A group of wild mages sit in the corner of the tavern. After many rounds of ale, they reflect upon their exile. Their unpredictable art has shunned them from the Adventuring Guilds, and the few out there who have used their powers for ill have made enemies for them everywhere. Tonight however, they decide that they will no longer wallow in their fate, and for once in their lives, they will take destiny into their own hands. Tonight, they will make a pact: To destroy those who make a bad name for the wild mages, and to finally achieve a victory worthy of an entire Adventuring Guild! Together, they will succeed in an Epic Quest!
~~
You wake up the next morning, bleary eyed and with a terrible hangover. The determination of yesterday is slightly dampened by your rather excessive bar tab (what a night!), but that won't stop you. If you don't have the 200 Gold Pieces right now, that means there's just another reason to start your quest, right? You squint at your fellow adventurers that have assembled around the table, trying to make out how many there are. There's at least another one (maybe you imagined the others?), but there's probably more... heck, you think there could be as many as 8 wizards here, if there's enough player interest.
Name:
Favorite Number:
Name of Distant Relative:
One Piece of World Lore:
The mechanics are standard RtD mechanics, and all rolls relating to the players are for the players (i.e. Players roll to hit when attacking and roll to dodge when being attacked). If you don't know how standard RtD dice work, it's simple. Whenever you do an action that would require a skill/ability check in a normal RPG, just roll a d6. Results are as follows:
1: You fail terribly. A bad affect happens because of it.
2: You fail. Nothing additional happens.
3: You succeed, but only partially or with less of an effect than you hoped for.
4: You succeed. Nothing additional happens.
5: You succeed and it works out better than you expected.
6: You succeed a bit too much. It might be better than a 4 or 5 somehow, but there's always a downside.
The other major mechanic, spell-casting, is also pretty simple. If you're casting freehand, you'll cause a random effect (centered on the target), and if you're casting from a scroll, you'll cause the scroll's effect (centered on the target). I will also use RtD mechanics for spell-casting, to determine if you successfully cast. Here's how it'll work for that:
1: Your spell fizzles. If casting freehand, roll a random Backfire. If casting from a scroll, destroy it.
2: Your spell fizzles.
3: Your spell succeeds, but your target is randomized. If casting from a scroll, destroy it.
4: Your spell succeeds. If casting from a scroll, destroy it.
5: Your spell succeeds. If casting freehand, the better of 2 effects is chosen.
6: Your spell succeeds. If casting freehand, roll 2 effects. If casting from a scroll, destroy it and target everyone within 20 feet.
Glass
Name: Spades
Favorite Number: Jack
Name of Distant Relative: Diamonds
One Piece of World Lore: Supposedly, the guys over in Adjilia don’t mind wild mages. They’re kinda weird, though. Something about “the crossroads between realities” and “mad science” and “magical girls” or stuff like that. That said, normal people avoid them about as much as they shun wild mages.
HugeNerdAndProudOfIt
Name: Robert.
Favorite Number: 5
Name of distant relative: Eugene.
World lore: The town of Grenheld is inhabited solely by people with boring names, due to an ancient curse.
zilzo
Name: Thomas
Favorite Number: 3
Name of Distant Relative: Trinity
One Piece of World Lore: Gold Pieces are used as currency because gold has anti-magic properties while it cannot prevent a spell from being casted a gold shield would perfectly block a magical attack and a gold blade would easily pierce a magical barrier.
Smoke Mirrors
Name: Lonwen Merlin
Favorite Number: Aces (in case this is invalid, 27)
Name of Distant Relative: Merlin the Magnificent (you know, the Camelot guy)
One Piece of World Lore: This lady, Morgan le Fay, has been going around offering wild mages jobs. Don't help her! She gets them wrapped up in some evil conspiracy and they end up getting killed by demons or something. Whatever the case, no one here's from them even again.
NRDL
Name: Nix
Favorite Number: 11
Name of Distant Relative: Tracy Engerburg
One Piece of World Lore: The Blue Horseman shows up every month, during a full moon. He only comes for those who betray the ones they love, and exacts a requisite price.
The_Two_Eternities
Name: Da Capo Al Fine
Favorite Number: 8
Name of Distant Relative: Robert Bumaro
One Piece of World Lore: There is a divide in the Adventuring Guilds about whether magic is inherently evil or not.
Mallos
Name: John Holiday
Favorite Number: 9
Name of Distant Relative: Akashir
One Piece of World Lore: The Gods died long ago, leaving an empty void in place of the Heavens to be inherited by the first to ascend.
Questorhank
Name: Luke
Favorite Number: 13
Distant Relative: Frank
World Lore: Cats have an innate ability to detect magical effects/items, hence their popularity as familiars.
Failbird105
Name: You
Favorite Number: 2
Name of Distant Relative: I
One Piece of World Lore: Fairies exist in a variety of types outside the usual tiny roaming magical pranksters, such as House fairies that occasionally help hard-working people with mundane tasks, Redcaps who are no less cute than other fairies but are all blade wielding psychopaths that drink blood, and Tooth fairies who are named such because despite most of them being cute and friendly they are also child sized humanoid monsters with three rows of viciously sharp teeth.
Imic
Name: Imic
Favorite number: 4
Name of distant relative: Æmic
Random piece of world lore: The local area has three kingdoms: Banyeth, the smallest, situated in tall mountains and valleys, Osural, Largest, situated in highlands around Banyeth, and the coast further out, and Getia, somewhere in between, located north of the other two in deep forests and lakes. Banyeth has large merchant fleets, Banyeth has many mountain fortresses and keeps, but Getia has the strongest army. They don't like each other, and only Banyeth is accepting of magic. There hasn't been a war in about 4 years, though. There is an area in the middle which is used as a neutral zone, and has no central government. Outlaws and wizards shunned by society often come here...
Banyeth is close to Adjila.
Pay your Bar Tab
-Acquire 200 GP
Kill the Evil Wild Mages
Complete an Epic Quest!
The eight of you stumble to your feet. With no one else in the tavern (except the rather patient bartender), you decide to hit the road. The sun is steadily climbing over this little town, and the outside is brimming with fresh air the possibilities of adventure. Perhaps there is a quest available within this motley collection of tavern, store, church, guild hall and half dozen houses, but there is also a road to the east towards a larger town (within a day's worth of travel), and a road to the west towards the quarry (only an hour away). A less comfortable trip (of around half a week) lies to the south, the direction of Sapphire Lake and the shore-side cabin of Diamonds, Spades' great uncle. Directly to the north of here is an expansive forest, rolling over the growing hills all the way up to the Northern Cavern (a month of travel), the rumored lair of a Frost Giant and the edge of the known world - not to say that there aren't any mysteries left in the vast forest preceding it.
You suppose that - since there are 8 of you, and many different locations to choose from - you could split up and the Gamemaster God wouldn't be too mad about it.
Pay your Bar Tab
-Acquire 200 GP
Kill the Evil Wild Mages
Complete an Epic Quest!
Turn 1
Timespan: 5 Minutes
NRDL, Mallos, Glass, Smoke Mirrors & HugeNerdAndProudOfIt:
You follow the road north. Few people venture this way except lumberjacks, hunters and wannabe adventurers, so you don't expect to run into anyone here who could see you use your powers. As you catch sight of the forest, however, it seems to you that there are more people here then usual. Clustered around the edge of the woods is a group of spooked onlookers, hesitating to enter. When you get closer, you can hear the reason why: from the forest echoes a spine-chilling sound - the ghastly groan of every tree in sight. Their branches twist menacingly as grimacing mouths in the bark cry out in dissonance. When you approach to investigate, a wannabe adventurer sees you and yells out a warning cry. His party rushes into the forest, leaving a mildly confused group of lumberjacks and hunters in their wake. "The loot will be ours!" he cries.
ziizo & The_Two_Eternities:
You ask around everywhere, but everyone you talk to tells you that other wannabe adventurers have already finished their quests! You're considering giving up when the Adventuring Guild master waves you over. "I heard you're looking for a quest, lads. I've got one for you, if you don't spread the word. There's some giant rats in my basement and I don't know what to do about them! If I told a Guild adventurer, they'd laugh me out of business! Could you take care of them, and keep quiet about it? They'll be 30 GP in it for you - each!"
Questorhank:
The quarry sounds like a good place to start, so you set out to the west. Once you've found a sufficiently high wall to hide behind, you cast a spell to take you the rest of the way there. [6] Things go downhill from the start. With too much energy to control, all you can do is cross your fingers and hope you don't lose a limb. The spell peaks to a reality-shattering crescendo, and you brace yourself for the worst as... as... nothing happens? Hold on, something appeared in your pocket. You pull it out - it's an alchemical scroll! Unlike normal scrolls, these ones are based on SCIENCE and so don't need a roll to be cast, nor do they fall apart after use. However, they are powered by "equivalent exchange," and therefore cannot create more than they require to cast. This one, for instance, brings a person back to life by killing the caster... hmm... You stick it into your pocket, and hope you'll never have to use it.
Inventory:
-Alchemical Resurrection Scroll
Pay your Bar Tab
-Acquire 200 GP
Kill the Evil Wild Mages
Complete an Epic Quest!
Turn 2
Timespan: 30 Seconds
NRDL:
[2] You try to get as far as possible from Spades' magic, but before you can hardly react, the spell is cast. Good thing it wasn't a fireball, or you might have been toast. Your sense of relief fades as you see the townspeople are less-than-convinced by his excuse about him and John using science. Then, it turns to positive dread when Lonwen explains it as "simultanious strokes," and the two are taken towards the town to the Adventuring Guild master himself.
Mallos:
[4] You cast the spell with far less arcane fuckery than expected, but it only seems to have affected a single tree. Spades tries to explain to the crowd that you were using science, but they look kind of skeptical. Things are looking grim, but then Lonwen comes in on your behalf and explains that you both have strokes. The townspeople agree, and think it would be a fine idea to take you both to the Adventuring Guild for treatment. The burly lumberjack pushing you forward implies that you have no say in this matter.
Glass:
[5] Your spell goes off without a hitch, affecting a fair portion of the afflicted area. You're not quite sure what it did, though... You turn to the flabbergasted crowd and remark, "It's... science!" [3] Some of them shrug it off, but the rest look at you with slight disbelief and suspicion. Lonwen tries to cover you by claiming that you and John got a stroke, and it seems to convince them - a little too much. One person grabs each of your arms as the townspeople march you towards the Adventuring Guild for treatment.
Smoke Mirrors:
Seeing your fellow wizards are in need of someone to cover their back, you explain that they must be suffering from strokes. [6] A mummer disperses through the crowd - it seems they believed you. Then one of the hunters speaks up: "Then we gotta do something to save them. Let's bring them to the Guild master, he'll know what to do!" They all nod in agreement, and to your horror, begin forcibly escorting the two towards the town.
HugeNerdAndProudOfIt:
[3] You scan the forest edge and find a large-looking rock to hide behind. When you get closer, you realize that it's a little smaller than you expected, you can hide behind it, but you'll practically have to lay on the ground to remain unseen. You hear a commotion behind you, and turn around to see Spades and John being taken away by the group of lumberjacks and hunters!
ziizo & The_Two_Eternities:
The Guild master leads you around the back of the Guild Hall, and points to a door. "Just go down there," he says, as he ushers you towards it. Using a heavy iron key, he unlocks it and - with an effort - pulls it open. You notice the gold plates on the inside of the door, but it's too late. He shoves you both inside and slams the door shut, locking it behind you. You hear his muffled voice from the other side, "...and rot in hell, you filthy sorcerers!" Stumbling to your feet, you find the room you are in is dimly lit by an occasional small (and barred) window and sparsely furnished. To the east is the door and the small staircase you were thrown down. A little ways to the north, the room bends to the left, and a pile of random junk has been pushed into the northeast corner. Immediately to the west and south is the wall, with a doorway to another room to the west.
Questorhank:
After walking for less than a minute, you come across an unexpected problem. The road forks here, and you don't know which way leads to the quarry. To the right, the wide & paved road becomes thinner, and starts running down towards a cluster of trees. To the left, the road lose its paving, and continues over a small hill.
Inventory:
-Alchemical Resurrection Scroll
Pay your Bar Tab
-Acquire 200 GP
--Defeat Evil Trees
Kill the Evil Wild Mages
Complete an Epic Quest!