inherited an ancestral weapon from their family which is blessed by the ancestral spirits.

Fighter (Swashbuckler)
This advanced Fighter Specialization focuses on grace and movement, avoiding attacks and striking where it hurts the most. They lose many of their benefits when wearing bulky armor or their mobility is impeded but are true masters when free to move.

[Lentrax]

Reading the description for Samurai, coupled with the overall concept of building a dervish conjure images of Kill Bill into Ashleigh’s mind.

But, Swashbuckler is the one that makes the most sense. Especially if in this system it still gives you free weapon finesse.

And, the boon button is back. But she only has one ‘boon’ left, and there are still skills and feats to consider. Wondering if a boon to skills will get a crucial extra skill point per level, she decides to save the boon, and confirms her choice of Swashbuckler.

[Rizban]

As you finalize your old character's name as your name for your new character, you feel a slightly queasy feeling in your gut like a bad case of motion sickness. Thankfully, it quickly passes.

You select Swashbuckler, and the appearance of your gear shifts slightly, the armor becoming lighter and more flexible, the longsword changing to a rapier, and other such details.

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

You have the option to select two feats for your first Hit Die, one bonus feat from your race, and one bonus feat from your class. Your choices are any feat you qualify for from the Player's Handbook, Player's Handbook 2, Complete Warrior, or Races of Destiny.

In addition, you gain Able Learner as a bonus feat from your race and Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat from your class.

Because you held onto your past rather than allowing it to be swept away, you also gain either Fleet of Foot or Surefooted feat as a bonus feat (both from Player's Guide to Faerun).

Apply Minor Boon to Feats

[Lentrax]

Reading the plethora of information being given to her, Ashleigh could almost swoon.

Able Learner and Fleet of Foot?

At 1st level, she will have the speed of a Barbarian, and the ability to buy all of her skills without the Cross-class penalty!

Which means the only thing I really have to worry about insofar as getting to Dervish is making sure the character survives to sixth level!

But what do I do for the other feats?

The better question is will it let me select feats because my stats aren't set yet.

To test that, Ashleigh tries to select "Dodge," a feat that requires a 13 Dex.

[Rizban]

She is met with an error message. She must still meet any prerequisites for the feats she chooses.

[Lentrax]

As I thought. But still... It would have been nice. But that's okay.

Oh, crap. No it isn't. That requirement locks a lot of things out from even the fighter bonus feat list...

Okay. Okay. Let's not panic.

So. Improved Initiative, because going first meant a better chance to survive.

And for a general first level feat... Quick Draw would have to do.

Having made the choices, she selects 'Quick Draw' for her 1st level Feat
She selects 'Improved Initiative' for her Fighter feat.
And for the bonus choice, she selects "Fleet of Foot.'

[Rizban]

Having made her feat choices, she realizes that she still has two open feat slots available.

If she has no other feats she wishes to select at this time, the system offers her a Moderate Boon in exchange for permanently sacrificing the remaining two slots.

[Lentrax]

Ashleigh opts to forgo other feats right now. Everything else that she can think of that would really be beneficial to her are locked behind skill and ability score caps.

[Rizban]

You have received one [1] Moderate Boon.

Your selected feats 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 16 Skill Points to assign. Clicking through a few of the skills, you discover that the Fighter has the class skills of the Fighter and Swashbuckler classes combined.

Cross class skills still cost two points.

A new button offering to use your moderate boon appears below. It is not obscured.

Apply Moderate Boon to Skills

[Lentrax]

Okay... Let's see what do i need...

Ashleigh tries to recall the requirements for Dervish, and assigns her skills accordingly.

Tumble 4 ranks
Perform (Dance) 2 Ranks
Bluff 4 Ranks
Handle Animal 3 Ranks
Intimidate 3 Ranks

Spoiler: OOC

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I added the Skills and the Ranks onto the sheet, but I am not sure if you have anything set for the Abilities to modify it automatically so I didn't fiddle with anything else.

[Rizban]

You finalize your skills, and your character sheet fades away.

System Notice
Character generation completed.
One [1] available Moderate Boon remains unspent.

Do you wish to retain this boon for future use or immediately convert it into one [1] Greater Perk?

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