Battle for the Ludimic Plane: Fun and Games

[CaoimhinTheCape]

Red charges after Pika, "No, you really shouldn't do that!"

"Hey Runt, you should take a rest." Turning to Blaise, he points to Jimmy. "We need to stop them from attacking!"

Spoiler: Actions

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Con Save to maintain Summon Beast (DC 10): (1d20+2)[3]

Move toward Pika

Cantrip: Produce Flame

To Hit: (1d20+7)[12]
Damage: (2d8)[5]

Runt's attack
To Hit: (1d20+7)[27]
Damage: (1d8+6)[8]

[TriciaOso]

Blaise fires a jet of flame, but is booted viciously by Jimmy down into the arena.

Pika isn't the only one who fails his saving throw; but Haggar is closer to the crater. He runs pell-mell to the flickering hole in existence and stares down into, turning back with the glowing eyes and calm face of the true believer. "He's coming!" The earth shakes, and the opening seems to swell with the oncoming force of--something.

Two beams of fire converge on Lakitu and a shower of junk rains on him, but he survives and swoops away as Billy strides angrily towards Lucca. Pika dashes past her, with Red pursuing, and as the three of them pass within in the same radius some force grabs hold of all five of you--Red, Blaise, Pika, Lucca and the turret--and you are swept away in a teleport just before the ground erupts and something comes through.

************************************************** ************************************

The three of you are standing in a crowded laboratory, full of gadgets and, especially, robot parts. Legs, blasters, even the odd heads. In the corner is a tall glass semi-opaque cylinder.

The room is dominated by a huge screen, tuned in to the Metarena. You see the ensorcelled punch boys helping left someone out of the crater, emerging like a plumber from a pipe. He's big--tall and thick and flabby, with muscle underneath and a crinkled moustache.

"Oh yeah!"

Wario's eyes are not glowing, but something he carries is; a lamp. He looks around the arena with a sneer, then rubs his lamp. Smoke begins to pour out, and it takes shape into a glowing purple shape. It's dressed like a genie, in harem pants and tiny vest, with luminous glossy skin and sharp teeth. A fin rises from its turban. It looks directly into the camera and with a flash, the picture cuts out.

With the light from the screen cut out, a faint glow around the switches and keyboard is visible. It seems to be coming from a small ball of light resting on a lever.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Lucca rushes up to the console, clacks away at some keys and buttons, and frustratedly baps the monitor with her hand, but it's no use. The problem with the signal is obviously on the other end. That's not what she's really upset about, anyway.

"Wario, what are you doing... hm?"

It's at this point that she notices the fairy on the lever. Not to say she was distracted by the rest of the room at all; Lucca is certainly no stranger to dilapidated robotics labs.

"Oh. Hello. Did you rescue us? I guess thank you, if so."

[Archemist]

Pika shakes his little head to clear it. Where IS this place? Why did he run in? Why did Wario have a genie helping him? Pika looks to the others questioningly.

He sees Lucca address the little ball of light. Can it answer her? Pika is sure curious to find out. He peers towards the light and just adds, "Pika?"

[CaoimhinTheCape]

Red first runs over to Pika, to make sure that he was OK. While Lucca asked the ball of light... fairy, maybe, Red thought about the weird teleportation that brought them here. Red tried to find anything in the lab that could have produced that kind of magic. Or really, anything out of the ordinary here.

Arcana: (1d20+3)[17]

[TriciaOso]

Red examines the laboratory, but finds little of magic here; it seems to be technological in nature. Much of the equipment is stamped with the name LIGHT LABS. The door has been blockaded.

The ball of light--it is indeed a fairy--flutters its wings and lifts from the switch.

Spoiler: LISTEN!

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"My name is Navi! I am... was... the companion of the Hero of Time! We returned here from a terrible future in hopes of preventing the destruction, but the Hero of Time was injured in our escape and... infected! He brought us here, then teleported out before he could bring the curse to this place! I have been working here to do what I could, but it took time for me to understand the machines, and I am just a little fairy!!!"

It droops back to the lever, light dimming briefly.

Spoiler: LISTEN!

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"Wario has gotten ahold of a power from outside of this plane, a marid that grants his wishes! We all know Wario would never hesitate to cheat, but he's gone too far this time! We--I--believe the magic is affecting even him! But he is taking control of the whole Plane even know, making himself a Dark King of every game and the sprites within, heroic or villainous, his servants!"

"In the future we returned from, no one realized what he was doing until it was too later! Even now he is transforming the Metarena into his Castle and hiding away the powers that could defeat him! Dr. Light, along with the Hero of Time, was one of our alliance to defeat him! But I'm afraid the Hero of Time got to him this time."

The fairy sounds confused and ashamed.

Spoiler: LISTEN!

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"Most of the infected don't have the power to infect others. But once your game has been taken over, it doesn't matter! If you run out of lives and return to your game world, you'll return infected when you do come back. That's why his servants are so dangerous! If they lose, they'll simply reboot--but if they win, we lose another sprite from our side."

"He's moving so quickly--he starts from the Metarena because he can touch so many games from there. And I fear by coming back here, the Hero of Time has only made things unfold faster."

"Will YOU accept the quest to stop Wario before he and his genie take over completely?"

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Obviously!"

Lucca doesn't even look at Red before replying. Their shared responsibility is not a matter of opinion at this point.

"Alright. What can we do first?" She walks back up to the console and starts messing with it again. "We need a plan..."

The monitor lights back up and displays a list to organize her ideas. This is probably not something the console was designed to do. Did she add that function with magic?

Spoiler: Yes

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This displays enough text to count as 2 uses of magical tinkering so far. She also has mending, so if the console is smashed or something is busted, she can fix it while she listens to everyone else speak.

She reads her rough draft of a plan aloud as she types it out on the screen:

To Do:

1: ->Find a way to reverse light corruption<-
2: Find the earliest affected period in an affected game's timeline
3: Follow Green Crono to that time period (somehow??)
4: Defeat the minions and fix the timeline
4.5: Fight Wario?? If yes go to 6
5: Find the next affected game and repeat from 2
6: Defeat Wario!

"Of course, the rest of the plan doesn't matter unless we can first do step one. We need to find a way to cure the mind-warping effects first. Right?"

[Archemist]

"Obviously!"

"Of course, the rest of the plan doesn't matter unless we can first do step one. We need to find a way to cure the mind-warping effects first. Right?"

Pika agrees, using his customary phrase. In plainer speech he adds, "My head still hurts from the light - I'm not even sure what it did exactly, and I was the one doing it. So if not a cure, some kind of protection, maybe." He looks to the fairy. "Is it as simple as just not being touched?"

[TriciaOso]

The fairy bobs lower to address Pikachu before turning back to Lucca:

Spoiler: LISTEN!

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"Most of the infected don't have the power to infect others. But once your game has been taken over, it doesn't matter! If you run out of lives and return to your game world, you'll return infected when you do come back. That's why his servants are so dangerous! If they lose, they'll simply reboot--but if they win, we lose another sprite from our side."

"I'm afraid we never found a way to permanently cure the infection once it's completely took hold. If I had a way--Link--"

It flutters sadly back to rest on the lever.

Spoiler: LISTEN!

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"But we theorized there should be three forces capable of overcoming the genie if we could get control of them before Wario! That's why we came back in time! We had one, but once he got the other two, there was no hope..."

It zooms over the screen, adding its own magic to the mix, and three squares are added to the screen, each with its own icon; a golden star, a green diamond, a yellow triangle.

Spoiler: LISTEN!

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"The GRAND STAR of the Mushroom Kingdom--

The CHAOS EMERALDS of Moebius--

The TRIFORCE of Hyrule"

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Oh, so when you say you had one..."

The GRAND STAR of the Mushroom Kingdom

The CHAOS EMERALDS of Moebius

The TRIFORCE of Hyrule
->Possessed by Link<-

"You said he was traveling with Wario and the genie to accelerate their plans, right? Do you know what they did with the other two?"

[CaoimhinTheCape]

"So we go to the three worlds and find the items that will help us. It doesn't matter to me where we go first.

Do we have time to find other allies by protecting different games? Or should we go right after these three?"

[TriciaOso]

Spoiler: TRIFORCE!

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"I think we have to start right away, before Wario gets the items that can challenge his genie! Link was infected, but I'm not sure if he's delivered the Triforce to Wario yet! He was fighting it when he left! It might be possible to track him down if we act quickly!

You would want start in Hyrule but he may have fled somewhere else by now. If he told anyone, it would be the Princess... but maybe it would be faster to go after the others? The other two are still where they belong for now!

Spoiler: POWER STAR!

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At least in the future I came from, the Power Star was given to King Boo to protect before the infection of the Mushroom Kingdom was complete! As a ghost, he can't be killed and rebooted! But as a ghost, he's mischievous and hard to defeat! He wants to keep it for himself!

There's a power that can defeat ghosts buried deep in the plane, but it's guarded by a Mindless Hunger! There's a way to sneak in... or maybe you can find a way to appease it?

Spoiler: CHAOS EMERALDS

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The Chaos Emeralds can only be captured by someone who can go fast, and the fast sprites are hard for Wario to catch! In our future, they were all going for the Emeralds to protect themselves! Do you have any kind of vehicle?

There are parts in this world that could make it faster! And it would certainly make our homebase more secure!! Barrel Kong has been launching waves of attacks on Doctor Light's lab!

The fairy swings around you all in a wide arc, spilling fairy dust. You find your injuries healed and your abilities restored.

Spoiler: LISTEN!

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"Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you! There's equipment you can use in this lab as well. Let me know where you decide to start!"

[Archemist]

Spoiler: TRIFORCE!

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[COLOR="#FFA07A"]"I think we have to start right away, before Wario gets the items that can challenge his genie! Link was infected, but I'm not sure if he's delivered the Triforce to Wario yet! He was fighting it when he left! It might be possible to track him down if we act quickly!

You would want start in Hyrule but he may have fled somewhere else by now. If he told anyone, it would be the Princess... but maybe it would be faster to go after the others? The other two are still where they belong for now!

The fairy swings around you all in a wide arc, spilling fairy dust. You find your injuries healed and your abilities restored.

Spoiler: LISTEN!

Show

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you! There's equipment you can use in this lab as well. Let me know where you decide to start!"

Pika mulls all this over. "Sounds complicated! Pika thinks saving Link is a good thought! Pika is pretty fast but has no vehicle, not yet."

[CaoimhinTheCape]

Red shrugs. "Having somewhere safe to come back to is important and if we find a way to catch up to the Chaos Emeralds then maybe we can use it to get the others? That's my vote."

[TriciaOso]

A quick rummage through the technology accumulated turns up a lot of odd bits and pieces, which Navi is able to narrate the function of.

1. A small pile of glowing beads, with one larger fist-sized one.

Spoiler

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These are healing items from Megaman; the smaller ones function as normal healing potions, and the larger one as a greater healing potion. They can be used as a bonus action.

2. Another glowing bead that seems change color based on who is closest to it.

Spoiler

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Another Megaman power-up, intend to restore specialty weapons. This will restore one level 1 spell slot.

3. Four iridiscent coins which glow with the face of whoever holds them.

Spoiler

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These are extra lives -- essentially a scroll of Revivify with the component cost built-in.

4. A razor sharp-blade shaped like a circle with a wedge taken out.

Spoiler

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Cut-Man's Blade! A +1 Dagger with Returning. Requires attunement.

5. A tube-shaped piece of gear apparently meant to fit over the forearm. Requires attunement.

Spoiler

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A prototype blaster; it functions as +1 wand Lucca can use for her arcane firearm.

6. A large black chest-plate with a red stone in the center

Spoiler

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Guts Man's armor! Functions as a +1 breastplate that also gives advantage on Strength checks and saving throws.

---

After everyone gears up, you leave the inner chamber of the lab and make your way towards the exit; as you get closer, you hear and feel explosions vibrating the building. It is much clearer you are under attack from a mecha-gorilla out here! Navi accompanies you, fluttering around and occasionally explaining things.

You pass through less secure areas of a lab, then through a living space; it looks homely, and a little sad under the circumstances.

You come to the front door and step out into the world beyond Dr. Light's lab. Across the street is a large skyscraper, currently under construction. You can see it is swarming with robot figures, climbing, dangling from tails, milling back and forth. A distant shape at the top waves it arms, and you see something falling.

Navi cried!

"DUCK!"

Spoiler

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Dexterity saving throws, DC 10, to dodge the barrel! 1d8 damage on a hit.

[CaoimhinTheCape]

"Woah, where did that come from?" Red looked up at the skyscraper to see the danger.

Dex Save: (1d20)[3]

[Archemist]

Pika hops when he should've ducked, and gets clipped by the barrel. "Pik-ooowww!"

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Lucca may have accidentally tuned out the whole conversation deciding where to go first, as her attention was suddenly and inexplicably turned to the robot parts strewn about the place. She found a prototype blaster that was likely intended for the blue bomber himself, made a couple of adjustments and fit it on her own arm for testing.

Even as the team made for the exit, she was scrounging the lab for any AIs she could repair to help our cause.

Spoiler: Investigation and Reflex Save

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Investigation to hunt for reparable robots, in case it matters: (1d20+7)[19]

Reflex vs. Barrel: Got a 5!

Barrel Damage: (1d8)[6]

Initiative: Got a 19!

(Sorry for the mix-and-match roll methods. It seems that some things are easily rollable on D&D Beyond and some aren't?)

Just as her train of thought returns to the team's destination, a shower of flaming barrel shrapnel swiftly reminds her that their present location is already literally under attack.

"Right! We should probably deal with him first. Let's just hope those robots are on our side."

[TriciaOso]

The structure of the tower seems straightforward--multiple unfinished floors of the building, each with a ladder reaching up to the next at the opposite end, and at the top, an angry mechanical gorilla throwing barrels.

Before the next barrel comes, you all manage to make it up the ladder to the first stage. Each floor seems to be about ninety feet across. The only thing you see on this floor are what look like... a few abandoned hard hats. Perhaps dropped by the construction workers when they fled?

[CaoimhinTheCape]

(Assuming that Lucca passes on the info about the Hard Hats)

"Hmm, we should be careful moving across this floor. Gordy, go." A Bellsprout appears, smiling. "Let's try to be quiet crossing this floor so we don't provoke them. Gordy, be ready to attack."

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Ready an Action to use Thorn Whip Cantrip.
Stealth: (1d20)[3]

Damage from Barrel: (1d8)[2]

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Well, I'm pretty sure they can hear us, but it's worth a shot. Maybe they'll let us pass!"

With that, Lucca moves to scoot past the first of the little yellow helmet friends. "Hello, excuse us, we're just going upstairs," she says in a whisper, trying not to disturb them if they really are in some kind of sleep mode. "Just hold on and we'll take care of the gorilla, okay?"

[Archemist]

Pika also readies himself to cast his Lightning Lure spell as he pokes cautiously around the first hardhat-thing. If it wakes up and seems mean, he's gonna zap it for sure. If there isn't much room on the scaffolding, he'll make use of his hops to bounce over them.

[TriciaOso]

As you move across the scaffolding, the hats do inevitably pop up, revealing big robot eyes and little robot feet in the darkness beneath. There must also be energy weapons under there, because they fire a spray of energy at you. Fortunately, while they are firing, they are vulnerable to your held attacks.

Spoiler: OOC

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STR saving throw for Lightning Lure: (1d20-2)[2]
Damage for Lightning Lure: (2d8)[4]

Melee Spell Attack for Thorn Whip: (1d20+7)[25]
Damage for Thorn Whip: (2d6)[6]

DEX Saving Throws: (3d20)[2][12][6](20) DC 12

Lucca: +2 Red: +0 Pika: +3

Damage: (1d6)[6] (none on a successful save)

(1d12)[4] for extra movement for Pika

The vine whip smashes one of the helmets right off the scaffolding, while the Lightning Lure yanks a second helmet closer; Pika electrocutes the little bot and then hops right over it. One of the hardhats is unscathed, and only the Bellsprout manages to dodge its fire. However, even taking damage, all of you dart past it. Soon you are on the other side of the scaffolding it from it and the bot Pikachu zapped, which is barely holding on. If you move full-speed, you could definitely reach the ladder before these two could fire again. Or you could stay and take them out.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

A Met opens up on Lucca just as she scoots past. Her trust is abused. She stumbles to her knees and nearly falls off the stage.

"Fine. So much for that."

Luckily, they don't seem like the kind of robots that can climb ladders. She dashes to the end of the platform, giving the enemies a moving target that is hopefully out of their close cone of range.

[Archemist]

Pika also hops towards the ladder, hoping and hopping and ducking and weaving and dash-moving, all that.

[TriciaOso]

Spoiler: OOC

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(I'm going assume Red does not stay to fight the Mets alone...)

You scramble up the ladder and the next volley from the Mets miss you. The next level of the building is more solid, and more crowded; pieces of equipment and barrels litter the floor. You can sense movement and rustling behind them, and in the dark, unfinished ceiling overhead.

From above, a robot unfurls from a long curling tail. It looks... huh. It looks like a robot version of a monkey, but a very specific type of monkey. Tangled through the gears and joints and over the spikey metal skin are vines and leaves. It's dangling right overhead, and looks at you with grumpy curiousity.

Navi swoops towards it and does a flyby, returning to your side with a breathless message.

Spoiler: LISTEN!

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Doctor Robotnik has been working with Doctor Wily to serve Wario! That's how Donkey Kong was roboticized! I think this is a Simisage!

I think there might be other monkey Pokemon here too! I know it's hard to fight your friends, but defeating them will free the Pokemon trapped inside!

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Ugh, that guy. Alright, let's do it!"

Lucca points up and tests her new arm cannon on the Eggman robot.

Spoiler

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Fire bolt! It's super effective hopefully???

Attack: (1d20+9)[25]
Damage: (2d10)[3]+(1d8)[3]

[CaoimhinTheCape]

Red looks more confident when he sees the Pokemon, even after seeing it is a robot. "If it's grass or steel, fire is super effective. Go, Blaise!"

Red calls the Charmander out again and it uses flamethrower.

Spoiler: Attacks

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Initiative: (1d20)[1]
Attack (Produce Flame): (1d20+7)[8]
Damage: (2d8)[13] fire

[Archemist]

Pika bounds forward and shoots a bolt of something at the Simisage, rising on a little gust of wind as he does so. He seems to hover for a second, as his little paws stretch out to cast the spell. It starts as a ball of chaotic storm energy but morphs into a splash of acidic poison as it arcs towards the target.

Spoiler: OOC - Chaos Bolt at it

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A little Tempestuous Magic to get the 10' Fly into my movement and rise up cinematically towards the Simisage, haha.
Chaos Bolt at 2nd level: (1d20+6)[18] ranged attack. (2d8)[7][6](13) + (2d6)[6] damage of a type I will edit in. We'll go with Poison damage since there's a 6 there on one of the d8s. It's 19 total.

[TriciaOso]

Although Charmander misses, the Firebolt from Lucca is supereffective. The Simisagebot drops to the ground, pieces of metal armor already beginning to scatter around it.

Before you can check on it, however, a pair of Pokebots leap over a barrel and charge you furiously! These are big round ball with arms and legs and tail seemingly bolted on at random and pugnacious, angry faces taking up most of a display screen in the front.

They leap forward and attack recklessly, one grabbing for Pikachu and the other for Charmander, their Pokemon instincts kicking in.

A smaller monkey-like Pokemon venting fire behind it leaps up onto a crate; it reach back, grabs a ball of flame, and hurls it at Lucca.

Spoiler: OOC

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Primeape 1:
Attack (2d20)[18][14](32) + 5 against Pikachu's AC (13)
Damage: (2d6+5)[12]

Primeape 2:
Attack (2d20)[4][20](24) + 5 against Red's AC (17)
Damage: (2d6+5)[16]

Attacks on them have advantage.

Chimchar:
Attack (1d20+4)[6] against Lucca's AC (17)
Damage: (1d8)[8]

The fireball goes wide, but both of the Primeapes clobber their opponents; Pikachu takes some damage, but the other Primeape crits clobbers Charmander mightily.